Term 4 Week 5, 2023

Children’s University

This week, I was privileged to attend the Children’s University Graduation ceremony at Bonython Hall on the Adelaide University campus.  Our school has one of the highest number of students participating in Children’s University and this is an outstanding achievement.  This program is part of our school life and culture.

I believe that children who participate in Children’s University have the opportunity to learn in a rich range of contexts, experience new places, visit universities and attend their own graduation ceremonies. Participating in these activities introduces children to the joy of learning, brings a sense of wonder in the world around them and develops their confidence and aspirations for the brightest futures. 

Many thanks must go to Tina Wood our Children’s University Coordinator who is totally committed to this program and is passionate about children increasing their passion for learning.  She is the best Children’s University coordinator a school could have!  Many thanks to the parents for supporting their children in this program.  Your support of your children’s learning is invaluable.

Staffing Update

• Bianca Bruno - Bianca has informed me of her intention to resign her substantive position as APRIM at OLV.  Bianca has accepted a role at Kildare College.  I thank Bianca for all her contributions to OLV over the last 6 years.
• Jhovana Fenu - has been appointed substantive APRIM at Immaculate Heart of Mary School at Brompton.  Jhovana has been at OLV for the last 18 months and I wish her well in her new role.

A replacement APRIM (12 months) is currently being advertised.

• Jacinta Zandona - Jacinta will be taking 12 months Parenting leave for 2024. 
• Marni Knolder  - Marni will be taking 12 months leave in 2024, which includes Long Service Leave.

Permanent Appointments to OLV.

• Jess Izzo  - Jess has been appointed permanent class teacher in the Early Years.  She has had extensive experience overseas and in Catholic schools. 
• Tiana Borello - Tiana has been appointed permanent class teacher in the Early Years.  She has been at OLV since 2020 teaching in the Early Years.
• Kayla Kersten - Kayla has been appointed permanent class teacher in the Middle Years.  She is an experienced educator and taught Year 4’s this year at OLV and has performed creditably.  She is also an OLV ex student.
• Elli Kyriacou  - Elli has been appointed permanent STEM teacher.  She has filled this role since 2020 and this year has begun our Gifted & Talented program (HOT)

Congratulations to Jess, Tiana, Kayla & Elli on their appointments to OLV.  Staffing for 2024 is still a work in progress.  There will also be an opportunity to formally farewell staff leaving OLV.

Stage 2 Building

Stage 2 (the Village area) will consist of:

• 6 General Learning areas + break out spaces
• Makers space (area for art / painting) for whole school to use
• Toilets
• Upgrade to St Francis Hall – upgrade to toilets, widening of the hallway to toilets, upgrade of kitchen facilities, storerooms (Tina, OSHC & Parish), lining of all walls & other upgrades.  Once completed OSHC will relocate to this area.
• Relocation of Sports Shed, Gardener’s Shed and Container
• Playground

Mossop Constructions have been appointed the contract for Stage 2.  This is a positive decision as they built Stage 1 (the front facade will be completed shortly) and they know the layout of the school and have an established working relationship.

The time frame is for the project to be completed in July 2024.  This project is more complex as they will be working in multiple areas – Village site, St Francis Hall and Sports & Garden Shed.  This will not impact the back Railway Tce Kiss & Drop park.

More information will follow as the management plan is developed.  This is an exciting time for our school.

End of Year Activities

In any school the last weeks of the school become even busier places.  Our Lady of The Visitation I am sure will be no different.  Please make note of the following school events.

Several presentations have been split this year, as they were getting too long.

Tuesday 21 November        9.15am -  Rec – Yr 2 Premiers Reading Challenge Presentation
(please note change            2.00pm - 2/3LB  – Yr 6 Premiers Reading Challenge Presentation
of date)                                (does not include Mid Year Receptions)

Monday 11 December          9.15am -  Mid Rec – Year 1 OLV Educational Award Ceremony
                                            2.00pm -  Yr 2 – Yr 6 OLV Educational Award Ceremony

Tuesday 12 December         9.30am - End of Year Mass
                                            Preschool Closed

Wednesday 13 December    7.00pm - Year 6 Graduation Ceremony
                                            Last Day School for Year 6

Thursday 14 December        Last Day School for Preschool & R – Year 5

Catholic Identity

Prayer  

November is the traditional time when we remember loved ones who have gone before us, as Catholics we name this day All Souls Day (2 November). We also remembered those who have died through war on Remembrance Day.

A Time for Everything
Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

We thank our students from 5JN and 5/6AM who led our Remembrance Day Liturgy. Each student created their own special poppy to collectively pray for all those who have died in conflict.

All Saints Day

4KK led our All Saints Day Liturgy. On All Saints Day we celebrate people who have lived their lives following Jesus and serving others.  We were invited to reflect on the following provocation.

“What kind of person do you really want to be?”

SOCKTOBER           

‘Hearts on fire, feet on the move’.

On Wednesday 15 November our Year 4 and Year 5 students led our whole school ‘Penalty Shoot Out’. We came together to kick goals to support children in Timor-Leste, who are living in poverty and have low quality healthcare and infrastructure.

We thank our students and their families for their generous gold coin donations. An amazing school effort.

We raised: $349.50

We also take this opportunity to sincerely thank Tony Johnston: Diocesan Director – Archdiocese of Adelaide – Catholic Mission for his time in teaching us how we can work as a team to support those who are less fortunate than us. 

For more information on Socktober please visit: Socktober

Religious Education Collaborative Inquiry- Assessment and Moderation (Year 1-10)

On Friday 3 November Ms Lorenza Bianchini and Ms Jhovana Fenu took part in the final phase of the Religious Education Collaborative Inquiry- Assessment and Moderation.

What is Moderation?

In short, moderation is a professional discussion with other teachers to explore assessment decisions based on the evidence of the Performance Standards. This rich professional dialogue between teachers forms a consensus to determine an ‘on balance’ judgement and student grade achievement.

We take this opportunity to sincerely thank Ms Bianchini for her commitment and leadership to this project.

Prayer Workshop with Father Roderick O’Brien

Thank you for responding to be part of the Family Prayer Workshop with Father Roderick. We have had high interest and therefore are delighted to inform you we will be hosting a session on:

Tuesday 28 November at 2:25pm-3:25pm at Our Lady of the Visitation School Church

The session will be very practical. Together we will explore our past and current experience of prayer, explore the decision to pray and try one or two methods of personal prayer.

A light afternoon tea will be provided, and young siblings are more than welcome to join us.

Please respond below if you will be joining us:

https://forms.office.com/r/qexutfPkiE

2024 Sacramental Program: The Sacraments of Confirmation & First Holy Communion and Reconciliation

We would like to inform you that Lefevre Catholic Community have appointed a new Family Faith Formation Coordinator, Bernadette Smith.

Bernadette is looking forward to getting to know our families and children at OLV and already has been attending our liturgies and class parish masses.

If you would like to know more about the sacramental program and what it involves, Bernadette would be more than happy to assist you with your queries. Her contact details are:-

Bernadette Smith: Coordinator of Family Faith Formation
Lefevre Catholic Community
Phone: 8449 6378
Office hours Tuesday – Thursday
Email: familyfaith@catholicparishes.com.au

Expression of Interest

The next cycle of the Sacramental Program will commence in February next year, with a Family Information Session scheduled for Tuesday 20 February at 7pm. This invitation is open to all children who have been baptised and are 8 years or over. This is a family centred, parish based and school supported program. Our Lady of the Visitation School and Dominican School, Semaphore work in partnership with the Lefevre Catholic Community in delivering the program.

If you interested in your child/children participating in the 2024 Sacramental Program please email Bernadette Smith familyfaith@catholicparishes.com.au or Jhovana Fenu on jfenu@olv.catholic.edu.au.

Sacraments are a gift from God, given through the Church as an outpouring of God’s love. They are channels of God’s grace, instituted by Christ and available to us, enabling us to live Christian lives.

The Southern Cross

To access the current edition of our Catholic newspaper, published by the Archdiocese of Adelaide, please click on the link below:

The Southern Cross

2023 St Vinnies Christmas Appeal

This year will be supporting the St Vinnies Christmas Appeal by giving financially. Financial donations allow St Vinnies the flexibility to direct funds where they are most needed. Most importantly, it also gives those they assist the sense of dignity and joy of choosing their own items, which many of us may take for granted.

Our SRC leaders have collectively decided that they would like us to support the St Vinnies Christmas appeal by dressing up as a theme on Friday 8 December. We are inviting a gold coin donation. All classes are currently voting on the themes below. We will let you know the chosen theme once the voting has been completed.

Summer Clothes- No bathers
Christmas Colours
Teacher/Class Initials

On behalf of the SRC’s we sincerely thank you for your generous donations.

ReLAT 2023 Report in Religious Education

We would like to acknowledge and congratulate all our Year 4 students (4KK) who have completed, with pleasing results, their ReLAT assessment.

The ReLAT test is an online test made up of 35 multiple choice questions. These questions were drawn from the Years 3/4 Crossways Religious Education Curriculum that is being taught in South Australian Catholic schools. The Crossways Knowledge Strands that were covered in the test were.

• God Us and Faith
• Sacred Texts
• Church for the World
• Moral Life
• Sacramentality and Prayer

Well Done 4KK!

LEARNWELL

Our Foundations for Learning through Wellbeing

Classroom Pulse Check In-A Wellbeing Initiative

Each term, all CESA schools undertake a Classroom ‘Pulse Check In’ in Week 5 and Week 6. The purpose of the Classroom Pulse Check In is to find out how students are feeling about their experience of school. Students are asked simple questions on four topics:

• Identity
• Learning
• Relationships
• Belonging

At OLV we keep track of this data and ensure that we respond to how children are feeling by ‘checking in’ with them. This data also provides us with guidance on topics we need to focus on when planning our wellbeing curriculum.

For more information on CESA Classroom Pulse Check click here

LearnWell Team
Frank Detullio, Jhovana Fenu, Amelia Maddern, Alex Tuffin, Julie Taylor and Ges Alvaro

Jhovana Fenu (Acting APRIM)
jfenu@olv.catholic.edu.au

Music Instrumental lessons 2024

Piano/keyboard, flute vocal and saxophone lessons are offered though George & Angela (music tutors who visit the school).  These are private lessons primarily given during school hours (fees apply)

Both tutors are highly experienced, qualified and approved to teach. They are eager to receive inquiries from parents for Term 1 2024.

Instrumental Music Lesson forms are available from the front office.

Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival News

Our Lady of the Visitation School had a very successful day at the recent Catholic Schools Athletics Carnival held on Wednesday 8th November at SA Athletics Stadium Mile End. Well done to all our participants! It was a great team effort.

This year we competed in the Section 6 carnival. We came home with lots of smiles and ribbons!

The results for our day are below:

The Girls team WON the Section 6 shield and the boys team finished in 2nd place.

The following teams WON the Age Group Champion School banners:

• Year 3 Girls
• Year 4 Girls
• Year 6 Boys

We also had outstanding individual results.

The Kuir sisters were all awarded Age Champion for the carnival.

• Arok K. – Year 3 Girl Age Champion
• Yar K. – Year 5 Girl Age Champion
• Ajok K.  – Year 6 Girl Age Champion

We also received the exciting news – Marites M. broke the Year 3 Girls Long Jump record with a whopping 3.58m jump.

A special thank you to Amelia Maddern, Brooklynne McKenna, Shey Angove and Isabella Perin for accompanying the students to the carnival and being their number 1 supporters for the day.

Isabella Perin, Jonny Mc, Kobe F, Alysia.B & Eli C worked tirelessly all day on the long jump pits – thank you for your hard work. Without these helpers we were not able to compete.

Also, a huge thank you to Adrian Borlace for his help in making sure all students got to the carnival.

Regards,
John Merrett