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

Blessed are you, Lord God, Creator of body and mind and heart;
you have sent the Spirit of wisdom and knowledge to guide your people
in all their ways.

Bless the students, parents, teachers, and staff of OLHC, that together we may grow in faith, hope, and love as we learn from you and each other how to follow in the ways of your Son, Jesus.

Expand the horizons of our minds, that we may grow in wisdom, understanding, and knowledge; deepen our commitment to seek the truth of your ways; and enliven our faith to reach out to those in need.

In Christ’s name we pray

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

Early Steps Conferences

We have had another great week at OLHC and the staff have all commented on the smooth start to the school year. Many parents and carers came up for our Early Steps Conferences. We appreciate that for working and time poor parents that can be a challenge. These meetings allow for both parties to ask questions and find out what is working and what needs adjustment for each and every child. We will finish off these conferences next week.

OLHC has always been very lucky to have generous and supportive parents, many who run businesses in Warrnambool. While we don’t push our luck in asking for assistance, we remain grateful when we receive donations and help. This week, Nic Shortt from Gunners Business Solutions (Father of Lewis and Gia) dropped off 5 brand new office chairs which will come in very handy in the planning room. Thanks, Nic !!

Tuesday 25th February

All students are to be dressed in their full summer uniform

Yr 2's, 4's & 5's are NOT to wear sports uniform on this day. Please bring runners in bags if you choose.

Students absent on this day will have a photo taken in the afternoon on Tuesday 17th March

Important Dates

Term 1

Tuesday 25th February - School Photos - Full summer uniform - No sports uniform

Wednesday 26th February - Foundation Rest Day

Friday 28th February - SSV Swimming Comp

Friday 28th February - Assembly 5CW

Wednesday 5th March - Foundation Rest Day

Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday Liturgy

Monday 10th March - Labour Day Public Holiday

12th - 24th March - NAPLAN Yr 3's & 5's

Wednesday 12th March - PFA AGM

Friday 14th March - Assembly 2BW

Sunday 16th March - OLHC Athletics @ Brauerander Park

Monday 17th March - No School in lieu of athletics Sunday

Wednesday 19th March - Foundation Rest Day

20th - 21st March - Yr 4 Camp Adekate Ballarat

Wednesday 26th March - Foundation Rest Day

Friday 28th March - Assembly 3CP

31st Mar to 1st April - Yr 3 Camp Warra Gnan & Yr 6 Camp Melbourne

Wednesday 2nd April - Reconciliation Celebration @ 7pm

Thursday 3rd April - Last day of term for students

Friday 4th April - Pupil Free Day - Staff PD

Term 2

Monday 21st April - Easter Monday Public Holiday

Thursday 24th April - Southern Zone PD - Pupil Free Day

Friday 25th April - ANZAC Public Holiday

Thursday 1st May - May Race Day Public Holiday

Monday 9th June - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

A Message from Mr A

Week 4 Term 1

NOVEL STUDY UNITS 3-6

Our 3-6 levels are elbows deep into their novel study units this term, with some interesting books being used to drive instruction. This has been a slight change to the way we deliver literacy instruction, consistent with our move to Structured Literacy over the course of the year. See below for the novels being read as these can be a great conversation starter around the dinner table-

Grade 3- Off We Go Around Australia

Grade 4- Kensuke’s Kingdom

Grade 5- The Last Bear

Grade 6- Rivet Boy

PARENT HELPERS @ OLHC

On Thursday we had nine parent helpers attend the induction. It was great to see such a positive turnout and we appreciate the parents who volunteer their time for us. If you are thinking about becoming a parent helper, get in contact with me. As I said on Thursday, make the most of it while they’re young because once they start getting up into the older grades, it’s not as cool to have mum or dad there for most students. nauld@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

NIPPER STATES…BEST OF LUCK!

Best of luck to the students participating in the Nipper State Carnival at Point Leo this weekend. We have some up-and-coming young surf lifesavers here at OLHC who are competing in the events and should do well. Good luck team!

EARLY STEPS CONFERENCES

Great to chat with families as they moved in and out of the school for the Conferences this week. These sessions have been critical in forming positive connections between the home and school and we are thankful for the teachers’ efforts in this space.

SCHOOL UNIFORM LABELLING

This is not necessarily Teaching and Learning, but parents please ensure your child’s school uniform and belongings are labelled. The PFA have been assisting us is managing the lost property and after two weeks of school there were already 11 jumpers in the collection, 1 named and 10 unnamed. Some of these were brand new jumpers and are unlikely to find their way back to their rightful owners without the child’s name on it.

Have a great weekend with your family.

Thanks,

Naish

Technology Toolkit with Ms Fitzgerald and Ms O'Keeffe

Your child’s Digital Technology teachers for 2025 are Nicole O’Keeffe (Mon & Tues) and Ellen Fitzgerald (Wed, Thurs & Fri). Each week in our newsletter we’ll share snapshots of student learnings, as well as online safety tips and relevant technology updates.

Ms Fitzgerald: efitzgerald@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Ms O’Keeffe: nokeeffe@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Senior Students are using ‘Dodgy or Not’ to practice identifying potential scams and unsafe online scenarios. A consistent message from staff to students is that, if in doubt or feeling comfortable online, always speak with a trusted adult.

Here is an example of a ‘Dodgy or Not’

In Digi Tech lessons next week, we are learning to:

Foundation: drag and drop the mouse

1s: re-visit the student agreement and complete our family glyphs

2s: create an avatar profile, also refine our typing skills

3s and 4s: design and create individual avatar profiles

5s and 6s: broaden our knowledge of Google Classroom and create individual avatar profiles

Faith & Culture

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

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

webpage : https://www.southwestcoastparish.com.au/

Weekend Masses

Saturday Vigil

6:00pm OLHC, Warrnambool East

Sunday Morning

9:00am Infant Jesus, Koroit

9:00am St Pius X, Warrnambool West

10:30am St Joseph’s, Warrnambool

10:30am St Patrick’s, Port Fairy

6:00pm St Joseph’s Warrnambool

*11:00am St Anne’s, Purnim

2nd Sunday of the month (Eucharist)

Weekday Masses

NB: MASS OF THE DAY IS REPLACED WHEN A FUNERAL IS HELD AT THAT CHURCH

Tues 10:00am St Pius X

Wed 10:00am St Joseph’s

Thu 10:00am OLHC & 11:00am Mercy Place

Fri 10:00am St Joseph’s

Sat 10:00am OLHC

2025 OLHC SACRAMENTAL DATES

YEAR 6 RECONCILIATION

MONDAY MARCH 24TH: with Maria Forde

Formation Day (Students and Miss Squires)
10am - 2pm at Emmanuel College

WEDNESDAY APRIL 2ND:

Sacrament of Reconciliation
7:00pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool

YEAR 3 CONFIRMATION

TUESDAY APRIL 29TH: with Maria Forde

Confirmation Information Evening (Parents and Children)

7pm - St Joseph's Church, Warrnambool

SATURDAY MAY 3RD:

Presentation of Confirmation Candidates
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool

MONDAY MAY 12TH: with Maria Forde

Formation Day (Students and Miss Squires)
10am - 2pm at St John’s, Dennington

SATURDAY MAY 24TH & SATURDAY 31ST MAY…TBC:

Sacrament of Confirmation - held over two weekends
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool.

YEAR 4 FIRST EUCHARIST

TUESDAY JULY 29TH: with Maria Forde

First Eucharist Information Evening (Parents and Children)

7pm - St Joseph's Church, Warrnambool

TUESDAY AUGUST 5TH: with Maria Forde

Formation Day (Students and Miss Squires)
10am - 2pm at St Pius, Warrnambool

SATURDAY AUGUST 9TH:

Presentation of First Communion Candidates
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool.

SATURDAY AUGUST 30TH & SATURDAY TBC : (potential dates 23rd Aug or 6th Sept)

Sacrament of First Communion - held over two weekends
6pm at OLHC Church, Warrnambool.

People of Earth, People of Heaven
(Luke 6: 27 - 38)

The teaching of Jesus in Luke has a crazy, uneven sound to it. Luke is the gospel of radical dispossession. While Matthew tells us that Jesus said, “Do not turn away a person who wants to borrow from you” (5: 42), Luke has Jesus say, “Give to all who beg from you, and when a person takes what is yours, do not demand it back” (6: 30). Now that’s radical!

Jesus ups the ante in unbelievable ways throughout this passage. Love and do good for your enemies. Return a blessing for a curse. Pray for people who harm you. Do not strike when people slap you, but offer them the other cheek. This defies the time-honoured rule of reciprocity. Who would accept such a backwards way of living, contrary to the laws of self-protection and self-interest? The answer, of course, is that a disciple of Jesus would.

And why should we do what defies logic and any human sense of fairness? Because that is how God operates, Jesus says, so the children of God can do no less. God is good to the ungrateful and the wicked, which is really not what they deserve. And oh, by the way, the ungrateful and the wicked are you and me. We should be prepared to mete out what we hope to have measured back to us, and that is surely not a strict sense of justice.

Love Your Enemy Within

“I hate myself,” I heard my niece say. “I’m so stupid!” She was struggling with a school project, and it was not coming together as she had hoped. Maybe she got a late start by procrastinating on gathering some of the elements. Maybe the topic made sense to her inside but she was struggling to express it in the format that the project called for.

I wanted to ease the pain behind those words, to assure her she was wonderful and worthy of love. And I also knew I’ve aimed those same poisonous words at myself on more than one occasion. Love of others breaks down when we cannot love ourselves. In each of us there are things we do not appreciate and may actively abhor. In a crazy notion of false modesty, this self-loathing may even seem virtuous. But it’s not virtuous; it’s deadening to the spirit.

Family life offers a place where we can learn some valuable lessons about self-acceptance, despite our imperfections. If I can so readily love my nieces and nephews with all their foibles, how much more can God cherish them (and me) despite our sins? Love is like a river: Don’t stop the flow of love in your life because you are worthy. Heck, we’re all unworthy. The good news is that God sees that and loves us anyway! Should we do less?

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!

**A reminder to parents, carers and grandparents that SchoolTV** is a free resource.

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Building Resilience

Resilience is one of those skills that all kids need and should have. It refers to their ability to cope and adapt in situations when confronted with challenges such as adversity, trauma, tragedy, or even stress. It is essential to their mental health and wellbeing as part of their journey to adulthood. It is a skill that can be learned from an early age through the support of an adult role model.

However, being resilient does not mean your child won't experience any difficulties, but it will better equip them to manage those situations. Over-protective parenting can be viewed as being unhelpful towards the building of resilience. Although this may be a natural instinct, potentially experiencing failure is all part of the process. Encouraging children to take healthy risks will help them trust their capacity to deal with uncomfortable situations and increase their capacity for courage.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will gain an understanding of how to support their child’s brave behaviour to help them adapt and build resilience.

Here is the link to your Edition https://olhcwarrnambool.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/resilience