Orana Catholic Primary School
Term 3, Week 6, 2021.
TO GIVE IS TO RECEIVE
Generosity is an attitude of freely sharing our ideas and talents and giving our time generously. We show generosity by being welcoming, inclusive and promoting a sense of belonging.
Kindness Prayer
Dear God,
If I cannot be brilliant,
Let me be kind.
If I cannot change the world,
Let me inspire just one to do so.
If I cannot give away riches,
Let me be loving.
Let me be known for kindness,
For it is the greatest gift.
Amen
Dear Parents and Carers
Kindness is contagious; the more kindness we share, the more we receive. The Year One students have an ongoing kindness challenge running. They have explored what kindness means and what kind actions look like. They are then challenged to do a daily act of kindness. This links beautifully with our school motto “To give is to receive”. The students get as much joy from being kind as they do from be on the receiving end of an act of kindness. We ask adults could also take up the kindness challenge.
Last week we welcomed Father Thai back from his well-deserved holiday. Class priest visits have recommenced. It is so important to have the presence of our parish priest in the school and we thank Father Thai for his time and spiritual guidance. The Year Six students had their confirmation retreat last Friday. The retreat was held at the parish this year helping to build the connection between our parish and our school. The speaker was engaging and made specific mention of our students’ excellent behaviour and levels of engagement.
Congratulations to Chris Edwards who will be our ongoing part-time groundsperson. Chris will continue to share the role with Paul Hadley. Their contributions to making Orana a safe and attractive learning environment are appreciated.
The Science Week Busy Bee last weekend saw families in our community come together to achieve so much in a short time. This was made possible through the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant. The vegetable pods and bee hotels were constructed, the garden near Science renovated to include a bird bath and lizard lounge, the Harmony Garden was landscaped and the roses pruned. It was fabulous to see the family members working together. Congratulations to Cory and Emma O’Kane and Bek Hogan for coordinating this successful venture.
We have received the NSI Climate Survey results. Thank-you to all parents and carers that took the time to participate. The results are overwhelmingly positive. We invite communication from parents at any time throughout the year and highly value home and school working together to strive for the best possible outcomes for our children.
Thank-you to Mrs Perrigo for coordinating the ICAS Testing at Orana. This has been a smoothly run and efficient service, providing a service to students from our community and beyond.
The Catholic Performing Arts Festival is continuing to give Orana choir members and music students the opportunity to showcase their talents. Both individual and group success have been awarded and these achievements are a testament to the commitment of and students, parents and Ms Draper. Well done to the students for showcasing their talent.
Swimming lessons conclude today. Well done to the students for their participation. We saw increasing independence and organisational skills, along with improved swimming skills. Thank-you to the parents for rising to the daily challenge of drying and organising swimming gear during the inconsistent weather.
Congratulations to the Orana Netball Club for a successful season. Last weekend, the Under 11 DIV 1 team won the championship. Tomorrow, is the Netball wind-up. Thank-you to the coordinator Lee Hanlon-Morris and coaches for volunteering their time to the Orana Netball Club.
Please ensure your child has a water bottle at school. Each water fountain now has a fill up tap installed. The bubblers are currently turned off as a Covid-19 hygiene measure, until we are directed that they can be utilised again.
God bless and take care,
Dee Johnston
Principal
Punctuality
We encourage families to ensure that all students arrive on time to school. Being punctual ensures that children are calm and relaxed about their day ahead of learning. Year One to Six students should be in class ready to learn at 8.50am when the bell chimes.
Accessible Parking
Dates To Remember
TERM 3 - WEEK 7
Monday 30th August - Year 6 Excursion to Maritime Museum
Tuesday 31st August - Book Week Parade, 9.30am
Thursday 2nd September - Year 5 Life Education Workshops
Thursday 2nd September - Kindy Fathers' Day Evening, 6-7pm
Thursday 2nd September - P & F Meeting, 7pm
Friday 3rd September - ICAS Mathematics, 9am
Friday 3rd September - Performing Arts Festival Shield Playoff
Faith In Action
Social Justice Toy and Book Sale
The Toy and Book Sale will take place from Tuesday 31st August in the quad area. The sale will be before school, at recess, lunch time and after school, continuing until all items are sold. Prices will range from 50c to $3. Please come and support this worthy cause. All sales will go towards buying gifts for children at Christmas.
Reconciliation Retreat – Date Change
The date for the Reconciliation Retreat at Schoenstatt Shrine (children in Year Three) has been postponed to Thursday, 9th September.
Senior Community Mass – Celebrating Our Dads
All families are most welcome to join in celebrating our Dads at our next Community Mass. This will be held at 5.30pm on Saturday, 4th September. During this celebration we will announce our next Faith in Action Award winner.
From our Parish of Saints John & Paul
Fr Thai is back from his holiday with many exciting stories about his travels in the beautiful north of our state.
Please visit the Parish website for the latest information on weekend Masses.
P & F News
Hello Orana!
As you may have noticed, there have been a few welcome additions to the school, courtesy of Orana P&F’s Busy Bee. We have assembled the Vegepods (which the Orana P&F obtained through grant application and we have scored additional Vegepods at a heavily discounted rate), developed vertical garden from wooden pallets, bee hotels (there’s 3 of them), and of course, the refurbishment of the Harmony Garden. Please take the time to go around the school to admire our handy work. Thank you to Cory O’Kane who has organised the busy bee as well as all of the Orana Community who donated their time on Saturday, 21st August 2021. It was again a true reflection of our community spirit and our motto "To Give is to Receive".
Here's a photo of a still very energetic Cory after a hard day’s work.
http://orana-catholic-primary-school-parents-and-friends-association.square.site/
Kind regards
P and F Executive
School Banking
School Banking day is held every Wednesday. We now have a new banking coordinator. Please send your banking books to the office on Wednesday morning.
SOCIAL WORKER NEWS
A good night’s sleep is about getting to sleep and staying asleep. Most children wake up by themselves in the morning if they’re getting enough good-quality sleep.
Please click on the link for some sleeping tips.
Regards,
Kath Warburton
Dogs Free Zone
We all value the benefits of having pets; however, dogs are not permitted in the school grounds. Some children and adults can find dogs stressful and at times, dogs can behave in unpredictable way when excited. To minimise risk and possible anxiety, please do not bring dogs onto school grounds at drop off or pick up. If you walk your dog to school for pick up, please arrange for your children to use the back gate and wait outside of the school grounds with your dog. Thank-you.
OSHC News
Grounds / Maintenance News
2021 Professional Development Days Reminder
The following dates are pupil free days for 2021. For your future planning OSHC will offer a full day program on these dates.
Friday 24th September – Catholic Day (Pupil Free Day)
Monday 11th October – Data Analysis Professional Development and Wellbeing Session