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Year One Class Mass
On Thursday, Miss Martin and the Year One students reminded us that God’s love for us is infinite, and we are invited to trust in God. Trust is a building block of any successful relationship. It is a virtue that acknowledges our vulnerabilities. When we feel like we cannot do something on our own, or that our lives are simply too overwhelming we place our trust in others to support us and walk alongside us. Today we were reminded that when we place our trust in God, we are never truly alone.
SOUTHERN CROSS
The current edition of the Catholic newspaper put out by the Archdiocese called,' The Southern Cross,' is available at; The Southern Cross, July 2023
Naidoc Week
Last Sunday, a special water ceremony honoured NAIDOC Week. Parishioners were invited to bring a small container of water from their homes (Country) to be blessed. Water blessing is a traditional ritual passed down from the Elders to offer healing and hope. The 2023 theme for NAIDOC Week is "For Our Elders". The artwork above is by western Australian artist Bobbi Lockyer. It depicts the value of Elders and how important they are in passing down traditions and culture to our children and future Across every generation, First Nations Elders have played, and continue to play, an important role and hold a prominent place in communities and families. First Nations communities use this week to pay their respects to the Elders lost and to those who continue fighting for justice and dignity. It is also a time to celebrate culture, spirituality and community.
Father of all,
We pray for our Aboriginal brothers and sisters, asking God to bless our Indigenous races with new hope. We thank you for the gift of the Elders. Help us to share the wisdom of the indigenous culture in honouring Elders all over Australia.
“Where there is knowledge there are our Elders. Our Elders paved the pathways for us, taught us our knowledge, our history, they passed down their art, stories and wisdom. Our Elders are the foundation of our communities and role models for our children.” Bobby Lockyer - Ngarluma, Kariyarra, Nyulnyul & Yawuru artist.
May we go, with deeper wisdom and renewed understanding, to build a community where equality and respect will flourish among all races.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen
May you walk the earth with deeper wisdom and renewed understanding to build a community where equality and respect will flourish among all races.
May the young people in your lives enjoy the extra time with you over the coming weeks and may they always, listen, cherish respect and love you as their Elders.
Rosemary Perre
APRIM
As we finish Term 2 I am filled with pride about the efforts put in by staff and students this semester. We have had many learning experiences and opportunities this term including Catholic Education Week, Walk Safely to School Day, Grandparents Day, First Communion, various SAPSASA events, Year 1 & 2 Excursion to the Loxton Historical Village, performances, and visitors, as well as all of the learning happening in classes. I would like to thank all of the staff for their tireless efforts at making sure that our students have great opportunities in all learning areas.
This week we welcomed Senior Constable David Garner from the SAPOL Road Safety Section who spoke to our Year 4-6 students about Road Safety and the role that they play in keeping themselves and others safe. The topics covered included an introduction to road safety, Australian Road Rules, the appropriate use of cycles, skateboards, scooters and roller skates, and calling Triple Zero (000) when there is an emergency. Many students were surprised to find out things like that e-scooters are illegal on SA roads and footpaths, and can only legally be ridden on private property. I encourage all families to chat with their children about road safety as there were many misconceptions and things that students do frequently which put them at risk of an accident or a fine.
Next term we look forward to numerous events and activities to complement the learning program. These include the Wakakirri and Riverland Music Festival Choir performances, which students have been working hard on for much of the year. These will both be great opportunities for our students to share their artistic creativity with an audience. We also look forward to our Year 3 Monarto Zoo camp, and our Year 4/5 Flinders Ranges camp. These are fantastic opportunities for students to learn about the world in a different environment and take on new challenges. We also look forward to more performances, SAPSASA events, as well as our Sports Day toward the end of term.
We are also introducing some new programs next term to enhance the learning program and support students with their wellbeing. We have been invited to be part of the Naturally Brave Learning by Design program, along with a number of other Riverland schools. This program is about empowering students as problem solvers and creative designers who can make a difference in their families’ lives. Students will use the design thinking problem-solving methodology and 3D design to create solutions to problems. Students will be using the Maker’s Empire software and creating things to print with a 3-D printer. It will be something that the Year 4-6 students will be involved with, and promises to be a fun, engaging learning experience.
We are also looking at supporting our Year 4-6 students with developing and maintaining friendships through the In Real Life program. This involves small groups working through learning together about issues which affect them. In Real Life: Real Friends (Girls) addresses topics such as making and being a good friend, dealing with gossip, communication styles, conflict resolution, managing emotions, social media and safety, plus assists girls to identify their support networks. In Real Life: Equip (Boys) addresses topics such as working as a team, self-awareness/self-management, relationship skills/communication, responsible decision making, managing emotions, conflict resolution, social media and safety, plus identifying support networks. We look forward to seeing how these programs support our students navigating friendship and personality issues as they grow up.
Over the school holidays we have a few works starting around the school. Our Junior Primary courtyard will have shade sails installed, which will be great for when the weather warms up again. We also are starting renovations on all of our toilet blocks to make them up to date and a much nicer place for students (and staff) to go.
Just a reminder that Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th July are student free days for staff formation and Professional Development. I wish all families a wonderful break and look forward to seeing everyone on Wednesday 26th July for the start of Term 3.
Mr Slagter
Principal
In SEL with Mrs Schilling, the Year 3/4 class learnt about ‘The Power of Yet’. Students thought about two things they can do and one thing they can’t do…yet! and made these posters that have been up in our classroom to remind them.
- Did you know that the wobbly bridge on the playground is 2metres and 21cm long and a clipboard is 32.5cm?
- Did you know that the bin is 77cm tall and a brick is 30cm?
- Did you know that the slide on the playground is 2m 52cm long and the bench seat is 2 and a half metres wide?
- Did you know the seat of the big swing is one metre wide and the covering on the football goal post is one metre and 79 centimeters tall?
In HASS with Miss D we have been learning about how Australia is divided into states and territories. There are eight states and territories in Australia and each one has its own capital city.
Last week we learnt about some of Australia's neighbouring countries. We found out that Australia is surrounded by lots of island nations, where they speak lots of different languages and have lots of different cultures and experiences. Here is some information about just a few of Australia's neighbours:
Indonesia: There are 700 different languages in Indonesia and the capital city is Jakarta. Indonesia has a population of 275.44million people and they have many different native animals including Asian elephants, deer, gibbons and other primates.
The Solomon Islands: The Solomon Islands use English as their official language and they have a population of 611 thousand people. Some of the traditional foods in the Solomon Islands is pumpkin, coconut and lime soup, and green paw paw curry.
Fiji: Fiji has more than 300 islands and has a large Indian population. Fiji was once ruled by the British and they have a population of over 926 thousand people.
Vanuatu: Vanuatu is a country in the Pacific and its capital city is Port Vila. In Vanuatu, people speak Bislama, English and French and you can visit the Millenium Caves or Pacific Dive.
In Religious Education we have been learning about the Seven Sacraments and the Catholic Church. We had a lesson Father Hau in the Church – he talked to us about different parts of the Church and how he became a priest.
With school holidays here, why not start getting ready!
Holidays can be a great time to bond with your children, but it can also be a stressful time when kids can get really bored. It’s best to put a little bit of advanced planning into the spring holidays and prepare yourself with a list of ideas.
Start by planning each week in advance. If the kids know they have things to look forward to it will make for happier more relaxed children. Make sure to get the children involved in the planning.
They will be less likely to complain about the activities chosen if they have taken part in the decision-making. Have a range of activities to select from: stuff to do at home, in the garden, outdoors, and the odd activity that costs money to do.
Holiday fun ideas
- Make your own games. Get a supply of coloured cards, children’s scissors, glue and anything else you may want to make some fun games. Games like Hoopla, Pin the Tail on the Donkey or Snakes and Ladders can all be easily made at home and will keep the children occupied for some time.
- Cooking and baking. Once a week plan a cooking or baking day. Involve the kids in the process from the beginning — let them choose from a selection of recipes that you have ingredients for. If the child can read, get them to read from the recipe book. Step by step, help them to work through the instructions.
- Make a ninja course. Design and assemble a ninja course in the back garden. Old pieces of wood, boxes, buckets, garden chairs — anything that can be jumped over, gone under or through or around. Time each other around the ninja course.
- Build a garden patch. Dedicate a small patch in the garden to the kids. Plant flowers, herbs, lettuce — anything that grows quickly and gives them the satisfaction of having produced something.
- Go camping. Build a tent indoors or outdoors with blankets and sheets. Once the tent is up, give them a torch and a picnic to take with them.
- Go on picnics. You don’t have to go far to have a picnic — Head out into the garden or to the park with a picnic rug and a picnic basket full of goodies.
- Have a treasure hunt. Make a treasure map with clues to find some treasure you have hidden somewhere in the garden.
- Create a Diary. Encourage the little ones to keep a holiday diary or scrapbook. They can take photos of special days and write about them.
- Get jamming. Grab some musical instruments — things like bongos, shakers or tambourines, and get jamming. Get your kids to sing and dance along.
- Make a movie. Using an iPad create a movie or documentary and then edit it. Preview it as a family with some popcorn.
- Paint. One of the nicest ways to express your creativity is to use paint. Get large sheets of paper and lots of paint. You can use your hands and feet for some extra fun.
- Get into jewellery making. Go to a bead shop and stock up on beads, wire and clasps, and get busy making your own jewellery.
- Sketching. Go to a local park or down to the river to sketch. Encourage them to sketch what they see around them.
On Monday in Week 9, our whole school attended a performance of ‘Return of the Bully’. This show was both entertaining and educational, with a number of good strategies for students to deal with bullying.
The three secrets of the bully:
- You can’t beat a bully at being a bully
- Bullies want a reaction
- Bullies like to feel tall by making you feel small
And six strategies to deal with a bully:
- Stand tall
- Don’t react
- Don’t argue, just agree
- Don’t throw stones (treat others kindly)
- Block their path (predict what they are going to say and contradict them before they do)
- Journal (keep a record of ‘who, what, when, where and why’ you experience bullying so that you can seek help)
Please always feel free to speak to your child’s teacher if you are concerned about bullying.
In Term 3, we are beginning a new program at OLOR - a program designed to help students grow their friendship skills. These programs are specifically designed for children in Years 4-6.
In Real Life: Real Friends (Girls) addresses topics such as making and being a good friend, dealing with gossip, communication styles, conflict resolution, managing emotions, social media and safety, plus assists girls to identify their support networks.
In Real Life: Equip (Boys) addresses topics such as working as a team, self-awareness/self-management, relationship skills/communication, responsible decision making, managing emotions, conflict resolution, social media and safety, plus identifying support networks.
The program runs over eight 45 minute sessions, and encourages students to grow their communication with each other, build each other up and handle feelings in helpful ways.
In Real Life: Real Friends & Equip will begin in Term 3 and will be run in small groups. We will work through the 4, 5 and 6 classes until the end of the year. For more information, please contact Anna Strachan, School Counsellor.
Congratulations to the following students who had or is having a birthday in July:
Year 1 - Leo, Mackenzie, Kaige, Angus, Kaylee
Year 2 - Laura, Jaxon H
Year 3 - Akirah, Aikampreet
Year 4 - Kahra, Van, Jack M
Year 6 - Charlize
