A Word from Justin

Dear Families of OLSC,  

With just over two weeks to go in Term 3, this edition of the newsletter is packed with lots of news and updates from the last fortnight! 

This week we celebrated our wonderful LSOs for Learning Assistant Apreciation Week, with students and teachers writing messages of thanks to the LSOs working in their spaces. I would like to take the time to recognise the hard work and dedication shown by all of our LSOs and to thank them for their tireless efforts supporting the students and staff at OLSC.

Year 4 Urban Camp  

Last week, the Year 4 students and staff ventured into the city for an overnight urban camp stay. Upon arrival, they hit the pavement and visited many important landmarks within the Melbourne CBD. On Day One, the children toured the Shrine of Remembrance, walked around the Botanical Gardens, took a guided tour of the MCG, and visited the Australian Sports Museum. After a well-earned rest, Day Two saw the Year 4 team head to the new State Library train station, have a guided tour of Old Melbourne Gaol, and finally a reflective walk around St Patrick's Cathedral.

It is safe to say all staff and students needed a good night's sleep and a quiet day of rest by the time they arrived back at school. Our students conducted themselves in a way that they should be proud of, following the school's values of Respect, Responsibility and Resilience every step of the way.

Book Week

What a celebration of BOOKS we have had these past few weeks, beginning with our visit from author Andrea Rowe. Students were captivated by Andrea's passion for writing, listening eagerly to the stories she told about how she finds ideas for her stories.

A massive thank you to all families who came with their children to visit the Book Fair. It was a flurry of visitors that came through the door every day, and there weren't many books left on the shelves by the end. This year, we sold $6500 worth of books through the fair! For every book sold, our school receives points which go towards purchasing new books for our library.

On Friday morning, we held the annual Book Week dress-up parade. As always, the creativity behind the students' costumes was astounding. It was a morning to remember and a wonderful way to finish off the excitement of Book Week. Thank you to all of the families for your efforts in organising the costumes and for joining us in this celebration! A special mention to our staff for embracing this event and sharing their own creativity through a variety of book character costumes.

Colouring Competition

During Book Week, students are invited to participate in a colouring competition which is organised and judged by our senior Arts Leaders. This year, we congratulate Leni (Prep), Carmel (Year 1/2), Kimi (Year 3), Adoma (Year 4), Katie (Year 5) and Sanuk (Year 6), as the winners of the colouring comp.

The Great Book Swap

OLSC is holding a Great Book Swap again this year. This initiative supports the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) to provide books and learning resources to children living in remote communities across Australia. The Great Book Swap is a fantastic way to celebrate reading locally, learn more about Indigenous culture, and raise funds for a great cause. 

From now until Thursday 10th September, students are invited to bring pre-loved children's books to school that they no longer want at home. These might be picture books, graphic novels, information texts or children's novels and must be in very good condition. Just bring them to school, and our student leaders will come and collect them in the mornings.

On Monday 14th September, students are invited to bring a gold coin to school to buy a pre-loved book to take home from The Great Book Swap.

Library / Discovery Centre -  It's almost there!

Over the last 2 weeks, the Discovery Centre has been surrounded by newly planted gardens, and the pathways have all been poured and have set. Cabinetry has been installed, ready for our books to live in, and the carpet is being laid. The electricians have been busy fitting all of the lights throughout the library and classroom spaces. This is a very exciting stage of our new build!

Father's Day Breakfast and Liturgy

On Wednesday morning, we welcomed many dads and grandpas for a delicious bacon and egg roll breakfast and a special liturgy in the school hall. It was great to see our students happily arriving at school with the special men in their lives. Our students were able to show their gratitude through prayer and a special blessing, and our dads were then invited back into the learning centres to spend time with their children. We wish all of the fathers in the OLSC community a very happy Father's Day this Sunday.

School Closure Day

A quick reminder that Friday 11th September is a school closure day and therefore, our students do not need to attend school. Our teachers will be spending the day doing some faith formation in the 'footsteps of St Patrick'.

Head Lice / Nits - Please monitor

There have been several cases of head lice reported over the last couple of weeks.  Please check your child's / children's hair and treat if necessary.  

The link below has advice for parents regarding head lice from the Royal Children's Hospital.

https://www.rch.org.au/kidsinfo/fact_sheets/Head_lice_and_nits

Well done Monique

Monique has a major achievement this month.  She has been selected for the under 11, 2027 Wyndham Netball Association Representative Squad.  Monique's proud mum said she worked hard at the trial and deserved her place.

Share your Child's Achievements

If anyone in your family has an achievement that could be shared in the newsletter and is worthy of celebration and acknowledgement, please email Justin to be included in the next newsletter.

jhilton@olscwyn.catholic.edu.au

Have a great weekend.

Justin and all of the OLSC staff