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Newsletter T4W2

Acknowledgement of Country

Today we acknowledge and pay our respects to the First Peoples, the traditional custodians of the lands and waterways and thank them for their continued hospitality.

We acknowledge and celebrate the continuation of a living culture who have lived with Creator God through creation of land, sea, waterways and life.

Prayer

We celebrate your love and presence, O God

May we trust that love and respond to your presence

when your call cuts against our expectations and plans.

Open us,

then, to your compassion that seeks not what is easy for us,

but what is best

Amen

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

Today we completed our major school review. The panel of 3 met with leadership, staff, students and parents from OLHC. We look forward to reading their recommendations and observations that will guide us for the next 5 years.

This week the OLHC hosted an Art Show - Under the Sea. I am very grateful to Suz Auld for her planning and organisation of this event. Most schools talk about educating the “whole child” and at OLHC our children get lots of academic and sporting opportunities. So when we allow our children to experience The Arts in such a way it makes me really proud that we are catering for all a wide variety of talents and passions.

If you missed it go to the Class Dojo school story dated 16/10

**School Review Panel**
Matthew Uzkuraitis (Principal, St Thomas Terang), Pauline Fischer (Lead reviewer) Lee Schlooz (DOBCEL Southern Zone Educational Consultant )

Uniform Transition

As we transition into the "Summer Uniform" season, please note that there will be a 2 week grace period to accommodate the changing weather. After this period, all students are expected to be in the correct summer uniform.

If a student is not wearing the correct uniform, we kindly ask that families provide an explanation for this to their classroom teacher in writing.

School Hats

Once again this falls within the 2 week grace period (term 4 only) that all students are required to wear a school hat in terms 4 & 1. Failure to do so will result in our "No Hat, No Play" policy coming into play.

Thank you for your cooperation

Important Dates

Term 4

Thursday 24th October - District Cricket comp

Friday 25th October - Yr 1 Werribee Zoo Excursion

Friday 1st November - Assembly 1BS

Wednesday 6th November - State Track & Field Comp - Melbourne

Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day

Thursday 14th November - Yr 1 Craftanoon

Friday 15th November - Yr 5 Emmanual College visit

Friday 15th November - Assembly FJF

Friday 22nd November - Community Picnic

Wednesday 27th November - Yr 2 Poetry Cafe

Wednesday 27th November - Yr 6 I AM Presentation

Friday 29th November - Assembly 2SS

Wednesday 11th December - Yr 6 Graduation Evening

Wednesday 18th December - Last Day of School for Students

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

A Message from Mr A

Week 2 Term 4

JOURNAL CLUB- WEDNESDAYS & THURSDAYS

Our little Journal Club is firing on all cylinders every Wednesday and Thursday in the Library. Gen Howland runs this every week in the Library space. Below is an update from her about what is happening at the moment. Great work Gen!

Journal club has been popular so we have separated the group into Year 3/4's on Wednesday and 5/6's on Thursday.

Each week we have a topic as a prompt however journal club also celebrates creative free choice and doing your own thing. The students know the topic the week before in case they would like to bring anything from home to decorate their page. This week's topic was NATURE. We brainstormed what nature is, local places and then how it makes us feel. Students created a page about the nature aspects they love.

Here are some examples.

Journal Club

Some students like to share their page or idea, others are happy not sharing. In journal club we don’t worry about being perfect, making mistakes or spelling. It focuses on getting your ideas on a page, being messy, being creative and copying an idea is ok too. We go crazy for stickers and washi tape! It is a time to chill and just be. Some students choose to take their journal home and work on it during the week.

Topics to come are :

Christmas Day - How I want the day to feel, NOT what stuff I want.

Music - Favourite song/concert/memory/artist.

Year 2’s!!! Look out for a ‘come and try’ journal club day late in Term 4.

Gen Howland

GRADE 6- I AM

Our Senior students are working industriously on their passion projects this term. For those unfamiliar with this Inquiry unit, it involves the students selecting a passion of their choice and researching it over the course of the term. The unit maps out a process where students become experts in their chosen field, culminating with the I Am Exhibition night later in the term. Good luck to our Grade 6 level as they work through this.

Have a great weekend with your family.

Naish

Art Show

Showing images 1 - 8 of 14

Sports Report

SSV Region Volleyball

Our volleyball team had an exhilarating and competitive day on Wednesday in Horsham, showcasing impressive teamwork and skill on the court. The players demonstrated their dedication, culminating in a standout performance during the last game of the day.

Throughout the day, the team faced formidable opponents but secured some key victories. Their excellent communication and strategic play were instrumental in their success.

The coaches were pleased with the team’s growth and resilience. With each match, the players have built chemistry and refined their techniques.

In the final match against Horsham PS, our volleyball team displayed remarkable determination and skill. We started strong, quickly gaining momentum and winning the first seven points. Our players exhibited outstanding teamwork and communication, ultimately taking the first set 20-15.

The second set, however, proved more challenging. The score was tied at 13-13 when Horsham PS intensified their play. We struggled to maintain our composure as they took the lead, resulting in a 20-17 loss for that set.

Despite the setback, the team demonstrated resilience and sportsmanship throughout the match. The experience gained will be invaluable as we continue to improve and prepare for future challenges.

In a thrilling showdown against Horsham PS, we faced a decisive third set after splitting the first two. The atmosphere was electric as both teams battled for every point.

The third set was a nail-biter, going point for point, with the goal of reaching 15 while maintaining a two-point advantage. Our team initially led 13-10, displaying strong plays and communication. However, Horsham rallied, evening the score at 13-13.

As the tension mounted, both teams fought hard for the win, showcasing their skills and determination. In a thrilling conclusion to our match, After a fiercely contested third set that saw the score tied at 13-13, Horsham took the lead, earning match point at 14-13.

However, our players remained composed, rallying to tie the score at 14-14. With the atmosphere charged, both teams fought for victory. Our team secured the next point, bringing up the match point.

In a remarkable display of calm under pressure, our players triumphed, taking the final set 16-14 and clinching the victory. This win not only secured the match but also crowned us as Region Champions!

We are proud of our athletes for their perseverance and teamwork throughout this challenging match and day.

Congratulations to our amazing team for their hard work and dedication, and a huge thank you to Katie Colla for her invaluable coaching, and Dacy for his support on the day.

The boys have qualified for the State championships to be held on the 22 Nov.

Volleyball

SSV Region Track and Field Final

Last Friday 30 athletes competed at the Region Track and Field in Ballarat. On a thrilling day of competition, the students showcased their hard work and determination at the SSV Region Championships. The team competed in over 35 events and 6 relay races, demonstrating incredible talent and sportsmanship.

The day was marked by outstanding performances, resulting in a total of 22 medals: 9 gold, 8 silver, and 5 bronze. Many students achieved personal bests, highlighting their dedication and training leading up to this event.

In the relay competitions, our students shone brightly, with 3 teams taking home gold medals and the remaining 3 teams finishing in a commendable second place. These strong finishes have qualified all 6 relay teams for the state championships on November 6th.

We proudly announce that 26 students have qualified for the State Championship, competing in 12 individual events and 6 relay races. Their hard work has paid off, and we look forward to cheering them on as they represent our school at the state level.

Congratulations to all our athletes for their achievements and for making us proud!

Thanks to all the support on the day, let’s keep the momentum going as we head into the state championships!

Japan Trip 2025 Information Meeting

Thursday 31st October 5.30pm - 6.30pm

St. Joseph's Primary School, 70 Botanic Rd, Warrnambool (enter via reception)

The aim of this meeting is to present information regarding the proposed Japan Trip for students in September 2025. (Year 6 students, and the possibility of Year 5 students - TBC)

We are currently gathering details about pricing and will have more information regarding this at the meeting.

Technology Toolkit with Mrs Fitzgerald and Mrs Murfett

New technology updates, cyber safety tips and snapshots of the learning experiences happening in the digital classroom. Let’s work together to make the online space a positive space! If you have any questions or concerns please contact us:

Mrs Sarah Murfett: smurfett@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

Mrs Ellen Fitzgerald: efitzgerald@olhcwarrnambool.catholic.edu.au

OLHC Cyber Incident Form

Just a reminder that the school has a cyber incident form for students and parents to utilise at home and at school. There is a three tiered system with examples on each one if you feel unsure about your online issue. Mrs Murfett and Ms Fitz get notified and will get straight onto solving the issue.

Students can access this at the bottom of their student portal or through the school website under the ‘Learning and Teaching’ tab and then ‘Digital Technology’. If you want to take a look now, follow this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hUg0dw7WCMxv2Z1uOlJRylp_vbJELcIz/view

Classroom Awards

Foundation

Leo Sedgley

Sebastian McGlade

Buddy Fitzpatrick

Esmae Lamb

Yr 1

Carrick O'Brien

Harvey Goss

Harper Romaniszyn

Henry Bowley

Remi Keogh

Yr 2

Fletcher Rea

Quinn Moloney

Percy Thomson

Samantha Tims

Lylah White

Yr 3

Matilda Monaghan

Oliie Doherty

Brooklyn Suridge

Ned Ellerton

Isaac Paul

Yr 4

Presley Moloney

Hugo Auld

Matilda Parsons

Vincent Orero

Yr 5

Indi Pickford

Oliver Hildebrandt

Issy Dyer

Liam Roberts

Meredith Holmes

Yr 6

Camdyn Spencer

Matisse Aberline

Laila Conn

Lola Paton

Alicia Martin

Hannah Ragg

Spirit of Our Lady's

Tom Ryan

Quinn Thomas

Evie Lowe

Steph Tims

Harry Keogh

Cooper Edwards

Audrey Fraser

Faith & Culture

Parish Office Hours: 9am - 4pm Monday - Friday

P: 5562 2231

E: southwestcoast@ballarat.catholic.org.au

webpage : https://www.southwestcoastparish.com.au/

Weekend Masses

Saturday Vigil

6:00pm OLHC, Warrnambool East

Sunday Morning

9:00am Infant Jesus, Koroit

9:00am St Pius X, Warrnambool West

10:30am St Joseph’s, Warrnambool

10:30am St Patrick’s, Port Fairy

6:00pm St Joseph’s Warrnambool

*11:00am St Anne’s, Purnim

2nd Sunday of the month (Eucharist)

Weekday Masses

NB: MASS OF THE DAY IS REPLACED WHEN A FUNERAL IS HELD AT THAT CHURCH

Tues 10:00am St Pius X

Wed 10:00am St Joseph’s

Thu 10:00am OLHC & 11:00am Mercy Place

Fri 10:00am St Joseph’s

Sat 10:00am OLHC

Ransom for Many
(Mark 10: 35 - 45)

Jesus got the disciples together to settle things down. “Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among youmust be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not to be served – and then to give away his life in exchange for many who are held hostage.”
(Mark 10: 43 - 45)

While Jesus is talking about becoming ransom, his followers are looking for glory. No wonder Jesus groans that they don’t know what they’re talking about. Of the four gospel writers, Mark is most likely to draw the disciples as out-and-out dumbbells. Since it’s the first of the gospels to be written down, Mark’s depiction is likely closer to the truth than the other evangelists cared to be.

Alas, these dumbbells are closer to revealing our natural inclinations than we care to admit. We step up to drink the cup of Christ in our Eucharist without much fuss, but when it comes time to share his passion in even the smallest sense, we don’t respond to roll call. We’re willing to take part in the rituals of religion, but we’re nowhere to be found when it’s time to be ransom. Servant-hood has little appeal. Still we’re prepared to join in the finger-pointing at James and John seeking credit. We, at least, cover our aspirations a little better than they do.

When was the last time you paid the price, so that another could go free?

A Radical Message
(Mark 10: 35 - 45)

There are many symbols that reflect our society, some for better and others for worse. The professional athlete is one of those symbols that seems to endure generation after generation. Children look up to them. Weet-Bix still puts them on their cereal boxes. And all the sports channels give interview after interview. They become our heroes, to be emulated and imitated.

What does it say, then, when athletes are found with corked baseball bats or steroids or illegal golf clubs? It tells us that we live in a society that condones winning no matter what the cost, the importance of being ‘Number 1’ over simply doing your best, that being guilty only happens when you get caught. And we shrug it off, saying that this is just the way things are.

It is no wonder that young and impressionable people have become so incredibly competitive and the rest of us jaded that nothing surprises us anymore.

The gospel of Jesus stands as a strong counterpoint to the message that is being given. The gospel tells us that we must put others first, put their needs ahead of our own, not worry about who is No. 1. It was a radical message when Jesus first spoke it, and it remains so today in our competitive, win-at-any-cost society.

Wellbeing

If you want to learn to ride a skateboard or get better at maths, you need to practise. It’s the same when you want to feel happier!

Here are some easy ideas to give Gratitude, Empathy, Mindfulness and Emotional Literacy a try every day. Because the more you practise, the better you will feel.

Let's Practice!

**A reminder to parents, carers and grandparents that School.TV** is a free resource for parents.
This week's **School TV Special Report** is about **The Cost of Living Crisis** and how to have appropriate conversations with our children.

Tap here to access SchoolTV

Andrew Fuller: Overcoming procrastination

Andrew Fuller
Clinical Psychologist

To stop procrastinating, we need to kickstart our momentum. To do that, we need to understand what is happening to our brain.

If you are thinking to yourself, ‘Mmm looks interesting, I might read this article later’, this article is for you.

With momentum, you can fly through things. This article is written for the times when the wheels fall off, everything grinds to a halt, and you consider doing almost anything (including possibly chewing on your own toenails) rather than getting on with what needs to be done.

Putting things off until later and maybe forever has a few major downsides — deadlines and due dates loom larger, bills pile up, unresolved friendship issues take up a lot of our mental space and we lose sleep.

What stops us in our tracks

Usually, people procrastinate because they feel anxious and overwhelmed or just as often, they have lost track of timelines and dates.

Fortunately, we live in a time where devices can remind us of due dates and organisers can schedule events for us. Once we have found a system that works and one we can stick with, it is then a matter of dealing anxiety and overwhelm.

Let’s talk about how to help all students to understand what makes them want to avoid things and sometimes put them off indefinitely.

All young people and need to know how their brains learn. Before we procrastinate we feel agitated and then try to cope with this by avoiding.

Understanding how to shift from avoid and agitate to approach and attach, empowers students to overcome the fears of getting on and doing things that need to be done. It is important for parents and teachers to realise this is not often in the conscious mind of students. It is not like we can provide a pep talk, goal setting session or encourage a growth mindset and hey presto their procrastination will be solved.

Meet Rex and Bronte

The lower, primitive part of our brain contains 80 per cent of our brain cells. Despite this, it is fairly basic and mainly focuses on keeping us alive, safe and comfortable. It doesn’t want to do things that seem hard or risky. It is pretty much the same brain that dinosaurs had. Given its similarities let’s call that part of our brain, ‘Rex’ (after Tyrannosaurus Rex*) or Bronte (after Brontosaurus).

Meet Albert, Albertina, and Alberta

The smarter, more developed, super-computer part of the brain we could call our pre-frontal cortex, but it is kind of cooler to call it our inner ‘Albert ‘ or ‘Alberta’ or ‘Albertina’ after Albert Einstein.

Rex and Bronte work in one way while Albert / Albertina / Alberta operates in an entirely different way. Albert / Albertina / Alberta can make plans, stick to schedules and think things through. Rex and Bronte don’t like to think too much, don’t really respond to words and prefer action.

If Rex or Bronte are ‘out of sorts’ nothing works well. That is why sleep, food and movement all calm Rex and Bronte.

How we procrastinate

Some kids are the ‘masters of minimalism’ or the practitioners of ‘just-in-time management’. Everything is done at the last possible second before it is due or done with as little personal input as possible.

The ‘just-in-time managers’ do anything rather than completing what they need to do. This of course, can be incredibly frustrating for parents and teachers. While this looks like procrastination, it is often an efficient way of completing tasks. There are long periods of what looks like wandering distractibility followed by an intense period of hyperfocus. Once we now this about a neurodivergent kid, we simply need to know their pattern and how to kickstart their hyperfocus without unnecessary drama.

The ‘masters of minimalism’ have equated learning with hard work to be avoided. As a result, they either tend to under-perform or other people make kindly intended but damaging excuses, that result in them never reaching their potential.

How Parents Can Help

While kids who procrastinate can be wonderful to parent and and their quirky, idiosyncratic ways of behaving and thinking can be heart-warming and delightful, there are also times they can make parents want to tear their hair out.

One of those times is when something really needs to be done but they show no signs of doing it. Pep talks and threats of dire consequences don’t work. Parents need to take a long-term planning process to overcoming procrastination to avoid personal anguish and increase their child’s chances of success.

Many kids love the stimulation of computer games. Wise parents use this as a reward and inducement to get tasks done first.

When we start doing something we find we can do easily, our momentum increases. We get ‘on a roll’ and can sidestep procrastination.

Complete the analysis of learning strengths at My Learning Strengths and use the free letter to create a conversation about building on the identified strengths. Discuss these with your child’s teacher(s). Obtaining the full Personalised Learning Success Plan moves you into action and beyond procrastination.

Let’s consider a few ways to utilise different learning strengths to kickstart momentum (a complete discussion would require an entire book, so these are just some starter ideas).

Spatial Reasoning

Kids with learning strengths in spatial reasoning often find it easiest to start by thinking in pictures.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Begin by drawing ideas. Create a flow chart, concept map or just doodling your thoughts will get you into action.

Activating Albert, Albertina, and Alberta

Then discuss the linkages between visual concepts adding them to or subtracting to them from the visual map as the discussion progresses.

Perceptual – Motor Skills

Kids with learning strengths in perceptualmotor skills are usually active people who like doing things.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Routines and rituals at home and school help thesekids to go through the paces of completing a task. Shake off the jitters by doing something active. Say, ‘This is the way we do this’. The aim is for them to roll their eyes with boredom (because they have heard to you say it a thousand times before) and for the task to be completed with as little drama as possible.

Activating Albert, Albertina, and Alberta

Don’t sit around waiting for inspiration. Get moving and get doing. Walk it out, pace it out, step through your main plans.

Concentration and Memory

Learning strengths in concentration can be a great advantage but they can also be an obstacle. Some kids get so focused on the things that they like doing they forget to complete what they need to get done. One way to use your concentration and memory skills is to work out the main thing that you need to do and then work out the first thing you need to do. Remove all other distractions and just start by doing ten minutes.

Calming Rex and Bronte

List everything you remember about a particular topic. Make a focus map (similar to a dart board with the main idea at the centre).

Activating Albert, Albertina, and Alberta

Short bursts of concentration and activity are going to beat marathons. Use a timer. Aim to stretch concentration eventually to 20 minutes of focused activity.

Planning and Sequencing

Learning strengths in this area equip kids to develop plans but not necessarily follow through on them.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Take a planning walk and consider the steps you will need to take to solve this.

Activating Albert, Albertina and Alberta

Imagine forward and plan backwards. Define a goal or outcome you want and then draw or write in sequence the steps needed to create that result. You may find planning occurs more easily using post-it notes for each of the steps.

Thinking and Logic

Sometimes having great thinking skills can get in the way of doing things. Some kids can trap themselves in convoluted loops of thinking that lead nowhere. They may get trapped in weighing up the pros and cons of specific actions. Sometimes this can make them less certain and more worried than they need to be. Help them to stop evaluating and predicting (great skills but you don’t need them now).

Calming Rex and Bronte

Puzzles, riddles, jokes, problem-solving, guessing games. Developing checklists and to-do lists.

Activating Albert, Albertina and Alberta

Start with the easiest thing you can think of.

People Smarts

Kids with this learning strengths are tuned into people. Having someone to work with, will help them to get started.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Combining socialising while getting things done makes it much easier to feel safe and start.

Activating Albert, Albertina, and Alberta

Eventually divide up tasks so you spend time some time working together and also develop self-reliance and independent problem-solving skills.

Language and Word Smarts

The internal dialogue of these kids is often littered with fear, doubt and self-recrimination. Despite their learning strengths in words, they are rarely easily persuaded out of procrastination.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Talk about unrelated issues until calm.

Activating Albert, Albertina and Alberta

Create a story of what will happen if we can get started and make this happen. Imagine the task is already completed and you are telling someone else about the payoffs and benefits.

Number Smarts

Kids with learning strengths in number smarts often like certainty and control.

Calming Rex and Bronte

Rate the tasks to be done and prioritise them. Give them a choice of which to begin first and when to start.

Activating Albert, Albertina and Alberta

Create a to-do or a numbered checklist. Negotiate with yourself that you can only do something you like once you have ticked off and completed one of the items on your list.

Kickstarting Momentum

Procrastination is a barrier for many students. This also becomes a major issue in the lives of many neurodivergent kids.

Kickstarting our momentum begins with calming Rex and Bronte. Rex and Bronte pay attention to what we do, not what we say.

There are three main strategies to overcome procrastination:

Start small – once we start doing some-thing, Rex and Bronte often go along with it. The hardest part of overcoming almost any challenge is starting.
Wait for dopamine to replenish. I have outlined how to do this in papers on motivation.
Do something even worse than the challenging activity you are procrastinating over. Finding something you really don’t like and doing it until you feel like doing the original task is not fun but is surprisingly effective.

Next steps

Schools could ask parents and students to complete the assessment of learning strengths and use this as a basis for collective planning over the next term. This could also be integrated with career planning for senior students.

More tips and resources from Andrew

More tips about how to maximise your success can be found at:

Andrew’s websites

www.andrewfuller.com.au
www.mylearningstrengths.com (45,000 young people in the past year discovered their learning strengths and found how to increase success and motivation).