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Orana Catholic Primary School
Term 2, Week 11, 2024
Prayer for the End of the Semester
We thank-you, Lord for this semester; for our challenges, our successes and the mistakes from which we have learnt.
Be with us as we spend our time with family and friends. Give us strength and courage to do what is right; to be witnesses of our faith. Help us to be practical Christians these holidays; to appreciate what others do for us, and to give time and effort to help others.
Keep us safe in our activities; give us rest and relaxation. Surround us with your loving care and bring us back refreshed, renewed and ready for a new term.
We thank-you for our Orana students, staff and community members. We ask for your richest blessings for all. May we always be conscious of you in our lives.
Amen
From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Catholic Identity Pillar
Orana Day
Today, we celebrated Orana Day. Our school feast day is celebrated on the Friday before the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Father John celebrated his first Mass with us at school. After Mass, students participated in various fun mini fete activities, including making the LifeLink doll shape with the gold coin donations. The students were engaged in fun activities as both leaders and participants. It was wonderful to see the Year 4 students helping their pre-primary buddies to find the stalls around the school. Thank-you for your generous donations. The students / staff volleyball match was a highlight of the day.
First Holy Communion
Our Year 4 students celebrated receiving their First Holy Communion last weekend. The students shared some cake and received their certificates. Thank-you to Father John, Father CJ, the Year 4 Staff, and Magdalene and Luana, from the parish.
Education Pillar
Inter-school Cross Country
Congratulations to the Orana Inter-school Cross Country Team. Several students achieved new personal best times and excellent team collaboration was evident as students supported each other. Many thanks to Mr Ellis for his work in preparing the students for the day and to the staff that attended to assist on the day. Thank-you also to the families that attended to support the team members. See more details below from Mr Ellis.
Regional Academic Day
The Quest students who represented Orana at the Academic Day this week demonstrated excellence in their collaboration, teamwork, and persistence in working through various challenges. Small margins separated the place-getters. Thank-you to Mrs Jenner and Mrs Johnson for their support of the team. Please see below for more information from Mrs Jenner.
Mid-Year Reports
Reports were released on SEQTA Engage earlier this week. Reporting time presents an opportunity for families to reflect on the achievements of Semester One and discuss goals for the semester ahead; in the areas of achievement, effort and attitude to learning. These conversations support students in taking responsibility for their dominant part in the learning process, which is supported by teachers, support staff, and parents.
Community Pillar
NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC Week is in the second week of the school holidays, from 7th to the 14th July. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. For more information and ideas for NAIDOC holiday activities, please visit https://www.naidoc.org.au/. At Orana, we will recognise NAIDOC Week during the 1st Week of Term 3.
Professional Learning
This term's last Professional Learning Meeting was held for teaching staff on Tuesday afternoon. Staff used the time to pause and reflect on learnings from the Berry Street Education Model and student, personal and collective achievements from the year to date. It was great to see parents also utilising the coffee van and taking time to chat with each other.
Stewardship Pillar
Staffing News
This week, Bonnie Lynch commences parental leave. Bonnie has taught in 6 Blue this year. We thank her for all of her contributions to Orana and wish her all the very best as she awaits the arrival of her second child.
Today we farewell one of our Education Assistants, Nicholas Bonetti, due to university commitments. Nicholas has been working Year 5 this year. We thank Nicholas for the support he has given to students and staff. Nicholas will continue to work at Orana OSHC.
WA Student Assistance Payment – Applications Closes Today.
All Western Australian school students (Kindergarten to Year 12) currently enrolled in a registered non-government school with a valid WA student number (WASN) are eligible to claim the WA Student Assistance Payment. The WA Student Assistance Payment will provide families with children in kindy and pre-primary with $150 for students and can be claimed until the 28 June 2024.
End of Term Message
The end of term is a great time to pause and reflect with gratitude. I wish to take this opportunity to thank our students, our committed staff team and the members of our community who make Orana the wonderful school community it is.
Holidays are an excellent opportunity to spend time together, enjoy a break from the usual routine and engage in activities as a family, such as reading and playing board games. I wish you all a safe and happy holiday.
Term 3
Term 3 for students commences on Tuesday 16th July. The Term 3 calendar is available on our website. (link)
God bless and take care.
Kind regards,
Dee Johnston
Faith in Action
Wheelchair for Kids Fundraiser
- Thank you to everyone who generously donated to the Wheelchair for Kids fundraiser. On our free dress day, we raised an amazing $840 which enables us to purchase 3 wheelchairs. Well done!
- Thank you also to our generous community for the donations made for LifeLink today. See the photo below showing our money LifeLink Dolls created. The students showed great joy in planning, creating and participating in our Mini-Fair. We will update you on funds raised!
Generosity Project
As part of our Orana Generosity Project, 3W and Kindy W went to Herald Avenue Senior Centre for a friendly visit. We ventured in the fresh air to arrive at the centre. When we arrived, we sang two classic Australian songs – Kookaburra Sits in the Old Gumtree and Home Among the Gum Trees. Some of the residents joined in singing with us.
After singing the songs, we shared some special handmade bookmarks with the members of the centre. Time was also spent introducing ourselves, sharing stories, jokes and having a laugh together. We left the residents laughing and smiling. This special excursion showed us how important it is to be kind and generous. We are excited to visit the centre again at Christmas time.
Year 3W and Kindy W
Regional Academic Day 2024
Wednesday 27th June saw 8 of our Year 6 Quest students, along with Mrs Johnson and Mrs Jenner, attend the annual Regional Academic Day, hosted by St Columba’s Catholic Primary School in South Perth. Throughout the day, teams from 7 Catholic Schools competed in a total of 8 Challenges from all learning areas, including IT, Arts, Numeracy, Engineering, English, Science, Code Breaking and Trivia. Our students represented our school excellently with enthusiasm, team spirit and outstanding behaviour.
It was a very close day, with 1st and 7th being separated by less than two points. In the end, our students did Orana proud with a very respectable 4th place. Well done team.
Mrs Jenner
Quest Teacher
CAPSS
On Tuesday 18th June, select Orana students from Years 3-6 competed at the CAPSS Interschool Cross Country Carnival at Manning Park. Despite the unpredictable weather, students battled through to the finish in various race distances against other schools. Our students showed wonderful sportspersonship; cheering on everybody who raced on the day. Congratulations to all students who competed on the day. Thank you to all the schools, volunteers and teachers that assisted to make this day possible.
Thank you to Mr Patat and Mr McGillivray for invaluable support on the day, ensuring students were ready for their races. Thank you to Mrs Palumbo, Mr Alwis and Ms Ruiz for their assistance.
Congratulations to Hannah S and Sonny L, who secured 2nd place in the Year 3 Girls and Year 4 Boys’ races, respectively.
Congratulations to the following students who finished in the top 5 of Year 6 Races: Luke K and Mila P.
Now to the overall results:
Corpus Christi
1st
Hammond Park
2nd
St Columba’s
3rd
St John Bosco
4th
Orana
5th
St Benedict’s
6th
Congratulations to all students who competed and represented Orana.
Kind Regards,
William Ellis
Health and Physical Education Specialist
New Book Club at Orana!
We are thrilled to announce that we are starting a book club at Orana in Week 2 Term 3! This initiative aims to encourage a love for reading and provide our students with a fun and engaging way to explore new books, share their thoughts, and build a sense of community.
The book club will be open to students in Years 3 to 6, and meetings will be held every Tuesday morning at 8 am in the school library. During these sessions, students will have time to silently read and then discuss books.
We believe that a book club can offer numerous benefits, including enhancing reading skills, fostering critical thinking, and creating lasting friendships. It is a wonderful opportunity for students to connect over shared stories and learn from one another.
The numbers are limited, if you are interested in having your child participate, please complete the form below by Tuesday 16 July.
From Our P & F
Dear Orana P and F Community,
Billy G’s Gourmet Cookie Dough Fundraiser is here!
Help us to raise funds for the school P and F whilst you enjoy dough-licious home-made cookies.
There are 9 delicious flavours to choose from, including one for your beloved family pooch.
Please note Billy G’s is a completely cashless fundraiser.
All orders must be placed online and paid by credit or debit card or PayPal, so make sure you create your online fundraising page at www.australianfundraising.com.au today.
How do we create a Fundraising Page?
Creating a fundraising page is easy!
1. Visit www.australianfundraising.com.au and click the “Cookie Dough Login” button on the home page. Then click the register button to fundraise on the cybersafe, Billy G’s Cookie Dough platform.
2. Complete the registration details, Choose your goals and create a unique avatar!
3. Place your order using the “Order Now” button and share your fundraising page with your family and friends via the “Share” section so they can start buying some yummy cookie dough. Easy!
The cookie dough shop will be available to purchase between the 14th and the 28th of June 2024.
The orders will be available for collection on the 26th July 2024 from the school quad.
Your children have received a Billy G’s Order Form with instructions on how to collect orders today.
Please contact the front office if you have not yet received your form.
For any queries please contact Priya Narsing by email on sailesh.priya@yahoo.com
Our school P & F still require the following positions to be filled:
P & F Chair
Coordinator of Classroom Reps
Please consider how you can assist your child's school through the P & F. It is by filling these positions, that community events can take place. You can also join the committee as a general member. If you have any queries, please contact the P & F - oranapandf@gmail.com
Thank-you all
Orana P and F
Family Library Exchange Times
Uniform Update
Track tops and pants are now available at Uniform Concepts. Socks are in limited supply in some sizes, so please wear plain white socks until the new socks arrive, if the required size is unavailable. We have some old uniform stock for sale. Look out on Seesaw for a list of available items.
Here is a preview of our new optional Orana rain jacket. It will keep students warm and dry as they travel to and from school. This will replace the need for umbrellas that are difficult to store during the day and can be unsafe if not used with care.
From our Parish of Saints John & Paul
Wedding Anniversary Mass - Sunday 4th August at 10.30am
Calling all couples celebrating significant wedding anniversaries this year - 1, 10, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 years or more! Register in the church's foyer no later than 26th May. Hand in your wedding photo by 31st May.
Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults - Willetton Catholic Parish
There will be a six -week Period of Enquiry on Tuesdays from the 23rd July to 27th August. All meetings will be at the Parish Centre from 7.00-8.00pm. During this time, we invite everyone who wants to know more about the Catholic faith, especially those who want to be baptised and who want to receive the sacraments of Holy Eucharist, Confirmation and Reconciliation. After the Period of Enquiry, new candidates and catechumens and their sponsors will begin an eight-month program to prepare them for their sacraments at Easter next year. A list of weekly topics are on posters around the Church and they will also published below. For all enquiries, please contact John Richards at livecompany10@gmail.com or call 0417933470. You can also contact Fr John Daly or Fr CJ Millen via the Parish Office.
Term Dates 2024
Term 3 - Tuesday 16th July - Friday 20th September
Term 4 - Monday 7th October - Thursday 12th December
Pupil Free Days 2024
Pupil Free Day - 15th July
Pupil Free Day (Catholic Day) - 26th August
Pupil Free Day - 7 October
Events Coming Up in Our Calendar
2024 - Term 3 - Week 1 and 2
- NAIDOC WEEK - Week 1
- Monday 15th July - Professional Development Day
- Tuesday 16th July - First Day Back for Students - Term 3
- Thursday 18th July - Performing Arts Festival Opening - 10am at the Cathedral
- Friday 19th July - MacKillop House Mass - 9.30am
- Friday 19th July - CPAF Bible Reading
- Friday 19th July - Junior Assembly - 2.30pm
- Start of Catholic Performing Arts Festival - Week 2
- Monday 22nd July - CPAF Primary Piano
- Monday 22nd July - Young Engineers Club - 3.30pm
- Tuesday 23rd July - CPAF Primary Piano
- Wednesday 24th July - CPAF Primary Piano
- Thursday 25th July - CPAF Primary Piano
- Thursday 25th July - CPAF Percussion Ensemble
- Thursday 25th July - Year 3 & 5 Religious Education Assessment Practice Test - 9.30am
- Thursday 25th July - Confirmation Faith Formation at Orana - 7pm - 8pm
- Friday 26th July - CPAF Primary Piano
- Friday 26th July - Year 3 Liturgy - 9.30am
- Friday 26th July - CPAF Classical Guitar Ensemble
- Friday 26th July - Senior Assembly 2.30pm
- Saturday 27th July - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 5.30pm
- Sunday 28th July - Confirmation Commitment Mass - 10.30am
No Playgroup on Monday 15th July due to the Pupil Free Day
Smoking and Vaping is not permitted on school premises; including in private vehicles in the drive through lines or carparks. Thank-you for your cooperation.
Social Worker News
The Benefits of Boredom
‘Children need to sit in their own boredom for the world to become quiet enough that they can hear themselves’ – Dr Vanessa Lapointe With the school holidays upon us, many parents will be frantically trying to find new ways to fend off boredom for their kids. And thinking of new and exciting activities to do is always going to be a good thing… Organised activities involving sports, music or education have proven to be beneficial to a child’s physical, cognitive, cultural and social development. But there is also something to be said for allowing a child to be left to their own devices, or to experience ‘boredom’, according to Teresa Belton, visiting fellow at The School of Education and Lifelong Learning. ‘Children need time to themselves – to switch off from the bombardment of the
Kind regards
Kath Warburton
Social Worker