Education in Faith

G Day  

On Monday 28 July we had our annual and much anticipated G Day at OLA. G Day falls at this time of year as the Catholic Church celebrated the feast of Saints Joachim and Anne over the past weekend. They were Jesus’ grandparents and the parents of Mary. They helped Mary to know and love God. 

We welcomed many grand, great and good people as we opened our doors to our special guests for the morning. Each family is different and each family is special. All members of a family have special qualities that are loved and admired. Monday allowed time to stop, think, reflect and celebrate the wonderful members of our immediate and extended family.

We also acknowledged the special people who couldn't be with us; those who could not travel, those who live far away, those who are sick, and sadly, those who have passed and are now residing with God in heaven. 

Loving God,

Bless all grandparents and special people in the lives of our children. Those gathered with us here today, those who cannot be with us and those who have gone to be with you.

May they continue to share their wisdom and faith with us. May they always share with courage and confidence their gifts of experience, knowledge, stories, songs and memories with us. May we continue to learn and grow together.

Bless them with the length of days and joy always. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Starfish Story

One day a man was walking along the beach when he noticed a figure in the distance.  As he got closer, he realized the figure was that of a boy picking something up and gently throwing it into the ocean.  Approaching the boy, he asked. “What are you doing?”

The boy replied, “Throwing a starfish into the ocean.  The sun is up and the tide is going out.  If I don’t throw them back, they’ll die.”

"Son,” the man said, “don’t you realize there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of starfish?  You can’t possibly make a difference.”

After listening politely, the boy bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the surf.  Then, smiling at the man, he said, “I made a difference for that one.”

Adapted from the original story by Loren Eisley

Junior Parent/Child Workshop

On Thursday 31 July our Grade 1 and 2 students gathered along with their families for our Junior Parent/Child Workshop. Our theme for the evening was 'Let's Come Together and Celebrate'. We heard about the theme of Hope for the year, and some of the things the children will learn about as part of this term's Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament Unit.

A highligh for the evening was that the Junior students had prepared a special song to perform - 'Together'. 

After an introduction and the performance, we split into rotation groups, practising different ways that we can pray and celebrate together as a community. We explored, individual prayer, song, art and storytelling. 

We thank the families who came out to spend the evening with us and are grateful to our Junior teachers for your hard work in planning and preparing for this special opportunity.

Term 3 - Prayer, Liturgy and Sacrament 

This term, all students Prep - Grade 6 are learning about Connecting to Others. In Religious Education, we are exploring prayer, liturgy and Sacraments of the Catholic faith, whilst also learning about traditions of other cultures. By learning about different beliefs, we not only develop our knowledge and understanding, but increase our respect for others. 

This topic links to our Inquiry subject of Geography. Students are learning about connections to places, diversity and significance of different places, and factors that shape and influence interconnections. 

Assumption Day

On Friday 15 August, our children will be celebrating the Feast of Our Lady of the Assumption.  Throughout the day, children will attend Mass as a whole school at 9:15am, learn more about Mary and participate in a Fun Fair from 12-1:30pm. 

The OLA Fun Fair will be run by class groups, with the children having the opportunity to purchase items or pay to participate in activities.  All items/activities will range in price from 50c - $1. We recommend students bring no more than $10. All monies raised will be donated to Sacred Heart Mission. 

Each class will need your support to provide donations for their particular store.  The list below provides details of each class stall. We ask that donations please be taken to your child's classroom. 

We appreciate and thank you for your support in advance and look forward to another successful and enjoyable OLA Fun Fair.

Caitlan Taig

Religious Education Leader