Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School East Warrnambool eNewsletter

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

Leadership & Stewardship

Principal's Message

Dear Parents, Guardians & Students,

This week I have spent time trying to catch up on a range of school matters due to missing a few days due to some family matters. I apologise in advance for the delay in replying to a wide range of inquiries. Please contact me if I haven't returned your message or call. It is not uncommon for me to get over 150 emails per day so it builds up quickly.

Our grade 6’s provided a fun Mission Day experience today for all the children and we have tried to emphasise why we are doing these activities as a Catholic school. We discussed how we welcome people, both at home and in our school and why it's important to try and assist those with less than us. As always, we don’t assume the children always make this connection.

Last Friday our grade 1's went to Werribee Zoo. See the stunning photo from OLHC parent, Jacqui Gore as the kids were about to depart. She might want to copyright it, as it could be used as a cover for a Catholic hymn or scripture book. The sun seemingly beams from our 3 towers - The Way, The Truth and The Life.

ADVANCE NOTICE.....

Important Dates

Term 4

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

Thursday 7th November - Division Cricket Comp - Hamilton

Monday 11th November - Remembrance Day

Tue 12th November - Wed 13th November - Subway Lunch

Thursday 14th November - Yr 1 Craftanoon

Thursday 14th November - Yr 5 Shared Lunch @ the Gardens

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 - 2025 Foundation Transition

Wednesday 27th November - Yr 6 I AM Presentation

Friday 29th November - Assembly 2SS

2nd - 6th December - Yr 6 Beach Ed

Thursday 5th December - 2025 Foundation Transition

Wednesday 11th December - Yr 3 Fun Day

Wednesday 11th December - Yr 6 Graduation Evening

Thursday 12th December - Yr 4 Fun Day

Friday 13th December - Yr 5 & Yr 6 Fun Days

Friday 13th December - Assembly 5SH

Monday 16th December - Foundation Fun Day

Tuesday 17th December - Yr 1 Fun Day

Wednesday 18th December - Last Day of School for Students

2025 - Term 1

Tuesday 28th January - Staff Return

Wednesday 29th January - Students Return

Thursday 30th January - Country Bus Resumes

Tuesday 25th February - School Photos

Teaching & Learning @ OLHC

A Message from Mr A

Week 4 Term 4

MISSION DAY

A big thanks to our Senior students who ran a successful Mission Day on today. This started during the week when some Grade 6 students spread the message of why we have Mission Day around the school. Our Mission, the call of the Catholic Church, is to bring the message of Jesus' Gospel words to the people of the world. What great leadership our students showed in this space. The day started with a simple prayer liturgy in the church. This is always a highlight on the students’ radar and we thank Marie, Ollie and Sam in Grade 6 for supporting the students.

RESEARCH TRIP- GRADE 6 LIBRARY VISIT

Our Grade 6 level made their way down to the Warrnambool Library on Thursday to help support their research for I Am projects. These are starting to take shape with some interesting topics chosen by the students. We are looking forward to their I Am night on Wednesday 27th November.

THEY’RE POETS…AND THEY DON’T KNOW IT- GRADE 2 INQUIRY

Our Grade 2 cohort has been busy delving into the world of poetry as they prepare for the Poetry Cafe later in the term. The idea of speaking publicly creates a certain element of anxiety for anyone, but this is an important skill to learn as they progress through their schooling. The students have been doing a novel study of Julia Donaldson’s The Gruffalo, which is a fantastic picture storybook. I’ve lost count of the number of times I have read this to my own kids. The students have recently completed some pretty cool watercolour paintings of some characters from The Gruffalo, see below. This is all a big build-up to their big night where they will have a meal at Images and then head over the road to the Lighthouse Theatre for a production of The Gruffalo. Exciting times.

Have a great weekend!

Naish

Mission Day

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

HELPING HaNDS

When teaching the junior years cyber safety we really focus on them being able to name 5 people they could go to when they face an online issue. Use this template to discuss the 5 people that they would choose.

Classroom Awards

Foundation

Hunter Moran

Finn Taylor

Grace Pitt

Louie McPherson

Yr 1

Charlie Miller

Shivaansh Singh

Ben Conheady

Charlie Forsterling

Yr 2

Quinn Moloney

Theo Mills

Kai Devereux

Reuben Warhurst

Charlie White

Archer Mahoney

Charlie Loft

Yr 3

Ruby Dews

Lani Warburton

Patrick Bonnett

Pippa Knowles

Alex McMillan

Yr 4

Bonnie Dickson

Savannah Davis

Jasper Butler

Annabel Rea

Yr 5

Flynn Murphy

Arlie Le Cerf

Lincoln Paul

Sophia Graham

Hamish Tuggey

Yr 6

Sam Gardner

Zara Doherty

Indiana Parsons

Hannah Ragg

Logan Miller

Charlie Madden

Murphy Rea

Louie Auld

Piper Bongers

Eliza Lawrence

Henri Forstering

Zane Palmer

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

Close to the Kingdom
(Mark 12: 28b - 34)

One of the religion scholars came up. Hearing the lively exchanges of question and answer and seeing how sharp Jesus was in his answers, he put in his question: “Which is the most important of all the commandments?” Jesus said, “The first in importance is, ‘Listen, Israel: The Lord your God is one; so love the Lord God with all your passion, prayer, intelligence, and energy.’ And here is the second: ‘Love others as well as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment that ranks with these.” (Mark 12: 28 - 31)

Play the Scripture game. Name a person in the gospels you would most like to be. For me, the unnamed scribe in this passage is a great choice. Of all the things that Jesus says to anyone in the four gospels, this is the one thing I dearly want him to say to me: “You’re almost there, right on the border of God’s kingdom.”

This anonymous scribe hits the jackpot. Like so many people of his generation, he heard about the great teacher and decided to check out the story. Being a student of Scripture, he wanted to see if Jesus was more learned than he was. Scholarship makes some people arrogant, but this man had come to be humbled by his education. If Jesus knew more about God than he did, he was ready to learn from him.

So he asks his question, which may well have been the guiding principle of his entire career. Which law is first among the commandments? What does God want most from us? If you have only one chance to ask a question, you want to be sure it’s the most important one. And the man is so impressed by the answer Jesus gives, he responds with sincere praise. For his part, Jesus finds himself in the presence of a rare understanding disciple. So he in turn praises the man with those thrilling words: you’re almost there. May each of us hear those words someday!

If you boiled down the mission of your life to one question, as the scribe in the gospel did, what would it be?

Less Can Be More
(Mark 12: 28b - 34)

As the dean of formation of a Catholic high school, every summer holidays I joined in rewriting the student handbook based on what we had learned from the previous school year. Most of it needed no changes. But the dean of discipline always arrived with a handful of new rules and regulations as well as additions and clarifications to be included in the new document, based on the misbehaviour of the students. For example, he wanted to add to the dress code “No squirrel skins could be worn” because one student came dressed with a squirrel fur wristband. I said it was a little too specific. So, he countered with “No animal skin or fur of any kind allowed.” That seemed a bit broad to me as I wondered about a leather watch band. He argued the need to be specific because the students always try to get away with whatever they could. I said they did that because they saw it as a game they played with him.

The principal, after allowing us to talk ourselves out, handed us a printed paragraph. In the broadest terms, with just a few words, it ready simply that students were expected and encouraged to act in ways promoting that was good for them personally, for the school community, their family, neighbourhood, and church. Anything else would not be accepted. He was echoing Moses and Jesus when they told us with very few words to love God and your neighbour. That was all that was needed.

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 SchoolTV** is a free resource.

Tap here to access SchoolTV

The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps – and 3 things you can do about it

Game and app designers use all sorts of tricks to keep kids playing – and spending money – on their platforms, but parents can help them understand the risks, say researchers Chris Zomer and Sumudu Mallawaarachchi.

Ever found yourself unable to resist checking out a social media notification? Or sending a random picture just to keep a Snapchat “streak” going? Or simply getting stuck staring at YouTube because it auto-played yet another cute cat video?

If so, you’re far from alone. And if we adults can’t resist such digital temptations, how can we expect children to do any better?

Many digital environments are not designed with the best interest of users in mind – and this is especially true of games, apps and platforms commonly used by kids and teens.

Designers use persuasive design techniques to make users spend more time on apps or platforms, so they can make more money selling ads. Below, we explain some of the most common design tricks used in popular games, social media and apps.

Decision-making made easy

Social media and streaming platforms strive to provide “seamless” user experiences. This makes it easy to stay engaged without needing to click anything very often, which also minimises any obvious opportunities where we might disengage.

These seamless experiences include things such as auto-play when streaming videos, or “infinite scrolling” on social media. When algorithms present us with a steady flow of content, shaped by what we have liked or engaged with in the past, we must put in extra effort to stop watching. Unsurprisingly, we often decide to stay put.

Rewards and dopamine hits

Another way to keep children engaged is by using rewards, such as stars, diamonds, stickers, badges or other “points” in children’s apps. “Likes” on social media are no different.

Rewards trigger the release of a chemical in our brains – dopamine – which not only makes us feel good but also leaves us wanting more.

Rewards can be used to promote good behaviour, but not always. In some children’s apps, rewards are doubled if users watch advertisements.

Loot boxes and ‘gambling’

Variable rewards have been found to be especially effective. When you do not know when you will get a certain reward or desired item, you are more likely to keep going.

In games, variable rewards can often be found (or purchased) in the form of “loot boxes”. Loot boxes might be chests, treasures, or stacks of cards containing a random reward. Because of the unpredictable reward, some researchers have described loot boxes as akin to gambling, even though the games do not always involve real money.

Sometimes in-game currency (fake game money) can be bought with real money and used to “gamble” for rare characters and special items. This is very tempting for young people.

In one of our (as yet unpublished) studies, a 12-year-old student admitted to spending several hundred dollars to obtain a desired character in the popular game Genshin Impact.

The lure of streaks

Another problematic way of using rewards in design is negative reinforcement. For instance, when you are at risk of a negative outcome (like losing something good), you feel compelled to continue a particular behaviour.

“Streaks” work like this. If you do not do the same task for several days in a row, you will not get the extra rewards promised. Language learning app DuoLingo uses streaks, but so does Snapchat, a popular social media app. Research has shown a correlation between Snapchat streaks and problematic smartphone use among teens.

Streaks can also make money for apps directly. If you miss a day and lose your streak, you can often pay to restore it.

Loss of reputation

Reputation is important on social media. Think of the number of Facebook friends you have, or the number of likes your post receives.

Sometimes designers build on our fear of losing our reputation. For instance, they can do this by adding a leaderboard that ranks users based on their score.

While you may have heard of the use of leaderboards in games, they are also common in popular educational apps such as Kahoot! or Education Perfect. Leaderboards introduce an element of competition that many students enjoy.

However, for some this competition has negative consequences – especially for those languishing low in the ranks.

Similarly, Snapchat has a SnapScore where reputational loss is still at play. You do not want a lower score than your friends! This makes you want to keep using the app.

Exploiting feelings of connection

Another tool in the designers’ bag of tricks is capitalising on the emotional ties or connections users form with influencers or celebrities on social media, or favourite media characters (such as Elmo or Peppa pig) for younger children.

While these connections can foster a sense of belonging, they can also be exploited for commercial gain, such as when influencers promote commercial products, or characters urge in-app purchases.

What can parents do?

Persuasive design isn’t inherently bad. Users want apps and games to be engaging, like we do for movies or TV shows. However, some design “tricks” simply serve commercial interests, often at the expense of users’ wellbeing.

It is not all bleak, though. Here are a few steps parents can take to help kids stay on top of the apps:

have early and ongoing discussions with children about ideas such as the underlying commercial intent of what they are engaging with
model good digital choices of not giving in to persuasive design, such as by avoiding digital distractions yourself
use trustworthy resources to help in digital decision-making, such as Common Sense Media and Dark Pattern Games.

For the moment, the responsibility for managing children’s interactions with the digital realm falls largely on individuals and families.

Some governments are beginning to take action, but measures such as blanket age-based bans on social media or other platforms will only shield children temporarily. A better approach for governments and regulators would be to focus on safety by design: the idea that the safety and rights of users should be the starting point of any app, product or service, rather than an afterthought.

About the authors

Chris Zomer is an Associate Research Fellow at the Centre of the Digital Child, Deakin University.

Sumudu Mallawaarachchi is a Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child, University of Wollongong

This article appeared on The Conversation, and is republished here under the terms of the Creative Commons licence. You can find the original here. The article is part of a series on the great internet letdown. Read the rest of the series.

Parents & Friends Association

Term 4 PFA Events

Subway Lunch - Week 6 Tuesday 12th - Foundation to Yr 3 and Wednesday 13th November - Yr 4 to Yr 6
Community Picnic and Young Entrepreneurs - 22nd November
School Fee Raffle - Late Nov