Term 3 Week 6 2024 Newsletter

Download any of the following documents by clicking on the link.

Policies

• Uniform Policy 0724

Playgroup & Occasional Care

• Occasional Care flyer
• Playgroup flyer

Parents & Friends Committee

• Email: PNF@olpq.catholic.edu.au

Second hand Uniform Shop

• Please note that the Parents and Friends Committee are no longer accepting uniforms for sale on consignment.

Enrolments

• Application for Enrolment form

Canteen

• Canteen menu and price list April 2024

Qkr!

• Qkr! instructions
• How to cancel a Qkr! lunch order (before the deadline)

Term calendars

• Term 1, 2024 calendar
• Term 2, 2024 calendar - Updated 05/24
• Term 3, 2024 calendar - Updated 08/24
• Term 4, 2024 calendar - Updated 08/24

We are currently at the halfway mark of Term 3. Students have settled well into a term filled with rich learning activities.

2025

We have been working on our plan for 2025 for a number of weeks now, firstly looking at our structure for 2025, followed by our staff plan – teachers and support staff. I am looking forward to sharing more information with you as soon as possible. 

To ensure that my planning is as accurate as possible, it is important that I am working with the most up to date information. If you are aware of any changes to your child’s enrolment, or if you know of families looking at attending our school, I would appreciate you sharing this information as soon as possible. 

Master Plan

Work continues on our Master Plan. We recently needed to take into consideration new information regarding the future build. We will meet again with the architects later this term to see their new concept designs that include these new considerations. Given our current rate of growth, the need to engage in building work is imperative. These new considerations will assist in ensuring any necessary building work will have minimal disruption to student learning, while being the best design / model for meeting the needs of the school and our student cohort.

Share the love

There are many opportunities for families to share their satisfaction of our school with the wider community. I always ask families what has brought them to OLQP. The most common responses are:

• They know families that send their child to our school and they are happy.
• They were playing at a local park and met a family that are attending the school, or they have heard from other families they are sending their child to OLQP.
• Families have seen positive comments about the school on Facebook via the School Recommendations page or the Western Suburbs Adelaide Parent Group.
• They have seen our school ambassadors as part of Catholic Schools Open Week – Adam and Sophie – as well as the spotlight article in the Advertiser lift out (which we were invited to be a part of).

I still struggle to comprehend that, in general, many families just do not know we exist. I encourage families to share their love of OLQP. Chat with people at sporting events, neighbours or at the park about the school. Feel welcome to post on social media pages your experience of the school. 

Community

It has been a big few weeks at OLQP with mulitple community events. In talking with other principals recently, I'm not sure many schools do community events to the same level that we do. I love our community events, and it give our students the opportunity to shine.

I would like to thank Adriana Pilla in her leadership and organisation of Book Week. She was ably supported by all staff but especially the working team around her – Mel, Sandra, Marissa, Courtney, and Natalie, as well as the P & F who put together the "Strega Nona Cucina" special lunch. It's great to see families help out – parents and grandparents. 

Well done to our Year 3/4 students regarding their engagement in their first OLQP camp held at Woodhouse Adventure Park. A special thank you to Olivia Mammone, Michael Mastrangelo, Ben Drogemuller and Tina Napier, and parent, Jaimi, who helped as a volunteer. 

This week, we held the Spanish festival, La Tomatina, for the first time at OLQP. This was an opportunity to bring a little bit of Spain to our school community. The "Big Head" celebration, as well as the food preparation and eating, were part of student learning. Thank you to Rebecca Belperio, Tam Brooker, and Adriana Pilla in making this event come to life at our school.

Finally, a big thank you to the staff for their help and efforts during the Father's Day breakfast. It was lovely to see so many people attend.

Right to Disconnect

We understand that parent / caregiver engagement goes hand in hand with student wellbeing and success. Productive communication with parents / caregivers is an essential feature of a positive school culture.

Digital technologies have greatly assisted in this regard and the use of parent / caregiver information apps, social media (for general school information), school website, and the use of email communication directly with staff is now routine.

We appreciate that parent / caregiver expectations as to staff accessibility have evolved in the context of enhanced digital communication practices. While representing efficient modes of communication, the breadth of digital communication options can create "availability creep", where school employees become more accessible in locations and at times of the day, weekends and during periods of leave when they should be able to disconnect from work.

Indeed, recent laws, initiated by Fair Work Australia, have taken effect which provide school employees a right to disconnect.

In the interests of respecting the rights of our staff and recognising the importance of facilitating and promoting healthy communication, we are introducing the following as standard protocol during term time:

• Noting our staff spend a significant amount of their workday focusing on teaching or other activities applicable to their roles, staff will endeavour to respond to parent/ caregiver communications requesting a response within 48 hours, noting staff will discern whether an urgent matter requires a shorter response timeframe; and
• Parents / caregivers are encouraged to contact the school front office in the first instance for general information.

We ask that parents and caregivers be mindful and supportive of the above.

Thank you for your understanding.

Student Free Day

A friendly reminder that we have a student free day on Friday 6 September 2024. The day will include religious formation activities that will strengthen the professional connections between the staff. These opportunities support our team to be as strong as possible.

Lee Abela
Principal

The Assumption of Mary

On 15 August 2024, we gathered as a school community to celebrate the Assumption of Mary with a liturgy facilitated by 5/6LT.

On this date we commemorate the death of Mary and her bodily assumption into Heaven. The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. We recognise Mary’s passing from this world into the glory of God, and remember her deep faith and her constant trust in God. We pray that we will be inspired by Mary’s life and see her as a model of commitment and devotion.

“Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness.

In her we see that humility and tenderness are not virtues of the weak but of the strong who need not treat others poorly in order to feel important themselves.”

Pope Francis, The Joy of the Gospel, 288

Prayer for the Feast of the Assumption

Heavenly mother, filled with God’s grace,
pray for us today and all days
that we may strive to be trusting, patient and faithful,
as you were,
so that we may one day join you and all saints in heaven.
In Jesus’s name we pray.

Amen.

ReLAT

In Week 8 of Term 3, our Year 4 students will participate in the ReLAT (Religious Literacy Assessment Tool) which was developed by Catholic Education SA to assist with the reporting and evaluation of Religious Education in schools. All Catholic schools will participate in the assessment.

Access more information regarding the ReLAT by clicking on the image of the parent letter. This was distributed to families of Year 4 students this week.

Marissa Redden
Assistant Principal
Religious Identity & Mission

Year 1 Phonics Check 

The Year 1 Phonics Check assesses students decoding skills across words of increasing complexity. It is a quick and easy way for teachers to check the phonics progress of Year 1 students, and indicates how well the students can identify the sounds different letter combination make. It checks the students ability to blend these sounds together from left to right to make a word. The phonics check is one way to find out if the student has made the expected progress in building their reading literacy skills.

This week, I was fortunate enough to sit with all students and show them the list of 40 words to be read. I explained some of these words are "real" words and some are made-up or "pseudo" words. The phonics check takes about 7 minutes to complete, and students were given rest breaks, as required. 

The data we collected from the Year 1 Phonics Check provides valuable information to ensure targeted learning can be in place.

Analysis has helped us to:

• identify individual and group decoding strengths and instructional needs,
• identify students who may need phonics based intervention,
• plan next steps for phonics instruction for individuals and groups,
• track effectiveness of our phonics instruction,
• monitor decoding ability trends across years.

Since the phonics check was introduced, the number of students able to meet the benchmark has increased. In 2024, 79% of our Year 1 cohort has achieved a benchmark score of 28 and above. This is a result of consistency in our daily practice and the implementation of a structured synthetic phonic approach to teaching reading. 

Adriana Pilla
Assistant Principal
Learning, Engagement and Teaching

We are thrilled to share the exciting events that unfolded during the Reception to Year 4 Physical Education incursion hosted by the South Australian Cricket Association (SACA) on Thursday 29 August 2024.

The day was filled with fun and learning as our students threw themselves into a range of activities focusing on the fundamental skills of cricket:

• bowling
• batting
• catching
• throwing

Under the expert guidance of SACA instructors, Kady and Emma, our students had the opportunity to enhance their cricket skills in a dynamic and engaging environment.

Matthew Annetta
PE teacher / Sports Coordinator

We are thrilled to announce the winners of this year's Book Week poster competition at Our Lady Queen of Peace School!

The creativity and enthusiasm displayed by all our students were truly inspiring, making it a tough decision for our judges.

This year's theme, "Reading Is Magic," sparked imaginative designs that captured the joy and adventure found in books.

Congratulations to our winners:

We also want to recognise all the participants for their wonderful entries. The creativity and effort put into each poster were commendable. All posters will be displayed in the school library for everyone to enjoy, reminding us of the magic that books bring into our lives.

Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this Book Week a memorable one. Keep reading!

Sandra Ramm
on behalf of the Book Week Committee

Friday 6 September 2024 is our next student free day.

Please contact Jo Fahey - 0417 840 700 - as soon as possible if you require OSHC services on this day.

Persuasive Writing Skills

Our Year 2 students have been diving into the exciting world of persuasive writing this term. Using strategies from the Seven Steps to Writing Success program, students are learning to craft compelling arguments and express their views effectively.

A key focus has been distinguishing between facts and opinions. Students now understand that facts are statements that can be proven true, while opinions are personal beliefs or feelings. This foundational skill helps them build stronger arguments by balancing factual evidence with persuasive language.

Activities have included discussions on topics like "Should we have homework?" and writing persuasive letters. These exercises not only enhance writing skills but also boost critical thinking and confidence in self expression.

Parents can support this learning at home by encouraging discussions about everyday decisions, asking students to provide reasons for their preferences, and exploring different viewpoints. 

Courtney Elliott & Marissa Redden
Year 2 teachers

National Science Week

Over the course of the week, students in Reception RS participated in a variety of science explorations and experiments to help excite, encourage and inspire their interest in science.

Monday

As a class, we predicted whether a variety of objects would sink or float, and then tested our predictions to see if we were correct. This information will be used in a later task to build a boat for a gingerbread man to cross a river.

Tuesday

Our next activity was to blow up a balloon using the chemical reaction created by mixing bicarbonate soda and vinegar. The students were amazed that we could blow up the balloon without using our mouth or a pump. They were slightly worried that it was going to explode but, unlike the volcano we created in the sandpit also using this chemical reaction, it did not explode. Students were then able to attempt the experiment in trays with coloured vinegar and bicarbonate soda to make fizzing art.

Wednesday

On Wednesday we completed the "walking rainbow experiment" to see how coloured water is absorbed and travels through paper towels. This experiment investigates how colours mix and create secondary colours, just like the colours of the rainbow. It was interesting to see the immediate movement of the water and then, later, the new colours appear in the glasses with only water in them. The students also made lemon volcanoes during their STEM lesson with Ms Tam.

Thursday

Thursday was "coding day" where we programmed the BeeBots using simple algorithms. The students experimented to develop the code they needed to instruct their BeeBot to travel towards their partner. The students thoroughly enjoyed using the BeeBots, and we will definitely focus on this activity again in the future.

Friday

Static electricity was the focus on Friday. Students rubbed a balloon on their head, creating static electricity that made their hair stand up. We were also able to lift papers up off the table without using our hands, using only the static electricity created between our balloons and our hair. The students were so excited by these experiments that they wanted to take their balloons home to show them to their parents.

Reception RS students had a great week learning all about science, and I have no doubt that we may see some future scientists blossom from our class.

Rachael Stathis
Reception teacher

Last week we decided to capitilise on students dressing up for the Book Week parade by creating a piece of writing based on their costume.

Using a greenscreen, students selected an image that best matched their costume. For example, if they dressed up as a basketball player, the background image might be a basketball stadium. Using aspects of the Seven Steps of Writing Success program, students wrote a brief description of what was occurring in the image.

The students did a fantastic job using their imagination in creating engaging and well written texts. 

Leigh Turbill
Year 5/6 teacher

Science Week

Our junior primary students had a blast exploring chemical reactions through hands-on experiments. They created lemon volcanoes, investigating the exciting fizz and eruption as they combined citrus and baking soda. Our budding scientists also crafted marshmallow slime, delving into the sticky, stretchy world of polymers.

Our Year 5 and 6 students took their learning to the next level with an exciting incursion with Daniel from Adelaide Robotics. The Year 5s programmed EV3 Mindstorm robots to battle it out in a sumo competition, showcasing their coding skills and problem solving abilities. The Year 6s used DroneBlocks to program Tello drones, mastering the art of aerial manoeuvres through code.

The excitement and engagement were high, and we captured some fantastic photos and footage of our budding scientists and engineers in action.

Tamara Brooker
STEM teacher

The first half of this term has been filled with exciting learning opportunities and special events. Last week was a fabulous opportunity to celebrate the importance of literature and books in the students' lives by celebrating Book Week.

The 5/6SH students loved the opportunity to begin the week dressing up as their favourite character from a book in the Book Week parade. The students and families must be congratulated on the effort and time that were placed into the creation of the costumes.

We also had the opportunity to participate in a virtual author visit through the Charles Sturt Library and thoroughly enjoyed sharing a meal with each other at our Book Week Special Lunch. Some of the other activities the students enjoyed was the Book Cover Hide and Seek, the Scavenger Hunt and buddies activities. Throughout the week we also read and explored the shortlisted and award winning books.

Tom Atyeo
Year 5/6 teacher

Upcoming events:

• School disco on 1 November 2024, with a Halloween theme.

OLQP beanies

Reminder that OLQP beanies are still available for purchase for these cold mornings. You can purchase through Qkr! or at the uniform shop, when it is open each Friday morning and afternoon of term.

The beanies are not an official uniform item, however students are permitted to wear them during recess and lunch as well as before school.

The Parents and Friends Committee is a success because of its volunteers. If you would like to join us, please email PNF@olqp.catholic.edu.au.

Corin Mitchell
Parents and Friends Committee Chairperson

Come and join the fun!

• Occasional Care is on Tuesdays 9am-12noon for children 3-5 years.
• Playgroup is on Wednesdays 9am-10.30am for children 0-5 years.

For more information, please access the flyers regarding Playgroup and Occasional Care from the Useful Links section at the beginning of this newsletter.

More questions?

Contact - Andi Benzija

• Phone: 8279 8800
• Email: Andi.Benzija@olqp.catholic.edu.au

New opening times:

Fridays

• 8.40am – 9am
• 2.45pm – 3.10pm

The second hand uniform shop service, facilitated by a dedicated group of parents, supports the community to access quality and affordable second-hand uniforms for their children.

Donations of quality second hand uniform items needed!

Donations needed. The P & F helps maintain a quality uniform shop for the school community. If you have any quality items at home that no longer fit, please consider donating to our shop through the front office.

Proceeds raised from the sale of these donations go towards student-centred projects and activities at our school.

Location:

Located in the P & F Room (near the girls' toilets, adjacent the basketball courts).

Call 8279 8800 if you require more information, or alternatively, you can email the P & F Committee using this email: PNF@olqp.catholic.edu.au.

P & F Committee

New families and permanent bookings:

All new family bookings and permanent bookings need to be made through the OSHC office.

Please contact Jo on 0417 840 700, or pop into either the OSHC office or front office for an information pack.

Jo Fahey
OSHC Director

Western Little Athletics Club is holding a FREE Come and Try Little Athletics session at 6pm Friday 20 September 2024 at the Henley Memorial Oval, corner of Raymond and White Streets, Henley Beach.

This invitation is open for all children between the ages of 3 and 16 years of age.

Children will learn the fundamental skills of run, jump and throw. With this year being the Olympics year, we hope there are many inspired potential little athletes who would like to give athletics a go!

For further information contact:

President: Jenni Cotter
Phone: 0418 890 054
Email: wac@salaa.org.au

Surf Life Saving SA is thrilled to announce that we have been chosen to continue our work in solely managing the VACSWIM program for the next five years!

We are incredibly excited to continue our work teaching vital water safety skills to young South Australians.

This is an amazing opportunity for us to build on the success of the program and create even more unforgettable experiences for our participants.

Click on the image of the flyer to enlarge and access location information.

Get ready for another fantastic VACSWIM season!

Past participants can enrol now, before enrolments open to the general public on Monday 2 September 2024.
tinyurl.com/28duwv4c

Club West Lakes is a multi sports facility at West Lakes who hold monthly markets on the first Sunday of each month, with future dates printed on the flyer attached.

These markets are different to a lot around Adelaide in that they are run by volunteers & NOT for private gain, as the money raised assists in the survival of the clubs.

Jan & Robyn
Market Coordinator