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Pope Francis’s intention prayer for November
Staff Retreat
What a way to resume my time at OLOR, all staff gathered at the Lake Bonney Yacht Club for a day of prayer, reflection and discernment. Our aim was to refresh our commitment to our students and the school community while reflecting on our school charism, ethos and mission. We were reminded of our Josephite heritage founded by the remarkable St.Mary Mackillop, our brief connection with the Daughters of Charity, and learnt a little more about Julian Tenison Woods. An exceptional man who, with Mary Mackillop, saw a need for equity and education for all children and opened the first Catholic School in Penola. Julian was also a renowned scientist who showed great affection for our natural world. We have much to learn from all these amazing people, we reflected on our school motto, “Charity at all times” and how we can ensure the Our Lady of the River spirit reflects this in all that we do.
All Saints Day and All Souls Day
The month of November is traditionally a time in which the Catholic community remembers those who have died. It is related to the fact that the end of November is the end of the Liturgical Year, with a new year starting the First Sunday of Advent. The Church then uses this end of the year period as a time to think of the end of life and the end of all things and the great hope that our earthly end transitions into a new life in God’s heavenly reality. We give thanks for those who have gone before us, and we look with prayer and hope to their new life in heaven and our desire to join them there one day.
We begin the month by celebrating all of the women and men who set out their life to live the truth of the Gospel in their own time, our Saints. Tuesday, 1st November is All Saints Day. Saints dedicated their lives to God and met the needs of their day despite the adversity they faced. They show us what it means to be a disciple.
The Catholic Church celebrates All Souls Day on the following day, 2nd November. This is a day set apart for honouring all who have died. We fondly remember and pray for our loved ones who are no longer with us on Earth. We ask God to bless them and ensure endless peace and harmony for them in heaven.
Loving Father,
We thank you for the example of all saints. Ordinary men and women who set out to live the truth of the Gospel in their own time, meeting the needs of their day. May we learn to be like these saints and have a generous heart so that we can bring justice in our time. Help us follow in the footsteps of these holy men and women and live the challenge of the Gospel.
We pray for our loved ones called to your eternal garden. May the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.
We ask this in your Holy name.
Amen
It is wonderful to be back working in the lovely Our Lady of the River community. I have been warmly welcomed by many familiar smiling faces of students and their families. It’s equally as fantastic to meet and make connections with our many new students. It has been exciting to witness the energy and enthusiasm of all students as we continue into the last seven super busy weeks to end our school year.
I look forward to sharing this exciting journey with you all.
Rosemary Perre
APRIM
We have had a great start to Term 4 and look forward to all of the things that the last term brings. This term we have Sports Day, camps, excursions, Masses and Assemblies, School Concert and Graduation, as well as many other fun activities planned. On Friday we celebrated a fantastic Sports Day, with lots of excitement, fun and enthusiasm from all of the students. Well done to St Joseph’s for winning the shield and a big thankyou to Mr Charlton and all of the teachers for their support and preparation.
As we head towards the end of the year, we are already making plans for 2023 and beyond. One of the decisions I have made and am happy to share with you, is that we are planning to start 2023 with 6 classes. We have had increased interest in enrolling at OLOR recently, and sticking with our current 5 classes gives little scope for growth, as well as increasing numbers of students in each class. I am pleased to say that, with 6 classes, we will be able to keep class sizes smaller and this will also allow more enrolments throughout the year to join us. It also allows teachers to spend more time focusing on the needs of each student in their class and supporting learning more thoroughly. If you know of anyone considering OLOR in 2023 who has not yet enrolled, please encourage them to contact me on mslagter@olor.catholic.edu.au to book an enrolment interview. Also, if you know of any teachers looking for a teaching position next year, please direct them to the CESA (Catholic Education South Australia) positions vacant page at https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/working-with-us/positions-vacant to apply for our extra class.
On our student free days at the start of term, we had a chance to do a number of beneficial things for the school. Our Staff Spiritual retreat on the first day of term was a great success. We welcomed back APRIM Rosemary Perre, who ran this for our staff. We revisited our Josephite beginnings and looked at the influence of not only St Mary MacKillop but also Fr Julian Tenison Woods, who was the co-founder of the Sisters of St Joseph. We also had time for individual staff reflection, on their own religious identity, as well as how that links with our school’s ethos and mission.
Our second student free day was used by leadership staff to revisit the Clarity learning modules with all staff. This included looking at how we collect data on student progress, what we do with that data, and how we plan for the continuous learning of all students. I was also lucky enough to be involved in NAPLAN analysis, led by staff from the Catholic Education Office, with the other Riverland Catholic schools. We were involved in system analysis of the data, and this has led to some preliminary rethinking of how we give support to our students who are struggling, but also how we extend those students who are very capable learners. This gave us all a great focus for the start of term and will lead into our work for next year.
In the school holiday period, COVID rules changed in the community. Quarantine and isolation rules were scrapped and even people who test positive were told that there is no requirement to stay home if you feel alright. At school, we are still mindful of minimizing the risk to all community members, as although the COVID threat has diminished, it is still a sometimes deadly virus to those who catch it. With this in mind, we ask that you follow the below guidelines from CESA.
To protect our school community, staff and students should note:
- If you are unwell please stay home.
- If you have cold or flu symptoms you should get tested for COVID-19.
- If you have COVID-19, please stay at home until your acute symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever) have cleared. In consideration for the health of others, when you return to school, please wear a mask while indoors until 7 days have passed since your symptoms first started or since you tested positive, (whichever is earliest).
With the rising river levels and likelihood of continued high flows and possible flooding in certain areas of the Riverland, we are keeping an eye on what this means for our school community. While the school itself is situated in a very low risk area, we know that some family’s homes may be at risk of being cut off at some stage. We are working on contingencies for this eventuality, or for if staff are unable to attend due to road closures and isolation. If this occurs we are likely to offer remote learning to those affected, as we did at stages during the various COVID lockdowns and management events. Let us know if this situation might be something that affects you, and we will endeavour to do all we can to support you.
World Teachers’ Day:
Last Friday we celebrated World Teachers’ Day (October 28th). I wish to take this opportunity to sincerely thank our wonderful staff for all their fantastic work they do. We have a positive environment in our school where teachers and ESOs work collaboratively together. They are a committed group of professionals who collectively provide a safe and caring environment with excellent learning opportunities. Most people know that Jesus was a carpenter, however, his ministry was also teaching as he taught those around him. I am grateful for the skills and knowledge that our teachers and ESO staff share with our school community. It’s great to be able to thank our teachers for the marvelous work that they do every day for our students.
Grit
As we head towards the end of the school year, it is now time for students to knuckle down and work hard to achieve their very best. Students can use this term to bump up their work and aim for a higher grade. It’s the time to find some grit, dig deep and finish strongly.
What is Grit?
Grit is the ability to maintain passion, motivation, and effort when developing a mastery or an expertise. Pursuing what interests you, practicing, finding purpose, and having hope all lead to the development of grit.
What Does a Kid with GRIT look like?
- Kids with GRIT have a positive attitude and a growth mindset. They believe they can do anything they set their minds to.
- Kids with GRIT never give up. They believe that challenges will make them smarter, and they believe that mistakes are proof that they are trying.
- Kids with GRIT are persistent and resilient. They dream big and work hard towards making those dreams come true.
- Kids with GRIT know that they are the boss of their thoughts and their feelings. They manage their anger, frustrations and worries and bounce back from difficulties.
- Kids with GRIT catch negative “I Can’t” thoughts that stop them from enjoying their day, and change them into positive “I Can” thoughts.
- Kids with GRIT maintain friendships by sharing, taking turns, and being honest and trustworthy- they don’t play to win the game but to win friendships.
Finally, kids with GRIT know how to stand up for themselves and are confident, courageous, and brave.
Wakakirri Results!
A massive congratulations to our Wakakirri troupe for winning a NATIONAL STORY AWARD – for excellence in performing arts and raising awareness about Mental Health.
Our troupe received very positive feedback from panel member, Katie Kermond:
A very up-lifting performance filled with emotion and wonderful story telling. Fantastic work!
Each cast member showed a wonderful commitment and focus throughout the performance. The story-dancing was strong with a very good blend of dance and emotion. Highly entertaining. A performance filled with joy. A delight to watch. Well done!
Performance and Production awards:
- Excellent ensemble
- Excellent polished performance
- Excellent theme/concept
- Excellent construction and clarity
- Excellent creative reuse of materials for costumes
Students should be very proud of their efforts!
Well done to our Year 5/6 girls basketball team who competed in Adelaide last Friday representing the Riverland against other regional schools. After losing the first game, they ran out winners of the day. Big thanks to Bella Gates for her support as coach. Great effort girls!
On Friday we had a great day at Sports Day. The students tried their best, supported each other, and had a great time. Well done to St Joseph's on taking out the sheild. Thank you to all the families who came along to support and the staff for their efforts throughout the day and in the practises beforehand.
Would you mind ensuring that your child's uniform and school items are clearly named to reduce the number of children looking for lost property? If your child does access spare clothes, please return these to the school.
A reminder that school uniform items are accessible through Tri-State Graphics, 216 Renmark Avenue, Renmark Ph: 8586 5815