Newsletter February 20, 2025

From the Principal

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

At this time of February most of us have settled back into the rhythm and pace of life. The children are back into the routine of school, family life is once again more structured with work, school, sporting activities and the like. However, as we journey towards the Church’s Lenten Season the current messages in the recent Sunday Gospel have a strong bent towards how Jesus wants us to act towards one another. It important to remember what matters most in the midst of all we have to do in
our daily lives. When we find ourselves in the position to help someone, be happy and feel blessed because God is answering that person’s prayer through you.
Pope Francis reminds us that “hope never disappoints, hope goes not alone, but together”. Remember, our purpose on earth is not to get lost in the dark but to be a light for others. So, our challenge is to try to be a light today wherever we go and share God’s love with someone who is in need.
We ask God to:
 Give us eyes that see the needs of those around us.
 Give us ears that hear the meaning behind spoken words.
 Give us hands that reach out to make a difference to others.
 Give us a heart that beats in tune with Yours rather than with the clock on the wall.
 Remind us often that time is intended to be given not spent.

Finally, changing direction completely, I would like to say that I hope the current Year 5’s and the accompanying staff are enjoying their time at Billabong Ranch in Echuca. This is the largest group of students that we have ever had on camp. There are over 100 students and 11 staff participating in the program being run by the Billabong Ranch Staff at the camp. I look forward to hearing all about their experience when they return next week.

Best wishes,

Terry Cooney
Principal

PARENT CODE OF CONDUCT
I thought it was a timely opportunity for us all to remind ourselves of our responsibility as a parent or carer in respect to the Code of Conduct. When you accept an enrolment offer for your child you are also agreeing to upholding the school’s core values at all times.
The Code of Conduct applies to all Our Lady of the Way parents, guardians, carers and visitors to the school and school related places. The code emphasises the principles that everyone at Our Lady of the Way:
 has the right to be safe
 has the right to be treated with respect and to be valued even in disagreement
 is encouraged to be respectful, polite, courteous and considerate of others

A full copy of the code is attached below and I encourage you to look over it. There is also a Student Code of Conduct that is aligned with our PBL Values which are referred to constantly for and by the students. We constantly remind the students of the need to be respectful, responsible, resilient and safe in all places and at all times. This is a work in progress but I feel that the more examples of respectful interactions the children see the quicker they will adopt similar patterns of behaviour.
Thank you for your ongoing support.

CHANGE OF SUPERVISION AREAS
With the new build of the Multi-Purpose Hall and ELC beginning next term we have made a change to the supervised areas before school. All children in Foundation and Year 1 are asked to put their bags near their classroom when they arrive at school and then move to the junior playground and synthetic grass area. There will be staff on duty in these areas. Children from Year 2 to 6 can use the playground next to the basketball courts, however the ninja run playground is still out of bounds before school. The soccer pitch and the basket ball courts remain the same with children being able to use these spaces before school. The children will be reminded of these changes by their teachers and also at Community Prayer over the next few weeks.

CAR PARKS
A reminder that if you are parking your car, please ensure that you are parked in a designated car park either within the school grounds or in the streets around the school. Cars cannot be double parked within the school car parks as this blocks the flow of traffic. No-one should double park or block access to driveways of houses. Thank you for your support in this matter. The safety of everyone in and around cars and car parks is everyone’s responsibility.

SUPERVISION TIMES
A reminder to all parents and carers that supervision of children by Our Lady of the Way staff begins from 8:30 each morning. If you need to drop your child off before this time you will need to use the services offered by the OSHC. This also applies for after school supervision which concludes at 3:30pm.

LUNCH ORDERS

Lunch orders are up and running! A reminder that all students need a school insulated bag. They are available to purchase from the office from $12.50 (cash only) or orders can be placed via the CDFPay app. 

Lunch orders are only available on Wednesday and Fridays. 

Lunch orders arrive at approximately 1.15pm. Students still need a fruit snack and a morning tea snack on days that lunch orders are placed. 

LABELLING UNIFORMS

Please ensure all uniform items are clearly labelled with your child’s name. We’ve been receiving uniforms in the office daily without any identifying labels, and unfortunately, these items cannot be returned to the students without proper identification.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep track of all belongings!

CONTACT DETAILS:

Please ensure we have the most up to date contact details in case we need to contact you for any reason, especially an emergency.

School times are listed below.

School opens: 8.30am-8.45am (Teacher on duty)
Prayer and Roll: 8.45am-8.55am
Learning time: 8.55am-10.50am
Recess eating time: 10.50am-11.00am
Recess: 11.00am-11.30am
Learning time: 11.35-1.25pm
Lunch eating time: 1.25-1.35pm
Lunch playtime: 1.35-2.05pm
Learning time: 2.10-3.05pm
Packing up : 3.05-3.15pm
School finishes: 3.15pm (Teacher on duty until 3.30pm)

LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY PICK UPS

Please be mindful of the the above times if you need to pick up your child during the day. It is very hard to locate the students during outside play times which sometimes delays the early pick up. It would be beneficial to call or email ahead and advise what time you will be arriving to pick your child up.  

Pilgrims of Hope

Sacraments

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2025

Our Lady of the Way provides opportunities for students baptised in the Catholic Tradition to continue their Sacramental Journey. Sacraments are available in the following years, provided they have completed the previous sacraments:
First Reconciliation ~ Grade 3 and above. Pre-requisit: Baptism 

Sacrament Date: Wednesday 26 March at 5.00pm or 7.00pm (select 1)

First Eucharist ~ Grade 4 and above. Pre-requisit: Baptism and First Reconciliation

Dates: Sunday, 9am during Parish Mass at Our Lady of the Way Church on 1/6/25 or 15/6/25 or 22/6/25 or 29/6/25 (select 1 date)

Confirmation~ Grade 6 and above. Pre-requisit: Baptism, First Reconciliation, and First Eucharist

Friday, September 5- 5.30pm

Families wishing to participate in the Sacramental Program need to complete the survey sent via PAM.

Any concerns please contact:
Nicole Pegler - Faith & Mission Leader; nicole.pegler@ourladywallan.catholic.edu.au

Wellbeing Wonderings

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR FOR LEARNING

For the last three years, OLOTW has been on a wonderful journey towards the implementation of the Positive Behaviour for Learning program also know as PBL.

This program is also known as SWPBS (School Wide Positive Behaviour Support) and is commonly used as a behavioural framework within Catholic and Independent schools. 

We have been ably led by Mrs Jo-Ann Patrick, who is a Learning Consultant for MACS and through her guidance we have embedded a solid program which supports all students and sets clear expectations for the behaviour we wish to see at Our Lady of the Way.

Within this newsletter you will receive a copy of our PBL Matrix. This behavioural matrix clearly sets out our expectations and the exact language which is being shared with your children and used across the school to create behavioural consistency.

Please feel free to use this Matrix at home, as the reinforcement of behaviour, via a shared language or dialogue is invaluable. These are our expectations at school and through your use of these at home, together we can build consistent behavioural outcomes for all students. 

Learning and Teaching

PARENT HELPER SESSIONS

We are excited to invite you to our upcoming Classroom Helper Information Session.

This session will provide you with all the necessary information to effectively support our students.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION:

If you have previously attended a session, we have your records on file, and there is no need to attend again.

New volunteers or parents who haven’t attended a session before must attend one of the sessions listed below in order to be

eligible to assist in the classroom.

All helpers must have a current working with children’s check and present it to the office before assisting in the classroom.

DATES & TIMES:

Thursday, February 27th @ 9:00 AM

Thursday, March 6th @ 2:30 PM

Location: Staff Room (via the office)

If you wish to attend, please contact the admin team with your details.

Thank you for your support!

We look forward to collaborating with you to create a positive classroom experience for all our students.

Liz Stoward

Learning & Teaching Leader

Finance Office

FINANCE NEWS REMINDERS

Families who receive CSEF or Conveyance allowance funding that have a new sibling attending this year, must complete a new application form to add the new child to their application.  Please include all children on the application form.

All families that were approved for the MACS Fee concession in 2024 will need to reapply in 2025 if you think you are still eligible.  The concession is not automatically applied from year to year. Please provide a copy of your current concession card with the application.

Sick Bay Information

Asthma Australia has created a five-step checklist for parents of kids with asthma to follow this year to help ensure their child’s asthma is well controlled at the beginning of the school year and beyond:

1. Book an asthma review
Book an appointment with your doctor or healthcare provider to discuss your child’s asthma. Your appointment should cover any symptoms you may have observed over the break and what you need to do to get back on track in preparation for return to school. This might include a renewed or updated prescription, a review and discussion about your child’s triggers, and the completion of a comprehensive management plan, which will include their Asthma Action Plan (see next point). A lung function test might also be recommended.

2. Update your child’s Asthma Action Plan
During the asthma review, ensure your healthcare professional has completed and signed a written Asthma Action Plan for your child. Schools and outside-school-hours-care require a current plan for your child at the start of the school year. Asthma Australia offers Asthma Action Plan templates that can be downloaded and taken along. Be sure to fully understand how this plan should be used in case of worsening symptoms. (Remember to keep a copy to follow at home too.)

3. Make contact with your child’s school
Check with the school about their medicine policy and work with the team to find the best way to manage your child’s asthma medicine if they need it at school. Make time to talk with the class teacher and the school nurse about your child’s asthma, their written Asthma Action Plan and their usual triggers, symptoms and medicine. Also talk to your child’s sport coaches and supervisors of other school, and extra-curricular, activities.

4. Check your child’s reliever
Check the expiry date of your child’s reliever medicine and check the dose counter to make sure there is plenty of medicine remaining. Purchase any new medicine needed and buy a new spacer and mask (if age appropriate) for your child to leave at school. Also make sure your pharmacist labels the medicine with your child’s name.

5. Keep your child’s school updated throughout the year
Remember to keep staff up to date with any change to your child’s asthma management. If your child’s asthma management changes during the year, you will need to get their written Asthma Action Plan updated and provide it to the school. Equally, if your child has had an asthma event at school which required treatment, ensure you get a complete explanation from your school and transmit it to your doctor at earliest opportunity.

Most parents and educators have never heard of back-to-school asthma

CEO of Asthma Australia Michele Goldman said “Among children, there is a peak in asthma hospitalisations in February. This is likely related to respiratory infections associated with a return to school and childcare, with lower use of preventer medications during school holidays potentially contributing to this. We have seen similar patterns in Northern Hemisphere countries as well.

“Asthma Australia surveyed parents of school-aged children with asthma and 80 per cent said that they had not heard of back-to-school asthma. A similar percentage of teachers and educators were also unaware of the asthma risk for kids in late summer.

“That’s why it’s important for us to let parents know about their child’s potential back-to-school asthma risk and outline the five very actionable steps they can take to support their health at this time of year.

“We encourage parents to book an asthma review with a healthcare professional, make sure their child’s Asthma Action Plan is up-to-date, touch base with their school, check and update their child’s asthma medication and keep their child’s school informed of any changes to their Asthma Action Plan as the year progresses.”

How controlled is your asthma? Take the Asthma Control Questionnaire: https://asthma.org.au/asthma-control-questionnaire/

Help Needed!

New Library Books!
We are excited to share that our library has received a fresh batch of books! If you are available to help cover some of these new additions, please stop by the office to collect a bag with the materials. Your support in keeping our library resources in great condition is much appreciated!

French Words

Each week we will have a clip of the French word the students are learning in the classroom. 

Safety around schools

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

Scholastic Book Club-The latest edition of the magazine has been sent home with the students. Orders are to be cut off by:

                                                                                   Friday, March 7. 

Open Evening-Assumption College, Kilmore

Join Us for Open Evening at Assumption College
Assumption College is thrilled to announce our annual Open Evening, set to take place on March 17. This event is a wonderful opportunity for prospective students, families, and the community to explore what makes our College a beacon of
excellence in education.

From 3.45pm to 6:30pm, our gates will be open to welcome you into our vibrant campus. Visitors will have the chance to tour our state-of-the-art facilities, meet our dedicated faculty teams, and learn about the diverse learning domains and co-
curricular activities on offer. Whether you are interested in our outstanding academic curriculum, our active arts programs, or our competitive sports teams, there is something for everyone at Assumption College.

Our Open Evening is not just about showcasing our achievements; it is about engaging with our community and fostering a sense of belonging. We believe that education is a partnership between the College, students, and their families, and this
event is a perfect opportunity to build these connections.

We invite you to join us on March 17 to experience firsthand the supportive and inclusive environment that defines Assumption College. Come and see why our students thrive academically, socially, and personally. We look forward to welcoming you and answering any questions you may have about our College. 

Mark your calendars and prepare to be inspired. Assumption College's Open Evening promises to be an informative and enjoyable event for all. We look forward to seeing you there!

*Please note that the last student-led tour will depart at 6:00pm

Music Lessons

Before and After School Care

Community Events