29 October 2019

Newsletter Articles

School Calendar

PRAYER

National Prayer Campaign
for the gift of rain, for people affected by drought
for support services

Eternal God. In wisdom and love you created our earth to sustain us and give us life.

We turn to you now in faith, hope and love, asking you to look with favour on our drought-stricken land, on our starving animals, on our failing crops.

Strengthen, sustain and give new heart to our farmers and to all who are affected by drought; be with those who support them. In your loving providence, send abundant rain and restore our parched earth.

Father of all compassion, hear our prayer through Jesus Christ your Son, in whom the promise of new life has dawned, and through the power of the Holy Spirit, the Lord the giver of life: Renew your faithful people; Renew the face of the earth.

Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Mary, help of Christians – Pray for us.
St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – Pray for us.

Amen.

Principals Report

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

Having lived in the far and mid-north of South Australia for many years in my past, I have seen first-hand the devastation of drought and how it can dampen the spirits of families and their communities. A prayer campaign is being sponsored by the Australian Bishops, and Mr Michael Preece, Assistant for Pastoral Ministry, has sent out to our Port Pirie Diocesan schools and parish communities a national prayer related to the drought (see above). We are encouraged and this is also endorsed by our Bishop, Gregory O’Kelly, to say this prayer concerning the drought throughout the month of November. It would be a strength and consoling for our people in the extensive areas in our Diocese affected by drought to know that their sisters and brothers from around the Diocese and beyond, were conscious of their needs and praying for them.

In Religion classes this term, the children are also focussing on Catholic Missions. The theme of World Mission Month 2019 is “Do not fear, for I am with you.” The focus country is Ghana, where the Church seeks to provide shelter, food, education, and life fulfilling opportunities for children in need, especially those with disabilities. All classes will be engaging in Mission month activities, however our fundraising efforts this term, for example purchasing the student created art work last week and our Christmas toy drive later in the year, will support Missions and our local St. Vincent DePaul Society. Thank you to all our families who have already made a contribution. You’re helping someone to live a better life, as well as bringing a smile to a child’s face who is not as fortunate as many of the children in our community.

Also, a big thank you to the families who supported through monetary donations or in giving up their time to run our canteen for the National Karate Academies grading day last Saturday. All help was most appreciated and congratulations to our OLOR students who performed and achieved success on that day.

We raised a total of $350 for the school and couldn’t have done it without your help.

Last week was monumental, with two major performances, a matinee and night performance involving the whole school performing the musical and dance production called, ‘Young Hercules’. To everyone who participated, well done, so proud of the way all the students gave their very best and showed tremendous courage and skill in getting up onto one of the biggest stages we’ve ever put together. It was also one of the longest musicals we’ve attempted to date and had additional dance acts so that all the students could be involved in some way. Congratulations to Jenny Sander (music teacher) and Claire Dalzell (drama teacher) for all their work, time, clever choreography and energy put into the show. We are so blessed as a school to have such expertise. I was pretty much an onlooker this time and I give an extra special thank you to the whole school staff for their enormous energy, time and support to get the students prepared for our performances. Thank you to Lance Gum ‘Stageright Solutions’ for his generosity, the staging, sound and lighting system. We also had the Colligan, Dempsey and Cross families assist with the packing up of the school hall and stage the next day, which was most appreciated.

Thank you to Mr. Pat Perre for taking photos for us on the night. We hope to have a video of the performance in the near future.

By the time this newsletter has been published I would have completed the process of my 5 Year CESA Cumulative Appraisal of my leadership at Our Lady of the River School. I appreciate the support from Fr. Paul, School Board, staff, students and parent community in being involved in this process by completing the online questionnaire and for a number of people taking time out to be interviewed by the panel this week. It is an affirming process and I know I will continue to do my best in leading this community; making sure that every child in OLOR’s care leaves each day feeling more confident in their learning, engaged in the world and wanting to be the best person they can be.

Mrs. Ros Oates
Principal

Religious Education News

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Erica and her family for the Baptism of her grandson Huxley John Henwood on the weekend, below are some photos of the special occasion.

PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 UPDATE

Last fortnight I provided you with the second of the Six National Themes for Discernment as part of Phase Two of the Plenary Council.  For each of the themes, a snapshot report was created to see a sample of the voices and answers that inspired this theme.

The document below is a snapshot of the third National Theme for Discernment – How is God calling us to be a Christ-Centred Church that is Prayerful and Eucharistic.

This National Theme for Discernment is inspired by the voices of the People of God who shared how deeply they treasured the Eucharist and the sacramental and liturgical life of the Church. There was a call for stronger and more engaging preaching, with an emphasis on the Word of God.  A connection to daily life, some seeking a uniquely Australian expression of prayer and Eucharistic celebration, drawing from the wisdom and rituals of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. And also bringing together the many migrant communities which make up the Church in Australia. There were many divergent expressions of ways in which people and communities encounter God through their experiences of prayer, music and liturgy, and a desire for catechises, training, and formation for those in ministries related to these.

All Saints Day and All Souls Day

This Friday, November 1st, we celebrate the feast of All Saints, we honour those men and women who—whether they’ve been canonised or not—have led lives of heroic virtue that set an example for all Christians. Saints believe that with God on their side, no one and nothing can stop them. They don’t wait for someone else to do good first; they jump right in and serve wherever they see a need in their community. Saints try to see Christ in every person and every situation. Saints show us what it means to be a disciple. They help us to see that what matters most in life is not what we earn or own, not the job we have or the people we know. What really matters is how much we love God, others, and ourselves.

On All Saints Day we praise and thank God for what God has done for us through these holy people. We ask the Saints to pray for us that we might love our God and neighbour the way Jesus taught us.

On the 2nd of November we celebrate another special day, All Souls day. This is a day where we pray for all our loved ones who are no longer here with us on Earth. We ask God to bring them to the joyful banquet of heaven to be with God and the saints forever.

Jesus,
We thank you for the example of all saints.
Ordinary men and women who set out to live the truth of the Gospel in their own time, meeting the needs of their day. May we learn to be like these saints and have a generous heart so that we can bring justice in our time. Help us follow in the footsteps of these holy men and women and live the challenge of the Gospel.
We ask this in your Holy name.
Amen

November 11 – Remembrance Day

On 11 November 1918, an armistice was signed, bringing an end to 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 onwards.

Our school will pause for 1 minute of silence at 11:00am on the 11th November to honour the bravery and sacrifice of these remarkable souls. The senior students will be attending the service at the Berri War Memorial.

Almighty God,
We remember with thanksgiving, 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. May your grace enable us this day to dedicate ourselves to the cause of justice, freedom and peace; and give us the wisdom and strength to build a better world.
Amen

OLOR’s Art Exhibition and Mission Month Fundraiser

Last week our school hall was bursting with colour and I am sure many of you would agree with me that it looked sensational. Our School Production is always a celebration of the students’ hard work in the areas of drama and music, however, this year it was also a celebration of our visual arts curriculum. It was terrific to see students escort their families around the art exhibition, and even more wonderful was the pride they displayed when they arrived at their very own artworks.

I trust that your homes are looking much brighter with your valued additions hanging on the walls and the bright smiles beaming from your very talented and proud children.

I thank the OLOR community for taking the time, before and after our amazing performance of Young Hercules, to view the work of our students. I especially thank you for the positive encouragement you showed the students. Thank you for supporting our Mission Month fundraiser your generous donations will be forwarded to Catholic Missions and will also help in the education of a student through St. Vincent de Paul’s – Assist a Student Program.

Many of the outstanding art pieces can be viewed in the gallery below.

OLOR BLUE DAY – Friday 1st November

A reminder that this Friday, we will host our BLUE DAY to support Lilly Andrews and her fundraising efforts for research into Type One Diabetes. Students are invited to bring along a change of clothes (bathers – rash vest – hat – towel) if they don’t mind getting wet or dress in JDRF’s iconic cobalt blue. We ask that all students bring along a gold donation to purchase cakes that will be on sale.

We will host our own OLOR mini Walk One for Diabetes, by walking around the school oval.

It is expected to be hot so as a treat in the hot weather, we will be turning our sprinklers on. Students are asked to wear hats and sunscreen please. Looking forward to seeing lots of blue, your support is always greatly appreciated.

Wishing you God’s Gentle Peace always.

Rosemary Perre
Religious Education Coordinator.

The latest edition of the Southern Cross features all the latest news and information on our Catholic community. Click on the following link below.

Witness - Latest Addition

The Witness is a bi-monthly publication of the Catholic Diocese of Port Pirie. Issued every February, April, June, August, October and December.

School News

The Arts at OLOR

"The performing arts in education provides students with the opportunity to engage the mind, the body and the emotions into a collaborative and communal expression of all that it means to be human—They discover their own voice, they grow in confidence ...” John Montgomery, Scots College, Sydney.

Young Hercules

The Arts were most definitely on display at OLOR on Monday and Tuesday of week two.

Students presented their hard-work and skills learned in dance, music, drama and art in a showcase of creativity. Hours were spent rehearsing lines, practicing singing and keeping the beat as well as exploring characters and moving on stage. Dances were repeated over and over to refine and perfect moves.

And I am sure you can agree the result was well-worth the hard work. It is not easy putting on a whole school production. Students displayed resilience as normal school routines were changed. The familiar reaction of ‘not again’ as classes practiced getting on and off stage was forgotten in the seamless transitions on performance night.

A special mention to the show Leads: William Heuzenroeder, Yianni Exahreas, Amelia Morgan, Tyler Wurth, Abby Fenwick and Ross Shearer and the extra time you gave to ensure your lines were learnt and delivered with ease. Well done students.

It takes a team effort to deliver a production such as Young Hercules. Thank you must be said to the staff for guiding students backstage, through costume changes and supporting nervous performers- oh, and for your surprise dance.

Student Reflections

My Favourite Part of the musical was………..

• “Mr. Preece high-fiving Mrs. Oates”- Layla (3/4)
• “The party rock dance”- Harriet (year 1)
• “The whole thing, every bit of it was amazing. The whole process from the start to the end, but the surprise staff dance was great”- Amelia (6/7)
• “Doing the chicken nugget moves”- Monica (foundation)
• “We could be heroes, our class dance”- Buvnoor (4/5)

Mrs Jenni Sander

World Teachers Day – Friday 25th October

The teachers and staff are grateful to everyone for their kind messages and gifts, thanking them on Friday for the wonderful work they do in our school. We are blessed to have such a caring and thoughtful community.

Literacy

Congratulations to Tyler Wurth for having his poem “Risk Taker” published in “Just Keep Writing” on page 564, this book is a compilation of poems and short stories written by students from all over Australia from Foundation to year 12.

Graphic Novels for Young Kids

In our ever growing school library you will find some fantastic graphic novels, I found this great article about them on the Reading Rockets website.

Similar to comic books, graphic novels weave rich, lively visuals with a limited amount of text to drive the narrative. They can be especially appealing to young readers who are reluctant to pick up a more traditional book. Graphic novels are a great way to help struggling readers strengthen vocabulary, build reading confidence and stamina, and develop a deeper appreciation of storytelling

What are graphic novels?

Graphic novels are stories written and illustrated in the style of a comic:

Vivid illustrations combine with short bursts of text, often presented in a series of rectangular panels

The story unfolds in a clear sequence, and is often action-packed (and funny)

Are graphic novels “real books”?

Yes! Graphic novels are widely accepted by youth librarians and teachers as books worth reading by kids of all ages and reading levels. Top children’s publishers now offer graphic novels that are high quality (with strong characters, vocabulary, and storylines) and appropriate for young readers.

How can graphic novels help build children’s literacy skills?

Reading motivation. Graphic novels are very popular, and especially appealing to readers who may not pick up a more traditional book on their own. They can be a “welcoming door” for reluctant or struggling readers (especially boys) who are drawn to the lively storylines and illustrations, and the smart but limited text. Quick, fun reads build confidence!

Visual literacy. The pictures in graphic novels are expressive, simple, and rich all at the same time. The images provide big clues about character and plot and encourage readers to look closely.

Story structure. Most graphic novels for young readers have easy-to-follow plots. This can help children learn about how a story is stitched together. After sharing a graphic novel together, ask your child to tell you the basic plot of the story: “First this happened, then this ... and at the end …”

Word learning for struggling readers and English language learners.

Although individual words in a graphic novel can be sophisticated, the side-by-side Illustrations and text provide strong clues to their meaning.

Don’t forget to share graphic novels together — they make great read alouds!

Here are some graphic novels that you can find in our OLOR library!

Happy Reading!

Melanie Steele
Literacy Coordinator

Sports News

Sports Day

Recently, all students have been getting prepared for Sports Day which is to be held at the end of this week. As you are aware, due to hot weather, Sports Day will be split across the mornings of Thursday Oct. 31st @ Berri Oval and Friday Nov. 1st @ OLOR.

A detailed outline of both days should have been sent home with your child, however you can also view an attached pdf of the day. Below this short summary.

THURSDAY OCT 31st

8am: Opening and Welcome to Country
8.15am: Health Hustle
8.30am: Sprints and 400m Events
9.35am: Team Relays
9.50am: Break
10.05am: Field Events
11.15am: Travel to OLOR
12.15pm: High Jump Finals

FRIDAY NOV 1st

7.45am: Rolling cooked breakfast through morning begins
8am: Opening and Welcome to Country
8.15am: Health Hustle
8.30am: Team Games
10am: Yr. 4-7 Long Jump Finals
10am: F-3 Tug O’ War Rounds
11am: F-3 Long Jump Finals
11am: Yr. 4-7 Tug O’ War Rounds
12pm: Presentations

Sport News

Summer sport is well and truly upon us with Tennis, Cricket, Swimming, Basketball and Baseball all getting started. It has been great seeing so much female sport being broadcast on free-to-air TV recently especially the Women’s Big Bash League getting underway!

Here at OLOR, it is clear cricket and basketball fever are taking over the school yard with many games of cricket being played across the oval and street basketball being played outside the gym.

If your child is interested in joining any clubs for summer sport please find contact details below:

Berri Swimming Club:
Sonia Dominelli – berriswimmingclub@yahoo.com
Cindy Kassebaum – 0428 851 107

Berri Cricket Club:
Message us via the link below
See Mr. Preece for information on Woolworths Cricket Blast

Berri Blazers Basketball Club:
Message us via the link below

Berri Baseball Club:
Email: bwbcinc@live.com.au

Berri Lawn Tennis Club:
Email: rivermozziestennis@gmail.com

Sapsasa News

Sapsasa Cricket Championship

In Week 4, some of our senior students will be representing the Riverland in Adelaide for the week at the Sapsasa State Cricket Championships. Peter Safralidis will be coaching the group of boys including our very own Paul D, Yianni E, Peter E, and Matthew S. We wish the boys the best of luck and look forward to their reflections upon their return in Week 5!

Sapsasa News

Yours in Sport,

Mr Cotter
Physical Education Coordinator

Car Park Safety

Can I remind everyone once again to be absolutely diligent at the 3.10pm pick-up time, especially on Verran Terrace. NO Parents should be parked across the road on the housing side of Verran Terrace. Please hold children’s hands when walking to cars and keep everyone safe. If there is not sufficient parking the church car park is often free.

PLEASE READ THE NEWSLETTERS CAREFULLY. Everything you need to know about the school week and dates is on the school app. (SZapp) You can download on all smartphones and tablets for free. We get a lot of phone calls & text about events and programs that have been advertised widely.

Policy Documents

School Uniforms

We would like to make aware to OLOR families we have a large collection of second hand uniforms in good condition. If any families are interested please see Pat or Sandy in the front office.

Community News

Happy Birthday!