Term 2, Week 9

20 June 2023

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School

​We are Respectful
We are Responsible
We are Safe
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School is located on the traditional lands of the Punnilerpanner people of the North Nation. We acknowledge and deeply respect the Palawa people, the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community, and all Elders past and present. We are committed to learning alongside our students and community in this place, and support the continued sharing of knowledge and culture.

What's On?

Whole School
​Prayer

Monday 26 June
Whole School Prayer
(Early Learning - 2M Leading)
9:00am in the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.

​Parents and carers are welcome!

upComing Events

Term 2​​​​​​​​​​
  • Winter Warmers (SRC) - Wednesday 21st June
  • Assembly (Junior Joeys) - Friday 23rd June (2:00pm - 2:45pm)
  • Cross Country (Kinder - Grade 2) - Thursday 29th - Friday 30th June
  • SBSC Taster Day (Grade 6) - Friday 30th June

MRs Carol Seagar

Principal

“What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”
Hans urs von Balthasar
Welcome everyone to Week 9.

This quote makes us stop and think: what sense or impact does our being as a person have on ourselves and to God as our gift back to God.  This sounds abstract but we are each a gift from God made in his own image.  This message I share with students at each assembly: Truly believing we are each a gift from God.
 
 In Catholic Education, Principals are following a framework of the 4 Cardinal Virtues (invented by Plato, 426AD, and expanded by Aristotle; listed in the Bible) of Justice, Prudence (wisdom), Temperance (self-control) and Courage to guide our overall leadership. These 4 virtues are assisting to create firm attitudes, stable dispositions, and habitual strengths of intellect, that govern our actions, order our passions, and guide our conduct according to reason and faith. They are character forming.  We strengthen these good habits through God's grace and our own efforts.  It is always about growing and learning in our leadership. What gift to we give to ourselves, to God and to others?
 
When teaching Religious Education we strive integrate the gifts of awe, reverence and courage (these esoteric or ontological gifts) with the gifts of knowledge, understanding and discernment (epistemological). Pope John Paul II described the Catholic school as a place where the gift of wisdom can grow: “knowledge set in the context of faith which becomes wisdom and life vision” (as cited in Congregation for Catholic Education, 1997, para. 14). In teaching with this framework, we are guiding students to wisdom: the understanding and knowledge that comes from a deep connection to one's inner self and the divine.
 
I believe that to become closer to God and to thus appreciate ourselves and our world around us, awe is where we start – whether as a leader or a student. Awe is the feeling we get in the presence of something vast that challenges our understanding of the world, like looking up at millions of stars in the night sky or marvelling at the birth of a child. When people feel awe, they may use other words to describe the experience, such as wonder, amazement, surprise, or transcendence. One can also experience awe in nature, in music, art or architecture, religious experiences, the supernatural, or even one’s own accomplishments. Awe leads to gratitude and this in turn can lead us, as human beings, to always cloak ourselves in the presence of God, who by grace assists us to develop better and more improved virtues and spiritual gifts, whether as a leader or student, adult or child.  These gifts and virtues well developed are our gift to ourselves, to God and to others.

Kind Regards
​Carol
Teaching Practices at Our Lady of Lourdes - Direct Explicit Program
Catholic Education Tasmania have committed in a 3 year strategic plan towards lifting student learning outcomes in Catholic education in Tasmania.  This involves teachers using Direct Explicit Instruction to teach effectively.  OLOL has begun this with the system approved InitiaLit program last year in Prep – Grade 2 and the data shows very strong student growth in learning sounds and to read. 

Spelling Master, another Direct Explicit Program started at the beginning of Term 2 at OLOL is already showing strong academic data in spelling mastery from Grades 3-6.

Direct instruction consists of: choral responses as a whole class; fast paced learning in order to maintain attentional focus;  checking for understanding every few minutes so that gaps in learning are responded to in the moment and spaced practice to name a few of the strategies. Catholic Education Tasmania are providing coaches to work with our staff in supporting these changes to teaching practices.
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Direct Explicit instruction is based on the Science of Reading and Leaning which uses existing cognitive-science research on how students learn and connects it to practical implications for teaching.

Social & emotional learning 2023

RE NEWS

​Prayer for Refugee Week
 
God of compassion and solidarity,
you came among us through your Son Jesus
who became a refugee and had no place to call his own.
Look with mercy on those who today are fleeing from war, danger, hunger and poverty.
Bless those who work to bring them relief, comfort, safety and dignity.
 
Open our hearts and minds to recognise the love and care you have for refugees and asylum seekers throughout the world.
Give us compassion and courage to reach out to your daughters and sons so that we will commit ourselves to healing the pain, sorrow and anxiety of all those who suffer.
Guide the nations of the world towards that day when all will rejoice in your Kingdom of justice peace and harmony. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
 
Australia is a first world country and as such is identified with wealth, economic prosperity, social status, privileged life. It is a country that has a lot to offer. Alternatively, as a young country we have much to gain from those who come with a desire to transplant their lives, culture and experience and build a new future alongside Australians. 

School news

 School Gates
​The school Steele Street gates will now be locked from 3:30 pm each day.
If requiring any assistance after this time, please come to the Stewart Street school entrance and knock for assistance.

Student Free Days 2023
Student Free Days for 2023 are:
Term 3: Monday 24 July
Term 4: Monday 16 October

Canteen
Soup Special Day - Wednesday 21st June

Uniform Shop
Uniform Shop Hours
Amended hours - commencing Monday 5th June - Wednesday 6th July
Open afternoons only.
Monday - Wednesday 1:30pm - 3:30pm

SRC
Winter Warmers
In support of the canteen special lunch soup day, Term 2 SRC invite you to wear your winter warmers on Wednesday 21st June. Students can wear coats, scarves, mittens and /or beanies with their uniform to keep warm.

Parent Teacher 
Reports/Parent Teacher Conferences
Reports will be available on the Compass parent portal on Tuesday 4th July from 3pm. Prep - Grade 6 Parent teacher conferences will be held on Thursday 6th July. Parent teacher meetings can be booked via the compass parent portal from 3pm on Tuesday 20th June.

Cross Country
Kinder - Grade 2
Kinder - Grade 2 Cross Country will be held Week 10 of Term 2 during PE Lessons. Students may wear their house coloured T-shirt with the PE uniform. Families are invited to come and spectate from around the rotunda/playground area. At the conclusion of each grade's race you will be able to congratulate your child on their participation.
Change of Clothes
Due to the wet weather, there seems to be more students coming to the office needing uniform items due to falling over in the muddy/wet conditions. Can all students please pack a spare change of clothes. 
SBSC Enrolments
Second-round enrolments for Year 7 2024 will close on Friday, 30 June 2023, contact us today to secure your enrolment interview as spaces are filling up quickly! Interested students and their families can get more information by contacting the College Enrolment Registrar at [email protected] or visiting www.sbsc.tas.edu.au/enrolments.
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Don't miss out on the chance to join our vibrant and supportive learning community, where we provide a quality education that fosters critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning.
Contact us today to start your educational journey.

College Production: Thursday 17 - Saturday 19 August (Tickets on sale Thursday 1st June)
Rehearsals are well underway for the College production of Pippin. Students have been working hard on dancing and singing, and things look positive. We have some talented students in the lead roles and supporting players with great vocal talent. The choreography as well is led by some very well-tuned dance students. The sets are being created by a fantastic artistic team and constructed by Bevan Scramm and his crew.

Pippin tells the story of a young man, fresh from his studies at University, determined to live a fulfilling life and do the extraordinary. As he moves through his life, he realises that the promise of an exciting life isn't all it is cracked up to be. With some fabulous choreography and singing, Pippin will be a show you will never forget.

Tickets are on sale now through the Paranaple Arts Centre.
Avoid disappointment, don't miss out, and get your tickets early!

Adults - $30 
Concession - $22
Student - $20
​Children's Book Week Dress Up Day - Thursday 24th August

Student of the week

Sports News & Rosters

Click here to access 'Sports News, Registrations and Rosters​​
  • Devon Netball 
  • Soccer - Season Commences 1st April 2023 
  • Devonport Primary Basketball Roster​
  • Local Roster Futsal

Mersey Leven Catholic parish

Weekend Masses
Saturday Vigil
  • 6:00pm St Mary's, Penguin
  • 6:00pm Our Lady of Lourdes Devonport
Sunday
  • 8:00am St Joseph, Port Sorell
  • 9:00am Sacred Heart, Ulverstone
  • 9:30am Our Lady of Lourdes, Devonport
  • 11:30am Holy Cross, Sheffield
  • 5:00pm St Patrick, Latrobe

TECHNOLOGY NEWS

eSafety
The eSafety Commissioner website is a Government website that provides up to date, effective advice and support for parents, educators and children to safely and effectively navigate and manage the challenges that often come with being 'online'.

We encourage you, as parents, to access the eSafety Commissioner website to further develop your understanding of the Apps your children may be using, how to have difficult conversations with children regarding a range of online behaviours and how to recognise that your child may be experiencing harmful online behaviours such as cyberbullying, looking at inappropriate content for their age or perhaps overuse of technology.

You can visit the eSafety Commissioner website here: https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents

Additionally, you may like to view the attached resources which can be downloaded directly from the eSafety Commissioner website: 'Online Safety: A guide for parents and carers' and 'eSafety: Early Years - Online safety for
​under 5s'
School Technologies Focus

Community News

Click here access 'Community news'​​​​
  • City of Devonport Brass Band
  • Net Set Go Come and Play - Netball  5-10 years
  • Devon Dragonflies North West Netball Clinic
  • Tasmanian Tennis Academy
  • Tennis
  • Hockey
  • Studio 81 Dance Company
  • Mersey Leven Catholic Church - High Tea
  • School Holidays @ Hive
  • NAB - AFL Auskick - skills development program

Policy in Focus

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School
Strategic Plan 2023 - 2025

As part of our ongoing school improvement process Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School develops a 3 year Strategic Plan.  This plan is aligned to both the Archbishop's Charter and the Strategic Plan of Catholic Education Tasmania.  Our goals have been developed through a process of discernment and consultation amongst staff and our school board as a representative of our parent and community and are reflective of the feedback provided through our Validation process in 2022.

Our Strategic Plan is attainable in that it has 3 accessible, broad goals which we as a community have discerned to be of most important to our school, yet it is aspirational and identifies how we as a school aim to support all members of our community to be the best version of themselves.  As you can see below our Strategic Plan has 3 goals, which are unpacked further to identify the strategies and structures that we will live out over the next 3 years.

Throughout the course of this Strategic Plan we will be gathering data through a variety of means to determine how successful we, as a school community, have been in achieving the goals identified and to provide future direction as we continually strive to make Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School the best it can be for all members of our community.

Tasmania Catholic Education Commission Outdoor Play and Learning Policy

OLOL School Calendar

2023 Term Dates

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2023 TERM DATES
TERM 2
Wednesday 26 April - Friday 7 July
TERM 3
Tuesday 25 July - Friday 29 September
TERM 4
Tuesday 17 October - Thursday 14 December