Newsletter October 24, 2024

From the Principal

Dear Parents, Staff, Students and Friends of the Our Lady of the Way Community,

I have noticed a bit of a trend among a number of our students that concerns me. Staff have informed me that they are increasingly facing situations where they are being sworn at by students. There is no place for this language or the aggressive behaviour that accompanies it at Our Lady of the Way or in fact anywhere in society. There is a zero-tolerance policy to disrespectful or aggressive behaviour to most, if not all industries. Naturally this should and does extend to schools and it worries me that I have to highlight this behaviour. More concerning is that a number of these instances have been popping up in the junior years. Children as young as 6 are using disrespectful and inappropriate language towards other children and staff. I acknowledge that there may be a reason for some of this behaviour, however there is no excuse for such behaviour. The staff and the school work exceptionally hard to support all students in all aspects of their development to become the best version of themselves. We, as a school community, are doing our very best to provide an environment based on acceptance, tolerance and mutual respect. Therefore, I ask that you support us in this endeavour by speaking with your child(ren) and emphasising the importance of always being respectful to others. I truly believe that we can work together to support our young people to flourish and become the best versions of themselves.

Best wishes,
Terry 

STAFF CHANGES
Mrs Philippa D’Angelo has decided to resign from her position at Our Lady of the Way to focus on her family. Flip has been a member of staff since 2018, beginning as a CRT and then taking on many different positions. Basically, Flip helped out where we needed it. In every role she filled she worked with dedication, professionalism and enthusiasm, always having the needs of the children at the centre. I thank Flip for all she has done for the many students and families of our Lady of the Way that she has supported, and I wish her every success in the future.

SUPERVISION BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL
As we come towards the end of the year a timely reminder that children should not be arriving at school before 8:30am and should be picked up after school by 3:30pm. Supervision of students begins at 8:30am and concludes when the music begins at 8:45am. At the end of the day students are supervised from 3:15 to 3:30pm. If you need to drop your children off before Supervision begins you will need to make use of the OSHC support through SchoolsOUT. The same situation applies in the afternoon.

Thank you for your support in this matter.

2025 ENROLMENTS
Enrolments for Years 1 to 6 are currently open and we have limited places available in most year levels. If you know of anyone that is thinking about applying for a position can you please encourage them to get their application in. Applications are available on the school website www.ourladywallan.catholic.edu.au
If your child is not going to be continuing at Our Lady of the Way in 2025 I ask that you let Mrs Jodie Barnes know via the admin email ASAP. We have a waiting list in many levels and this may give the opportunity for another family to join our
community.

COMMUNICATION POLICY
A reminder to all parents that your first point of contact with the school is through your child’s teacher. If further support is needed the teacher can then liaise with the Year Level Leader and Leadership Team members to initiate support and create a plan to resolve the issue. On most occasions the parental concerns can be worked through quite easily, however, at other times it does take time. School Staff will always be open to communicate with parents in line with the  Communication Policy listed under "Forms & Documents", located on the left hand panel. 

HATS

As the weather is starting to improve, a reminder that hats are to be worn for all outdoor activities in term 4. Please make sure your child has their named hat at school every day. 

ALLERGIES AND MEDICATION

The allergy season has commenced. If your child suffers from allergies, please give them some antihistamine before they come to school. We are unable to administer any antihistamine or pain relief without a medication authority form or an allergy action plan. If your child has an action plan the action plan stipulates the need for medication, please supply medication to the office.  This form needs to be signed by a GP, paediatrician or pharmacist.

Here is the link that may be useful. It provides alerts about pollen and also thunderstorm asthma. 

https://www.melbournepollen.com.au/mobile-app/

Students are also presenting to the sick bay with insect bites. If you are treating the reaction to a bite and medication is required for a short term (1-3 days), a medication authority form needs to be completed. These forms are available on the left side panel (under Forms & Documents). We also have copies in the office to complete. As this is short it does not need to be signed by a medical professional. 

We no longer keep pain relief or antihistamine onsite for general use.

HEALTH WARNING

Please see the below information regarding Whooping Cough. There are many cases presenting in the community and Goulburn Valley Public Health have asked for us to share this information to our families.

SCHOOL UNIFORM
As we continue into term 4 we also transition from our Winter uniform to our Summer uniform. All students should be in their Summer uniform commencing next week. Of course, if the weather is still on the chilly side the winter uniform can be worn. School bucket hats must be worn for all outdoor activities throughout term 4, including recess and lunch time and PE classes.
A reminder to all girls that leggings are not part of the school uniform. Leggings are not to be worn.
Images of the Summer uniform are below. This image does not have the school woollen jumper or the soft cell jacket which are also part of our school uniform. Please ensure that the uniform your child is wearing adheres to our uniform policy. This includes school shoes. Shoes need to be all black and I emphasise the all. No other colour should be visible. On sport days your child can wear any colour runners.

Thank you for your continued support with this matter.

IMPORTANT DATES

Please see the image below which shows where to locate the links to the calendar in this new format. The underlined section also indicates where the language can be changed. 

In the light of Christ

Wellbeing- Positive Behaviour and Learning

"Wellbeing Wonderings."

The Importance of routines.

If we as adults, take a moment to consider our own days, what routines do we follow? For example, the mere act of waking up at a set time, making your own and the families’ lunches, leaving to do school drop offs and get to work. All before 9.00am! Phew, no wonder we get so tired.

Consider now, our reaction when these ‘routines’ don't happen as planned? We may possibly encounter both psychological and physical disturbances which can alter our entire day. Stress levels rise, our capacity to think clearly and logically can be diminished and we can prematurely exhaust ourselves, leaving us with little energy or enthusiasm for what lies ahead.

Routines are just as important for our young people as they are for us as adults. Potentially, even more so.  Here at OLW, we have a range of routines which the students are learning and quickly embracing, which is wonderful to see. Lining up in roll order to move around the school, keeping noise to a minimum when learning and travelling to their learning spaces and acknowledging their responsibilities with regard to our ‘music, then bell’ routine before recess and lunch breaks.

Below is a website link which provides a number of helpful hints to create, maintain or adapt your current routines at home with ideas for all age groups.

https://raisingchildren.net.au/grown-ups/family-life/routines-rituals-relationships/family-routines#why-routines-are-good-for-children-nav-title

Good luck to our future leaders of 2025.

If you are a parent of a Year 5 student, you are hopefully aware of the hard work they have been dedicating to their upcoming Leadership applications for 2025. These presentations will begin to take place in Week 4 (next week) and successful applicants will be notified later this term. This period of time may be an unsettling one for your child, so please take the time to chat to them about how they are feeling about the process, what they are hoping for and remind them that, if they are not successful, that you are still immensely proud of them and all that they do.

Wellbeing quote of the week:  Happiness is the first principle of life. Happiness basically means well-being. It is always good and always a choice... We need to make the choice to be happy in a particular situation, just as it is, and at a given moment.

Alexandra Stoddard

Have a great week,

Daniel Phelan

Mental Health Wellbeing Leader.

REMEMBRANCE DAY-CHANGE

The students will be commemorating Remembrance Day as a community on Monday, November 11 at 10:40am via the PA system. It is an important day in our nation’s tradition to pause, reflect and pay homage to the fallen service men and women. 

Our student leaders will be attending the Remembrance Day service in Wallan. This will be held at the Cenotaph in Wallan. Parents are welcome to attend. Please arrive at 10.50am and 11.00am start.

REMEMBRANCE day merchandise are available to purchase in the office. Cash only. 

St. John's Ambulance

On the 23rd of October, my class, 4A, went to St. Johns ambulance incursion. We learnt about how to help an unconscious person. First we sat in a semicircle. Then the person who was showing us the stuff about first aid told us the steps on how to check for any problems.

D- danger

R- response

S- send for help

A- airway

B- breathing

C- CPR

D- defibrillation

You have to do them in that order. First thing you do is look around for danger. Then you check for a response if someone is unconscious or conscious. Then you would call 000. After you call you would check if they could breathe properly. Then if they aren’t breathing do CPR. If they aren’t breathing, use the defibrillation, it would help them wake up. 

After learning about that we learnt about the recovery position to help them breathe. You would have to hold one of their arms, palm up then the other one on their heart. Then you would Pick up under their knee and twist them over. Then they would be in a safer position and it would help them breathe better. 

By Harper 4A

Today the year 4s had the St John ambulance come to our school to teach us about first aid procedures of an emergency and how to deal with it if it happens. Here’s a list of things that they taught us,

How to get the emergency call if you don’t know your parents code to get in and call 000.

If anything is blocking their air flow in their mouth we do the medical dab and turn them on their side to get whatever is blocking their airways, with helping gravity to get the blockage out and help their breathing.

I thought it was very interesting and learnt a lot. I would recommend people also learn some first aid.

By Daniel 4A

On the 23rd of October 2024 4A had an incursion .The Saint Johns Ambulance came to our school. They taught us about what to do if someone was unconscious. The girl who taught us name was Kathrine. She told us about Danger, Response,S end help, Airway, Breathing, CPR, Defibrillator. She also told us about the Recovery position. She told us to get partners and  showed us how to do the Recovery position. It was a very fun and interesting experience.

By Ekman 4A

Practising First Aid

Interschool Sports

On the 15th of October the boys basketball team headed to Mill Park basketball stadium to compete in the Whittlesea Division interschool sports round 2. We competed in 4 games losing 3 and winning 1.  The first game was against Marymede Catholic College and we lost 28-26, the next game was against St Francis and we lost 41-26, then we had a little lunch break and went into a game against St Peters. It was a close game but we won 34-37. For our last game we versed St Josephs, the hardest team in the Competition this year.  We did our best but still lost 59-13. St Joseph’s is off to the next round to represent the Whittlesea Division, we wish them luck. 

By Zak Z and Levi D

Well done boys!

Regional Athletics

We had 7 students who competed at the Regional Athletics at Meadow Glen International on Wednesday, October 16.

Our students did so well across their track and field events and should be extremely proud of their efforts. 

Our boys relay team with Tayte, Jason, Oliver and Marco ran a PB, and finished 4th. Gemma finished with a PB in 4th place in her 800m and ran so well. Tayte ran a PB in the 200m and finished 4th. Will ran well in his sprint. 
Lilly won discus with a PB and also broke the Northern Metro Region record. Well done to all. 

Best of luck to Lilly who competes at State on Wednesday 6th November.

Our Track and Field Champions!

Well done!

CONGRATULATIONS!

A huge congratulations to Gracie Bresciano for being selected to represent Country Victoria in the 2025 Australian Country Junior Basketball Cup! A great achievement. Well done Gracie and best of luck!

Art Show

French words

Please see below some focus words for French for week 3 to week 5

World Music Day

The students will be celebrating World Music day on Thursday, November 7.  There will be lots of fun for the students with music based activities. The students and will be able to watch a "dress rehearsal" for the Soiree scheduled for Thursday evening. The Foundation to Year 2 will rehearse from 9.00-10.45am and the Year 3-6 students will have their rehearsal from 11.30-1.00pm. 

Music Soiree

 The students who take music lessons have been working hard on their performances ready for the annual Soiree.

Book Covering help needed!

We have bags of books to be covered in contact. If you are able to assist with this task, please come to the office and collect a bag. 

SIMON everywhere app

The SIMON everywhere app can be downloaded and used to access the PAM (Parent Access Module). This is where absences can be logged, medical details updated, access reports and view attendance records.  Please see the video below to assist in navigating your way around the app. 

Parents and Friends

Icy Pole Thursday! Help required

Help is required for icy pole Thursdays. If we don't get any extra helpers, the icy pole days will not run. If you are able to assist for a couple of hours on a Thursday, please let us know via the link: https://forms.gle/CisydzZcbQQWb5LT6

For those who may not be aware the money raised from P&F through sausage sizzles, icy pole days and the colour run go towards  supporting various school events such as:

• Purchasing gifts for Mothers  Day/ Fathers Day
• Donations of food for Community Breakfasts
• Donations of sausages for sausage sizzles.
• Purchasing of icy poles

And any other major school fundraising project : shade sails

Our P& F work in collaboration with the school on :

• Graduation gifts, year books and ceremony.
• Sports Carnivals
• Discos
• Partnering with Mini Vinnies on social justice fundraisers.

 As it is term 4, P&F will be running icy pole day on Thursdays beginning Thursday 17^th October. Icy poles are sold for $1 They will be working with our students leaders on additional icy pole days (weather dependant) to raise further money to subsidise the Year 6 Yearbook.

 If you are able to donate your time to help on icy pole Thursdays and have a Working With Children’s Check please email P&F on:  olwparentsandfriends@gmail.com

Specialist Days-Semester 2

Please note, the uniform shop are $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Before and After School Care

Some information for Dads

CFA