Veritas Newsletter
March 2024
Welcome to our March Veritas Newsletter
March Veritas Newsletter
Dear parents and caregivers,
Welcome to our wrap up and highlights for March. In this newsletter we have included all the main posts/highlights for the month.
Easter and Holidays
The Catholic Holy Week, is a significant period in the liturgical calendar leading up to Easter Sunday. It begins with Palm Sunday, commemorating Jesus Christ's triumphant entry into Jerusalem, marked by the waving of palm branches and the reading of Gospel accounts. Throughout the week, as Catholics, we engage in solemn observances such as the Mass of the Lord's Supper on Holy Thursday, which commemorates the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist, followed by Good Friday, recalling Jesus' crucifixion and death. Good Friday services often include the veneration of the Cross and solemn reflections on the Passion. Holy Saturday is a day of quiet anticipation, representing the time between Jesus' death and resurrection, often culminating in the Easter Vigil, where the faithful celebrate Christ's triumph over death through rituals such as the lighting of the Paschal candle and the proclamation of the Easter Gospel.
Easter Sunday, the culmination of the Holy Week, is the most joyous celebration in the Catholic calendar, commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. It is a day of great festivity and hope, marked by joyous Masses and services, as well as traditions such as the Easter egg hunt and sharing meals with family and friends. For Catholics, Easter represents the core of their faith—the victory of life over death, sin, and despair. The Resurrection is seen as the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation, offering believers the hope of eternal life. Through the Holy Week observances and the joyous celebration of Easter, Catholics reaffirm their belief in the central mysteries of their faith and are inspired to live lives of faith, love, and service in the light of Christ's resurrection.
On Holy Thursday, our Year 5 students performed the Stations of the Cross, a deeply symbolic and ritual in the Catholic tradition. As they solemnly retraced the steps of Jesus Christ on his journey to Calvary, each station serving as a reminder of his suffering and sacrifice, the students engaged in a profound act of reflection and devotion. Through the enactment of each station, from Jesus' condemnation to his crucifixion and burial, they vividly brought to life the profound significance of Christ's passion. With reverence and empathy, they embraced the weight of his cross and the depth of his love, fostering a deeper understanding of the Catholic faith and its enduring message of redemption and hope. Thank you to the year 5 students and staff members for coordinating the event.
Wishing all the OLA families a relaxing Easter break and Term 1 holidays. Students return to school on Tuesday 16 April. Staff will be attending a professional development day (Berry Street) on Monday 15 April.
God Bless
Greg Martin
Mass times for Holy Week
Palm Weekend: 6:00pm Solemn Blessing of Palms on Saturday
Holy Thursday: 7:00pm Holy Mass of the Lord's Supper
(Adoration until 10:00pm)
Good Friday: 10:00am Way of the Cross (reconciliation follows)
3:00pm Liturgy of the Lord's Passion
Easter Vigil: 6:30pm Solemn Holy Mass (Blessing of Easter Candle)
Easter Sunday: 9:30am Holy Feast Mass
Please note:
1. No 5:00pm Evening Mass on Palm Sunday
2. No Morning Masses on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday
3. No Easter Sunday 7:30am & 5:00pm Masses.
4. Good Friday collections will be forwarded to the Holy Land
for maintenance of the Holy Places.
Pupil Free Days Term 2
A reminder to all families the first day back at school in Term 2, Monday 15 April. Students return on Tuesday 16 April. The day after Anzac Day, Friday 26 April, is also a pupil free days. OLA OSCH will be available on Monday 15 April and Friday 26 April for those who wish to use the service. Please contact the OLA OSHC directly, via an email, if you would like to book your child (children) on either of these days - oshc@ola.wa.edu.au
Swimming Carnival
A big congratulations to our Year 4-6 students for their eagerness and participation during our 2024 Senior Swimming Carnival.
The results from the day are:
- 1st Place - O'Mara 2748 points
- 2nd Place - Goretti 2374 points
- 3rd Place - Domenica 2364 points
- 4th Place - Veritas 1986 points
Congratulations to our champions and runners up:
Champion Girl : Year 4 - Ruby R, Year 5 - Aubrey R , Year 6 - Hannah T
Runner up Champion Girl : Year 4 - Natalia Z, Year 5 - Aria D & Layla E, Year 6 - Isabel S
Champion Boy : Year 4 - William B, Year 5 - Alessandro C, Year 6 - Ryan D
A huge thank you to the parents who assisted on the day. The Interschool Team will b notified shortly.
Water Fountain Hair Day
As part of our fundraising efforts for Caritas, the students were invited to come to school with 'Water Fountain or Sprinkler Hairstyles' for a gold coin donation on Tuesday 26 March.
For every $50 raised by a class, a staff member or volunteer will be dunked with water. The money raised will go towards purchasing a water tank in Samoa.
Crazy Sock Day - International Day of Happiness
We love to spread happiness at OLA. Our students really got in to the spirit of the day by wearing their crazy socks.
Harmony Day
To celebrate cultural diversity at OLA, students were invited to wear national/ traditional costume, orange clothing or regular school uniform to celebrate Harmony Day.
Book Week is coming to Term 2
Bookweek - Start planning those book week costumes! We are celebrating book week in term 2, week 3 this year, with the theme Reading is Magic! We have a fun week planned with lots of great events & competitions, see the flyer attached for more information...
WA Student Assistance Payment
On 17 March 2024, the Hon. Roger Cook MLA, and the Minister for Education, Hon. Dr Tony Buti MLA, announced the WA Student Assistance Payment. This initiative invites families to register their claim for payment via the ServiceWA app.
WA Student Assistance Payment – Parent Information Guide
To support our Catholic school parents in their understanding of the initiative a WA Student Assistance Payment - Parent Information Guide has been developed for your reference. This guide outlines frequently asked questions pertaining to:
- Where to access general information and/or support in claiming payment;
- The process for claiming payment; and
- Successful claims and the expected payment date for those claims.
2024.04_WA Student Assistance Payment FAQs_Parents
Yesterday you would have received a seqta engage notification letting you know that a new report was available for your child. This report has been specifically created to give you your child/children's WASN (Western Australian Student Number) which is required when applying for the Student Assistance Payment. Parents of Kindergarten students will be given a paper copy of the report today as they have not yet needed to access Seqta Engage.
Wishing you a safe and holy Easter,
Student Code of Conduct
Upon enrolment at OLA all parents, students and staff enter into an agreement on how we all get along in the best interests of our community. This is where our Code of Conduct is integral and is a common feature among Catholic Schools in Western Australia. The language used in documents such as this can often be over the head of most children, so we have spent time consulting the students to give them ownership which resulted in the formulation of two versions of the Code of Conduct for both our senior and junior students.
To reinforce the Code of Conduct to our students our School Counsellor Ms Leach has conducted sessions with each year level to discuss what the documents look like in our day to day lives at OLA. The Code of Conduct in conjunction with our Rice and Gospel Values drive our interactions at school to ensure the best possible learning environment for our students, families and staff.
Each year we will revisit the Code of Conduct with students to reinforce their message, with students signing an agreement to do their best to follow the Code of Conduct. Please see the attached documents for further information and to give you an insight into what the Code of Conduct looks like from a Junior and Senior Primary point of view.
Winter Uniform - Term 2
A reminder that students are required to wear their winter uniform first day back commencing Term 2. Please refer to uniform policy below if you have any queries.
Uniform Policy
Please refer to the attached uniform policy. For the safety of the students when playing, students are to wear sneaker/joggers with their sport uniform. Please refrain from wearing lifestyle shoes eg. Converse, Nike Air Force and high tops. The support and safety of our students is our priority.
OLA Calendar 2024
The OLA calendar is updated regularly. Please note the following pupil free days for 2024:
Monday 15 April
Friday 26 April
Tuesday 4 June
Monday 7 October
Tuesday 8 October
Monday 4 November
Term 1 students commence Wednesday 31 January 2024.