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Remembrance Day
On the 11th of November 1918, a peace treaty was signed, ending the First World War. Each year, on the anniversary of this date, we dedicate our thoughts and prayers to the brave men and women who fought so hard for peace to become a reality, particularly from World War I and every conflict since. Today we also keep the people of Ukraine in our prayers.
At the annual Remembrance Day service at the Berri Roll of Honour, our Year six school leaders laid a wreath in memory of Australian soldiers who have lost their lives in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping missions. The remainder of our school gathered for a prayer service and a 1 minute's silence to honour the bravery and selflessness of these remarkable souls.
Almighty God,
With thanksgiving, we remember those who made the supreme sacrifice for us in times of war. We pray that their offering of their lives may not have been in vain.
We pray for a swift end to the Crisis in Ukraine. We pray that you will be close to and protect all those suffering or afraid.
We pray for world leaders that Your compassion, strength and wisdom guide their choices.
May your Grace enable us to reach out in solidarity to our brothers and sisters in need.
May we walk in your way, so peace and justice become a reality for Ukraine and the world.
Amen
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
With the cost of living increasing, many Australian families are struggling to afford everyday life, let alone Christmas. In support of the Vinnies Christmas appeal, our school will organise a Giving Tree. Following Mary Mackillop's example of helping those in need, we ask that each family bring a gift to our Christmas Concert in week 9 to place under the tree. We will assign an age group to each class and some gift ideas to ensure that all ages are catered to. Further information will be sent home in the coming weeks.
Your generosity is greatly appreciated and will bring a smile to the faces of those in our local community doing it tough this Christmas.
Rosemary Perre
APRIM
Remembrance Day Service
On Friday, our school captains attended a Remembrance Day service. They acted as impressive representatives of our school, behaving respectfully and reverent.
This week we approach the halfway point of the term. To say things are going quickly is an understatement. Teachers are busy beginning reports for the end of the year. Plans for our end of year concert and graduation are well underway. In a few weeks we will be looking at having a transition into classes for 2023. Whist this is a busy time of the year, it is also one which is so rewarding in many ways.
These past two days I have been in Adelaide, meeting and working with other CESA Principals and system leaders to look at what has been achieved in the last year, as well as the future directions and focuses of Catholic Education in SA. This has been a great learning opportunity for me, and I look forward to continuing to drive the future direction of OLOR going into 2023.
As you would have seen in the letter distributed on Seesaw during the week, we have a small number of staff leaving the school at the end of 2022. We wish them well in their future endeavours and look forward to announcing new staff in the coming weeks. Part of this forward planning is also looking at class structures for 2023. Whilst this is being finalized, I ask any families who are not returning to OLOR in 2023 to please inform me as soon as possible to ensure that we take everything into account when planning for 2023. Please contact me at mslagter@olor.catholic.edu.au if there is anything you think I need to know.
In the next few weeks we have a very busy but exciting time coming up for many students. Next Friday our Year 3 students have their excursion to Monarto Zoo. This promises to be a fun filled day with lots of learning and excitement as we get to see the many different animals in the natural environments at Monarto. In Week 6 our Year 4-6 students have their camp to Aldinga. This promises to also be a great learning opportunity, with lots of beach activities and fun to be had by all. Fingers crossed the weather is warm like it has been this week to make the most of the water-based activities. These extra activities are such wonderful experiences for the students, and I sincerely thank the teachers and ESOs who organise and take students on them. It is a sign of a great school where staff are willing to give up their time with their own families to support these extra activities and experiences.
Over the next few weeks, the water levels of the river and surrounding creeks and floodplains is expected to increase, heading to a peak towards the end of the year. We in the Riverland are preparing for a high-water event that hasn’t been seen since the 1970s. As mentioned in the last newsletter, if this impacts your family please let us know how we can assist. We are also looking at how staff will be impacted and working on contingency plans in that event.
Today we commemorated Remembrance Day with a service at school. It is so important to keep our younger generations aware of the impact that war has had on previous generations, so we can learn from the past. We also need to remember those who fought to protect the freedoms in our country and the lifestyle we enjoy. Lest we forget.
Online safety and appropriate use of technology
Last week the Year 4-6 students had the opportunity to listen to Senior Constable Paul Wood from SAPOL about Cyber Safety. These sessions were engaging with videos, questions and eye-opening information which made lots of students realise how serious it is to be safe online.
He talked about the hidden dangers of online chatting and communication, from safety issues, to appropriate use of technology. One of the things that came out of it is the number of students using apps that they have had to lie about their age to sign up to. Most Social Media and Chat/Messaging apps have a minimum age of 13, which would exclude our students from being a part of them if this was enforced. Paul also talked about the many instances of online bullying, inappropriate messaging and grooming that he has seen even here in the Riverland over the last ten years.
We would appreciate it if you had a chat to your child about what they learnt or heard about in these sessions. We would also encourage families to keep a close eye on what their children are doing online, as you are legally responsible for them and what they do. Do you know what they do, who they message and the language they use? We have been told about various chat groups which many students are part of where the language used is not appropriate.
Below is a list of what was spoken about that can help you guide your conversation with your child.
- A video was played which showed how easy it was to identify a person (it included information about school uniform, front of the house, parcels, name on certificate.
- Think about pressing the 'send' button before you send. Would you say that to them face to face?
- Trusted people (police, teachers and parents are always there to help).
- Never share personal information.
- Who may be online (not everyone is who they say they are).
- Safer gaming/searching/watching (block users who don't play nice).
Students were recommended to go to the kids helpline website or phone line for support if they felt they needed extra support too.
We thank families for their vigilance in supporting the online safety and care of their children.
This term in Science, the Year 4/5s are learning about Earth and Space. The class started by investigating how the Solar System was formed. Students learnt about the term ‘Conservation of Angular Momentum’ which means:
- The Nebula (rocks, dust and gas) span around really quickly on an angle until it eventually collapsed on itself which is how the Solar System was formed – Siri Year 5
- When rocks and gas span around in space really fast and then collapsed into itself, the rocks were pulled together by gravity to eventually form planets – Mitchell Year 4
To investigate this, we made ‘Tornados in a bottle’, which consisted of water, dish soap, white vinegar, coloured food dye and glitter. After adding all ingredients to a clear bottle, students were asked to spin the bottle vigorously and see what happened. They were able to witness what happened to the glitter (the nebula) after the bottle suddenly stopped spinning, which in turn helped to visualise the initial formation of the Solar System.
Year 4-6 Puppets
Our Year 4-6 students have finally completed their puppet projects and performed their very own puppet shows. They did a fantastic job and were very entertaining. Here is just one of many comical performances.
Congratulations to the following students who are having a birthday in November:
Year 2 - Mia
Year 3 - Grace, Jack
Year 4 - Grace
Year 5 - Jack, Ishmeet
Year 6 - Tom, Eli, Will
Would you mind ensuring that your child's uniform and school items are clearly named to reduce the number of children looking for lost property? If your child does access spare clothes, please return these to the school.
A reminder that school uniform items are accessible through Tri-State Graphics, 216 Renmark Avenue, Renmark Ph: 8586 5815
