OUR LADY OF HOPE NEWSLETTER - Term 1 Week 2 2024
A Word from the Principal
Dear Families
A genuine welcome to the 2024 academic year!
I congratulate our families for preparing their children for a positive start to the school year. The children are wearing their uniforms proudly and demonstrating a wonderful approach to their learning in our classrooms and outdoor areas. It was terrific to see many of our families take up the invitation in Week 0 to meet with their child's teacher/s and commence the process of building a solid working partnership between home and school.
The first week has enabled our staff to introduce our children to the 'OLOH Way'. Teachers have explicitly taught our children the 4 core values and will continue to reinforce these during the year ahead. We seek the support of our families to discuss these elements with your children and encourage them to share how they are applying them in their school day... and at home too! I am grateful for the leadership provided by our Positive Behaviour Intervention & Support (PBIS) Team and Mrs Sarah Alford (Leader of Wellbeing) for leading our school community through this process. It is our desire that we will achieve a more consistent approach across our school in promoting our values and holding our children and ourselves accountable for their actions at school.
I am grateful to be abe to introduce our school family to our Acting Deputy Principal for 2024, Mrs Anne-Marie Platten. Anne-Marie has quickly immersed herself into the role and is enjoying engaging with staff, children and families. Below is a detailed profile of Anne-Marie that will provide our community with a more indepth introducton.
I look forward to continuing to work with our families as we stay united in our commitment to enable our children to develop:
- A love of God
- A love of others
- A love of learning
- A love of self
May God continue to be within us & amongst us in 2024 as we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of our beautiful school!
Kind regards
Paul
Welcome Mrs Anne-Marie Platten
Dear Families and Community Members,
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Anne-Marie Platten and I am very excited to be joining the Our Lady of Hope School Community as Acting Deputy Principal for 2024. I have moved from St Patrick’s School, Mansfield Park where I have held the position of Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM) for the past 10 years.
I have worked in Catholic Education for many years and began my teaching career at Mary MacKillop Memorial School, Penola. My involvement in Catholic Education South Australia as a teacher, Religious Education Coordinator and APRIM has seen me work in a number of South Australian schools. My husband, Chris, is also involved in Catholic Education and we have 2 sons, Nicholas and Jack.
I have already experienced a very warm welcome from the staff, students and community members that I have met and am looking forward to getting to know all members of the school community as the new school year begins. I encourage you to come and introduce yourselves with your child, or children, as this will help me to connect families and students and begin to learn everyone’s names.
Wishing you all a wonderful 2024 and looking forward to working with you at Our Lady of Hope School.
Anne-Marie Platten
A Student's Prayer for a New School Year
Lord Jesus, I ask for Your help as I begin this new school year.
Allow me to experience Your presence in the many blessings You put before me.
Open my eyes to the new challenges and exciting opportunities that this
new school year brings.
Open my heart and mind to new friends and new teachers.
Give me a generous spirit to be enthusiastic with my studies and courage
to accept new opportunities.
Help me to be attentive to my teachers and let me experience Your
presence in my new friends.
Jesus, inspire me to do my best this year!
Amen
Religious Dimension
Shrove Tuesday
Next Tuesday our children will participate in an ancient Christian tradition called Shrove Tuesday (Pancake Tuesday). This is the day prior to the beginning of Lent (Ash Wednesday). Shrove Tuesday has been celebrated by Christians around the world for over 1000 years. It gets its name from the word 'shrive', which means to absolve someone of their sins after they confess to them. Traditionally, Christians always wanted to be absolved of their sins before the important season of Lent. Homes would aim to remove items from their kitchen that they would exclude from their diet until after Easter. Often, this resulted in pancakes being the staple food to use up these ingredients.
Consequently, our children will receive a pancake prior to recess next Tuesday. (Gluten free options and egg allergies have been accounted for). Many thanks to the parents who have volunteered to make over 300 pancakes!
Ash Wednesday
After we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, we commence the journey towards Easter on Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of the season of Lent. It is a time when many Christians prepare themselves for Easter by observing a period of fasting, repentance, sacrifice, and self discipline. For many this means either giving up something or taking on something… both with the intent of bringing ourselves closer to God. We use the next 40 days to examine our hearts and make some necessary changes to the way we perceive our connection with our God. Easter is a big deal. It represents the foundation of Christ’s Church. It’s a good thing to prepare ourselves for this most important celebration and the hope the resurrection provides to us on a daily basis.
Families are welcome to join us for our Ash Wednesday Mass on Wednesday 14h February at 11.30am in the Parish Centre.
Family Mass
Families are invited to join our Parish for our Family Mass on Sunday 3rd March at 9am in the Parish Centre. We are blessed to belong to the TTG Parish of St David's and Our Lady of Hope who generously support our school spiritualy and physicaly.
Learning Dimension
Student Agency
During Week 0 our staff travelled to Aberfoyle Park to join with staff from The Nativity and St Joseph's Ottoway, to engage further with Lee Crockett. Lee is guiding our staff through the implementation of the Futures Focused Learning Network to enable us to release the responsibility for our children to build their capacity as life long learners and agents of their learning. We are committed to this project for the next three years and look forward to witnessing the increasing independence and motivation of our children to be highly engaged in their learning journey. We look forward to sharing the strategies that will assist us in achieving our destination.
ICT - Yr 3-6 ICT User Agreement
Our Yr 3 - Yr 6 families should have completed the necessary ICT User Agreements that have been distributed via SZapp. This will enable your children to use their laptops and other devices at school safely and responsibly. Please ensure that these are completed prior to Monday 12th February so that your child's online participation in classroom activities can be permitted.
Swimming Program Yr 3 - Yr 6
It has been wonderful to witness the enthusiastic participation of our children in the Yr 3 - Yr 6 Swimmig Program this week. Thank you to families for ensuring that your child has packed the necessary items to successfully engage in the activities. I commend our staff for maintaining a learning focus amidst the significant alterations to timetables and schedules to accommodate the needs of our children. A brilliant team effort!
Administrative Dimension
Uniform Review
Our Uniform Review Committee have undertaken the initial consultation with our school family and have arranged to meet with three uniform suppliers early in 2024 to discuss alternative uniform options that we can then share with our community. Some people are inquiring about the potential timeframe for any modification/change to our existing uniform. We wish to reassure our community that any alteration won't be likely to occur until early/mid 2025 as we discern styles, fabrics, prices etc. When any decision is made, a transition period will be established to ensure families are not left holding existing items. Thank you for your patience as we aim to undertake a thorough investigation of how we can ensure our uniform reflects student pride in their school and allows them to be active and comfortable when undertaking indoor and outdoor activities.
New Volunteer Induction Session
If you have any queries about your current volunteer status or would like to start the process of becoming a volunteer at OLOH please contact the Front Office staff on 8289 8344 or email mmcgrath@oloh.catholic.edu.au
Marion McGrath, Principal’s Assistant & Events Coordinator
Enrolments at OLOH
To all current families; if you have a young child due to start school in Term 3 2024 or 2025, please ensure that you have lodged an Enrolment Application (you would have received correspondence from the school if you have lodged paperwork). Places are filling fast! Enrolment applications can be obtained from the front office or via our school website:- OLOH Enrolments. If you are not sure please email us at deeles@oloh.catholic.edu.au and we will check our enrolment records.
School Absentee Notification
If your child or children are going to be away for any reason (i.e. illness, family/social, medical/dental appointment, car trouble, running late etc.) we ask that parents please contact the Front Office via the SZapp absences form or if this is not possible by phone on 8289 8344. If your child arrives at school after 8.50 am, please sign them in at the Front Office.
Uniform Shop News
The Uniform Shop is open on Tuesday morning between 8:30-9:30 am and Thursday afternoon between 2:30-3:30 pm for the remainder of this term. Any further changes to opening times will be notified via the newsletter and SZapp in due course.
The Uniform Shop order form can be found on the OLOH website: https://www.oloh.catholic.edu.au/uniform-price-list or alternatively hard copies of the form are available in the Uniform Shop as well as the Front Office.
Admin Staff
Community Dimension
Save the Dates for Term 1 2024
A few events occurring during Term 1:
- Shrove Tuesday 13th February (Week 3)
- Ash Wednesday 14th February - Mass 11.30am (Week 3)
- Principal's Tour - Wed. 14th February 9.30 am and 6.30 pm (Week 3)
- OLOH Playgroup commences - Thurs. 15th February (Week 3) (excludes Week 11)
- School Photo Day - Mon. 26th February (Week 5)
- Pupil Free Day for Staff Training - Fri. 8th March (Week 6)
- Public Holiday (Adelaide Cup) - Mon. 11th March (Week 7)
- NAPLAN Year 3 & 5 Wed. 13th to Fri. 15th March (Week 7)
- Yr 5-6 Camp - Mon. 18th to Wed. 20th March (Week 8)
- Good Friday - 29th March (Week 9)
- Easter Monday - 1st April (Week 10)
- Sports Day - Friday 5th April (Week 10)
- Last day of Term 1 - Friday 12th April at 12.30 pm (Week 11)
OLOH Principal's Tour - Wednesday 14th February at 9.30 am and 6.30 pm
OLOH Outdoor Cinema Night & Campus Scavenger Hunt
You are invited to join with us as a community to start the 2024 school year and commence the celebrations for Our Lady of Hope's 30th anniversary!
Come and join us as we participate in a Campus Scavenger Hunt and Outdoor Movie whilst enjoying BYO drinks (No alcohol) and nibbles.
Please RSVP via SZapp to allow us to prepare the resources for our Campus Scavenger Hunt and also ensure we can accommodate good viewing for the movie on the 5m outdoor screen.
This is the first of many 'OLOH Outdoors' events that we are eager to offer to our community during the course of this year and into the future.
Date: Friday 1st March
Time: 6pm - 9.30pm
What To bring: BYO food, drinks (No alcohol), deck chairs, rugs etc (If we score inclement weather we will venture into the Parish Centre)
Cost: Nil
We look forward to seeing you on the 1st March!
Maggie Moo Music
School Calendar
Families are able to access a ‘live’ calendar at the following locations:
- Szapp tiles
- OLOH Website ‘News & Events’ tab – School Calendar
- OLOH online newsletter
A paper copy is static and doesn’t allow us to make alterations should circumstances change. Whilst it is our intention to eliminate date changes, should they be necessary, we will communicate these to families via Szapp/Seesaw.
OLOH Playgroup
Playgroup commences for 2024 next week Thursday 15th February from 9.00 am to 10.30 am in the Parish Centre. We look forward to seeing you next week!!
Bern and Grace, Playgroup Facilitators
Noticeboard
The services and events contained in this bulletin are in no way connected or endorsed by the school and are included in this newsletter for your information only. Parents and caregivers need to make their own enquiries and assessments about the suitability of these events and services for the needs and those of their children.
Kildare College Tours Term 1
St. Paul's Principal's Tours Term 1
SAPOL Fire and Crime Prevention Flyers
Fire Danger Signs
Safety Around School
Starlight Children's Foundation Flyers
Avante Ballet Studio