Dear Families,

Last Tuesday we had the school athletics carnival. Although I was in Roma and not present at the carnival, I heard of the great Lourdes spirit that was evident on the day. Students showed courage and persistence, whether they were striving for their best or trying their hardest at an event they found difficult. They demonstrated teamwork, as children worked in their early years groups to complete in relays. The students also demonstrated tremendous house spirit! And finally, so many students strived for sporting excellence, running faster, jumping higher and throwing further! Well done to all involved with this great carnival. Thank you also to the families and grandparents who came along to support on the day. I have no doubt your children appreciated this.

Staffing

On May 28, Mrs Demi Lawry gave birth to a daughter Hattie Rose Lawry. Hattie was born sleeping and is now in God’s care. I ask that you please keep Mrs Lawry and her family in your prayers at this time. We are grateful for Mr Garry Birch and Mrs Michelle Newman, who will be teaching 3L while Mrs Lawry takes some leave. An email was sent to the 3L families last week. Welcome Garry and Michelle!

Assistant Principal Review – Ms Miranda Murray

This year is the fifth year Ms Murray has held the role of Assistant Principal at Our Lady of Lourdes. In Week 2 of Term 3, an Assistant Principal summative performance appraisal in line with Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS), focused on professional recognition and development, will occur. Ms Murray has invited staff and some members of our community to complete a survey, to support this review.

Being on Time

With the cooler weather well and truly with us, there is an increased amount of students who are arriving late to school. The start of the school day is incredibly important and the time where students are set up for the school day. It is a time to connect with their teacher, class mates and prepare for a day of learning. Please ensure your child/ren are at school, ready for an 8.30 am start.

School Fees

As we head into the end of term 3, this is a friendly reminder to check you are up to date with your school fee invoices or on track with your regular payments. Please contact the office if you would like to discuss your fees or set up a regular plan. Thank you so much to the families who are keeping their fee payments regular and honouring their financial commitment to the school.

Bridget

Ms Bridget Trenerry
Principal

Upcoming Events

A big thank you to all who supported our Favourite Sporting Team Coloured Clothes Day.

The money raised will be used by our local St Vinnie De Paul Chapter to support those in need in our community.

Sacrament of Reconciliation 

If your child is in Year 3 and up and would like to be part of the Preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation - a “Forms” note has been emailed to all families in Year 3 and up. The enrolment due date is this Friday 13^th June. If you didn’t receive an email and would like to be part of this year’s programme, please contact the parish office (07 46 341453 9 am – 1pm weekdays) or email the Parish at ourladyoflourdesparish@twb.catholic.org.au  ASAP. It would be a good time now to locate your child’s Baptism Certificate and find an A5 sized photo.  

NAIDOC Assembly 

On Friday 27^th June, Year 4 will lead a special NAIDOC assembly at 12 noon in the school hall – all are welcome to join us. NAIDOC stands for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee – but the Acronym – NAIDOC- has become the name of this special celebration where we recognise the contribution of our First Nations people in the development of our great country Australia. 

Important M&I Dates for your Diary  

Term 2

Thursday 12^th June – 2:15 pm Assembly led by 3L

Friday 13^th June – First Reconciliation 2025 information enrolment is due – send to the OLOL Parish Office.  

Thursday 19^th June - 2:15pm Assembly led by 5ME

Friday 27^th  June – NAIDOC Assembly– 12 noon School Hall led by Year 4 (No assembly on Thursday 26/6/2025) 

Thursday 3^rd July – Deacon BJ Perrett’s Ordination – St Patrick’s Cathedral 6:30 m (RSVP Sunday 15/6/2025 stpatrickscathedral@twb.catholic.org.au )

Term 3 

Monday 14^th July – Pupil Free Day

Tuesday 15^th July – Beginning of Term 3

Sunday 20^th July – Sacrament of Reconciliation 1st Preparation Meeting 10:45 am OLOL Church

Thursday 24^th July – Pyjama Day –Gold coin donation for the Pyjama Foundation

Tuesday 29^th July – Catholic Education Week– Grandparents Day– 9:30am School Hall - Please email One photo of your child’s grandparents to Mrs Moore (Janice.Moore@twb.catholic.edu.au) for the photostory powerpoint. Photos need to be in no later than Wednesday 23rd July 2025.   

If there are any Volunteers available to help with morning tea – please contact Mrs. Moore.  

Friday 1^st August – Bishop’s Inservice Pupil Free Day 

Have a great week – stay warm!  

Janice

Janice Moore
Assistant Principal Mission and Identity

(APMI)

Report cards for Semester One each year are based on learning that has occurred in Term One and Term Two and report on student achievement and effort for the first half of the year.

These reports highlight the ongoing dedication to learning and growth. We greatly appreciate the strong parent partnerships within our school community and urge parents and guardians to carefully review the report cards.

This year there are a few changes to our reports to ensure alignment to the new Toowoomba Catholic Schools Teaching and Learning Framework. There are new achievement and effort scale definitions for the A-E grades. An A-E grade for achievement is against the year level achievement standard from the Australian Curriculum.

All reports will now only have a General Comment that will feature how your child enacts our school values and traits of a learner and global citizen.

The following table provides an explanation of the new A-E reporting scales going forward.

Should you have any questions or wish to discuss your child’s progress further, please feel free to reach out to the relevant teachers. Open communication between parents and the school is vital for enhancing a child's learning experience.

Reports will be accessible through the parent portal. If you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the school.

Miranda

Miranda Murray
Assistant Principal

Upcoming Dates

Congratulations

Congratulations to the Hayley Harch and Aida Rogers who have gained selection in the Toowoomba Zone Girls U12 Rugby League team to attend the DDSS trials in in July.

Congratulation to Goolagong House on winning all 3 trophies at the OLOL Athletics Carnival. A very dominant result with plenty of students contributing to the win either through Standard competition points or placings in Championship events.

OLOL Athletics Carnival

Thank you to all students, staff, and parents who participated in and supported the OLOL Athletics Carnival. Despite the cold and windy conditions, it was very pleasing to see the number of students giving their best either jumping, running, or throwing in both Championship and Standards events.

Highlights of the Carnival included:

• Hudson Blackburn breaking the Boys U11 High Jump record (new record 1.32m)
• The huge Foxtail throws that reached over 35m and the whistle of the Vortex as they were launched.
• The resilience of the 200m runners who ran into the strong winds and kept going, after a long day of events.
• The huge number of parents who cheered on and supported the P-2 runners in their sprints and relays.
• The many students who demonstrated their House Spirit by wearing extra House colours and cheering all day.

A huge call out to Mr Watt and Mr Shoebridge who started setting up in the dark at 6.30am and then finished the day unloading after school had finished.

OLOL Athletics Teams

The OLOL Athletics teams to participate at the West Zone Athletics Trials and Catholic Athletics Carnival will be announced in Week 9. Selected students will receive all relevant information following the announcement.

Dates for each event are as follows:

Catholic Athletics Carnival – Friday 18 July (Week 1 Term 3)

West Zone 1500m Trials – Wednesday 6 August (Week 4 Term 3)

West Zone Athletics Trials – Wednesday 13 August (Week 5 Term 3)

OLOL Ball Games Carnival

The OLOL Ball Games Carnival will be held on Thursday 26 June in the OLOL Hall. Please note the following details:

• Students are asked to wear their House polo shirts and will need to bring water bottles
• P-Year 2 - Pass Along - Zig Zag Ball - Tunnel Ball
• Year 3-6 - Leader Ball - Zig Zag Ball - Tunnel Ball

Timetable

9:00am                Yr3.   (Yr2 spectates)

9:20am                Yr2.   (Yr1 spectates)

9:40am                Yr1.   (Prep spectates)

10:00am              Prep  (Yr1 spectates)

10.30am              Break

11:20am              Yr4.   (Yr3 spectates)

11:40am              Yr5.   (Yr4 spectates)

12:00pm             Yr6.   (Yr5 spectates)

• Prep-Year4 are asked to return for the presentation, after the Yr6 events, at approximately 12:30pm.

Representative Sport—Toowoomba & Darling Downs Teams

Throughout the course of the year Toowoomba Primary School Sport and Darling Downs School Sport offer trials to eligible students for a variety of team and individual sports. Strict nomination requirements apply, and it is at the sole discretion of the school to decide whether to nominate individual students. OLOL will also host trials for sports which have multiple students seeking to nominate to attend the TPSS or DDSS trials. All trials will be advertised by email to parents, on assembly and in PE lessons, and posted on the Sports Board outside the Hall. The trials listed below are either yet to be advertised or have been advertised and the nomination window is still open.

Concerns and Questions

If you have any future questions or concerns, always feel free to contact me. I am very keen to ensure we maintain a high level of communication and give every possible opportunity for students to play, enjoy, and learn in a friendly, safe, positive, and inclusive environment. Please note that I do not work at OLOL on Mondays except for occasional Sporting School lessons, however I am still available to be contacted to ensure I can support and assist in any way possible.

Richard Dugdale
PE Teacher

Read More In May Challenge WINNERS!

Thank you to all those children who entered our "Read More in May" reading competition. We are so proud of your efforts. This event was all about encouraging everyone to dive into the world of books and discover new adventures, knowledge, and stories.

Congratulations to our winners who showed exceptional dedication and enthusiasm in their reading journey. Your commitment to reading has not only earned you this recognition but also enriched your minds and imaginations.

Well Done to:

• Teddy D 1T
• Vivian C 2G 
• Ripley W 2D

Thank you to everyone who participated. Remember, every book you read opens up a new world of possibilities. Keep reading and keep exploring! The winning students will be presented with their $25 Gift Vouchers on Assembly this week.

Reconciliation Week

Reconciliation Week is a vital time for all Australians to reflect on our shared history, celebrate the rich cultures of First Nations peoples, and commit to building a more inclusive and respectful society. This week encourages us to acknowledge past injustices and work towards healing and unity.

In recognition of this important event, we curated a special display featuring a diverse collection of First Nations books. These books are available for loan, offering everyone the opportunity to explore and appreciate the stories, wisdom, and perspectives of Indigenous authors.

Library Snaps

Here are a few pictures captured in the library over the past week or so. We have had a Dictionary Challenge running, research lessons with Year 2 and plenty of activities to enjoy at break times!

Book Care

Please remind your children of the importance of caring for the books they bring home. Books should be kept safe and dry and come to and from school inside a library bag. If books are damaged, please endeavour to let us know as soon as practical. Books that are unable to be repaired will be charged back to families so that we can replace them. Thank you for taking care of our books.  

Overdue Books

At the time of writing this newsletter there are over 300 overdue library books. It is important to get all of your books back by the end of term to avoid any fees and charges. If you are having trouble locating books, please email Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au and we can check the shelves here at school.

Chess Lessons

Please be on the lookout for Chess Permission forms via Sentral for next term. Be mindful that we do not offer Chess Lessons in Term 4, so Term 3 is your last chance to participate in 2025. If you have any questions about Chess lessons please contact: Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Due to the Athletics Carnival in Week 7 we are offering a make-up lesson in Week 10. All children who have played Chess with us this term are welcome to participate in this session.

Important Links:

AccessIt https://au.accessit.online/ORL13.

Wheelers eBooks Wheelers eBooks

Library Opening Times

Parent Borrowing

Parents are welcome to borrow up to 10 additional books from the library collection. We are open in the times above. Please be reminded that parents are unable to borrow from the home reading collection including all On My Own and Read with Me titles. These titles are in high demand for staff and students, and we do not have enough copies to loan to families from this collection. Please access extra Decodable Readers via DRA online (class teachers will have logon details) or Wheelers eBooks (student email and password to logon). Thank you for your understanding.  

Book Club

Issue 4 orders have been placed, and we expect delivery later this week or early next week. Once orders arrive at school we will deliver them to classroom teachers for distribution. Please email queries about Book Club to Danielle.Leathart@twb.catholic.edu.au

Happy Reading! Mrs Leathart, Mrs Monte and Mrs Kemp.

Mrs Leathart & Mrs Monte