Term 1 Week 1 2025

A Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It is fantastic to welcome all of our students and families back for the 2025 school year! As I mentioned in my welcome email earlier this week, we have many new families joining our school community. I extend a warm welcome to the following families: Crombie, Doughty, French, Gray, Hay, Hobden, Horsten, Krcmar, McKeiver, Murphy, Rea, Sigler, Simpson, Solomon, Star, Taylor, Thurecht, Thurecht, Tutaki, and Walker. We are delighted to have you as part of our school family and look forward to getting to know you throughout the year.

Uniform Days for Term 1

To ensure a smooth start to the year, please take note of the uniform schedule for Term 1:

Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday – Formal Uniform

Tuesday – P.E. Uniform

Friday – House Polo (newly arrived) or Sports Uniform

House polo orders can be collected from the office with Ms Wall. If you missed ordering last year, another order will be placed towards the end of Term 1.

Our annual Information Night will take place on Tuesday, 11th February. While staff conduct their sessions, families are invited to attend a Welcome BBQ in the MPC and on the Oval. We encourage families to bring a picnic mat or camping chairs to sit and connect with others while children play on the playground or oval. Please note that children must be supervised by parents unless they are in an information session. This event is a great opportunity for new families to build connections within our school community.

Our Parents & Friends (P&F) Annual General Meeting will be held on Wednesday, 5th February at 5:30pm. We encourage any parents who may be interested in taking on a position with the Executive Committee to attend. This early AGM will allow the new committee to prepare for the upcoming 125th Anniversary celebrations on 1st March, where our P&F will be catering for the Memorabilia Morning in the MPC. As part of our 125th Anniversary celebrations, tickets are now on sale for the Anniversary Ball on the evening of 1st March. This will be a fantastic evening for families and friends to celebrate this milestone together. We hope to see many of you there!

Attached to this newsletter is our updated Homework Policy, which was finalised by the School Board at the end of last year. One key change to note is the introduction of a Homework Club on Mondays at first break (eating time). Students in Years 3-6 who have not completed their compulsory tasks will attend this session to ensure they do not miss out on important academic learning. Staff have been provided time to familiarise themselves with the policy and will discuss it further at the Information Night in Week 3. Homework for all year levels will begin next week.

God bless,

Mr Peter Thurecht

Reflection - Sr Kym Harris OSB

Guided by Hope

As this fresh school year begins, we have hopes for what it will bring our child/ren.  Often these hopes are vague, nebulous ideas around what is best for them.  But imagine what would happen if these hopes were clearer.  Consider taking some time to ponder on what would be best for your child/ren in the coming year.  Imagine different possibilities around what would truly suit them and allow them to grow into the particular person God has fashioned them to be. These are true hopes – not vague or wishy-washy ideas they might drift into but goals that are in their best interest.

Now take time to imagine God doing that for you.  God’s desire for us is to live rich fulfilled lives using our gifts and talents for worship, for growing into our best selves, for the love and care of our family and wider community.  What type of person would you like to be in 12 months’ time? These are your hopes: now pray for the wisdom to recognise and put into practice the small daily actions that would make God’s hopes for you real. 

Loving God, you delight in me.  May I take time to wonder about the person you would have me become.  As these hopes emerge, give me the wisdom to discern the small daily actions that would make these hopes, these dreams a reality.  I ask this in Jesus’ name, confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris

APRE News

Welcome to 2025 at Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School!

I hope all members of our school community had a joyful and relaxing break over the Christmas holidays. It has been wonderful to see our staff, students, and parents back this week as we begin an exciting and busy year! A special welcome to our new families—I hope you already feel a sense of belonging and the warm embrace of our school community.

There are many exciting events and celebrations to look forward to this term, including:

• Year 6 Catholic Leadership Program (Week 3) – In Week 3, April Roth from the Catholic Education Office and I will be leading our Year 6 students through the Catholic Leadership Program (CLP). This program helps students develop a deeper understanding of what it means to be a leader in a Catholic school and community. It is an invaluable opportunity for them to grow in faith, responsibility, and leadership.
• Commissioning and Opening School Liturgy (Week 4) – This is one of the first major events of the year. We will officially open the school year with a liturgy led by Fr Bang and our Year 6 leaders. During this special event, the Our Lady’s school board and P&F will also be commissioned into their important roles, and our Year 6 students will receive their leadership badges.
• Our Lady’s 125th Anniversary Celebrations (Week 5) – This year marks Our Lady’s 125th anniversary, a truly special milestone for our school! We will celebrate with a series of events throughout the week, including a Friday evening Mass led by Bishop Michael McCarthy, a re-enactment of the Presentation Sisters’ arrival using the Silver Bullet, a High Tea in the MPC, and an evening Ball at the Civic Centre. It will be a fantastic opportunity to honour our school's rich history and the community that continues to make it thrive.

Feast Day of St Brigid of Ireland

This Saturday, 1st February, we celebrate the Feast Day of St Brigid, a day of great significance for our school community, as St Brigid’s Church is our local parish. Throughout the year, our students participate in Masses and visit the church to deepen their understanding and appreciation of our Catholic faith.

St Brigid, born in the 5th century, is remembered for her strong faith, kindness, and commitment to helping others. She founded one of Ireland’s first monasteries in Kildare, where she provided education, shelter, and care for those in need. Her generosity and dedication to sharing Christ’s love made her one of Ireland’s most beloved saints, and her legacy continues to inspire people today.

She is known for her acts of compassion and the miracles attributed to her, such as multiplying food for the hungry and even taming wild animals. St Brigid’s cross, traditionally woven from rushes, is a symbol of her faith and protection and is often displayed in homes and schools. St Brigid’s influence is particularly strong in Australia due to the Irish Catholic heritage that helped shape our faith communities. As we celebrate her feast day, may we be inspired by her example—showing kindness, sharing what we have, and caring for those around us.

I wish all staff, students, and families a wonderful start to the school year, filled with learning, growth, and faith.

God Bless,

Mr Komndi-Diggins

Student Protection

Student Protection is taken very seriously within our school and Diocese. Each year all staff undertake mandatory student protection training at the beginning of the year. This year our School Student Protection Officers are Mr Peter Thurecht, Mr Sahlie Komndi-Diggins, Mrs Belinda Thurecht and Ms Sarah Wall. If you have concerns, please do not hesitate to contact one of our officers.

125th Anniversary Celebrations

Past and present families and friends of Our Lady's Catholic Primary School, you are warmly invited to join us in celebrating our 125th Anniversary at our Community Ball.

Purchase your ticket here: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1300810

Parent Orbit App

We're excited to announce a new mobile app for Our Lady's Longreach, Parent Orbit, is now ready for you to download and use.

The Parent Orbit app, which is connected to Parent Lounge, will improve our communication with each other as it offers a quick and easy way to receive notifications, view academic reports, book Parent/Teacher interviews, add Student Absences, view and pay School Fees, accept or decline excursions via the Events and Activities, update student details, email class teachers and much more.

Once you are in the app enter your Username and Password.  Your Username is your Parent Code, and your password is the same password that you use to login to Parent Lounge.  If you cannot remember your Parent Lounge password, click here to access the "Forget Password?" feature and follow the prompts to reset your password. Please contact the school office on 4994 8375 if you require further assistance.

Please take the time to explore the app as it offers many useful features. A "How To" guide has been included below. The app is very intuitive and will help keep us connected to support the education of your children.

The key features of the Parent Orbit App:
• Instant Notifications: Stay up to date with the latest announcements and important
alerts on your smartphone (be sure to enable Notifications)
• Events and Payments: Easily approve excursion attendance or make fee payments
• Medical Details: Keep your student’s medical details up to date
• Attendance Tracking: Easily track attendance and notify the School of your student's
absence
• Event Calendar: Stay informed about school events, meetings, and important dates
• Parent Teacher Interviews: Schedule parent-teacher interviews and receive
reminders
• Academic Reports: View and download your student’s school reports

How to download the Parent Orbit App
To download the app, scan the following QR code or follow the directions below

For iOS (iPhone and iPad) Users:
• On the iPhone or iPad device you would like to install Parent Orbit
• Once the App Store page for the app appears, tap "Get" or "Download"
• You may be prompted to enter your Apple ID password or use Touch ID/Face ID to
confirm the download
• After the download is complete, tap "Open" to launch the app
• Please ensure you enable Notifications

For Android Users:
• On the Android device you would like to install the Parent Orbit app
• Once the Google Play Store page for the app appears, tap "Install"
• The app will request certain permissions; tap "Accept" to grant them
• After the installation is complete, tap "Open" to launch the app
• Please ensure you enable Notifications

Setting Up Your Account

Once you have successfully downloaded and installed the app, follow these steps to set up your account:

1. Open ‘Parent Orbit’
2. Type “oll” (in lower case) into the School Code box and click Submit
3. Select Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, then ‘Continue’
4. Enter your Parent Code (same 6 digit number Username as Parent Lounge which can be found under ‘Account Number’ on your Fee Statement) and Password (the same Password for Parent Lounge), then select ‘Login’
5. Parent Orbit will request access to your student information from Parent Lounge, select ‘Allow’
6. Parent Orbit will request permission to send Notifications, select ‘Allow’
7. You can now navigate Parent Orbit
Please note: A red dot signifies either; a notification, something that needs action ie. Events and Payments or an absence to acknowledge
8. Information such as links or contact details for the school can be obtained via the side bar. This can be accessed by hitting the hamburger menu button located in the top left corner, or by swiping right.
9. For extra security when accessing the parent orbit app, Face ID or a PIN can be setup (dependant on phone settings). This can be done by first going to the settings page and then selecting Face ID or PIN to be enabled.

Our Lady's Catholic Primary School P&F

Uniform Policy

Homework Policy

Homework Policy Update for 2025

Another important agenda the School Board has focused on this year is our Homework Policy, which will come into effect at the beginning of 2025. After thoughtful consideration, some significant changes have been made to better align with the developmental needs of our students.

For students in Prep to Year 2, homework will still remain optional. At this early stage of learning, we recognise that students often require an adult to assist with homework tasks. Understanding the busy schedules of families, we know this won’t always be possible, and as such, we encourage, at the very least, regular reading at home. Reading together as a family fosters a love for learning and is an excellent way to build essential literacy skills.

For students in Years 3 to 6, homework will be compulsory. As children move into the middle and upper years of primary school, we aim to instil greater independence and a sense of responsibility in their learning. The rigor of homework at these levels is designed to support the development of key skills that will benefit them throughout their educational journey.

We are excited to see how these changes will positively impact both our students and their learning experiences moving forward!

Mobile Phone & Wearable Technology Policy

Isolated Children's Parents' Association Qld Longreach Branch

Family Support Program

Isolated Children's Parents' Association (ICPA) is committed to advocating for equitable education access, opportunities and support for all rural and remote students. Motivated by this commitment the ICPA Longreach Branch is initiating a program that enables our Longreach and district families to access up to $500 in financial assistance toward educational, sporting or cultural/arts support or activities for your children.

•    Educational support for your child may include, but is not limited to, speech therapy, occupational therapy, paediatrician appointment, or literacy and numeracy support.
•    Sporting activities relate specifically to those students selected to represent our region at North West Sports or a specialised coaching clinic.
•    Cultural/Arts activities may include music or drama workshops such as SHEP.

Eligibility criteria include:

•    Membership of the ICPA Longreach Branch. ($50 p/a https://icpa.com.au/qld/membership)
•    The child receiving the support lives in the Longreach 4730 / Ilfracombe 4727 postcode area.
•    The child is aged up to 17 years of age.
•    If the child is of school age, the child must be attending a Longreach or Ilfracombe school.
•    No more than one application per child to be submitted per calendar year.
•    Evidence that your child received the support or participated in the activity.

The ICPA Longreach Branch Family Support Program financial assistance is on a reimbursement basis. Upon receipt of a paid invoice/receipt and proof that your child received the educational support and/or participated in the sporting/cultural activity, up to $500 will be paid via bank transfer to your nominated account. 
ICPA Longreach Branch has allocated a capped budget for this program, so once allocated funds have been spent, the program may be modified with the aim of providing assistance to the maximum number of families in our Branch. The ICPA Longreach Branch committee reserves the right to assess applications on a case by case basis. The Committee's decision is final in all application assessments. Your input and feedback on this Family Support Program is welcome as we aspire to provide a useful service to our Branch members. 
If you are seeking educational support for your child and you're not sure where to start looking, these are providers in our Longreach area:

•    Virtual or face-to-face speech therapy, https://popfamily.au/about/
•    Little Legs - Occupational Therapy based in Central West, https://www.littlelegsot.com.au/
•    Outback Futures - multiple services, https://outbackfutures.org.au/

Please email icpa.longreach@gmail.com for more information on this program, or to submit an application form. 

Tuckshop

Please note there will be no tuckshop available on Friday 28th February due to 125 year celebrations.

Key Dates

St Brigid’s Parish News

Please follow us on Facebook for up to date information on what’s happening in the St Brigid’s Parish. https://m.facebook.com/people/Central-West-QLD-Catholic-Church/100080215845014/

Catholic Diocese of Rockhampton

Department of Transport and Main Roads

Do you have kids at School and looking to earn some extra money?

Are you semi-retired looking for a little extra cash?

Over 18yrs of age and perhaps @ home studying online and can spare some time, whilst earning some pocket money.

Shifts vary between Approx 1 hour in the morning and ½ hour in afternoon

Would you like to earn money and Help our State School? 🙋

Transport and Main Roads is looking for casual school crossing supervisors at our Primary School to help get our kids safely to and from school!

✅ Generous casual pay-rate starting at $37 per hour

✅ Morning and afternoon shifts

✅ Long-service leave entitlements

✅ The Queensland Government superannuation scheme.

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, Contact below

To be deemed suitable for the role, some criteria apply, which include requirements to:

👉 pass a basic health assessment

👉 hold a current blue card or Able to apply

Both requirements we pay for, plus paid training will be given.

For more information or to apply, 07 4983 8747 or 0438 838 740

Community Notices

Max Flaherty - Junior Development Tennis Coach

Longreach Stingrays

Central West Hospital & Health Services

Below is an invitation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander persons to attend a 715 Health check.

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health team is hosting a First Nations health clinic at the Longreach Primary Care Clinic (former bulk billing clinic).

This is a great opportunity for you to get your 715 Health Check.

This 715 health check helps identify whether you are at risk of illnesses or chronic conditions.

The team will be giving out Deadly Choices t-shirts to all who complete their health check.

Call 0499714995 to book your appointment Details in the poster 👇