Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School East Warrnambool eNewsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

Today we acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Peoples, the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways and thank them for their continued hospitality.

We acknowledge and celebrate the continuation of a living culture who have lived with Creator God through creation of land, sea, waterways and life.

Prayer

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear members of the OLHC school community,

This week was certainly full of activity with excursions, visiting presenters and book week dress ups. As a school finding the balance between the seriousness of core teaching and learning and providing fun activities for children can be tricky. What I do know is what the children will remember. I wish to thank the parents and carers for all their support in assisting us to make these “extra” events happen.

Sports Selection in the senior school has been a talking point for some of late. To clarify, we always attempt to provide a balance of competition (inter school sport), participation (lunchtime games) and skill based experiences (PE lessons). Traditionally, this allows us to cater for all abilities including the sporting minded as well as those who may not be sports inclined but like to participate. Interestingly, we get equal amounts of “feedback” on too much to too little sports participation.

Going forward, as we grow as a school, the leadership team will put some work into formalising the policy and procedures that frame up everything from what we participate in, selection protocols, what is competitive involvement and what is participation opportunities. A sports calendar will be shared next year, as well as clearer communication on everything including tryouts, travel arrangements and dates. Another factor for us is staff shortage to supervise events, so we will look at creating a parent sports helper list that we can call on when needed. Please be patient as we work on these changes, but I take on board that the communication and implementation of some of our practices have not been consistent.

Have a relaxing weekend!

Steve

Term 3 Important Dates

Friday 1st September - Father's Day Breakfast

Sat 2nd & Sun 3rd September - Eucharist Celebrations

Sunday 3rd September - Father's Day

Friday 8th September - Literacy staff PD - Student free day

Friday 15th September - PFA Secondhand Uniform Sale

Friday 15th September - Term 3 concludes @ 2.30pm

Term 4

Thursday 7th December - Yr 6 Graduation

Tuesday 12th December - Orientation Day

Thursday 14th December - Yr 6 Fun Day

Friday 15th December - Students' last day for 2023 @ 3.25pm

Monday 18th December - Staff's last day for 2023

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

A Message from Mr A

Week 7 Term 3

FUN LOOP FRIDAY- BOOK WEEK

There are some amazing answers coming in today about which book students would like to live in for a day. Many students wished to be whisked away to Hogwarts to hang out with Harry Potter while many of the students would love to get into the world of Diary of a Whimpy Kid or Ninja Kid. Books give us the opportunity to transport to a world of imagination and adventure and this was on show in the ED Hall today.

FOUNDATION ART SHOW- MONDAY

The Foundation area has been a hive of activity this week with their upcoming art show on Monday, The World of Animals. Parents will be coming in to view in the middle part of the day and classes from other levels have been invited to attend also. The end results are fantastic, full credit to the students, teachers and support staff for their efforts in this. Well done!

GRADE 1 INQUIRY- THINK, DESIGN, CREATE

On Wednesday our Grade 1 cohort headed off to the Warrnambool Art Gallery and Library as part of their Inquiry unit, Think Design, Create. I spent some time in 1JW afterward when they were writing about their excursion and I was genuinely blown away by the level of writing from all her students. Instead of reading what I have to say about the excursion, let’s see what the students wrote. Photos of students’ writing samples left to right are Louie Auld, Harriet Jess and Connor McAllen.

GRADE 2 INQUIRY- SUSTAINABILITY

We have a secondary school volunteer, Abby, who has been working with our Grade 2 level on a Wednesday. She has been working with small groups on some sustainable power experiments and activities. The students are loving this time and well done to the Grade 2 teachers for organising this. Here are some reflections and photos from the students-

“We experimented with hydro power. Abbey helped us to create a hydro powered machine that was able to lift a weight. We needed to create fins on an axle, and then use the energy from flowing water to turn it. This created enough energy to roll the string around a rod and pull up a weight.”

“We can use this kind of green energy near rivers or waterfalls. These hydro powered machines can lift water gates, turn grinding mills, and do other mechanical jobs. This kind of power is called green power because it does not create pollution. It is kind to our planet”.

CONTACTING ME

Just a message to parents if you need to make contact with me regarding an issue or concern, please contact me via email and not through Class Dojo- nauld@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au I am connected to 21 classes and I don’t always receive the notification for when a message comes through. Emailing me allows me to respond in a more timely manner. Thanks.

I hope you have a great weekend with your family.

Thanks,

Naish

Cyber Safety Bits with Ms Fitzgerald and Mrs Murfett

Hello Parents, Guardians and Friends,

Each week the Digital Technology teachers Ms Fitzgerald and Mrs Murfett will be bringing you new cybersafety tips and what is going on in the technology room this week. If you have any questions or concerns regarding cybersafety please contact us on:

Ellen Fitzgerald: efitzgerald@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Sarah Murfett: smurfett@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

The eSafety live webinars give parents and carers the knowledge, skills and tools to support their children to have safe online experiences.

The eSafety 2023 webinars include a broad range of topics that will be delivered by their expert education and training team.

Webinars offered to parents in 2023:

https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

What is going on in the classrooms this week?

Foundation: Coding - the basics

1s: Coding with our iPads

2s: Spheros - coding with robots

3s: Microbits - learning to code

4s: Scratch - learning to use the coding platform

5s and 6s: Microbits and coding

Book Week Dress-ups! Read! Grow! Inspire!

Awards

Walk Ride Champion of the Week

Walk Ride Champion is if you ride or walk to school you receive a prize and get to have your profile in the school newsletter and an interview on ClassDojo. So start riding or walking today to be in the running for a prize.

Name: Alice Coxall

Age: 7

Grade: Grade 1

Class: 1BM

House: Blue

Favorite food: Niblets & vegetables

Favorite color: All of the colors

Favorite animal: Baby turtles

Sports you like: Swimming & Running

Football team: Geelong

How far do you walk to school: 1k

How much did you walk this week: 1 day

How long does it take you to walk to school? 15 minutes

How long have you been walking to school? 2 years

What is one tip you would give to anyone wishing to walk to school for the first time?

Walking is great for you, so make sure you walk

Faith & Culture

Parish Office Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

Eucharist Dates

Celebration of Eucharist: September 2nd & 3rd

A Peg in a Sure Spot
(Matthew 16: 13 - 20)

One day soon, Peter will deny he ever knew Jesus. But at this moment, he’s chosen to be the foundation upon which the future church will rest. Peter, in a sure spot? He was a nail driven into spackle! Is Jesus being ironic when he calls him a rock? In just a few more verses (see vs, 23), Jesus will call Peter the devil.

Jesus is Lord - but also a realist. Human nature is soft, like the flesh that contains it, and there truly is no better choice among the Twelve than Peter. From this impulsive, unschooled, self-preserving fisherman, God will raise up the rafters of a church that will see twenty centuries more. Not because Peter is great, but because God is. Not much can be built on flesh, as frail and uncertain as human beings are. But through the Spirit which gives the church its breath, the reign of God keeps on coming, on earth as it is in heaven.

What’s My Line?

When Jesus arrived in the villages of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “What are people saying about who the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some think he is John the Baptiser, some say Elijah, some Jeremiah or one of the other prophets”. He pressed them, “And how about you? Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter said, “You’re the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God”. (Matthew 16: 13 - 16)

Back in the 1950s there was a popular TV quiz show called What’s My Line? Four celebrity panellists would each ask questions until they received a “no” answer from aa contestant. They were trying to guess the contestant’s unusual occupation. The contestant would receive cash for each question that could be answered with a “no”. Each show also featured a celebrity whose identity the panel had to guess while blindfolded. It wasn’t a very sophisticated show, but audiences found it entertaining.

Jesus seems to be playing a similar game with the disciples. Until Peter spoke, they all gave the answers that they were hearing from the crowds – good and logical answers, but wrong nevertheless. Peter shouts out the right answer. Jesus is “The Christ, the Son of the living God”. For that answer he is given the prize, the honour of being the rock upon which the church would be built.

The disciples heard this and were told by Jesus not to tell anyone that he was the Christ. We hear the same message today. But the roles have changed. We are to preach to all who will hear that Jesus is the Christ.

Parish Bulletin

Wellbeing

If you want to learn to ride a skateboard or get better at maths, you need to practise. It’s the same when you want to feel happier!

Here are some easy ideas to give Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy a try every day. Because the more you practise, the better you will feel.

Let's Practice!

The Effects of Hugs

Hug therapy is definitely a powerful way to heal. Research shows that hugging is extremely effective in treating illness, loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress.

Hugs raise oxytocin levels, which heal feelings of loneliness, isolation, and anger.

Holding a hug for an extended time increases serotonin levels, making the mood more positive and creating happiness.
Relaxes the muscles, releasing tension in the body. They even soothe pain by increasing circulation.
Teach us both to give and to receive. Hugs teach us how love flows both ways.
Hugs are very similar to meditation and laughter. They teach us to let go and be present in the moment. They encourage us to flow with the energy of life.
Take you out of your circular thinking patterns and connect you with your heart, your feelings, and your breath.

As you can see, hugs are a powerful medicine.

The Importance Of Hugging Your Child & 7 Amazing Benefits

By: AuthorPamela Li

Click on the link below for the full article

https://www.parentingforbrain.com/children-hugging/

Hugs Stop Temper Tantrums

Hugs are good for a child’s emotional health. Nothing can calm a tantrum-throwing toddler faster than a great big hug from the parent.

Many parents worry that hugging a tantrum-throwing child is rewarding bad behavior with attention. But it is not.

Hugging a child is not the same as giving in (which does encourage bad behavior).

Hugging without giving in is helping a child learn to self-regulate. Regulating one’s emotions is like driving a car. In our bodies, two separate mechanisms control our emotions. The arousal branch in our nervous system speeds up our emotions, while the calming branch can put a brake on our arousal.

Emotion dysregulation happens the arousal branch is overactive, and the calming branch is underactive. That means the gas pedal is pressed all the way down while the brake is broken. So, when a child cries intensely, they are driving an emotional runaway car.

A child driving a real runaway car needs to be saved, not ignored or punished by being let crash. Similarly, a child in an emotional runaway car must be saved first.

Hugging can save a child from having an emotional crash. Oxytocin calms the arousal branch to reduce psychological stress¹⁴ and relieve anxiety in people. It also activates the calming branch by creating an anti-anxiety effect.

Hugs Build Resilience

At birth, a child’s nervous system is not mature enough to regulate big emotions by itself. Toddlers having intense emotions have a hard time stopping because of this. They are not being stubborn or defiant.

During distress, a high cortisol level is released, circulating through the body and the brain. When left for a prolonged period due to a young child’s inability to regulate, this toxic level of stress hormone will have aversive effects on the child’s health, both physically and mentally. This is why we should not let a child go into an emotional crash.

Studies show that excessive exposure to stress hormones can compromise a child’s immune system resulting in more illness. The pathogenic effects of frequent tension affect memory and verbal reasoning capabilities later in life. It can also lead to depression when the child grows up.

Hugging a dysregulated child not only helps them regulate but also allows them to experience their emotions being regulated. This crucial early life experience is how a child learns to develop self-regulation skills and build resilience.

Hugging also helps children become more resilient by reducing the negative impact of conflicts.

In one study, researchers from Carnegie Mellon University examined the impact of hugging on conflict exposure. 404 people were interviewed every night for 14 consecutive days about their conflicts and the hugs received.

They found that when exposed to conflicts, individuals who had more hugs were less upset¹⁹. Hugs apparently were able to facilitate positive adaptation to these conflicts. The ability to adapt positively to challenges is an important element in building resilience in children.

Hugs Make Happy Kids

Hugs enhance a person’s psychological resources.

Psychological resources, such as optimism, mastery, and self-esteem, refer to individual differences that are directly predictive of physical and psychological health.

Optimism refers to the extent to which people hold favorable expectations about the future. Mastery involves the belief that one can determine one’s own behavior, influence one’s environment, and bring about desired outcomes. Self-esteem refers to a person’s overall evaluation of self-worth.

These three resources are closely interrelated to create a stress-buffering effect. Oxytocin released during hugging bolsters these resources making a child feel loved²¹ and happy in life.

Final Thoughts

Hugging has all kinds of benefits. But respecting body autonomy is also important. Teaching kids how to kindly refuse a hug and handle uncomfortable situations is a good lesson for the child, too.

Next time, give your child a big gentle cuddle, with permission, of course, and give them the amazing benefits of hugging and cuddling.

Parents & Friends Association

TONIGHT!!!

Father's Day Brekky Orders Must be Submitted by 3.30pm TODAY!

Community

Term 3: Concluding on Wednesday 30th August

Term 4: Monday 9th October, concluding on Wednesday 22nd November

The students participating, meet staff in the courtyard after school where they have some fruit before heading over to the school hall.

This program runs from 3.30pm to 4.45pm

We appreciated parents/guardians being prompt on pick up.

Enrolment forms are in the school foyer or can be found on PAM in the "Knowledge Bank" under forms and then selecting sporting schools or on the link below.

These forms need to be returned to the school office prior to your child/ren participating in the program.

If you have any further queries please contact the school office.

Out & About in Our Community

A big congrats to Hugh White for taking out the WDFNL Best & Fairest award for 13 & Under on Monday night. Hugh plays for Russells Creek and his team finishes up on the ladder with the minor premiership. What a fantastic achievement Hugh. Enjoy finals & good luck!

Daisy Talbot (far left) made it to the front page of The Warrnambool Standard this week, showing her support for the Boomers in the race to come first in the Basketball World Cup!

Parenting Programs - click this link to access information

Our Diocesan Community - July 2023

Lingapiny Ajak Inc. Is a registered non-profit charity organization, established in March 2023. Our mission is to teach and empower underprivileged individuals, families and communities in Sudan and continue to develop projects that assist creating a better life for all.

Earlier in the term we included in our newsletter, an article that was in the local newspaper putting the spotlight on Teresa Padiet (Yr 6 student Evans Ajang's mum) and the wonderful work she is achieving in Sudan. Please see details on the webpage below.

Webiste: lingapinyajak.org

Email: lingapinyajak@gmail.com