2021 Highlights

Marble

NAPLAN RESULTS FOR OUR STUDENTS WERE OUTSTANDING ONCE AGAIN

New playground markings setting out our Gross Motor courses have been a hit with all the students.

Our NAPLAN results for 2021 showed that our Year 3 and Year 5 students achieved excellent results in Literacy and Numeracy. The percentage of students who achieved in the top 2 bands is outstanding. It is important to note that we are well above statistically similar schools in all learning areas, in both Years 3 and 5.&nbsp;This highlights the exemplary education provided at OLD for students from Kindergarten to Year 6.

We pride ourselves at O.L.D on being mission and community aware. We are grateful to have such a generous thoughtful community who never hesitate to help those less fortunate than themselves. Thank you to all who contributed in 2021 to our Vinnies food appeals, Socktober, 

O.L.D families contributed to a wonderful collection of recipes which were then collated into our very first O.L.D recipe book. The book can be found on the school website.

Through a love of learning and education we can all soar!

SCHOOL CAPTAINS 2021 Erica and Hannah.

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We were excited to announce that Sophie Chan’s artwork was submitted to the diocesan-wide competition and personally awarded first place for Kindergarten by Bishop Anthony Randazzo! Sophie was awarded first place out of ALL the schools in the Broken Bay Diocese. We are extremely proud of Sophie! Sophie explained “the sheep are happy because they have lovely green grass to eat and they are safe. The Shepherd looks after his sheep and keeps them safe. Jesus and God keep us safe.”

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During Term 2 &amp; Term 3, some of our students at Our Lady of Dolours entered the Bishop’s Art Prize Competition. The theme for this year was to choose a story or significant verse from any of the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. We congratulated Sophie Chan in Kindergarten for being selected as our Early Stage 1 winner for OLD. Sophie’s beautiful artwork depicted The Good Shepherd in which ‘Jesus lays down his life for us and the sheep'. We congratulated Erica Gregory in Year 6 for being selected as our Stage 3 winner for OLD. Erica used beautiful calligraphy and artistic design to depict the bible verse Luke 15:32.

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A day to celebrate the diverse rich culture of our school community. We gathered as a school community to celebrate the wonderful cultural diversity we have here at O.L D. We are blessed as a school community to have so many cultures and nationalities represented among our students and their families. It is a joy each year to see our students proudly immersed in and sharing cultural traditions.

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100 days of Face to Face Learning for Kindergarten

When we started out for 2021 we don't think anyone imagined that Kindergarten's 100 days of learning would actually take place in their homes rather than at school. COVID 19 decided to deal us yet another blow as this great milestone came and went as the youngest members of the school community learnt from home surrounded by their families in varied and challenging circumstances. These amazing students and their wonderful teachers were not deterred, their learning evolved and our students thrived showing us resilience and determination to learn. The joy on faces of all when our students were not only able to return to face to face learning but to celebrate with their classmates on reaching 100 days in the classroom was wonderful to see. Celebrations involved students decorating shirts with 100 items and participating in a day filled with activities that revolved around "100". A very special milestone celebrated as only Kindergarten can in the most joyous of ways.

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100 Days of Face to Face Learning for Kindergarten - what a celebration!

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O.L.D TV Played a vital role in our Transition to school program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thanks to O.L.D TV we were able to virtually introduce the newest members of our school to school life through stage 1 of the transition to Kindergarten process. Our eager 2022 students were able to connect with our Kindergarten teachers through stories and craft as they prepared for their school life journey.

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FROM THE DEPTHS OF HBL A WONDERFUL EXCITING ADDITION BLOOMED AT O.L.D.

While teachers were once again honing their technological skills and students were embracing learning from outside the classroom, Mr Ianni was developing a secret project. The school was quiet and lonely while we found ourselves again entrenched in HBL (home based learning). Our students and teachers longed for their daily zoom sessions to connect with each other and our community as a whole as we looked for ways to keep connections alive as our physical disconnect extended. During this time Mr Ianni was heavily involved in not only making sure our students, teachers and community were looked after but also in developing a way in which to bring about a sense of connectedness while it was not physically possible. Many hours of set up and trial runs eventually saw the birth of O.L.D TV - a mini TV studio set up inside our Innovation Station.

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Sing and Story Time with Miss Smith was launched. Our wonderful Kindergarten Teacher, Miss Smith, connected with not only our school community but our greater community through Sing and Story Time. Miss Smith was broadcast to our current students, 2022 students to be and local preschools each week presenting fun filled stories and encouraging everyone to join her in song. The joy shared through this program with the community was wonderful to see, children were able to feel that they were part of something special even while they were being kept physically apart. It was equally wonderful when our 2022 students to be joined us for a face to face orientation and were so excited to have Miss Smith read them a story they remembered from Sing and Story Time.

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Backdrops are set, lights are positioned and technology is ready to go. Blood, sweat, tears and creative thinking established our amazing little studio space. Once our students returned from HBL they were eager to head to the studio to be part of the broadcasting. Our Year 6 leaders eagerly took the lead for weekly assemblies presenting virtual awards and making announcements. We look forward to developing this space further with the students to engage them in not only being in front of the camera but learning how it all works behind the scenes as well. Will we see the next number 1 news presenter or cinematographer start from humble beginnings at O.L.D?

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A new year and new beginnings for O.L.D 200yrs of Catholic Education Stage 3 Camp Open classrooms O.L.D TV 100 days of face to face learning for Kindergarten Student Leaders for 2021 Priority feeder school pathways program Harmony day Gross motor playground enhancement NAPLAN Mission and Charity

What a year 2021 has been! The start of the year saw new beginnings and change at O.L.D welcoming our new Principal, Mr Marco Ianni, and Assistant Principal, Mrs Kelly-Ann Clouston, into leadership of our school community and the new faces of Fr David Ranson, Fr Joey Frez and Deacon Aldrin Valdehueza joining Deacon Kevin Hale to lead our Parish Community. The year delivered many celebrations and challenges. We came together as a community and found strength in one another and our faith as we moved through all that 2021 had to offer. We hope you are able to enjoy the following pages as we reflect on our standout moments from the past year.

Along with our significant Parish service our School Captains and Mercy Action leaders led a liturgy to celebrate 200 Years of Catholic Education. Here each teacher was presented a badge to represent their part in delivering Catholic Education to our school. Each student also received a special prayer card to celebrate this significant event.&nbsp;

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The Priority Feeder School Pathway Program is launched.

In 2021 we celebrated the special milestone of 200yrs of Catholic Education in Australia. From humble beginnings almost 200 year ago, Catholic schools now serve about 768,000 students and their families. In the Diocese of Broken Bay, we play a special part in this story, as the spiritual gifts of teachers, parents and students have built our education system, embracing the light of Christ.

O.L.D was delighted this year when the Priority Feeder School Pathway Program was launched. This program sees families now have the ability to enrol at O.L.D for their junior schooling years then able to continue seamlessly with their education into high school through the Systemic Catholic System. The program also sees students from our joint schools join and mentor our O.L.D students in events like our sports carnivals and educational enrichment programs.

Our Lady of Dolours was established by the Sisters of Mercy in 1896. The first Principal was Mother Ignatius McQuoin.

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A REFLECTION ON THE YEAR THAT WAS AND ALL 2021 HAD TO OFFER.

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The O.L.D Camp experience this year took our Stage 3 students to Milson Island on the Hawkesbury River. Our Stage 3 students didn't think their camp would take place when severe weather saw a last minute cancellation in Term 1, but they needn't have feared as our teachers were not going to let them miss this important part of the year and as the temperature cooled they finally set off mid year. It was great to see the rain, wind and cold didn't dampen the spirits of our Stage 3 students. Many new skills were developed as the they canoed, tried their hands at archery, roasted marshmallows around the fire, rode bikes, bushwalked and more . Camp is such a great way for our students to explore and develop new skills and strengthen social connections with their peers.

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A new year and new beginnings for O.L.D

2021 saw a new year and new beginnings for O.L.D

2021 saw us start the year with changes at O.L.D welcoming our new school Principal, Mr Marco Ianni, new Assistant Principal Mrs Kelly-Ann Clouston and new clergy with Fr Ranson, Fr Aldrin and Fr Frez joining Deacon Kevin in leading our Parish Community.

The year began under what we then considered a 'new normal' with COVID restrictions in place and social distancing a must. However, we were grateful to be able to enjoy coming together with our students and Parish to celebrate the beginning of a new year. We celebrated our Year 6 student leaders as they prepared to take on various roles within our

school to guide the younger members of our community in their everyday learning journeys. Our Year 5 students were able to meet with their excited Kindergarten buddies as their school learning journey began and our staff members relished in being back in the classrooms with their eager to learn students. We had much to be grateful for after the turbulence of 2020 and discovered we all had a new found lease for life as the 2021 school year commenced.

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Finally the Parents and Carers in our community were allowed back into O.L.D After months of complying with COVID restrictions we were delighted when we could welcome our parents and carers back onto school grounds. Our open classrooms morning proved to be a great success with many of those from the school community joining us to listen to the band play then see our students learning in action in the classroom.

Music once again filled the school . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Such joy as the school band played - filling the school once again with beautiful music.

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We can't wait to be able to open our doors and welcome you in again!

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