Orana Catholic Primary School
Term 2 Week 7
TO GIVE IS TO RECEIVE
Our community values an attitude of enthusiastically applying energy and effort to become better learners. Excellence is evident when:
• we do our best to develop our talents and share them with others
• we have high expectations of what we can achieve
• we take risks and experiment with the way we learn
• we work hard to do our best work
• we celebrate our achievements
Daily Morning Prayer
Lord God, let me not be separated from You today.
Help me to choose to do Your will today and may everything I do be good and according to Your Holy Will.
May I be of benefit to my family, friends, neighbours, and the entire community.
Amen
Dear Parents and Carers,
Prayer is the cornerstone of our relationship with God and our faith formation. Prayer is a conversation with God and it is an important that we share the importance of prayer with our children. Children need to be taught formal prayers, informal ways to prayer and the importance of silence in prayer. At school, daily prayer is part of the school day routine, including prayer to start and finish the day and a prayer before lunch.
On Tuesday, the staff were involved in a Mathematics professional development session led by Dr Paul Swan. The content covered addressed our 2022 school improvement theme of collaboration and alignment. Hands on activities were used to promote problem solving, differentiation and mathematical vocabulary. A key message was the importance of students persisting to solve complex problems in different ways, explaining their thinking and finding multiple solutions. The focus needs to be on extending and applying the content, rather than just getting a problem right or wrong.
Our Year 6 students attended the Lifelink Launch online webinar. LifeLink Day provides a wonderful opportunity for students attending Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Perth to join together to show their support for the many Church social service agencies; agencies which reach out to provide practical care and direct assistance to thousands of people in need each year. The Year 6 Social Justice leadership group will be the Lifelink facilitators at school, along with the Year 5 students who have organised a fundraiser. Thank-you to Sue Tormay, our Pastoral Care Coordinator for overseeing the Lifelink project.
On Wednesday, the Year 3-6 students participated in the Orana Cross Country. Students displayed a ‘can do’ attitude to keep going when challenged by the length of their year level course. It was fabulous to see the students support, care for and congratulate each other. Thank-you to Tayla Dennett, the staff and the parent helpers for working together to make this event run smoothly. The timing of the event was perfect with all races and the pack up complete before the rain came. A special thank-you is extended to the P and F for the new house marquees.
Our Year 4 students continued their preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Communion. The candidates attended their retreat at the parish on Thursday. Thank-you to Father Thai, Father CJ, Magdalene, Kathryn and the Year 4 class teachers for their preparation of a child focused, hands-on, workshop style retreat experience.
Kindy interviews for 2023 commenced last term. Please contact Deb Goodwin, our Enrolment Officer, if you have a child that will be of Kindergarten age next year.
The latest Term 2 calendar can be found on our website. https://www.orana.wa.edu.au/calendar/
Any changes or updates will be added to the Events Calendar also on our website.
Have a lovely weekend.
Take care and God bless,
Dee Johnston
Principal
Thank-you to the P and F for the new house marquees.
SPORTS NEWS
On Wednesday 8th June students in Years 3 -6 competed in the annual Orana Cross Country Carnival held on the school oval. We were lucky to have wonderful weather with the rain holding off till the end of the carnival allowing our students to participate in various race distances for their year level. The students were wonderful sports people cheering on their house and friends and it was a beautiful sight to see so much love and encouragement from all students.
A special thank you to all our parent helpers and staff who gave up their time to assist with set up and course marshalling. You are all amazing and we would not have been able to do this without you. Now to the results!
Well done to all our students on completing this challenging carnival.
Warm Regards
Tayla Dennett
COVID-19 Update
If you have not yet collected your allocation of RATs, please go to the office or arrange with OSHC for the RATs to be available for you to collect from there. CEWA advises that while RATs can be a convenient and efficient method of testing, a PCR test continues to be the preferred method of COVID-19 detection, due to its clinical accuracy. Where a person is symptomatic of COVID-19, they should be encouraged to undertake a PCR test and isolate, even if a preliminary RAT has returned a negative result.
As a school we are continuing to navigate the ever changing COVID-19 protocols. WA Health has announced new baseline health measures. WA Health announced that schools are no longer required to issue correspondence to parents and carers; however, while case numbers remain high, we will provide responses to the self-reporting portal entries and a case summary in the newsletter. Health and hygiene promotion and enhanced cleaning regimes remain in place. For now, some risk minimisation strategies remain in place which are over and above the government measures for the safety of our community.
WA Health will provides information directly to the Covid-19 positive person / caregiver following their registration of a Covid-19 positive test result with WA Health via this Link.
Parents and carers are encouraged to continue their reporting of close contact or Covid-19 positive status to schools through the Covid-19 self-reporting portal via this link. The CEWA COVID-19 Self-Reporting Portal has been updated to align with the current WA Health’s Health Test, Trace, Isolate, Quarantine (TTIQ) Directions. Please do not underestimate the importance of informing the school of a positive Covid-19 case / Close Contact status. Your actions will ensure the risk to others is minimised and that we do our very best to limit the spread of the virus across our community.
Further information on school operating guidelines for the new baseline settings is available on the school website.
Week 7 (3rd June to 10th June)
There were 22 cases reported to the school this week.
The positive cases are in isolation, as per WA Health requirements. Please carefully monitor for symptoms and get tested if symptoms develop. Please keep your children at home if they are unwell.
Interactive Map and Virtual Tour
Faith in Action
Social Justice Team News
Many people in Ukraine have been affected by war. The Orana Social Justice Team would like to assist Caritas Australia who are collecting and sending blankets for Ukraine. If you have any spare blankets at home that are clean and in good condition, we would like you to drop them off at the Year 4W class. We will then pass them on to Caritas Australia. This is putting our school value of Generosity and our school motto of To Give is to Receive into practice. We can work together to help others in need. Please put a special effort into doing this. Thank you.
Year Four Retreat
Our Year Four children shared a wonderful day of preparation and reflection at our Parish of Saints John and Paul. This was coordinated by the Year Four teachers who prepared engaging activities in small groups. The children began the day by celebrating Mass with family. Fr Thai then talked about our Parish and the many essential parts of our Church. The children were blessed with a dry lunch break and the afternoon was spent rehearsing and sketching the incredible mural of the Last Supper that adorns our parish centre. First Communion will be celebrated on the weekend of 18/19th June.
Our Group Photo
Reading Our Letters from Our Parents
Sketching the Mural
2022 Young Voices Award
Several of our upper primary students entered the 2022 Young Voices Awards organised by the Australian Catholic University. Last week we shared Arielle Aquino’s thought-provoking words on homelessness. This week, we share with you a very powerful essay on the effects of war, written by Arielle Guilfoyle.
Wooooooop Wooooooop! The siren shrilled for the third time today. How could this be happening? How could this be real? How could this not be a dream?
Yesterday I was sitting in my bright colourful classroom. Yesterday I was with my friends. Yesterday I had a smile on my face. Yesterday…I was free. Today I am sitting in a dimly lit basement. Today I am huddled with my mother and my brother, not even knowing where my father is. Not even knowing if he’s alive. Today no smile, no laughter, no freedom. The bombing planes soared over our heads. We were safe, for now.
We were finally allowed out of our basement. The air smelt of sadness and loss. We had been attacked, again. This time, a small village not far from here was hit. Mother was frantically looking around for Father when we finally heard him call out, ‘My sweethearts!’ We were all so relieved to hear the soothing sound of his adenoidal voice, the sound of home.
Just like that we were ordered to pack up everything that we could carry and flee the city of Kharkiv, flee our country. I packed my favourite teddy, it was a lamb that I had had since I was a baby. I packed some of my clothes and the final item, the most precious item of all, my Babusya’s ruby necklace. It sparkled under the sun and gave me hope. Just like her warm smile. I wish she were here, but the necklace made me feel like she was always with me. Always in my heart.
Mother and Father were searching for places to flee to. Somewhere it would be safe for us. They looked in Belarus, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania but nothing. We walked to the nearest train station, as fast as we could. All that was going through my mind was, ‘What if we don’t make it?’ I was trying to stay positive but my mind just kept circling back to that one thought! ’What if we don’t make it? What if we don’t make it? What if we don’t make it?’
Thousands of children are living through this now. Thousands of children have no smile, no laughter, no freedom. War is a horrible experience that shouldn’t be happening in this day and age. Where innocence is lost. Lives turned upside down.
I am an 11 year old girl from Australia and what is most important to me is my freedom, my family and the freedom of the world
From our Parish of Saints John & Paul
St Vinnies Sleep Out
One night isn't a lot, but it can make a whole lot of difference.
Every night, thousands of Australians experience homelessness. But it doesn't have to be that way. This year Fr Thai, Father CJ and other parishioners are taking part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout to raise money for the St Vincent de Paul Society to support Australians in need.
Please support Fr CJ & Fr Thai who have decided to sleep under a cardboard box. As a team representing St John and Paul Church Willetton we will spend one of the longest and coldest winter nights on the streets to help raise money for people experiencing homelessness. Homelessness can affect anyone - women, men, and children. It has devastating consequences for individuals and families. But you can help!
Please support us during the Vinnies CEO Sleepout and your donation will help the St Vincent de Paul Society empower more people to get off the streets and into stable accommodation. Vinnies provides counselling, education, health and employment services to help people to lift themselves out of the cycle of poverty.
Every donation is meaningful to us. Just fifty dollars can provide a whole family with a warm, nutritious meal this winter. Together we can combat homelessness in our community. Please help us raise funds today! The impact of your generosity will be felt well beyond the 23rd of June.
Fr CJ Millen
https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/cjmillen/perth
Fr Thai Vu
https://www.ceosleepout.org.au/fundraisers/thaivu/perth
Thank you for your support - it is truly appreciated.
Positive Behaviours and Student Support Guidelines - Part 4
Please read below to view our school's Aims in our Guidelines.
Dates to Remember
- Tuesday, 14th June - P & F Meeting 6.00pm
- Thursday, 16th June - First Holy Communion Rehearsal 5pm (Saturday celebration) or 5.35pm (Sunday celebration) - (times have been brought forward)
- Thursday, 16th June - iPad Conference (Orana Year 6 Students only)
- Thursday, 16th June - School Advisory Council Meeting 6.00pm
- Friday, 17th June - Assembly - Junior Certificates 2.30pm
- Saturday, 18th June - Sacramental Mass - First Holy Community (Year 4) 5.30pm
- Sunday, 19th June - Sacramental Mass - First Holy Communion (Year 4) 10.30am
2022 Professional Development Days Reminder
The following dates are pupil free days for 2022. For your future planning OSHC will offer a full day program on these dates.
18th July - All Staff Whole School Planning Professional Development
29th August - Pupil Free Day | Catholic Day
10th October - Staff Professional Development
P&F News
MEETING
The next P & F meeting will be on Tuesday the 14th of June 2022 at 6:00pm in the Orana CPS library.
We invite parents who would like to join us and assist with our projects this year, to attend the meeting.
HOMELESS FOOD SERVICE
Our next Homeless food service will be held on 2nd August 2022. As it is Winter we are serving hot meals. If you are able to assist in providing 150 serves in total, please email the P and F or get in touch with Clarissa. More details will be provided close to date.
FAMILY CAMP
The P and F are assisting the school to coordinate the School Annual Family Camp Out. At this stage the dates we have secured as a tentative booking with CAHOOTS Camp Kerem is Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 August. To assist with the coordination of the event, if you would like to attend, please email the P and F on oranapandf@gmail.com
CANTEEN LUNCH DAY
Canteen Day is back for Term 2!. Parents please lock in Thursday 30 June 2022 as your day off from lunch making. More details to follow.
BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY
Dr.Andrew Leech is the Father of two children attending Orana CPS and actively supports our P & F projects. Dr. Leech has opened a new medical practice in Murdoch. Let's support local.
Have a lovely weekend. See below.
P&F
SOCIAL WORKER NEWS
Emotional Launchpad
Most would agree, your mission as a parent is to help your child build a strong, stable launchpad from which they can rocket into their future. It’s as simple and as complicated as that.
Along the way is the wonder of childhood; love for love’s sake; joy for joy’s sake. However, your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to prepare your child for life… It is a flight they must make on their own. If you help them build a broad, strong platform from which to launch, that flight will be an adventure rather than a trial.
In creating that launchpad, you will partner with schools to provide education and socialisation opportunities. You and your extended family will teach life skills as challenges arise. Many parents will have a whole list of things they think their child should know before lift-off. Things like, how to work hard, how to manage a budget, how to cook nutritious meals, or even how to change a tyre (or rocket thruster?). These are easy skills to place on a list and tick off…and so you do.
What is less obvious are the emotional skills a child will need throughout life. These are arguably the most important elements of the launch pad. Building those skills takes time and the assistance of parents who are considered in their approach.
Regards,
Kathryn Warburton
Social Worker