Our Lady Of Mercy Catholic School eNewsletter

VISION STATEMENT

Our Lady of Mercy, Deloraine is a Catholic school in the Mercy tradition which in all things seeks to be the heart and hands of Christ to the world.

MISSION STATEMENT

In the Light of Christ, we provide a supportive learning environment where all may flourish.

From the Principal:

Pentecost

Last Sunday we celebrated the great feast of Pentecost!

Pentecost is like the church's birthday because it's when everything changed. Before Pentecost, there wasn't really a church. Jesus had gone back to heaven, leaving the Apostles feeling scared and unsure about what to do next. They definitely weren't thinking about going out to baptise or preach because they were afraid for their lives.

But then Pentecost happened. It's a celebration of when the Holy Spirit arrived and completely changed things. Suddenly, the scared Apostles became brave and clear-minded. They felt a strong sense of purpose and commitment. It was like a powerful wind blew through, and there were even flames of fire. Plus, they started speaking in languages that everyone could understand, no matter where they were from. It was like they were filled with this amazing energy from the Holy Spirit. And that's when the church really began, all thanks to the Holy Spirit's arrival.

So what is Spirit?

Spirit can be described as an invisible, yet powerful force. Much like energy, it is a force that causes things to move. This is why the image of wind is used. We can’t see the wind, but we can see the effects of it (trees blowing etc). The Holy Spirit is much the same. We can’t see it, however we can see the effects. It dwells inside us, we see it in the generosity of others and our values, attitudes and actions.

At school, we often sing this song Hearts on Fire which calls us to come together, from all walks of life. The image of hearts burning with love for Jesus shows us how much we care and want to share their faith and love with others. They also express a wish for things like freedom, unity, fairness, happiness, and peace. The lyrics ask for help to live by these good ideas and encourage people to act like Jesus did, spreading love and his message with passion and determination. You might like to listen to the song with your children below

Questions to ponder.

What changes in you do you wish the Spirit could blow your way?
In what ways do you need more courage, knowledge, direction or commitment?
When people speak about our school, would they say that it has school spirit?

School Attendance:

Attending school is really important. Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most. There’s no doubt about it – we all want the best for our children. For their futures to be as bright as possible. There are lots of things you can do to set your child up for success!

Make sure your child goes to school, every day

Going to school every day gives your child every chance to learn and grow, and connect with their mates and teachers. It’s where bright futures start and where they’ll benefit the most.

Tips to help get your child to school:

Create a routine: So everyone knows their tasks in the morning.

Give yourself enough time: Just having a bit of breathing space around morning tasks can make a big difference.

Be on time, every day. Monday to Friday: They say it takes two months for our brains to create a new habit. So just take it a day at a time.

Schedule appointments and trips outside of school hours: This way your child will stay engaged in their learning, and won’t miss out on important schoolwork.

Get a good night’s sleep: It’s amazing what a good bit of shut-eye can do to help your child learn and stay engaged with school.
Set some technology boundaries: We are all familiar with endlessly scrolling, only to feel exhausted and unmotivated. Why not give a family tech agreement a go?

Here is a short clip to to explain why every school day matters:

Uniform

Now that we are in winter uniform, just a reminder that:

Socks - all boys should be wearing grey school socks (not black)
Shoes - all students should be wearing black shoes.
PE uniform should only be worn on Wednesdays (for PE lessons) and on Friday only for those students who participate in Friday sport.

Sickness

As the days draw darker and the weather gets colder, the cold and flu season is upon us. Nationally, COVID cases are increasing and a new COVID subvariant has been detected in Australia. This is a timely reminder that children are to stay home if they are unwell or have symptoms.

Sickness

As the days draw darker and the weather gets colder, the cold and flu season is upon us. Nationally, COVID cases are increasing and a new COVID subvariant has been detected in Australia. This is a timely reminder that children are to stay home if they are unwell or have symptoms.

Walk Safely to School Day:

Recently, a large number of families participated in our first National Walk Safely to School Day. We gathered on the lawn next to the town library and walked through the streets of Deloraine to school. We were assisted by our local police officer to safely cross the street. There was certainly a great buzz and excitement in the air, along with a heap of school pride. Thank you to all those who participated to help make this a great event!

Simultaneous Story Time:

On Wednesday 22nd May, students from Kindergarten to Grade 2 celebrated National Simultaneous Storytime. Every year, the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) selects a picture book written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator and this is read simultaneously in Library, childcare centres and schools around the country.

This year the focus picture book was Bowerbird Blues by Aura Parker. We participated in the live streamed reading of the book by Aura Parker. It was wonderful to be part of the over 2 million people listening and sharing the same story at the same time.In classrooms, students participated in a variety of activities ranging from a blue scavenger hunt, hat making, bowerbird making, and other creations.

It was an amazing experience on all accounts and we look forward to next year.

Kind Regards,

Alisha Mitchell

Prep Teacher & Literacy Practice Leader

This week in Kinder students made art using paint and strings.

First, they placed the paint covered strings on one side of the paper. Next, they
folded the paper on top of the strings and pulled the strings out. Lastly, they unfolded
the paper to reveal the unique design they created. This was the most exciting part,
and everyone was very happy with how their art looked!

We offer open-ended art experiences in Kinder regularly as it allows children to be
creative, problem solve, develop fine motor control, and learn many other valuable skills.

Primary School Music Program:

We would love some more enrolments at Our Lady of Mercy Catholic School! This Instrumental Music Program, operated by St Brendan-Shaw College commenced last week.

The program is available for students in Grades 4-6, and they have the opportunity to study one of the following;