Term 2 Week 6 2024 Newsletter

From the Principal

What a rollercoaster ride Our Lady Queen of Peace School has been on during the last 3 weeks!

Events included:

celebrating Catholic Education Week, which was linked closely to our Mercy tradition,
St Columba College staff visiting our school as they heard great things about our approach to reading and spelling,
National Simultaneous Storytime, where City of Charles Sturt Mayor, Angela Evans, was our guest reader,
our Year 4 and 5 female students attending the University of Adelaide for their second WISTEMS session,
NOVA 919 live broadcast from our school,
the Book Fair,
Grandparent's / Special person's afternoon,
RAA Street Smart team presentation to each class,
Sushi and cold rolls special lunch order day,
Reconciliation Week,
Year 5/6 camp at Glenhaven Park, Stockport,
A whole school liturgy.

All of these events were a wonderful celebration of student learning, engagement, and school representation.

NOVA 919 nailed it on the air, talking about how impressive our school and students are. They were amazed how quickly the students settled after the festivities, sitting and listening attentively during our very brief morning gathering.

We are a part of an amazing school with amazing students.

Communication

Open and transparent communication is something I value highly. Throughout my leadership, I have always stated, “If I don’t know, I can't do anything about it”. I value families feeling welcome and comfortable to make a time to meet with me and discuss any concerns.

Experience has taught me that sometimes parents don’t want to be a bother, don’t want to be "that" parent, or are mindful of how busy I am. Please know that I am never too busy to catch up with families.

In addition to this, it is important that families always approach staff regarding any concerns rather than approaching the children of families. This might seem like a simple solution, however experience has shown that it doesn’t always go well.

Uniform

Our school has a clear uniform policy which was endorsed by our School Board. We have moved to a trans-seasonal uniform, allowing students to be comfortable whilst at school, regardless of the season.

Can you please ensure that your child is in the correct uniform when they come to school? Regardless whether we are at school or out in the community, the school's uniform needs to be worn correctly. If we are out in the community, a student may not be able to attend if they are not wearing correct school uniform.

You can access our Uniform Policy by clicking on the image of the policy or by accessing the link in the "Useful Links" section at the top of this newsletter.

If you have any questions regarding the uniform, please feel welcome to contact your child’s teacher or contact me.

Student free day

We have a student free day on Tuesday 11 June 2024, following the King’s Birthday long weekend. The staff will be engaging in professional learning to ensure we are able to build our capacity and provide the very best teaching and learning for our students.

Please contact Jo Fahey on 0417 840 700 to see if there is still any availability for OSHC services on this day - spaces were VERY LIMITED.

Have a great long weekend and take care.

Lee Abela
Principal

From the Assistant Principal Learning, Engagement & Teaching

PASSATA bottles for sale!

We are thrilled to announce that our much anticipated passata bottles will be available for purchase in two stages during the last two weeks of Term 2.

Stage 1 of sales is from Monday 24 June to Friday 28 June 2024.

Important details of Stage 1:

Sale dates: Monday 24 June to Friday 28 June 2024 (Week 9 of Term 2)
Price: $10 per bottle
Limit: 2 bottles per family - this will be strictly enforced during Stage 1 of the sale offer.
Payment: You can only purchase passata via Qkr!
Collection: Bottles can be collected from the front office during the sale period.

We understand the feverish demand for these passata bottles, so to ensure fairness, each family is limited to purchasing two bottles during the initial sale week.

Stage 2

For those eager to grab more, any remaining stock will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis in the final week of the term (Week 10). From Monday 1 July to Friday 5 July 2024, any leftovers will be available without the previous purchase limit.

Don’t miss this opportunity to enjoy our homemade passata, perfect for enhancing your culinary creations. Be sure to make your payment via Qkr! and collect your bottles from the front office within the designated periods.

Thank you for your continued support!

The Mayoral Make -A- Book Literacy Challenge

We are delighted to announce that some of our classes are participating in the prestigious Mayoral Make-A-Book Literacy Challenge! This beloved community program is designed to nurture the talents of budding young authors and illustrators within our school.

About the Challenge:

The Mayoral Make-A-Book Literacy Challenge is a popular book-making competition that runs annually from February to May. It is open to all children who live or study in the City of Charles Sturt council area. Having been a cherished tradition since 1979, this competition provides a fantastic platform for young creatives to showcase their literary and artistic skills.

What the judges look for:

Original ideas and themes: Creativity and uniqueness are key.
Creative use of language: Effective and imaginative language, along with sound spelling and grammar, are crucial.
Story structure: A well balanced beginning, middle, and end.
Design and layout: An appealing design, layout, and format that enhance the reader's experience.
Illustrations: Artwork that complements and enhances the text.
Presentation and neatness: Overall neatness and presentation quality.

This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to express their creativity, develop their writing and illustrating skills, and gain recognition for their efforts. We are incredibly proud of our students who are taking on this exciting challenge and look forward to seeing their imaginative creations.