Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome Back! It was so gratifying to see our parents and students walking into school on Wednesday morning, after such a wet holiday break the sun broke through for our first day back. The enthusiasm and excitement could be seen on the children’s faces, I find this energy contagious as I know many of our teachers do as well.

A keen eye would have noticed the new air conditioners on top of the Sr. Goretti Hall, works were completed during the holidays (Between downpours!) to ensure that there was minimal disruption to the running of the school. The four units that we have had installed will make assemblies and summer Sports lessons so much more comfortable, making the Sr. Goretti Hall a much more useable space.

The Vatican has decreed that Sunday 25 July be celebrated as World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. This day will be celebrated for the first time this year with the hope of deeply embedding this joyous celebration into the lives of communities. Parishes around the world will be selecting a weekend mass to celebrate the contributions of our grandparents to our families and communities.

Today, I spoke to several children who said they had a great holiday, they got to stay up late and watch movies or play video games. My own children got to do the same, but we must always temper this with moderation. It is important that as we have returned to school we need to ensure that our children return to regular sleep patterns as well as making sure that our children are getting enough hours of sleep. Children from the ages of 6 to 12 require between 9 and 12 hours of sleep a night (https://www.childrens.health.qld.gov.au/fact-sheet-healthy-sleep-children/).  When we sleep, our bodies kick into repair mode, it is very important to allow our bodies this opportunity.

I remember learning that when a child learns a new skill, such as kicking a football, they repeat the skill thousands of times in their sleep, reinforcing the neural pathways to be able to repeat the skill when awake. For a child, “Getting enough sleep is important for your physical and mental wellbeing. Sleep lets your mind recharge and process information. It’s the only part of the day that your body gets to rest and repair. Sleep can help you feel better, think more clearly and concentrate better. It gives you the energy to complete tasks and can make you more alert. Without enough sleep you may have problems with thinking, concentrating, memory, reaction times and mood.” (https://kidshelpline.com.au/teens/issues/why-sleep-so-important)

Parents, once again, welcome back and please ensure that as we have returned to school you make sure that our children are getting enough sleep so that they can perform at their optimum at school.

Calendar 

Attached is the OLA School calendar for Semester 2. Please remember that this PDF version is only updated for the beginning of the term. Please refer to the interactive calendar on the website and Weekly Updates from class teachers for the latest information on events. Please note the change of date for the OLA Faction Carnival.

OLA Calendar 2021 – Parents Terms 3-4

Arrival Time

As communicated previously, students are not permitted on school grounds until 8am. Please do not drop your child to school prior to this time. If you require before school care, OLA OSHC is open from 7am each morning. Please contact Kristen Ruffo via email oshc@ola.wa.edu.au if you would like to enrol your child.

School Merchandise Orders

Our shipment of hats, umbrellas and coffee mugs is due to arrive early in Term 3. Merchandise will then be distributed to families once it arrives.

NAIDOC Celebrations

Please come and view our NAIDOC display in the Fr O’Mara Centre on Open Night, the children have put a great effort into producing their work. Unfortunately, our NAIDOC Mass had to be rescheduled due to the last lockdown. Once a suitable date has been finalised, parents will be notified.

Open Night

Next Wednesday 28 July is Open Night, from 5:00pm to 7:00pm. This is an opportunity for students to give parents and caregivers a ‘tour’ of their classroom and specialist areas. Please remember that this is not an opportunity to sit down and meet with staff about your child’s progress, if you would like to do this, please arrange an interview at a different time.

OLA Story Slam

Keep reading! It is so cool to hear kids being so proud of what they have read thus far, let’s keep slamming!

School Jumpers

Please ensure your child is wearing the OLA school jumper (old or new) with their academic uniform. Sports jackets are not permitted to be worn unless it is with the sports uniform. Thank you for your ongoing support with this.

Welcome

Michele Carr has joined us this semester in Kindy M, Michele comes to us with an abundance of experience in early childhood education. Welcome to OLA, Michele!

Term 3 Clubs

We are looking forward to our Term 3 Clubs starting, thank you to the staff who are giving up their time to facilitate these clubs for our students. Detailed information about each club will be sent out with the weekly updates.

Thank you.

Michael Morris and Rebecca Smith

The OLA Leadership Team