Our Lady Help of Christians Earlville eNewsletter

Hello families,

We’ve nearly made it to the halfway mark…. Hump Week of Term 2! Thank you for your continued support throughout what has been a great term so far. While there have been a few minor hiccups (particularly around lunchtime soccer), I want to acknowledge the way our families have responded. It’s clear these conversations are happening at home, as we’ve seen a noticeable improvement in the way students are playing. Thank you for reinforcing our expectations.

As I’ve often said, the best outcomes for our students occur when school and families work together. With that in mind, I’m seeking your support in a few other areas:

We continue to have some challenges with the correct use of Stop, Drop and Go. Some parents are using the staff carpark to drop children off, or worse, driving through the staff carpark to bypass the queue and re-enter Stop, Drop and Go. This not only disrupts the flow but, more importantly, places students at serious risk. Our staff carpark is not designed for student movement, and these actions compromise the safety of all. Please use Stop, Drop and Go as intended and model patience to our children.

Since the start of this term, we’ve noticed a gradual increase in takeaway food being delivered to the school office for students. This is not a new trend brought on by our temporary tuckshop closure, it’s been slowly creeping in over the past month. We kindly ask that families do not bring in takeaway lunches, as this creates unnecessary disruption to the school day and has a flow-on effect, with other children asking their parents to do the same. So far, we’ve had the presence of all fast-food chains being delivered, please stop this now.

As a reporting term, there’s naturally a bit more focus on assessment and academic progress. Please remind your children that their value isn’t determined by a grade, but by the effort they put in. We encourage our students to strive for their personal best, not perfection. A calm, consistent approach will always serve them better than added pressure. Let’s remind them that learning is a journey, and what matters most is how they walk it.

Exciting news! Work on our new Prep to Year 2 playground began yesterday. We are hopeful it will be ready for use within the next fortnight we can’t wait to see it come to life.

As we continue through the term, I’m reminded of these words from the Book of Proverbs:
“Train children in the right way, and when old, they will not stray.” – Proverbs 22:6

I look forward to seeing you around the school, whether at Mestrez Gate or the Balaclava entrance. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Respect, Love, Mercy and Community

God Bless

Brendon Napier
Principal

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to take this opportunity to say thanks for your ongoing support of our school community. Your involvement, encouragement, and presence—especially in the religious life of the school—help to nurture a strong sense of faith, belonging, and shared mission. It is through this partnership that we continue to grow as a community grounded in Gospel values and committed to the spiritual development of our students.

Parish Schools Community Mass

Our heartfelt thanks to all the families who joined us for our Parish Schools Community Mass last Sunday. It was a beautiful celebration of faith, unity, and the strong connection between our parish school communities. Sharing pizza together afterwards was a wonderful way to continue the spirit of community and hospitality. Your presence and support made this meaningful, and we are grateful for the opportunity to gather as one in prayer and friendship.

Our Lady Help of Christians

Our Lady Help of Christians is a title given to Mary, the mother of Jesus, as a powerful intercessor and protector, especially in times of difficulty. This title has been especially important to Catholics in Australia, where she is honoured as the patron saint of our nation. Australians have turned to Mary under this name for comfort, strength, and guidance in both personal and national struggles. Her feast day, celebrated on May 24, reminds us to trust in God’s care and to follow Mary’s example of faith, love, and service.

Feast Day Mass – 23^rd May

This Friday we look forward to celebrating the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians, the patroness of Australia, our Parish and our School. Mary, under this title, is a source of comfort and guidance, especially in times of need. Our day of celebrations will begin with Mass at 9:00 am in the hall, which will include the presentation of the Our Lady Help of Christians Awards. Families are warmly invited to join us for Mass and then a bring your own morning tea at 10:20 am to share with your child/ren. This will be followed by an afternoon of fun with the Colour Run from 12:30 pm onwards. Students will also enjoy a sausage sizzle and icy pole for second lunch. It promises to be a joyful day of faith, community, and celebration.

Religious Life of the School Activities – Term 2

Week	Event
Five	Our Lady Help of Christians Feast Day
Six	Visitor – Imam from Mareeba Mosque to speak to Year 4, 5, & 6
Eight	Year 5 & 6 Mass + Morning tea with St Gerard Majella Students
Ten	Mercy Works Fundraiser Activities

As we continue our journey together, may we always strive to be a community of faith, hope, and love. Thank you for the many ways you support and enrich our school.

May God's peace and blessings be with you and your family in the fortnight ahead.

Blessings,

Toni Foley
Assistant Principal - Religious Education

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we embark on the halfway mark of this term, we eagerly look ahead to the exciting events we have coming up at Our lady Help of Christians, beginning with our Feast Day celebrations this Friday.

Our classroom teachers are beginning the process of piecing together a formal report for the children in their class. This involves assessing students, marking assessments, moderating assessment pieces as a team to arrive at a consistent judgement, making judgements on our Affective Reporting Domain (ARDs) that are linked to our school values and expectations, as well as writing a general comment. All of this is completed for each student, on top of the everyday work our incredible teachers do. So, I would like to acknowledge the significant time, care, and professionalism our teachers are investing in creating these reports. They are an important, but demanding, task that reflects their deep commitment to each child’s learning.

Staff Car Park – Safety Reminder

We continue to see a high number of families using the staff car park during drop-off and pick-up times. Please remember:

The staff car park is for staff only.
Entering or exiting during peak times disrupts traffic on Balaclava Road.
We’ve observed unsafe driving behaviours, including speeding and reversing without checking surroundings.

This is a serious safety concern. Let’s work together to keep our students safe by using designated drop-off zones and parking areas.

Contact Information

Please ensure your emergency and additional contact details are up to date with Madonna or Lindy at Reception. This includes listing grandparents or other carers/friends who may be picking up your child/ren. We’ve recently seen an increase in families having an additional person picking up their child/ren from school and they are not on the contacts list.

Thank you for your understanding and support in this safety process.

Student Protection Contacts

We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of every student. Please see below the Student Protection Contacts Poster for Our Lady Help of Christians.

These posters are displayed around the school and within each classroom. It is important for children to know they have a person, or people, available to talk with if a situation concerns them.

On our current school website, you can also find information surrounding safeguarding policies and processes. Scroll to the bottom of the home page and click on ‘Policies’ or ‘Student Protection’ to find out more.

By clicking Safeguarding Children Statement, you can also read our Safeguarding Children Commitment

The Learning Dashboard (TLD)

One key difference in TLD is the move to an overall judgement for English and Mathematics. For those families with children in Year 1 and above, you may remember that each year when reporting a child was given a judgement for the different strand areas within English and Mathematics, as well as an overall judgement.

From these visuals, you can see the different strands that fall under English and Mathematics for version 9 of the Australian Curriculum that we teach and assess to. The English curriculum is built around three interrelated strands whilst the Mathematics curriculum is built around six interrelated strands.

From 2025 moving forwards, students will receive an overall judgement for English and an overall judgement for Mathematics.

Overall judgements are given for each subject.
These judgements are based on a body of evidence from classroom work and assessments.
Not all strands (like Measurement or Space in Mathematics) may have been covered in every year level yet.
Therefore, appropriate comments will accompany the overall judgement to explain which strands were taught and assessed.

Another great feature of TLD, is the ability to view your child’s previous report judgements. This is available for students in Year 1-6, who have attended a Catholic Primary School in the Cairns Diocese. On Wednesday May 21, the My Learning configuration will be activated. This will allow you to login to TLD, via the Parent Portal or MYCE app, and view your child’s previous report results. You will also be able to view your child’s current attendance rate.

On Thursday May 22, an EdSmart slip will be going out to families to gather RSVPs for our upcoming TLD Parent Information Sessions. We ask that you please RSVP so we can have enough materials prepared.

Seesaw: Stay Connected with Your Child’s Learning

Did you know you can leave a voice note or comment on your child’s work in Seesaw? It’s a great way to encourage and engage with their learning!

Here’s how:

Open the Seesaw app.
Tap on your child’s post.
Click the speech bubble
Choose to type a comment or record a voice message (the microphone icon).

You can also tap the heart button to like your child’s work.

With these features turned on, you will also be able to comment on posts the teacher adds to the class journal. Just a reminder, the comments are a way of engaging in student learning. If for some reason you need to contact the teacher, or have a question about something you see on Seesaw, please email the teacher.

Seesaw is a great way to have parents engaging with their child/ren’s learning.

As always, if you require any support in the Seesaw space, please reach out to your child’s classroom teacher or myself.

As we celebrate the milestones and moments that shape each child’s growth, we’re reminded of the powerful role families play in nurturing a love of learning. Education is the seed, and community is the soil, together we’re growing something extraordinary. Thank you for walking alongside us in your child’s school journey, your support helps their potential blossom every day.

Warm regards,

Karina Brady
Assistant Principal - Administration

Term 2 fees are now overdue. Thank you to those who have made payment or have arrangements in place. This may include regular Direct Debits from your nominated bank account, or regular part payments via EFT or BPAY (please note a prior agreement with the school must be arranged for part payments – a phone call or email is sufficient).

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me on 4280 7200 (press 2 for accounts) or email: accounts.earlville@cns.catholic.edu.au

2024 Concession Card Info Sheet

2024 Concession Card Info Sheet 730.45 KB

Lauren Blenkinsop
Finance Officer

Children's Liturgy

Library News

Jill Watson and Paula Tindall

Borrowing Days

Please ensure your child brings their library bag and returns ALL borrowed books at their weekly session. The class borrowing days are:

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Year 3	Year 6	Year 5	Prep	4O
4E	Year 1	Year 2		4L

National Simultaneous Storytime

This Wednesday at 12 noon, our school will take part in the ALIA National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS).

The annual event highlights a picture book written by an Australian author and illustrator. This book is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

This year, get ready to zoom into the exciting world of Truck Cat! Written by Deborah Frenkel and filled with colorful, award-winning illustrations by Danny Snell. Join Truck Cat as she explores noisy construction sites, rides in big rumbling vehicles, and makes some surprising new friends along the way. It’s a purr-fect adventure full of fun, friendship, and furry excitement!

Our school community will gather together and immerse themselves in the wonderful tale of “Truck Cat” and make the NSS event a memorable one!

The Cassowary Cup

We are thrilled to announce our annual Cassowary Cup reading challenge is well underway and continuing to inspire our school community to dive into the world of books!

The Cassowary Cup reading challenge is a fantastic opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the joy of reading, explore new worlds and expand their imagination. By taking part in this challenge, we not only celebrate the power of literacy but also encourage a love for storytelling and learning.

Students have to log the title and author for each book they read, or listen to, during the challenge period. It will run until the end of Week 10, Term 2.

Reading plays an important part in students’ lives during their school years and beyond. It allows children to actively engage their imagination and opens up a world of educational opportunities.

Students have been given a sheet to record the books they read.

The requirements are as follows:

Prep to Year 3 should read (or listen to) at least 20 books,
Years 4, 5 & 6 should read (or listen to) at least 5 compulsory genres and 15 novels.

Every student who completes the challenge (finishes one sheet) will receive a Certificate of Participation and students may complete as many recording sheets as they wish during the reading period.

Important Library Dates

These are some important whole school library dates and celebrations coming up for the remainder of this year. We will release more information about each activity closer to the date.

Term	Activity
2	● Wed 21st May at 12noon National Simultaneous Storytime ● National Reconciliation Week ● Our Lady Cassowary Cup Reading Challenge continues
3	● Cassowary Cup Challenge Certificates/Prizes Assembly ● NAIDOC Week ● Wk 7 Book Week (includes dress up and parade)
4	● Wk 4 Book Fair

Happy Reading,

The Library Team:
Paula Tindall and Jill Watson

Bebras Challenge

56 students participated in this online competition as part of Maths Enrichment in Week 2. This is OLHOC’s seventh year to participate in the Bebras Challenge and we have achieved our best results ever! Congratulations to ALL the students who participated for a superb effort:

Excellence (135/135)

Luis Estrada & Aiden Kim (Year 4)

Jace Adcock, Jayveer Singh, Floyd Duncan (Year 6)

Ollie Oastler (Year 6)

High Distinction

Ashton Draper (Year 3)

Logan Barden (Year 5)

Aedrick Canlas (Year 5)

Rory Hunter & Akain Pathirana (Year 5)

Emily Hillier & Ruby Andrews (Year 6)

Avery Lee (Year 6)

Thomas Timings, Keynen Palmer, Broc Bertuna (Year 6)

Distinction

Luke Woodward, Max Armstrong, Beau Taylor (Year 4)

Martin Oraya, Johnathan Beal, Sayul Naotunna (Year 4)

Janam Pokharel, Xavier Abeleven, Jaxon Hillier (Year 4)

Liam Markham (Year 5)

Charlie Rillstone & Finn Cripps (Year 5)

Malcolm Wilcox & Lucas Killeen (Year 5)

Willow See Kee, Abbey Mollineaux, Lynn Takahashi (Year 6)

Credit

Walter Irvin & Leo Karalus (Year 3)

Emma Kim & Lisa Takahashi (Year 3)

Aaleyah Padua, Rayani Dinadayura & Zara Wharton (Year 3)

Stella Townson & Olivia Lee (Year 3)

Cienna Doody & Savannah Watson (Year 4)

Mitchell Carlsen & Harley Arthurson (Year 4)

Tilly Agioritis & Bailee Wells (Year 4)

Abigail Dobinson, Lamana Mast, Megumi Hirase (Year 5)

Hana Okino (Year 5)

Patrick Donaldson (Year 5)

Merit

Xeryus Stoehr & Josaia Daganayasi (Year 3)

The school will once again provide an opportunity for high achieving students in Grades 3-6 to participate in these assessments if they wish. Any child is eligible, but the tests are designed for students wishing to extend themselves academically.

The assessments will be conducted in Weeks 4-7 of Term 3 as indicated below. Exact dates and times will be determined once we know how many students have registered. The cost per test is $20.95 including GST.

ICAS Digital Technologies	(Week 4) 4 Aug –8 Aug 2025
ICAS English	(Week 5) 11 Aug – 15 Aug 2025
ICAS Science	(Week 6) 18 Aug – 22 Aug 2025
ICAS Spelling Bee	(Week 6) 18 Aug – 22 Aug 2025
ICAS Mathematics	(Week 7) 25 Aug – 29 Aug 2025

You can check out the style of questions being asked with Practice tools - scroll down to Tool #3 Sample Tests.

Please indicate your interest in purchasing one or more of these assessments by emailing Mrs Williams (awilliams2@cns.catholic.edu.au) and she will provide you with further information for accessing the Parent Payment System.

Alison Williams
Enrichment Teacher

Value_and_expectation_focus.pdf

OLHOC_Tuckshop_Term_2_Menu.pdf

Carmen Mellor
Tuckshop Convenor

The MyCE app will now be our main way of communicating with parents. If you have more than one student attending at different catholic schools, you will be able to see all of them on the one app, instead of accessing the different school portals.

Things that will be able to be seen/accessed on MyCE: