Newsletter

Principal: Ms Judeline Wadhwani, principal@olshinternational.com

Acting Principal: Mr Patrick Baiwan, admin@olshinternational.com

Head of P-6: Mrs Wiki Thomas, primary@olshinternational.com

Head of 7-12: Mrs Rachel Baiwan, secondary@olshinternational.com

Head of RE, Faith & Mission: Mr Raymond Rangatin, rrangatin@olshinternational.com

School Address: P O Box 211, Kavieng, New Ireland Province

School Telephone Number: (675) 984 2128

School website address: www.olshinternational.com

Dear parents, guardians, members of the OLSH community and extended OLSH community,

 We are only 2 weeks away from the end of Term 3.  It is a sobering thought that three-quarters of the school year will soon be finished. In the midst of busy times, we were very pleased to welcome visitors to our school last week: OLSH alumnus Dr John Lee and his wife, as well as the Principal of Lihir International School, Mr Gregory Neville with the Year 10 students and 2 staff.  Mr Baiwan writes more about these visits further in this newsletter.

Mock 2 examinations concluded today for Year 8 and will conclude tomorrow for Years 10 and 12.  We trust both Mock Examinations have given students at these year levels, an authentic experience of the National Examinations.  Teachers have been promptly marking exam responses and preparing feedback for improvement that will be given in the next 2 weeks of term.

The countdown to the National Exams as of today stands at:

• Year 10 – 20 school days
• Year 12 – 25 school days
• Year 8   -  30 school days

• Year 10 – Monday 11  – Friday 15 October
• Year 12 – Monday 18  – Friday 22 October
• Year   8 – Monday 25  – Thursday 28 October

All parents are asked to attend these Progress Interviews particularly if you have a child/children at one or more of the examinable years or if your child/children are new to OLSH in 2021.  Please attend and join us in making sure your child/children are achieving at their best.

• 7-12       Wednesday 15 September - 3:30 to 6:30 pm

As the health and safety of all members of the community are paramount, I reiterate below my message to the OLSH community with regard to COVID-19 safety.  All parents and guardians are asked to support the school by doing the right thing at all times. 

All staff and students above 12 years of age are expected to wear a mask at all times in school.

Personal hygiene and hand hygiene are to be practiced every day at home and at school.

Last week, we also had a surprise visit from one of the OLSH Alumni, medical Doctor John Lee who after 50 years was able to set foot at OLSH and visit his old classrooms. Dr Lee visited the school with his wife and was happy to see the growth of the school from P-12, after 50 years and the extension of the secondary school with the new buildings. “The growth of the school is what fascinates me” said Dr Lee. He is a testament like the other OLSH alumni that have come through this school and have made a successful life for themselves, showing the current students that they can succeed in life and that OLSH continues to remain home to them.

• Must be paid in full by tomorrow Friday 3 September. 

Mr Patrick Baiwan

Acting Principal

Mrs Lorina Bareng

Year 5 Teacher

Mrs Esther Sipaleu

Year 11 and Year 12 English Teacher

Although the death rates around the world may be seen as reasonable as with causes like diseases and aging, many precious lives are also lost or wasted, not because of these causes but because of failing organs. Everyone is destined for something in this world and to just let someone die, saying there is no organ to spare is a shameful excuse. We have the potential to bring a solution to this sad problem so it is about time we agree together for the betterment of the ones who are less fortunate than us. According to the United Network of Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are around 115,000 patients, as of 2018, who are in need of an organ transplant. Sadly, out of this total number, only 3000 patients will be able to receive transplants while the rest will die before even receiving an organ due to a low organ supply (Cromwell, 2018). We are talking about mothers’, fathers’ and children’s lives being cut short due to a problem that we clearly have the potential to solve together. With the ongoing issue of low organ supplies, only one solution so far has been proposed to the public to make sure more lives are saved - the legal sale of human organs.

 In addition, with the legalization of human organ sales relating to an increase in organ supplies, with basic economic knowledge we know that organ prices will decrease, making them more affordable to the less fortunate people, mainly the poor. Often with limited supply, poor patients are usually overlooked and the rich usually have the first go,  often due to bribery. More organ supplies will make sure everyone is seen as an equal as there is an organ and a chance for every patient, disregarding their net worth.  Cromwell (2018) also said in relation to more organ supplies that it will help decrease the mortality rate of the patients needing organs. Let us say that in our current situation, the average time a patient has to get a transplant is about nine months. Within these months, the patient clearly has a 50% chance or less of surviving.  With more organs available, a patient will probably have a new organ within a week of waiting. That is how effective life-saving will be with an increase in organ supply, if the sale of human organs is legalized.

 Last of all, with the legal selling of organs, we can finally say good bye to the illegal selling of organs in black markets. Since organ selling is illegal under the law, the more certain money-hungry people see it as a business opportunity as organs are scarce, making them very expensive (Hall, 2018). With greed and high intentions to make a lot of money, these people often try every possible way to obtain organs to sell. As a result, crimes like kidnapping, human trafficking and manslaughter arise. Lloyd Cohen, a Professor of Law in the United States said, “By making it legal for people to sell their organs by their own approval, black markets will run down as there will not be a need to buy organs in the shadows anymore.”   By eliminating black markets, the rates of kidnapping and human trafficking will greatly decrease. Just imagine how many lives we can save together. Lives in the hospitals as well as on the streets, giving people the freedom to move around freely without having the fear of being abducted by strangers. With all that said, it can clearly be concluded that it is by the law making organ sales illegal that we face these additional life-threatening problems around the world today. These problems do not require much to be solved. They just need us to finally stand together, agreeing with one voice and going for the legal sale of human organs.

 In conclusion, the pros of legalizing human organ sales greatly outweigh its cons. We save lives, we eliminate illegal organ selling, we put criminals out of business and we keep our fellow human beings safe. What is so bad about that?

 After all, if we can sell things like blood, sperm and eggs from our bodies legally, why not an organ?

At the end of the day, organs that can be used to save lives are being buried and burned while thousands die due to organ failure. As made clear by experts, there is no other way to save all these 100,000 plus lives awaiting organ transplant every year. The only way to ensure more lives are saved all around the world as proposed to the public is through the legal selling of human organs.

Bethuel Opety

Year 11

This week, Lumencia Kangol and Sarah Kamit interviewed Ms Belinda Buken, Accounts Payable Officer at OLSH.  Ms Buken is one of OLSH’s ever-smiling staff members who is always willing to be of assistance wherever needed.

She’s an ever-so vibrant individual indeed! With her everlasting smile throughout the day, kindness and politeness, she is always there to lend a helping hand. It’s guaranteed you won’t go wrong. If you haven’t met the her, now’s your chance. Ms Belinda Buken, the Accounts Payable Officer of our school is a very proud New Irelander as she stated that New Ireland is so unique and is the last frontier compared to the other places of our beautiful country Papua New Guinea. She joined the school on the third of March 2013, making this her eighth year at OLSH.

According to Ms Buken, she misses the fresh fruit and other vegetables including other dairy products that aren’t available and aren’t easily supplied in New Ireland Province due to shipping problems. Her favourite colour is blue and green. Her hobbies include cooking, reading and caring for her one and only son who has special needs. Her special friend and sister is Ms Madeline Fitzgerald, who was an active PTF member of OLSH that sadly passed on her birthday in 2018 which she said will never be forgotten.

What she finds most appealing about the school is the students’ behaviour and the outstanding results that always put New Ireland up in the National Examinations in all examinable year levels. The most challenging factor she believes not only OLSH but Kavieng Town as a whole face is the power outage. It affects the staff and students as well in their everyday learning which may be seen as a major setback.

Her message for the OLSH students is to be grateful and always be content in life. Once it’s given to you, grasp it tight because once it’s taken away from you, it will be gone forever.

Lumencia Kangol & Sarah Kamit

Year 11

This week we congratulate the following deserving achievers:

Prep - 6 Awards:

7-12 award winners

MOST IMPROVED

AMAZING EFFORT

CATHOLIC CHURCH CALENDAR: 22nd week in the ordinary Year ‘B’ 2021.    

 WEEK REFLECTION: Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.

 Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.

 “From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, lack of chastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.  All these evils come from within and they defile.”

So what is the key message we should take from this for our own lives? We should take from it two simple facts. First, the will of God must take hold of our lives and become the basis and foundation of everything. His will, His law, His precepts are our rock foundation. God has established His truth as the basis of human life and we must strive to humbly embrace His law.

Secondly, we should realize that when we embrace divine law and His particular will for our lives, we will be pure of heart and will be freed up to love Him with outward expressions. We will worship Him from our hearts and this will flow through our words and actions. But this will never happen if we do not start with His divine law.

Reflect, today, upon whether or not you are willing to humbly embrace all of the truths that God has revealed and whether you are willing to make them the foundation of your life. If you do this, all else will flow forth in love and worship.

 Prayer

 Lord, help me to love Your holy and divine law. Help me to embrace it with my whole heart. I do believe in You and in all that You have spoken through the ages. I believe in what You speak to my heart regarding my own life. Give me the grace to embrace Your holy will and, in that embrace, to be transformed both interiorly and exteriorly. Jesus, I trust in You. Amen.

 Faith and Mission News

 Please be reminded again – Every class has a Patron Saint. After your morning and afternoon prayer always ask your Patron Saint to pray for your class.

The Legion of Mary – NGI Congress of The Legion of Marian Centenary (Worldwide) Celebrations program in Fissoa Village will be on September 4th Saturday to 11th Saturday September 2021.  All are most welcome if you are free to go.

Reminder to everyone: Please 12:00 pm pray the Angelus and keep up the prayer life of the school.

Thank you and God bless you all.

Mr R. Rangatin

Head of Religious Education, Faith and Mission.