Term 3 Week 6 2023 Newsletter

Download any of the following documents by clicking on the link.

Playgroup & Occasional Care

• Occasional Care flyer
• Playgroup flyer
• Playgroup Term 3 outline
• Playgroup Term 4 outline
• Playgroup Term 3 session outline

Parents & Friends Committee

• Email: PNF@olpq.catholic.edu.au

Second-hand Uniform Shop

• Second-hand uniform consignment form

Enrolments

• Application for Enrolment form

Canteen

• Canteen menu and price list August 2023

This week we welcomed back Diana Frangos from 5 weeks of long service leave. Diana has hit the ground running, picking up from where she left off at the end of Term 2. Together we have completed our 10 year plan, an important document as we prepare for the years ahead. This plan allows the school to clearly plan for the enrolment, learning, environment and other needs of Our Lady Queen of Peace School.

2024

Planning for 2024 has well and truly begun. Working in partnership with the School Board, structures and staffing models are being explored. The staffing process for 2024 has begun (and is close to being completed) as we look for the very best teachers to provide excellent teaching and learning. In addition to this, I am keen to find stability in the staff moving forward.

I anticipate being able to share with the community the structure and staffing team for 2024 in the near future.

School Improvement Feedback

Around mid year 2022, I toured a family through the school as they were investigating options for their child, who is starting school in 2025. At the time, I invited them to return in 2023 for another tour of the school, to see if we had delivered on the vision and improvements that were discussed.

The same family recently came back for their second visit. They were pleased to see that we have delivered on the promised vision and improvements discussed only 12 months earlier. Not only were they pleased, they were impressed with how much we have achieved in such a short time. 

Our school is impressive – providing excellent teaching and learning, in learning environments that create excellent learning opportunities for our students. 

Nature Play

Our major playground redevelopment has begun. Though it is sad to see the old playground being removed, this creates a great opportunity for wonderful change. This new development will create excellent opportunities for play, risk taking, assessment, engaging in creative play, and gardening. In addition to this, the change creates safety. Though the old playground was not unsafe, it was approaching its use by date. When it comes to safety, I would prefer to be proactive rather than reactive. All going to plan, this new Nature 

Play space should be completed by Week 4 of Term 4.

Parents and Friends

We have an amazing Parents and Friends group. The Father’s Day gift stall and breakfast events were excellent opportunities for the community to come together and celebrate family. Thank you to the many hands that made these days successful and for the families that were able to attend the breakfast. View the amazing images on our Facebook page by following this link: www.facebook.com/olqpschoolsa.

Last year, we hosted a polling booth on site for the federal election. This was a great opportunity for people to learn where Our Lady Queen of Peace School is located. We will be hosting a polling booth again this year; this time for the referendum on 14 October 2023. Last year, we had the support of many families with the Democracy BBQ and drinks sale. We will be looking for community help again. Watch this space for more information.

Amazing Staff

The staff at Our Lady Queen of Peace School are amazing. This week, Ms Adriana Pilla and Mr Leigh Turbill presented to a number of staff from other schools on the excellent work we are doing in the Key Capability Continuum. This evening I received the following feedback:

“You (Adriana and Leigh) both did an outstanding job in presenting and your information came across so well. Even after you both left, everyone was commenting on the great work that is happening at OLQP.

Lee, thank you so much for releasing them to be able to come and share today and you would have been extremely proud of Adriana and Leigh!”

I am extremely proud!

Reminders

Finally, a friendly reminder that we have a student free day on Friday 8 September, and that we will be celebrating Mercy Day on Friday 15 September.

Mercy Day will look different this year:

• In the morning session we will be learning about Catherine McAuley,
• There will be the White Elephant stall and activities during the middle session.
• The much anticipated Colour Run will be held in the afternoon session.

As you can see it will be an action packed day!

"Chookas" to our Wakakirri students and staff as they perform again in the state final on Friday 8 September!

Lee Abela
Principal

Assumption of Mary 

On Tuesday 15 August we held a whole school Mass for the solemnity of the Assumption of Mary. This is a day that we remember when Mary, Jesus' mother, was assumed to heaven, body and soul, after she died. As a community, we reflect on how united to Christ, Mary (Our Lady Queen of Peace) lives and acts as the Mother of the Church, with her faith continuing to inspire us. The mass was run by 3/4C with Fr. Roman – well done to all involved.  

Moments of Grace 

The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 

Psalms 145.9 

Moving forward I would like to encourage staff, students and families to take time to recognise moments of Grace. Grace is the gift of God's life within us and the help God gives us to live as his children. God created everything out of goodness and love. 

• God is present and active in our lives and all created world. 
• Grace, the divine presence, surrounds us in our situation, not outside the lives we find ourselves living. 
• Grace is revealed in acts of Justice, Compassion, Hope, Hospitality, Courage. 

Can you think of a moment of grace that you have encountered in the last week? 

Marissa Redden
APRIM

Are you ready to add a burst of vibrant colours to your day? We are thrilled to announce the highly anticipated Colour Fun Run, scheduled to take place on Friday 15 September. This exciting event promises an unforgettable experience filled with laughter, camaraderie, and of course, a dazzling array of colors.

We are so excited to say that with two weeks remaining, the anticipation is building! Students have received their sponsorship booklet and can now create their online profile at myprofilepage.com.au.

We have currently raised $7,415 of our $10,000 goal!

We are required to seek permission from families for their child to participate in the Colour Explosion™ School Fun Run.

You will be receiving a Survey Monkey link very soon, that will include a section for you to give permission for your child/ren to participate in the Colour Run.

All measures have been taken to ensure that this event is safe for all students. The colour powder is made from 98% corn starch and 2% food colouring, making it non-toxic, biodegradable and gluten-free.

The P&F volunteers will do their best to aim the powder towards the torso, however wind may cause the powder to protrude onto your child’s face or hair. Sunglasses will be provided for students on the day. The coloured powder is designed to wash out of your child’s clothing, nevertheless, it is recommended that your child wears a plain white top that, in the event it will be coloured, you do not mind.

On behalf of the
P & F Committee

We were all very excited with the unexpected arrival of the Golden Speckled Egg, book and letter at Occasional Care and Playgroup in Week 2. 

While sharing and passing the egg around carefully, the curious minds of children were wondering:

• How and why it arrived here?
• What is inside the egg?
• How big is the egg going to get?
• What do we need to do to look after the egg? 

The letter said:

"I have come from a faraway place. If you want to see me grow, grow and grow until I crack open, you will need to sing to me, read stories to me, dance your special dance, write me letters and draw me pictures, and anything else you can think of that will make me grow." 

The children are carefully taking good care of the egg by collecting sticks and leaves and building a nest, giving it kisses and keeping it warm with a rug when we go outside for walks, with everyone taking turns pushing the trolley.  

We have read many animal books, playing animal games, snug and danced to many songs, drawn and painted pictures of what we think is inside the egg. 

The children have been learning and communicating while making lots of different animal craft.  We have weighed how heavy or light the egg is on a scale and compared it to other objects in our room. Students from the school have also been asking about the egg.

Each week the children arrive and come in excitedly to see if the egg has hatched. In Week 5 the children saw the Golden Speckled Egg had grown bigger; they were amazed!

So now we wonder how much bigger it is going to get before it hatches? 

It looks like we need to do a lot more reading, singing, dancing, drawing, letter writing and taking the egg for walks. 

Alison Ferguson
Occasional Care and Playgroup Coordinator

Read | Grow | Inspire : Ngutungka West Lakes Visit

Last week the school visited the new West Lakes Library, Ngutungka West Lakes. This was the first time many of the students had visited the library and hopefully some have been inspired to take up a membership.

There was much to see and do after the librarian read a story from the Book Week shortlist.

I was impressed by the range of facilities in the building space and the large windows that provided natural light and even a view of the oval outside. The staff were very welcoming to our students. There was even a PlayStation 4!

Some comments from 5/6 H students:

• "The library was really nice and calm, and we had lots of fun doing the giant jigsaw puzzle and listening to the book." Leila
• "When I left the library, I felt relaxed. The library people were welcoming. I liked sitting and reading my book on the couch." Ella
• "It was really good. I really liked how the library was set out with the books and DVDs. My favourite furniture was the circular couches. I even read the Australian!" Tom
• "It was really great to be able to all sit together in the cool furniture. It was nice to browse in the library because I have not been there before." Isabelle

Sue Hackett
5/6 H teacher

During National Science Week, the school transformed into a hub of scientific exploration and creativity!

The highlight of the week was undoubtedly our “STEMmania” event, which took place during lunchtime. This event was designed to engage and excite our students with a variety of STEM activities and challenges. From creating intricate structures with everyday materials, flying a drone across the oval, to unravelling the mysteries of chemistry through a number of simple experiments, our young scientists and slime enthusiasts had the chance to experience some fun hands-on learning in STEM.

Tamara Brooker
STEM teacher

It has been an exciting and busy time for our student artists.

A highlight of this term has been the inaugural Our Lady Queen of Peace SALA exhibition,  "Art from the Heart", at the Civic Library, Woodville. The exhibition showcased artworks created by Reception to Year 6 student artists and was an excellent opportunity for the local community to see just how talented our students are. I am certain if you managed to see the exhibition you would agree!

The art room is currently filled with all sorts of wonderful sculptures in various stages of creation. This term we are focusing on developing our three-dimensional art skills by creating a range of papier mâché sculptures. The year ones have made some delightful animal heads, each one with their own distinct personality. Year twos are making totems inspired by nature and year threes and fours are making whimsical rabbits. The year fives and sixes have just started making an armature for their masks out of recycled materials. The reception students will be beginning to make some magical miniature houses very soon.

The three-dimensional artworks provide the students with an opportunity to apply some of their engineering and mathematical knowledge in a practical way. It also helps students to understand that creating art can take time and often involves many stages. I have been very impressed with just how imaginative and ingenious many of the sculptures are and I am looking forward to seeing the completed pieces!

The 'Start’ program at the Art Gallery of South Australia

With so many enthusiastic art students at our school I wanted to share a great, free program that is available for children aged 3 – 12 years run by the Art Gallery of South Australia. I have attended many of the Start Sunday sessions with my family and we have all thoroughly enjoyed them. Here are some details about the program and a link to join the program.

Start at the Gallery is an exciting introduction to art for children aged 3-12 and their families. Held on the first Sunday of every month, Start is a free family-fun day and includes art activities, tours, live performances and entertainment.

Each monthly event is themed around current exhibitions or the general collection.

Start is held on the first Sunday of each month, 11am–3pm.

Events are free and no bookings are necessary.

Parent/carer supervision is required.

All Start activities are approved by the Children's University, so whether you are visiting us or doing the activities at home, remember to update your passport at the Information Desk.

Start Art Club members, along with their families, gain exclusive benefits and Gallery experiences year-round.

In addition to the beginner artist welcome pack and personalised Start Art Club card, each member receives monthly take home art activities, and a special birthday gift.

Families also enjoy monthly newsletters with the latest events and information on family programs, receive 10% off children’s products in the Gallery Store at each Start Day, as well as 15% off all purchases at Premier Art Supplies.

Please click on the link below if you wish to join the Start Club.

Start Art Club - AGSA

Suzanne Healey
Visual Arts teacher

On Thursday 10 August the cross country team competed at the annual SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival held in the city parklands.

We had 22 keen and fit students represent our school over the gruelling 2000m endurance course which included a creek crossing and some steep hills. 

Each race had between 90-150 runners competing and our students did exceptionally well and tried their very best. We had some runners finish in the top 20 in their respective race which is a fantastic achievement. Some notable performances include:

• Year 3 Boys Division B Race: William A finished 6th place and Henry S finished 3rd place
• Year 3 Boys Division C Race: Maxwell W finished 6th place and Archie M finished 2nd place.
• Year 4 Girls Division A Race: Sophie P finished 2nd place. 
• Year 4 Girls Division B Race: Maya D finished 9th place
• Year 6 Girls Division B Race: Leila H finished 11th place 

A massive thank you to our parent volunteer Justine Stoddard for her help and support throughout the day. 

More photos can be found on our Facebook page, just follow this link: https://tinyurl.com/yfsk4hky

Matthew Annetta
PE teacher / Sports Coordinator

OLQP QUIZ NIGHT

It is back! Please come and celebrate our community with a fun filled night!

• When: Friday 27 October 2023
• Time: 6:30pm

The P&F are also looking for school community or other connections to contribute to the silent auction.

We are always happy to accept any offers of help!

Email: PnF@olqp.catholic.edu.au

Come and join the fun!

• Playgroup is on Wednesdays 9-10.30am.
• Occasional Care is on Tuesdays 9-12pm for children 3-5yrs.

For more information, please access the flyers regarding Playgroup and Occasional Care from the Useful Links section at the beginning of this newsletter.

More questions?

• Phone: 8279 8800
• Email: Alison.Ferguson@olqp.catholic.edu.au

Alison Ferguson
Occasional Care and Playgroup Faciliator

Current opening times:

MONDAY

• 8.40am – 9am
• 2.45pm – 3.10pm

The second-hand uniform shop service, facilitated by a dedicated group of parents, supports the community to access quality and affordable second-hand uniforms for their children.

Location:

Now located in the P & F Room (near the girls' toilets, adjacent the basketball courts).

Call 8279 8800 if you require more information, or alternatively, you can email the P & F Committee using this email: PNF@olqp.catholic.edu.au.

Louisa Scopacasa
Second-hand Uniform Shop Coordinator
P & F Committee

New families and permanent bookings:

All new family bookings and permanent bookings need to be made through the OSHC office.

Please contact Jo on 0417 840 700, or pop into either the OSHC office or front office for an information pack.

Jo Fahey
OSHC Director

This group program, facilitated by Supported Minds Psychology, aims to provide valuable insights, strategies, and support to help parents to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities of raising a child with neurodevelopmental difficulties.

Click HERE or on the image of the flyer to download and access information, including session times.

Registrations are NOW open for Growing for Gold 2023.

We are inviting children aged 7-14 to come along to Mate Stadium and give hockey 🏑 a try for free.

Head to https://growingforgold.tidyhq.com/public/schedule/events/53498-hockey and pick one of 2 sessions Enfield Hockey Club will be holding that you want to try for free, then come along and give it a go.

Anybody who decides to join the club after participating will receive a $40 SportsPower voucher!

The Growing for Gold Program is a collaboration between the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, City of Salisbury, SA, Australia and City of Playford.

Click on the flyer to enlarge!

We hope to see you there!

Regards

Kris Meakin
Email: ideacs@gmail.com

Royal Life Saving SA's Holiday Swim Program is running again in the December 2023 / January 2024 summer holidays!

Enrolments are already open, and we have many locations around South Australia! 

Holiday Swim is a Royal Life Saving Society South Australia initiative bringing affordable and educational swimming and water safety lessons to pools and inland waterway locations across metropolitan and regional South Australia since the 1950s. The aim of the program is to teach children critical life saving skills and basic swimming skills, to equip them with the knowledge to stay safe in, on and around the water.

The aim of keeping the program affordable is to reach families and communities that might otherwise miss out on the opportunity to participate in swimming lessons, and as we approach the busy summer months, now is the time to equip them with the knowledge to save a life.

The program will be returning in December 2023 and January 2024 with the newly adapted Royal Life Saving Swim & Survive program.

Royal Life Saving also offer pathways into the aquatic industry with their ICONIC Bronze Awards. The Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, Award of Merit and Distinction levels are designed for those wanting to further their knowledge and skill set before moving into the aquatic industry as lifeguards and swim teachers within the local communities.

More information can be found by clicking on the flyer or visiting our website.

If you have any questions, please reach out to us:

• P: 08 8210 4500
• E: holidayswim@royallifesavingsa.com.au 
• W:  www.holidayswim.com.au

Sarah Garrett
Holiday Swim Coordinator
Royal Life Saving South Australia

Enrol NOW - click HERE!