Loving God,

Bless all grandparents and special people in the lives of our children.

Dear Parents and Community Members,

Pope Francis told the World Youth Day crowds in Brazil. “How important grandparents are for family life, for passing on the human and religious heritage which is so essential for each and every society! How important it is to have intergenerational exchanges and dialogue, especially within the context of the family. Children and the elderly build the future of peoples: children because they lead history forward, the elderly because they transmit the experience and wisdom of their lives. This relationship and this dialogue between generations is a treasure to be preserved and strengthened.”

Last Friday, we were lucky to have so many Grandparents come and spend time at school with their grandchildren. After enjoying afternoon tea in the hall, Grandparents visited classrooms to look at work and complete activities, before returning to the hall for a special assembly presented by the Pre-primary students, dressed up as the older generation!

It is important for us to take time to think about the great wisdom and experience, which is passed from generation to generation, and we celebrate the gifts our Grandparents have forged for us- the gifts of life and love. We give thanks for all the guidance and encouragement and unconditional love they share.

It’s almost here, and the excitement is brewing! Come along to the Family Fun Day on Sunday November 3 and join in a fun extended family and friends’ intergenerational event, designed for friendship raising amongst our beautiful community. The day starts at 9.00am with mass in the school hall and then the following activities between 10.00am -2.00pm.

With heaps of the following fun activities to look forward to, bring your gold coins!

We are still taking collection of books and clean toys for the fun day please. Box is outside the front office. Your donations are much appreciated!

Internationally, World Teachers’ Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October.

However, as this is usually during Australian school holidays, Australia celebrates towards the end of October of each year. World Teachers’ Day celebrates the work of teachers, acknowledging the important contribution they make to the community. The day allows students, parents and community members to show their appreciation for teachers and the positive impact they make on society. I am extremely proud of our teachers and staff for the way they always go ‘above and beyond’ for our students.

In 2024, the theme for the day is: ‘Hats off to teachers!’

Our teachers work so hard so they can give our students the best future possible.

I would like to acknowledge and celebrate our educators at OLC. Teaching is a difficult job. It is challenging, tiring, energising, surprising and no day is ever the same. It is fun, but most of all, it is so rewarding. Thank you to our staff for their dedication, which is valued and appreciated. If you get a chance, please thank a teacher next week! Special thanks to our P&F who are planning a celebratory morning tea for our teachers on Wednesday 30 October. On this day, students may wear a different or funny hat. Hats off to teachers!

Notes will be coming home next week with information regarding our Annual School Community Meeting (ASCM) to be held on Monday 11 November at 5.00pm. At the meeting, reports will be presented by the Principal, the School Advisory Council (SAC) Chair, Craig Saunders and the P&F Chair, Jessica Duffy. The SAC is an advisory group, meeting once each term. Their input and advice is a much-needed aspect of our OLC community. In the next few years, planning for Stage 9 of the building program will be on the agenda, and SAC insight will be welcomed.

The current P&F leadership group are coming to the end of their first year at the helm I am delighted that most of those who hold executive roles (Chair, Deputy Chair and Secretary) are going to be renominating for a second year. Nominations will be called for the position of Treasurer, to be announced at the upcoming ASCM. I would like to sincerely thank the current group for the exceptional work they have done in their roles, and the tremendous achievements to support the school in so many ways. Nomination forms will be sent home next week. Please consider if this role would be of interest to you. The work of the P&F is essential in our school community, to help with those extra things that enhance our school, as well as those events that bring people together.

The next SAC Meeting will be held on Wednesday 6 November at 5.00pm.

Our Crosswalk attendant is not available for the next few weeks. We are so lucky at OLC to have such dedicated staff who have volunteered their time to safely assist students across the road in the afternoons. Please note the crosswalk will not be attended in the mornings.

Our dedicated P&F committee recently coordinated afternoon tea for Grandparent’s Day. They are also planning on treating our teachers and staff to a special morning tea to celebrate World Teachers Day next Wednesday. They are currently getting ready to get tickets out for the Christmas Raffle. The raffle will be drawn at our Christmas Concert. Planning is underway for an end of year Fun Day to be held on Tuesday 3 December, in the last week of term. This is a change from previous years, when a Colour Run has been held on the last day. Not all changes are always well-received by everyone, but we are going to try something different this year. Many parents contribute to ensure the success of these events and activities, and we sincerely thank all who contribute.

The next P&F Meeting will be held next Wednesday 30 October at 9.00am in the staff room. Everyone is welcome to come along.

As part of our cultural program, the Year 6 class worked with our cultural custodian, Josh Whiteland, to create their Journey Sticks. They will use these as part of their graduation ceremonies at the end of the year.

The Year 6 students helped the Kindy students to plant trees that may be used for their journey sticks when they are in Year 6.

Congratulations to our students who competed in the Interschool Athletics Carnival in Bunbury recently. They competed with enthusiasm and represented the school with pride. We are very proud of all of them!

We welcome new Kindy families to their introduction to our school through their attendance at the information meeting in the hall on Monday 4 November at 9.30am. There will be two Kindy classes again next year, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. The Kindy 2025 Orientation play session will be held on Monday 18 November, with two sessions, one at 9.30am and one at 11.00am.

We still have a few places available for our Kindy 2025 class.

We have new, inviting, purpose build classrooms and specially designed playground spaces. Please spread the word if you know of anyone who would like to experience our nurturing Early Childhood program.

Our Pre-Kindy class is a wonderful introduction to the school environment.

We have a few places left for our three year old Pre-Kindy 2025 class. If your child turns 3 on or after 1 July this year (2024) they are eligible for Pre-Kindy next year.

Please contact the office for more information, and please let family and friends know if you think they might be interested.

School attendance matters as early as Kindy. Children who regularly attend school have opportunities to socialise, problem solve and learn in an enriched environment. Studies show that children who miss too many days, even as early as Kindy and Pre-Primary, struggle academically in later years. This also applies to other school years. It only takes one absence every two weeks for attendance to be concerning.

Attend today and achieve for a lifetime.
How can you help?

• Make sure you child attends school every day unless they are sick
• Have a regular morning routine that helps your child prepare for school
• Solve any problems your child is having at school with their teacher as early as possible
• Plan extended holidays during non-school days
• Schedule your child’s dental and medical appointments at the end of the school day

After school activities are just that – AFTER school activities. Please let your child complete the school day before collecting them for after school activities. Missing out on school time means that they are ‘out of the loop’ and may not keep up with important class information. This makes some children feel more anxious, which can significantly impact their learning.

If your child will not be returning to OLC in 2025, please inform the office in writing to enable our planning for next year. Thank you.

Congratulations to Mrs Amy Sherborne and Trent and Abbey on the safe arrival of their precious baby, Lewin boy. We look forward to meeting him soon.

Welcome to our staff Mrs Natasha Stokes, who will be teaching Music to Year 5 and 6 students on Thursdays for the rest of the year, as Mrs Sherborne is on maternity leave. We are so thankful for the wonderful job that Mrs Sherborne has done with our students until now and we wish her all the best as she takes time out to be with little Lewin.

Natasha comes to us with lots of experience as a Music teacher at other schools, and our senior students are enjoying her approach.

Please be mindful that there are no staff members on duty after school, so once collected from the classrooms, students are in the care of their parents. It has been noticed that students (particularly older siblings of our Kindy and Pre-primary students) are playing unsafely on the play equipment after school and not following the rules and guidelines we have in place during the day for safety reasons. The staff are concerned about the safely of all students in our playgrounds. Thank you for your support.

Thank you to all families who kindly donated items to prepare special shoebox gifts for children in need. Your generosity will make a difference to a child, when they receive your gift at Christmas time. Through the kindness of our community, 58 boxes were prepared and sent. Here is a link to a video of children receiving their shoeboxes in previous years.

Wishing you a wonderful week.

May God bless you.

Mrs Angela Hegney

Principal

October is the Month traditionally dedicated to the Holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Year 3R and 3C will be visited by parishioners Ms Rooney and Ms DeGaris this month to learn and participate in this beautiful prayer.

We thank them for their time and knowledge.

One of our favourite tools for talking to kids about how they’re feeling in their friendships is The Friend-o-Meter. Although it’s normal to have a friendship dip into the Red-Zone now and again (Friendship Fact #1: No friendship – or relationship – is perfect!), what happens when a friendship is up and down A LOT?

While many kids will admit they’ve experienced this type of friendship, a friendship that goes from the Green-Zone to the Red-Zone regularly can feel very challenging. Words that children use to describe these high-conflict friendships include: unpredictable, hard, and exhausting.

These friendships can feel especially confusing for parents, as their child oscillates between “Best Friends” and “They’re not invited to my birthday party!” For teachers, these students can sometimes cause a lot of drama for classmates who sometimes find themselves caught in the middle (what we call in our Friendology friendship skills curriculum, a Friendship Sandwich! It’s sticky and messy in there!).

So, what can we do to support a child in this type of everyday-is-different friendship?

First, identify if they are suffering. Are they upset about it? Is it deeply affecting them? Are they really struggling (*here are some signs to look for)? If the answer is no, and the child seems to be handling it quite well, then this might be a case of them simply ‘ironing out the wrinkles’. Whether it’s a new friendship or the dynamic of the friendship has changed, it sometimes takes time to get to know each other and learn how to get along.

‘Fiery Friendships’ are especially common for children with strong personalities who form friendships with kids similar to them. While they might click at first, they’ll naturally begin to butt heads. For these kids, the highs are high and the lows are low!

But, as parents and educators, we can rest easy if (1) the good times outweigh the bad times AND (2) they’re putting out their Friendship Fires® by working their way around the Friend-o-Cycle. If these two factors are present, then it sounds like they are figuring it out and it might just be a lifelong friendship in the making.

However, if a child is coming home in tears every day and really seem torn up about it, here are a few strategies to try as you coach them from the sidelines (Note: Log-in to your free family membership to access the activities):

• “How can you spend less time in this friendship?”: Sometimes these volatile friendships are simply a product of spending too much time together. Help your child come up with a plan to decrease their daily dose of this friendship. Give this activity a try: Spending Less Time
• “It’s time to get strategic in this friendship!”: Help your child get clear on what works and what doesn’t work in their friendship. When are they getting along? When are Friendship Fires igniting? Then, help them come up with a plan. Watch this video: Feel-Good Friendships
• “Are they Friendship Fires or is it Mean-on-Purpose?”: It’s important that your child understands the difference between normal conflict (Friendship Fires®) versus intentionally rude, cruel, malicious behavior. Try this interactive tool: Friendship Fire or Mean-on-Purpose Advice
• “Did you Talk-it-Out until the Fire-is-Out?”: Has your child truly talked to their friend to tell them how they’re feeling? Are they being honest with their friend or do they keep sweeping the issues under the rug? For parents, this might be an opportunity to plan a playdate or sleepover to create that one-on-one time with their friend. Role-play with them, so they can practise what they’ll say. School is a busy place and sometimes it’s hard for kids to find time to Talk-it-Out with a friend. Watch this video: Be a Friendship Ninja
• “What colour friendships do you deserve?”: Ask them, “Let’s think about a friendship that goes from green to red, green to red, green to red on The Friend-o-Meter. What colour does that friendship average out at?” Help your child identify that friendship would average out in the Yellow-Zone. Remind them they deserve Green-Zone friendships in their lives! Try this activity: The Friend-o-Meter: Time to Chat!

While it’s normal for a friendship to have the occasional Friendship Fire®, a healthy friendship has been proven by Dr John Gottman’s research to have at least 5 positive (green) interactions for every 1 negative (red) interaction. These tricky friendships are a great opportunity for children to master their conflict-resolution skills and learn to foster healthy, feel-good friendships.

One thing we say to kids all the time is: “You teach people how to treat you!” When kids deal with their Friendship Fires® in a kind and respectful way, it deepens friendships creating closer & stronger connections.

Written by: Dana Kerford
Founder & Friendship Expert

The next P&F General Meeting is being held on Wednesday 30th October at 9.00am in the school office. All are welcome to attend.

A reminder that our OLC x Eagle Bay Brewing Co Beer and Wine Fundraiser finishes on Sunday 27th October. This is your last opportunity to buy premium Eagle Bay Brewing Co beer and wine bundles with the added bonus of supporting our school. You don’t want to miss this!

How it Works:

1. Order your wine and beer online and save
2. $5 per bottle / cube will be donated to the P&F
3. Enjoy your wine and beer!

Shop Online:

https://eaglebaybrewing.com.au/exclusive-sale/

Free local pick up or free shipping over $250.

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/