Our Lady of Grace Newsletter No images? Click here Dear God, Make our school a place of laughter and friendship, Make our school a place where we are kind and considerate. Make our school a place where we can share our hopes and dreams, thank you for the people who teach us all we know, thank you for our school which will help us grow and grow. Amen TERM 1 WEEK 7 - 13 MARCH 2024 PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGEDear Parents and Caregivers, As we enter the fourth week of Lent, we remember that Jesus tells us that the first commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The next is to love our neighbour as ourselves. Lent is a time for us to reset and reprioritise these two commandments in our lives. As we make space each day to reflect on God’s word, and to listen more attentively to what is being asked of us, may we also become more aware of others around us. Loving God is not something that we keep just to ourselves but is shown each day in all that we do and in how we treat others. We are called to “see God in the everyday” by the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth and we see active demonstrations of how we love one another in our school community every day. Parent Teacher Interviews Sacrament of Confirmation Easter Egg Donations Harmony Week NAPLAN NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. As was evident in our Parent Teacher Interviews this week, the staff at Our Lady of Grace know each student very well and we continue to partner with families in the educational journeys of their children. This week we keep our Year 3 and 5 students in our prayers. We know that the children have been trying very hard and working to do their very best. Merit Awards at Assembly Walkathon Little Graces Vacation Care Thank you and God Bless. Mrs Michelle Lloyd Merit Awards Families Taking Holidays During Term Time Principal permission must be provided for students leaving school during term time to go on holidays. Students are expected at school during term time and where possible family holiday should be taken during school holidays. Teachers are not required to provide school work or adjust class programs for families choosing to take holidays in term time. Generic activities such as reading, mapping, research and conversion of money are great activities to be completed while holidaying. Pre-Kindy and Kindy Applications Surname Cards for Kiss and Drive Sick Bay - Uniform Return Project Compassion Story - Leaia's story, Samoa Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result. Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they used to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, she had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street. With the support of Caritas Australia’s local partner, Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed in Leaia’s home to harvest rainwater. This means that her family can now have access to clean water to drink and bathe. The time that was previously used to collect drinking water can now be used for other essential tasks and, most importantly, her children don’t have to miss out on school. Prior to having the water tank, Leaia’s children would sometimes miss school during the dry season. Without enough water at home, Leaia would keep her children back as they could not bathe before school. The school water supply was also unclean. “If there isn’t enough water the kids can’t go to school because the water supply at school isn’t clean... Part of their morning routine is to shower before school, so if there’s not enough water, they can’t attend school. It becomes unhygienic for them.” Leaia said. In rural areas of Samoa, poverty rates are strongly linked to lower levels of education. Caritas Samoa is installing water tanks in crucial areas of communities, such as schools and family homes, to prevent children from missing out on their right to an education. During the next phase of the program, Caritas Samoa will work to provide homes like Leaia’s with hygienic toilets with septic tanks, which will improve the health of rural communities. This will only be possible with the generosity of Australians supporting Caritas Australia’s partnership with Caritas Samoa. Wednesday 13 March - NAPLAN commences OLG Netball Uniform Try-On Dates For any exchanges or for those players missed, Alana will also be available on Tuesday 16th April & Thursday 18th April in Term 2. Please refer any Netball uniform queries to Alana Patison patisonalana@gmail.com Parents please note that after lunch sales on Monday, Wednesday and Friday are cash only and icy poles, fro yos etc are no longer able to be purchased on online. Keep an eye on QuickCliq as we introduce new items for recess and lunch. A friendly reminder that snap sticks are $1, Fro Yos are $2.50 and quelch icy poles $1. Core Wealth - Gold Sponsor CORE WEALTH enables clients to realise their personal goals and objectives with the least amount of risk and greatest amount of certainty. As trusted advisers we are committed to guiding our clients on the pathway to a financially secure future. Cake Stall for Project Compassion After 7.30am Mass The Parish Hall will be open before mass on Saturday evening if you wish to drop off some goodies for the stall if not coming to the 7.30am mass. This is an opportunity for Confirmation candidates to participate as part of their Community Service by making something to sell or helping out on Sunday with the running of the stall. Confirmation Commitment this Weekend We acknowledge the original custodians of this land, the Noongar people, and show our respect for their ancestors and traditions. Our Lady of Grace School |