14 March 2018

Newsletter Articles

School Calendar

PRAYER

Principals Report

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

This Saturday, 17th March (St Patrick’s Day) we will all be going to one of the local polling booths to vote in the 2018 State Election. The Berri Bowling Club is where many of you will vote or in nearby centres from 8am till 6pm.

I ask that you take the time to read the pdf attachment or click on the following link that explains a number of issues that are important to Our Lady of the River School, Catholic Education South Australia and especially, you the families who choose our school that best meets the needs of your child/ren.

Australia is a vibrant and multicultural country – from the oldest continuous culture of our first Australians to the cultures of our newest arrivals from around the world. At Our Lady of the River School we pride ourselves on welcoming and including all peoples from all nations.

Last week, our school was featured in an ABC news report highlighting the importance of an annual program we run in our school called ‘Turban and Trust’. This report was also featured on the well-known ABC show ‘Behind the News’. Click on the link below to see the YouTube replay. Thank you to Brittany Evins, from the ABC for her outstanding report and of course we are very proud of our featured OLOR students. A reply below using our new video feature.

Below is a replay of the story using our NEW video feature in our newsletter. We hope you enjoy!

Harmony Day will be celebrated on March 21st this year. It is a day about remembering inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. The Harmony Day message is ‘Everyone Belongs’ and aims to engage people to participate in their community, respect cultural and religious diversity and foster a sense of belonging for everyone.

On the day, Wednesday 21st March, our school captains will be attending the special Chrism Mass in Port Pirie with other student leaders from our Riverland Catholic Schools. At school all the classes will be participating in a number of different cultural activities planned by their teachers.

The children are welcome to wear their cultural traditional costume for the day. I’m sure our school will be blessed with an array of many bright colours and sparkle.

Harmony Day this year also coincides with the United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Celebrations in our community in which many of our families will be involved including the Riverland Youth Theatre, Riverland Singh Society, AMRC and local community groups of the Riverland region are celebrating diversity for Harmony Day 2018, on Saturday March 24, from 2pm onwards with a free event to be held on the picturesque lakefront Barmera. After people enjoy this event we hope they will venture to OLOR and join us at our Chocolate Carnivale.

Cracking the ABC Code for Parents

The Importance of Reading

Reading aloud and sharing stories with your child is a great way to spend time together. Reading and storytelling also helps promote language, literacy and brain development.

Reading and sharing stories can: help your child become familiar with sounds, words, language and the value of books spark your child’s imagination, stimulate curiosity and help his/her brain development helps your child learn the difference between ‘real’ and ‘make-believe’ helps your child understand change and new or frightening events, and also the strong emotions that can go along with them helps your child develop early literacy skills like the ability to listen to and understand words.

Sharing stories with your child doesn’t mean you have to read. Just by looking at books with your child, you can be a great storyteller and a good model for using language and books.

Your child will learn by watching you hold a book the right way and seeing how you move through the book by gently turning the pages. Reading stories with children has benefits for grown-ups too. The special time you spend reading together promotes bonding and helps to build your relationship. This is important for your child developing social and communication skills.

‘CHOCOLATE CARNIVALE’

Saturday 24th March – 4pm till late.

There are less than 17 days to go until our big event! Thank you so much to the many, many families who have already contributed in various ways including volunteering their time and also donating goods etc. A reminder that this year we have an added Rock & Roll flavour to the 2018 Carnivale. Prizes will be awarded on the night for best dressed female & male adults and best girl and boy child! We even have an opportunity for guests to pay for a tour of the Berri streets in a 70’s red Mustang car. What an opportunity! There are the annual bouncy castles and two large climbing walls booked for the event and many different food stalls including; hot chips, barbecue, hot dogs, Indian cuisine, Michelle’s famous spring rolls and ‘Here’s your Beer Burger Bar’.

For the children there will be face painting, chocolate games including an Easter Hunt, show bags and glow in the dark merchandise for sale.

The entertainment includes the ‘Rock and Roll’ dancers from Renmark, a live band and demonstrations from local community groups including National Karate Academies.

If you know of someone who would like to hire a small stall space please ask them to call Ros Oates on 0417787843.

A REMINDER: Each family needs to donate a Cadbury Chocolate item to the value of $10 or more for our monster raffle. The more donations, the more prize winners to be awarded on Holy Thursday, 29th March after our Holy Week Plays.

Also, families will be asked to sell a Cadbury Chocolate fundraising box, with funds raised going towards paying for the expenses for the Chocolate Carnivale. We ask that if you wish to sell a particular box that you collect it as soon as possible from the administration office. Other boxes will come home, one for each family, by this Friday 16th March.

Prices to collect per carry box.

Thank you to the many families who have already collected and brought into the school hundreds of ‘Coles Sports vouchers’. There are only a few weeks to go, so keep up the great work!

Ros Oates
Principal

Religious Education News

St Joseph’s Day & St Patrick’s Day

This Monday 19th March, will be a free casual day. Children are encouraged to wear blue or green as a symbol of celebration for our feast day for the school’s patron saint, St Joseph’s (19th March) and St Patrick whose feast day was celebrated on 17th March. It will be lovely to celebrate and remember the lives of our two famous Catholic Saints.

The Southern Cross newspaper features all the latest news and information on our Catholic community in South Australia.

2018 Sacraments

REMINDER TO FAMILIES: The Sacraments are significant milestones in the faith journey of our children. At our school the teachers and students work together with the Parish to prepare to celebrate the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation. First Reconciliation will be celebrated in Year 2, First Eucharist will be celebrated in Year 3, while Confirmation will still be celebrated in Years 6/7. The Sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist will be celebrated this year. If you wish your child to celebrate a sacrament in 2018, please contact Mrs. Oates.

Bishop Greg visits the Riverland

Bishop Gregory visited the Riverland last week as part of the final process of Deacon Hau’s ordination. Bishop Gregory met with the principals and some staff from the 4 Catholic schools to see how Deacon Hau has been received amongst the community. On Thursday last week, Bishop Gregory stopped in to OLOR and met with the year 4/5 class. It soon turned into a joke competition, with Bishop Gregory telling some very funny jokes which the students enjoyed very much.

Deacon Hau will be ordained on May 26th in Port Pirie.

Parish Picnic

March 18th 11.00am at Kingston on the Murray. Please bring a chair and a shared lunch. It will be Deacon Hau’s last weekend among us, so we expect a rousing Homily.

HOLY WEEK LITURGIES ~ Our Lady of the River Parish

Easter Mass Times

Holy Thursday 29th Loxton and Berri 6.00pm
Good Friday 30th Loxton 11.00am (Stations), Renmark 1.30pm Ecumenical in the Park, 3.00pm. Barmera 3.00pm, Waikerie 5.00pm.
Saturday 31st Easter Vigil 7.00pm Barmera
Easter Sunday 8.00am Morgan, 9.00am Waikerie & Berri, 11.00am Loxton & Renmark

Easter Plays performed by OLOR students

On Thursday 29th March, each class of Our Lady of the River School will act out in short plays the different events of Holy Week, ending with the traditional presentation from our Year 6/7’s, the Stations of the Cross. This liturgy is an opportunity where we can reflect upon the events of Holy Week and prayerfully join together before breaking for Easter. All family and friends are welcome to join us in the school gym/hall at 11.00 am.

Attached below is this month’s copy of the ‘Witness’ – Journal of the Diocese of Port Pirie

Miss Roberts features in this issue as a participant (pilgrim) of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival

A reminder about the Port Pirie Diocesan Assembly on Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st March. Registration flyer attached.

School News & Events

Clean up Australia Day

Friday 2nd March the school celebrated the World Day of Prayer with the theme of ‘All of God’s Creation is Good’ and this coincided with Schools Clean up Australia Day. The students demonstrated their love for God’s creation by taking part in a school and community clean-up. We did our little part in trying to keep Australia looking beautiful.

Year 6/7 Mass

On Thursday 8th March the Year 6/7 Class celebrated mass at 9.00am in St Mary's Church. Mass was celebrated by Father Cletus and Deacon Hau. The focus was on the OLOR school values and also kindness. Our senior girls were representing the school in a SAPSASA AFL carnival which left the boys to host the Mass. Parents, relatives and friends were welcome to attend and to share a cuppa afterwards in the parish hall.

Shaun Kelly Year 6 & 7 Class Teacher

Celebrate a new arrival

We warmly extend our congratulations to Chanerprabha, Rupinder, Trishanpreet and Gurbaz on the birth of their son and brother Angad.

NAPLAN

Students in year 3, 5 and 7 will participate in the National Literacy & Numeracy Testing from May 15-18. NAPLAN testing provides a one off snap shot of how your child is progressing in their education. If any parents wish to withdraw their child from one or all of the tests, please advise the principal in writing before March 16th 2018.

Year 4/5 Assembly

On Friday 2nd March, the Yr. 4/5 class hosted the school assembly. The students shared some of their favourite moments form the Yr 4/5 & 6/7 Camp to Aldinga. Helen Jurgens and Steve Sando from Woolworths attended our Assembly to present the school with new Art resources including paper and paint through the Woolworths Earn & Learn program. We thank all our families who shopped at Woolworths and contributed to our new resources!

Mr Luke Cotter

Please enjoy watching the video presented at the assembly from our recent Years 4-7 camp. NEW feature to our newsletters which is exciting!

SPORTS NEWS

Congratulations to Ella K, Oliver S, Amity K, Charlotte W & Molly W.

They have been selected in the Riverland SAPSASA Swimming Team. They will be competing in Adelaide on Friday 23rd March.

Last week, a number of our senior girls participated in the SAPSASA Girls 9-a-side AFL competition held at Berri Primary School. The girls thoroughly enjoyed the day which built upon last year’s event which was a huge success. Our girls managed to finish second overall.

On Thursday 15th March, a number of Year 4-7 students will be travelling to Adelaide to represent OLOR at the SACPSSA Swimming Carnival held at Magill. The students will be looking to defend their Section 7 title. Good luck! In week 7.

A large group of senior boys and girls will be taking part in a T20 Blast cricket competition to be held at Berri Oval this Friday 16th March. We wish them all the best.

Yours in Sport,
Mr. Cotter

Schoolzine Newsletter and Calendar

A reminder that the calendar is only available online through the School App ‘SZapp’. Having it online will ensure that it is current and always up to date. The Newsletter will continue to highlight upcoming events to ensure that parents and families are fully aware of what is on. The newsletter is every fortnight on the odd weeks, e.g. 1, 3, 5 etc. and will come to your email inbox or ‘SZapp’ on the Wednesday of those weeks. I encourage all families to install the ‘SZapp’ on your smart phone or Tablet. To ensure you receive the newsletter in your inbox each week, please ensure the front office has your correct email addresses. If you do not have an email address, please let the front office know (this week) so that we can send paper copies home with your eldest child.

Fortnight Reminders

Community Events

Saturday April 14th. 2018 there will be a Benefit Concert for the Royal Flying Doctor Service. To be held in the Loxton Community Theatre 6.45pm for 7.30pm start. Music by 60s & 70s Folk Music FOSSILS in concert featuring Peter Combe. Tickets cost $20pp.

Berri Football Club U/13

Preseason training for U/13’s will be on Wednesday at 4.30pm on March 14th & Monday at 4.30pm March 19th. U/13 coaches are Michael Toogood, Martin Barber and Adam Langford. All players intending to play are urged to attend as soon as possible. We hope to see you there.

Happy Birthday!