Term 4 Week 3 2025

A Message from the Principal

Dear parents and friends,

Last week, our School Board met to discuss our upcoming Awards Night. Together, we reviewed the current award criteria and explored the possibility of introducing new awards to recognise achievements in the arts, as well as other areas of academic and sporting excellence. It was a productive discussion centred on how we can best celebrate the diverse gifts and talents of our students.

This year, we have refined our Effort and Attitude Awards to ensure consistency and fairness across all year levels.

• For Prep to Year 2, students who receive 8 out of 8 commendable achievements across their subjects based on Semester 2 studies will be eligible.
• For Years 3–6, this standard will be 9 out of 9 commendable achievements across their subjects, also based on Semester 2 work.

These results will now reflect input from three teachers rather than just one, providing a more complete picture of each child’s learning habits across the curriculum. In the past, some students may have received an Effort and Attitude Award while areas such as PE, Health, The Arts, or Technologies were not reflective of their best effort. This update demonstrates our continued commitment to maintaining high standards in all we do at Our Lady’s.

We are also pleased to announce that Academic Awards will now be presented from Year 1 onward. Students in Years 1 and 2 who achieve a GPA of 4.00 or higher (a B average) across the six core subjects will be recognised for their academic excellence.

In addition, we have added a new Arts Award to our program to celebrate creativity and passion in this area. This award recognises a student who has demonstrated strong aptitude across one or more artistic domains such as Winton Poetry Festival, Visual Arts, Drama, Dance, Media Arts, Music, Show Art, Local Art Competitions, Instrumental Music with T.C.C, and Choirs. The recipient does not need to have excelled in all these areas but will have made a significant contribution to the arts across our school community.

To provide greater transparency within our sporting awards, we will now present Central West (CW) and North West (NW) Sport Medals prior to the ASPIRE Award, allowing families and students to clearly see the pathway and criteria behind this prestigious recognition.

Finally, we look forward to celebrating our Accelerated Reader leaders from Years 2–6 with Reading Medals for exceptional commitment to reading, and presenting our Spelling Bee Awards on the night. All other sponsored and community awards will remain unchanged.

As always, I thank our staff and School Board for their thoughtful contributions to ensuring our awards program reflects the hard work, talent, and values that define Our Lady’s.

A reminder that Grandparents Day will be held next Monday. This special morning is an opportunity to honour our grandparents and grandfriends for the role they play in our students’ lives. The morning will begin with a prayer celebration, followed by morning tea and activities around the classrooms and outdoor spaces.

If you’re planning to join us, please complete the Google Form that was emailed and texted home last week. We also encourage families to bring a plate to share, with ingredients listed for the benefit of our community. Staff have been busy preparing a range of activities, and we look forward to welcoming you all for what is always one of the most heartwarming days on our school calendar.

God bless,

Mr Peter Thurecht

Reflection - Sr Kym Harris OSB

The Liberation of Duty

The Gospel of a couple of Sundays ago (Luke 17:5-10) told of a strange parable for Jesus – there was no twist in the tale.  The story was straightforward, nothing shocking or surprising, which itself is surprising in Jesus’ parables.  It told of a servant serving his master after a hard day’s work – doing his duty.  Now, duty is not a fashionable word.  It denotes boredom, drudgery, doing what you have to do.  I’ll tell you how it became a word of liberation for me.

My mother was a difficult woman.  For her, there was only one thing better than inconveniencing her children – it was having a fight with them.  Some time after she was widowed, she wanted to come and stay with me (she had had a fight with the brother she was living with). I was terrified. And the night before she came, I was praying desperately to my father for guidance – and I got it.  It was as though I heard him say, ‘Do your duty.’   So, I took that as my guiding light - what a dutiful daughter should do.  Over the next eight months, I didn’t pander either to Mum’s demands or my fears.  I simply thought about what I should do for her, taking into account the other parts of my life where I had other duties – and that included looking after myself. I won’t say that at the end of that time we had entered into a wonderful mother/daughter relationship.  But when Mum left, she knew she had been looked after and I not only wasn’t resentful but I had retained my dignity and self-respect.   

Since then, I have often used the question, ‘what is my duty here?’ as a guide.  It is easy for many of us to have excessive demands put on us, or have people dump their negative emotions on us…and we get discombobulated.  If we stop, say a prayer, and ask ourselves and God, ‘what is my duty here?’, we may find ourselves able to do the right thing – both for us and the other persons.

Loving God, you know how I can be thrown by the demands or emotions of other people.  Send me your wise Spirit to guide me through these difficult situations and discover the liberating power of doing my duty.  I ask this in Jesus’ name, confident that you will hear me.

Sr Kym Harris osb

APRE News

Hi, Welcome to Week 3 of Term 4! It has already been a very busy start to the term and it won’t stop until it ends.

Socktober and Mission Month Update

Socktober continues to bring great energy to our school. The Zooper Dooper sales have been going strong, especially with the extremely hot weather Longreach has been experiencing. It has been wonderful to see students enjoying a cool treat while supporting a good cause.

It is also great to see students beginning to bring in recycled materials to help create their class soccer balls. Items like old shirts, socks, shorts and clean plastic are starting to come in, and classes are looking forward to getting creative with their designs.

This week, classes have been invited to watch a short video that shares the story behind Socktober and the impact it can have. You can view it below.

Thank you for your continued support as we journey through Mission Month together.

APRE Zoom Reflection – Learning from St Teresa of Avila

On Tuesday, I joined APREs and ARLOS from across the diocese for our Term Four Zoom gathering. These sessions are always a valuable opportunity to learn, reflect and connect with others in similar roles. One part of this term’s meeting that really stood out to me was the focus on St Teresa of Avila.

St Teresa was a Spanish Carmelite nun born in 1515. She was a mystic, reformer and writer who played a key role in renewing the Carmelite order. Her deep spiritual insights and writings on prayer continue to guide the Church today. In recognition of her contributions, she was named a Doctor of the Church in 1970 — the first woman to receive this title.

One of her most moving pieces of writing is the poem “In the Hands of God.” In it, Teresa expresses complete surrender to God’s will, offering her heart, body, life and soul to be used however God desires. This message speaks deeply to our work in Catholic education. Just as Teresa placed her life in God’s hands, we encourage our students to trust in God’s love and guidance, especially in moments of challenge or uncertainty.

I am Yours and born for You,
What do You want of me?

Majestic Sovereign,
Unending wisdom,
Kindness pleasing to my soul;
God sublime, one Being Good,
Behold this one so vile.
Singing of her love to you:
What do You want of me?

Yours, you made me,
Yours, you saved me,
Yours, you endured me,
Yours, you called me,
Yours, you awaited me,
Yours, I did not stray.
What do You want of me?

In the classroom, this poem can be a gentle invitation for students to reflect on how they can offer their gifts to God — through kindness, learning, prayer and service. It reminds us all that we are part of something greater, and that when we place ourselves in God’s hands, we are never alone.

God Bless,

Mr Komndi-Diggins

Inclusive Curriculum News

Building Awareness Through Interoception

This term, our entire school community has been on a journey to explore interoception—the ability to notice and understand the internal signals our bodies send us, such as feeling hungry, thirsty, tired, or excited. Developing this awareness is an important life skill because it helps students recognise how their bodies feel and respond in ways that support both wellbeing and learning.

To make this learning engaging for everyone, classes across the school have been incorporating Brain Bops—short, active breaks designed to help us tune in to our bodies and reset our minds. These activities give students the chance to pause, notice their breathing, heart rate, and energy levels, and then return to learning feeling calm and focused.

By practising interoception together, our students are building self-awareness and learning strategies to manage their emotions and behaviour. These are valuable skills that support not only learning but also positive relationships and overall wellbeing.

Here are some simple ways to build interoception skills together:

• Name the Feeling: When your child says they’re tired, hungry, or excited, help them connect the feeling to a body signal. For example: “Your tummy is rumbling—that’s your body telling you it’s hungry.”
• Check-In Moments: Pause during the day and ask, “How does your body feel right now?” Encourage them to notice their heartbeat, breathing, or muscle tension.
• Movement Breaks: Try short activities like stretching, star jumps, or a quick walk. Afterwards, ask, “What changed in your body?”
• Calm-Down Tools: Practise slow breathing or gentle stretches together when things feel overwhelming. Talk about how these strategies help the body feel safe and calm.

These small conversations and activities help children strengthen the connection between their body signals and emotions—an important step in self-regulation.

Thanks Belinda Thurecht

Inclusive Curriculum Teacher

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.

Scholastic Book Club

What is Book Club?

Book Club provides families with an affordable and convenient way to access the best in children's literature to encourage leisure reading. Book Club brings the magic of reading to families by

• curating the catalogue in age-appropriate sections with a huge variety of excellent quality, affordable books.
• providing regular access to books for the home via your school to build good reading habits.
• contributing learning and literacy resources back to schools.

Supporting your school with Book Club 

15% of every purchase on Book Club goes back to your school in Scholastic Rewards to buy valuable educational resources that benefit your child.

• Place your Book Club order
• Your school earns Scholastic Rewards
• Your school redeems Scholastic Rewards for additional school or classroom resources!

Orders are due to school or online by Friday 31st October.

School TV

In this edition of SchoolTV - Sleep

Students today have extremely busy schedules, with ever increasing responsibilities at school and at home. Many kids, especially adolescents, are going to bed later and later and are at risk of sleep deprivation. This affects three areas of a child’s development: psychological, physiological and psychosocial. All three are essential to a child's growth, learning ability and overall wellbeing. Sleep is vital to a child’s overall development and is as important as diet and exercise.

Sleep also strengthens a child’s immune systems and supports their ability to function properly on a daily basis. Children who do not get enough sleep show increased levels of aggressive behaviour, are less attentive and are much less active. Trying to catch up on sleep on weekends is not the answer and can still lead to severe sleep deprivation.

In this edition of SchoolTV, parents will learn about the importance of sleep and how sleep deprivation can have adverse effects on a child’s health and wellbeing.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this edition of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact the school counsellor for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to the Sleep edition of SchoolTV: https://ollrok.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/sleep

Grandparents Day Celebration

In Australia, Grandparents Day is celebrated on Sunday 26 October, recognising the incredible contribution grandparents make to our families, communities, and the wider world. 💕

To honour these special people in our lives, we invite all grandparents and families to join us for a Morning Prayer Gathering, followed by a morning tea and picnic on the grass.

Students will have the opportunity to share a book, create a small craft, or play a game with their grandparents and loved ones in a relaxed, joyful setting.

📍 Where: MPC and school grounds

🕓 Time: 8:40am – 9:40am

📅 Date: Monday 27 October

We look forward to celebrating the love, wisdom and warmth our grandparents bring to our lives every day.

Art Showcase Evening

Join us on Thursday, October 30th from 5:30–7:00pm in C Block for our Term 4 Art Show! Come and wander through the creative displays featuring the incredible artwork of our students from Prep to Year 6, guided by the talented Mrs Neuendorf.

Bring along family and friends to celebrate the imagination, colour, and creativity that fill our classrooms. 🌈👩‍🎨👨‍🎨

We can’t wait to see you there!

Crazy Socks Day & Day For Daniel

Annual Awards Evening

Non State Schools - Transport Assistance Scheme

2025 Term 4 Swimming Lessons

Swimming Lessons – Commencing Tuesday 14th October until Tuesday 25th November (7 lessons)

Annual Swimming Carnival – Friday 28th November 

Swimming lessons will commence in Week 2 of Term 4 for all students. Lessons will be held for all year levels on Tuesday with the exception of years 5 & 6 who will have their lesson on Friday morning.

To assist with the tight timetable, Year 3 and 4 students are required to come to school with their sun safe swimmers under their sports uniform. All other classes will get dressed at school prior to their lesson. As Prep are the last swimming lesson for the day they will not get changed back into their uniform to go home in the afternoon. Years 5 & 6 are required to come to school on Friday with their sun safe swimmers under their sports uniform.

Our swimming instructor this year will be Mrs. Lisa Neuendorf and support staff. 

Things every student will need: (please ensure that all belongings are named)

•    Sun safe swimming togs
•    Towel
•    Swimming cap
•    Goggles
•    Slip on shoes

Tuckshop Menu

PLEASE NOTE: POPCORN IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

WEEK 6 - Tuckshop closed Friday 14th November

WEEK 8 - P&F Catering for the Swimming Carnival Friday 28th November

Revised School Policies

Stay up to date with revised school policies by visiting our school website. https://ollrok.catholic.edu.au/forms-policies

Homework Policy

Uniform Policy

Mobile Phone and Wearable Tech Statement

CSPQ - Our Lady's Catholic Primary School P&F

The Parent Pulse: Social Media & Our Children

A survey for parents of primary & secondary students

The Australian Government is delivering policies to delay children’s access to social media.

From 10 December 2025, age-restricted social media platforms will have to take reasonable steps to prevent Australians under the age of 16 from creating or keeping an account.

Your voice matters. By completing this survey, you are helping Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) understand the real experiences, challenges, and hopes of families in our Catholic school communities. The insights gathered will directly shape our advocacy with Catholic Education authorities and Government, ensuring that the needs and perspectives of parents and carers are heard at the highest levels.

Your input will guide us in championing initiatives that strengthen learning, wellbeing, and partnership between home and school.

Click here to have your say: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L65CL58

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/

Community Notices

The Smith Family - Strong Communities'

Outback Futures

Mental Health Week

Central West Hospital & Health Services

RESQ - Driving Lessons

Longreach Sporting Opportunities

We’re thrilled to welcome you to a brand-new season of junior cricket! Whether your child is picking up a bat for the first time or returning to build on their skills, we’re looking forward to a fun, active, and rewarding season together.

📅 Season Dates The season will run from sign on, on Saturday, 11 October to Saturday, 28 March, with a break over the Christmas school holidays.

🏏 Program Options We’re offering three exciting stages of cricket development to suit all skill levels:

• Junior Blasters – Fun games, skills, and drills for our youngest beginners.
• Master Blasters – More advanced skills and modified cricket games.
• Hard Ball Cricket – For experienced players, featuring age-adjusted pitch distances and full-format matches in a team setting.

🎯 Hard Ball Round Robin Competition This season, we’re launching a 4-team round robin Hard Ball competition, with matches played across the Showgrounds and Our Lady’s pitches. It’s a fantastic opportunity to build match experience and team spirit in a supportive, local setting.

🌟 Special Events & Opportunities

• Intertown Matches
• Saturday, 1 November – Longreach
• Saturday, 29 November – Barcaldine
• Representative Cricket – Central West Intercity Carnivals Trials will be held on Saturday, 31 January for players interested in representing Central West Cricket. We aim to field teams in the U11, U12, and U14 age groups, depending on numbers and availability. The Intercity Carnival will take place on 21–22 February across multiple locations, with venues tailored to each age group.
• Specialist Coaching Clinic A specialist cricket coaching clinic will be offered in January in Barcaldine for interested players. Dates and further details will be shared soon.

📝 Registration Details We’ll be in touch with team announcements and more information shortly. In the meantime, you can register using the links below:

• Blast Cricket Registration

Game based drills and skills for children aged 4 – 10 years Junior Blasters (1 hour) Master Blasters (1.5 hours) (Junior Blasters and Master Blasters will receive a Woolworths Cricket Pack)

• Hard Ball Cricket Registration 
• 20/20 cricket with a hard ball for children wanting to experience real cricket match play in a team setting. 7:30am start until finish of game (estimated finish time 11am)

If you’re unsure which program is right for your child, feel free to reach out or attend our sign-on day—we’re here to help!

We welcome volunteers! If you're interested in supporting our program—whether through coaching, team management, or helping behind the scenes—please reach out.

Parents are encouraged to stay and actively engage with their children during sessions. If you need to leave at any point, kindly inform your child’s coach to ensure Duty of Care requirements are met.

🌞 Welcome to Term 4 – Let’s Make a Splash! 🌞

As summer sets in, Alpha Learn to Swim (ALTS) and the Longreach Stingrays are thrilled to bring you an action-packed Term 4 of swimming and fitness programs – plus our new addition, Water Polo!

💸 Don’t forget your vouchers!
The Queensland Government offers vouchers that can cover most (or all!) of your swimming fees this season:

• Swim Start Vouchers – $150 per child (for under 5’s)
  Apply here: https://www.qld.gov.au/recreation/sports/funding/swimstart
• Play On Vouchers – $200 per student (5 years and over)
  Apply here: https://www.qld.gov.au/playon

Simply forward your voucher to ALTS, and we’ll help you get registered!

🌊 Learn to Swim & Squad Programs

• Infant Swim (3–6 months) – FREE
• Baby Steps, Tiny Tots, Learn to Swim, Stroke Development & Squad programs for swimmers from 6 months through to competitive levels.
  Book here: https://portal.iclasspro.com/alphalearntoswim/booking

🌊 Water Polo – New in Term 4!

• Flipper Ball – children 7 years and over

💪 Adult Fitness (Longreach Aquatic Centre)

• Aqua Aerobics – Tuesday & Thursday 5:30pm
• Adult Fitness Squad – Tuesday 5:30pm & Friday 6:30am
• Water Polo (15 years and over) – Wednesday 6:00pm
  Book here: https://portal.iclasspro.com/alphalearntoswim/booking

🎟️ Passes
Season Pass holders receive 10% off all ALTS programs.
Buy a pass here: https://portal.iclasspro.com/alphalearntoswim/products/category/passes/subcategory/alpha

🏊 Longreach Stingrays Swim Club – Mondays 6:00pm

• Open to all – you don’t need to be in ALTS to join!
• Register here: https://swimcentral.swimming.org.au/
• Join in for fun, fitness, carnivals, or just relaxed club nights with friends.

For any questions about registering, vouchers, or programs, please contact us at info@alphalearntoswim.com or call 0407 333 728.