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TERM 1 WEEK 11 APRIL 11TH, 2018 OUR LADY OF GRACE NEWSLETTER PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE I have the impression that Pope Francis is wise but with a common touch. I came across this quote of his, some time ago and wanted to share it. “I believe in God - not a Catholic God; there is no Catholic God. There is God, and I believe in Jesus Christ, his incarnation, Jesus is my teacher and my pastor, but God, the Father, Abba, is the light and the Creator. This is my being.” The strong sense of community that we enjoy at OLG is one of the school’s defining features. I believe it comes out of the charism of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, our Sisters, and their emphasis on sense of ‘family’ modelled on the Holy Family. We are also located in an area where ‘community’ is valued. This can be seen in the success of the local sports clubs and Anzac Dawn Service. We are fortunate in that our P&F also see one of their main roles as that of nurturing the school community. Last Friday’s Easter Picnic was a perfect example of families coming together to enjoy one another’s company. They also had the honour of ‘christening’ the new play area! Full credit to Amanda Doherty and her team for creating a wonderful event. That same afternoon our students participated in the annual Walkathon organised by Linda D’Vaz and Carolyn Halleen and their team, including Mr Brown. The afternoon ran exceptionally smoothly with the children having a lot of fun and varying degrees of exercise. International Sportsman Jake Poat, 3B, has been chosen to represent Australia in the world BMX championships to be held from June 5-9 in Baku, Azerbaijan. PHOTO from PARENTS Well done and good luck, Jake. Year 3 student Jake Poat was successful at the recent Oceania and National BMX Championships and has won qualification to compete in the World Championships to be held in June. Competing against competitors from all over the globe, Jake has commenced a raffle on Go Fund me to assist with expenses for his trip to Baku, Azerbaijan. Like many sportspeople competing in international events, all competitors must finance their own expenses, including travel – for self and equipment, accommodation, fees and both competition and travel insurance. A host of prizes have been donated to support the raffle hosted on Go Fund me. The raffle is limited to 300 tickets, each $10 donation gets you 1 ticket i.e $30 x 3. The main prize is a iPad mini 4. We also have movie tickets and toddler tints. All detail are on the go fund me link. gofundme.com/2018WorldsJakePoat Every Day Counts We at OLG have long worked on the premise that our expectations for OLG students should be set at a higher standard than either ‘state average’ or ‘Australian average’. These expectations extend to all areas, including school attendance. Our weakest attendance rates are in the lower year levels. The WA state average attendance rate is 92%. A study was commissioned by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations in 2012, and conducted by The University of Western Australia (Centre for Child Health Research, Telethon Institute for Child Health Research) using unique data provided by the Western Australian Department of Education. 1. The study found that “attendance gaps, lower levels of attendance, were established early (by at least Year 1), and are influenced by factors and events prior to school entry.” 2. “Attendance matters for achievement, and every day counts. The effects of absence also accumulate over time. They found that absence from school was related to academic achievement in numeracy, reading and writing not only in the current year, but in future years as well.” 3. “Every day of attendance in school contributes towards a child’s learning, and that academic outcomes are enhanced by maximising attendance in school. There is no “safe” threshold.” 4. “Most achievement disparities are in place at the outset of Year 3.” That means that it is vital that every effort be out into setting a child up for success in learning and the social/emotional domain, in the early years. Hence our emphasis on high quality teaching in those first years at school and our early intervention programs such as Speech assessments at Kindy, EMU (Maths), Reading Recovery (reading and writing), Levelled Literacy Intervention (reading and writing), Sounds Write (phonics). 5. The data are clear about where greater effort is needed. The results indicate that a child’s onward attendance pattern is largely established in the first years of school. So, my plea to parents is to aim for full attendance barring genuine illness and medical appointments that cannot be scheduled outside school hours. Every day counts. Home and then primary school are where the foundations for life are laid; where all the important stuff happens. Just in case you are still unsure: The empirical literature is replete with examples of the importance of early educational engagement. Regular attendance in the primary school years, for example, has been shown to provide children with the basic skills for learning and educational outcomes, and assists the development of social skills including communication, self-esteem, teamwork and friendship building (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2009). In addition, poor participation and engagement is linked to adverse outcomes throughout the lifecourse. Limited school participation, for example, is associated with a greater chance of dropping out of school for both mainstream and ethnic minority groups (Schwab, 1999), disruptive and delinquent behaviour (Finn, 1989), and may lead to a cycle of rebellion against authority (Marsh, 2000). These outcomes have later implications for employment, a range of health risk behaviours (drug and alcohol abuse), homelessness, poverty, welfare dependence, and involvement in the justice system (Alexander, Entwisle & Horsey, 1997; Epstein & Sheldon, 2002; Hallfors et al., 2002; Rothman, 2001). This reinforces the notion that participation in school is a means to educational and developmental ends and not the end itself. Spiritual Ministry Fundraiser The Ministry is supporting Caritas this term. Thanks to Lola (2G) and Ruby (PPB) Kerr, the Ministry has a full sized soccer ball signed by their aunt, Sam Kerr. To say that Sam is a star player is an understatement. The raffle will be conducted this Friday with the winner informed that afternoon. Chris Kenworthy Principal Please contact Peta Taylor on 0419 260832 if you can help out with volunteering. Canteen Roster - Peta Taylor will contact the people rostered on for Term 2. To access our online order system please visit www.ouronlinecanteen.com.au. Instructions for signing up are on the website or you can contact the Support line on 1300 116 637 for assistance. IMPORTANT NOTICE - Please read There are an increasing number of online orders that are not being captured due to parents not confirming their orders. Once you have placed an order please check your confirmation email or your "active orders" section to ensure your order has been placed, as we are getting numerous children at canteen quite upset that they haven't received their lunches. Pre-Primary As of Term 2 the Pre-Primary students will not have access to the canteen for recess items and icy poles at lunchtime. Congratulations to the students who received Merit Awards at last week's assembly. Italian: Years 2-6 Italian Assessments will be carried out in Term 2, Week 4. Could you please ensure that your child/children revises the work that they have been learning this term in preparation for their assessments. Grazie Mille Signorina Algeri Uniform Shop A reminder that all students will commence Term 2 on Tuesday 1 May in Winter Uniform. The Uniform Shop is open this Friday 13th April from 8.15am - 9.00am and will re-open on Tuesday 1st May from 2.15pm - 3.00pm. Coles for Sports Vouchers have finished. Please send your vouchers in by Friday. Thank you. P & F Acknowledgements A big thank you to Carolyn Halleen and Linda D’Vaz for again co-ordinating the school walkathon which saw a lot of sweaty kids getting active, and enjoying their icy pole treat at the completion of their event. To all who attended the OLG Family Picnic last Friday, I know you’ll join me in congratulating Amanda Doherty and team of helpers for putting together a great night and wonderful experience for all the families and kids that came along. We welcome your feedback on the walkathon and family picnic which will help us continually improve these events for the future - events@olgp.com And last but not least, Faye Pafumi for continuing the much loved P & F Sausage Sizzle and the wonderful volunteer mums who helped with preparation and cooking. Thanks to everyone who supported our events this term, as these would not have been such a great success without our dedicated volunteers and family involvement. Upcoming Important P & F Dates and Events - Term 2 Friday 11th May - Mothers Day Stall The Mother's Day Stall will be held on Friday 11 May (Week 2 Term 2). The children will be taken to the stall with their classes and they will get to chose an item for their mother or their significant female carer. As with all previous years' the cost will be $5 per child and this can be given to the class teacher from Week 1 in Term 2. It is very cute to watch the children choose their items - a lot of serious thought goes into it and a lot of questions are asked! Try to resist peaking in their school bags from Friday 11 May!! If your child is not at school on Friday, we will ensure that a full selection of gifts are sent to the Kindy teachers on Thursday 10 May. In addition, we will also have a selection of gifts for sale after school on Friday 11 May, should any parents wish to purchase something for their mums, grandmothers, significant females. All items will be $5 and we will be set up near the canteen in the School Banking spot from 2.30pm.
Wishing all OLG families a wonderful holiday break! Tony Papotto “OLG Run for Fun” is a free running club where kids of all ages and fitness levels can come together before school to run and exercise in a positive and supportive environment. Parents and grandparents are encouraged to run with the kids and have fun. We all know running is a great way to get fit, but it offers so much more. Kids who exercise in the morning are generally more engaged and focused during lesson time. Running clubs enable kids to build friendships and have fun. Running builds healthy hearts and minds and brings joy to children. OLG Run for Fun is run by volunteer parents each Tuesday and Thursday morning during school terms and has now commenced. The more parents, the more fun! OLG Run for Fun will include some warm up activities and games and there will be a couple of running courses, of different lengths, around Charles Riley Reserve to suit different ages and fitness levels. There will be no free breakfast or awards - it’s just for fun. As the club is run by volunteer parents, students in Year 3 or below must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to ensure adequate supervision. A permission slip for all students must be completed before your child can participate. Permission slips will be available for signing at the first session your child chooses to attend. Days: Every Tuesday and Thursday morning The body achieves what the mind believes. Student Authorisation form - click here
Entertainment Books Now is the perfect time to order a NEW 2018 | 2019 Entertainment Membership because, for a limited time, you’ll receive over $180 of valuable Early Bird Offers you can use over the school holidays! Here are some valuable Early Bird Offers you can use over the school holidays! Our Lady of Grace North Beach SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMME EUCHARIST FAITH FORMATION - 1ST MAY Fr. Greg Donovan will conduct this session for us at 7 pm in the Parish Centre. If you would like to come along from 6.30 and enjoy some wine and cheese before we listen to Father as he explains the Eucharist you are most welcome. ENQUIRY WEEKEND - 5TH/6TH MAY EUCHARIST ENROLMENT 12TH/13TH MAY Sacramental Timetable - click here WEEKEND MASS TIMES DAILY MASS TIMES Our Lady of Grace have been conducting prayerful meditative services using songs from Taize every month for over 12 years. Due to various reasons, April will be our last service in its current structure of monthly services at OLG. We are extending a special invitation to anyone who has ever been to our Taize service, to gather with us on April 5th for our last Service. If you have never experienced Taize chants we warmly invite you to also attend this healing, peaceful, beautiful time of prayer. A Service of Prayer & Song in the style of Taize – Thursday 5th April 7.30pm - 8.30pm As a prayerful community please join us in celebrating the Easter Season outside the church with Easter eggs and Hot Cross buns. We would also like to sincerely thank all the special people who have attended and contributed to these special evenings of prayer and healing over 12 years. Our Lady of Grace Church 3 Kitchener St. North Beach Contact 9448 4888 or Joan 9448 4457 Many thanks. From the team Our Lady of Grace parish, North Beach. for more information about Taize community in France www.Taize.fr This Professional training course is for teachers and others who work with adolescents! Those who work with young people can play an important part in assisting them through this challenging period. This course provides a variety of practical strategies for professionals to incorporate into their work with adolescents. Day: Wednesday Date: 8 May 2018 Time: 9:30am to 4:30pm Cost: $220 per person (concession $200) Venue: Relationships Australia Level 1, 22 Southport St West Leederville To enrol: Phone (08) 6164 0239 We acknowledge the original custodians of this land, the Nyungar people, and show our respect for their ancestors and traditions. Our Lady of Grace School
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