OLOF TIMES
30th October 2020
Our Vision
Our Lady of Fatima Palmyra is a Catholic School that aspires to
provide a respectful, secure and caring learning environment
where our community is committed to following
the teachings of Jesus.
From the Principal
Dear Parents,
As we continue to move into the final term of the 2020 school year, I want to highlight the virtues our Well-Being sub-committee have devised for our school community. These will serve as definite points of focus for us in the classrooms and the broader school community:
Week 1 – Re-connect
Weeks 2 and 3 – Respect
Weeks 4 and 5 – Patience
Weeks 6 and 7 – Kindness
Weeks 8 and 9 – Reflect and Celebrate
These important virtues are valued within our community and bring to the forefront in a tangible way, many of the ideals we continually strive to develop in the young people in our community. One of the most effective modes of teaching is role modelling so it is incumbent on all of us to take the opportunities whenever we can to model these behaviours to the children as well.
Interschool Athletics
Congratulations to all the students from Year 3 to 6 who represented our school at the annual Interschool Athletics carnival last Friday. The children performed exceptionally well as a team, coming second to St Pius X, Manning by a mere 9 points. I would especially like to acknowledge some children for their individual achievements:
London Polak – Year 3 Girl Champion
Olivia O’Dea – Joint Year 5 Girl Runner Up Champion
Will Davy – Year 5 Boy Champion
Ayla Russ – Joint Year 6 Girl Runner Up Champion
Suni Travia-Kathiravelu – Year 6 Boy Champion
All children ran, jumped and threw as well as they possibly could and the impressive performances in all team events is always a highlight and a clear indicator that the children were very well prepared. Thank to Oz Celenza for preparing the children and allowing them to perform to their potential, a great effort by everyone!
Cyber Safety
From all reports, last Monday afternoon and evening sessions with Paul Litherland were very engaging and informative sessions. Paul held the attention of the Year 5 and 6 children for over an hour after lunch which provided a specific context for Paul when he addressed the parents from 6:30pm in the evening. The on-line world is an ever-changing environment and as parents, particularly those of children in the top half of our school need to continue to keep themselves informed about the cyber world their children are operating in. Many of the suggestions made by Paul are solid, common sense suggestions but the development of the knowledge of the different platforms the children are using is invaluable as we all navigate the on-line world.
Reconciliation Programme
Congratulations to our Year 3 children in the Fatima community who have received the sacrament of Reconciliation this week. We have had three very reverent, reflective liturgies led by Fr Francis and coordinated by Lorraine Szefczyk. We are very lucky to have both Fr Francis and Lorraine in our community to make these liturgical celebrations special for the children and memorable for them and their families. Thanks also to Di Law for preparing our Year 3 children and Ellen Miller for preparing the catechist children.
World Teacher’s Day
Today we celebrated World Teacher’s Day which is a day set aside to celebrate and show appreciation for all the work and commitment provided by staff in schools to accommodate the needs of the children in our communities. Special thanks to the class reps in Pre-Primary who provided a lovely morning tea for the staff on Wednesday (the day where we have the greatest number of staff at school to enjoy it!) and the P&F for providing a voucher for the staff to enjoy a breakfast at The Neighbourhood café at the end of the year once the children’s school year has finished.
Camp Season
As a school community, we wish the Year 5’s well next week as they venture down south to the traditional Year 5 Surf Camp, staying at the Catholic Youth Camp in Busselton and the Year 6’s the week later when they spend 3 days at Forest Edge, Waroona. The focus of the Year 6 camp is outdoor education challenges where children build their confidence by challenging themselves to complete a range of activities that they would never have had the opportunity to do before. Another difference this year will be sharing the campsite with our 2 neighbouring Catholic schools, St Patrick’s, Fremantle and Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Hilton. The Year 6’s from all 3 schools spent the day together late last term completing a range of activities to develop their leadership skills which will be a good introduction for them as they venture down to Waroona for 3 days.
P&F Walk To School Day
I would like to highlight next Friday, 6th November as a Walk To School day. Our plan is to congregate at the park on the corner of Justinian Street and Aurelian Street, Palmyra at 7:45am and walk to school as a group, arriving to some refreshments at school. This is always a good way to start the day and sends a range of important messages to the children about healthy lifestyle choices and road safety so if you can join us next Friday, that would be fantastic. We do ask that any child walking with us is accompanied by an adult.
Christmas Food Appeal
As a community we are preparing for our annual Christmas Food Appeal in conjunction with our local chapter of St Vincent De Paul. It is a great opportunity for us to portray messages to the children about supporting people in our local communities who are less fortunate than us to make their celebration of Christmas more enjoyable.
Community Meeting with Refreshments
I would like to officially notify the community of our upcoming school and Parents & Friends Annual General Meetings which will take place on the evening of Tuesday 1st December. Nomination forms are available at the front office, so if you are interested in pursuing a position on our School Board or the executive or committee of our P&F (we are looking for a President, Vice-President and Secretary), please complete the form and return it to the school office by Tuesday 24th November. If you would like to find out a little more about any of these roles, don’t hesitate to drop in for a conversation with me or I could direct you to a parent in our community who has held the position previously. I encourage people to come along, it is a formal opportunity to address the community about a range of things that have unfolded in 2020 and acknowledge an array of people who have positively contributed to our school and broader community throughout the year. The evening concludes with some refreshments, enjoying each other’s company in a spirit of celebration.
Aqua Splash Carnival
The children in Years 1-3 will have the chance to showcase their swimming skills with our Aqua Splash carnival, on Friday 4th December from 1pm – 2:30pm. The carnival will take place at Bill Kirby’s swimming facility in Melville. Our hope is that many parents will be able to assist on the day so please email Oz Celenza at Osvaldo.Celenza@cewa.edu.au if you are able to assist. This is quite an informal event to give the children exposure to swimming races in a fun, relaxed environment.
Catholic Day
Finally, I would like to highlight Catholic Day in our community which will be celebrated on Monday 9th November meaning our school will be closed on that day. For parents who may be looking for child-care arrangements for their child/ren, Camp Australia can provide that here at school provided they reach minimum numbers, which I believe is 18 children. Please contact them in the first half of the coming week if you would like to use this service.
Best wishes for the coming fortnight.
Paul Hansen
Principal
Dates to Remember
Wednesday 4th November to Friday 6th November
Year 5 Surf Camp
Friday 6th November
P&F Walk To School Day
Saturday 7th November
Confirmation at 6:30pm
Sunday 8th November
Confirmation at 9:45am
Monday 9th November
Catholic Day
Wednesday 11th November - Friday 13th November
Year 6 camp
Wednesday 11th November
P&F Meeting at 7:30pm
Kindergarten 2021 Enrolment Applications
If you have a child born between 1st July 2016 – 30th June 2017, they are due to attend Kindergarten in 2021. Application forms are available on our website or at the school office. Please return application forms to the school office ASAP. We don’t want you to miss out!
‘Online & Technology Safety’ with Mr La Roche
It seems that just about everything is becoming ‘smarter’ in our modern lives. We have smart phones, smart watches, smart cars and now smart homes. AI assistants such as Alexa and Siri can be found in lots of devices and can be extremely helpful in our day-to-day lives. This fortnight’s guide looks at smart home assistants and things you need to be aware of. I hope you find it both interesting and helpful.
school community Meeting with Refreshments
A reminder to all parents that we have our school and Parents & Friends Annual General Meeting on Tuesday 1st Dec. This is always a good opportunity for us to recap the 2020 school year from a School and P&F perspective. A review of the school year will be provided. Please come and join us in the School Hall, starting at 6:30pm. We are looking for a President, Vice-President and Secretary for our P&F if there are members of our school community who may be interested in those positions.
VacSwim school holiday swimming lessons
As we head towards summer a lot of families are starting to get back into the water or planning holidays by the beach, rivers or swimming pools. It is important we help them support their child to stay safe and confident in the water.
VacSwim provides children aged five to 17 years with the opportunity to develop and progress their swimming and water safety skills during the school holidays at many locations across the State. There are programs for beginner, intermediate and advanced swimmers.
Cricket Blast
Location - Troy Park, Attadale
7th and 9th November
Wellbeing Theme for Wk 4 - Patience
Patience is an exercise of self-control that shows you can handle life when it gets tough. It is waiting with a cheerful and kind heart.
In a world where we can access information and order things in the blink of an eye, patience can be hard to come by. Exhibiting patience means that you can be persistent and stay on task- good things come to those who wait!
Patience also builds compassion, both self-compassion and compassion for others can be built when you step outside your wants and be patient.
support our school at Gilbert's fresh market and The Foodies Basket
Gilbert's Support Our School Program donates 1% of the money spent by you to your nominated school every time you shop with us! Sign up for free at the checkout and scan each time you shop.
As at 16/06/2020 the Gilbert’s Fresh, Hilton SOS Program has 31 schools, and 2,236 customers signed up, plus, Gilbert’s has donated $40,945.00 to local schools since the program commenced in October 2017.
The Foodies Basket, Attadale donates a $1 for every 100 points accumulated. Just give our School name or show your card each time you purchase.
School Lunch orders every Monday and Thursday.
Uniform Shop
Contact Us
Email: admin@olof.wa.edu.au
Website: www.olof.wa.edu.au
Location: 3 Harris St, Palmyra WA, Australia
Phone: 08 9333 7900