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Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to her, ‘Woman, here is your son,’ and to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.
John 19:25-27
The most beautiful word on the lips of mankind is the word “Mother,” and the most beautiful call is the call of “My mother.” It is a word full of hope and love, a sweet and kind word coming from the depths of the heart. The mother is everything – she is our consolation in sorrow, our hope in misery, and our strength in weakness. She is the source of love, mercy, sympathy, and forgiveness….......... Kahlil Gibran
When I was pregnant someone told me that becoming a mother changes everything. She was right. My head, my heart and my hands work differently since the birth of my daughter. I started to think in twos. It was never again just “I” but always “we”.
Motherhood both strengthens and weakens a woman; she will fight till death for her child, yet at the same time, her vulnerability grows. A woman becomes most vulnerable in all the moments she has to let go of her child, letting go into the care of others and letting go to life itself. We all want the best for our children, but what is the best?
Mary, the mother of Jesus valued many things in her heart as she raised him, but she also had to endure the greatest sacrifice of all time- her son was the Son of God and He had come to give Himself up as a sacrifice, the one and only sacrifice that could be made for mankind. She had to watch Him suffer, be tortured and mocked, and die a cruel death on a cross by crucifixion. Even while He was dying, Jesus cared for His mother. Mary was blessed among women, for she was chosen by God to bear His Son and raise Him. Though there was death there was also joy for Mary, as her son did not stay dead. He rose again from the grave, securing eternity for her and all who would believe.
It is wonderful to see that South Australia is doing so well in transmission numbers and we can be truly grateful about the situation we are in. I would like to express my gratitude to all families for your continued support and trust as you leave your children in our care in these uncertain times. As a school we continue to be vigilant with cleaning regimes and hygiene.
The Federation of Catholic School Parent Communities SA in partnership with the Life Buoyancy Institute Foundation are offering a free webinar on the 14th May for parents and caregivers of students in Catholic Schools. The webinar ‘Helping Students to Navigate, Grow and Thrive through Uncertainty’ will teach about three key areas to focus on during this time, and provides you with a range of practical strategies you can apply to support your children navigate, grow and thrive in this period of world uncertainty and school disruption. The session will be delivered by Zoom, which is an online web-based platform that can be accessed by smart phone, tablet and computer. Please follow this link to register if you are interested.
It seems a bit early to start talking about term 3, but it will be here before we know it. I am mindful that some families might have children that are eligible for a mid-year enrolment (children that turn 5 before 31st October 2020). If you would like some information about your child starting Foundation in Term 3 please contact the school, we would love to chat to you.
This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day. Our mothers and mother figures play a significant role in our lives and it is important to say ‘Thank you’. I wish all mums and mother figures a wonderful day on Sunday. I hope you enjoy the special gifts your children have eagerly created for you this week. This weekend let us also keep in mind those for whom Mothers’ Day is not a time of celebration; children who do not know their mothers and children who have to miss their mother. Let us keep in mind those mothers who have lost a child and women who will never know motherhood.
Nanda de Winter
Talented Tuesday
Warm Hearted Wednesday
Thankful Thursday
We thought of our common home. Next to switching off our electronics and devices to care for the environment we also enjoyed some delicious “Bring your Fire to the Earth” inspired cupcakes as we continue Catholic Education Week celebrations.
The year 5 class presented their Assembly on Microsoft Teams today, watch the video below.
At the beginning of March we went down to Martins Bend in Berri for our first YEL meeting. YEL stands for Young Environmental Leaders. We are the NRM students representing OLOR for 2020 and have some exciting things planned to help the school, and the environment.
During our YEL forum at Martins Bend we went on a nature walk, did some bird watching, learned how to basket weave and finished with a fun energy stick activity.
During our nature walk we were encouraged to stop and look for different birds. We were given a pair of binoculars and a booklet full of the many different birds we might see. We could hear a kookaburra, but we could not see it and saw lots of Willy wag-tails. I was really hoping to see the kookaburra but it was well hidden. It was a lot of fun learning about the importance of water and trees to the different kinds of birds living at Martins Bend.
After our walk we were met by Max and Sherry. They are traditional peoples of the River Murray and Mallee region. Their ancestors have used the art of basket weaving for lots of years. We used reeds that they had found by the river. You need to start with dry reeds and soak them in water so they do not snap, and you can weave with them. We did not make a basket but learned the skill of weaving the reds over and under. It would have taken a lot of time to make big baskets for carrying food or used to catch fish.
To finish off our time at the YEL forum we played a game where we all had to hold onto the arm of the person next to you and there was a stick which lit up and made a sound when the connection between us all was made. We were able to get everyone at the forum in the circle and the energy stick still made the sound. It was really cool. The more people that joined in, the harder it became. We also tried to make the connection with our feet. This activity showed us the power of being connected, not only with each other, but with nature.
We are looking forward to many more YEL forums and have some exciting ideas planned for the next few terms, so keep an eye out!
By Madison P, Emma B, Ruby W and Anastasia K in Year 5.
Some of our playgroup children showing off the ducks they made at home from the activity packs they picked up from the ‘kiss and drop’. What a wonderful job they have done! We hope to welcome all children and their mums and dads back to playgroup soon.