Our Lady of Lourdes Primary Newsletter

As we begin our 2021 school year we give thanks to God. We are reminded many times throughout the Bible that God wants us to Love each other. May we embrace Jesus’ greatest commandment, to love our neighbour, throughout the year as we grow closer to God, our peers and teachers. 

Loving God, you give us this new school year and new friends with whom we share it.

Bless all who pray, work and learn together.

May this year bring peace and harmony throughout our school community and throughout the world.

May we be true disciples who actively live out our school motto “To Know, To Love, To Serve”

We ask this through Christ our Lord. 

Amen

Part absences are noted on the electronic roll which is an official record of absences. Any child arriving after 8.55am may be marked partially  absent.

Parents must accompany late children to the  office to sign the late register.

An Attendance Register is a legal document that records your child’s attendance at school.  Please note that if your child is absent from school, signed, written notification must be sent to the class teacher.  Short absences do not require a phone call to the office.  When parents are planning to take their children out of school for holidays or family circumstances for 5 days or more, they need to obtain a form from the office to apply in writing. The principal may grant permission for this leave.

If your child is involved in an emergency situation, it is vital that we have access to accurate, up-to-date information.  If you have changed your address, email or phone number recently, please forward the details to the office as a matter of urgency.

If you or your child has been on a Visa and the status has changed, please update our records by providing the paperwork as soon as possible.

The office is open from 8.30am until 4pm Monday to Friday.

Unless on the advice of a doctor, children are not to carry medication AT ANY TIME as this could accidentally fall into the wrong hands.  Parents whose children require regular medication are to complete forms (available from office) and supply to the school, in writing, clear instructions regarding dosage and time to be administered.  If your doctor has recommended that your child carry asthma medication e.g. puffer, please write a note to the class teacher.  Parents of children with other medical conditions are asked to liaise with the school.

Please note that the school does not provide ‘Panadol’.  Should your child require pain relief, you will be contacted to collect him/her or, alternatively, you may bring medication and administer it yourself.

The school will provide Stingose for bites and stings. Please notify us in writing if you do not wish us to use this cream.

Our school endeavours to be a peanut-free school as we still have students who display varying degrees of allergic reactions.  We would ask that children DO NOT bring peanut butter, Nutella or products containing nuts to school.

The gates of the parish site will not be opened until 8.30am. Parents are therefore advised that there will be NO ACCESS to school before that time.

If you need to drop off your child earlier in order to arrive at work on time, it is your responsibility to arrange a placement with the Before School Care .  For information and bookings please phone 1300 553 583.

• Children will remain in class until they are collected by parents.
• Kindergarten students and their siblings will be collected from outside the Open Learning Area in the top playground. Kindergarten parents only are asked to enter via the top playground gates, which will be opened at 3:10pm, and leave through the same gates.
• Children can be collected from 3.10pm to 3.40pm.
• If details change, ie parents organize a grandparent/friend etc to call for the children, then a note must be sent to the class teacher or email  the office. 
• Please do not email teachers about last minute changes to arrangements for pick up. Please contact the office in these circumstances.  
• Walkers, bus and after school care children are permitted to leave the classroom.
• Walkers bus duty will continue for those children crossing Windsor Road and Oakland Avenue.   
• In the interest of safety, boys and girls are not to wait at the school gates. This area is unsupervised and unsafe.
•  We are trying to avoid large groups of parents gathering in other areas of the school. We ask that for everyone's safety, all parents adhere to the dismissal arrangements. 
• Classroom teachers will send the siblings of Kindergarten children to the open learning area, just before the bell, to ensure they are there when you arrive.
• Other grades are to be collected as per normal, however, we ask that parents do not enter the classroom or stay on the premises. 
• Please avoid gathering with other parents at the front of the school. 
• If you wish to discuss an issue with your child's classroom teacher, a phone or zoom meeting can be arranged. 

In 2021 OLOL will be holding  Zone Swimming Trials (if current conditions permit), instead of a normal Swimming Carnival, due to COVID Restrictions. 

*This is Zone Swimming Trials, not a Swimming Carnival. There will be no 25m events. Students competing are classified as serious swimmers who are interested in competing at Zone.  Unfortunately parents cannot attend this event.  

When: 5th of February, 2021

Who: Students aged 8 years (2021) or older (Grades 2-6)

Where: Blacktown Leisure Centre, Stanhope 

How to register: via link Swimming Trials

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE COMMENCING THE ONLINE FORM.

 - Please choose all the events that your child would like to compete in on the form as you cannot enter in a 50m event on the day.

- Please check all the details you have provided before submitting the form, especially your child’s year of birth. 

- After the online form closes, all races will be pre-set and your child will have a chance at school to check that they have been entered in the correct races. Please make sure that your child is aware of all the races they have been entered in. After this check, no more entries will be accepted. 

*Entries Close: 29th of January, 2021 (5pm)