Last night our Year 6 students took part in a sleepout to help support the St Vincent De Paul Society, who also had their CEO Sleepout in Adelaide this week. Vinnies does a wonderful job supporting families and individuals who have hit hard times and need a bit of help. The students had a basic meal of soup and bread, and were joined by four members from our local Vinnies group.  They shared what they do to help those in need in our local community, which the students have been part of, making food hampers for those who need them. They then watched a movie about homelessness, before sleeping for the night a bit uncomfortable, on or in a box on the floor. To thank them for their efforts I was very happy to come in a cook them breakfast this morning. A big thankyou to Ms Moll-Short for her organisation, as well as Mrs Perre, Mel Pfeiler and Brad Krollig who supported on the night as well. Events like this are a great way for students to learn about Catholic Social Teaching and Social Justice, where we do what we can to look after those less fortunate than ourselves. Any donations to support Vinnies and the great work they do are always welcome. 

This week we farewell two student teachers who have been with us this term. Miss Winky Wu and Mrs Cherry Li have joined us this term and completed their placements today. We thank them for their energy, enthusiasm and work they have done with us at OLOR and wish them the best for the future careers as teachers. 

I would also like to announce that Mrs Keisha Barber has been successful in winning our Counselling position. Keisha brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to OLOR, having recently worked as a Counsellor at St Joseph’s Renmark, and previously worked as a clinician at Headspace Berri. Keisha will join us from the beginning of next term, and we look forward to her support in the wellbeing space for all of our students and families.  

Teachers have been busy preparing end of semester reports for all students, which will go out at the end of next week. While these reports use an A-E reporting structure, it is important to remember that all students have a different starting point and finishing point, and what is most important is the individual progress that each child has made. We also need to remember that these grades are different to when we attended school, and a ‘C’ grade means that the student is achieving what is expected at their year level. This is a cause for celebration.   

I also remind parents to look at their child’s Attitude & Effort for each subject, and the comment, as these give a better indication of how each child is going and what more they can do to reach their individual potential. I know reports time can be stressful for some students and families, but it is just a snapshot of what a child has achieved and who they are. We should celebrate every aspect of their lives and be proud of who they are becoming as they grow up in many different ways.  

I thank the teachers for their effort with reports this year, as they take considerable effort and extra time for the teachers to complete on top of their normal workload. I thank them for their professionalism and their efforts in presenting a comprehensive snapshot of what each student has achieved.  

With two weeks left of the term we look forward to finishing strong and all the events still to come. These include visiting performers for two performances, more SAPSASA events, a SAPOL road safety visit, hockey clinic, class Masses, and a visit from our Port Pirie Diocesan Director, Nichii Mardon. There is never a dull moment at OLOR!  

In Week 6 our Youth Environment Leaders attended the Term 2 Forum 'Science is our Super Power!' in Loxton. They were treated with several workshops including a guest speaker from Yookamurra Wildlife Sanctuary who educated us on the work they do to conserve native species such as numbats, bilbies and boodies. Grower, Peter Szabo from Nockburra Creek Farm, spoke to the students about the importance of healthy soils and microbes in organic farming. 

Students developed questions to ask Dr Karl on a Zoom call – “OLOR asked what are black holes?” We were lucky enough to have Dr Karls newest book donated to our school library. 

We also spoke via Zoom to an Australian palaeontologist named Ben Francischelli who is finding incredible fossils along the Victorian Coastline. 

Here is his YouTube Channel if you are interested in learning more!

A Fools Experiment - YouTube

Our Bright Start students have had a fabulous time adapting to school routines while learning foundational numeracy and literacy skills. We begin each day by acknowledging country, fostering a deep respect for Indigenous heritage and land, and setting a meaningful tone for each day's learning. We recently recorded our acknowledgement, which we now use to begin our Bright Start days. 
We hope you enjoy it and some of the images of the amazing Bright Start students of Semester 1 2024. 

https://youtu.be/pHtYk_zcnbM 

SAPSASA Soccer

On the 14th of June, a group of Year 5/6 students participated in SAPSASA Soccer in Barmera. We had a boys and a girls team that represented OLOR, and both teams demonstrated our school values on the sporting field. At the conclusion of the day, the boys finished 1st in their pool, scoring 12 goals for and 0 goals against. They competed against Monash in the final, and played a great game, but unfortunately suffered defeat. The girls finished 5th in their pool, gaining 2 wins, 2 losses and 1 draw throughout the day.

It was amazing to see the students grow in confidence and work collaboratively with their peers. A big thank you to Mr Perre for coaching the boys and Mel P for helping with the girls.