11 December 2019

Newsletter Articles

School Calendar

PRAYER

Lord Jesus, send Your Holy Spirit upon our preparations for this Christmas.
We who have so much to do,
seek quiet spaces to hear Your voice each day.
We, who are anxious over many things,
look forward to Your coming among us.
We, who are blessed in so many ways,
long for the complete joy of Your kingdom.
We, whose hearts are heavy, seek the joy of Your presence.
We are Your people.
We say to You, Come Lord Jesus’.

Amen

Principals Report

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Students,

How quickly all the days, weeks and months of the 2019 school year have gone. As we prepare to close the school for 2019 and head off into the Christmas season and the summer holidays, there is much we can reflect back upon and give thanks for - our successes and how much we have learnt (academic, social, physical and in faith), and how we have supported, cared for and challenged each other to be the best we can be.

We thank God for the blessings of the 2019 school year, for the friendships we have developed and nurtured, the promises we kept and the kindnesses we have received.

Thank you to all - students, staff, parents and family and parish - for your support this year. We can most certainly take pride in who we are as a community. To the graduating Year 7 students who move to high school next year, thank you for the gifts of yourselves and we wish you success and God’s blessing in 2020 and into the years ahead.

Pictured below are the graduating students for 2019. We had a wonderful celebration last Thursday evening and thank you to all the students, parents and especially Mr. Luke Cotter and the staff for all their contributions in making it such a lovely send off to our Year 7’s.

I pray that you will be thrivers, not just survivors that you will act out of optimism, not pessimism that as you journey you will all contribute to making this world a little more hospitable and a little less hostile and that you will be sustained always by people who care for you, challenge you and love you.

Thank you and farewell to the families, who leave us this year at Our Lady of the River School, for your friendships and support.

To all students, thank you for giving of your best this year and for your care and support of each other. Enjoy the fun that the summer holidays will bring. To all, I wish you a joyous Christmas and a relaxing and enjoyable summer holiday.

Travel safe and God bless.

Attached for those not present at our Graduation ceremony is my 2019 year reflection and thank you to the community.

The staff and I look forward to welcoming you back to school on Tuesday 28th January 2020. An outline of the 2020 Term Dates are advertised on our Schoolzine app.

My Christmas message……

Christmas is not only the commemoration of an historical event that occurred 2000 years ago, it is a spiritual event to be lived within each of us. Our mission is to make holy the secular aspects of Christmas and we do this by being holy people – kind, patient, generous, loving, laughing people no matter how maddening the Christmas rush around us.

It is difficult to put into ‘ordinary terms’ the mystery of Christmas: the birth of Jesus, the Son of God, who grew in wisdom and age, who preached a way of love, who suffered, died and rose again, who became the model for our human and spiritual growth. The birth of Jesus made possible, not just a new way of understanding life, but a new way of living it. Even though all around us are signs that are rushing us to a Christmas of celebration that equates spending with love, we need to feel a strong undercurrent of authentic meaning.

If we were to put this all into ‘ordinary terms’, the meaning of Christmas, perhaps it might look something like this:

It’s sharing your gifts, not the purchasing of gifts.
It’s not wrapping presents, it’s being present and wrapping your
arms around the ones you love.
It’s not getting Christmas cards out on time, it’s sending any card, anytime,
at the right time.
It’s not having the best Christmas light display, it’s displaying the
Christ light that comes from your heart.
It’s not Santa coming down the chimney, it’s Jesus coming down from heaven and giving us the gift of Himself.

Author unknown.

So, enjoy the gift of each other this Christmas, and in particular the gift of your children, a treasured member of my beloved Holy Cross family whom I shall miss horribly over the Christmas break. Take care and come back safely on 28th January full of smiles and warm fuzzy memories, ready to bounce forwards in 2020!

Christmas Mass Times – Our Lady of the River Parish

Christmas Eve. 24th December

Renmark 6.30pm,
Barmera 6.00pm
Waikerie 8.00pm
Loxton 9.00pm.

Christmas Day. 25th December

Morgan and Berri 9.00am.

Mrs. Ros Oates
Principal

Last Day of Term 4, 2019

School will conclude at 2.20 pm. Final short assembly in the school gym/hall at 1.50 pm.

St Vinnies Christmas Appeal

Our collection box for Our St Vinnies appeal for Christmas toys has been set up in Admin area. We ask that you label your toy as boy or girl and the expected age you intend the gift to go towards. Thank you for the donations we have received.

Religious Education News

The Reason for the Season

Christmas is such a beautiful time of year. We gather and celebrate with family and friends, we give gifts to show our gratitude and to bring smiles to the faces of the precious and loved people in our lives. It can be such a joyous time…it can also be such a stressful time. It is extremely easy to get caught up in the commercial side of season, it overshadows the joy of Christmas by making us stress out about gifts, parties, and whether we have enough food. We are pulled into the hustle and bustle of sales and deadlines so much so that we may forget why this celebration is so important.

One Night, One Star, One Child.
A silent night, a star above, a blessed gift of hope and love.

When we keep things simple, it is so much easier to remember.
For One Holy night, One Child was born, and One Star shone bright to tell the world of the significance of this event

The Reason for the Season is that God so loved us that He gave His only begotten Son, Jesus. This Son is God in human form who was born on Christmas night to show us how to live, how to love and how to forgive. Jesus shared with us hope, joy, love and peace and asks us to go forth and do the same.

This is not an easy task and can bring many challenges. For Jesus faced many hardships in his life, he was challenged many times and yet continued to remain faithful to God. He reached out to the broken to offer hope and remind them that they too are loved.

I remind you in the lead up to Christmas to reflect upon the Advent calendars shared with you in the last newsletter. Spread the spirit of joy, peace and love especially where you can see it lacking.

As you are unwrapping presents on Christmas Day, I invite you to stop and reflect on the presence of God and what God wants from us at Christmas time. Love, togetherness, and rejoicing are the things He wants from us! Slow down and take in what is around you. Celebrate the Wonder and the Joy of the Festive Season.

PLENARY COUNCIL 2020 UPDATE

As we come to the end of the Year, I share with you the sixth and final National Theme 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 sixth National Theme for Discernment – How is God calling us to be a Christ-Centred Church that is - Open to conversion, renewal and reform.

This National Theme for Discernment is inspired by the voices of the People of God who expressed a desire to do things differently in response to Christ and the experience of our people, accepting that faithfulness to tradition requires change that is both personal and communal. Respondents also affirmed the important role of the clergy, expressing their appreciation for their vocation and recognizing the need for support and ongoing formation and accompaniment. Some asked for a consideration of alternative approaches to ordained ministry, some for greater inclusion of laity and different groups in the Church’s life, some for new models of governance and leadership, and some for a renewed fidelity to the Church’s teachings. There was also a call for a renewed life of prayer and communion with one another, including understanding the many different ways in which we encounter God and experience a conversion of heart.

Christmas Prayer

Come, Lord Jesus, come,
Fill our gift-giving with generosity, making us aware of the true gifts we have to share with loved ones.
Deepen our sense of joy, making us ever grateful for the small gifts others bestow upon us.
Extend our capacity for compassion, making us mindful of how we might give to those in need of sustenance and consolation.
Come into our hearts and homes this Christmas, Lord Jesus,
making us people of joyful generosity and gratitude.
Amen

During this festive season of giving, let us take time to slow down and enjoy the simple things. May this wonderful time of the year touch your heart in a special way. May any festive stress you feel fade away and be replaced with awe and warmth. May you make many delightful memories with loved ones to cherish forever.

Wishing you a blessed and peace filled Christmas as well as God’s richest blessings in the New Year.

Rosemary Perre
Religious Education Coordinator.

Mrs Sander completed her Pre-Service Teacher Training in the Year One class earlier in the term. The students loved working with Mrs Sander and especially had fun learning about the Parables of Jesus with her. We congratulate Mrs Sander on the completion of her degree and wish her all the best in her future teaching. We know she will achieve great things with her lucky students.

Jesus taught people how to live by telling stories. These stories are known as parables and Jesus often used them to teach people a lesson.

The Year One class hopes you enjoy their re-enactment of three of Jesus' parables.

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

Literacy

Do you listen to audiobooks? Summer holidays are a great time to give them a try!

There is some debate about whether audiobooks are 'cheating' and kids should be reading books and although I believe audiobooks shouldn't replace books they are fantastic for both children and adults.

One benefit of listening to audiobooks - it's a great way to introduce new vocabulary, especially without the frustration of having to read text that is challenging for your child. Audiobooks help to make stories accessible to readers of all levels, children who find reading challenging can still engage with age appropriate novels.

I love hearing the different ways a narrator of an audiobook can bring a story to life and encourage my children to practise these skills when reading aloud themselves. On a long road trip reading books can sometimes lead to carsickness, audiobooks can make a journey pass quicker with no sickness, it's also a great way for the whole family to listen to stories together and talk about them. And finally after a big day down the river, audiobooks are a great way to sooth kids to sleep!

Some quick beginner tips - start with a short story, always preview the story in case the narrators voice drives you crazy and pick a story that you think will appeal to the listener, you can't go wrong with something funny!

So how do you access audiobooks? I buy audiobooks on my iBooks app, I know others enjoy an Audible membership. There are some free websites with free audiobooks available too.

Melanie Steele
Literacy Coordinator

REMINDERS

School Magazine

The school magazine will be completed over the school holidays so that we could include the Graduation 2019 and the Year 7 river camp. The cost of these is $20 per copy next year. Pre-order your magazine through the SZapp. We have ordered extra copies for families who may wish to give a magazine as a Christmas gift this year.

Swimming Lessons

Swimming lessons for the students in Years, Foundation to Year 3 will be held in Week 1, Term 1, 2020, Tuesday to Thursday at the Berri Swimming pool.

Year 3: 11:30 – 12.30 pm
Years 1/2: 12:40 – 1.40 pm
Foundation: 1.50 – 2:35 pm

There will be a cost for pool entry if your child is not a season member of the Berri Swimming Pool. The school will be covering all bus transport and tuition expenses.

PLEASE RETURN the Water Safety Consent Form to the class teachers by Friday 13th December.

School Stationery

School stationery for the children is given out during the first week of school next year. We supply books that already have a hard plastic cover, saving parents the cost and bother of contact and labels etc. All pens and smaller stationery will be sent home for labelling. Next year, extra supplies will not available. If children use all their allocation or lose equipment they will be required to replace at their own cost.

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!