Orana Catholic Primary School
Term 2, Week 6, 2023
TO GIVE IS TO RECEIVE
FOCUS SCHOOL VALUE FOR 2023: RESPECT
Our community values an attitude of caring deeply about people and treating them with dignity. We care about ourselves and the world around us. Respect is evident when:
• we treat others as we want to be treated
• we express feelings in a peaceful way
• we speak courteously to everyone
• we bring honour to ourselves, our families and our school
• we recognise the achievements of each person
• we build positive relationships
• we show equal justice and fairness
Diversity Blessing
May the God who created a world of diversity and vibrancy,
Go with us as we embrace life in all its fullness.
May the Son who teaches us to care for stranger and foreigners,
Go with us as we try to be good neighbours in our communities.
May the Spirit who breaks down our barriers and celebrates community,
Go with us as we find the courage to create a place of welcome for all.
Amen
From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
The public holiday on Monday is to mark WA Day. This has become an opportunity to celebrate all Western Australians, no matter how long they've been in the country. The diversity of Western Australia provides opportunities to embrace and celebrate the differences whilst learning from each other. At Orana, we embrace the diversity and difference of our families and are united together as a community. Our community spirit and acceptance is often commented on by new families.
Following the WA Day public holiday, the school will be closed for students on Tuesday 6th June for staff professional development. Staff will be engaged with learnings on two topics; planning liturgies and training on providing for students with disabilities. School will return for students next week on Wednesday 7th June.
National Reconciliation Week began on the 27th May and runs until 3rd June. The theme for 2023 is Be a voice for Generations. This week marks two important events in our year as Australians and begins immediately after National Sorry Day on May 26th. National Sorry Day is a time where we apologise for the poor choices of past generations in the treatment of Aboriginal people. It is an opportunity for us to appreciate the contributions of the first Australians and to acknowledge that decisions of the past have had great negative effects on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Extending this apology is an important step in the process of reconciliation. May 27 is the anniversary of the 1967 referendum in which more than 90 percent of Australians voted ‘Yes’ to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the right to vote and have a say in the government of the country. June 3 marks the anniversary of the historic 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised native title – the recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.
CAPPS Carnival
Congratulations to the teams of Year 5 and 6 students that represented Orana at the winter interschool carnival this week. Great team spirit was demonstrated by our students. Hearing stories of students encouraging each other and working together as a team was heartening. Thank-you to Tayla Lake, the Year 5 and 6 staff, students and parents. OUr AFL and Netball team came home with the shield.
Building Update
Stage 1 of our building program is coming along well. The new toilets should be available for use very soon. In the transition, the senior students will be utilising the junior and hall toilets for the 3 school days next week. For the rest of this term, while Stage 2 is completed, Science will be held in the music room and music classes will be in year level classrooms. Many thanks to Mrs Hogan and Ms Draper for their flexibility. We look forward to the new facilities for Science that will be ready for use next term.
Early Pick Up Reminder
We wish to minimise the disruption to learning time to prioritise teaching and learning.
Whilst we discourage students leaving school for appointments during the day, we understand at times this may be necessary. If you need to pick up your child prior to 3pm, you must sign them out through the office, so that the time of their departure can be recorded. Please come directly to the office to wait. Office staff will call the classroom to have your child sent over. Please allow sufficient time for this or ring the office prior to your arrival. If the child is returning to school after an appointment, they will need to be signed back in at the office. If you have to drop off lunch for example, please bring it to the office.
Parking Around the School
The rangers have been visible on the streets around the school on occasions over the last week or so. Please ensure you are parking legally and in accordance with the street signage. Please be patient, particularly as the winter weather sets in, so the safety of our children is always a main focus.
NSI Climate Survey
Please have your say by completing the NSI Climate Survey. The link is in the section below. This data is used to inform our decisions as we plan for improvement. Unfortunately, we only have 10 parent responses at this stage. This survey has been extended and will now close at the end of next week.
http://www.NSIPartnerships.com.au
Code: OCPSPACS
2024 and 2025 Kindy Places
Enrolment interviews for 2024 Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten are now underway. To be in line with the processes of other schools in our region, we will now process 2025 enrolments applications for Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten. If you have a child who is not yet enrolled, please contact the office or refer to the enrolment tab on our website for more information.
Term Planner
The latest Term 2 planner can be found on our website. Any changes or updates will be added to the dates section below in the newsletter and the Events Calendar, also on our website.
Best wishes and God bless.
Dee Johnston
PRINCIPAL
Faith in Action
First Communion Reconciliation Retreat Day (Year 4)
Next week, our Year 4 children, together with any other students celebrating their First Communion, will participate in a retreat day this coming Thursday at the Church of St John and Paul. Further details regarding this wonderful day are found on Year 4 Seesaw notices.
Social Justice Team
This term the Social Justice Team will be organising a second-hand book sale to raise money for the Telethon Kids Institute. The Telethon Kids Institute is an Australian medical research institute focused on the prevention of paediatric disease and the development of improved treatments to improve the health and well-being of children. The Institute’s vision is simple - happy, healthy kids.
If you have any books that you have finished reading and would like to donate to this worthy cause, please drop them off in the 4W classroom.
Further details will follow regarding the date of the book sale.
Many thanks for your assistance.
Young Voices Awards
A number of our upper primary students recently entered the 2023 Young Voices Awards, a competition that is organised by the Australian Catholic University. Students were asked to create either a print, digital or photographic piece on the theme “Climate for Change”. Over the coming weeks, we would like to share with you some of the very powerful and creative entries. Please have a read of Lucy Foster’s “Oceans 4 the Future”.
Please click on the link to view Lucy's entry:
Have your say! National School Improvement Parent Survey - Closing Soon!
Over the coming weeks, we will be collecting information from staff, parents and students to help us make informed decisions about how we can improve our school. The aim of this process is to build and maintain a positive school climate in which your child/children will flourish. To help us in our efforts, we will be inviting you to respond to the Parent and Caregiver Survey (PaCS), developed at Curtin University. Your response will provide us with information and foundational focus points to assist us in planning our school improvement efforts.
Your confidentiality
To protect your confidentiality, the survey is completely anonymous, there are no names attached to the data and there is no way for us to access your individual response. All responses go directly to NSI, where the results are analysed and aggregated into feedback reports. NSI is bound by a Code of Ethics and follows strict professional conduct.
Use of the data
NSI will aggregate all responses and provide us with a comprehensive feedback report. To enable us to target our decision- making, we may be provided with information based on your background information (e.g. are you the mother, father or caregiver). To protect your anonymity, we will only be provided with this information when responses from four or more people fall within any given category.
Please click on the below link to complete the survey. Your time and consideration are appreciated, and we look forward to working with you to improve our school.
http://www.NSIPartnerships.com.au
Code: OCPSPACS
Early Years Charter
Our Early Years Team we have been working together to create an Early Childhood Charter. The Charter reflects our philosophy and early childhood pedagogies. We are excited to announce that our design has been finalised. Thank you to our wonderful Early Years Team for engaging so passionately with this project and for bringing our vision to life. I particularly would like to acknowledge and thank Miss Shania West, who collaborated back and forth with the graphic designer. Here is a sneak peak of our Early Childhood Charter soon to be displayed around our school.
Caroline Mavrick
Early Years Coordinator
CRUNCH AND SIP
Orana Playgroup
After-school Italian Classes Update
Please Support Breast Cancer Care WA
Erin Blight, one of our parents, is taking a huge jump out of a plane, later on this year in June to help support Breast Cancer Care WA. Here is the link if people wish to donate for this remarkable cause and her bravery!
Breast Cancer Care WA caters to the unique needs and challenges faced by each individual, and are available for the whole family – husbands, wives, children and carers.
Events Coming Up in Our Calendar
Monday 5th June - Western Australia Day
Tuesday 6th June - Pupil Free Day
Wednesday 7th June - Year 3 - 6 Cross Country Carnival
Wednesday 7th June - Life Link Day for Primary School Launch - 10am - Newman College Auditorium
Thursday 8th June - Eucharist Retreat - School Led - (JP Church) - 8.50am - 2.30pm
Thursday 8th June - CPAF Dance Troupe Practice - 3.30pm - 4.15pm - Hall
Friday 9th June - Year 3 Liturgy 9.30am
Friday 9th June - Senior Assembly 2.30pm
Pupil Free Days
Term 2
Tuesday 6th June
Term 3
Monday 17th July
Monday 28th August
Term 4
Monday 9th October
From Our P&F
CANTEEN MORNING TEA - VOLUNTEERS
To keep warm during these cooler days, the P & F will be running a canteen morning tea on Friday the 16th of June.
We would love our Parents to come forward and volunteer (9:00 AM - 11:30AM) to assist with the preparation and serving.
Please reach us via email on oranapandf@gmail.com or through individual class reps.
Thank you in advance and have a great weekend.
P&F
From our Parish of Saints John & Paul
Fr Thai on Leave
Fr Thai is currently in France. He will is on the Camino Trail (a pilgrim trail). Fr Thai will be away from our Parish for around eight weeks. During this time, our Parish will be in the most capable hands of Fr CJ.
Do you have a child that has made their First Communion and would like to train as an Altar Server? Training happens at the Parish on a regular basis.
Please contact Pat Bonser on 9332 6219 or collettpat@hotmail.com