Lord help me to remember that nothing

is going to happen to me today that You and I

together can’t handle.

Amen.

Dear Parents and Students,

It has been an extremely busy couple of weeks and I would like to personally thank our amazing staff for the tremendous effort they have put into the students in their classes.

The students are extremely settled and are, creating a wonderful learning environment.

Last week we moved into the season of Lent. Lent is a 40 day season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends at sundown on Holy Thursday. It's a period of preparation to celebrate the Lord's Resurrection at Easter.

Lent, in the Christian tradition, is a period of about six weeks before Easter. It is a time to prepare ourselves for Easter. The period of Lent ends at Easter, which is a time of great celebration as the Christians think of how Jesus had died on the cross but then rose again from the dead.

Celebrating 100 year of Education

Student celebrations will be held on Wednesday 24th April - more details coming your way soon.

TERM 1 EVENTS	DATE
Parent Class Information Evening	Wednesday 21st Feb 7-8pm
Swimming Trials & Training	Thursday 22nd Feb 7:30-8:30am
PA Welcome Event	Saturday 24th Feb 4-6pm
Prep Commence Full Time	Monday 26th Feb
P/T Interviews	Tues 27th & Thurs 29th Feb. 2:30-5pm
District Swimming	Bus leaving at 8:50am
Yr 5/6 Camp Meeting	3:30 in the 5/6 classrooms
Parent Helpers Course	Thurs 29th Feb 9:15 - 10:15am
1/2MM Assembly	Fri 1st March 9am
Yr 3/4 Bike Ed Inspection - ALL STUDENTS	Monday 4th March 8:30am
Staff Conference - School Closure - PUPIL FREE DAYS	Thursday 7th & Friday 8th March
Labour Day Holiday	Monday 11th March
Yr 3/4 Bike Ed Program	Tues 12th - Fri 15th March
Yr 5/6 Camp	Tues 12th - Fri 15th March
YR 3 & 5 NAPLAN Testing	13th - 21st March
1/2D Assembly	Fri 15th March 9am
Junior School Family Mass	Sunday 17 March at 5pm
2024 Prep Dinner	Friday 22 March
Yr 3/4 Gala Day	Tuesday 26 March
End of Term 1	Thursday 28th March at 1pm
Term 2 Commences	Monday 15th April

CAMPS 2024

CAMP	DATE
Yr. 5/6 Camp Meeting	Wed 28 Feb at 3:30pm
Yr.5/6 Camp Alexandra	Tues 12th - Fri 15th March
Yr.3/4 Camp Mill Valley Ranch	30th Oct - 1st Nov
Prep Story Time Yr.1&2 Sleepover	TBC
Prep Story Time Yr.1&2 Sleepover	TBC

2024 SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS
TERM 1	7th & 8th March - Staff Conference 11th March - Labour Day
TERM 2	25th April - ANZAC DAY 26th April - PD Day 10th June - King's Birthday 11th June - Combined Parish School PD Day
TERM 3	15th July - Parent/Teacher Interviews
TERM 4	4th Nov - Report Writing Day 5th Nov - Melbourne Cup 29th Nov - 2025 Planning Day

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

Parents are invited to attend an Information session in your child’s class on tonight Wednesday 21st Feb at:

7pm for Prep and Yrs 3/4

7:30pm for Yrs 1/2 & Yrs 5/6.

SCIENCE OF READING

This year at OLGC, along with the incorporation of the Science of Learning, we are also introducing the Science of Reading to our students. Over the past weeks the media has been flooded with the methods used to teach reading. The message is loud and clear that the old approach of teaching reading and literacy is just not working. We are very blessed to have Miss Joyce Dunne (1/2D) on our staff who has completed her Masters in the Science of Reading. From Week 7, Joyce will be joining the Leadership Team to mentor, instruct and team-teach this methodology to staff. We are very excited that OLGC staff are beginning this journey of implementing the Structured Literacy Approach - Explicit, systematic, and sequential teaching of literacy P-6. From next Thursday 29 February and each Thursday thereafter, Mr Paul Wynne will be in teaching Yrs 1/2D while Joyce is working with the staff. Please read the attached media report from the Grattan Institute.

2024 PREP STUDENTS

Our Prep students will commence full time school from next Monday 26 February.

YR 5/6 CAMP

CAMP MEETING - Wednesday 28 February at 3:30pm in the Yr 5/6 Learning Space.

PARENT/TEACHER CHATS

Next Wednesday Tuesday 27th and Thursday 29th February, our staff will conduct Parent/Teacher Chats. These are a fantastic opportunity for parents to share important wellbeing and learning information with your child/ren's teacher for 2024. An Operoo with available times was sent out yesterday. Please fill in and bring the Parent Survey on Operoo.

YR 3/4 BIKE EDUCATION

Yr 3/4 Students will be participating in a Bike Ed Program from 12 - 15 March at school. Bikes and helmets will be inspected at school on Monday 4 March at 8:30am All Yr 3/4 students are required to bring their bike and helmet to school on the 4th March for a full inspection. The students will then bring home a letter from Cycling Unlimited with any defects that need to be fixed before 12th March. If your child doesn't have a bike/helmet, Cycling Unlimited will supply them with one. A letter with additional information pertaining to the program will be sent out this week.

This is a part of the student's Phys. Ed. program and all children are expected to participate.

AMAZING PREPS

Only three weeks into their Prep year, these amazing young people came down to show me their fantastic writing. They were extremely proud of their work, as was I. I look forward to seeing other students' commitment to their learning as the year progresses.

SEEKING SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

We are seeking nominations from parent representatives to join the School Advisory Council (SAC) in 2024/2025. Please consider nominating yourself if you feel you would like to fulfil this role.

We encourage all parents to consider nominating for one of these important positions. Please note SAC Membership is purely voluntary and is for a two year term.

If you are interested in applying for a SAC position, please click on these links. Letter/nomination form and Terms of Reference Guide.

2024 OPEN DAYS for 2025/2026

We warmly invite families to come and see what OLGC has on offer for potential new students/families. Open our front doors and enter the world of Science of Reading, STEM, Science, Mandarin, Art, Physical Education, Leadership programs, and much, much more.

I ask our families to share all that is great with OLGC to the wider community, as we would love to show them around our amazing school.

CANTEEN

Canteen is open on Mondays and Fridays commencing this week. Lunch orders must be submitted online by 8am through the My School Connect app. Reminders will be sent out and all order must be in by 8am Monday & Friday

ABSENT CHILDREN

Please telephone, email or use the Audiri app to notify the school if your child is going to be absent or late to school and please send a note of explanation to their classroom teacher upon their return.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

Students are to wear their sports uniform ONLY on the day that they have PE and class sport. All other days students are expected to be in their full Summer/Winter Uniform and school shoes are to be worn on these days. (There may be additional days where children are asked to wear their sport uniform, and we will notify you of these). A reminder that full black school shoes or runners can be worn on no sports days. If black runners are worn, they must not have different coloured logos or other features on them - they need to be totally black.

NO HAT, NO PLAY

A reminder that all children must wear their school hats at all times whilst outside during first and fourth term. New hats are available from the uniform shop. Any child without a hat will have to remain in the shaded areas of the school grounds.

Spare hats are no longer available from the office due to health regulations.

LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DEPARTURES

Children arriving at school after 9:00am MUST be signed in on the office iPad. Legally, we require you to sign in your child/children, as they will have been marked absent on the official school roll. In the event of an emergency, the official school roll will state that your child/children are absent unless they have been signed in at the office. Once a child is signed in, the roll will be altered accordingly. Also, please come to the office to collect your child and sign them out if you are picking them up early. Any late arrival must be signed in on the iPad at the office, by their parent or guardian after 9.00am and the same if students are to be collected from class before 3.30 pm.

OUTSTANDING 2023 SCHOOL FEES

Unfortunately, there are still a number of outstanding 2023 School Fees that have not been paid. It is with regret that I inform families that we are now required to seek assistance to collect these fees.

2024 TERM DATES

Term 1 - 30 January – 28 March

(Easter 29 March - 1 April)

Term 2 - 15 April – 28 June

Term 3 - 16 July – 20 September

Term 4 - 7 October – 17 December (TBC)

Kind regards,

Erin Macdonald

Principal

Our Lady of Good Counsel School, Deepdene

A leading faith community inspiring learners to shape tomorrow

Issue 2 - Wednesday 21 February, 2024 · 21 Feb 2024

In this issue