Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School East Warrnambool eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Today we acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Peoples, the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways and thank them for their continued hospitality.

We acknowledge and celebrate the continuation of a living culture who have lived with Creator God through creation of land, sea, waterways and life.

Prayer

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear members of the OLHC school community,

As we conclude week 7 many families & staff continue to struggle with various bugs and health challenges. More than ever we need to model kindness and empathy. To the parents who have kept sick children at home we really do appreciate this as the knock-on effect of having sick people on site can be pretty significant for everyone else.

Important Dates

Term 2

Thursday 6th June - Division Girls Footy

Friday 7th June - Division Footy & Soccer

Friday 7th June - Assembly - 2BW

Monday 10th June - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Tuesday 11th June - School Review Writing Day - Pupil Free Day

11th & 12th June - Yr 6 Camp

Tuesday 18th June - Piza Day

Tuesday 18th June - PFA Meeting

Wednesday 19th June - Enrolments Close

Friday 21st June - Assembly 5GR

24th, 25th & 26th June - Yr 5 Art Show

Thursday 27th June - Last day of Term 2

Friday 28th June - Staff Literacy PD - Pupil Free Day

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

A Message from Mr A

Week 7 term 2

THE OLHC KIND NEWS

We have been working on something this week in the Grade 6 level. The students will begin creating a school newspaper run entirely by them. This is a newspaper with a bit of a twist. I spoke at length with them about how challenging it is for them to grow up in this digital age with the pressure of social media and that the majority of media that surrounds them is, for the most part, geared towards the negative. So with this in mind, they are taking back control of this media outlet, with the launching of The OLHC Kind News. The students will write and publish the stories, be in control of the fundraising for printing, photography and distribution. The only proviso we have placed on them is that the content must be driven by a message of kindness and positivity. We talked about the ripple effect of being kind

GRADE 4 SHARED LUNCH

Another successful shared lunch on Friday with our Grade 4 level. We had a big turnout in the Eugene Dalton Hall where parents were able to engage with the students about their learning. The students taught their parents some of the maths games they have been playing this term. It looked like it got a little competitive at some of the tables as I walked around. A great example of parent engagement. Please see photos below.

REPORTS AND PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

Reports will be released on the last Friday of the term and we will conduct parent/teacher conferences in the first few weeks of Term 3. These are an ideal time to formally touch base with your teacher about how your child is progressing, both academically and socially. More information to come at the beginning of next term.

Stay warm.

Thanks,

Naish

Technology Toolkit with Ms Bourke and Mrs Murfett

New technology updates, cyber safety tips and snapshots of the learning experiences happening in the digital classroom. Let’s work together to make the online space a positive space! If you have any questions or concerns please contact us:

Ms Peta Bourke: petabourke@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Sarah Murfett: smurfett@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Regional Cross Country

Well done to all 12 athletes who ran the Regional Cross Country on Monday.
Some amazing results, with 9 qualifying for States on Thursday 18th July.

A big thank you to Julie and Jaz for taking care of the kids and Mr A for getting them to the run.

Name	Results	Time	Distance	Min per Km
Sophie Byrne	6	0:12:11	3km	4.04 min/km
Maya McLeod	10	0:12:28	3km	4.09 min/km
Mabel Clements	15	0:12:46	3km	4.15 min/km
Beau Morrison	1	0:10:30	3km	3.30 min/km
Harrison Watson	2	0:10:35	3km	3.32 min/km
Bonnie Mcleod	10	0:09:16	2km	4.38 min/km
Lotte Forsterling	25	0:09:47	2km	4.54 min/km
Pippa Byrne	40	0:10:03	2km	5.02 min/km
Lenny Jansz	9	0:08:08	2km	4.04 min/km
Miranda Jansz	4	0:11:50	3km	3.57 min/km
Matisse Aberline	11	0:12:26	3km	4.09 min/km
Tadhg Loughran	4	0:10:37	3km	3.32 min/km

Faith & Culture

Parish Office Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

Sacrament of Confirmation

Holy Things for Holy People
(Mark 14: 12 - 16, 22 - 26)

In the course of their meal, having taken and blessed the bread, he broke it and gave it to them. Then he said, “Take, this is my body.” Taking the cup, he gave it to them, thanking God, and they all drank from it. He said, “This is my blood, God’s new covenant, poured out for many people. I’ll not be drinking wine again until the new day when I drink it in the kingdom of God.” (Mark 14: 22 - 25)

A friend was confined to a nursing home by a serious stroke. After twenty-five years of being a daily communicant, he spent long weeks without being able to participate in the Mass. Though it seemed to many that he had worse things to worry about, this was the source of his greatest unhappiness. So finally his friends smuggled in a priest to celebrate Mass around his bed.

All went well until we reached the time for communion. When the priest offered my sick friend the cup, he looked up apprehensively from his bed. The doctor had warned him not to drink any liquid that was not artificially thickened, or he could choke to death. Though the situation wasn’t exactly covered by canon law, without deliberation the priest added some of the powered thickening agent to the chalice. Together, we drank from the common cup, the precious Blood now considerably thicker than water.

The feast we celebrate this week isn’t just about the bread and wine we share in Eucharist, but the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ we are to one another. We share one cup, one life, one suffering, and one victory. No Eucharist I’ve ever shared was more foul to drink or more a sign of our radical unity in Christ, than that thickened cup in the nursing home. It helped us all to see our wonderful sacrament more clearly.

How does the Eucharist enable you to participate in the unity of Christ?

A Leap of Faith
(Mark 14: 22 - 25)

A local blood bank has the name LifeSource. Blood indeed is what keeps us alive as it courses through our veins bringing in oxygen and taking out carbon dioxide.

A simple transfusion of a pint of blood can mean the difference between life and death. Infections carried in the bloodstream can be deadly. How our blood works appears so simple yet is very complex. Giving someone blood that isn’t their identified type causes layers of problems and could even result in death.

Meanwhile we go on living and let the blood in our veins do its work. No wonder before the advent of modern medicine, blood had almost magical qualities to it. There were ritual bloodlettings. Exchanging blood made people “brothers” or “sisters.” Blessing with blood of sacrificial animals provided strength or purification. Covering oneself with the blood of an enemy made you stronger.

To say that we become the Body and Blood of Christ takes a leap of faith that many are not able to make. To be transformed into the mysterious source of life that being the body and blood of Christ in our world demands is much more than many want to take on. Yet as Christians we must embrace and consume the body as we bring our lips to the cup and pray “Amen.”

Wellbeing

If you want to learn to ride a skateboard or get better at maths, you need to practise. It’s the same when you want to feel happier!

Here are some easy ideas to give Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy a try every day. Because the more you practise, the better you will feel.

Let's Practice!

Tap here to access SchoolTV

Cultivating a sense of awe and wonder in children

The world is full of awe and wonder, you just need to know where to look for it. Here, ISV's Diane Bourke explains the benefits of awe-inducing experiences, and how parents can unlock the magic for their children, and themselves.

During the last two decades, an increasing number of researchers have highlighted the positive effects of awe-inducing experiences on individuals.

Awe can be defined as a feeling of amazement and transcendence in response to something vast (or small) that challenges our understanding of the world. Awe is a complex emotion that can sometimes be confused with other emotions due to its multifaceted nature. Wonder is linked to awe in that it inspires the desire to understand awe-inspiring phenomena.

Dacher Keltner, a psychology professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and founding director of the Greater Good Science Centre, has done extensive research on the emotion of awe. He suggests that awe can be found in everyday life and can be cultivated through simple practices.

When it comes to children, Keltner’s research suggests that brief experiences of awe can shift their attention away from themselves and towards their surroundings. Keltner believes that cultivating awe in children can foster a sense of interconnectedness and reduce excessive self-focus, potentially leading to kinder, more environmentally friendly, and better-connected individuals. This outward orientation can reduce feelings of narcissism and entitlement.

Other research suggests awe-inducing experiences in childhood promote curiosity, which in turn, encourages learning and knowledge acquisition. Children exposed to awe-inspiring environments display a greater interest in exploring their surroundings and understanding the world around them. In essence, awe stimulates creativity, expands children’s minds, emotions, and worldviews in ways that facilitate learning, empathy, happiness, and an understanding of their place in the larger universe. Providing opportunities for children to experience awe is highly beneficial for their development.

Research suggests that children are born with this sense of wonder and curiosity, eliciting wide-eyed responses to anything that piques their curiosity. This curiosity and openness to new experiences is crucial for cognitive development. The initial wonder develops into awe as children’s cognitive abilities develop and their capacity to experience awe expands. Ultimately experiencing both wonder and awe allows children to fully appreciate the vast mysteries of the world, inspire an inquisitive mindset and a wish to explore and learn more.

Dacher Keltner shares the insights of Rachael Carson, whose legacy continues to inspire environmentalists. Carson, a marine biologist and conservationist, wrote extensively on the impact of nature and awe for children. Carson firmly believed that children possess an innate sense of awe, a fresh unfiltered view of the world. She emphasised that children need the companionship of at least one adult who can share this wonder and excitement for the mystery of the natural world. She assured parents that they need not be naturalists with extensive knowledge to guide their children toward feeling a sense of awe, but merely a receptivity to using their senses, sight, touch, hearing, and smell, to help them explore nature. At one stage, Carson even pleaded with invisible fairy godmothers who, at a child’s Christening, would grant them a sense of wonder, so indestructible that it would last throughout their life.

Richard Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, shares Rachael Carson’s outlook, particularly in his passion for connecting people, especially children, to the natural world.

Louv introduced the term ‘nature deficit disorder’ to describe the problems that could be attributed to childhood isolation from nature, where awe is often found. Louv believes that early childhood experiences in nature profoundly influence a child’s physiological, emotional, and social development. According to Louv’s findings, children disconnected from the outdoors are very unlikely to be concerned about nature and awe-inspiring experiences. This aligns with Carson’s advocacy for the importance of nature in a child’s development and her belief in the profound influence of early experiences in nature.

According to Dacher Keltner, children’s opportunities to experience awe could be decreasing in our modern world, due to factors such as reduced time in nature and exposure to the natural world. Less free play and open-ended exploration in favour of scheduled activities and the ubiquity of technology and digital entertainment can distract from awe-inspiring experiences.

It is possible that this ‘awe deprivation’ is contributing to rising rates of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues in young people. We must therefore keep in mind how important awe-generating experiences are for children’s cognitive, social, and emotional development.

It is important to keep in mind that there are many things adults can do to grow a sense of awe and wonder in children and in doing so give them the passport to unlocking the magic within themselves. And the beauty is that it’s never too young to begin.

Be a role model of Awe and Wonder to help children see it as important.

Convey your joy, amazement, and curiosity when observing and exploring the world.
Become immersed in the fun and creativity of play with children.
Become engrossed and invigorated when reading stories or storytelling.
Encourage questions and ask questions.

Arrange Close Encounters with Nature

Head out on nature walks witnessing natural phenomena, plants, and animals.
Raise butterflies, grow plants, breed axolotls.
Devote time for the outdoors, look at the night sky, climb a hill, or take off on a holiday along the Great Ocean Road or visit The Prom.

Provide Openings for Curiosity Driven Adventure.

Let children freely experiment and explore (safely, of course)
Choose play activities based on their own interests.
Visit a museum, art gallery or a zoo.
Simple science experiments can also be awe-inspiring. Watch a volcano erupt with baking soda and vinegar, or see a rainbow form through a prism.

Use Wonder-Inspiring Resources.

Read beautifully illustrated books on nature or science.
Watch movies that inspire.
Select media that can expose children to new wonders.
Watch live music, circus, or dance performances.

Initiate Rituals and Slow Down

Develop family rituals that incorporate beauty, stillness, and presence.
Slow down from hurried and busy schedules to allow for play and absurdity, giving space for wonder to emerge.
Notice and discuss small, everyday wonders.
Share your most awe-inspiring experiences with children and encourage them to do the same…perhaps, within families, over the evening meal.

Rachael Carson recounted to a friend a magical encounter with nature. She described a bioluminescent wonderland where the surf sparkled with diamonds and emeralds. Fireflies flitted above the water, their lights reflecting like tiny headlamps. Carson marvelled at the interconnectedness of life, the fireflies mistaking the ocean’s glimmers for their own kind, signalling in an age-old dance of light.

Julia Baird also had a profound experience in a bioluminescent sea, which inspired the title of her recent book, Phosphorescence.

In summary, the goal is not to force or impose awe, but to create an environment where awe can naturally occur. It’s about opening children’s minds to the wonders of the world around them. In the words of Albert Einstein who wrote to his friend later in life. ‘People like you and me never grow old. We never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.’ I hope too, this becomes a mantra for your children.

About Diane Bourke

Diane Bourke is a Project Manager for Independent Schools Victoria. She was Head of Junior School, Campbell House, at The Geelong College for 16 years, and Head of Junior School, Morris Hall, Melbourne Girls Grammar for 15 years.

Parents & Friends Association

Please return Pizza Day order forms by Wednesday 12th June. Order form below....
Next PFA meeting will be 18/06/2024 at 7 pm, we would love to see you there!