It’s hard to believe that we are already four weeks into the term. There has been a lot happening and we have plenty more coming up in the next few weeks. Life is always full, with lots of events, happenings and celebrations at OLOR. 

Our first SAPSASA event occurred this week, with five swimmers competing in Loxton against other Riverland schools. SAPSASA sport is a great way for students to compete against their local peers and possibly go on to represent the Riverland at bigger events against the rest of the state. The learning that can be made during sports events such as these are great, and learning to be humble in either victory or defeat are things that stay with us for life. We thank Mr Dunn for his coordination of these events for our school. 

A couple of our classes attended the Riverland Apology Day at the Berri Senior Citizens Club. This followed on from our work with Sam Mitchell in Week 1 and was something positive to be part of.

We recognised Safer Internet Day on the 11th February. At OLOR we want to keep all
of our students safe online, and encourage families to be proactive in keeping their children safe as well. As mentioned on Seesaw, we encourage all parents to view the advice and support pages at https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents which outline the many dangers to our children that can be found online. Parents can play a crucial role in keeping their children safe online by having open conversations about online risks, setting clear rules for internet use, and monitoring their children's online activity. It's also important to teach children how to protect their personal information, recognize and report cyberbullying, and avoid online scams. Additionally, it's crucial for adults to be aware of age-appropriate apps and games, ensuring that children are engaging with content suitable for their developmental stage. Many children talk about games and apps they use which are not age appropriate and pose many developmental and psychological risks to children. By actively monitoring their children's online lives and educating them about responsible digital citizenship, parents can help their children navigate the dangers more carefully.  

Next week we look forward to launching our involvement in Children’s University. Children’s University Australasia (CUA) provides opportunities and recognition for extra-curricular education to children. Each child receives a Passport to Learning where hours of extra-curricular activities are logged. Credits are accumulated and when they reach the hours needed to graduate, children are presented with CUA certificates at a formal graduation ceremony at the end of the year. This is run through Adelaide University and is something positive to boost student engagement not only in school but also around the community. 

In Week 6 we will celebrate Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent and one of the main celebrations in the Catholic faith. Starting with our Ash Wednesday Mass at 7am, we will welcome our new families and induct our student leaders for the year. Part of the Mass will also be the distribution of ashes. This visual reminder of the Catholic tradition and the beginning of Lent has been around for many centuries, and it serves to remind us that we need to spend more time thinking about who we are and what we do during Lent, as we prepare for the special time of Easter at the end. 

We also look forward to sharing pancakes the day before on Shrove Tuesday. This also has religious origins, where traditionally the ‘rich’ foods in the house were used up before fasting during Lent. Today the idea of fasting carries on with us giving something up during Lent, as we make a small sacrifice to remember the greater sacrifice that Jesus made at Easter.  

In the next few weeks our Years 3 and 5 students will be undertaking the NAPLAN testing program for 2025. This is a nation-wide assessment that assesses students in their Literacy and Numeracy knowledge, and provides some useful feedback to us as a school in what is working and what needs to change. We collect a lot of data each year, and one of our goals as a school is to get better at using that data to drive improvement in many areas, from learning and academics, to wellbeing and belonging. We know that all data is useful if it helps us improve, and look forward to sharing the ways in which we strive for that improvement. 

It has been a great start to the term and we look forward to sharing more with you as the year progresses. OLOR is always a vibrant and exciting place to be!