Our Lady of the Cape Primary School
Newsletter - 23rd November 2023
God of Hope,
Awaken our hearts to you this season of Advent.
Fill our hearts with hopeful anticipation of Your coming,
so that when Jesus arrives we are ready
to welcome him into our hearts and minds.
Amen
As we near the end of the school year, we prepare to begin the Church season of Advent, with Sunday week being the first Sunday of Advent.
The Advent Wreath
The Advent Wreath is a Symbol which reminds us of the everlasting love of God and the time of waiting for the coming of Christ into our lives.
The wreath is round reminding us of the never-ending love of God.
The wreath is made from evergreens reminding us of the life that comes from God.
There are four candles, three purple and one pink, representing the four Sundays in Advent.
The colour purple is the liturgical colour for Advent, which symbolizes a time of waiting and the colour pink represents the joy we share in the life of Jesus.
During the season of Advent one candle on the wreath is lit each Sunday as a part of the Advent services.
On the first Sunday of Advent, the 3rd December, the first purple candle is lit. This candle is called the Prophet’s candle to remind us of the prophets, those special people who spoke God’s word to the people and promised that a saviour would come. This candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming of Jesus.
It is hard to believe we have less than three weeks left until the end of the 2023 school year. As the teachers reflect on all the learning that has occurred during the year, as they write end-of-year reports, we are proud of the achievements made by our students.
The Advent season invites us to slow down, reflect on the year that has passed, and prepare for the new opportunities that await. It is a reminder that amidst the hustle and bustle, we can find moments of stillness and purpose. As we approach the end of the school year, I encourage each student to embrace this spirit of reflection and use it as a source of inspiration to finish the year positively. Please take note of all the end of year activities and join with us as we celebrate and conclude a memorable year.
At our Annual Community Meeting, we acknowledged and thanked our School Advisory Council and P&F Executive for their work throughout the year. We are so lucky as a community to have such wonderful people who willingly volunteer their time and talents for our beautiful school. Unfortunately, we did not have any nominations for the P&F Executive for 2024. Please consider if this is something you could do to support the school next year. We are having an afternoon coffee catch-up next Tuesday 28 November from 2.00pm in the Staff Room, if you would like to come and find out a little bit more about the Executive roles, and see if it is something you could do. No obligation, just come for a chat.
P&F Executive Role Descriptions
Chair
The Chair of the P&F Group is required to:
- work with the Principal in supporting the vision of the school
- liaise with the Principal to understand how the P&F can support the school: and promote active involvement of parents with the P&F
- conduct all meetings in accordance with standard meeting protocols;
- ensure all decisions are communicated to P&F members;
- monitor tasks undertaken by the P&F Group;
- be a spokesperson for the P&F Group;
- report to the school community as appropriate and in consultation with the Principal
Deputy Chair
The Deputy Chair supports the Chair in the leadership of the P&F Committee and represents the Chair if they are unavailable.
Treasurer
The Treasurer is required to:
- prepare and present a finance report at each P&F meeting, with support from the school Finance Officer;
- collect and bank monies from fundraising events;
- collate P&F reimbursement forms, petty cash receipts and supplier invoices and ensure they are correctly authorised before providing to school finance staff for payment;
- ensure motions relating to finance decisions, including approval of donations to the school, are presented to P&F Committee.
Secretary
The Secretary is required to:
- take minutes of meetings;
- prepare and distribute the meeting papers and agenda;
- keep records of the P&F, including vacancies, reports, minutes, and correspondence; and
- monitor tasks undertaken by the P&F Group.
Previous Executive members will be available on Tuesday to chat and share their experiences. Please come along to find out about the wonderful work the P&F does to support the school and see if you would like to take on one of these important roles. The roles could be shared with a group of friends. Please have a think about this, as we really need some parents to be involved, as the school greatly values the roles of the P&F Executive.
OLC P&F Christmas Raffle
Raffle tickets are available for an amazing prize of $2000 off your school fees for next year. This week, each family received a flyer to purchase tickets. Please return your order form to the office as soon as possible as the raffle will be drawn at the Christmas Concert next Wednesday 29 November. If you would like more tickets, please pop into the school office.
Tickets are $20 each. What a wonderful prize!
Class Teacher Allocations for 2024
Principal: Angela Hegney Assistant Principals: Adrian Torrese and Amie Meyer
IT Technician: Janine Johnston
Finance Officer: Sandra O’Leary, Kaya Jecks and Sarah Wielgus
Administration Officers: Frances Marrell, Jodie Spencer, Leah Reilly
Education Assistants: Abby McFadden, Misty Hearne, Alice Huxtable, Jodie Spencer, Rachel Sweeney, Mel Kent, Deb Young, Bron Byrne, Niki Butterly, Lauren King, Linde Millett-Beatty, Phoebe Linwood, Tina Hayward, Lisa Annert, Joni Beeston, Letitia Jackson, Prisca Glaskin, Lynn Peacock, Marylee Edwards, Leanne Gibbons
Grounds: Robert Wielgus
Canteen: Pippa Walsh
Staff Movement
Special thanks to Jane King, Maree Noonan and Anne Coltrinari who will be moving into new directions and challenges next year. We thank them for their contribution to OLC and wish them well. Best wishes to Julie Birch, who is taking 12 months off next year and will return in 2025. Anita Hurst will be with us as a support teacher at the beginning of the new school year, prior to leaving us for the birth of her first baby. Exciting times ahead! Thank you to all of you for sharing your gifts with us. May God continue to bless you.
Class Lists for 2024
The teachers are still working on class lists for 2024. Please note this is an extremely complex task, with many factors taken into account in order to meet the needs of all learners. I have confidence in the professional decisions made by our teachers to place students. Classes for 2024 will be finalised in the coming weeks and will be communicated to parents in Week 10.
I commend our teachers for their work in this area.
Christmas Concert (PP - Y6)
This is being held on Wednesday 29 November commencing at 5.30pm. All PP - Y6 students will be participating, singing carols on stage with their classes. Students need to assemble in their classrooms with their teacher at 5.10pm, and line-up ready for a 5.30pm start. Parents can bring picnic blankets or low concert-style chairs to sit on.
Please note that the playgrounds and basketball courts are unable to be used by siblings during the concert, out of respect for the performers, who have worked hard to prepare their items for the concerts.
Please keep younger siblings and teenage siblings with you for the duration of the concert. A reminder that this is an alcohol-free event.
Thank you very much.
Concert Format
The format for the concert will involve all students participating in a mini-musical, "Straw and Order", consisting of class performances of songs and some speaking roles to link the songs together, all based around the beautiful Christmas Nativity, which embraces and celebrates our Catholic identity, and has a focus on the true meaning of Christmas. There will be an upbeat Christmas medley led by our graduating Year 6 students to conclude the performance, for all to join in.
During the year, individual students are recognised in many ways, including Merit Certificates, Star Citizens, Kimochis and MJR awards. There will not be any individual awards presented at the concert, as the concert is a celebration of ALL students at the end of the year.
CONCERT COSTUMES
Please view our last newsletter for instructions and images of costumes for your children to wear at the concert. All costumes need to be ready to bring in to school by next Monday 27th.
End of Year School Reports
Parents, please note that to enable teachers to keep teaching meaningful lessons covering the curriculum until the end of the school year, reports are not being finalised until Week 9. Reports will be made available for parents to view and download on Friday 8 December. Please check your login details now for SEQTA Connect and contact the school if you are having difficulty.
Parking in Cape Naturaliste Car Park
Thank you for your support during busy times of drop of and collection on a school day. To assist our buses to have clear entry and exit, please do not park anywhere outside the set parking bays in the Cape Naturaliste Car Park. Also, please note that the Bluebird Day Care bus has been given permission to park in the disabled bays for pick up and has been having issues with being able to enter the vehicle with children, due to cars being incorrectly parked in this area.
Last Day of School
The last day for students will be Friday 8 December. The day will begin with the Graduation Mass and Awards presentation for Year 6 students and families at the Church, followed by morning tea back at the school hall. After morning tea, there will be a Farewell Assembly.
After lunch on the last day, our P&F are organising a Colour Run.
Formal Uniforms for current Pre-primary students
Pre-primary students moving into Year 1 will need formal school uniforms in addition to their sports uniform that they currently wear every day. Uniforms are available to order online.
School Photos
Have been despatched and should be distributed via the children next week.
Book Lists
Book lists will be emailed out to parents next week.
School Fees
Reminder letters are being sent home. Please make sure your school fees are paid in full by the end of the school year.
Wishing you a wonderful week.
May God bless you.
Mrs Angela Hegney
Principal
Scholastic Book Club
Orders are on their way!
RE News
ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS APPEAL 2023
Each year at OLC we take time to be thankful for our blessings and to assist those local people in need by contributing to Christmas Hampers distributed by the St Vincent De Paul Society. This year boxes will be in the shared work areas of the school and families are invited to contribute specified items. Please look out for the labelled boxes in the following areas in the next few weeks and give generously to support others in what can be a difficult time of the year. Thank you.
K & PP: Christmas goodies, chocolates, bonbons, puddings, decorations, small children's gifts, and stocking stuffers etc. No lollies or candy canes please!
Years 1, 2 & 3: Pasta sauces, meal kits, rice, biscuits, crackers, sauces, jams, condiments, (basically any non-perishable good food, which can be used beyond Christmas. No baked beans or tinned vegetables please 🙂).
Year 4, 5 & 6: Toiletries, chocolates, tinned fruit, non-perishable fruit juices, nuts, small gifts, pampering items, gift vouchers (Kmart, coffee, etc).
Thank you for helping to make someone’s Christmas a little more special this year!
We will presenting the donated items to the St. Vincent DePaul Society at next Friday afternoon’s assembly (1st December), so please add your offerings this week. With gratitude.
NO CANDY CANES PLEASE
Please support us and refrain from distributing candy canes over the final few weeks of the year. This helps us prevent a sugar overload during the final days and assists in prolonging the lifespan healthy growing teeth. It also minimises plastic waste flying around the school. We would also ask you to consider the environmental impact of distributing class sets of Christmas cards which are only signed with a name. To make the gesture meaningful, it would be wonderful if you could encourage a thoughtful message and a hand made card if you decide cards are necessary. Thank you.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION
Preparations are well under way for our Year 6 students to graduate from Primary School at the end of the year, on Friday the 8th December. Our day of celebrations begins with a 9.00am liturgy and award ceremony at the church. It will continue with a morning tea for graduates and their guests back at the school at 11.00am, followed by a whole school farewell assembly and presentation of the Graduation Certificates. We look forward to making some beautiful memories for our graduates as they reach one of life’s milestones.
CHRISTMAS NATIVITY PLAY - ACTORS WANTED!
If you are available Christmas Eve, we would like to perform a Nativity play during the 6.00pm mass on 24th December. If your child would be interested in being involved as Joseph, Mary, shepherds, kings or angels, please contact me at amie.meyer@cewa.edu.au. Thank you!
THANK YOU
From time-to-time OLC families experience unforeseen challenges and need a helping hand, and to this ends we have the “OLC Pastoral Care Freezer” stocked with tasty homemade meals to give to people when it’s useful. This year this freezer has been stocked with food lovingly prepared by the gorgeous Leah Reilly, whom you may sometimes see in classrooms as an EA, or in the office helping Fran. Leah has given up her time all year to consistently restock the fridge with nutritious and tasty family meals any time we have asked. We would like to give a big thank you to Leah for her generosity and care, and the OLC P&F who have funded the ingredients for these meals. Thank you, Leah, from the dozens of families assisted over 2023!
Mrs Amie Meyer
Assistant Principal
NEWS FROM THE P&F
Be sure to secure your ticket for our major raffle of the year, 2023 School Fee Raffle. The raffle will be drawn at the conclusion of the school Christmas concert next Wednesday 29 November.
http://olcprimaryschool.bigcartel.com/product/school-fee-raffle-ticket
Colour Run fun is just around the corner. Please look out for your fundraising forms being sent home with all students in the coming days. Don't forget to buy your white tee shirt before they all sell out!! This year we will have both wet and dry areas, including a chill out zone to cater to all students. We encourage students to BYO goggles or sunnies.
We are chasing helpers for course set up, powder throwers and pack up helpers. Please get in contact with Honor 0413747762 if you can help, its a whole lot of fun.
COMMUNITY NEWS
More about us
Email: admin@ladyofcape.wa.edu.au
Website: www.ladyofcape.wa.edu.au
Location: 245 Cape Naturaliste Road, Dunsborough WA, Australia
Phone: 9781 3200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OLCDunsborough/