1 Thursday, October 14 Year 6 Mud Run Fun Day Friday, October 15 Year 7 Mud Run Fun Day Monday, October 18 Parent/Teacher Interviews #1 Tuesday, October 19 Parent/Teacher Interviews #2 Year 2/3 Mass Tuesday, October 26 School Board Meeting (7pm) Friday, October 29 Year 4/5 Assembly World Teacher’s Day Mission Australia Fund Raising Day Tuesday, November 2 Year R/1 Mass Melbourne Cup (?) Thursday, November 4 Catholic Athletics, Adelaide Welcome Important Dates Term 4 Week 1 11 October, 2021 On arriving back to work yesterday, I received a text message from family wishing me all the best for the term ahead and to remind me that it was exactly 2 months until schools break for Christmas Holidays! It’s hard to believe our thoughts are already turning to the Nativity of Our Lord. Thank you kindly for your thoughts and messages of support. I very much enjoyed the challenges and learning that came of working in a new community but am equally happy to be home. My thanks and my gratitude is extended to Nanda de Winter who did such a wonderful job supporting staff and students as Acting Principal. Her skill-set, particularly as it relates to Inclusive Education and Religious Education, was especially appreciated. We wish Nanda every success as she commences her position as Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM) at St Francis of Assisi College. We extend a collective welcome to the Tambling family who have joined us this term as part of their extensive travels around Australia. Please welcome Harriet & Esther (Year R), Sylvie (Year 3) and Audrey (Year 5). I am sure you have all heard the wonderful news as we congratulated Brogan, Jordan, Madison and Olivia on the safe arrival of their son and brother, Noah Ry Whitelaw during the closing days of Term 3. According to Noah’s father, he is an absolute champion and is no doubt already a life-member of the Hawthorn football club! We can’t wait to meet him. Brett Czechowski Principal Many hands made for light work during our working bee
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Thursday, October 14 Year 6 Mud Run Fun Day
Friday, October 15 Year 7 Mud Run Fun Day
Monday, October 18 Parent/Teacher Interviews #1
Tuesday, October 19 Parent/Teacher Interviews #2 Year 2/3 Mass
Tuesday, October 26 School Board Meeting (7pm)
Friday, October 29 Year 4/5 Assembly World Teacher’s Day Mission Australia Fund Raising Day
Tuesday, November 2 Year R/1 Mass Melbourne Cup (?)
Thursday, November 4 Catholic Athletics, Adelaide
Welcome
Tuesday, May 7 Year 3/4 Mass Parents & Friends meeting (7pm)
Friday, May 10 Mother’s Day High Tea (11am)
Tuesday, May 14 School Board Meeting (7pm)
Friday, May 17 Year Reception Class Assembly (2:40pm
Important Dates
Term 4 Week 1 11 October, 2021
On arriving back to work yesterday, I received a text message from family wishing me all the best for the term ahead and to remind me that it was exactly 2 months until schools break for Christmas Holidays! It’s hard to believe our thoughts are already turning to the Nativity of Our Lord.
Thank you kindly for your thoughts and messages of support. I very much enjoyed the challenges and learning that came of working in a new community but am equally happy to be home. My thanks and my gratitude is extended to Nanda de Winter who did such a wonderful job supporting staff and students as Acting Principal. Her skill-set, particularly as it relates to Inclusive Education and Religious Education, was especially appreciated. We wish Nanda every success as she commences her position as Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM) at St Francis of Assisi College.
We extend a collective welcome to the Tambling family who have joined us this term as part of their extensive travels around Australia. Please welcome Harriet & Esther (Year R), Sylvie (Year 3) and Audrey (Year 5).
I am sure you have all heard the wonderful news as we congratulated Brogan, Jordan, Madison and Olivia on the safe arrival of their son and brother, Noah Ry Whitelaw during the closing days of Term 3. According to Noah’s father, he is an absolute champion and is no doubt already a life-member of the Hawthorn football club! We can’t wait to meet him.
Brett Czechowski Principal
Many hands made for light work during our working bee
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Our Lady of the River Parish
Parish Contacts Phone 85 821894 Email: [email protected] Parish Priest Father Paul Bourke Phone 0409 994 756
Riverland Priest Father Hau Le Phone 0401 367 337
Pastoral Carers Loxton - Barb DeMichelis – 8584 7731 Barmera – 0400 254 652 Waikerie – 0428 412 867 OLOR Youth, Families and Young Adults Facebook Group www.facebook.com/groups/OLORYouth
Child Safety Contact Stacey Hunter – 0429690273 LOXTON MASS TIMES – SUNDAYS 1st, 3rd & 5th Sundays of the month – 11am 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month – 6:00pm LOXTON MASS TIMES – WEEK DAYS Tuesdays – 10am RECONCILIATION Prior to Sunday Mass or any time by appointment.
World Mission Month
In Australia, October marks World Mission Month, a celebration of the global work of the Catholic Church and the dedication of missionaries, both religious and lay, as they reach out and support children and communities in need around the world.
On World Mission Sunday, which falls on 24 October 2021, parish communities around the world will gather to pray for and raise funds to support the work of thousands of crucial church-run programs. The following Wednesday, 27 October, is Children’s Mission Day, which we plan on celebrating as part of World Teacher’s Day on Friday, October 29.
World Mission Month is the biggest celebration at Catholic Missions Australia, and it is a special time when we are reminded of the often-unseen work of missionaries in the farthest corners of the globe, especially in Thailand, which is the focus country this year. From Pope Francis…
“Once we experience the power of God’s love and recognise his fatherly presence in our personal and community life, we cannot help but proclaim and share what we have seen and heard. Everything about Christ reminds us that he knows well our world and its need for redemption, and calls us to become actively engaged in this mission: “Go therefore to the highways and byways, and invite everyone you find” (Mt 22:9). No one is excluded, no one need feel distant or removed from this compassionate love.”
Over the course of last term, Brogan had been working to research and implement a new wellbeing & mindfulness program for our school. There was a preference for us to partner with other schools in the Riverland so that we might be able to share resources and ideas and to learn from the experiences of others. To this end, and on behalf of Brogan who has done all the ground work, I am pleased announce that St Albert’s will be partnering with The Resilience Project in 2022 to deliver our new wellbeing program!
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs to in Australia to well over 1000 schools, sports clubs and businesses, providing practical, evidence-based mental health strategies to build resilience and happiness.
Through presentations, school curriculum, events, the TRP App, and Wellbeing Journals, The Resilience Project shares the benefits of Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness, and easy ways to practise these in everyday life. They also incorporate Emotional Literacy, Connection and Physical Health education and activities as they are foundational contributors to positive mental health.
If you would like to learn more about this exciting new initiative, visit the following website.
Paddy Reynolds and his team were very busy over the holidays painting external fixtures and some internal walls of the administration building. He also re-painted all four toilet blocks across the school giving them a new lease of life! The SRC are also looking forward to contributing to the aesthetic appeal of these areas. Final capital works for 2021 include the re-fencing and beautification of the school oval, which is due to commence over the holidays.
We had a terrific team of helpers arrive for our working bee on Sunday. Organised through the P&F, I extend my thanks to the many Mums, Dads and Kids who came along to tackle some of those lingering jobs to make our school look super schmick for our first day of the new term…and beyond!
COVID Update
At the time of publication, Covid restrictions and regulations in SA schools remain unchanged. All adults to need to wear masks in school (except for teachers when engaged in direct instruction), parents and visitors on site need to be limited and all adults are required to practice social distancing. If students are unwell, we ask you keep them home to recover. We continue to find ourselves with Covid at the ramparts with hotspots popping up across the state. I extend my sincere gratitude to all families and all staff in supporting and adhering to restrictions in order to keep our community safe & healthy.
Assemblies
Year R-3 ‘Big Day Out’ Wednesday, December 1 Year 4-5 Woodhouse Camp Wednesday, December 1-3 Year 6-7 Adelaide Adventure Wednesday, December 1-3 (likely to depart Tuesday afternoon)
Class Masses
Fridays (2:40pm) Year R/1 – Friday, November 26 Year 2/3 – Friday, November 12 Year 4/5 – Friday, November 29
Camps & Excursions
Graduation Ceremonies Year 7 – Wednesday, December 8 Year 6 – Thursday, December 9
Year 6/7 Graduation
Tuesdays (10am) Year R/1 – Tuesday, November 2 Year 2/3 – Tuesday, October 19 Year 4/5 – Tuesday, November 16
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POSITIVE PARTNERSHIPS FREE! 2 Day Autism Workshop For Parents and Carers Join other local families to learn more about autism and ways to strengthen the home-school partnership. 19 and 20 OCTOBER, 2021 9:30am to 2:30pm. At Berri Hotel. To register – visit Positivepartnerships.com.au or Contact Jo Zeitz – [email protected]
Community Notices Parent/Teacher Interviews
We are pleased to be able to offer in-person parent/teacher interviews, albeit in a COVID-safe way, once again. Please use the hand sanitizer available on entry into the classroom and don’t forget to ‘QR’ before entry into the classroom.
Parent / Teacher interviews are scheduled early in Term 4 primarily to respond to the mid-semester report. It is an opportunity to ask questions and to discuss your child’s learning and wellbeing plan for the remainder of the year. We encourage all families to make an appointment. As Brogan is away for the first five weeks of term, we will send out a letter in few weeks asking if parents would like to meet with him on his return.
Booking forms will be sent home today.
Year 6/7 Graduation
Much thought and careful consideration has been given to the planning and scheduling of our graduating classes this year. We have consulted with Catholic R-12 schools who moved their Year 7 cohort into the secondary arena several years ago to see what worked best for them. It quickly became clear that each year level wanted their own experience rather than combining graduation into a ‘super event.’ This sentiment was, for the most part, also expressed in our own community. Sentiment aside, there is also the practical issue of staging a combined event for around 250 in Loxton, COVID permitting.
In this very special year, St Albert’s will conduct two graduation ceremonies, one each for Year 6 & Year 7 on the dates and times below…
Year 7 Wednesday, December 8 Year 6 Thursday, December 9
The graduation ceremony is conducted as part of the Mass (5pm) before moving to the Loxton Hotel for dinner celebrations (6:30pm).
Camps and Excursions
Staff have been busy behind the scenes planning our end-of-year camps and excursions. Information & Consent Forms will start to be circulated in the coming weeks, however, the dates below are provided for your planning…
Year R-3 ‘Big Day Out’ Wednesday December 1 Year 4-5 Woodhouse Camp Wednesday, December 1-3 Year 6-7 Adelaide Adventure Wednesday, December 1-3 (likely to depart Tuesday afternoon)
