Star Music Showcase Evening

Dear Parents and Friends,

I am fortunate that the street trees in front of my home are Jacarandas. At this time of year the street is adorned with purple flowers and the normally grey, drab bitumen road is covered with ‘purple snow’, the sign in Australia that Christmas is just around the corner. Every morning at this time of year, as I drive to school I get to appreciate the beauty of the Jacaranda flower. My father on the other hand was never so tolerant of the purple stains on his driveway and threatened on many occasion to ‘fatally prune’ his neighbour's tree that over hung his garden. What is pleasurable and brings joy to one person is not necessarily so for others. And what is fair and just for one may not be so for another.

I am constantly amazed at the sense of fairness children have, even at a young age. Children have an acute antenna for what is fair and unfair. Research tells us that the awareness of fairness is one of the first senses to develop in a child’s moral growth and a deepening understanding of what is right and wrong. Even though at times their grasp of what is fair can be somewhat biased in their own favour, children have a greater level of innocence and well-meaning in their motives – genuinely believing that things should be fair for everyone and things that are unfair are wrong. This places a huge responsibility for both parents and teachers to ensure that justice and fairness is always visible in the way we deal with issues and interact with each other.

This week, dealing with several behaviour issues at school has reinforced my belief that a child’s sense of fairness is the doorway into a deepening grasp of justice and compassion. A developed awareness of fairness is the cement of a civilised human society and enables us to live justly with one another.

“Don’t ever worry and say, ‘What are we going to eat?’ or ‘What are we going to drink?’ or ‘What are we going to wear?’ Everyone is concerned about these things, and your heavenly Father certainly knows you need all of them. But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you. Mt 6:31-33

 Psalm 85 ‘World of Peace and Justic’e by J. A. Swanson

We value the tremendous support we receive from our army of volunteers who help in so many areas of the school. Without your support and commitment many of the activities and events we enjoy at Star of the Sea would not be possible.

To show our appreciation the staff warmly invite you to our Volunteer Thank you Morning Tea on Tuesday 19 November 2019 at 10am in the Multi-Purpose Room. We look forward to seeing you there. Toddlers are most welcome. RSVP Friday 15 November at vdepalma@star.catholic.edu.au

Friday 22 November 2019

6:00 pm at Henley Beach Secondary Campus for a College Tour

From 7:00 pm at the Palais Hotel (The Lounge, private room)

$30 per person - includes cocktail food and a drink on arrival

RSVP by Friday 8 November

You may only purchase one ticket per person

Don't forget to RSVP and book your tickets via this link:

https://www.trybooking.com/BGAGV

We need an indication of numbers in order to confirm our booking details with the venue.

Term 4
Monday 14 October - Wednesday 11 December

Friday 8 November
Footsteps R-4

Monday 11 November
Board Meeting 6.30pm

Tuesday 12 November
2020 Canberra Information Night 6.30pm

Wednesday 13 November
Kmart Wishing Tree
Children's University Graduation Ceremony

Friday 15 November
Year 4 Surf Ed

Sunday 17 November
Year 2 Parish Family Mass

Monday 18 November
Year 4 Surf Ed

Tuesday 19 November
Volunteer Thank you Morning Tea 10am
sports Appreciation Night 5pm-7pm

School Holiday Dates 2020:
Monday 20 January 9-4pm and Tuesday 21 January 9am-12pm

Devon clothing uniform shop are pleased to announce that Star of the sea customers can now purchase uniform from:

84 daws Road, Edwardstown Ph: 83731776

Email: dcus@devonclothing.com.au

What does this mean for you?

You can now purchase your uniform Mon – Fri 9am-5pm and Sat 9am-12pm during the school holidays* and school term, as well as during the usual opening times a the School Shop.
Your Online Orders will now be processed as we receive them, at Edwardstown, and you can still opt to have your order put in your child’s classroom box or have it sent to your Business or Home address or you can collect it from the school uniform shop on Tuesdays or anytime during regular trading hours at Edwardstown

Join our Community on Facebook for a 'behind the scenes' look at what happens at Star of the Sea School.

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June 2020 Meeting
School Board members met for the final meeting for Term 2. Mr Damian Weeks, the school’s new Principal attended the meeting and was welcomed to the school.

A tabled report from the Finance Committee indicated that the school’s finances are tracking to budget for this time of the year. Justin Gargula highlighted the ongoing cost of the COVID-19 impact on income as a result of increased fee remissions, however, in spite of variations on the school’s income the Job Keeper payments have helped the overall school budget to remain in a healthy positon.

The Board discussed the issue of the unused excursion levy that has been impacted by the COVID restrictions. The Board voted in favour that $40 dollars of the $80 total excursion fee be quarantined for 2021 and parents will not be charged an excursion fee next year. The remaining $40 will be used for excursions in Terms 3 and 4 now that COVID restriction are being relaxed.

The School Board discussed how the school could express its appreciation to the staff for the tremendous work and effort that was done during the peak of the COVID-19. It was agreed that a letter from the School Board would written to the staff to reflect the deep gratitude of the school community.

Brad Dunstan informed the Board that the Grounds and Maintenance Committee would be undertaking a parent survey in Term 3 to ask parents where they see the needs of the school now that stage one of the building program has been completed. The Board was in favour of the survey and look forward to reading the data so a planned strategy can be developed.

The next School Board meeting will be held on Monday 10 August.

Philip Reichelt
School Board Chairperson

Joe is a man of great faith. As an inspiring leader of Catholic Education he has lived out the Gospel Values with kindness, compassion, humour and humility. Yesterday, at our wonderful Music Concerts, he told the children he would always be watching over us and could they do one thing for him- be kind, always be kind to each other. We all would certainly benefit by taking that message to heart.

As a staff we celebrated one final, beautiful Mass together and these were our prayers for Joe: Joe, as you journey onward, may you remember, always, that our love and appreciation for you is etched in our hearts. May you be inspired by thoughts of future, joyful times and be blessed by catching plenty of fish. Joe, may you be, on earth, the heart of Jesus, so that as you meet the poor, the pained, the stranger on your way, your gifts of hospitality, generosity and friendship be the face of Christ in their life. Amen

Sacraments of First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Eucharist will start being celebrated next term, albeit differently from previous years. Year 3, you can register for First Reconciliation now through the link you have been emailed. Year 4, you will be notified by letter and email early next term the dates and program for Confirmation and Communion once these are confirmed by the church. If you have older children who would like to be a part of the program please let us know.

May God bless these holidays with warmth and comfort.

Stella Foley

Term 3 2020
SACPSSA Netball Carnival  -  Wednesday 29 July 2020
SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival -  Thursday 6 August 2020
SAPSASA Airport District Athletics Carnival  -  Monday 21 September2020
SACPSSA Touch Carnival  -  Day TBC

Star of the Sea School Sports Day /  Colour Run - Thursday 24 September 2020

Term 4 2020
SACPSSA Swimming Carnival – Reschedule date TBA however it should be early October.
SACPSSA Athletics Carnival  -  Friday 2 November 2020

Hello Friends

A warm welcome back to school and a very warm welcome to all of our families to Semester 2. We extend a very warm and sincere welcome to our new Principal, Mr Damian Weeks. We are sure that you’ll have a fantastic experience at Star of the Sea School. 

Our School Buildings 
Parents and community members are welcomed back to the school site this term and are able to enter the school corridors and buildings. We ask adults to remember social distancing requirements when around other students and other adults. Please remember to wash and sanitise hands frequently before and after entering school corridors and buildings. It has been wonderful to witness students developing resilience and self-help in moving from the school perimeter to their classrooms independently since social distancing requirements came into effect. 

Grounds and Maintenance Survey
Coming out next week will be the Grounds and Maintenance Satisfaction Survey. I encourage you to complete this with your child as this will provide the Grounds and Maintenance Committee and School Board an indication of your satisfaction with our school buildings, grounds and the priorities the school community will have over the coming years. 

Before school supervision
I remind our parents and community members that supervised yard play begins at  8:20 am. All students need to be in the main courtyard near the Stella Maris Building. Please help us maintain our duty of care by encouraging children to move to this area upon arrival at school.

Change often takes time. It rarely happens all at once.
John Lewis

Thanks and Blessings
Matt

“Star of the Seasons.” This is how a four-year-old, with much excitement, described joining his brothers at Star of the Sea by commencing the ‘Little Stars’ Program. One of the wonderful times at our school is when our ‘Little Stars’ start their transition towards beginning Reception in 2021. Three groups have commenced this term and it has been wonderful meeting these children and their families. We warmly welcome many new families, and of course, Mr Weeks into the Star community and hope that you soon feel at home here. “Now is the winter of our discontent” might be famous words by Shakespeare, and even though we have experienced sea-fog, winds and rain the sun is shining brightly today.

The Sacrament of First Reconciliation is being celebrated across Weeks 1 and 2. Please pray for these children as they proudly begin their journey into deeper faith. Confirmation and First Eucharist will be celebrated together within special masses later in Term 3 and 4. Information is being sent to all Year 4 families, but others are invited to join us. The Parent Information Session will be held in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church: Week 4, Tuesday 11th of August at 7pm.

May you find places of refuge and beauty across the term and be blessed with cozy winter family time.

Stella Foley
APRIM

School fee statements were sent home earlier this week via child/ren. If you are making regular payments from either a bank account or credit card, please ensure your payments are sufficient to cover any additional fees. Otherwise you will need to make additional payments to cover these fees via Bpay, QKR or payment to the School Office as they become due. This will ensure your school fee account is cleared by the end of the year.

Just a reminder: Parents/Caregivers who contribute at least $250 for a single child family or $300 for multiple children to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2020 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy. Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

If at any time you are having difficulty with the payment of your school fees, or have any queries, please contact me to confidentially discuss the matter.

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

Our school disco is upon us, Friday 14 August 2020 it's a great event for our children. They get dressed up, come up with Crazy Hair designs and they get excited spending time dancing or just hanging out with their friends.

With the new Covid restrictions we have had to adjust how we would usually hold our school disco. To ensure we keep within the new social distancing laws, we have decided to host most of the disco times within school hours in the new Stella Maris Building.  

Rec – Year 1 -  between recess and lunch
Year 2 - Year 3 - between lunch and the end of the day
Year 4 – Year 5 - from 3:30pm until 5pm

Everyone can come to school in their disco clothes, crazy hair ready and school will finish at the usual time of 3:05pm, apart from the Year 4s and Year 5s. It will be an extra-long day for the Year 4s - Year 5s. They will need to pack an extra snack for after school and their pick up time will be 5pm at the Military Road pick up zone ONLY. This is again due to Covid restrictions, so no parents will be allowed to gather on the school property. 

In the past we have charged a ticket fee to enter our disco, however, for this year's event and current conditions, we are only asking for a gold coin donation per child, paid via QKR!

We are so grateful that we are able to put on this event for our children. It’s important that they have these fun things to look forward to, this year especially. 

Thank you for your support as always,
Parents and Friends Committee

Our school disco is upon us, Friday 14 August 2020 it's a great event for our children. They get dressed up, come up with Crazy Hair designs and they get excited spending time dancing or just hanging out with their friends.

With the new Covid restrictions we have had to adjust how we would usually hold our school disco. To ensure we keep within the new social distancing laws, we have decided to host most of the disco times within school hours in the new Stella Maris Building.  

Rec – Year 1 -  between recess and lunch
Year 2 - Year 3 - between lunch and the end of the day
Year 4 – Year 5 - from 3:30pm until 5pm

Everyone can come to school in their disco clothes, crazy hair ready and school will finish at the usual time of 3:05pm, apart from the Year 4s and Year 5s. It will be an extra-long day for the Year 4s - Year 5s. They will need to pack an extra snack for after school and their pick up time will be 5pm at the Military Road pick up zone ONLY. This is again due to Covid restrictions, so no parents will be allowed to gather on the school property. 

In the past we have charged a ticket fee to enter our disco, however, for this year's event and current conditions, we are only asking for a gold coin donation per child, paid via QKR!

We are so grateful that we are able to put on this event for our children. It’s important that they have these fun things to look forward to, this year especially. 

Thank you for your support as always,
Parents and Friends Committee

SACPSSA Touch Carnival Friday 4 September 2020.  Information on Skoolbag app and registrations through Qkr!

SPORT DATES FOR Term 3 2020
Metro SAPSASA Swimming Carnival -  this will be rescheduled please stay tuned for

further info.

Term 3 2020
SACPSSA Touch Carnival – Friday 4 September 2020

Star of the Sea School Sports Day/Colour Run - Thursday 24 September 2020

Term 4 2020
SACPSSA Swimming Carnival – Reschedule date TBA however it should be early October.

SAPSASA Airport District Athletics Carnival - Monday 29 October 2020

SACPSSA Athletics Carnival - Friday 2 November 2020

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator/Teacher

SACPSSA Touch Carnival Friday 4 September 2020.  Information on Skoolbag app and registrations through Qkr!

SPORT DATES FOR Term 3 2020
Metro SAPSASA Swimming Carnival -  this will be rescheduled please stay tuned for

further info.

Term 3 2020
SACPSSA Touch Carnival – Friday 4 September 2020

Star of the Sea School Sports Day/Colour Run - Thursday 24 September 2020

Term 4 2020
SACPSSA Swimming Carnival – Reschedule date TBA however it should be early October.

SAPSASA Airport District Athletics Carnival - Monday 29 October 2020

SACPSSA Athletics Carnival - Friday 2 November 2020

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator/Teacher

Dear Families

The children had a fantastic time at the disco last week and it was great to see them participate in an extra-curricular activity, albeit with a number of refinements.  Many thanks to the P&F for organizing the event and to the small group of parents whom came to help.  I should also thank those, other parents, who were eager to help but understood the restrictions we had to put into place.

These refinements or cancellations of activities will be with us to at least the end of the year, I think.  The theme, as we move forward, is to be flexible and agile, with all the events planned for the rest of this term and the year.

In the week 1 newsletter, I shared some information from our Pupil Free Day, where I was fortunate to work with the school staff.  This week I would like to share with you part 2 – Thriving people.

What are the qualities of a school where everyone can thrive (students, parents and staff)?  God put us here to thrive not just survive!  Did you know people with a spiritual dimension to their life, consistently rate their wellbeing higher, than those who have no spiritual life.  As part of learning students’ names, I have been asking them to fill in a “Thriving People” survey and the results of the Year 6 students have been overwhelmingly positive.

Shortly every student in a Catholic School in South Australia will participate in a simple wellbeing initiative – A Classroom Pulse Check In. The importance of the crucial partnership between parents/caregivers as the first educators of their children and  teachers, more so than ever, cannot be overstated.

Please click on the view file below to find a parent letter that fully explains this survey.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Hello friends

I hope that these winter moments of late have provided some opportunities for connectedness and family time. 

Grounds and Maintenance Survey
Thank you for taking the time to complete the Grounds and Maintenance survey that was emailed to families in the past fortnight. The data will be collated and examined by the Grounds and Maintenance Committee and our School Board who will use the information to prioritise the grounds and maintenance initiatives moving forward. Thank you for your ongoing support of our school.

Visitors on school site
Please remember to sign in and out at the front office when you are visiting the school. This may include activities such as listening to children read or helping to clean desks. For WHS reasons we need to know who is on our school grounds during school hours. 

Please remember that any time you are on school grounds or in school buildings, to socially distance from children and adults who are not in your family. Hand sanitiser is available throughout the school for you to use.

School Crossing Monitors 
Thank you to our Year 6 students who are our School Crossing monitors. They perform a very important task and help to keep our school community members safe. Please remember speed limits around our school and be mindful of pedestrians. 

“If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.”– Chinese Proverb

Thanks and Blessings
Matt Perry

Coronavirus continues to impact on our world and the operations of our school.  This will probably continue to do so for the remainder of this year.  You may recall, that as a Parish School, we take our

directions from Catholic Education SA (CESA) in this area.  CESA are following the advice of government agencies concerning how the current outbreak of coronavirus impacts students, staff and parents. Our focus is on minimising risk and ensuring we do all that we can to ensure our communities are safe.  The CV-19 theme for the remainder of the year is to be agile and flexible!

Playing surfaces have been a hot topic in the Grounds and Maintenance survey.  The building program comes to a close when the basketball courts, outside the Stella Maris building, are resurfaced.  This is planned to be done over the October School Holidays, however, it is dependent on the weather.  The oval surface is under investigation and we hope that a new surface will be laid over the Christmas holidays.

Planning for enrolments and staffing for 2021 is now underway. A form was sent home recently with your child to let us know if she/he will be returning to Star of the Sea in 2021. If you haven’t returned this form please send it back to the class teacher by Friday 11 September. It is important that we know if your child is returning next year so we can appropriately plan programmes and resources to meet your child’s learning and wellbeing needs. This information is also timely as one term’s notice is required if you intend to conclude your child’s enrolment.

‘Play it on’, our Term 3 charity initiative led by the SRC, was a great success. Each recess across two weeks the SRC Executive and friends gave their time to selling over 1000 raffle tickets. This was very popular, with students bringing in their pocket money to win themselves or their dad a special prize. We raised an amazing $500.00 which will support disadvantaged children so they can have opportunities to play team sports. There were ten winners in all. Thank you for your support.

Hello Friends

It was great to welcome spring officially on Tuesday this week. I always look for the first signs of spring in the garden at home and usually it’s the yellow Genista trees. Sure enough on Monday morning there were tufts of yellow on the branches.  I do hope though that there has been sufficient rain across winter to support our farmers and primary producers.  

Lost Property  
Our lost property box is overflowing with lost items from around the school. Many items in the box are not labelled and therefore it is very difficult to return the items to the rightful owner. Please label all items that come to school. There are a lot of lunchboxes and food containers in there at present and some of these items are quite expensive. On Friday 11 September the Lost Property Box will be emptied of any items that are not labelled and these items will be recycled. 

Classroom STEM Learning 
In Reception classes this week we learned how to use the Apple iPad app Clips to record video, photos and voice over to create a short clip to show our understanding. Here are a few photos of us investigating how Clips works. 

Year 5 learners are up to the test and improve stage of the Engineering Design Process. We are trialing other games and checking them against our learning criteria and giving improvement ideas and feedback to the designers as well as making the final design touches to our games. All the games we design will help the user learn something about the country we have been researching. We can’t wait to share a few of our completed games with you towards the end of term. Here is a photo of one our key game testers in Year 5 working hard. 

Cyber Safety  
We recently applied for a joint Project Rocket Google grant to provide digital citizenship webinars for our school. We were successful and will be booking these webinars in with our Year 5 and 6 students in the coming months. To read more about the grant and the webinar content please visit https://www.projectrockit.com.au/schools-grant/  

We will be still running our Carly Ryan Foundation in person student sessions for Year 5 and 6 learners at school this September. We have decided to postpone a parent session until we can confidently invite the whole community. Please keep an eye out for an early 2021 date announcement coming soon. To learn more about the Carly Ryan Foundation student sessions visit https://www.carlyryanfoundation.com/book-a-session/book-student-sessions and download the brochure for Online Safety Sessions. 

Security Update 
This term the IT staff have worked hard to improve IT security of devices and infrastructure at Star of the Sea School, as well as ensure we are in line with current CESA policies. We have moved to Multi Factor Authentication, where you need to have 2 devices handy to log in to your school emails as well as improve the administration of student MacBooks to ensure any application not approved by the teacher for learning purposes cannot be installed or accessed on a school MacBook. We have given students a two-week warning to save any data they wish to keep to something other than their Mac before all devices will be checked and anything unauthorized uninstalled. The ability to install and play these applications has already been restricted.  

Congratulations to SAPSASA Airport District Girls and Boys Soccer team who were successful in winning the 2020 SAPSASA Metro Soccer Carnival, the Girls came a draw with South West.  Congratulations to Ciara O’Reilly, Jessica Burton and Maeve Nicholas who were selected to represent Airport Districts in the Soccer. 

Reception Swimming begins next week with RHB, Year 1 & 2 swimming during Week 9.   All info on Skoolbag app. 

Athletic training has been on for the past 3 weeks, with times and distances being taken next week (Year 5’s in Wk 9 once they get back from camp).  Days and times will come out through the Skoolbag app.  Stay tuned.

I have been informed this week that the SACPSSA Section 1 Swimming Carnival that was cancelled in Term 1 due to Covid has now been cancelled permanently for 2020.  SACPSSA Swimming Carnivals will resume in 2021.

Just reminding Parents that due to Covid19 restrictions spectators are still not allowed at the SACPSSA Carnivals / Events.  This is also the case with the Star of the Sea School Sports Day.  These restrictions are as a result of the accumulation of Catholic Education, SACPSSA, St Michaels and Star of the Sea Covid plans which are all in conjunction with SA Health. 

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator/Teacher

“Connecting families and Building community”

Community Kitchen: Please remember that meals are available in the freezer near the tuck shop. This service is available for all members of our school community. Please feel free to take a meal when you need it – maybe your family is impacted by illness or loss, maybe a new baby has been welcomed or maybe you have just had a hard week. Find more information on the SkoolBag app under Star Outreach.

Sports Day: Unfortunately, as families will not be attending Sports Day this year, there will be no 'Toddler race' held for pre-schoolers. Star Outreach group would still like to make all pre-schoolers feel a part of our community, so we will be arranging a small gift to be presented to them in Term 4 through Little Stars and Playgroup. We look forward to involving our pre-schoolers in future sports days.

"On Wednesday the 9th of September the Year 5 students departed from Star of the Sea to El Shaddai Camping Centre at Wellington. This was our first school camping experience and we were so excited. When we arrived, we were welcomed by a lovely staff member named Chloe and given a short tour. El Shaddai was a beautiful place with a lot of facilities like a flying fox, trampoline and a beautiful oval. Each day we were divided into groups for all the activities.  We participated in fun activities like canoeing, laser skirmish and rock climbing. The food was great too. Every evening we participated in different activities. On the first night we had a quiz night, and everyone had a lot of fun. On the second night we had a campfire and we got to roast some marshmallows followed by a movie night. On the third day we had our last 3 activities and then we headed back to Star of the Sea. Even though we were all sad to leave El Shaddai as we had so much fun, we were happy we got back to see our families."

By Chloe Davies and Charli Fanto.    

As you would be aware, Catholic Education SA (CESA) is decreasing fees in all of its Catholic schools.  The School Board discussed the different options that CESA presented for Star of the Sea School.  We are currently modelling the impact on the 2021 budgets before finalising a decision.

Grounds and Maintenance
Thank you to all the parents who completed the survey.  This has helped to prioritise work moving forward.  The committee is currently pursuing the re-surfacing of the oval and are now gathering quotes on the replacement of the watering system and grass.

OSHC
A decision was made to apply for an increase in the maximum number of children who can attend the service.  This will take a number of months before we hear back but we are on the journey.

Road Crossing
The School Board discussed the increasing number of incidents at our crossings.  Sadly, this has mainly involved cars belonging to school families.  We recognise that families have busy schedules but impatience at the crossing puts the children crossing the road in danger, the monitors in danger, as well as other cars.  Please consider the safety of others as you drive around these areas.

Dear Children’s University 2020 Families,

Welcome Back to Term 4. Over the next few weeks I will be collating and recording all the hours your child has participated in events and activities as part of the Children’s University Program.

To do this I need to see their passport any additional documentation related to activities they have completed. I will also check the online portal in case some families have recorded activities in more than one location (paper and online).

Please send your child’s CU documentation to school via the class office box marked clearly attention KIM MARTIN – Children’s University. They can be placed in an envelope or plastic slip to ensure I receive everything safely. I will then take a couple of weeks to go through everything and return it to you child via their class office box after I have submitted the hours to Children’s University.

The minimum commitment required to graduate is 30 hours. Please remember that any one sport or activity can accrue a maximum of 10 hours only.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me via email.

Thank you 
Kim Martin

.

.

Mission Week concludes this Friday with ‘Socktober,” the Catholic Mission Charity for children around the world. Please visit socktober.org.au to see the happy and resourceful children dealing with what life throws at them.

‘Socktober’ Friday is celebrated by wearing funny or odd socks and whatever sports gear children would like to wear. Please donate via QKR or gold coin. Some intend to wear their ‘winning team’ netball uniforms. Congratulations! I hope they have fun playing with their home- made soccer balls with their buddies. Yesterday Year 5 and Year 1 kicked it off and thoroughly enjoyed themselves. 5P proudly gave their soccer balls to 1MF as a memento of the day. I hope they don’t add to your odd sock collection if they fall apart.

Confirmation and First Eucharist sacrament celebrations have occurred across some months and concluded on Tuesday evening with the 9th intimate, reverent and joyful Mass. Thank you Fr Paul and Fr Tan for accompanying us through the whole journey and all the staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to bring our families together in these unprecedented times. There is now an honour board in the Front Office displaying these photos.

The Year 4s are very excited to be attending the Parish Mass on Monday 9th November at 9:15am and having the opportunity to receive communion again. You are welcome to join with us at this Mass. The church has a COVID register near the hall, or you can check the Parish website.

As we head towards All Saints and All Souls Days, may we feel comforted by the enduring love we have for our loved ones who have passed before us. You can offer their names for our MSC priests to pray for them by visiting the church, where you will see a jar for this purpose. There are also envelopes available if you would like a special Mass said.

May all those who have gone before us rest in peace and may God bless us in our times of sorrow.

Stella Foley
APRIM

School Fees 2020

School fee statements were sent home earlier this week via child/ren. If you are making regular payments from either a bank account or credit card, please ensure your payments are sufficient to cover any additional fees. Otherwise you will need to make additional payments to cover these fees via Bpay, QKR or payment to the School Office as they become due. This will ensure your school fee account is cleared by the end of the year.

Just a reminder: Parents/Caregivers who contribute at least $250 for a single child family or $300 for multiple child family to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2020 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy. Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

All school fees are now due unless there is a prior arrangement in place.

If at any time you are having difficulty with the payment of your school fees, or have any queries, please contact me to confidentially discuss the matter.

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

Dear Families

There has been a flurry of activity behind the scenes as we prepare for the end of year.  Our usual celebrations will be affected by CV19.  Catholic Education SA has advised all schools…

“…not to dilute standards or make local decisions that are not in keeping with SA Health directives or CSH&W procedures.”

As you would know the current rules around social distancing will influence what we can do and these rules change whether you are inside or outside.  A further complicating factor is that events will be different in each school depending on the space the event is to be run in and the amount of people attending and what type of event it is.  Principals are in communication with each other often about decisions being made in this area.

The following events are being organised for the end of year:

CAROLS

• Friday December 4^th, during the day
• Venue: oval/grandstand (as usual)
• Reception to Year 2 classes perform in the morning (times yet to be arranged)
• Year 3-5 classes perform in the afternoon (times yet to be arranged)
• Timing to be released soon as we are working with the sound technicians regarding setup
• Whole school attends
• Each performer is allowed to invite one adult, they will need to register and sit on one of the socially distanced chairs
• This event will either be live streamed or placed on a private You Tube channel

Inclement weather plan – the event will be cancelled

End of Year LITURGY

• This is our whole school celebration for the end of year
• Monday December 7^th
• Venue: St Michael’s – Founders Hall
• Whole school attends (we walk to and from)
• Year 6 students are allowed to invite parents, they will need to register and sit on one of the socially distanced chairs
• Depending on numbers requests for extra tickets for Grandparents might be possible
• Time TBC but in the morning
• Receptions to Year 3 return to school after the Liturgy, while other classes remain for the Graduation Assembly

Inclement weather plan – delay start/end time due to walking up and back

GRADUATION ASSEMBLY

• This will follow on from the Liturgy at St Michaels
• The time will be confirmed
• Students will have a 15 minute break
• Year 6 guests may choose to only come to this event
• This event will approximately 45 minutes Inclement weather plan – delay start/end time due to walking up and back

BOARD TALK

The School Board met this week and there were many decisions made that we would like to share with the wider community.

Oval Redevelopment

I am pleased to announce that the oval will get a major upgrade over the Christmas holidays, the work will include:

• Removal of current grass and topsoil
• Widening the concrete path around the sports shed
• Installation of a new watering system
• Import 60 tonne of topsoil to the site
• Spread soil with Dakota topdresser
• Manually grade area to match existing site levels
• Laying of Kikuyu grass, as this allows an extra 6-8 weeks of growing time each year.
• Glenelg Turf Ace will manage the maintenance of the oval for 12 months (this would include watering schedule, mowing, pest control, fertilisation, pro-coring and general lawn health maintenance).

I would like to offer Brad Dunstan and the other members of the Building and Grounds, Development and Maintenance Committee our thanks for all the work that has gone on in the background to bring this program to reality.

Trees on Seaview Road

As you may have been aware, the trees have been removed from the nature play area on Seaview Road. These trees were all diseased and progressively in danger of dropping limbs.  The stumps remain, but they blend in nicely with the surrounds and the nature play theme.  We are working with the arborist on more suitable trees to replant in this area.  The aim will be to plant the most mature trees that we can afford!

Regards
Damian Weeks

Do you enjoy lighting candles as much as me? I love the scent, the ambience and the celebration or memories of family and friends they provide. Recently, my grandson turned 4 in Melbourne. He loved his zoom party. Here, in Adelaide, we had a Bluey cake, so, with me out of screen shot, he blew out his candles, and now firmly believes that he could blow his candles out all the way from Melbourne. This memory of extraordinary 2020 will always make me smile. I hope too, that amongst the challenges and heartache that so many of our community have suffered, you have memories that you can hold on to that have brought some joy. So, as we head into Advent, a time of hope, joy, peace and love, light your candles and remember all those you love.

Please join in our two Christmas giving programs – Vinnies Gift Tags and Bread Tags for wheelchairs. Our small actions, when combined in our community, can perhaps enhance the life of someone who lives near or far. 

May the grace of the Holy Family encircle your family and the Christmas Star shine bright in your sky, guiding you towards the light and love of our saviour, Jesus Christ.

God Bless as 2020 comes to a close.

Stella Foley

The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) is pleased to announce the formation of Catholic School Parents SA as the new representative body of Catholic school parents.

Catholic School Parents SA will connect with parent groups across the 101 Catholic Schools in the State.

Chair of SACCS, Professor Denis Ralph, said “Parents and carers have always played a pivotal role in the success of Catholic schools in South Australia.  This new parent representative and advocacy body will further enhance parent engagement and participation in the education and care of children and young people in Catholic schools in South Australia.”

In 2020, the Commission engaged an independent reviewer to consult with parents in all Catholic schools to seek their feedback as to whether they felt they had an adequate voice in the education of their children and what kind of support they would like to see in the future.

“While acknowledging that the current structures have served parents and our school communities well in the past, the review recognised that parents and carers have busy lives and are looking for new ways to engage in and support the education of their children,” Professor Ralph said.

Catholic School Parents SA will be closely aligned with Catholic School Parents Australia, the national body that represents and advocates for parents and carers of children and young people in Catholic schools across Australia, and will seek to have broad representation of parents of students in our schools.

The new group will:

• Engage in a program of listening to the needs of parents across Catholic schools
• Advocate for improved funding and support for children and young people in Catholic schools and preschools
• Ensure parent voice in policy development
• Represent parents on a range of committees and working parties
• Participate in the work of Catholic School Parents Australia.

“We are excited by the opportunity to engage with parents in our schools in new ways in 2021 and beyond,” Professor Ralph said.

Schools will receive further information early in 2021.

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Today, we started with our End of Year Liturgy, a thanksgiving and celebration of the year.  It was also our opportunity to farewell the Year 6 students and we wish them all the best as they take their next steps in their journey.

On behalf of all the staff here at Star of the Sea, thank you for your support this year and may we wish your family a happy, safe and blessed Christmas season.

Next year, we start on a Wednesday (January 27^th) and look forward to catching up with everyone then.

Regards,
Damian Weeks

Dear Families

I trust you and your family have had an excellent break from the routines of school and have had a great start to the new year.  The children have brought the school to life over the last two days and just about all of them seem to be enjoying being back.

The oval space has been quite popular and l am sure you will agree it looks fantastic.

As I am sure you were all expecting, COVID-19 is still a part of our world and will be for some time.  Thankfully in SA, we have been doing very well.  There are, however, two important restrictions that I would like to remind you of, that apply to the general community and whilst in the school:

1.         1.5m social distancing

2.         1 person per 2 square metres

This means that adults are allowed to enter the school but great care must be taken when you are thinking about entering a building and in particular a classroom.  Best practice would limit the number of adults in a classroom and we would like to suggest no more than five at any one time.

We have 84 Receptions that have begun this week, 59 having their first day at school.  As a safety precaution, we will be locking all gates (except Military Road) promptly at 8:45 am, until further notice.

Could I ask you to remind your child/ren about personal hygiene.  The hygiene standards in our schools are critical to reducing the risk of infection.  Please encourage your child/ren to:

•          wash their hands regularly, particularly after using the toilet and before eating

•          avoid spreading infections to others by staying home if unwell (this includes parents)

•          cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue

•          bring their own personal, labelled and named water bottles (these can then be refilled at the drink fountains or water taps, rather than children drinking directly from the taps)

School Times – Reminder

8:20am – Children are welcome at school from this time and are to come to the basketball courts, where a teacher will be on yard duty

8:45am – The school bell rings and children move to class to prepare for the day

8:50am – Lessons begin (any parents in classrooms should leave at this time unless they are volunteering)

3:05pm – The school day ends (teachers on yard duty finish at 3:25pm and all children are expected to be collected by this time)

Fruit Ban

Henley Beach has been declared a suburb in the suspension area.  Fruit and fruiting vegetables that can be infected by fruit fly (visit www.pir.sa.gov.au/fruitfly-produce) must not be packed into lunch boxes or otherwise moved around while restrictions are in place.  You can view the complete list of what you must not pack into lunch boxes at www.pir.sa.gov.au/fruitfly-produce.

What fruit or fruiting vegetables can I pack in lunchboxes as an alternative?

Fresh alternatives include pineapple, melons (watermelon, rockmelon, and honeydew),

cucumber, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, celery, mushrooms, and asparagus.  Other options include cooked fruit, processed fruit (such as fruit straps), fruit puree, canned fruit or frozen fruit.

These restrictions will remain until at least Thursday 15 April 2021.

Regards
Damian Weeks

All School fee statements will be distributed very soon.

School fees are charged based on numbers of students in a family attending Star of the Sea School. For the first child, the annual fee is $3,775. For two children, the annual fee is $6,795 which is a saving for sibling discount of 10%. For three children, the annual fee is $9,060 which is a saving for sibling discount of 20%.  

Annual  Fees are payable by -

            Minimum of one third to be paid on or before 9/4/2021        (end of Term 1)

            Minimum of two thirds to be paid on or before 2/7/2021      (end of Term 2)

            Fully paid by 24/9/20 21                                                        (end of Term 3)

Unless a direct debit payment has been arranged.

The following payment options are available -

  Cash   -    Cheque      -     Visa     -     Mastercard     -   Direct Debit   -    BPAY   -  QKR 

Regular direct debits from either bank savings/cheque accounts or credit card is an easy and preferred option. Please see the School Office if you wish to arrange this option.

Irregular payments can also be paid via the QKR option too.

The annual cost for the School Capital Levy is $300 per family.

Parents/Caregivers who have contributed $300 or more to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2021 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy.

Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

Financial assistance for low income earners via the Government scheme called, School Card will continue to be available for those families who qualify.

Please see the following table to assess if you are eligible to apply for this scheme. If you think you are eligible, please phone me in the School Office to set up an interview to complete the paperwork.

If at any time you have difficulties meeting this schedule, or have any queries, please contact me to discuss the matter on 8115 7400 or email janeleonard@star.catholic.edu.au

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

Welcome to 2021!  Its amazing to think it is almost 12 months since our whole CV-19 outbreak began.  Last year many of our carnivals were cancelled but we are hoping with a few adjustments that we get to take part in all carnivals this year. 

Our year began with our SOS Swimming Carnival which was held yesterday.  Congratulations to McAuley who were our carnival winners and to all students who took part in the Carnival.  Students once again did exceptionally well.  Thank you to all parents who supported the day whether it be with transport, official duties or spectating.  We do have a very special community!

Emails will go out between now and tomorrow to students who have been selected to take part in the SACPSSA and SAPSASA swimming carnivals and team lists are on the Sports office door.  Well done to all students who have been selected.

A reminder to all families that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag app, if you do not have this app please feel free to see the office staff for support and all registrations are made through QKR.  If you do not have this app once again the office staff are a great resource.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

The cricket, netball and basketball teams have gone out through email.  If you have registered your child and not received an email, please contact me.  Once we know when games begin you will hear from your Team Managers and Coaches.

Here’s to a smooth sailing 2021.

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator / Teacher

As school routines begin to take shape you will notice that homework will beginning to appear, the majority of which is reading.  The importance of reading cannot be underestimated and has been the topic of thousands of pieces of research.  For example, in a study of the out-of-school activities of fifth graders, Anderson, Wilson, & Fielding (1988) found that time spent reading books was the best predictor of a student’s reading proficiency.  Some examples from the study are…

• A student reading at home for 2 minutes a day would read 100 000 words a year and would be in the bottom third of reading ability when compared with all 10 year olds
• If that student increased their reading by 10 minutes a day, they would bump up into the top third of reading ability when compared to all 10 year olds
• Those students in the top 10% of readers, when compared with all 10 year olds, read for 21 minutes a day, reading nearly 2 million words a year away from school

Please keep in mind that when children bring home readers they should be quite easy for them to read.  The rule of thumb is no more than 5 errors per 100 words, this is because the aim of reading is to comprehend the text.

SKOOL BAG application is our major link to families delivering school alerts, information as well as our new electronic version of the school newsletter instantly and directly to your smartphone and/or tablet.  In your devices “App Store” search for “SkoolBag” and follow the very simple instructions.

STAR OF THE SEA SCHOOL FACEBOOK SITE
This year we are continuing our Facebook site to celebrate some of the fantastic things happening around our school.  On Facebook you can search for our site by using Star of the Sea School.

Our absentee system provides parents with 2 options to notify the school of an absence:

The 2 options to notify an absence:

1. Call 8115 7400 and press 1
2. Email us at absent@star.catholic.edu.au with the subject being ABSENT and provide us with the name of your child, their class and the reason for the absence.

If you email the teacher your child’s absence, please also let the Front Office know by using the same email address absent@star.catholic.edu.au

If your child is late any time after 8.50am they must report to the Front Office to sign in so we can record their arrival on SEQTA. Also children leaving school before 3:05pm must be signed out from the Front Office so the early departure can be recorded.

Any queries please contact the Front Office.

get photo and blurb from email from Angel

Re: Wellbeing Initiative - Classroom Pulse ‘Check In’

The shifting dynamics of these unprecedented times continue to highlight that your child’s relationships, identity, belonging, and learning are essential to their happiness and success at school.

This Term every student in a Catholic School in South Australia will participate in a simple online Classroom Pulse Check In. This Check In has been developed to ascertain how students are currently feeling about their experience in school. It is tailored to allow your child’s teacher(s) to check in and provide immediate feedback and support to them. The Check In will be carried out during the school day.

I am conscious that life in school has its’ ups and downs, but I am also confident that your child’s teachers want to understand how they are feeling so they are able to support you and your child in meeting any social, emotional, or learning needs that they may have.

To enable this, your child’s teacher and I will have access to their responses to facilitate follow up and support as required. Please be assured, as your child’s prime caregiver that any support required will be communicated and discussed with you in advance.

A reminder that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag app and registrations are made through QKR!.  If you do not have either of these apps please feel free to see the office staff for support with downloading the apps or to ask any questions.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

Registrations for Football and Soccer will be coming out very soon.  Football registration will be a little different this year so keep your eyes on the Skoolbag app. 

SACA are running a Junior Blasters Cricket for Rec – Year 3 students on a Wednesday afternoon, 3.20pm – 4.20pm.  Further information on Skoolbag app.  If you would like your child to give it a go before registering, you are more than welcome to attend prior to signing up.  Please note parents must be there to supervise their own child.  If your child attends OSHC please speak with the OSHC staff.

Sports Co ordinator
Kristen Victory

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The Year 1's travelled by bus to Belair National park for an exciting cubby building experience. We met Cameron and Lauren who explained what we had to do. We worked in teams using natural resources to build a cubby big enough for us all to sit in. Our parent helpers assisted us to move the really big logs. We had so much fun and we even got to eat our lunch in our cubbies. 

2021 SCHOOL AGM

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Last year we faced many changes due to Covid-19.  One of those changes was the creativity around the AGM.  A take-away from this experience is to build on that creativity and new ways of operating.

The School Board and will be using a newsletter based Annual General Meeting. AGM’s are held to give the opportunity for the Board to report to its community, giving an account of the tasks it has undertaken on behalf of the community.  We will be using a newsletter based AGM in an effort to report to all families.  The format this year will include the following:

AGM reports – all reports will be published in the newsletter during week 2 (Thursday May 6th).  This section consists of reports from the Chairperson, Principal, Parish, P&F and Treasurer/Bursar (including a summary of the budget for this year). 

Nominations – Included in this newsletter is a Nomination Form.  Please consider if you would like to take up this most important role.  Below is a description of the role of a School Board member.  If you wish to nominate, return the signed form after having someone in the community (ie another adult) sign to second your nomination.  Nominations close on Friday April 9^th.  In the event of more nominations being received than necessary, a system of voting will take place via the newsletter on Thursday May 6^th.  Click here to view the Nomination Form.

AGM – will be held on Monday May 24th at 7:00pm.  There will be no reading out of reports, this meeting is an opportunity for anyone in our community to come along to ask questions regarding the published reports (like a Town Hall meeting).  We anticipate this will be brief, once questions are concluded the current School Board will hold their last meeting and those who have come for questions will leave.

What do School Board Members Do?

The faith community has a responsibility for the maintenance and development of its Catholic school.  A practical way of accepting its responsibility is to appoint some of its members to use their gifts in working with the principal and staff in School Board ministry.

There are 5 elements of community responsibility that the School Board undertakes:

• Policy Direction – to guide the school
• Financial Management – to account for and administer all income
• Planning & Development – for the present & future
• Pastoral Care – is care for people (students, parents & staff)
• Evaluation – of the effect of policy decisions

The School Board meets monthly during the four school terms (on the Monday of weeks 5 & 9 at 7pm).  Meetings run for no longer than two hours, at which discussion is based around reports from the P&F, Principal, Parish, Staff, Treasurer/Bursar and other key groups.

If you require any further information please feel free to contact me.

Damian Weeks
Principal

What a wonderful start to the church season of Easter. The whole school and some parents gathered in Our Lady of the Sacred Heart church for the first time since the beginning of the school year 2020 to celebrate ‘Christ is Risen, Alleluia’. It was a joyous liturgy with Fr Paul Cashen leading us in prayer. The children’s singing was to behold; it almost brought the roof down! The Receptions were in awe of the whole event. Thank you those who brought the Gospel to life or had special roles in the liturgy. Congratulations to all students for their participation, reverence and words of appreciation and thanks expressed to me.

May God bless you with faith, hope, love, and laughter across the holidays. May the sunshine for you.

Stella

Dear Families

Here we are at the end of term one in a blink of an eye!  The Easter season was celebrated with a whole school liturgy last Tuesday and it was great timing for the school to gather together as a community for our first visit to the church in 12 months.

There have been or will be several staff changes, in case you missed them here is a summary.

NARELLE SANDERCOCK - ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
Narelle is a teacher at Cabra College and has held the following key leadership responsibilities:

• Pastoral Care Coordinator and House Fellowship Program

• Student Wellbeing and Academic Success

• Leadership of House Activities (assemblies, liturgies, awards, sports day)

and Pastoral Care Teachers in Boylan House

Narelle will be working with us until the end of term 2 while Matt Perry is on Acting Principal duties at our Catholic School in Clare.

DONNA MARSHALL – OSHC DIRECTOR
Donna came to us from our Catholic School in Mt Barker.  She has spent some time working Port Lincoln and before that, she ran the St Mary's OSHC program for many years.  We are thankful for the time that Jess Joseph and Tori LeCornu gave us as Acting Directors in the interim.

KAYA NICHOLLS – MUSIC TEACHER
Kaya will be beginning as our Music Teacher in term 2.  Kaya has worked at our Catholic School at Glengowrie and Nazareth College, as well as the Clovelly Park (Education Dept School) in music/arts positions.  Kaya is taking up the position that Cathy Turner held.  We thank Jess Joseph for her work for some of this term in teaching classroom music.

YEAR 1 - ELYCE DAVIDSON 
Elyce comes with a wealth of experience having taught for a few years in Victoria.  Upon returning to our State she has worked at St Pius X and most recently has held a position at Christ the King.  Elyce will be replacing Abbey Hinge who is taking parenting leave.

PUPIL FREE DAY – TUESDAY APRIL 27TH
Next term, the staff will be attending the Mary MacKillop Precinct to immerse ourselves in the history of the life of our first saint. The centre offers an interactive, ‘hands-on’ experience – using audio and visual storytelling to engage and inspire the young and not-so-young.  An important aspect of the Mary MacKillop Museum is to provide teachers with RE and History curriculum resources and activities. These have been designed by experienced educators, to promote a better understanding and knowledge of the Josephite story, the legacy of Mary MacKillop and how it continues to impact society today.  We will welcome children back to school on Wednesday, April 28th.

BOARD TALK
At last month’s School Board meeting we were very fortunate to have two special guests attend, Dr Neil McGoran, Director CESA and Amanda Humeniuk, School Performance Leader.  Neil spoke on Catholic Education and the role of Star of the Sea School in the bigger picture.  The Catholic Education Office, with the role of the Principal and our School Performance Leader, will ensure that the school is making improvement in the following areas:

1.            Catholic Identity

2.            Academic Outcomes

3.            Community Engagement

4.            Financial Position

At the end of the presentation Board members were invited to ask questions to Dr Neil McGoran.

As usual, there is always quite a lot of work going on to keep our school looking beautiful.  The following tasks have been completed this term:

• Finished off Bench seat
• Military road garden planted
• Locks and Door maintenance around school
• Drain cleaning
• Partek fixed up damaged courts
• Working through workplace inspection checklists, fixing defects
• Installation of new evacuation maps in all buildings

Upcoming works Holidays & Term 2

• Coping going on Military road garden bed
• Trees going in Nature Play on Seaview road
• Coring and Verdi drain on oval Glenelg turf
• Start bin area redevelopment / new slats for bin enclosure
• Air conditioner Maintenance
• Partek fixing up defects

Enjoy the holidays,
Damian Weeks

Please click on the links below regarding online information for parents about NAPLAN.

Dear Families,

Welcome to term 2.  I trust you have had a lovely break from the school routine and maybe your family has had a chance to perhaps have a holiday too!

I had a great two weeks, hooking up my caravan and attending the National U/18 Basketball Championship in Werribee, where we won the Girls Title for the first time in 31 years.  In the second week I made my way to the sun on the north coast of NSW, visiting Port Stephens and Port Macquarie.

Now back into the real world!

WELCOME
We warmly welcome to our Star Community Kaya Nicholls-Music Teacher and Elyce Davidson-Year 1 Teacher. Also a special welcome to our new Term 2 Little Stars and families who will be our new Term 3 Intake.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS
As you would know these are to be held over the next two weeks.  This information was sent to families via email last term.  The following link will bring you to the PTO website. This will be followed by our Semester 1 reports that will come out at the end of term. 

PARENTS AND FRIENDS EVENTS
The P&F are running a number of events this year beginning with their first Mothers’ Day stall on Thursday 6th May and then a Ladies Night on Friday 14th May.  Later in the year is the Gala Ball, Saturday 23rd October.

AGM
Next week we will be publishing our AGM newsletter.  This will contain all the formal reports from the School Board and P&F.  There will be a chance to ask questions on the reports at our next School Board meeting, Monday 24th May.

SPORTS DAY
This year we will be celebrating the Tokyo Olympics by holding our Sports Day at Santos Stadium (Mile End) on Tuesday 18th May.  Information about this year’s Sports Day/Sports Spectacular came out this week via skoolbag app and an email from class teachers.  A response about transport on the day is required via the QKR app by Tuesday 4th May. 

MOTHERS’ DAY CUPPA & SONG – FRIDAY 7TH MAY
Come and join us for a cuppa after dropping of your child/ren in the Stella Maris Room (by the green basketball courts).  At 9:15am the Reception classes will come down and provide us with a little bit of entertainment.

NAPLAN
For our students in Years 3 & 5 this testing will begin on Monday,  10th May.  There is further information in this newsletter about the testing.

MAINTENANCE
A number of projects were completed over the holiday period including painting in various areas but most prominently in the front office where most rooms have been painted.  The coping was replaced on the garden brick work by the basketball courts.  Most of our
air-conditioners received a service.

NEWSLETTERS THIS TERM
Next week will be our AGM newsletter.  Then we will publish newsletters in weeks 5, 8 & 10.

Regards,
Damian Weeks

All School fee statements were recently distributed.

School fees are charged based on numbers of students in a family attending Star of the Sea School. For the first child, the annual fee is $3,775. For two children, the annual fee is $6,795 which is a saving for sibling discount of 10%. For three children, the annual fee is $9,060 which is a saving for sibling discount of 20%.  

Annual  Fees are payable by -

            Minimum of one third to be paid on or before 9/4/2021        (end of Term 1)

            Minimum of two thirds to be paid on or before 2/7/2021      (end of Term 2)

            Fully paid by 24/9/20 21                                                     (end of Term 3)

Unless a direct debit payment has been arranged.

The following payment options are available -

  Cash   -    Cheque      -     Visa     -     Mastercard     -   Direct Debit   -    BPAY   -  QKR         

Regular direct debits from either bank savings/cheque accounts or credit card is an easy and preferred option. Please see the School Office if you wish to arrange this option.

Irregular payments can also be paid via the QKR option too.

The annual cost for the School Capital Levy is $300 per family.

Parents/Caregivers who have contributed $300 or more to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2021 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy.

Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

Financial assistance for low income earners via the Government scheme called, School Card will continue to be available for those families who qualify.

Please see the following table to assess if you are eligible to apply for this scheme. If you think you are eligible, please phone me in the School Office to set up an interview to complete the paperwork.

If at any time you have difficulties meeting this schedule, or have any queries, please contact me to discuss the matter on 8115 7400 or email janeleonard@star.catholic.edu.au

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

A reminder that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag App and registrations are made through Qkr!.  If you do not have either of these apps please feel free to see the office staff for support with downloading the apps or to ask any questions.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

A reminder that Beach Running is on Wednesday morning for any students Year 3 – 6 that would like to join in.  Ms Victory will meet any students, 8am on the beach, at the end of Marlborough St.  This is in preperation for SACPSSA Cross Country Carnivals and the SACPSSA Athletic Carnival.  Athletics training will begin shortly, keep an eye on Skoolbag App for training dates. 

SACPSSSA Year 3 – 6 Netball Carnival is Week 10, Wednesday 30^th June.  Further information is on Skoolbag app and registration through Qkr!

After school netball and basketball S2 registrations are now open.  Information through Skoolbag App and registrations through Qkr!

Sports Star Football (Soccer) Clinics with Stefan Mauk.  On a Monday afternoon Stefan Mauk is facilitating Soccer Clinics on the SOS School oval.  For registrations please go to https://sportstaracademy.com/football/programs/clinic?id=8915

Anyone who registers before Friday, 28^th May, will receive a double pass to the Adelaide United Home Game on Saturday against Sydney FC.

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator / Teacher

Term 2 is flying by, as Week 5 vanishes in just a few short hours! Since our previous newsletter our community of diverse and resilient learners have thrived and survived NAPLAN, Sports Day, Year 6 Camp, excursions, beach walks and a myriad of other rich learning tasks and activities that are a part of our everyday teaching and learning!

No, this is not students sleeping at school or all worn out from too much learning, this is our Move to Learn program facilitated by Leanne Stokes, which is having a positive impact on learning and focus in the junior primary. These students were shown a laminated image which they had to replicate on the ground to engage thinking across both spheres of the brain!

The team of staff at Star of the Sea are most passionate about preparing, planning and facilitating authentic learning experiences for all students, all of the time. This means that our staff take the time to really know your child/ren; their likes, their dislikes, their strengths and their areas for development. In doing so, learning differentiation is a regular feature of our classroom practice, which is what makes our nurturing community quite special!

A whole school initiative to support learner wellbeing, resilience and growth mindset has been the introduction of the Zones of Regulation curriculum for all learners. Teachers are facilitating developmentally appropriate lessons across all year levels to support learners to recognise and name the ‘zones’ and more specifically their own individual behaviours for when they find themselves in each of the different zones. It is our human condition that we experience positive and negative emotions and that these fluctuate, sometimes multiple times in a day or even an hour. Helping children to manage and regulate these fluctuations helps them to become super resilient learners!

In sharing with a group of students earlier this term, I reflected on some of my ‘red zone’ choices when my 6 and 8 year old, fought (for the hundredth time) about whose turn it was to have a shower first! I yelled, angrily threw a towel on the floor and stomped my feet loudly as I walked across the floorboards away from the bathroom door; and away from my squabbling children! Red zone behaviours and choices are normal for all of us at various tipping points, but more importantly it is what we do next to get ourselves back in the green zone and how we go about repairing any harm/damage we caused to our relationships as a consequence of the red zone choices. All students will be exploring and discussing the strategies they use to recognise what sends them into the red zone and how they get out of it and then what they can do next to repair relationships that may have become a little fractured or broken as a consequence of their red zone behaviour. I believe that this is how Jesus would want us to ‘do relationships’ in this, the 21^st century; with compassion, forgiveness and understanding.

Dear Families

Here we are at the halfway mark of another term, where does the time go!  We have been very busy with excursions, sports day, parent teacher interviews, NAPLAN, School Board AGM, Year 6 camp, School Tours, Mother’s Day and teachers writing reports.  Coming up we have the Primary Principals Conference and Mid-Year Reception Induction.

Sports Day was held at the SA Athletics Centre to celebrate the Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo next month.  I would like to thank Kristen Victory for the many, many hours of preparation she put into the event which made it so successful.  Thank you to our staff, many whom turned up at 7:30am to set up the venue.  There were many volunteers that worked with teachers to make the day such a success for our children, many thanks to them too.  For the record, Gold won the Spirit Cup and Blue won the overall Sports Day.

The Year 6 students had a lovely few days of weather for their camp at Wallaroo last week.  There were a number of great activities including fishing, geocaching and kayaking.  Thank you to the Year 6 teachers and to the other teachers who attended and made the camp such a special time for the students.

Teachers are very busy writing the Semester 1 reports at the moment.  This follows on from the Parent/Teacher interviews held earlier this term.  The report will cover all areas of the Australian Curriculum.  For Years 1-6 an A-E grade summarises each of the nine areas.  The semester 1 reports will be sent home on Monday 28 June.

VALE PABLO HERRERO
I am writing to you to share the very sad news about the death of a parent in our School community.

Pablo Herrero, the Father of Zara (Year 2), has passed away.

Zara and her family are well known to many families across the year level and families will be deeply impacted by this sad news.

Please join us in keeping the Herrero family in our prayers, as we support them through this very difficult time.

LEARN TO PLAY PROGRAM
At Star of the Sea School, we have begun our Whole-School Student Wellbeing Education with the “Learn to Play” program.

This program has three focus areas to work through with students.  It is premised on explicit teaching of play skills, empathic reasoning, practising learned skills, reflection and support. The learning intentions and language are explicitly taught, at an age-appropriate level across the whole school. In the first week the theme is “Safe Hands.”  This will be followed by “Safe Feet” and “Safe Mouths.”

After three weeks our school will have a common language and understanding of how to play successfully.  This areas will then be built on every year.

Next week Narelle and I will be attending the South Australian Catholic Primary Principals Association conference.  Stella Foley will be in charge of the school during this time.

Regards
Damian Weeks

This week the School Board met for AGM question time and to hold the May meeting.  We welcomed Father Peter to his first meeting as the new Parish Priest of our Parish.  This was the last meeting of the current Board and we farewelled two retiring members.

Chris Flaherty – Finance

Chris has been a member of the School Board for the past two years.  Chris, having expertise in the finance area, was also a key member of the Finance Committee.  The Finance Committee meets monthly to review finance reports and to help the school stay on-track with budgets.  Thank you, Chris, for sharing your time and expertise.

Phillip Reichelt – School Board Chair

Phillip has been a member of the School Board for the past two years.  As School Board Chair, Phillip meets to set the agenda of meetings and then chairs those meetings.  As Chair there may be other duties and meetings from time-to-time at which Phillip represents the School.  Thank you, Phillip, for sharing your time and expertise.

AGM Question Time

There was one question asked at this year’s meeting. 

What is the school strategy around growing student numbers, given the strong financial position of the school and limited classroom and recreational space?

Enrolment figures were presented in the AGM report and these were expanded upon, to show the decision made many years ago move from being a two-stream school to a three-stream school (ie three classes of each year level).

The School Master plan was also shown.  This was developed in 2016/17 and it shows a staged development of buildings and facilities moving into the future.  It also shows future land acquisitions we might like to consider.

There were a range of views discussed following this presentation.

The June meeting will be the first meeting of our new School Board.  We will be welcoming two new members, Nathan Foulis who has children in Reception and Year 2 and Elizabeth Sarris who has a child in Reception.

At the June meeting the Board will have a closer look at the Master Plan.

Dear Families,

As we come to the mid-year mark of the year, we are pleased to be reporting on your child’s semester 1 progress.  Teachers are finalising reports and they will be proof-read and printing next week.  Reports will then be sent home on Monday, 28^th June.  There will be an opportunity to meet with teachers about the report early term 3, if parents feel this is necessary.

PUPIL FREE DAY
Day one of term 3 is Monday July 19^th and this will be a PFD.  Staff will be working on the requirements that CESA have asked us to achieve around the Balanced Score Card, Clarity Learning Suite and Learning Walks.

MID-YEAR RECEPTION CLASS
I am pleased to announce that we have two new teachers joining our staff that will teach our two mid-year classes.  29 students will be joining our school at this time.

Lisa-Marie Lopresti taught the mid-year class last year at St Patricks, Mansfield Park.  This year she had a contract with the same school for two terms, teaching Receptions.

Angela D’Amico has been teaching in Term 1 and 2 at Flinders Park Primary School.  Last year she completed a double degree in a Bachelor of Education (Primary R-7 and Special education)/ Bachelor of Disability Studies.

STAFF CHANGES FOR TERM 3

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL ROLE
Narelle concludes her time with us at the end of term and has been successful in winning another Acting Position, this time at Nazareth College as Assistant Principal in the Primary School.

Narelle has had a very successful time at our school.  A highlight is how she has led and taken to the next level, our work on the NCCD.  This very important work directly relates to our funding for students with special needs.  I thank Narelle for the way she has led this project on behalf of everyone in our community.

Matt Perry will be returning next term, after completing his Acting Principal role at Clare.

LONG SERVICE LEAVE
Marian Izzo is taking leave until the end of year and Adam Francis teacher Year 3I during this time.

Cathy Clark will be taking the first 5 weeks of term 3 as leave and we welcome Anna Schultz to Year 3CL during this time.

PARENTING LEAVE
Skye Llewellyn is expecting the birth of her child and will be taking Parenting leave until the end of year.  We welcome Melanie Teelow and Georgia Burbrook to RL.

Term 2 Highlights

Learning at Star of the Sea, across all year levels this term has been rich, diverse and authentic! This can be said for all students, but also for our staff team. Learning has no finish line! God’s plan for us is that we continue to learn each and every day; about each other, about our various life experiences and about communicating and connecting. We are the sum of our lived experiences and our young people at Star of the Sea are privileged to engage in high quality learning experiences daily, thanks to our learning environments and dedicated educators.  I have grown as an educator and educational leader, thanks to the beautifully, nurturing community of learners which includes students, families and staff. Thank you!

I would love to include all learning highlights from the term, but the newsletter would be the size of a novel! Please see below for information about our Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Mass, Year 6 Camp, Year 5 Author Visit, Year 4 Excursion and Year 3 Dream Big Excursion.

Feast of Sacred Heart of Jesus Mass

On Friday, 11th June, after 16 long months, the Star of the Sea School community gathered to celebrate the Feast Day of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with Father Peter. On behalf of the Star community, we said ‘Thank you, Stella!’ for her beautifully prepared, well-rehearsed and meticulously organised, Feast Day celebration for our school! This was our first with Father Peter but also our first since February 2020. It was truly remarkable! In keeping with the theme of the gospel story for the feast day, ‘what once was lost (the shepherd’s sheep and metaphorically, the sense of connectedness for our community since Covid) was now found! Alleluia! Dana Court’s flute playing evoked goosebumps as we silently joined in solidarity for prayer.

The fundraising efforts also exceeded our expectations and so we express our gratitude for the contributions of all families, teachers and students in this process! $1300 dollars raised toward the Marine Discovery Centre. Kaya Nicholls, our music teacher, supported all students in learning the actions and lyrics of the new song to mark 200 years of Catholic Education.

Narelle Sandercock
Acting Deputy Principal

Star of the Sea School is about to launch into the process of developing a new strategic plan to guide our school’s development through 2022-2024.

Community involvement is the key to developing a successful plan and we need your help!

We will be holding a number of community involvement meetings to ask for input into the plan:

• What is going well in our school that we need to keep?
• What is ready for change?
• What are your dreams for the future?

This planning process provides clarity and purpose to the processes involved in school renewal and development. The school’s Strategic Plan should reflect the values and beliefs of the School’s Vision statement and incorporate Catholic Identity, Learning and Wellbeing, Resourcing, Community.

More information and meeting dates will come next term.

Damian Weeks

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Hello Friends

A warm welcome back to school and Term 3. What an amazing and whirlwind start to Semester 2.

It is great to be back at Star of the Sea School. I had a fantastic experience during my time in Clare and enjoyed a positive learning curve. I was fortunate to be part of a great school and community during my time away. It was clear though, that I need to increase my culinary skills and was thankful for the prepared meals from home (thanks Mrs Perry) and ‘takeaway’ meals. The only disappointing thing was that the wardrobe at the home where I was staying has shrunk all my clothes!!

I thank our school community in advance for their flexibility and understanding over the coming weeks and months as we adjust to what restrictions mean for school life. We know that this will mean some school activities will continue, some will look different and some may not be able to go ahead.

I also say thanks to our wonderful staff and teachers who went above and beyond to maintain the learning and connections for students during this ‘lockdown period’. A huge thanks to our parents and caregivers who were so supportive of the routines and structures that this lockdown brought about. Stay safe. Staff will be on hand at the beginning and the end of each day to help children enter and exit school.  Road crossing monitors have been suspended for the time being, so please be aware of pedestrians on the crossings and around the school.

Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for. Epicurus

Thanks and Blessings
Matt Perry

A BRONZE medal was scored by Star of the Sea student Oliver Martin  in the South Australian and South West NSW Regional Championships in the July school holidays.

Oliver competed in the event run by South Australian Snowsports Association Inc and Snow Australia in the July school holidays. 

In the first interschools snowsports competition since the coronavirus pandemic began, the event drew 141 entries from students representing 26 South Australian schools.

Oliver claimed third place in the division 5 male alpine giant slalom event.

SA interschools president and St Peters PE teacher David de Lacy said SA Interschools encourages participation of school students of all ski and snowboard ability levels as the emphasis of our event is fun and participation. Our 141 competitors in 2021 ranged from reception to year 12 students.

Our annual parade will be held on Tuesday, 24 August. This will be dependent on COVID restrictions, so please be mindful of any updates. We will take a flexible approach to make this celebration of reading fun and enjoyable for all.

Students can dress up as one of their favourite book characters, a costume from yesteryear or a futuristic one.

With Thanks
Helen Kolaczkos

Please see attached file from the Australian Government regarding the Commonwealth School Data Collection Notice.

COVID 19 UPDATE

This area is changing rapidly so we thought a summary of the current restrictions may be helpful, especially in relation to drop off and pickup procedures.  Today’s changes to restrictions are at slight easing of restrictions but parents are still restricted from entering the school site.  We have made some adjustments for the younger children.

PROCEDURES FOR YEARS 2-6

Drop off
We will be opening two spaces for most of the school.  The green basketball courts by Military Rd as usual.  The Nature play and MDC courts is the new space that we have added. 

Pickup
Students will generally move towards the exit gates where they are being picked up from.  As parents are generally not on-site there would be no use of the oval or playground under the current restrictions.  Most students will make their way to the gates that they are getting picked up from.

PROCEDURES FOR MID-YEAR RECEPTIONS
There has been no change to restricting parents on school sites, if you come inside the gate you must have a mask on, but please do not enter our buildings (except the front office when necessary).  Please limit your time on the school grounds and go no further than the space between the library and playground.

Drop off
The Playground is now available for play in the morning and one of the children’s teachers will be on yard duty in this area.  Only Mid-Year Receptions are allowed on the playground in the morning.  For drop off, one adult may enter the Military Road gate, wearing a mask, to gather at the playground/library space.  When the bell rings all children will line-up for their teacher, outside the library.  Under the current restrictions, parents are not meant to enter the buildings, so the teachers will take the children up to class and parents will leave via the Military Road gate.  Under rare circumstances the teachers may allow a parent to bring their child up to class.

Pickup
One adult may enter the Military Road gate, wearing a mask, to gather at the playground/library space.  The teachers will bring the children down to this area.

PROCEDURES FOR RECEPTIONS AND YEAR 1
There has been no change to restricting parents on school sites, if you come inside the gate you must have a mask on.  Please limit your time on the school grounds and go no further than the asphalt courts between the MDC and Nature Play area.

Drop off
The Nature Play and MDC courts are now available for play in the morning.  Where possible, drop your child at the gate and direct them to this area.  If necessary, one adult may enter the Marlborough St gate, wearing a mask, to drop your child to the MDC.  Once you have done this please exit the school, as much as we lean towards socialising, currently this is not the space to do so.  When the bell rings, all children will make their own way to class.  The teacher on yard duty will assist the children at this time.

Pickup
Reception and Year 1 children will be dismissed from the MDC courts as has been our current practice.  Just a reminder that only one adult should come onto the MDC courts for pickup and they should be wearing a mask.  For children who need to be picked up at Kiss and Drop, they can move directly to these areas.

Please see attached

Dear Families

As you know, this term, we have started work on developing our 2022-2024 Strategic Plan.

We held the last of our community involvement meetings that are the key to developing a successful plan and we thank the parents who came along and shared their thoughts.  We have also completed the process with staff and students.

If you missed out and would still like to contribute, please do so via the following survey link which will be open for one week…

https://forms.office.com/r/KVKJF82UbF

In today’s newsletter, we have published the results under two headings:

• What people have experienced that they like
• Future considerations

School Strategic Plans are developed using four broad categories:

• Being a Catholic School
• Being a School focussed on Learning and Wellbeing
• Being Community
• Being a well-resourced School

See links below regarding the four broad categories.

The next step in our plan is to prioritise our lists to find out what our community wishes to be our foci.  The School Board, P&F and staff will do this formally at their coming meetings.  Senior SRC students will be involved in the process.  Parents will have the opportunity to be involved in this step via a community survey.

Hello Friends

The birds are singing and the blossoms have arrived. That can only mean that Spring has sprung. It is certainly nice to see some warmer days and enjoy the sunshine.

Seaview Rd Crossing

What’s wrong with the picture below?

As you can see this picture was taken on the Seaview Road crossing. The situation pictured below happens on a daily basis and endangers the safety of our children and pedestrians crossing Seaview Road. As you can see, the Road Crossing Monitors cannot see the traffic clearly because the vehicle has blocked the crossing and the monitors’ ability to see oncoming traffic. Please do not block the pedestrian crossing at any stage. 

COVID 19 Restrictions

Please be aware that COVID 19 restrictions at this point in time have NOT eased at school. Please exercise social distancing and mask wearing around the school and if you NEED to enter school grounds. We also ask that you QR Code check in and enter via the front desk if you have an appointment with a staff member. Our children are showing terrific resilience in moving to and from their classrooms independently. We look forward to these restrictions easing so we can see our valued community members back on our school grounds.

School Values

At our school Assemblies (pre COVID 19) we did a lot of talking as a school about our school values. These being:

• Respect
• Honesty
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Compassion

I have been discussing these values with Year levels in our school and what they mean in our daily school life.  I have been impressed with the children’s understanding of what these values mean and the children have been able to give accurate examples of these values. I encourage you to have a similar discussion at home and see how these values can continue to be displayed at home and the positive affect they can have on our lives.

Keep in your Prayers

I ask you to keep Damian Weeks and his family in your thoughts and prayers at the passing of Damian’s mum Val. Damian’s mum passed away peacefully, surrounded by family on Tuesday morning.

You must be the change you wish to see in the world. - Mahatma Gandhi

Thanks and Blessings
Matt

Dear Families

Welcome to the last term of the 2021 year, how quickly time flies by!  This is a very busy term so please keep an eye on the calendar and announcements.

I am pleased to announce that the following permanent teaching positions have been made:

1. Early Years – Daniella Barilla
2. Primary Years – Louise Santillo and Samantha Muir

I am sure you will join me in congratulating these excellent teachers.

In this newsletter you will find an article about our fantastic NAPLAN results, it is worth a close read!  On our Pupil Free Day, we looked closely at our results and what they meant for classroom teaching.  One of the changes we are making this term, is to be clearer to parents about the marvellous extension work that is done daily in this school for students working beyond the curriculum.  As a school we are targeting Maths and a whole-school approach to sharing the great work that students and teachers are doing.  At the start of the week, you might receive a seesaw post or other electronic communication from your child’s class teacher, or even your child.  This post would indicate that your child has successful shown that they understand the topic at their year level and that the rest of the week they will be extended.  At the end of the week, you will receive a second post relating to that extended work.  This trial will run for the next four weeks.  Remember, you will only receive communication if your child is working beyond the maths curriculum.

Our other area of work, on the pupil free day, was with the SEQTA program.  You may have heard about this, as many secondary schools use this program.  SEQTA is described as a learning management system.  SEQTA supports teachers with workflows and decision making.  It is a collaborative teaching and learning ecosystem, providing teachers with a range of tools to support student outcomes.  We are very much at the beginning of this learning journey, but the future possibilities look very exciting.

Last term we introduced lunch-time Clubs.  These were very successful, and I am pleased to say that we will continue to run these sessions this term.  At every lunch period there is a Club for R-2 held in the Atrium and a Club for the Years 3-5 in the Stella Maris Room.  Numbers are limited depending on the activity, but children can line-up when the bell rings.

EARLY YEARS CLUBS
Monday – Paper Craft
Tuesday – Lego
Wednesday – Dance
Thursday – Dance
Friday – Surprise

PRIMARY YEARS CLUBS
Monday – Lego
Tuesday – Board Games
Wednesday – Zumba
Thursday – Chess
Friday – Art/STEM

Tomorrow we have the School Disco and next week the School Ball and we thank the Parents and Friends committee for organising these fantastic events.  Just for the record the disco dress has been changed to casual clothes.

Over the holidays there was a variety of maintenance undertaken around the school.  The most visual of these has been the upgrading of the signage on the grandstand.  The “Tony Quinn” signage is dedicated to a past teacher of our school and I am sure that Tony would be very impressed with the new sign!

Staff are currently working on creating classes for the 2022 year.  If as caregivers, you would like to contribute to this process you will find information about this on the link below.

Have a great term
Damian Weeks

Children’s’ World Mission Day is Wednesday 27 October and to celebrate we are holding a Market Stall Day. The Tuckshop will be closed at recess. Students in Years 4 to 6 can nominate to be stall holders and after recess, year levels will have the chance to visit the market to engage in fun activities, raffles and buy goods. COVID protocols will be followed, and ingredients displayed that are used in baked goods etc. Loyalty cards will replace cash and these can be purchased via QKR. Students will need to submit a business plan for their stall and parent permission is required. A detailed proforma with stall guidelines will be available soon. Monies raised will be donated to Catholic Charities and Missions, which supports children both here in Adelaide and around the world. Casual clothes is the go for the day.

Let’s Pray. Give. Go!
Stella

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School Fees 2021

School fee statements were sent home earlier this week via your child/ren. If you are making regular payments from either a bank account or credit card, please ensure your payments are sufficient to cover any additional fees. Otherwise you will need to make additional payments to cover these fees via Bpay, QKR or payment to the School Office as they become due. This will ensure your school fee account is cleared by the end of the year.

Just a reminder: Parents/Caregivers who contribute at least $300 to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2021 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy. Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

All school fees are now due unless there is a prior arrangement in place.

If at any time you are having difficulty with the payment of your school fees, or have any queries, please contact or email janeleonard@star.catholic.edu.au to confidentially discuss the matter.

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

“Let the little children come to me …for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these”. Mk 10:11 

Our Mission Day Market was a resounding success.Even the downpour couldn’t dampen our spirits. The Year 4 to 6 students loved planning 32 stalls with their friends. Here is just a sample of what was on offer:  jewellery, scrunchies, key rings, macrame, balloon art, lucky dips, toys, tattoos, nail painting, face painting, water bombs, pluck a duck, darts, soccer, basketball, hot chips, toffee apples, bakery goods galore, spiders, lolly jars and raffles. The Haunted House was also such scary fun. It’s amazing what you can do with hurdles and black tablecloths!

We raised an astonishing $4,000 for our local charities: St Patrick’s Special School and Our Lady of La Vang School, supporting students with significant disabilities, and our MSC Missions.

Thank you, parents, staff and friends for your wonderful support and making this day one to remember.

Stella Foley
APRIM

A reminder that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag app and registrations are made through Qkr!.  If you do not have either of these apps please feel free to see the office staff for support with downloading the apps or to ask any questions.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

2022 Swimming Carnival, After School Basketball, Netball & Cricket notes are coming out this week through Skoolbag app. Please note Soccer and Football notes will come out around Week 6 of Term 1, 2022.

SACPSSA Athletics Carnival was on Friday 5 November 2021.Thank you to all parents who helped on the day with Official roles, your support was greatly appreciated. 

We have a number of people to congratulate on their sensational effort:-

1. Sophia T who now holds the SACPSSA Year 3 Girls Shot Put Record. Sophia threw 4.49 which was 15cm further than the previous record.  
2. Stirling who now holds the SACPSSA Year 4 Boys 400m with a new record of 1:12:58.
3. Grace who won the Year 3 Individual Age Champion
4. The Year 3 Boys who won the Year 3 Boys Age Champion.

Finally, I would like to congratulate all students who took part in the carnival, well done on your effort.

Premier’s Reading Challenge was a great success again this year!  Students will be receiving their certificates or medals very soon. Everyone is to be congratulated for being part of the challenge. We have a library brimming with wonderful books for all to discover and enjoy, so it is most rewarding to manage the challenge on the school’s behalf and watch the smiling faces as the certificates and medals are distributed.

As the end of year nears, we ask that all library books and reading texts be returned to the library before the end of Week 8, Friday 3rd December.

Overdue lists, followed by overdue notices will be given to class teachers and individual students thereafter.

If a book is lost or damaged, please get in touch with the class teacher or library staff asap.

Finally, a huge Thankyou to all students, parents and volunteers that have supported the Library throughout the year, with Book Club, PRC and Book Week.

Your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas with family and friends.
From Helen Kolaczkos – Teacher/Library Manager
Margret Kluzek & Maria Ottrey – Library ESO’s

“When the woman came out of the tent and we saw she was pregnant, I thought, we’re not leaving her here.” John, Vinnie’s volunteer (welcome baby Jake)

Umes from St Vincent de Paul – ‘Vinnies’ came and spoke to our Year Four classes and the SRC about his work with refugees, the homeless and the many who need help. “He was awesome. He made me want to do more”, said one student. Last week 700 calls for help were made in Adelaide, many from the free Telstra phone boxes. This year Vinnies has helped 100,00 people. The children were amazed when they thought of that as almost 200 of our school. So, let’s have one last push for providing goods for those in need this Christmas across the next week. Thank you for your continued support for social justice.

May this season of Advent fill your heart with joy and, for many of us, long awaited family reunions.

Stella Foley
APRIM

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Dear Families

The End of Year Carols Night has undergone major changes to comply with SA Health requirements.  Please read the information in this newsletter.

In this newsletter you will also find the full staff list for 2022.

As you know, we are farewelling the following staff at the end of the year:

• Cathy Clark
• Toby Moulton
• Liana Marafioti
• Marian Izzo
• Karen Lintern
• Angela D’Amico
• Lisa-Marie Lopresti

Joining our school will be Kelly Stevens (Tennison Woods) and Tamara Golic (St John Bosco).  Our new teachers will spend the day here on Thursday December 2^nd and will meet their students on this day.  This is the day where all students will be meeting their 2022 teacher.

COVID UPDATE - REMINDER

Adults are welcome on the school site but if you wish to enter a school building you need to wear a mask and completed a QR code check in.

END OF YEAR LITURGY/FARWELLS

• This is our whole school celebration for the end of year
• Tuesday December 7^th
• Venue: Green courts – Stella Maris Room
• Whole school attends
• Parents may attend, but will be required to book tickets via QKR and QR code on entry
• Inclement weather plan – hold the event the next day at the same time

MUSICAL SHOWCASE

This Sunday brings us to the conclusion of our musical showcases with our choirs and bands performances.  Congratulations to all our students that have been practising all year and a special thank you to all the tutors for their teaching.  The School Leadership Team have taken turns attending the evenings performances and we are all very impressed by what we saw and most importantly heard.  These events have been coordinated by our Music Teacher Kaya Nicholls, in her first year at SOTS and I would like to offer my thanks to her for all her good work.

REPORTS

A celebration of the learning that has happened over the last semester is coming home on Wednesday.  Congratulations to all our students and thank you to all of our teachers who have spent many hours putting this work together.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Dear Families

Well, here we are at the end of another year.  I am thankful that we have been able to hold all our end of year events this year.  Some need “Covid tweaking” but we held true to the essence of each event.  The Carols Night seemed to be a great success, not quite the usual event, but much improved on what we were able to do last year.

The Year 6 students were farewelled at a Graduation Dinner on Monday night, which was a fantastic event for the students and their families.  While we were unable to hold this event last year, it was a great gathering to celebrate the end of primary education for our two classes of Year 6.

On Tuesday morning the weather cleared for a perfect setting for our End of Year Liturgy.  Unfortunately, our student numbers are still too large to hold this event in the church, but a lovely sacred space was created in the courtyard.  Following the Liturgy there was a farewell to the Year 6 students and a handover of leadership to the Year 5 students.  The awards, presented at the Graduation Dinner, were shared with the whole school and special guests presented the Mary Colton Sr Cynthia and Tony Quinn awards.  A full list of award winners can be found in this newsletter.

I thank everyone in our community for their understanding as we negotiated the difficult path through Covid 19 restrictions.  Many of these restrictions changed throughout the year but as a community we responded by being flexible and agile.

On behalf of our community I would like to thank all the staff at Star of the Sea.  Very few people realise the work that goes on in the background, especially in regard to keeping children safe, with all the restrictions.  The hard work of the teachers, particularly in the area of literacy, are really paying off for your children.

On behalf of all the staff here at Star of the Sea, thank you for your support this year and may we wish your family a happy, safe and blessed Christmas season.

Next year, we start on a Monday, January 31st and we look forward to catching up with everyone then.

Regards,
Damian Weeks

Dear Families

I trust you and your family have had an excellent break from the routines of school and have had a great start to the new year.  It has been quite a different beginning to school this year but things seemed to run smoothly, even the technology overall went well.  If your child/ren are remote learning teachers are available here at school to support them either through their teams meeting or via email.

We  welcome a number of new staff to our school this year.  Jhovana Fenu is our Acting APRIM while Stella is on Long Service Leave for the term.  In year 3, we have two new teachers, Kelly Stevens and Tamara Golic.  We have a number of new Educational Support Offices, Sal McDonald, Cassie Handke, Natalie Canova, Chelsea Gilbert and Kyra Karagiannidis. This reflects the massive increase in support we will be offering students this year.

One of the things that stuck with me when I came back to school was our oval.  Here are some before and now pictures…

Dear Families

It is an absolute privilege to be joining your school community for Term 1. I have already had many friendly greetings from the Reception and Year 1 students and students who are onsite undertaking remote learning.

I look forward to meeting more students and families when we all return on Monday 14 February.

The Sacrament of First Reconciliation 2022

Following the advice from SA Health regarding school activities we have decided to postpone the Sacrament of First Reconciliation until Term 2. Dates will be confirmed at a later date. We acknowledge that you and your child would have been looking forward to receiving the gifts and graces of the Sacrament. We are committed to keeping you informed.

The Covid pandemic has caused many of us to experience times of uncertainty disruption and worry. The Gospel story of Jesus calming the storm reminds us to trust that God is with us all the time. Times of joy, challenge and sorrow.

Trust in God

One day, Jesus and some of his disciples were out on a lake in a boat. Suddenly, without warning, a storm came up. The wind blew so hard, and the waves were so high, that water was coming into the boat and the boat was about to be turned over. The disciples were scared and woke up Jesus who was asleep. Jesus calmed the storm and we know that Jesus can still calm storms today. Sometimes, there are sudden storms in our life. Perhaps it is an illness, a family problem, or the death of a friend or loved one. During these times, Jesus can calm the storms of doubt and fear in our life. He doesn't always take away all of the problems, but if we will trust in Him, He will give us peace in our hearts even in the middle of a storm.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, we thank you for those times when you calm the storms that come up in our daily lives. We also thank you for those times when you give us peace even though we are in the middle of a storm. We ask you to watch over us and keep us safe. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Source: St Laurence's Priory

Welcome to 2022!  Its amazing to think it is 2 years since our whole Covid outbreak began.  Over the past 2 years we have had a number of carnivals cancelled however we are hoping with a few adjustments we will get to take part in all carnivals this year. 

Firstly, I will be taking the rest of Term 1 off as long service leave and will be returning in Term 2.  I would like to welcome Geordi Caridi to the Star of the Sea School sporting family.  Geordi or otherwise known as Mr C, was a member of the Star of the Sea family during term 3 & 4 last year as he completed his final teaching practicum.  Students are very familiar with Mr C as they have been working with him quite a lot over a 3 month period. 

Next, our year begins with our SOS Swimming Carnival this was due to happen yesterday however due to government restrictions we have rescheduled to Wednesday Week 5, Term 1, 2022.  Please stay tuned to Skoolbag app for further information

A reminder to all families that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag app, if you do not have this app please feel free to see the office staff for support. 

All registrations are made through QKR.  If you do not have this app once again the office staff are a great resource.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

The netball and basketball teams have gone out through email however there has been some issues.  Mr Caridi will be in touch next week.  If you believe you have registered your child and not received an email, please contact Mr C by email, gcaridi@star.catholic.edu.au and he can check your registration through Qkr!.  Once again due to government restrictions games starting date has been delayed and it will supposedly begin Week 5, Term 2 however Mr C or your Team Managers and Coaches will contact you with further information once we know a firm starting date.

Thank you to everyone for your patience with the changes to the sporting program this term.

Here’s to a smooth sailing 2022.

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator / Teacher

Dear Families

I share with you the Parable of the Mustard Seed. Parables are stories which Jesus shared with others to understand his teachings. This parable reminds us of our sacred partnership with our families in nurturing the growth and development of all our students, so they can continue to thrive, see themselves as capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.

The Parables of the Mustard Seed

Mark 4: 30-33

³⁰ Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹ It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. ³² Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.”

We invite you watch the Mustard Seed video

The Mustard Seed"-Lyric Video, words by Andrew Chinn, music by Drew Lane, with Ella & Phoebe Nyers

Welcome Liturgy: How can I grow with an open heart and an open mind?

On Tuesday 15th February our school will celebrate our Welcoming Liturgy in a different form.  We will gather in our individual classrooms to celebrate the beginning of being together for 2022.  Reception to Year 2 will celebrate their Liturgy at 9:15am and Years 3-6 will celebrate their Liturgy at 11:30am.

We will be inquiring in a Prayer provocation: How can I grow with an open heart and an open mind? We will be listening to the Parable of the Mustard Seed and share with others how we can continue to spread the seeds of Respect, Inclusivity, Compassion, Collaboration, and Honesty modelled by the Sisters of Mercy in our school.

Class Liturgies

This term class Liturgies will be celebrated in our classrooms. Music and song in prayer acknowledges the sacredness of the moment, however due to current singing restrictions students will participate in Heart Moments, Guided Meditation, and Contemplation. This may change according to the SA Health Guidelines at the time.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is on Tuesday 1st March (Week 5). As a school community we will do the best we can to celebrate this very special day in accordance with SA Health Guidelines.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday is on Wednesday 2nd March (Week 5). In week 4 we will communicate with you how this significant day in our Liturgical calendar will be shared in our school.

The Sacrament of First Reconciliation 2022

Following the advice from SA Health regarding school activities we have decided to postpone the Sacrament of First Reconciliation until Term 2. Dates will be confirmed at a later date. We acknowledge that you and your child would have been looking forward to receiving the gifts and graces of the Sacrament. We are committed to keeping you informed.

Go gently

Jhovana Fenu
Acting Assistant Principal Religious Identity and Mission

Dear Families

We are looking forward to Years 2-6 returning to school next week, to join our Reception and Year 1 students.  I acknowledge and thank all of our staff and students who have patiently and positively engaged in the South Australian hybrid education model.

Monday will mark the end of the remote learning and the work that teachers have be doing with this system.  All learning will return to the normal face-to-face teaching and teachers will be putting all their time into this style of learning and no long be expected to support remote learning.  Many teachers have been answering emails almost on demand during remote learning and many have been answering them after hours (impacting on their own family time).  As we return to face-to-face learning please understand that teachers will not have the ability to answer emails immediately.  Also, for the wellbeing of our teachers, once they have left school for the day, it is their time and for most, family time.  I am sure you will understand that there is no expectation for teachers to check their emails until they return to work the next morning.

Please make sure your child returns/brings their technology to school on Monday.

Please be assured that our school will continue to follow the advice of SA Health in order to minimise the potential for entry into and transmission of COVID-19 in our school environment.

MOST IMPORTANTLY – WHAT HAPPENS WHEN SOMEONE AT SCHOOL IS POSITIVE

The most important control against COVID-19 impacting our school community is for your child to stay home if they are unwell. If your child displays even mild symptoms associated with COVID-19, please arrange for a PCR test and follow SA Health directions. Where your child has been confirmed as COVID-19 positive, please contact the school immediately (if on a weekend please email dweeks@star.catholic.edu.au.) If we are notified that a person who attended school subsequently learns they are COVID-19 positive, we will communicate this with classroom contacts in line with the approach approved by SA Health.  Previously we have shared our response to a positive COVID-19 case in our school.  You can find this information repeated in this newsletter (RE: Return to School – Update 1 (Managing COVID Cases).

MILITARY ROAD IS OUT OF ACTION

As per previous notification, Military Road is out of action for this term.  Seaview Road should be used for “Kiss & Drop.”  We are encouraging families to avoid Military Road.  The Council has already been monitoring this area and issuing fines.  The Police have also increased their presence in the area.  We have previously shared information from the Council and a map indicating traffic flow, this information is repeated in this newsletter.

ENTERING & EXITING THE SCHOOL

We are encouraging all families (except those of Reception children) to drop their children at the gates and to pick them up at the gates in the afternoon.  The preference for the next two weeks, is for adults not to enter the school site, unless absolutely necessary or if you need to come to the front office.  Please QR code, wear a mask and social distance if you need to come onto the school site.

Children can arrive at school from 8:20am.  If your child needs to be at school earlier, they need to attend the OSHC program.  We will be monitoring this situation more closely this year.

On arrival children have three spaces, with supervision, that they can move to:

• Green Courts (Military Road)
• Nature Play (Seaview Road)
• Oval (Marlborough Tce)

Reception families will continue to use the MDC gate on Marlborough Tce, please QR code, wear a mask on entry and practice social distancing.  Please remain on the asphalt area where there is plenty of space to allow for social distancing.  The teachers will meet the children here and take them to class.  By next week we would be hoping Reception children will make their way to the class without their parents.  At the end of the day, they will be dismissed from this area from 2:50pm by their teachers.  The rest of the school will be dismissed at 3.05pm. If this doesn’t work for you, don’t worry! We will be there until all students are picked up by and adult or older student.  Reception parents may enter via the MDC gate to collect their child from the asphalt area.

SA HEALTH ADVICE

Please be assured that our school will continue to follow the advice of SA Health in order to minimise the potential for entry into and transmission of COVID-19 in our school environment.

Consequently, for Weeks 1-4,

• School sports (other than Physical Education classes) and other extra-curricular activities (eg instrumental tuition, ensembles) will be put on hold
• Assemblies, masses and other gatherings will be postponed
• There will be no playgroup during this time
• Entry to our school site will be confined to essential visitors only (who will be required to wear a mask and check in using our COVID Safe QR code).

Star of the Sea School is a Parish School and that means it is run by the Catholic Church through the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools.  The day to day operations are managed by Catholic Education SA (CESA) who is responsible for most of the Catholic Schools in SA.  The COVID 19 decisions, in regards to the Health and Safety of those who are part of Star of the Sea, are directed by CESA.  In South Australia, there is a great system for dealing with Covid in schools.  SA Health are generally responsible for disseminating information in this area and they meet with the three schooling systems in our State, to work on how this is going to be implemented in schools.  The Independent Schools, State Schools and CESA then distribute this information to their schools, so that generally all schools in SA are implementing the same strategies. 

THE FOLLOWING COVID SAFE MEASURES HAVE BEEN IN PLACE FROM 31 JANUARY:

So, all schools in SA are implementing the following:

1. Anyone who is unwell, who are household/ close contacts from other exposures or people symptomatic must not be at school, preschool or childcare. This applies to staff and children.
2. Vaccination 

• All eligible students aged 5+ strongly recommended to be vaccinated.
• All staff, governing council members/ employees, contractors and volunteers (incl. parent volunteers) must be vaccinated in accordance with the Emergency Management Direction to be on site.

3. Masks are:
   • required for adults, except when teaching
   • required for students in years 7 to 12
   • strongly recommended for students in years 3 to 6
   • medical exemptions also apply.
4. Ventilation, to be maximised by leaving doors/windows open, continued use of air conditioning (set to fresh air intake where available) and fans, including with doors and windows open.
5. Outdoor learning is encouraged where appropriate
6. Physical distancing where possible

Almost two years ago, when Covid began, extra cleaning in the middle of the day, began in our school.  You might be interested to know that we have continued to do this extra cleaning to this day.

Could I ask you to remind your child/ren about personal hygiene.  The hygiene standards in our schools are critical to reducing the risk of infection.  Please encourage your child/ren to:

•          wash their hands regularly, particularly after using the toilet and before eating

•          avoid spreading infections to others by staying home if unwell (this includes parents)

•          cover a cough or sneeze with a tissue

•          bring their own personal, labelled and named water bottles (these can then be     refilled at the drink fountains or water taps, there is no drinking directly from any school taps)

All children aged 5 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, and families are encouraged to make arrangements for your child to be vaccinated by visiting https://covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/booking/

It is wonderful to be at the stage where all students can connect with their teachers and peers in person, and we look forward to all students attending school from Monday 14 February 2022.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Hello Friends

A very warm welcome to the midway point of our school term. For those community members who are data orientated, there are only 29 days of the school term remaining. Wow, how time flies. To say what a busy start to the school year has been, would be an understatement.

Shrove Tuesday Pancakes
A huge thank you to our many volunteers who came and helped us cook pancakes for Shrove Tuesday and for our equally wonderful volunteers who helped with toppings and serving. We also extend a huge thank you to our Year 4 families who provided pancake mixture and our Year 6 families who provided the delicious toppings.

A Traffic Thankyou
No doubt you would have received the information regarding road closures around our school and I write to say thank you for your cooperation in following the road signs and traffic directions set by the City of Charles Sturt Council. I still draw your attention to motorists who use Seaview Road as a drop off and pick up point and stress the importance of not queueing on the northern side of the pedestrian crossing. When this occurs, motorists are parking on a yellow line delineating a ‘clearway zone’ and this also makes it very challenging for our Road Crossing Monitors to see oncoming traffic. This action makes it hazardous for pedestrians to cross Seaview Rd as they cannot see oncoming traffic. Please pass this information on to any family members or friends who collect or drop your children to school.

Masks
If you need to enter our school buildings for any reason, then we have 1 simple ask and that is … wear a mask. Please help us to keep each other safe. We appreciate your cooperation in this area.

“Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” ― W.B. Yeats

Thank you and Blessings
Matt Perry

The Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish and Star of the Sea school would like to invite those who are interested in having their children receive the Sacrament of Fist Reconciliation in 2022. We thank you for your patience and cooperation in waiting for an update.

The Parent/Guardian Information Session is booked for Wednesday 4^th May 2022 at 7pm in the Parish Church. Preparations for the sacrament will occur in classes from the 23^rd May 2022. There will be a Retreat Day during school hours and a couple of written exercises for you to do with your child at home as part of the preparation.

The preparation is family centered, Parish based and school supported.  If you wish your child or children to participate please send a permission email stating your child’s name, parent names, class teacher and contact details including email to the email below by no later that Thursday 14^th April.

Jhovana Fenu (Acting APRIM)  jfenu@star.catholic.edu.au

Please note that due to the uncertainty regarding gatherings under SA Health regulations, the process will remain subject to change. We are committed to keeping you informed.

Go gently

Jhovana Fenu
Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Identity and Mission

Dear Families,

Congratulations to all the members of our swimming team on their very successful results at the Catholic Schools Swimming Carnival.

Congratulation also to Matt Perry who will be the Acting Principal at Christ the King Warradale next term.

KAREN ANDREWS TO RETIRE
After 21 years teaching at Star of the Sea, our Italian Teacher, Karen Andrews, is to retire at the end of the term.  Karen is currently on leave (and interstate for a family wedding), so we may not get the chance to farewell her this term.

SCHOOL AGM
Next term we will be holding the AGM on May 5^th, 7:00pm in the Stella Maris Building and all parents are invited to attend (COVID restrictions permitting).  This will be a more traditional AGM at which voting for new members will occur.  There will be more information about this next term.

COVID RESTRICTIONS
At this stage there is still not change in the current rules but there is a lot happening in this area.  The current situation is this…

For parents you are generally being asked to refrain from coming onto the school site.  Of course, there will be exceptions to this, but if you come onto the school grounds, please wear your mask. 

A local, approved decision, to parents coming on-site, relates to Reception and Year 1 parents.  Due to the fact that our school is surrounded by busy roads we are allowing these parents to drop-off and pick up using the MDC asphalt area.  If you are doing this, please wear your mask and practice social distancing. 

We are asking all parents to refrain from entering classrooms/buildings at all times unless it is absolutely necessary.  We have begun onsite/face to face meetings where necessary.

COVID restrictions for schools are meant to be revised and implemented on Monday.  The new Education Minister is being sworn in today so we will see how quickly action happens!  There is a large amount of print media about this area, the source has been the Premier and Rick Persse (CEO, Department for Education).  There has been talk of increased testing, individual classes and schools returning to remote learning and even extending the April school holidays.  If anything changes for next week, we will communicate this via SkoolBag.

SCHOOL CALENDAR
Some parents have enquired about the school calendar not being published this term.  Due to COVID we made a decision not to publish a term’s worth of dates, simple due to the rules changing every four weeks, it is hard to predict what we can and cannot do.  Take the last week for example, we were unsure whether the swimming carnival could happen and we had to cancel the whole school performance for Harmony day.  These decisions are often made late the week before!  Excursions and Camps have been planned for, changed and at times just cancelled.  You may have noticed in our newsletter that we try and publish up and coming important dates.  We have also been making far great use of SkoolBag this term to notify parents about changes.  This week we did send out a school calendar, via SkoolBag.

PARENT TEACHER CHATS
Just a reminder that the next formal opportunity to meet with teachers will be early next term (weeks 2 & 3), when we hold our Parent Teacher Interviews.

NCCD
Currently teachers are putting in a lot of work in the background collecting information for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).  In our school nearly 100 students are included in this process.

The NCCD is a collection that counts:

• the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
• the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability. The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

Funding from the Australian Government for students with disability is based on the NCCD through the student with disability loading.

Students with disability who are counted in the top three levels of the NCCD (extensive, substantial and supplementary) attract the loading. Funding is based on a per-student amount at each of the three levels of additional support. The amount of the loading reflects the level of support students with disability need to participate fully in school, with higher funding for those who need higher levels of support.

An adjustment is an action to help a student with disability take part in education on the same basis as other students.

Adjustments can be made across the whole school (eg ramps into school buildings). They can be in the classroom (eg adapting teaching methods). They can also be for individual student need (eg providing personal care support).

The school assesses the needs of each student with disability. The school provides adjustments in consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians and carers.

Schools must make reasonable adjustments if needed. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 define ‘reasonable adjustment’ as an adjustment that balances the interests of all parties affected.

Schools identify which students will be counted in the NCCD. They base their decisions on the following:

• adjustments provided for the student (after consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians and carers)

• the school team’s observations and professional judgements

• any medical or other professional diagnoses

• other relevant information.

School Principals must ensure that information for the NCCD is accurate.

PUPIL FREE DAY – TERM 2, Monday May 2nd
While this day was meant to be devoted to Faith Formation.  Due to the workload teachers are under, we have decided to change the focus and we will use this time to allow staff to work on the NCCD process.  Usually, we would have provided some time out of the classroom, this term, to do this work, however it is very hard to come by relief teachers now that COVID is so entrenched.  This will also take the pressure off our teachers with this important work.

LAST DAY OF TERM – CASUAL CLOTHES
The last day of term is Thursday April 14^th.  This will be a casual day, just for fun (no money required).  Children will be dismissed at the usual time (3:05pm).

Regards
Damian Weeks

Hello Friends,

I hope you had a chance to experience the excitement and thrill of the Adelaide Fringe Festival and catch a couple of shows that were on during what is traditionally called ‘mad march’. I also hope you have had a chance to enjoy this fantastic Autumn weather. I had the pleasure of witnessing a few sunsets of late which have proved visually fantastic. I also extend my thanks for the well wishes I have received as I prepare to head to Christ the King School in Term 2. I am looking forward to another professional challenge and the new learning and Iook forward to bringing my new skills back to Star of the Sea in Term 3.

Staffing
I would like to extend a thank you to our staff here at school for their flexibility and support as we navigate these Covid times and attempt to replace our staff with regular TRT to allow for learning continuity in our classrooms. As you would be aware both testing positive to Covid and being a close contact means extended absences from the classrooms and the learning roles for our staff. I would also like to say thank you to our community for their support and understanding as we navigate these challenges.

Seaview Rd
Traffic congestion on Seaview Rd has now reached a dangerous point with motorists continuing to stop on the northern side of the crossing waiting to collect students. Our road monitors and pedestrians find it nearly impossible to see oncoming traffic when there are cars parked near the crossing and along the yellow clearway zone. I remind everyone that the entire side of the crossing between the Seaview Rd gate and Marlborough St is a NO PARKING ZONE. Council inspectors are now monitoring this section of road and will fine motorists for parking or stopping in this area. I ask that you share this information with anyone in your family or friendship circle who pick up and drop children to school.

To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others. Tony Robbins

Thanks and Blessings
Matt Perry

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This year, with the easing of Covid restrictions, the School Board is hoping to run a traditional Annual General Meeting on…

Monday May 30^th – 7pm in the Stella Maris Room

The format for the evening will be:

1. Welcome
2. Prayer
3. Presentation of reports
4. Elections of Board Members
5. Thank you from the School Board Chair

Nominations – Included in this newsletter is a Nomination Form(please see file below this article). Please consider if you would like to take up this most important role.  Below is a description of the role of a School Board member.  If you wish to nominate, return the signed form after having someone in the community (ie another adult) sign to second your nomination.  Nominations close on Thursday May 26^th.  School Board appointment are for two years.  Many School Board members renominate for another period of two years, while some choice not to.  Every year 50% of the positions become vacant for which community members can nominate.

What do School Board Members Do?

The faith community has a responsibility for the maintenance and development of its Catholic school.  A practical way of accepting its responsibility is to appoint some of its members to use their gifts in working with the principal and staff in School Board ministry.

There are 5 elements of community responsibility that the School Board undertakes:

• Policy Direction – to guide the school
• Financial Management – to account for and administer all income
• Planning & Development – for the present & future
• Pastoral Care – is care for people (students, parents & staff)
• Evaluation – of the effect of policy decisions

The School Board meets monthly during the four school terms (on the Monday of weeks 5 & 9 at 7pm).  Meetings run for no longer than two hours, at which discussion is based around reports from the P&F, Principal, Parish, Staff, Treasurer/Bursar and other key groups.

If you require any further information, please feel free to contact me.

Damian Weeks
Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome to term 2.  I trust you have had a lovely break from the school routine and maybe your family has had a chance to perhaps have a holiday too!

I had a great two weeks, hooking up my caravan and joining my brother and sisters in Noosa for Easter and then caravanning up the coast for most of the remainder of the holidays.

Now back into the real world!

STAFFING CHANGES

We welcome to our school Narelle Sandercock, in the role of Acting Deputy for the term.  You may recall that Narelle filled the same role at this time last year.  Narelle’s substantive position is at Cabra.  Narelle is replacing Matt Perry for the term, while he is undertaking an Acting Principal role.

We welcome back Stella Foley to her role as APRIM this term, Stella will be working two days a week in this role.  We are also excited to announce that she will be working one day a week as School Chaplain.  This has allowed us to also continue the employment of Jhovana Fenu (last term she was Acting APRIM) two days a week to assist Stella with the RE program in our school.

Lauren Romeo joins our Year 1 team.  Lauren has returned to SA after teaching in Victoria for some time.  Lauren will be working on Friday’s in 1MB.

We also welcome Meg Fuller to our ESO team.  Meg will be working across a number of classes supporting students with their learning.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

As you would know these are to be held over the next two weeks.  This information was sent to families via email last term.  The following link will bring you to the PTO website. PTO closes Friday 6 May at midnight

SA Health and the Educational Sector restrictions do not allow us to meet face-to-face for parent/teacher interviews.  Teachers will ring the person who made the appointment at the allocated time.

If your child has a Personalised Plan for Learning we would be happy to meet with you face to face this term.  If you would like to do this please mention this to your child’s teacher during the phone call.

The interviews will be followed by our Semester 1 reports that will come out at the end of term. 

PERSONALISED PLAN FOR LEARNING (PPL)

A PPL is a working and evolving document constructed in conjunction with teachers, parents and the leadership team. It is simply a record of the ways in which we are working to best support your child in the classroom, based on our observations over the last term and possibly last year. 

The “Functional Impact On Learning” section of the PPL  identifies any underlying characteristics that ‘get in the way’ of your child’s access, participation and learning at school. This information then directly informs us as teachers as to how we can best support your child.

The “Personalised Adjustment For Access, Participation and Learning” section is then a list of the strategies, supports and interventions that we are implementing in the classroom to address the functional impact and needs of your child. 

AGM

In this newsletter you will find information about our AGM to be held on Monday May 30^th.

NAPLAN

For our students in Years 3 & 5 this testing will begin on Tuesday, May 10^th.  Catch up tests will take place on Monday – Wednesday of Week 3.  There is nothing special that students and families need to do in regard to the tests.  It is of course helpful for students to be well rested and fed before coming to school.  The testing starts at 9:15 am each day according to the timetable below.

SCHOOL CALENDAR

This term we are publishing a term calendar.  Please note all the activities are subject to the Covid rules at the time and therefore may not be able to proceed as planned.

NEWSLETTERS THIS TERM

This term we will publish newsletters in weeks 1, 2, 5, 8 & 10 (if needed).

PARKING AROUND THE SCHOOL

As you know Military Road is going to be out of action for most of the year.  The council shared important information about how traffic should move around this area and we are sharing this with you again today.

This week the “Kiss and Drop zone” on Military Rd has been not as safe as we would like.  In this newsletter you will find some reminders about the use of these zones.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY

Where would we be without Mother’s?  I hope each and every one of you are spoilt on Sunday and that you get to spend some quality time with you family.  Thank you for everything you do for your children and a heartfelt thank you, to so many of the Mum’s, who help out it many and varied ways in our school.

Regards,
Damian Weeks

Yesterday we had the pleasure of hosting important visitors to our school.  Sally Egan, Deputy Chair of the National Catholic Education Commission and Amanda Humeniuk, our School Performance Leader came to hear more about our school.  The Director of Catholic Education SA, Dr Neil McGoran, was also going to attend but unfortunately, he was called to an important meeting at the last moment.

You might ask, “Why are they visiting our school?”

The word is out about the results that have been achieved at our school.  While I have been telling plenty of people about our internal results over the last two years, as you know these have now been validated externally with last year’s NAPLAN results.  People are becoming more and more interested in how we have done this.

The first thing I tell them is I have been lucky to come to a school with such a great staff, willing to look at what is working and changing those things that require change!

The second key to our success is our “Leaders of Learning.”  This group meets every Wednesday and works on the key aspects of developing, “thriving people, capable learners and leaders for the world God desires.”  Another way of describing this is the culture we are developing here at the school.  A large part of the work our “Leaders of Learning” are doing is around, new ways of working to achieve improved student outcomes, and this has been part of the success story of the improved results at our school.

I would like to thank our Leaders of Learning for the fantastic work that they have been doing over the last year and a half.  Our teachers, that are members of this group are Louise Santillo, Domenique Laurendi and Sheena Pattinson.  They are joined each week by members of our Leadership Team, Jhovana Fenu, Matt Perry/Narrelle Sandercock and myself.

Over the last year and a half this group has worked on:

I would also like to thank the Year 2 teachers for hosting our visitors in their classroom.  The teachers and children shared different aspects of their literacy block.

The Mother’s Day performance by our littlest people in the Atrium last Friday moved many to tears, myself included! Thank you to the Reception Teachers for your ‘behind-the-scenes’ work on preparing the students for this performance and to our families for your partnership in this. The Mother’s Day Stall was again a great success! Thank you to the Parents and Friends for managing our ‘pop-up’ shop in the Stella Maris Room.

I was delighted to have the opportunity to take classes this week. In Year 1, I supported students to interpret the visual text, ‘Window’ by Jeannie Baker. Creating their own visual story boards to demonstrate understanding of the narrative, students quickly worked out that the message in the picture book was to celebrate life, living and growing up! If the pandemic has taught us anything these past few years, it’s to live our best life always, love with an open heart and find joy in the moments we share with those around us. Thank you to the Year 1 Team for your preparation of these beautiful learning opportunities.

Taking a Reception class on Monday, I enjoyed facilitating a range of number recognition and addition strategy games and learning activities. Mastering the foundations of numeracy can be fun and integrated into our everyday conversations with children. Students happily transferred their learning to outside of the classroom, searching for and identifying addition opportunities within our play spaces. 

There is always a little extra tension felt in a school during NAPLAN week. Our students want to do their best and they are eager to show what they know. Families want their children to feel successful in their learning and educators want this too! The nerves quickly settled this week, and our Year 3 and Year 5 students switched into ‘high focus’ mode with ease. We are proud of them all, no matter what! Many thanks to our NAPLAN Coordinator, Sheena Pattinson who seamlessly prepared our school community for this assessment week. Sincere thanks also to all educators, from all year levels. It is through continued connection and collaboration, that our learners thrive. I look forward to jumping into all classes throughout the term. My goal is to learn the names of all students!

Regards
Narelle Sandercock 
Acting Deputy Principal

We have arrived at the final step in the development of our three-year School Strategic Plan.  This step requires our school community to help prioritise the many great ideas we have collected.  You can participate by completing the survey that can be accessed via this link:

The Strategic Plan outlines the directions that Star of the Sea School will be taking over the next three-year time period so that our students will continue to thrive, learn and develop into the leaders for the world God desires.

Our Strategic Plan directly relates to Catholic Education SA’s vision for all Catholic Schools captured in the Living, Learning, Leading Framework and the other key documents for Catholic Schools (A Blueprint for Step Change and the Balanced Scorecard).

The final plan revolves around the four key domains

Catholic identity is experienced within a culture of dialogue in an inclusive school community.

Learning and wellbeing is experienced through the Australian Curriculum and co-constructed learning and assessment design where student agency, identity, learning and leadership is experienced.

Resourcing includes buildings and grounds, human capital and the optimal staffing ratio, a healthy financial position and a healthy 5 Year enrolment trend.

Community Engagement is evident when the school promotes a vision for learning that recognises the primary role of parents and families in the identity development and education of their children.

Join the conversation by completing the survey

With the easing of restrictions recently, we warmly welcome our families back on site! We are pleased that we can gather as a learning community once again. The official ‘Welcome to School’ morning teas have been scheduled for our Reception and Year 1 Families, despite the Reception students having already attended almost half a year of school and the Year 1 students, almost a year and a half! The resilience of our young people, staff, Parish and families during this time has been outstanding. We are looking forward to life in a (hopefully) ‘post-covid’ world!

CYBER SAFETY TALKS WITH YEAR 4 – 6 STUDENTS

This week our year 4, 5 and 6 students engaged in cyber safety lessons, with guest speakers attending Star of the Sea School from the Carly Ryan Foundation. Online environments and virtual worlds are not foreign domains for young people, but these digital landscapes can unfortunately present some dangers. Children, sometimes without even realizing, can be exposed to content that is beyond their comprehension, resulting in an anxious or heightened child, from seemingly invisible triggers! Without the neurological infrastructure, children (of all ages) can struggle to communicate their experiences of the content they consume in online worlds, and this is where educators and families can collaborate to support children to become happy, healthy and safe digital citizens.

DIGITAL DISTRACTIONS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF FACE to FACE SOCIAL INTERACTION

Digital distractions are a very real problem in society, but even more so for our young people who are yet to learn how to manage the temptation of digital immersion, whether that be on or offline. An overreliance on devices for entertainment can displace the development of social skills, play time with friends and problem solving in a face-to-face, real world setting for example our play spaces at recess and lunch. Helping young people to balance their ‘screen time’ with ‘green time’ (any outdoor play and social activity) is just one way that we can support them. Parents and educators have the right to decide:

WHAT – programs, apps and websites their children use and visit

WHEN – and for HOW LONG their children use their devices.

WHERE – devices can and cannot be used (eg behind closed doors/at the dinner table/after 7pm)

WHO – children can connect with and who they cannot connect with.

LANGUAGE – that is acceptable for use during gaming, group chatting or any online interaction; and

PROBLEMS – how to address problems that arise, in an open and honest collaborative way.

Parents and Caregivers do not need to be Tech Experts to support their children to resolve problems in a digital setting, they just need to follow the 5 principles listed below:

1. Set clear rules and boundaries
2. Parent/Caregiver makes the final decisions about device use (see above)
3. Use management controls
4. Stay up to date with your child/ren’s usage and tech habits
5. Communicate regularly with your children about their digital use

These principles will not change, even when the technology does! This will allow families to keep on top of the constantly evolving nature of apps, games and social media platforms. The key is open, honest and regular communication with your children about their digital use.

Narelle Sandercock
Acting Deputy Principal

Thank you everyone who attended our AGM, especially to those who wrote and presented reports.  On our school website, you can find all the reports from the AGM.  Some of the points highlight on the night from the reports were:

President: Father Peter – the challenges of Covid and the impact of Church visits for the school and school visits from the Priests.  Sacramental celebrations were adapted and brought pleasing new insights.  We were finally able to open and bless the new building.

Chairperson: Dave Slovinec – the challenges of Covid, key initiatives (school infrastructure and resources, strategic plan, Master Plan update, ongoing educational and wellbeing initiatives).

Principal: Damian Weeks – highlighted the improved educational results seen in our school as shown through our whole school testing.  These results are due to the educational initiatives and the hard work of our teachers.  NAPLAN results, validating what we have been seeing in our school.  The work we have been doing with the National Consistent Collection of Data, seen by parents in the Personalised Plan for Learning, resulting in almost the doubling of extra support for our students.

Finance Report: Jane Leonard – the excellent financial position of the school, despite the challenges presented by Covid and the impact it had on families.  Fee remissions were much higher than usual, as we were able to provide assistance to many families whose employment was affected.

If you refer to the school website you will find the full reports, as well as reports relating to the Religious Dimension of the School, Grounds and Maintenance, Parents and Friends, Work Health & Safety, OSHC and Vacation Care, Marine Discovery Centre and the Compliance Report.

Each year half the members of the School Board conclude their two year tenure.  Those members either choose to conclude their time or renominate for a further tenure (the maximum time on the Board is six years).  I would like to thank the following members who have retired from the Board this year:

• Deanne Stephanos – 5 years
• Justin Gargula – 4 years
• Emma Nicholas – 2 years
• Louise Santillo (staff rep) – 4 years

Thank you for your service and dedication to our school.

Brad Dunstan, has renominated after serving two years on the Board and we welcome him back for a further term.

We are delighted to welcome our new member, who have been accepted for a two year tenure:

• Mark Hayes
• Katerina Andrushenko
• Kirsty McCulloch

At the AGM we also presented a concept for a new building and had a Q&A session before closing the meeting and enjoying drinks and nibbles together.

The first meeting of our new School Board will be held on Monday 20 June.

Damian Weeks
On behalf of the Board.

This term some classes have been able to attend the 9:15am Parish Mass with Father Peter.

The children are actively involved by following the Mass booklet and participating in Prayer.

Upcoming Masses/Liturgies

Monday 20 June: 9:15am Year 5T and 5P

Monday 20 June: Reception Liturgy

Tuesday 21 June: Year 2’s visiting the Church to learn about the Rosary

Wednesday 29 June: Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus whole school Mass

Monday 4 July: Year 1 Liturgy 11:45am

Next Friday 24 June we celebrate Pentecost, the birth of the Church and the lead up to the Feast of the Sacred Heart! As an outward sign of this significant moment in time, our learners are invited to clothe themselves in red. The red clothes represent all learners and all community members being alight with the red-hot flame of the Holy Spirit; “Be who God intended you to be and you will set the world on fire” are the words of Saint Catherine of Sienna and of course she meant this in the metaphorical sense, setting the world ablaze with the good news of who we are and how we each contribute to making the world a better place!

Welcome Mornings and Literacy Information for Families

In weeks 5, 6 and 7 we were delighted to welcome the Reception and Year 1 families into Star of the Sea School for morning tea. The official ‘Welcome to the Start of School’ milestone for our Reception Families was celebrated a full term and a half after their children commenced school and for the Year 1 families, a whole 5 and half terms after their children commenced school! Whilst covid has caused delay to us hosting these community events, it has not interfered with our commitment and vision for thriving learners. Welcoming families into the classroom for the Mid-Year Reception Transition Days has been beneficial in preparing our newest members of the community for connection and successful learning engagement. Our Literacy Information morning for families was so well received, we have decided to offer another session next term!

Learning has no finish line!

Teachers are currently wrapping up assessment cycles in preparation for the writing of student reports. Whilst reporting on student learning in this formal sense is important, it is also important to recognize the many informal ways that learners receive feedback from educators throughout the assessment cycles. Teachers carry out many wide and varied forms of assessment for learning, of learning and as learning and students receive qualitative, real-time feedback on their learning, daily. Assessment for learning involves active approaches by teachers to establish prior knowledge of learners and therefore the various learning entry points into the curriculum. Assessment of learning involves a measure of progress within a particular time frame. For example, how much information did a learner acquire or how well does the learner apply their new knowledge in various settings? Assessment as learning means that the assessment task is essentially the medium for learning to occur. Assessment in these conditions is time bound and as with the ‘learners as popcorn’ analogy, not all learners ‘pop’ within the same time frames. Learning really does not have a finish line. It does not end once the assessment item finishes or once a teacher report is written and the winner is not always the one to cross the metaphorical finish line first. Therefore, it is important to remember that Student Reports can be likened to Student School Photographs; they capture a learner at a precise moment in time. They reflect student growth and development across a period and are not a predictor of future progress or learner success in the future. By ensuring students love learning and see it as a life-long pursuit means that we are ‘future-proofing’ them!  Reports will come home with all learners on Monday 4 July, 2022.

"How to make fairy bread"

"Year 4 Geography Test"

"Year 1 Money task to establish prior knowledge"

Narelle Sandercock
Acting Deputy Principal
 

Dear Families,

It was delightful to hold our first parent meetings over the last couple of weeks.  With the change in Covid restrictions meetings are no allowed.  So far, we have held a welcoming morning tea with for Reception and Year 1 parents.  We have also held an Early Years Literacy meeting for those that were interested.  Next term we will hold a meeting during the evening to unpack our Literacy practices for those that are interested.

VOLUNTEER INDUCTION

Next term, we will also be running meetings for those wishing to become volunteers or renew their volunteer credentials. We will be holding a Volunteer Induction meeting on Thursday 28 July in the Stella Maris room from 8:50am.

 Volunteering in Catholic Schools is a four step process:

1. Obtaining a Working with Children Check (WWCC)
2. Attending an induction
3. Completing a RAN course
4. Showing proof of vaccination (in most cases that is two jabs)

ACTING DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

Narelle concludes her time with us at the end of term. Narelle has had another very successful time at our school. A highlight, is how she has kept our staffing on track through Covid and illness. This has meant rearranging timetables daily, which is very time consuming. These timetables are usually only done once a term!

I thank Narelle for the way she has led this work and other areas during her time with us.

Matt Perry will be returning next term, after completing his Acting Principal role at Christ the King School (and a couple of weeks LSL).

MID-YEAR RECEPTION TEACHERS

I am pleased to announce that we have contracted two part-time teachers, Skye Llewellyn and Abbey Hinge, for this class.  These would be very familiar names for those who have been in our community for some time.

LITTLE STARS

As one group of students move from this program into our mid-year class, another group of students begin next term. This will be the group of students that will make up some of our 2023 Reception intake. We will be running two sessions on Wednesdays, to cater for the large number of students. So far, we have a total of 35 students attending.

PUPIL FREE DAY

Day one of term 3 is Monday July 25th and this will be a Pupil Free Day. Staff will be involved in a faith development day that is being planned by Jhovana Fenu and Stella Foley.

LONG SERVICE LEAVE

In the last two weeks of this term, I will be taking LSL. Narelle will be assisted by Stella Foley and Jhovana Fenu during this time. They will also be assisted by our Leaders of Learning, one of which will be released from class towards the end of each week.

SCHOOL VISITS

Following the very successful visit of Sally Egan, Deputy Chair of the National Catholic Education Commission, we have been asked to host a further visit. Bhakti Shah is one of NCEC’s Data Analysist, and Sally has suggested Bhakti visit Star of the Sea to see the impressive results the school has achieved. Bhakti will visit next term.

We will also be hosting another visit of educators coming to see our literacy program in action. The visitors will come from a variety of schools, but it will include our first teachers from the State system!

SCHOOL REPORTS

Teachers are concluding their work on reports, which are being proof-read this week,
printed next week and sent home on Monday July 4^th.

SURVEY CLOSING
As you know, we are in the final stage of preparing our School Strategic Plan.  Our community have been asked to contribute to our prioritising survey and this survey will close on July 1^st. 

If you have not had a chance to contribute yet here is the link to the survey…

Regards
Damian Weeks

Congratulations to all students who took part in the SAPSASA Metro Cross Country Day particularly Grace B who won Silver for her age group.   

Currently on Skoolbag App and QKR! Is:-

SACPSSA Year 3 – 6 Cross Country Carnival closing Friday 1 July, 2022.
After School Year 2 – 6 Netball & Basketball closing Tuesday, 28 June.
After School Year 3 – 6 Futsal closing Tuesday, 28 June.

If your child/ren are interested in taking part in any of the above please register through QKR! prior to the closing dates.

SACPSSA Netball Carnival is Wednesday of Week 10.  Students must be at school no later than 8.30am on the courts in front of the sports shed. 

If your child has been signed up for the Cross Country Carnival they will need to be attending beach running on a Wednesday morning at 8am. 

A reminder to all families that all sporting information will come out through the Skoolbag app, if you do not have this app please feel free to see the office staff for support. 

All registrations are made through QKR.  If you do not have this app once again the office staff are a great resource.  Once you have registered using QKR please ensure that the registration has gone through by checking the receipts section in the app.  If you do not have a receipt, then it hasn’t gone through. 

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator / Teacher

Over the year Catholic Education encourages us to share summaries of specific documents.  Below are this term’s documents.

Bullying and Harassment Procedures and Concerns

The school will provide a positive culture where harassment/bullying is not accepted, and in so doing, all will have the right of respect from others, the right to learn and to teach, and a right to feel safe and secure in the school environment. At Star of the Sea School we celebrate our individual talents, skills and differences. We will all try to live as God wants us to...

“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:36

·  To reinforce within the school community what bullying is, and the fact that it is unacceptable.

·  Everyone within the school community to be alert to signs and evidence of bullying and to have a responsibility to report it to staff whether as observer or victim.

·  To ensure that all reported incidents of bullying are followed up appropriately and that support is given to both victims and perpetrators.

·  To seek parental and peer-group support and co-operation at all times.

Policy for the Care, Wellbeing and Protection of Children and Young People 2017

South Australian Catholic schools place the highest priority on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people.  In South Australia Child Protection policy and practices support a proactive role in the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people, the provision of child safe environments and intervention procedures for responding to abuse and neglect.

These responsibilities include:

• a duty of care to students
• responsibilities as mandated notifiers of child abuse and/or neglect the provision of child protection curriculum for every student
• a code of conduct to promote respectful and caring relationships

Responding to Online Safety Incidents in South Australian Schools

Children and young people have the opportunity to learn and thrive through the use of digital technology. Positive and safe engagement in the digital world can support healthy development, creating positive opportunities for children and young people. However, it may also introduce risks. Children and young people are developing their skills in assessing information, weighing up risks and taking steps to protect themselves. Until these skills are fully developed, they have an increased level of vulnerability online and need adult guidance and support.

The purpose of these guidelines is to help school staff to:

• respond consistently to online safety incidents
• recognise which online incidents need to be escalated for additional support
• identify which online safety incidents need cross sectoral and interagency coordination.

Wellbeing for Every Child – A Reminder.

We know that happy children learn well and can adjust to life’s challenges in positive ways.  All School staff and volunteers are mandatory notifiers meaning they are obliged by law to notify Families SA, if they suspect on reasonable grounds that a child or young person has been, or is being, abused and/or neglected.  At Star of the Sea, Matt Perry and Damian Weeks are the contact people, especially for volunteers, who may need support with this process.

Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum

Throughout the year students will be engaging with the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum. The curriculum is an evidence based, best practice curriculum developed collaboratively with child protection specialists, teachers, educational leaders and other professionals. It covers a range of concepts including new additional material on contemporary issues such as bullying and cyber safety. 

The curriculum is divided into 5 documents specific to the year level of the students plus 2 additional documents for educators working with students from cultural or linguistically diverse backgrounds and for students with a disability. 

There are 2 main themes:

• We all have the right to be safe
• We can help ourselves to be safe by talking to people we trust

There are 4 focus areas:

1. The right to be safe
2. Relationships
3. Recognising and reporting abuse
4. Protective strategies

The Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum fits primarily within the Health and Physical Education learning area of the Australian Curriculum but can also be incorporated across other Learning Areas. Within the Health and Physical Education curriculum two focus areas Relationships and Safety outline the learning.

Additional information about the broader protection policies of Catholic Education SA can be found on their website:

http://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/safe-environments-for-all

The website also includes links to online resources for parents and students on a range of topics including anxiety, depression, bullying and how to support your child.

Congratulations to Sophie L (Year 5) on being selected to represent South Australia at the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Border Challenge held on the Sunshine Coast. After 2 days of competition with gymnasts from New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Queensland, Sophie earned South Australia’s only medal, a silver on floor and was South Australia’s highest scoring gymnast. Congratulations on your hard work and dedication Sophie, you are role model to all at Star of the Sea! 

 “Never see a need without doing something about it.” Mary MacKillop

Australia’s only saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, was instrumental in bringing catholic education to poor children across Australia.

The World Bank estimated that in 2016, 61 million primary aged children could not access any schooling. I couldn’t have imagined my life without school, could you? Here I am, still going to school, surrounded by young, eager minds and teachers who have a love of life-long learning.

We should remember that for many countries the challenge of education will be exacerbated by the challenging times we find ourselves in. Our prayers go to all those who are in war torn countries where their daily life is far from what they ever envisaged.

Hector Chundaloo's painting of Mary MacKillop hangs in the National Museum of Australia. The bush tucker minyjiwarra (bush plum tree) on either side of Mary is a sign of how her spirit nourishes the Australian people, of how she follows the Ngapuny way (God's way). The hill country represents her different camping places here on earth.

Mary MacKillop, pray for us.

Stella

Today I visited the Year 3 classes to be present with them as they engaged in dialogue with each other in seeking the answer to ‘Who is God?’.

To nurture our thinking we read ‘Where’s God?’ by Victor Kelleher and Elise Hurst. We then shared our ideas of how God was revealed in the story. We then went deeper with our dialogue and asked the same question of where is God in our lives? Together we agreed that God is in our hearts and God is where we feel safe, courageous and loved. We also agreed that we need to keep asking questions and that there are different types of truths, such as different religious beliefs and different experiences.

Dear Families

What any exciting day yesterday as book characters came alive through our children.  We were very fortunate that the rain stayed away, and we made most of the opportunity to parade.

Our School Board met this week, and the following were some of the topics discussed…

NAPLAN

Our School has received preliminary results for this year’s NAPLAN test.  While the results are broad in nature, it does seem that we have built on last year’s excellent results, with further improvements this year.  A full package of results is due to be delivered to schools in mid-late September.  These detailed results will also include the parent reports that will be sent home at this time.

SCHOOL TOURS

We hold tours every term in week 3.  As this is Catholic Education Week, we held an extra tour this week. This term we have had nearly 100 people attend our tours.

NCCD

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) takes place every year.

The NCCD is a collection that counts:

• the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to learning difficulties (unfortunately the Australia Government uses the word disability)
• the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability.

Our School receives funding from the Australian Government to support students who qualify for the NCCD and we employ ESO’s to help support these students.  Our staff are doing are marvellous job in this area.  We have upskilled our knowledge and worked very hard to put the evidence together for students to qualify for the NCCD.

Last year, due to the teachers’ hard work, we were able to support nearly twice as many students (90) when compared to the previous year (50).  This year we have been able to achieve another small increase of 30 students, in total for this year we are supporting 120 students.

Our excellent work has resulted in the employment of more Education Support Officers, and we welcome Phi Nguyen, Ella Borlase, and Daniel Leary whom will be providing the extra support to students this term.

ORGANISATION OF THE 2023 SCHOOL YEAR

It is hard to believe that we are now entering the stage of organising next year.  We have begun discussions with staff.  Parents will soon be asked about next year and at the start of term 4, students will be asked for input into the formation of classes.

Damian Weeks
Principal

Learning Intention:

To use poetry techniques of alliteration, repetition, onomatopoeia and rhyme for reader enjoyment.

Success Criteria:

I can use repeated phrases in poetry

I can use like sounding words and phrases in poetry

I can use rhyme

I can use sounds (onomatopoeia) to enhance the imagery of the poem

Learning Intention:

To use the 'rule of three' in a persuasive text.

Success Criteria:

I can write persuasively, listing three reasons for why people should eat healthily. 

It is a wonderful privilege to be Star of the Sea’s inaugural APRIM (Assistant Principal – Religious Identity and Mission). Time has flown and, each and every day, with a smile, I look forward to coming to work. Thank you for allowing me to contribute to the education of your stunning children. Thank you to our hard working and inspiring staff. Special thanks to you, our fabulous families, who welcomed me with ‘Open Hearts and Open Minds’, so much so, that my family moved from the east and had a sea change.

During these marvellous years four very important little boys have been born into the Foley family, the youngest just three months old, and so, it is time for me to give them more of my loving attention. Therefore, at the end of the year, I shall be retiring. This is not goodbye, but a fond au revoir.

Stella

We will soon begin the organisation of classes for next year.  We invite parents to share any educational factors regarding the placement of their child.  The type of information you may like to share could fall into a number of needs that your child has, social/emotional, learning, physical and behavioural (please note that this does not include selecting a particular teacher). 

Students also get input into their class placements and they will soon be asked to choose some friends that they would like to be with next year.

It is always possible to take into consideration requests received by the due date.  This is not the case once this date passes because moving one student will affect the placement of many other students and the balance of the class.

If you would like to share any educational factors regarding the placement of your child please email me by Friday 21 October dweeks@star.catholic.edu.au

Regards
Damian Weeks

It is important that students have a range of teachers, so they can experience different styles and develop different strengths over the years.  We discourage parents requesting specific teachers.  Also, each year teachers have the opportunities to change the year levels that they teach.  There is no need to requests friends for your child as every student has the opportunity to do this as part of the process.

It is always possible to take into consideration requests received by this time.  However, this is not the case once this date passes, for several reasons.

Our teaching staff will spend a considerable amount of time placing children into classes.  We will aim to make “balanced” classes, looking at the following issues:

• A balance of sexes
• Children who are progressing at the rate expected at their year level
• Children who are progressing beyond the expected rate
• Children who have needs (social/emotional, learning, physical, behavioural)
• Relationships
• Other factors

Once the process is finished, it is extremely difficult to entertain further input from parents because the movement of one child will more than likely effect other children in the class and the balance that we work hard to achieve.

In previous years, if you have put something in writing, you must do this again this year. Do not take it for granted that a request from a previous year will still be applied.

The points above can be used as a guide when putting a request in writing.

Remember the cut-off date for requests is Friday 19 October.

Year 4 – Saint Francis of Xavier Cathedral and Central Markets Day Trip

Learning Intention:

To participate in Eucharist, applying the fundamentals of ‘Faith in Action’ within our wider community; and
To tender money in the central markets

Success Criteria:

Experience the reverence of Mass in the cathedral
Articulate the message of the ‘Homily’ in conversation with peers
Purchase food and beverage items with cash and be able to calculate the change

Year 5 – El Shaddai Camp Experience

Learning Intention:

• To experiment with and utilize a variety of strategies for Personal Growth and Development whilst on camp.

Success Criteria:

• Engage in experiences that provide opportunities for being ‘out of our comfort zone’
• Notice our feelings and response to being in these situations
• Apply a range of strategies for managing these feelings
• Grow in relationship with ourselves (independence and intrapersonal communication)
• Deeper connections with others (interpersonal communication and social/emotional intelligence)
• Have fun!

Insert four camp photos that narelle sent through.

Student quotes from camp:

“The bravest thing I’ve done is being away from home” – Zara Cavallo

“The hardest part was saying goodbye for the first time” – Sophie Luey

“You try, try and try…….and then you will succeed” – Ava Cloy

“Don’t overthink it!” – Frankie Pedler

“Put your mind to it and you will achieve anything!” – Aster Kempster

“The hardest thing I’ve done today was the Giant Swing, but I told myself ‘you got this’ and it was fine!” – Avaya Keating

“You can go higher (on the giant swing) than you think” – Sean O’Reilly

“Face your fears and believe in yourself!” – Izzy Hunter, Charla Gordon and Zoe Chrisakis

“There are so many great opportunities to learn” – Jasmine Cross

“I am loving the food here!” – Emilio

“I learnt to just do it’ (when the camp activity seemed hard) – Anthony

“The coolest thing was the scaley snake wrapping around my neck!” Sean O’Reilly

“Seeing my friend go to the top of the giant swing was great!” – Alex Jones

“Try it. You might never get another chance.” – Lexie, Zoe, Amelie, Sabrina, Consilia and Saoirse

“I’m proud of myself” (for being on this camp) – Lexie, Zoe, Amelie, Sabrina, Consilia and Saoirse

“New day, new mindset” – Bridget Buss

“Push yourself out of your comfort zone” – Ella, Jacinta and Monita

Upper Primary “Visible Learning”

Year 6 – Literacy Program

Learning Intention:

• To improve reading fluency, adding correct phrasing and expression.

Success Criteria:

• Read aloud a passage of text to a partner.
• Receive and apply peer feedback for improving fluency, phrasing and expression
• Set new reading goals

Insert images from Louise Santillo

The Year 6 classes have enjoyed another eventful, fun-filled Term 3. With a continued learning focus on Phonology and Morphology, students can identify, discuss and apply the different spelling rules and patterns to help them correctly spell words.

The Year 6 Educators attended two professional learning days in Week 6 of this term, to observe the teaching practices of the Year 6 teachers at Salisbury Primary School; a ‘study tour’ as such in Phonology and Morphology. The days were jam packed, with the highlight being the Q&A panel and opportunities for shared understanding of pedagogical practices in Synthetic Phonics Literacy Programs. It was truly a unique and valuable experience which has helped build upon all the work Star of the Sea School educators have engaged for the past 2 years. 

Something new we have begun to experiment with since our tour, is Fluency Pairs (see images and Learning Intentions above). The children are given a text for the week and in partners, they read the text aloud, each day focusing on their fluency, phrasing and expression. At the end of the session, the pairs give each other feedback and help one another set their next reading goal. It has been amazing to see the class so engaged and enthusiastic! 

Dear Families

Welcome to the last term of the 2022 year, how quickly time flies by! 

I was very lucky to have a week of long service leave before the holidays started.  I travelled to Sydney to watch the Women’s World Cup of Basketball.  This is the second time Australia has hosted the games (the last time was in the 90’s).  There is nothing like seeing some of the best athletes in the world “live.”  Following this great week and enjoying the “caravanning life” I then travelled up to the Gold Coast, where it was warm but wet!

This is a very busy term so please keep an eye on the calendar and announcements.  It is school photos next week, sports day the week after and our School’s 110 year celebration (including the Convent turning 100 years) on November 18^th.

We held a very successful Pupil Free Day, with our staff, on Monday.  The professional learning covered three very important areas:

1. Learning Intentions & Success Criteria
2. Student Agency & Goal setting

These first two areas relate to the work being done across every Catholic School in SA, the Clarity Learning Program.  This program focusses on building teacher and leader capacity to increase student achievement and growth in an ongoing, sustainable way.  Our Leaders of Learning have been completing their own professional learning, as a group, in this area over the last 18 months.  We are now introducing staff to this program.  Learning intentions are making clear, to students what we are learning in a unit of work and Success Criteria what success looks like.

3. SEQTA

SEQTA is the Catholic Education SA, teaching and learning support system that also integrates Wellbeing, Learning and Attendance management in one solution. SEQTA supports teachers with workflows and decision making.  It is a collaborative teaching and learning ecosystem, providing teachers with a range of tools to support student outcomes. 

Next year this system will be used for our School Reports, so it is very important that our teachers have a very good understanding of the system.

Our other area of work, on the pupil free day, was with the SEQTA program.  You may have heard about this, as many secondary schools use this program.  SEQTA is described as a learning management system.  SEQTA supports teachers with workflows and decision making.  It is a collaborative teaching and learning ecosystem, providing teachers with a range of tools to support student outcomes.  We are very much at the beginning of this learning journey, but the future possibilities look very exciting.

All three areas have been consistent themes of staff professional learning throughout this year.

Over the holidays there was a variety of maintenance undertaken around the school.  The most noticeable of this was the oval.  With grass not growing over winter we have a number of patches where the grass has been killed. We have replanted these sections during the holidays and they are coming back well.

Staff are currently working on creating classes for the 2023 year.  If, as caregivers, you would like to contribute to this process you will find information about this in this newsletter.  Tomorrow, Friday 21^st is the last day for parents to contribute to this process.

Have a great term,
Damian Weeks

Welcome back to Term 4

We trust you have found the opportunity to reconnect with family members and find rest and rejuvenation these school holidays. The family and friend time of the school break are always valuable opportunity for memory making together.

Term 4 is always a fun and busy term that flies by with only 9 weeks until the end of the school year! This is an important time of celebration in our community as we acknowledge the fruits of the relationships that have been formed over the course of the learning journey. Many special events, graduations, and rites of passage to wrap up the academic year are exciting, and joy filled. We reflect on all that has been achieved and invite our partners in education, the families, to do the same.

Summer School Uniform

With the warmer weather upon us, we remind students and families of the summer uniform expectations. Broad brimmed Star of the Sea School hats are a compulsory part of our school uniform as this provides sun safety for our children at the play breaks. Our NO HAT, NO PLAY rules applies and to support accurate interpretation of this rule, I would like to clarify that it means that children will not be permitted to play outside in the sun without a hat. They can still play, but the play will be isolated to the Grandstand and Library. Even though we have shaded Sand Pit and Playground Areas, we cannot guarantee that sun safety will be the case for children playing in these areas as they move from in and out of the shaded areas, thus NO HAT, means NO PLAY in these areas too.

We remind children and families that it is an expectation that they attend school in Star of the Sea School uniform items. Generic navy leggings, coloured brand name socks e.g Santa Cruz or Vans are not a part of the school uniform and therefore not permitted to be worn to school. Please seek to purchase (new or second hand) the Star of the Sea school shorts or school skorts, instead of navy leggings and please seek to ensure children have plain white or grey socks.

Nail polish and dangly earrings are also not Star of the Sea school uniform items. I have been acknowledging how pretty these are with students this week but also with reminders to remove the nail polish now that the school term has commenced and to wear neat studs or sleepers over dangly earrings.

Reception to Year 2 learners wear their Sport Uniform all five days of the week. All Year 3-6 learners are expected to wear their Sport uniform for PE lesson days and on one other day of the week, as communicated by the Classroom Teacher. The Sport Uniform is not to be worn on any other day. Thus, children in years 3, 4, 5 and 6 wear Sport Uniform for two days per week and formal Summer Uniform for three days per week. This is to support opportunities for washing the formal Summer Uniform and preparedness for physical activity. I acknowledge also that the formal school uniform does not inhibit daily physical activity opportunities as I joyfully observe energetic games of chasey, skipping, footy, basketball, soccer, playground climbing and so on from students in these uniforms every single day. I even see students enthusiastically participating in PE lessons and daily fitness whilst in their formal school uniforms. I thank families and students for their excellent support of the school uniform policy, as I believe it is a very smart and attractive school uniform that is being worn with pride by most of our community. I would be delighted to speak with families who require further clarification regarding any aspect of the school uniform policy, and I invite them to contact me at any time.

Smart Watches and Mobile Devices

What a wonderfully advanced digital world we now live in! Mobile phones, tablets, smart watches and numerous other ICT gadgets support connectivity like never before. Whilst this is something to celebrate it is timely to acknowledge the negative impacts of digital saturation and connectivity. The temptation for distraction is huge with such devices as they have been intentionally engineered to hijack our thinking. We remind families and students that smart watches must be switched to ‘school mode’ during the school term. To minimize distraction of these devices and maximise learning engagement and being present to social opportunities at school, we ask for families not to contact their children during school hours please. Our beautiful front office staff, Lisa Sghirripa, Viv Andrews, Paula Ogilvie and Jane Leonard are more than happy to receive and pass on your messages to children during the school day, should they be needed. Thank you for your support in this.

Thank You

As we begin to emerge from the restrictions of the pandemic and look to life beyond covid, I take this opportunity to thank all in our community for their resilience and continued partnership in education. The strength of the students, staff, families, parish, school committees and school board has been quite apparent to me. Star of the Sea School is a school that is welcoming of all students and families. We take pride in living the gospel values in an intentional way in our everyday lives. I regularly witness this inclusivity and faithfulness in our learners, educators and families. It warms my heart and is life giving! I encourage all to slow down and enjoy the final weeks of 2022, as we support each other to have an excellent finish to the academic year. Let’s not become too focused on what might transpire in the new year, instead remaining present to each moment we share together this year.

Stewardship Reflection

“….proclaim the word, be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient….” Timothy 4:2

It is not always convenient to be a good steward, especially when all the temptations of our busy and materialistic world get in the way. Now, add our own pride and ego into the equation and living a stewardship lifestyle may be downright uncomfortable! Remember, God didn’t call us to be comfortable. God never said that we would have an easy life. Rather, God called us to be faithful and embrace life long learning!

Pray continually and never lose heart. Feelings of discomfort are not to be squashed or avoided altogether, they are there to help us to grow and learn, spiritually, emotionally, intellectually and physically.

Star of the Sea is a 1:1 device environment across Year 1-6 classes.  To better support the management of the number of devices now in regular circulation we are moving to managed Apple ID accounts for each user. This requires us to assign each user's school email address to an Apple ID account. Although it is highly unlikely, we are letting you know that this process is occurring because if your family has used a child's school email address to create a personal Apple account to purchase apps for example, this account needs to be updated with a personal email address as the school address will not be useable within the next 30 days.

If you need help changing the email address assigned to your personal Apple ID account, please see this helpful information from Apple. As this is a personal matter, we are unable to provide IT support.

https://support.apple.com/en-au/HT202667

Please see more information about the management of Apple Devices in education using managed Apple ID accounts here.

https://www.apple.com/education/docs/overview_of_managed_appleid.pdf

Our ‘Road Crossing Monitors’ play a vital role in the safety of all members of our school community. It is part of our ‘Student Leadership Program’, and we appreciate the maturity and responsibility that our students show in carrying out this duty. Currently, our Year 6 students are supporting the Year 5s as they gain confidence as road monitors. 

All Year 5 and 6 students completed training with SAPOL in Term 3. This training highlighted the following keys areas:

• Student vests need to be done up at all times. 

• Head monitors must visually check before blowing the whistle and calling out "signs up"

• Students must ask pedestrians to wait if the road is not clear.

• Head monitors are to use a loud and clear voice - "safe to cross" to advise pedestrians when to move off.

This is a great responsibility placed upon our Year 5 and 6 students, and we are grateful for all members of community as they support our students to adhere to these directives. 

.

CONGRATULATIONS to all Star Of The Sea Students and Staff. We were selected as one of the 55 high achieving schools in the state.

We received an invitation to attend the 2022 Premier’s Reading Challenge Reception last Tuesday, 8 November at the Sanctuary, Adelaide Zoo.

It was my absolute pleasure to take along two students to this event to represent our school. Innes Wilkie, Year 6KS and Isabella Garreffa, Year 5T.

At the Reception students were presented to the Education Minister, the Hon. Mr Blair Boyer who gave them a selection of books and certificate to further encourage schools and students to engage and enjoy reading.

Matt Cowdry, Member Of Colton was in attendance. He congratulated both students and Star Of The Sea School on the achievement.

Later we enjoyed some light refreshments and both Innes and Isabella were able to chat with authors Phil Cummins and Adam Cece. They also met Sue Harris, a well-known puppeteer who is also a PRC Ambassador. She gives her time to visit schools and spread the message of the importance of reading and libraries in our schools.

It was a wonderful day all round. Innes and Isabella were very proud, beautifully behaved and fine examples of Star of the Sea students.

As a treat we spent some time at the Zoo, admiring the many amazing animals and gardens.

I would like to sincerely THANK the parents of both students, Joe & Pina Garreffa and Jennifer Wilkie-Bryne for their amazing support. This visit would not have been possible without their willingness to transport their children to the event. I am most grateful for their assistance.

Matt Cowdry Member Of Colton

Isabella & Innes with The Hon Blair Boyer, Minister Of Education

Author Phil Cummins having a chat with our students

Sue Harris, Puppeteer 

Author Adam Cece

Uniform Sale
2023 Yr 3 Families (current Year 2’s) are invited to purchase smaller sized formal summer and winter uniforms that will fit children now and into the 2023 year. As we have large amounts of stock in the smaller sizes, we are encouraging families to consider purchasing these uniform items at a discounted price, rather than have families purchase the larger sized uniforms for students to ‘grow into’. Please click on the following link for all shop location and times.

2022 Report Information
Our educators are busy finalizing various assessments for the year, reflecting on each child’s learning journey progress. It is a very rewarding time in our profession, but it is also very busy, and timelines are tight! Not only are we wrapping up the 2022 year, we are also busy planning and preparing for the 2023 year.

As you receive your child’s report this year, please keep in mind that this is a ‘snapshot’ in time; just like a photograph that you might take of your child. The report is an indicator of progress made at a certain point in time, (which happens to be our assessment and reporting deadline). Reports are quite simply a reflection of achievements in the past, shared formally with families by teachers. Our educators are aware of the learning continuum and acknowledge that learning continues for all children, even after the report deadline passes. 

Reporting occurs both formally and informally throughout a school year. The informal reporting involves the day-to-day discussions, meetings, emails, See-Saw posts and sharing of learning folders. The formal reporting is the academic report. As this is a formal text, it is important to remember that:

It is written to the family, not the child.
It affirms a child’s strength’s
It acknowledges areas of future potential
It includes evidence of academic progress
The student, and their learning, is the focus of every sentence!

Inclusivity and The Common Good

Families are encouraged to actively support and promote the growth and development of other children in their child’s class and school, as well as their own. In doing so, this directly benefits your own child. This is what Jesus explains to us about seeking the common good. Doing what is right for the whole community, is a far superior way of achieving the common good, then seeking out what is right for just one child; that being our own. Because families love their children so completely, they can often be ‘blinkered’ by the reality of the classroom or school yard situation. Children at Star of the Sea School genuinely have a blast in their day, both within and outside of the classroom. Yes, there are problems. There are always problems in relationships, but none too big that we cannot solve them. Supporting children to grow and develop healthy relationships with each other and to be social problem-solvers in respectful ways is to future proof them for life as an adult.

God never promised that life would be all sunshine and rainbows. God did promise though, that through persistence and faith, we could grow and learn to live fulfilling lives, despite the difficulties and challenges we encounter. Not every person we meet is going to like what we like, not every person we meet is going to agree with us, but learning to encounter this now, in primary school, in a nurturing, kind and inclusive way is excellent preparation for the world beyond the school walls. Imagine only ever having ‘like children’, with ‘like abilities’ and ‘like strengths’ within a classroom. Children would never be presented with opportunities for developing emotional intelligence. With classrooms like these, children have less opportunity to understand and appreciate cultural diversity, intellectual diversity and inclusivity. We take great pride in our provision of the highest quality educational service within our Catholic co-educational setting. Educators are professionals with Bachelor or Master’s level degrees. Trying to imagine what it would be like to be a parent, when you are not one, is like trying to imagine what it would be like to be a teacher, when you are not one.  Until one is immersed in the day to day of having that professional, moral, and ethical responsibility for multiple diverse little people, one cannot really know what the learning climate is like within the classroom. One thing is for sure, our educators at Star of the Sea School are excellent pedagogical practitioners who love and care for your children! Let’s always be grateful for that.

Narelle Sandercock
Acting Deputy Principal

A message from the P&F Committee

Hello to our wonderful Star of the Sea community! With the end of the year approaching, I wanted to send out a quick note from the P&F.

Quiz Night

A few weeks ago, we held our first ever quiz night, which was also the P&F’s last major fundraiser for the year. We had so many requests for another ball, but we thought we would save that for next year and instead try something different. It was such a huge success with our wonderful families and friends taking dress up to the max and setting the tone for an incredibly fun night. With the theme being ‘choose your own’, we were graced with a display of Halloween figures, sports stars, bogans, hippies, Pink ladies and T-Birds, Hawaiian shirts, a deck of cards, and even Barbies and Kens amidst many more! We were able to raise money for our school thanks to the very generous businesses within our community who donated amazing products and hampers to raffle on the night, as well as the families who donated wine and chocolates.

Thank you to the following companies:

• Lifestyle Finance
• Gaganis
• Priority Health and Premium Choice Liquor
• Todd Hair Studio
• Cosmic Yoga and Pilates Studio
• The Local Greek
• Blackwoods
• GC Accounting and Business services

We look forward to this one having a regular spot on the P&F calendar!

P&F Changes

I have decided that this year will be my final year as chair of the P&F. I have been a part of the committee for 4 years now and I have enjoyed being able to introduce new and fun events to our school. I have enjoyed my time with the P&F and will continue to help the committee. Please join me in welcoming the amazing Emma Marsden to the role. I know Emma and the team will continue to do an amazing job at bringing exciting and fun events to our community and to our children.

I would also like to thank Vanessa Kosmidis for all her help on the committee and filling the role of Parent Rep Coordinator. You have been a wonderful addition to the team with so many fabulous ideas! Vanessa will continue to help the committee but her role will be replaced by Josephine Zotti who also volunteers her time to help the school through the Star Outreach Program.

The role of our schools Parents and Friends group is to help build and keep our community united and engaged as well as raise money for our school to make added improvements for our children. Fundraising as well as friend raising! With lots of new faces entering our community we welcome you to come along to a P&F meeting, meet the team get involved and help where and if you can. It’s not a major commitment and the more support it has the longer the P&F will survive. Without parents help the P&F will cease to exist and so too the fun events for parents and children.

Final thank you

I would like to say a big thank you to all the parents of the Star of the Sea community. Your support in attending our events like the School Ball, Quiz Night, Ladies Night etc, as well as the kids functions like disco, Father’s Day and Mother’s Day stalls is truly appreciated. The last few years have been tough for all, and we have worked hard to keep the community spirit alive, as Star of the Sea has always been known as a tight community. Your support helps us to build this community, so for that, we thank you!

To my team and my friends on the P&F- thank you for everything you have done to support me, very grateful for you all.

Enjoy the rest of term 4.

Cheers
Natalie Canova

Please see attached information for Carlos Night, Friday 9 December.

Dear Families

This week’s newsletter was mainly to be about the building program but we are also sharing some staffing information for next year.

Firstly, you will find a community announcement from CESA about leadership positions in our school for term 1, 2023.  A summary is…

• Matthew Perry will continue as Acting Principal at Christ the King School, Warradale for Term 1 2023.
• Narelle Sandercock has been appointed to the role of Acting Deputy Principal at Mercedes College for Semester 1 2023.
• Kelly Manera has been appointed to the role of Acting Deputy Principal at Star of the Sea School for Term 1 2023.

Without a doubt these are marvellous opportunities for Matt and Narelle and we wish them all the best for 2023.  We are also excited to welcome back Kelly Manera to our staff, Kelly has taught at Star of the Sea for many years before we released her to taking up an Acting Leadership position at Parkside.

Please find attached a letter regarding this from Dr Neil McGoran.

THE BUILDING PROGRAM BEGINS

Our building program begins on Monday, December 12^th.  The builders will be on site erecting temporary fencing around the admin building and green courts, that will be used for their compound.  This area will be out of bounds during the building program.  There will be some minor works occurring in the last three days of school.  Preparatory works will not begin until students conclude school.  The major work will not occur until early January when the building will be demolished.  By the time children return next year the building will be gone!

Military Road Entry/Exit to School

A major change is to the school gates on Military Road. The main gate will be permanently closed from Dec 12^th and entry/exit to the school will be via the double gate 10m to the North (near the bin enclosure/playground).

Admin Office

From this time the Admin Office will be located in the front of the library, entry to which will be from the library door on the north or playground side of the building.  There will be an A-frame display outside the door indicating the new entrance.

Please see the map, in this newsletter, for further details.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

This is our next whole school event to be held on Friday December 9^th.  All the details can be found in this newsletter.

Our last whole school event will be the end of year Liturgy/Farewells, to be held in the Church on Wednesday December 14^th.

REPORTS

A celebration of the learning that has happened over the last semester is coming home on Wednesday December 7th.  Congratulations to all our students and thank you to all of our teachers who have spent many hours putting this work together.

AMENDED VACCINATION POLICY

CESA has announced an amended vaccination policy that is now in effect, the full announcement is included in the newsletter. The amended Policy has adopted a ‘personal responsibility’ approach that strongly encourages vaccination but does not require it to work and volunteer at Star of the Sea School.

CLASS TEACHERS FOR 2023

There will be some changes in our teaching staff next year.  Lisa Russell and Rose Russell will both be moving back home, nearer to families and Ali Rebuli is taking six months off.

Joining our staff will be Sarah Helmore and Georgia Borlace.  Sarah has been teaching at Woodville Primary school across R-3 and Georgia at Woodend Primary School where in 2023 she taught Year 3.

Welcome to 2023.

I am hoping that you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year celebration and that you got a couple of days off over the school break.

This year is once again, going to be a big one in the area, of sport. 

Swimming Carnival, Immanuel College, 8 February 2023.  Students need to be dropped off at Immanuel College from 8.30am.   All information regarding travel, parent officials, etc for the carnival will be emailed on Saturday.  Looking forward to seeing you there.

After School Sport, basketball, netball and cricket, Year 2 to Year 6.  Teams will come out next week, cricket starts end of Week 2, basketball and netball starts Week 4.  Further information will be sent out as it becomes available.   

Nominations for Football and Soccer will be opening Week 6 of this term.  Stay tuned for further information. 

Star of the Sea School Sports Day, Thursday 13 April, Week 11, Henley Oval.  Further information yet to come.

Regards
Kristen Victory

Today we celebrated Mass as a whole school community. What a privilege it was to be able to gather and welcome in a new year of learning. This was a very special Mass celebration as not only did we welcome our new Reception students, other new students, and staff to Star of the Sea, but we also welcomed Father Manu to our community. We look forward to getting to know him more as we journey together this year.

During our Mass we gave thanks for our wonderful school. We prayed that we all continue to live out our school values of Respect, Inclusivity, Compassion, Collaboration and Honesty. This year our focus will be on the value of Respect. Therefore, we are reminded to always be respectful to ourselves, to others and our environment.

We prayed that we always open our hearts to God and show each other the love Jesus showed us and that we have open minds to accept what challenges come our way and to be willing to be accepting of everyone and everything.

Next week we begin our Lenten journey. Lent is the six-week period leading up to Easter. It’s one of the most important times of year for many Christians around the world.

Lent is a time for praying, giving , fasting, or giving something up. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, as a wedding, or birthday, Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death, and body resurrection.

Shrove Tuesday

Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. All our students will celebrate this day by eating pancakes. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers who are coming to assist with cooking and serving our pancakes. Thank you also to our Year 4 families who will provide all the pancake mixture.

Ash Wednesday

Our school community will begin the season of Lent by receiving the ashes at our school Mass or Liturgy on Ash Wednesday.  Next week, each class and family will receive a project compassion box to take home for the duration of Lent.

This year's Project Compassion theme is “FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS”.

This phrase is a powerful affirmation that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.  It is also a call for all of us to play our part in making the world a better place by working together as sisters and brothers in finding long-term solutions to global issues.

With Gratitude,
Domenique Laurendi
Sheena Pattinson

Teacher | Leader of Learning | Acting REC

Click on link below.

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 3!

Our learners are well and truly settled into school life. As I move around the classrooms this week the focus on establishing routines, expectations and relationships over the past two weeks has been a valuable opportunity to set up for success for the year ahead. You may hear your child talk specifically about our whole school wellbeing program Learn to Play that includes ‘safe hands, safe feet and safe mouths’. In addition, as part of our Health curriculum this term, all classes will be engaging in learning centred around the Zones of Regulation. This curriculum provides an easy way for our students to think and talk about how they feel on the inside and sort these feelings into four coloured Zones, all of which are expected in life. It is important for our young people to build a vocabulary of language that helps them express their specific feelings at any given time. I encourage you to discuss this learning with your child so they can utilise the ‘zones of regulation’ language both at home and at school.

Meet The Teacher

It has been wonderful to see so many families take up the opportunity to come and meet their child’s class teacher. I know our educators have found these meetings beneficial in building a learner profile and working in partnership with you to support your child. As you are aware, open communication at Star of the Sea is vital and welcomed. Your child’s class teacher should be your first point of call if you have any concerns or celebrations you wish to share.

NAPLAN (National Assessment Program- Literacy and Numeracy)

Did you know NAPLAN is moving to March this year? At Star of the Sea School, our Year 3 and Year 5 students will be sitting the assessments during Week 7 and 8 of this term. The NAPLAN assessments are linked to the Australian Curriculum. The aim is to determine whether students are developing the essential skills; predominately in literacy and numeracy, that they will need in life. It is important to understand that this is one form of assessment that is used to gather data about your child’s attainment of literacy and numeracy skills. At Star of the Sea, we use a variety of ongoing assessment and reporting processes to inform our teaching and support student learning. 

In the media recently, you may have heard that parents and carers will get earlier, simpler and clearer information about their child’s NAPLAN achievement based on new, more rigorous national standards. If you have any questions regarding NAPLAN, please contact your child’s class teacher.

Parking Etiquette

We understand the challenges the new building presents in terms of parking around our school. We thank you for being flexible and patient particularly at the end of the day. A reminder to be mindful of parking restrictions around our school, in particular, the importance of being respectful to our neighbours by not waiting or parking across driveways. This also includes our school driveways, in case emergency vehicles need to gain access into the school grounds.  We appreciate your support.

Community Events

It is wonderful to be able celebrate whole school events as a connected community! Our Welcome Mass was a beautiful celebration, and we look forward to our Carnevale Parade tomorrow at 9:15am. You are all welcome to attend the parade, and we invite you to visit the Stella Maris room to view the creative works of art created by our talented students. Next week, we thank our parent volunteers who will cook 500 plus pancakes to mark Shrove Tuesday. Star of the Sea continues to be a busy and vibrant school community.

We hope to see you at the parade tomorrow!

Go well

Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

2023 School Fee statements were sent home to all families last week.  This statement is the total of tuition fees for the 2023 school year.

Unless there is a payment plan or regular deduction authority in place payment of a minimum of one third of the total account is payable by Thursday 6^th April 2023.

The tuition fee above covers all tuition, levies and charges for each child’s education.

Extracurricular activities such as after school sport, choir, camps, and uniforms are excluded and will be charged separately.

Sibling Discounts are available for families with more than one student attending our school.

Full Fee 

Lower Income Fee

To be eligible for the lower income fee, you need to qualify as a low income family. This is determined by your family’s gross income and is a $ value set by the State Government.

Proof of income is required, and applicants will need to apply via the State Government’s School Card scheme.  Application forms are available online at https://www.sa.gov.au/topics/education-and-learning/financial-help-scholarships-and-grants/school-card-scheme or from the Front Office.

Our Finance Manager can help you if you have any questions about applying for the lower income fee. 

Lower Income Fee 

Payment  Methods 

Payments can be made in full, in three instalments in Terms 1,2 and 3 or by an approved payment plan. 

We encourage all families to set up weekly, fortnightly or monthly direct debit payments

Payment options include:

• Cash or Eftpos – through the Front Office
• Direct Debit – deductions from your bank account (forms available on the school website).
• Credit Card – regular deduction from Visa or Mastercard (forms available from the Front Office).
• BPay – reference numbers are printed on invoices and statements.
• Qkr! – by downloading the app

Please email Karyn Burlow at accounts@star.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions regarding your school fees.

CARITAS PROJECT COMPASSION LAUNCH

Last Tuesday four of our Year 6 students travelled to Mercedes College, for the 2023 Caritas Project Compassion Launch Liturgy. Student leader representatives from 7 other Catholic schools were there also. Star of the Sea students were involved in the Entrance Procession, as well as the Prayers of Intercession.

During the Liturgy, Archbishop Fr O’Regan delivered a homily focussed on Lent and explained the importance of this time, in the lead up to Easter, as a time of praying, fasting and giving. He said that Project Compassion provided a “focus beyond ourselves” and urged the faithful to extend this focus past the six weeks of Lent.

After the Liturgy concluded, Premier Peter Malinauskas spoke of how Australians pride themselves on “looking after others more than we just look after ourselves” and “that is what is at the heart of our mission as Christians, as Catholics,”. He finished by saying “Not everyone around the world gets the opportunities that we get here in this beautiful country that we call home…Project Compassion gives us the opportunity to take all the fortune we have as Australians and South Australians and hopefully spread a little bit overseas.”

Our students were fortunate enough to meet with, and speak to Archbishop Fr. O’Regan, Premier Peter Malinauskas and Catholic Education SA director Dr. Neil McGoran at the conclusion of the Liturgy.

ASH WEDNESDAY

Last Wednesday, on Ash Wednesday, our school community came together to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. Our Year 3 to 6 students participated in a Mass at the Church led by Father Manu.  Our Reception to Year 2 students participated in a Liturgy in the Stella Maris Room. During both of these gatherings, we were all reminded to ‘Turn away from sin and be faithful to the Gospel’ as ashes were placed in the sign of a cross on our foreheads.  Both gatherings were a reverent way to begin our Lenten Journey.

PROJECT COMPASSION

During the Ash Wednesday Mass, Fr Manu blessed bags containing Project Compassion boxes for each class. The eldest child in each family should have brought one home last week. During Lent we are encouraged to put loose change into the Project Compassion boxes to help raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world.

This year’s Project Compassion has a theme of “For All Future Generations.” This message invites us to step up for those who do not have the essential resources they need for their survival and those whose needs are far beyond ours. By putting compassion into action, we can make a difference today, For All Future Generations.

Jesus did more for people every time he saw a need, often surprising those around him by some of the amazing things that he did; healing the sick and being a friend to people he knew were excluded or lonely. Jesus said: “I am the Light of the World.” Jesus helped people every day. This Lent we are encouraged to try to be MORE, by being more kind, being more friendly and being more careful of looking after our world.

With Gratitude,

Domenique Laurendi
Sheena Pattinson

Acting RECs

Dear Families

Well, the school is almost in full operational mode as all nine curriculum areas gear up.  Although, it is worth giving a reminder that students alternate a half year of learning in Italian and Art, doing only one of these each semester.

The first two weeks of school are totally devoted to wellbeing and during this time we do not allow any educational testing (except for just one 10 minute test for our Reception classes).  So, a feature of the last two weeks has been some testing in all classes and teachers have been busy looking at the data and adjusting curriculum programs accordingly.

Many families have taken the opportunity to “meet the teacher” and share information about their child.  Personalised Plans for Learning (PPL’s), that were developed last year, were a small point of discussion, as we now begin revising these for the new year.  PPL’s are the formal way of planning and tracking the learning of those students progressing more slowly than we would expect, and a way of continually communicating with families about the plans we have for learning.

There will be another formal opportunity to meet with teachers early next term for Parent/Teacher interviews.  This is a very important opportunity for discussion where teachers will report on progress, especially if there are any difficulties arising.  It will also be an opportunity to share the update PPL for any children that have one.

SCHOOL REPORTS – CHANGES ON THE HORIZON

As you would be aware there are two formal School Reports, mid and end of year.  Catholic Education SA has adopted a SEQTA as a Learning Management System and this year the “School Report” module is being rolled out.  This means that the report we have used in previous years will change to the reporting system being used within SEQTA and it is quite different from what we have previously had.  If you have a child at St Michael’s you may be familiar with the SEQTA system, however for the Primary School level, SEQTA is slowly being rolled out a little at a time.

BUILDING

Our project is on time and on cost, as at the end of January.  There has been a period of inactivity since the building was knocked down, as we awaited development approvals (this was part of the timeline of our project).  This week brought groundwork progress and a first, small pour of concrete is expected soon.  In the background we have been working hard meeting to finalise the interior of the building, you may have seen the fantastic fly-thru of the building that was placed on Facebook.

APRIM

With last year’s retirement of Stella Foley as our Assistant Principal, Religious Identity and Mission, you would know that we have Sheena Pattinson and Domenique Laurendi working part-time in this area this term.  We have advertised this position and expect to make an appointment, so that the new person will start in term 2.

MAINTENANCE

Over the Christmas holidays there were a number of projects that received attention.  The most obvious is the oval, where about a third of the turf was replaced.  This was done in readiness for this year as we do not have access to the green courts due to the building.

New carpet has been laid on the first level of the convent. The new admin offices were built in the library and staff room relocated.  The canteen has had a redevelopment where the staff room cupboards were relocated here.

Other minor jobs have included:

• Lift maintenance.
• Electrical lighting fit out
• Data and PA system works
• New temp fencing school access
• Air con and filter maintenance

UNIFORMS

The Education Committee proposed two options for our girl’s summer uniform and boys shirts to the School Board.  There are some ongoing issues that require further clarification from our supplier and we will share more information in our next newsletter.

Damian Weeks
Principal

Thanks to our generous sponsor Gaganis Bros. and our wonderful volunteers we are pleased to have the community kitchen back up and running.

The community kitchen is an initiative that was started to support school families with simple meals.  

There are times in all our lives when we need some support, and a home cooked simple meal, made with love and care, can make life a little easier.

The meals are cooked fresh then frozen for ease of use, storage and shelf life.  

The freezer is located in the canteen area.  It is the small freezer on far right of all the other freezers.  There is a poster on the freezer identifying the community kitchen.

The canteen area will be open by roller door, school days until OSCH closes at 6pm.

Please, if this service would be helpful to you, please head to the freezer and grab a meal or two.

And if you'd like to volunteer in cooking some simple meals for the community kitchen, please email sotscommunitykitchen@gmail.com

Star Outreach Committee

Dear Families

Yesterday we held our first assembly for our whole school for a number of years.  It was great to see so many people under one roof.  Congratulations to this semester’s SRCs who received their badges on the day.  We will hold another whole school assembly in the middle of next term.

Next term, there will be Year level assemblies in the Stella Maris Room, that families will be invited to.  These assemblies will be where the Year level will celebrate the work that is happening across their cohort.

NAPLAN

Congratulations to the Year 3 & 5 students who have begun their National testing this week.  The NAPLAN testing has been brought forward this year in the hope that results are available to schools much earlier.  The timing is interesting, as the publicly available results for 2022, have only just been released.  When watching the news there has been a lot of doom and gloom in the reporting as SA results and many national results have gone backwards… well not here at Star of the Sea!

For the record…

We are in the top 10 in Catholic Schools across the State for the first time
Almost all the results for our School have increased on last year’s excellent performance
Compared to schools in our area we have again increased the gap between our schools across most areas of the testing
We have had enormous growth in numeracy
We are well above the CESA SA and Australian averages in almost all areas

This comes as no surprise to us, who closely monitor our students with screening testing several times a year.  This data is interrogated so that we can adjust our teaching to the needs of our students, particularly to those performing beyond or below the expected year level.  Many thanks to our staff who have done an incredible amount of work over the last three years in this area as the results speak for themselves.

For those students with the greatest needs, we produce Personalised Plans for Learning, an integral part of the National Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD), the process whereby the Australian Government funds extra support for students.  The process used by our staff and the time they put into this area has resulted in a huge increase in support for our students.  When I arrived at the school, we had 7 Education Support Officers working across the classes, today we have 25!

NCCD

Currently teachers are putting in a lot of work in the background collecting information for the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).  In our school nearly 100 students are included in this process.

The NCCD is a collection that counts:

the number of school students receiving an adjustment or ‘help’ due to disability
the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.

Students are counted in the NCCD if they receive ongoing adjustments at school due to disability. This ‘help’ allows them to access education on the same basis as a child without disability. The NCCD uses the definition of disability in the Disability Discrimination Act 1992.

Funding from the Australian Government for students with disability is based on the NCCD through the student with disability loading.

Students with disability who are counted in the top three levels of the NCCD (extensive, substantial and supplementary) attract the loading. Funding is based on a per-student amount at each of the three levels of additional support. The amount of the loading reflects the level of support students with disability need to participate fully in school, with higher funding for those who need higher levels of support.

An adjustment is an action to help a student with disability take part in education on the same basis as other students.

Adjustments can be made across the whole school (eg ramps into school buildings). They can be in the classroom (eg adapting teaching methods). They can also be for individual student need (eg providing personal care support).

The school assesses the needs of each student with disability. The school provides adjustments in consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians and carers.

Schools must make reasonable adjustments if needed. The Disability Standards for Education 2005 define ‘reasonable adjustment’ as an adjustment that balances the interests of all parties affected.

Schools identify which students will be counted in the NCCD. They base their decisions on the following:

• adjustments provided for the student (after consultation with the student and/or their parents, guardians and carers)

• the school team’s observations and professional judgements

• any medical or other professional diagnoses

• other relevant information.

School Principals must ensure that information for the NCCD is accurate.

We are now in our final week of Lent (week beginning Sunday 26 March)

This week Project Compassion brings us the story of Thu.

Thu was just 12 years old when he lost his leg. One day, he was looking after his cows when he stepped on an unexploded land mine.  

“War is most terrible with great loss. At the end of the war, there are still consequences such as unexploded ordnance, causing many losses, casualties and death,” Thu says. 

Thu lives in the Quảng Trị province, located on the Northern Central Coast of Vietnam. Situated along the demilitarised zone that divided Vietnam, the province was one of the most heavily bombed areas during the Vietnam War and is considered one of the most polluted provinces in terms of unexploded ordinances (UXOs) in Vietnam.

In addition to being the breadwinner for his family, Thu had to take on the role of caring for his wife, Linh, after she suffered a stroke.  

You can watch more about Thu’s story here.

https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/thu-story/

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Next week we begin Holy Week, a sacred time where we remember Jesus’ journey from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem to his arrest, trial, death and resurrection.

The students will be marking each of these events with different experiences here at school. On Monday we will be led by the Year 2 classes in a Prayer service reinacting the events of Palm Sunday. All classes will hold a Last Supper prayer service in their classrooms and visit the chapel to walk the way of the Cross in a reflective prayer.

When we return to school after our Easter break, the Year 4’s will lead us in a whole school prayer on the oval to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

We look forward to guiding our students through this important time in our Catholic Calendar. We wish you all a blessed Easter break and look forward to celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord when we return on Tuesday 11 April 2023.

During the season of Lent we have been called to Pray Fast and Almsgiving. ‘Alms’ is what we do and give to people in need. As a school community we are Almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. We thank our families who are generously giving to Project Compassion through money donations. We have already received a few filled boxes and your generous donations via QKR. We will keep this open until the end of term if you would like to make a donation. Please return filled boxes by Friday 14 April 2023.

Easter Liturgy

On Tuesday morning we gathered as a whole school in front of the three crosses on the oval to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection.

The most joyful week in the Church Year began on Easter Sunday. The resurrection of Jesus really happened and reveals to us that we also share in that resurrection. It is a week of great rejoicing which we celebrate by giving and receiving easter eggs.

We covered Jesus’ cross in white to signify new life, just like we wear white for our Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion. We also decorated Jesus’ cross with flowers as we know that Jesus loved the beauty of flowers. 

Project Compassion

Thank you, Star of the Sea community, for your generous donation to Project Compassion. The funds raised will support people who are facing poverty and injustice in some of the most vulnerable communities in the world.

Sacraments of Initiation

We have begun planning the journey for students who will be receiving the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. A letter has gone out to our Year 4 families regarding the Sacramental program and outlining the dates of the ceremonies. If you have not received this letter or have a child who you would like to be part of the program, please contact Domenique Laurendi via email. dlaurendi@star.catholic.edu.au

As Term 1 draws to a close we would like to say a big thank you to the Star of the Sea community for their support as we worked together in the role of Acting Religious Education Coordinator this term. It has been a pleasure to lead the school in the many religious celebrations we have had including our Welcoming Mass, Ash Wednesday Liturgies, Palm Sunday liturgy and Holy Week events. 

Wishig everyone a safe, happy and blessed holiday break.

Domenique Laurendi and Sheena Pattinson

Dear Families,

Welcome to term 2.  I trust you have had a lovely break from the school routine and maybe your family has had a chance to perhaps have a holiday too!

I had a great three weeks, hooking up my caravan and caravanning in Queensland for most of the holidays.  I lived in denial of turning 60 on Anzac Day but were treated to lovely celebrations with the staff and students on my return.  I was presented with a lovely book, full of pages produced by each class, which is quite delightful.  Thank you everyone who were part of producing this.

Now back into the real world!

STAFFING CHANGES

We welcome to our school Domenique Laurendi, to the role of substantive APRIM for our school.  You may recall that Domenique filled the same role last term in partnership with Sheena Pattinson.  We thank Sheena for her support last term. 

We also welcome Mel Tokic who will be working in 4LF (Mel is replacing Domenique).

A number of ESO’s are doing their teaching professional experience this term and we welcome a number of new ESO’s for term 2:  Brodie, Connor, Beth and Julia.

PARENT TEACHER INTERVIEWS

As you would know these are to be held next week.  This information was sent to families via email last term and a number of reminders over the break.

If your child has a Personalised Plan for Learning this will be the focus of the meeting.

The interviews will be followed by our Semester 1 reports that will come out at the end of term. 

PERSONALISED PLAN FOR LEARNING (PPL)

A PPL is a working and evolving document constructed in conjunction with teachers, parents and the leadership team. It is simply a record of the ways in which we are working to best support your child in the classroom, based on our observations over the last term and possibly last year. 

The “Functional Impact On Learning” section of the PPL identifies any underlying characteristics that ‘get in the way’ of your child’s access, participation and learning at school. This information then directly informs us as teachers as to how we can best support your child.

The “Personalised Adjustment For Access, Participation and Learning” section is then a list of the strategies, supports and interventions that we are implementing in the classroom to address the functional impact and needs of your child. 

AGM

In this newsletter you will find information about our AGM to be held on Monday 22 May 2023.

 NEWSLETTERS THIS TERM

This term we will publish newsletters in weeks 1, 3, 5, 7 & 9.

PARKING AROUND THE SCHOOL

Please be considerate of others, especially our neighbours and the rules for parking around our school.  In particular we are very mindful of parking in and around the church.  Last term we released quite a bit of information about this which can be reviewed  here.

Regards,
Damian Weeks

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome back! I hope you were able to spend some connected time with your family during the holiday break. It is wonderful to welcome all our students back ready for the term ahead. Next week, we will have the opportunity to discuss in detail your child’s learning progress and wellbeing. These conversations are integral to ensure our educators are working in partnership with you to best support your child(ren). Just a reminder that this Friday night is the cut-off date for you to book a time for the Parent Teacher Interviews.

Goal Setting: Clarity Learning Suite

An agreed practice across our school is goal setting for all our students. In each year level, our teachers support our students to construct meaningful goals in both learning and wellbeing domains. Developing capacity for our students to set individual goals is an integral part of learning and assessment. The aim is to foster student agency and increase motivation. The goals that students set are then regularly reviewed in conjunction with the teacher and the feedback provided helps shape future goals.

Dr Lyn Sharratt’s work, in Clarity, reinforces the importance of goal setting as one of the five elements of effective assessment practice. Also included, which is evidenced in our classrooms, are learning intentions, success criteria, descriptive feedback and peer and self-assessment opportunities.

When visiting the Year 2 classes this week, some of the goals I saw included:

• Literacy – I will improve my handwriting, I will read with fluency and expression, I will re-read my writing and edit using COPS.
• Numeracy – I will ask for assistance when I am stuck, I will practice counting by 2’s, 5’s and 10’s, I will have a go before asking for help.
• Behaviour – I will use my manners, I will own my actions, I will use safe hands and feet.

The goals that are set vary across year levels, and we encourage you to discuss these with your child.

Mother’s Day Stall next week

Our wonderful P&F committee will be running a stall next Wednesday for our students to purchase gifts for the special ‘women’ in their lives - mothers, grandmothers or caregivers. There will be a catch-up day on Thursday, at recess and lunch for any children absent on the Wednesday. We thank the committee for all the work behind the scenes to help make Mother’s Day a special one for our community.

In other P&F news, two major events we encourage you to support this year is the Quiz Night held on Friday 30th June and the Gala Ball scheduled for 28th October. Both are wonderful opportunities to ‘friend’ and ‘fund’ raise for our school community

Meaningful May: Action for Happiness

This month’s calendar found on the Action for Happiness website, focusses on meaningful actions and interactions self and others. Simple acts on the calendar this month include letting someone you know how much they mean to you, taking a step towards an important goal, however small and to reflect on what makes you feel valued and purposeful – just to name a few. I encourage you to print the calendar and share with your family!

www.actionforhappiness.org

Enjoy the weekend ahead.

Go well,

Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

Family Mass at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish 

On the 3rd Sunday of every month at 9:30am, a Family Mass is held at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish. This is a great opportunity for the children and their families to be actively involved in the Parish Community. 

Each month a different Year level has been rostered on to participate in the Mass and volunteer to take on an active role.

This coming Sunday, our Year 6 families are volunteering with some of the readings.

Our next Children’s Mass will be on Sunday 18th June, where our Year 3 families will be invited to join us.

We look forward to continuing our strong connection with our Parish.

Winter Dignity Drive

The Henley Beach Parish Social Justice Group are running their annual Winter Dignity Drive. As a school community we are committed to supporting these initiatives which reach out and help those in need.

We are asking each year level to donate specific items which are desperately needed to assist both Catherine House and Hutt Street Centre.

Reception Families: Face cleansing wipes/ face moisturiser / elastic hair ties

• Year 1 Families: Adult female socks
• Year 2 Families: Adult female rubber thongs / scuffs
• Year 3 Families: washing powder / liquid
• Year 4 Families: instant noodles / 2 minute noodles
• Year 5 Families: packets or cans of soup
• Year 6 Families: canned baked beans and/ or spaghetti

Donations can come in any time from now until the end of term.

As a way of saying thanks for all your generous donations, On Friday 30th June, we will have a “Fluffy Friday”. All students are welcomed to wear a scarf/ beanie /pj’s /tracksuit /fluffy socks / slippers etc, to remind us of how grateful we are to have warm, comfy clothes to wear during these cold winter months. This will also conclude our Winter Dignity Drive.

We thank you in advance, for your generous donations and for supporting those in our community who are less fortunate than us.

With Gratitude,

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM 

Dear Families

I trusted you have enjoyed the opportunity to reconnect with your child’s class teacher and to have a discussion around your child’s progress.  I also hope that our increased efforts around continuous reporting has been helpful in monitoring your child’s progress from week to week.  These two areas will be very important as we move towards the new CESA Semester 1 Report, as you know this will be a much slimmed down report from what our School has been using.  To complement the Semester 1 report, each year level will be providing a learning summary, for each of the curriculum areas, in this way you will be able to connect the report grade to what your child has been learning.

The semester 1 reports will be email to both parents on Tuesday July 4^th.  This will be followed by another opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher in the second week of term 3.  You should not feel compelled to attend this meeting, it is really for those parents who wish to follow up and ask questions around the semester 1 report.

Personalised Plans for Learning (PPLs)

At the parent/teacher interviews, parents of students with PPLs, had an opportunity for a discussion around the document.  The discussion may lead to some changes in the document, as we move towards maximising learning opportunities.  Thank you for engaging in the process and many thanks to the teachers who have spent many hours capturing the learning of their students.  The next formal step is the signing of the PPL, recognising that we have worked collaboratively on this document.  This will be sent via email on June 6^th, with a request for a signature to be returned by June 20^th.

Matt Perry Farewell

As you would be aware Matt has won the substantive position of Principal at Christ the King, Warradale.  On Wednesday June 7^th, our whole school assembly will be to farewell Matt from our school.  All parents are invited to attend the assembly which will start at 2pm in the church, to be followed by afternoon tea in the hall from 2:30pm.

School Board AGM

As you know we are running our Annual General Meeting on…

Monday May 22nd – 7pm in the Stella Maris Room

We invite all parents/caregivers to attend the evening.  If you have any questions that you would like to ask on the night, I invite you to email them to me at dweeks@star.catholic.edu.au so that we can provide a informed answer.

We still have one vacancy on the Board for the 2023/2024 year.  If you are interested, please returned the nomination form in this newsletter.

Building works – footpath work

As part of the works our water meter is going to be relocated on the 15^th or 16^th of June.  With this, there will be works happening at the front of the school on Military Road. SA water will have their own traffic management/pedestrian access in place.  There will only be minor interruptions to our School water supply on the day.

Regards
Damian Weeks

What is Reconciliation? 

National Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. 

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. 

National Reconciliation Week is a powerful reminder of the importance of reflecting on the teachings of Jesus, particularly forgiveness. Jesus taught us to forgive others, and to extend compassion towards everyone. By embracing forgiveness, we can begin to pave the way for healing wounds, fostering unity, and creating a brighter future for all.

Winter Dignity Drive

Thank you to all the families who have already begun to send in items to support Catherine House and Hutt Street Centre in their Winter Dignity Drive. We still need more items. Please continue to send these into school over the next few weeks.

With Gratitude,

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM | Leader of Learning

Dear Families,

The cold weather is well and truly here, and we have had some interesting conditions over the past weeks from a glimmer of sun through the clouds to a downpour within seconds. Considering that our building project has impacted space around our school site, we are fortunate to have spaces that cater for inclement weather, specifically our Stella Maris building which has been home to many PE lessons over the last few weeks. I am always impressed by the adaptability of our staff and students.

School Value: Respect

It has been wonderful to see how our 2023 school value of respect has been demonstrated around the school. Last week, I learnt that a group of Year 4 girls have taken it upon  themselves to wash and clean all the compost bins from each of the classrooms and staff spaces. These wonderful students saw a need and independently took action to demonstrate our value of respect for the environment and school. I commend Evie, Dillon, Allegra and Millie for showing their initiative to support our sustainability focus. Well done girls!

Speaking of respect, we have held a couple of our year level assemblies for this term. At each assembly we have presented awards to students who have demonstrated ‘respect’ in a variety of ways. We congratulate the following students in Year 1; Charlie M, Evie M, Ivie P, Jet K, Eddie S and Honey V. At yesterday’s very entertaining Year 6 assembly, the recipients of awards were Lachlan A, Sophie L, Mason N and Isabella G. Well done to all these students who have shown respect to either self, others or the environment.

 We look forward to the celebrating this term’s learning at the remainder of the year level assemblies to be held in the final weeks of this term. All parents and families are welcome to attend. These will be held in the Stella Maris building.

Uniforms

Although we are well and truly into Term 2, may I take this opportunity to remind families about our expectations of wearing the uniform correctly. Both this term and next we expect our students to be wearing their winter uniform not a combination of winter and summer. Our Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 students wear the school’s sports uniform. In Years 3-6, the uniform consists of the following items outlined below. A reminder that our Star Outreach Committee runs the second-hand uniform shop if you require additional items. All uniforms can be purchased from Devon.

Parents and Friends

I once again commend the tireless work of our Parents and Friends volunteers. I am sure your children were more than delighted by the Donut Day held two weeks ago! In addition, you will notice that in the last week of this term, a sushi lunch is available to purchase through QKR. The much-anticipated Quiz Night returns for 2023 held at Nazareth College. Please refer to the P&F newsletter for more information.

Little Stars and New Reception Visits

Our Little Stars program is in full swing, and it is wonderful to see how settled our young people are in our school community already. We warmly welcome all the new families who will be joining us in Term 3. Next Friday, our midyear Reception students will have their first orientation visit in their new classrooms. Our educators for our two Term 3 classes are Skye Llewellyn and Abbey Hinge and Ali Rebuli and Morgan Taylor. We wish them all a successful transition into school.

Parent Evening: Strategies to manage anxiety and build resilience

I alert you to this parent information session facilitated by Australia’s leading expert on Mental Health and Wellbeing, Madhavi Nawana Parker. She will offer strategies to manage anxiety and build resilience in children. This session will be held at Christ the King Hall, St Francis School Lockleys on Monday 26^th June at 6:30pm. Bookings via link below.

https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/xwxrn

I was inspired this week by Neale Daniher, who is about to mark the milestone of living 10 years from his terminal diagnosis. He shared what motivates him and what he is grateful for in a recent article. He acknowledged…… ‘you only need three things for happiness – something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to.’

Go well,

Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

Upon hearing of Star of the Sea's Winter Dignity Drive, Sophie (6C) decided she wanted to do more for those in need. Sophie spoke with Mrs Stokes and presented the idea of raising funds for the Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons where Leanne volunteers. Sophie decided to sell 'magic squares' on a hundred chart for $2 to the students in Year 6 and staff at Star of the Sea. From these squares, Sophie raised $200 to donate to the shelter. The shelter will use the funds to purchase blankets in preparation for the winter. Sophie chose five lucky winners at random from the hundred chart and provided prizes to gift winners. We are extremely proud of Sophie's initiative, compassion, and drive to plan, develop, and execute a truly wonderful fundraising effort. Congratulations, Sophie! 

As I walk through the classrooms of our school, it is always a joy to see our Religious Education Crossways Curriculum coming alive through the work our students are engaging in.

Our Year 3 students have been in engaged in learning about Mary, our Mother and the mother of Jesus. They have drawn portraits of Mary and reflected on their artworks.

Here are some comments from a few of our Year 3 students in 3G:

Marie L – “I drew Mary like this because I thought that back in those days some people had darker skin and that’s how I imagine Mary’s skin is.”

Amelie A – “My artwork reflects how I see Mary and I think that Mary has a rainbow heart.”

Valentina F – “My artwork reflects how I see Mary. I see Mary as a beautiful, kind hearted person.”

Penelope – “I chose the colour pink because it is a sweet and loving colour and I chose orange because it is a brave colour.”

(photos attached)

The Year 4 classes have completed a unit of work on Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop. They have explored how someone becomes a saint and what gifts of the Holy Spirit Mary Mackillop displayed through her ministry. The students drew portraits of Mary MacKillop which reflect the values and virtues she lived by.

Today as I walked past the Stella Maris room I heard the Year 4 students rehearsing for their assembly tomorrow. They sounded like a choir of angels as they were singing the Mary MacKillop song. It brought a tear to my eye as their singing was so heartfelt. It is so encouraging to know that these are the students who are preparing to receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion next term. I look forward to watching them present their learning and performing their song at the Year 4 Assembly tomorrow at 2:30pm.

Photos attached (choose how many you want to use)

With Gratitude

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM

Dear Families

Greetings from WA!  As you know I am on LSL at the moment.  Currently in the SW corner of Australia where I have visited Stonehenge in Esperance and the National Anzac Centre in Albany. Both worth a visit!

NEWS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD
At our June meeting we had our building company PARTEK, present a report on the building. Garth Hall kindly came along to present the report, which was very positive.  The building has been flying along over the last month, after an initial delay in the manufacturing of the blocks (large bricks).  Garth did show a Timelapse of the last month and this can be found on our Facebook site.

Carmen Bishop, who runs our Marine Discovery Centre, gave the Board a run down on year so far.  The Marine Discovery Centre has had an incredible start to the year, specifically in comparison to 2021 and 2022 which was negatively impacted by Covid-19 closures and restrictions.  As of 13 June 2023, the Marine Discovery Centre has welcomed 3,862 students to the centre, in comparison to 1,292 students for the same period in 2022.  The centre is having a far more financially sound year with grants so far of $160 000. 

Please also see attached Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD).

Damian Weeks
Principal

Sacramental Program
Term 3 is an important term for 65 of our students who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. This year we have 3 ceremonies where our students will be Confirmed and receive the Eucharist for first time. These celebrations will be on:

• Saturday 16^th September at 6:00pm
• Sunday 17^th September at 11:00am and
• Sunday 17^th September at 5:30pm

Everyone is welcome to attend these ceremonies.

This term, they will be busy as they prepare themselves for this special journey and time in their lives. They will be learning about the Sacraments in their Religious Education lessons in class, and they are engaging in home activities as a way of deepening their understanding of the Sacraments with the support of their family. Later this term, our students will join with the Parish students to engaged in a Retreat Day. This is another way we strengthen our connections with the Parish, and it is an opportunity for the Sacramental students to spend a day reflecting and learning about this important milestone in their faith development.

We ask that you keep these children in your prayers and pray that they be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

With Gratitude,

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM | Leader of Learning

Dear Families of Star of the Sea School

I am delighted to be the Acting Deputy Principal in this community until the remainder of 2023.

I have been a practising teacher for 30 years and most of my professional practice have been in leadership positions in catholic and independent schools in the roles of RE  Co Ordinator, Deputy Principal and Head of school.

I am very passionate about the way in which quality education for children through out their schooling helps them to develop their skills and attitudes that positively impact their academic, physical, social, emotional and spiritual development. At the heart of which is quality relationships with students’ staff and families.

I have received a wonderful warm welcome by this lovely staff and impressed by their skill and dedication. My visit to classrooms and time spent on yard duty has been a delight as I start to develop relationships with your beautiful children. I look forward to meeting parents at various times throughout this semester.

Kind regards
Gemma D’Angelo

Reconciliation

Yesterday some of our students celebrated the Rite of Reconciliation for the first time. This is an important step in their Sacramental journey before they celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion in September. Thank you to Father Manu who celebrated the ceremony with them.

Mary MacKillop

Tuesday 8th August was the Feast Day of Mary MacKillop. Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first canonised Saint. We celebrate the important role she played in making education accessible for children in our country. Mary MacKillop devoted her life to ensuring a holistic Catholic education for children from rural, poor families. St Mary MacKillop's impact on Australian education was remarkable.

Many of our Sacramental students have chosen Mary MacKillop as their saint for Confirmation as she has inspired them and is a role model in their lives.

Feast of the Assumption of Mary

Next Tuesday is a special day – it is the feast of the Assumption of Mary – when we remember how at the end of her life Mary was taken up to heaven to be with God. Mary is very special because she was chosen by God to be the mother of God's son, Jesus. And Mary says yes to all that God asks of her.

As a school community we will remember and honour our Mother Mary with a whole school mass at 11:45am in the church. Everyone is welcome to come and celebrate this special feast day with us.

Dear Families

This week we have had the wonderful opportunity to have a walk thru of the new building.  The building is on time and on budget, which is always a marvellous thing to hear when you are the Principal!  The view from the top floors is quite spectacular and overall it is going to be a magnificent building.

RENEWAL LEAVE
I have been lucky enough to win a grant from CESA to do some study overseas.  Every 12 years Principals qualify for renewal leave and I will be travelling to Belgium to study at the Leuven University.  I will also have time to travel to the birthplace of the Sisters of Mercy, in Dublin, and to walk some of the Comino trail in Spain.  I will depart on August 21^st and return for the start of term 4.  During this time Gemma D’Angelo will be the Acting Principal and she will be assisted by members of our Leaders of Learning.

HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT OUR SCHOOL – SURVEY CLOSES 18 AUGUST 2023
Each year we run a survey to get parent feedback about our school. Sadly, only about a
dozen families respond to the survey. This survey helps us keep track of what we have been
doing and helps us plan for what we should do in the future. This is your chance to share
your thoughts. There is a page in this newsletter that gives further information survey.

VOLUNTEER INDUCTION
To be an approved volunteer in our school it is a three step process.  Fill in the paperwork from the front office, complete RAN training and attend a short volunteer induction session (about 20mins).  Our next session is Monday 14 August, 5pm in the Stella Maris Room.  Please email vdepalma@star.catholic.edu.au if your would like to attend.

Have a great week,
Damian Weeks

Dear Families,

Here we are mid-way through Term 3 already. Our mid-year Receptions and new cohort of Little Stars are becoming more familiar with their surroundings and our older cohorts continue to engage in some wonderful learning opportunities and experiences. Our learners and educators continue to utilise and co-construct learning intentions and success criteria. Learning intentions are statements that summarise the purpose of the lesson (and/ or unit) and generally include terms such as ‘know’, ‘understand’ or ‘be able to’. Success criteria relate to the evidence that determines if students have learnt what was intended and include the statement ‘I can’. The primary purpose of success criteria is to support assessment and feedback for both the learner and the educator. You will see these presented in a variety of ways across our school from posters within the classroom, in an assessment rubric, on a student’s personal device or on a learning task card. I wonder if you asked your child about a specific learning intention area they are currently covering in class, if they could articulate that with you?

Phonics Screening Check
This week our Year 1 students have undertaken a phonics screening check (PSC) which is mandatory in all CESA Diocesan Schools. The screener is an additional tool that helps inform our teachers and system on how our learners are progressing in phonics. It is undertaken with children 1:1 by the classroom teacher. This assessment, in addition to our DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills) assessments undertaken twice per year continue to support the teaching, learning and intervention of literacy at our school.   

Multisensory Synthetic Phonics
I am sure you have heard our school, our educators and our intervention team talk about our multisensory approach to literacy, but does that actually mean? A multisensory approach includes the visual, auditory and kinaesthetic part of our brain – in simple terms, when students see it, say it, hear it and write it, simultaneously, they can create multiple memory traces in their long-term memory. These multi modes then back each other up when it comes to retrieval. In our phonics lessons you will see arm movements, whiteboard scribing with a texta, repeat after me exercises, air writing and finger pointing – all multisensory methods to reinforce long term memory.

As you would be aware, I am working in the role of Acting Deputy Principal for the remainder of the term. It certainly has been a great week so far, with Book Week being the highlight. I am lookig forward to being a part of the many other event that we have planned for the remainder of Term 3.

Student Library Monitors
As part of our Book Week celebrations yesterday, we were introduced to our new Student Library Monitors. These are a group of students who will be assisting in the library during the week with various jobs such as scanning, returning and reshelving books.  At the end of yesterday’s parade, Ms D’Angelo presented these students with their certificates and badges. we would like to say a thank you to these students for their help in the library.  These students are:

• Nathan Taylor
• Aurelia Richardson
• Amelie Almond
• Bodhi Bowden
• Sophie Reid
• Monica Troncone

SAPSASSA Soccer
Thank you to the following students who participated this week in the SAPSASSA, congratulations to:

Boys Team

• Frankie Pedler (Year 6)

Girls Team

• Grace Burton (Year 5)
• Sophia Tambakis (Year 5)
• Zoe Kupeckyj (Year 6)
• Jacinta Sepe (Year 6)

Thank you to Kristen Victory, Geordi Caridi and Kopano Shepheard for actively supporting this wonderful opportunity for our students.

Whole School Prayer Assembly

A reminder that next Wednesday, 30^th August at 2pm we will have our Term 3 Whole School Prayer Assembly at the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church. The first part of this Assembly will introduce and congratulate our students who will soon be receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion. The second part of the assembly will have a sustainability focus, looking at the results of our recent waste audit and ways in which we, at Star of the Sea School can be more sustainable. All families are warmly invited to attend.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

Sheena Pattinson
Acting DePuty Principal

Dear Families,

It has been lovely to experience some more sunshine recently as we are now in the season of Spring. Mother Nature certainly blessed us with wonderful weather on Sunday for Father’s Day, and we hope that all Fathers and Grandfathers had a very special day.

Sustainability Focus
Last week at our Whole School Assembly our Eco Warriors talked to us about the importance of caring for our environment. At Star of the Sea, our Eco Warriors are a group of dedicated Year 6 students who give up some of their time every Friday afternoon to help look after our school environment. They help with sorting our rubbish, cleaning and caring for our school spaces and working in our school garden.

The Eco Warriors explained that recently some wonderful volunteers from KESAB visited our school to work with them. Together they collected and audited the rubbish that our school created in one single day. This came to a total of 117 Litres of rubbish! We learnt that a lot of what we are currently putting in the red landfill bins can actually be put in the food scrap bins, or the recycling bins to cut down on the amount of rubbish going to landfill.

As a school, we would really like to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill.  Some of the actions we can take are;

• Packing ‘nude food’ in our lunch boxes – ‘nude food’ is food that does not have any wrappers or plastic involved (please see the images below for some examples)
• Taking any uneaten food back home in our lunchboxes
• If we do bring food in wrappers or plastic wrap, we will take them home with us
• Only putting paper in the paper bin when both sides are used – otherwise keep in a ‘scrap paper’ box
• Putting rubbish in the correct bins

We thank you in advance for your support in embracing these changes as we collectively work towards becoming an almost waste free school!

Upcoming Events
With just over 3 weeks remaining in Term 3, there are still many events yet to come.

Week 8
Next week sees our Reception and Year 1 students travelling to Immanuel College for their swimming lessons on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will be a ‘rest’ day, with no swimming scheduled. The students are very excited about getting in the pool and developing their swimming skills.

On Wednesday next week, our Year 5 students will board the bus and head to El Shaddai camp at Wellington for their much awaited camp. The students will take part in a variety of activities throughout the 2 night, 3 day camp.

Week 9
In Week 9 it will be our Year 2 and 3 students turn for swimming as they head to Immanuel College.  Again, their swimming lessons will take place on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday will be a ‘rest’ day, with no swimming scheduled. The students thoroughly enjoyed their swimming lessons last year and are eager to get back into the pools.

Our Year 6 students will have a very early start to the day on Wednesday of Week 9 as they need to be at the airport bright and early to catch an early morning flight to Canberra. Their 3-day trip will be action packed, including visits to Parliament House, Adelaide War Memorial, ANZAC Parade, The Royal Australian Mint, Questacon and the Museum of Australian Democracy. We look forward to sharing more about their travels in our next newsletter.

Wishing you all a wonderful remainder of the week and weekend, hopefully with some sunshine.

Warm regards,

Sheena Pattinson
Acting Deputy Principal

Dear Star of the Sea Families

Celebrating Term 3
As we approach the final week of Term 3, I would like to acknowledge the wonderful opportunities for learning that students have engaged in this term. 

Throughout Term 3, our staff have contributed their skills in a range of ways and worked hard to promote the growth and development of every child, both in and beyond the classroom.  All of these experiences work together to extend each child's learning, and staff actively monitor the progress each student is making, in all facets of their learning.

During this term staff have provided an array of wonderful opportunities for students in their learning beyond the classroom including, R-3 swimming lessons, SAPSASA, SACPSSA carnivals, Year 3-4 tennis, beach walks, excursions, assemblies, liturgies, Year 5 camp and our Year 6 students and staff are currently in Canberra. 

Last weekend our school and parish community gathered to celebrate the Confirmation and First Holy Communion of over 60 young people from our school. This sacramental celebration enables each of us to contemplate the presence of Jesus in our daily lives and consider how the gifts of the Holy Spirit help us to share the love of God with others.

Special thanks to Father Manu for presiding the celebrations and thank you to Domenique Laurendi and Gary Pascoe, Adam Francis, Katrina Frangiosa and Mel Tokic for all of their work in preparing the children for this sacramental occasion.

Canteen Survey
Thank you to our families who participated in our canteen survey. Once the data has been collated we will provide further information.

Term 4 Uniform Requirement
In readiness for next term students are expected to wear their full summer uniform in Term 4. All students must wear their hats, please remember "no hat no play". Please refer to the document below from the cancer council.

OSHC and Vacation Care
In preparation for site works during the holidays, a new perimeter and internal fence between the oval and playground spaces is being installed. The installers will add temporary fencing, mesh and bollards on the oval so that Vacation Care can be separated from the building works along Marlborough Street. Minimal disruptions may occur. We expect that Parents/Caregivers will still be able to access the MDC Courts as site works continue. 

In accordance with the safety requirements of the National Law and Regulations for Education and Care, we ask that all Parents/Caregivers continue to walk children into the OSHC room where a member of staff will sign them in. 

Star of the Sea School Oval
Thank you to those families who have approached me recently to share their concerns about the current state of the oval. As a staff we too share these same concerns. It is a much loved play area for the students and in its current state it is not ideal for play, nor is it aesthetically pleasing and the ongoing returfing comes at a significant cost. The school has continued to source expert advice and has continued to trial various turf types to try and attain a better outcome. 

In January of this year the oval was re turfed once again and within 6 months it was apparent that the re turfing was unsuccessful. The company we utilise to lay the turf is highly recommended and well-known, as they also take care of the turf at Adelaide Oval, surrounding schools and stadiums.

The school continues to work through all possible avenues to resolve this issue with the oval. We work together with the Planning and Development team at the Catholic Education Office to facilitate the best possible process and options,  and  this conversation is continuing with the School Board. 

The oval is currently on the agenda at Board level and upon Damian Weeks' return next term the Board will work through a process of establishing next steps.

Our thanks to our grounds and maintenance officer at Star, Mick Burgan who works tirelessly to try and seek solutions for this very important play space in our school.

Thank you 
Thank you to all families for the varied ways that you have engaged in partnership with the school this term.  This could be supporting excursions, assisting children at home with their learning or meeting with us to discuss how we can best work together to support your child. All of these interactions support the growth and development of our learning community, and collaboration between home and school actively supports improved learning outcomes for each child. 

Finally I would like to thank Sheena Pattinson for her excellent work as Acting Deputy Principal at Star this term. We also look forward to welcoming the  return of Mr Weeks in Term 4.

Our last day of Term 3 is next Friday 29 September 2023. My best wishes to all families for a peaceful and enjoyable term break,  we look forward to seeing you all on the first day of Term 4, which is Tuesday 17 October 2023.

Gemma D'Angelo
Acting Principal

Dear Families

Welcome to the last term of the 2023 year, how quickly time flies by! 

As you know I have had time off to travel to Europe and participate in Renewal Leave last term and have come back quite refreshed.  Later in the newsletter you can read about the first leg of my trip.

This is a very busy term so please keep an eye on the calendar and announcements.

We held a very successful Pupil Free Day, with our staff, on Monday.  The professional learning covered three very important areas:

• Learning Walks and Talks
• Assessment and Reporting
• WHS training
• Diabetes training

2024 Class Placement
We will soon begin the organisation of classes for next year.  We invite parents to share any educational factors regarding the placement of their child.  The type of information you may like to share could fall into a number of needs that your child has, social/emotional, learning, physical and behavioural (please note that this does not include selecting a particular teacher). 

Students also get input into their class placements and they will soon be asked to choose some friends that they would like to be with next year.

It is always possible to take into consideration requests received by the due date.  This is not the case once this date passes because moving one student will affect the placement of many other students and the balance of the class.

If you would like to share any educational factors regarding the placement of your child please email me at dweeks@star.catholic.edu.au by Friday 27 October 2023.

Have a great term.

Damian Weeks
Principal

Dear Star of the Sea Families

Welcome to Term 4. It has been a very smooth start to this final term of the year, and it has been wonderful to engage with children and families again.

As this term is only 9 weeks, please take the time to review the Term 4 Calendar which includes all of the whole school, year level, class and specialist events for the term.

Staff will provide further information prior to each event so that you have clarity about arrangements.

Upcoming events for Term 4 include:

• School photos
• P&F Gala Ball
• SACPSSA Athletics Carnival 3-6
• Mission Week
• Various assemblies, liturgies and excursions
• Carols night
• Year 6 Graduation

I look forward to seeing families at each of these events.

Kind regards

Gemma D'Angelo
Acting Deputy Principal

Every 12 years Principals qualify for renewal leave and last term I took half of my eligible leave, to do three things:

• Visit the birthplace of the Sisters of Mercy, in Dublin
• Intensive study at the Leuven University
• Walk some of the Camino trail

The second leg of my trip took me Leuven, a small city of 100, 000 people, located in Beligum.  Here I was to attended KU Leuven, one of the oldest universities in the world, to participate in a two week long intensive course on Catholic Identity.  Leuven has been a university town since 1425 and students come from all over Belgium and the world to study here.

Attending the course were 14 educators from Adelaide, joined by more than a dozen other educators from the Eastern seaboard and one participant from Croatia.

Unlike Australia, where our Universities are located more often in one area, KU Leuven had faculties all over the town.  Each day we attended lectures in a different faculty, which had us walking all over town!  The day started with prayer, which was also held in a different chapel or church across the town.

The intensive course had us on the road at 8am finding the day’s prayer venue, followed by lectures till about 5pm.  In the second week there were some excursions to visit schools, which was quite nice and broke up the lectures.

The study intensive was all about the Catholic Identity of schools and how to enhance this in the modern-day world.  The university has been researching this for some time and have been working in a number of States across Australia.  The Second Vatican Council had quite a lot to say about the mission of Catholic Education and the course is built on this.  The course highlights the context in which Catholic Education takes place, always determined by its history and in dialogue with the culture.  In this way we can look at the strengths, opportunities and challenges.  The course invited us to recontextualise our Catholic School identity in dialogue with our context, and the development of our belief system and that of the students we teach.

Dear Star of the Sea Families

Year 6 Students

As we will soon approach the middle of this final term of 2023, I am conscious of the positive contribution our Year 6s make to the school community.

Just yesterday some of our wonderful student leaders assisted by welcoming prospective families to our school, and each day they ensure the safety of families entering and leaving the school at each of the school crossings.

Thank you Year 6 students for the caring, respectful and friendly manner in which you support others in our school.

OSHC Survey

All early childhood services including OSHC and Vacation Care are required by the Education and Care National Law and Regulations to provide a quality service that caters for children and their families. 

The National Quality Standard outlines 7 Quality Areas that services are expected to know, understand and cater for on a daily basis.

At Star of the Sea OSHC we are committed to providing the best possible environment for all students who attend. Families whose children currently attend OSHC should have received a link to complete the survey. If you have not received the email about the survey, please contact Donna Marshall to update your email address and have the survey link sent to you. The survey closes next Tuesday 7 November 2023.

We look forward to hearing from families about our successes as well as opportunities for growth. All of the data received will be utilised to establish goals for the service, and form part of our annual Quality Improvement Plan.

Please feel welcome to approach our OSHC Director, Donna Marshall or myself if you have any questions about the survey.

Gemma D'Angelo
Acting Deputy Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 5!

Children’s University
Last Monday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Children’s University Graduation Ceremony at Bonython Hall at the University of Adelaide. I was proud to introduce our fourteen graduates to the stage to receive their certificates from Professor John Williams AM, Provost, University of Adelaide. A big congratulations to Nico, August, Chelsea K, Chloe K, Zara C, Elana G, Maria G, Zoe A, Thomas P, Alexia S, Ella S, Lana T, Alexander F and William F for their commitment to the program.

Children’s University is an innovative program that engages students in ‘out of school’ learning opportunities with the bonus of encouraging them to take responsibility for their own learning. This notion of student agency is a lifelong disposition that we as educators are always trying to foster with our young people. At Star of the Sea, we offer this program to students in Years 2-6. Your child may like to think about this opportunity in 2024. A parent information session will be provided in the new year. A big thanks to Kim Martin who coordinates this program for our students at Star of the Sea.

Emotions: Crying
There is no denying that the language we use with children is so important. I came across a blog that explored ways in which parents and adults can support young people when a child displays their feelings through crying, a normal and natural human response. The words we use in that moment is crucial as we do not want to diminish the child’s feelings. We want our children to learn how to regulate their emotions with them feeling like we are minimising their feelings. Children in these moments are looking for empathy and understanding so phrases like ‘stop crying’, ‘stop you are being silly’ or ‘stop that noise right now’, may reinforce that the child’s feelings are not important. (I know I have been guilty of using some of these statements when I have been at the end of my tether with my own children). The important thing is that feelings are something to be acknowledged and are a genuine opportunity for connection with our child, no matter how full on their expression at the time may be!

Instead of saying ‘stop crying’ how about saying some of these more affirming phrases:

It’s okay to be sad………..I am here with you………Tell me about it……..I am here, I am listening……..I see this is really hard for you…….I hear that you need some space… That was really sad, scary, do you want to talk about it……..I’ll stay close so you can find me when you are ready to talk.

New Ways November
This month’s calendar from the Action for Happiness website, encourages us to try something new. Many of the suggestions presented on this month’s calendar will be easy to explore for the whole family. https://actionforhappiness.org/calendar

Final thoughts….

Remember that your brain is shaped by:

The foods you eat,
The books you read,
The chances you take,
The experiences you have,
The thoughts in your head,
The environment you are in and
The people you spend time with.

Go well,

Kelly Manera
Assistant Principal Learning and Wellbeing

Dear Families of Star of the Sea

Canteen Survey 
Thank you to all those who responded to our school canteen survey, we were delighted to receive 246 responses. The Education subcommittee of the School Board, together with our Canteen Manager Dee Taggert analysed the data. 

The following data outlines the responses with the highest level of engagement:

1. 206 respondents identified that they use the canteen as a treat
2. 196 respondents would like to see more locally sourced food available
3. 195 respondents are seeking an increased variety of food choices 
4. 142 responses were received with suggestions of items that families would like to see included on the menu including fruit and pizza featured consistently in these answers
5. Responses to the open questions highlighted that families are seeking greater options for children with food allergies 

In light of the data from the survey, current priorities which are guiding changes to the menu include:

• Developing a greater variety of locally sourced snack options
• Reviewing the lunch menu to include gluten free and vegetarian options
• Identifying creative and fun ways of encouraging children to eat fruit

As a school we aim to limit the amount of packaging in the canteen. We also want to provide an inclusive menu which caters for children who have allergies or intolerances, so that they have greater options available to them without potential contamination.

Although changes are currently being planned, the revised menu will become available in 2024. At each stage of the process, updates and information will be communicated to families via the school newsletter and Audiri. We appreciate your contribution to this important process and we are looking forward to seeing the children's responses to the various menu changes that will occur next year.

Thank you to all those parents who volunteer their time in the canteen, your support is greatly appreciated. If you are considering volunteering we would love to hear from you. Volunteers are not only integral to the success of the canteen, active participation builds community, and children always love to see a family member at school during the day.

Gemma D'Angelo
Acting Deputy Principal

Season of Advent

First Sunday of Advent - Monday December 3, 2023
Advent provides us with the opportunity to slow down, to reflect, to take the time to prepare our hearts for Jesus once again. It is time to think about how we may truly receive Jesus, God-with-us (Emmanuel) this Christmas. Advent is a wonderful time in the school year for us all to live the gifts of waiting, patience, anticipation and hope.

The First Candle
This is called the ‘Hope Candle’ or ‘The Prophets Candle’. It reminds us of the prophets, especially Isaiah who reminded the people to always live in hope for the coming of Jesus.

Gospel:   Mark 13:33-37  (Stay awake).

Jesus said, ‘Stay awake and be alert, because you have no idea when the Son of Man will come. Think of the man who leaves his servants in charge while he travels abroad. He warns them to watch for his return, whenever that might be, so he doesn’t find them sleeping when he returns unexpectedly. So to all you I say, stay awake and keep yourselves ready!

The Gospel of the Lord.

Wondering questions.
Have there been times when you could stay awake no longer?
Have you missed out on something when you fell asleep?
How did you feel when you woke up and realised that you had missed out on something?
What can you do to stay alert for Jesus’ coming at Christmas?
Is this time of Advent a time for us all to live lives that allow others to see Christ in us?

Sacramental Program 2024
In the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Sacramental Catechesis occurs within the local parish with the focus on a strong partnership between families, parish and school. We acknowledge that parents are the first and enduring nurturers of faith in their children. The local Catholic community supports parents and families in their role and the parish community welcomes and supports each family as they undertake the sacramental journey within the community.

This journey begins with the decision taken by the family to initiate their child into the faith and life of the Christian community through the sacrament of Baptism. Parents then make the decision for their child to participate in the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion based on the readiness of each individual child.

A letter of invitation has already gone out to all current Year 3 families, however if you feel your child is ready to embark on this journey and you would like them to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion in 2024, then we ask that you fill in the questions via the Forms survey to show your interest and commitment towards the program. https://forms.office.com/r/LHAYP46Kiq

As I look back at the year and reflect on my first year of being APRIM, I feel very blessed to be part of a school community that is so welcoming, generous and giving of their time. Together as a community we have achieved so much and have changed the lives of others through our many outreach initiatives.

I wish you all and your families a very blessed and special Christmas.

I look forward to continuing to work with you all next year.

With Gratitude,
Dominique Laurendi

Principal, Deputy and APRIM for the day.

Hi everybody! We are Ariana and Benjamin. We are the Principal and Deputy of the school today. Today we delivered drinks to all the teachers in the school, the teachers enjoyed the drinks we delivered. After that, we went around classes and areas around the school, so we could take pictures of all the Christmas decorated doors. We were with bigger year fives, and they assisted us while taking photos. Our favourite one was the one from 3S, it was a giant snowball!

In the afternoon we got the chance to visit the new building! The building was really big!

We even set up the school's Christmas Tree.

Thank you for this wonderful day, we loved the opportunity to be the Principal and Deputy for the day.

We hope we can do it again sometime! But not tomorrow because we are very tired and need a rest!

APRIM for the day

Hi everybody my name is Salina and I had the responsibility of being APRIM today,

Today I have delivered coffees for all the staff, I have made the important decision to extend recess for all the children at Star of the Sea, we gave out free ice blocks to all the students at Star of the Sea, we even got to have a tour of the new building and then we went around the school and judged all the decorated Christmas doors. Later in the day, we helped to put up the Christmas tree, Advent Wreath and Nativity set in the office. It was a very busy but fun day.

Now time for the moment we have all been waiting for, the judging for the Christmas doors. My favourite was 3S’s snow globe. What I liked about their door was the snow and I really liked all the decorations they put on the door.

Thank you
Ariana, Benjamin and Salina

Dear Families,

We hope this newsletter finds you well as we kick off a new school year. We are excited to welcome both returning and new families to our school community.  What a difference a year makes as we enter our new building for the first time.  I would like to thank Partek, our builders, for the ‘big push’ to have the classrooms, staff room and atrium area ready for our first day back.

What a difference a year has made at our family shack! The ground was underwater a year ago but thankfully, as our shack is on stilts, it did not reach the building!

When left our shack I started caravanning, first to Sydney for basketball and then to Melbourne where I caught a day of the Australian Open.

The staff returned for three days of professional learning last week, but not before we completed a tour of the new building and the grand opening of the Staff Room. Over the three days we worked on SEQTA, our learning management system and Clarity, our work on building teacher and leader capacity to increase student achievement and growth in an ongoing, sustainable way.

On Monday we welcomed 84 Reception children and their families, many of the children having their first day at school, joined by 463 students from Year 1 to 6.  We also have several new teachers who have joined us, Annette Diassinas (Deputy), Gabby Di Bartolo and and Iliana Toumbas.  In the ESO arena we have Kate Moore, Sally Thompson, Abbey Griffiths, Kelsey Noll, Sarah Balboa, Carla De Virgilio, Lauren Pfotenhauer, Jordan D’Angelo and Will Chandler.

Bell times remain the same as last year and will do so until the builders leave our school site later this term.

As usual, schools are very busy places!   Please take note of the School Calendar for this term as it has a number of School activities, some of them approaching quite quickly, the volunteer induction course is on Tuesday morning at 8.50am in the Stella Maris Building.

We look forward to a successful and productive school year and are eager to work together to provide the best education for our students. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

MEET THE TEACHER
During Week 2, Monday 5 February to Wednesday 7 February 2024, you have the opportunity to book a 10-minute chat with your child’s teacher(s). The aim of the chat with the teacher is for you to share with the teacher your child’s needs, strengths, interests and future goals.

You will be able to log into PTO and book your interview. The last date to book online is midnight Friday 2 February 2024. Please contact Vivian Andrews on 8115 7412 or email vandrews@star.catholic.edu.au if you have any questions.

CARPARKING
We are fortunate to be able to use the Parish carpark in the mornings and afternoons.  In the morning there is a Parish Mass so please vacate the Parish carpark by 9:15am.  There have already been Police cars monitoring the roads around the school and I believe fines have been given out.  With this newsletter you will find an attachment with a full comprehensive explanation of carparking around our school.

Regards
Damian Weeks

WELCOME TO 2024
It is an honour and privilege to be back in the role of APRIM this year. It was wonderful to see so many students and families back at school on Monday. I am very excited to be able to move into my new office which is located in the admin area of the new building. Feel free to come and say hello as you are passing through.

I look forward to another exciting year ahead and to have the opportunity of working with this wonderful community.

CATHOLIC IDENTITY: YEAR OF INCLUSIVITY
The school value we are focusing on this year is Inclusivity. When we focus on being Inclusive, we are reminded of the uniqueness of everyone as created in the image of God. We welcome all people, regardless of colour, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social or economic class, and nationality. Being Inclusive means treating others as we desire to be treated. Everyone belongs and is welcomed here at Star of the Sea.

LENT
In week 3 we begin our Lenten journey. Lent is the six-week period leading up to Easter. It’s one of the most important times of year for many Christians around the world.

Lent is a time for praying, giving, fasting, or giving something up. Just as we carefully prepare for events in our personal lives, as a wedding, or birthday, Lent invites us to make our minds and hearts ready for remembering Jesus’ life, death, and body resurrection.

SHROVE TUESDAY 13 FEBRUARY
Shrove Tuesday is the day before Ash Wednesday. All our students will celebrate this day by eating pancakes. A huge thank you to our parent volunteers who are coming to assist with cooking and serving our pancakes. Thank you also to our Year 4 families who will provide all the pancake mixture.

ASH WEDNESDAY 14 FEBRUARY
Our school community will begin the season of Lent by receiving the ashes at our school Liturgy on Ash Wednesday at 11:45 in the Church, everyone is welcome.  Each class and family will receive a project compassion box to take home for the duration of Lent.

This year's Project Compassion theme is “FOR ALL FUTURE GENERATIONS”.

This phrase is a powerful affirmation that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come.  It is also a call for all of us to play our part in making the world a better place by working together as sisters and brothers in finding long-term solutions to global issues.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2024
In the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Sacramental Catechesis occurs within the local parish with the focus on a strong partnership between families, parish and school. We acknowledge that parents are the first and enduring nurturers of faith in their children. The local Catholic community supports parents and families in their role and the parish community welcomes and supports each family as they undertake the sacramental journey within the community.

This journey begins with the decision taken by the family to initiate their child into the faith and life of the Christian community through the sacrament of Baptism. Parents then make the decision for their child to participate in the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion based on the readiness of each individual child.

If you feel your child is ready to embark on this journey and you would like them to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Holy Communion in 2024, please contact me at dlaurendi@star.catholic.edu.au

With gratitude

Domenique Laurendi
APRIM

Caryl Ryan Foundation Parent Internet Safety Session

As part of our school’s commitment to guiding children to be responsible digital citizens in Week 3 of this term all children in Years 4, 5 and 6 will participate in an information session provided by the Carly Ryan Foundation.

In addition to the student sessions, The Carly Ryan Foundation, a certified eSafety Education Provider, has developed an hour-long program designed to provide adults caring for children with the most essential and up-to-date information needed to keep their children safe online.

We are calling all adults in our school community to attend this important presentation in the evening that addresses current risks posed to children online, and tips to manage these within your families.

Our children are accessing the world through their internet-connected devices, and that borderless world may not always be a safe one. Child Exploitation is a Global Public Safety Issue and children in Australia are just as susceptible as anywhere else. Research conducted by the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation (ACCCE) shows that parents are not accurately informed about how predators can access, manipulate, and coerce children online, or how to prevent this.

Our school will be hosting this very important event on Tuesday 13 February at 6:30 pm in the Stella Maris space.

PLEASE NOTE that this event is not appropriate for children.

Please invite Grandparents, friends, Aunties and Uncles. The information shared by the Foundation at this session is relevant to all internet users, especially those in the care of children.

We hope that this event is well represented by adults in our community. To RSVP for this important event please use this link. https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/carly-ryan-foundation-parent-information-session-tickets-814552256727?aff=oddtdtcreator 

Peanuts are the leading cause of severe allergic reactions, followed by tree nuts, shellfish, fish and milk. Adrenaline/epinephrine is the first line treatment for severe allergic reactions and can be administered via auto-injector, called the EpiPen®.

To learn more about anaphylaxis and food allergies, go to www.allergyfacts.org.au and www.allergy.org.au

As the only way to manage a food allergy is avoidance, the school has implemented several strategies to help prevent a severe allergic reaction. We can never totally eliminate the risk of an anaphylaxis but we can all do things that will help lessen the risk. Please consider the child with food allergy when packing your child’s lunch or when sending in food for any occasion, including school excursions.  Foods that ‘May contain traces of nuts or nut products’ are fine for the non- allergic students to consume at school as long as they do not share food.

Just as there are seasons of the year: Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. So too, the Church’s year has seasons. Each season celebrates a part of Jesus’ life.

This week was a very important time in our Liturgical Calendar. It began with Shrove Tuesday followed by Ash Wednesday.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of a new season in the Church’s year. The tradition of the Church has been to see Lent as a time of renewal and preparation for the great feast of Easter.

On Tuesday our students celebrated Shrove Tuesday by eating yummy pancakes that were cooked and prepared by our wonderful parent helpers. A huge THANKYOU to Michael Burgan, Joe Rachou, Pina Birbas and all the parent helpers who came  and served all the pancakes.

Also a big shout out to the families of the Year 4 students for supplying the mixture and the Year 6 families for supplying the condiments. 

An absolute testament to our wonderful community here. We are truly blessed.

Yesterday our school marked the beginning of the Church’s season of Lent by celebrating with a whole school liturgy in our church. Our students and school community were marked with ashes on their forehead. This is a public expression of our faith and humility. Lent is a time of prayer, fasting and almsgiving.  

During our celebration each class received a Project Compassion gift bag. These contain boxes which will be sent home to collect donations for Caritas Australia.

Project Compassion
During the season of Lent we have been called to Pray Fast and Almsgiving. ‘Alms’ is what we do and give to people in need. As a school community we are Almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. We thank our families who will generously to Project Compassion through money donations. Donations can also be made via QKR.

Kind regards
Dominque Laurendi

Yesterday we came together as a school community to celebrate our first Whole School Assembly for 2024. Our student leaders were presented with their badges which had been blessed by Father Manu at our whole school mass the week before.

Student Representative Council 
What is the Student Representative Council (SRC)?

The Student Council is a student-based group designed to help promote school spirit, student voice and leadership among students. 

Students participating in the Student Council maintain a high standard of personal conduct, which reflect our values and school motto. 

As members of the Student Council, students participate in approved activities, which serve to enhance the quality of both the physical and behaviour environment of the school.

Student council meetings are facilitated by Domenique Laurendi.

Congratulations to the following students who were presented with their SRC badge yesterday. I look forward to working with you in this important role within our school.

Justice Leaders 
This year we have formed a new leadership group called our Justice Leaders. My vision for this role is to work with a group of students who are passionate about Social Justice and will lead our whole school in the areas of Prayer & Liturgy and Social Justice projects.

We have already met and discussed many of the initiatives they will lead. I am very excited to watch this role develop and evolve throughout the year.

Congratulations to the following students who applied for the role and were selected.

• Lucy 
• Georgia 
• Chloe 
• Ella 
• Emerson 
• Evie 
• Fletcher 
• Riley 
• Eve 
• Alessio 
• Zoe 

With Gratitude,
Domenique Laurendi

Dear Parents and Friends,

Welcome to Week 5!  We are already halfway through the school term.  How time flies!  The students have settled in so well to Star of the Sea including our almost 100 new students across years R-6 this year.    We have had a wonderful start to the year with some great events already for our students and families, with more to come this term and throughout the year. 

Classroom Pulse Check Survey
Each term students in the Classroom Pulse Check Survey. The purpose of the Classroom Pulse Check In is to find out how students are feeling about their experience of school.  Students will participate in the Survey over Weeks 5 and 6 of each term. 

Our aim is simply to “check in” with our students and measure how they are feeling.

Your child’s responses will help us to identify any potential social, emotional or learning needs that they may have.

As you can see below, there are a range of simple questions about your child’s life at school, their identity as a person and a learner, their sense of belonging, safety, and friendships.

Dear Families,

I trust the long weekend was a recharge for you all as we near the end of Week 7. This week our Year 3 and Year 5 students are undertaking the NAPLAN assessments. We encourage families with children engaging in NAPLAN to continue to support them by speaking in a positive manner about the assessments, letting class teachers know if your child is experiencing any anxiety, ensuring a smooth and calm start to the school day and like all the staff here, offer encouragement and positive dialogue for them to just try their best!

EVENTS
Our hardworking P&F are organising our Easter Raffle.  Thank you to those families who have already donated Easter chocolates, gifts or crafts to support the raffle.  Donations can be made up until the Thursday 28 March. The raffle will be drawn on the Tuesday 2 April after our Easter Liturgy. 

Our committee are also hosting a Ladies Night on Friday 22 March at OAR at 7:30pm for all ladies and their friends (You do not have to be Star parents). A great way to connect with other people from our school community!  Tickets can be purchased via Qkr!

We are fortunate to have so many opportunities across the year to build connection and community at Star of the Sea School!

THE IMPORTANCE ROUTINES
I came across an article discussing how beneficial routines are for both our children but also ourselves as parents. It really made me reflect on my own household and ensuring I have routines for not only my children but myself. 

Predictable, repetitive routines have been proven to be calming and help reduce stress and anxiety. This is partly because they give you a sense of control over your day, and that then expands out into feeling in control of your life. There is also a sense of relief in achieving everything you need to do, which in turn reduces anxiety and stress.  It can be challenging at times getting into a routine, but as we know once the routine is established, it makes things easier for everyone involved. 

TIPS ON HOW TO GET INTO A ROUTINE 

1. Decide what needs to be in your routine. Do you want to get more exercise or more alone time?

2. Set small goals. Break each large goal into smaller goals - work your way up to something you want to accomplish.

 3. Layout a plan - add in what you want to accomplish with your routine. Want to get more exercise? Start a new hobby?

4. Be consistent with time - time is important for your routine, keep track of the time so you know what is coming up next.

5. Make it fun! Have fun with your routine don’t add in something you’re not going to enjoy.

6. Track your progress - are you sticking to the routine? If so, then well done and keep it up. If not, then look for where you can improve.

7. Reward yourself.

Have a safe and happy fortnight. 

Annette Diassinas
Deputy Principal

Dear Families,

Welcome to Week 7!

Kids who do chores are more successful in adult life…….

I have seen a lot of buzz this week on social media around research that indicates children who regularly help around the home doing chores develop into more successful adults and that getting our kids to do chores is one of the most significant predictors of developing work ethic as adults. This research isn’t that new, in fact, a Harvard Study of Adult Development, one of the world’s longest studies of adult life running since 1938 has identified two key things that enable adults to be happy and successful in life. The first being love and the second, work ethic.

As a parent, we accept what this research is telling us, but truth be told it can be tougher than it seems and sometimes (and we have all been there), it often doesn’t wind up being less work for you as the parent. So here is the catch, it isn’t about the chore or task being done perfectly. It is actually the ‘roll up your sleeves and pitch in mindset’. In life, there is unpleasant work and menial tasks that need to be complete, and somebody has to do it so we may as well all pitch in and get it done. Can you see already how that could translate later in life as a positive, particularly in the workplace? Children can learn that by doing chores, they are part of a larger eco-system, in turn becoming more selfless and hopefully even having a better sense of self-worth. If done right within the family dynamic, it can even strengthen family bonds and instil the work ethic previously mentioned in the 80+ year study.

So here are some helpful tips for getting kids onboard (taken from the Connected Parenting website).

• Connect with your child first – they are not trying to be difficult so recognise that a child’s brain may not multitask like yours, so choose an appropriate time to initiate the chore and the conversation around it……not in the middle of a Roblox game!
• Commentate on what you see – children don’t always see what you see (liked the freshly ironed clothes draped over my teenage son’s chair from the previous week). So, break it down and narrate the actions you are suggesting. For example, ‘I see paper on the ground and textas with caps off. It would be hard to play with the Lego with this all still around, how about you put on all the texta lids and I will work on the scraps of paper’ before we get out the next activity.
• Help them and be kind. This is what our educators would also do, that is, meet kids where they are at. Consider their age and the chore. If they don’t complete the chore how we would like, carefully consider how you deliver that feedback and how you can support them in improving for next time.
• Create visual cues and clues – things can be helpful, particularly for younger children. You would be surprised how much kids like ticking things off!
• Try to have fun. Easier said than done I know! How about rephrasing the chore to make it sound like a game. For example, “today we are going to war against the weeds in the garden, I really need your help” or “let’s set a timer challenge and see how much we can do before the buzzer sounds off”.

Has this given you something to think about for your household? There are plenty of TED talks unpacking this further if you have the time to watch.

Enjoy the weekend ahead……. Spotless home and all!

Go well,
Kelly Manera

Assistant Principal Learning and Wellbeing

Dear Families

Harmony Day was a lovely celebration last week with a sea of orange across our school.  Just as exciting this week is the repair and painting of the basketball courts.

Building Update
Everything is on track for the project to be completed by the end of term.  In term 2 we will be able to return to one timetable for the whole school. Year 1 MF will move to their new class in the last week of term.  Look out for our Facebook video next week about the use of the Military Road gates for entry and exit.

AGM
This is “Save the Date” information!
The School Board holding our Annual General Meeting on Monday 20 May – 7pm in the Stella Maris Room.

There will be more information next term including nomination forms for the School Board.

Pupil Free Day
Just a reminder that the first day of terms 2, 3 & 4 are pupil free days to allow valuable time for professional learning for our staff.

Holy Week
As we approach the end of the season and celebrate the pinnacle of the Church’s year, Easter, our students have been involved in a number of liturgical celebrations.  This week began with Palm Sunday and all classes will be visiting the chapel to experience the Stations of the Cross.  Next week we will celebrate Easter Sunday.

Star of the Sea Allergy Aware School
Star of the Sea School is concerned about the safety and well-being of all our students. Our school does its best to be an allergy aware school.  Recently we became aware of a few students who developed a rash after playing with our Fig tree, especially when they opened up a fig and came in contact with the sap.  While the fig tree and our other plants are not meant to be played with maybe a gentle to your child/ren about this would be good.

Long Service Leave
A number of staff will be taking a variety of amounts of this leave throughout the year.  Allison Sammut and Katrina Frangiosa will take the long service leave for the last two weeks of this term and Kylie Casey and I will take the last week of term off (Annette Diassinas will be in charge in my absence).

Car Parking
With approximately 300 cars, morning and afternoon converging on our school, it requires everyone to co-operate with the road rules to keep our children safe. Saving a few minutes and breaking the rules will not compare to a person being hurt through our lack of patience! 

We have asked the council for support in our endeavour to make car parking/movement as safe as possible.  Parking inspectors and the Police have visited our school this term and will continue to do so.  Fines range from $100-$300 depending on whether you park on a yellow line, compared to parking/standing over a signed pedestrian crossing.

You may not know but there are carparks available along the beach front which may often be available now the weather is cooling.

Finally, I would like to thank the 95% of families for whom this communication is irrelevant because they always do the right thing.

Just a reminder the last day of term is a casual clothes day!

Have a great Easter
Damian Weeks

Please find attached maps and information for  Sports Day on Thursday 11 April.

Dear Families,

Here we are at the end of Term 1 – what a productive and connected 11 weeks we have experienced. We thank all our Star of the Sea educators and support staff who are so committed to the academic and social/emotional wellbeing of all our students and their families. We are so blessed to have such wonderful school community.

Play space options at Recess and Lunch
The completion of the new build is very exciting indeed and with that comes changes to our playtime spaces and supervision. Next term during recess and lunch our outdoor play spaces will include the freshly painted courts, ‘green’ oval, JP and MP assigned playground, nature play, sandpit, lower undercover courtyard and imaginative play space. In addition, students will also have more options at lunchtime to visit either the Early Years club in the Atrium or the Primary Years club in the Stella Maris room. Our Library will also be open and supervised at lunch time for those students wanting a quieter space. We hope all these options will provide a variety of experiences for our learners across the week and reduce congestion on various play areas around the school.

We intend to replenish our nature play, sandpit, and imaginative play spaces with items to encourage creative play. If you have any pots, pans, cups, wooden utensils, buckets, plastic spades, plastic trucks/diggers, or items that are no longer being used at home, we would appreciate any donations. Please feel free to drop off any items to the school office.

CESA Pulse Check In: Follow up
As most would be aware, all Catholic schools conduct a ‘pulse check’ each term. Students are asked seven questions to check on how they are going in areas such as learning, belonging, safety and support. The Leadership team and Leaders of Learning review these results and follow up with any students that flagged ‘at risk’ response in the survey. Across the school, we conducted mini chats with these children to ascertain if further follow up is required or whether the issue or concern flagged in Week 5 has been resolved. These discussions are then shared with the class teacher for monitoring.

Action for Happiness: Active April
This month’s focus on the action for happiness website is ‘Active April’ which is perfect as we head into Sports Day and the school holiday break. There are some great suggestions that you may like to set as a challenge for your family. For more information, please visit:

https://actionforhappiness.org

Wishing everyone a safe holiday break!

Go well,
Kelly Manera

Assistant Principal Learning and Wellbeing

Project Compassion
A huge THANK YOU to our wonderful Star of the Sea community. Through all your generous donations, our school raised approximately $1,768.00.  This money will go to Caritas Australia where it will be used to fund many of their projects assisting communities in need.

Winter Dignity Drive
We are once again collecting items this winter to make someone’s cold and lonely life a little brighter.
During May and June, we will be collecting some specific items to support Catherine House and the Hutt Street Centre.
These organisations have requested the following specific items,

If you can please add some items to your shopping and bring these along to school, they will be much appreciated by some of the more vulnerable members of our greater community.

New Sleeping bags and new or good quality thick/woolen blankets also gratefully received!

Reception Families: Cotton tips/face cleanser/shower caps
Year 1 Families: Adult female socks/ spray on deodorant (not roll on please)
Year 2 Families: Face moisturiser /hairbrush / hair ties
Year 3 Families: Toothbrush / small toothpaste
Year 4 Families: Instant noodles / 2 minute noodles
Year 5 Families: Cups of soup or cans of soup / boxes of teabags
Year 6 Families: Packets of crackers or biscuits / instant coffee

You can bring these items into school anytime this term.

Friday 14 June will be “Fluffy Friday”
All students are invited to wear a scarf/ beanie /pj’s /tracksuit /fluffy socks / slippers etc, to remind us of how grateful we are to have warm, comfy clothes to wear during these cold winter months.

Mother’s Day Liturgy
Please join us on Friday 10 May straight after drop off for a ‘cuppa’ as we celebrate all the beautiful woman in our lives. At 9:15am our gorgeous Reception students will lead us in a small liturgy and entertain us with their angelic singing.

With Gratitude
Dominque Laurendi

CANTEEN - TUCK SHOP BITES
Welcome back for Term 2! We have lots of delicious and warming foods to choose from which are always popular in the winter months, including mac and cheese, lasagne, vegetarian (gluten free) fried rice, pizza slabs and more. 

What's new
We'll be introducing Mrs Mac's "Lite'n Up" range for hot pastries in Term 2, replacing Balfours. 

Mrs Mac's are made in South Australia and are rated "amber" in the school canteen rating system. Please note - this doesn't relate to all Mrs Mac's products, just the Lite'n Up range.

Mrs Mac's 175g pies and 120g sausage rolls are available for order. We are currently looking for a pasty replacement, subject to demand and stock availability.

What's hot (and cool!)
Sour Popz in grape and lemon flavours continue to be very popular after we introduced them at the beginning of the year! With less additives than Zooper Doopers and less food miles, being made by Golden North ice cream in beautiful Laura, we love that the kids love them for a cool treat. 

What's not 
Corntos continue to be out of stock as the manufacturers refresh their packaging - students will be relieved to know the much-loved Corntos taste remains the same. We hope they'll be back in lunch orders and available for purchase soon.

Reminder
In Term 2 recess and lunch are back to whole school breaks. This means the canteen will be open for over-the-counter purchases at lunchtime only and recess sales will cease.

Students can collect part of their order for recess if they wish - eg muffins, chips, pretzels and Fruit Nuggets. Any ice blocks ordered as part of a lunch order can only be collected at lunch time - please remind your child to bring their lunch order bag with them.

Thank you
Thanks to all the volunteers who continue to support the canteen - we couldn't do it without you!

If you'd like to join us, we always welcome new volunteers and pride ourselves on creating a fun and welcoming environment. 

For any current volunteers who haven't yet completed their online "DoFoodSafely" certification, please visit https://dofoodsafely.health.vic.gov.au/index.php/en/, take the quick quiz and email your certificate to dtaggert@star.catholic.edu.au 

Wishing you a very happy Term 2!

Dee
Canteen Manager

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

This year, with the easing of Covid restrictions, the School Board is hoping to run a traditional Annual General Meeting on…

Monday 20 May 2024 – 7pm in the Stella Maris Room

The format for the evening will be:

1. Welcome
2. Prayer
3. Presentation of reports
4. Elections of Board Members
5. Thank you from the School Board Chair

Nominations – Included in this newsletter is a Nomination Form.  Please consider if you would like to take up this most important role.  Below is a description of the role of a School Board member.  If you wish to nominate, return the signed form after having someone in the community (ie another adult) sign to second your nomination.  Nominations close on Wednesday 10 May 2024.  School Board appointment are for two years.  Many School Board members renominate for another period of two years, while some choice not to.  Every year 50% of the positions become vacant for which community members can nominate.

What do School Board Members Do?

The faith community has a responsibility for the maintenance and development of its Catholic school.  A practical way of accepting its responsibility is to appoint some of its members to use their gifts in working with the Principal and staff in School Board ministry.

There are 5 elements of community responsibility that the School Board undertakes:

• Policy Direction – to guide the school
• Financial Management – to account for and administer all income
• Planning & Development – for the present & future
• Pastoral Care – is care for people (students, parents & staff)
• Evaluation – of the effect of policy decisions

The School Board meets monthly during the four school terms (on the Monday of weeks 4 & 8 at 7pm).  Meetings run for no longer than two hours, at which discussion is based around reports from the P&F, Principal, Parish, Staff, Treasurer/Bursar and other key groups.

If you require any further information, please feel free to contact me.

Damian Weeks
Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Week 3!

Star of the Sea Walk Safely to School: Friday 17 May
We look forward to our families joining us for our ‘walking buses’ this Friday morning. We will have three ‘walk to school’ buses leaving from three different locations.

The first bus will be driven by Mr Caridi and Mrs Iasiello and will leave from the Grange Kiosk. The second bus will leave from St Michael’s College meeting on (Mitton Avenue), then along Lawrie Street and then to school via Marlborough Street. 

The third bus will leave from Joe’s Kiosk, Henley Beach and will be driven by Mr Pigliacelli. 

All buses will leave their respective starting points at 8:00am and should arrive at school by 8.30am. Upon arrival at school, students will be provided with a hot chocolate from the canteen. 

Child Safety Information and Guidelines
At Star of the Sea, we recognise that every child has the right to be safe and free from all kinds of abuse, including bullying and harassment, and neglect. Schools are mandated child safe environments with legal, policy and procedural requirements for staff and volunteers.

The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools (SACCS) requires its schools to implement child safety policies and practices, including child safety education. At Star of the Sea, we teach the Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum.

In the attached link you will find the Child Protection policies and associated materials our school and system adheres to: https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/safe-environments-for-all

Parent Survey – Parent Workshops
In collaboration with the P&F, Star of the Sea school is looking for feedback from families about areas they would like to learn more about with our school running parent/caregiver workshops to meet the needs of our families.    There is a quick less than 1-minute form to fill out via the link below. The form closes this Friday 17 May.

https://forms.office.com/r/atfUJNNLE6

You can also access the form via the QR Code below.

Have a happy and safe fortnight
Annette Diassinas

Dear Families

We are looking forward to Friday’s celebration of our new building with tours starting from 2pm.  The highlight of our celebration will be at the end of the day on the green courts, where we will have some entertainment, coffee cart, sausage sizzle and tattoos for any families who would like to join in the celebration, whether it be for 15 mins or one hour!  Tours will continue every 15 mins after school.  Hoping to see you there.

AGM
We have held our AGM, which reviewed the 2023 year, and I am pleased to announce that you can read all the reports which are on our website.  Thank you to everyone that contributed to the reports and to all the School Board members who graciously give of their time.

The new School Board will gather for their first meeting on Monday June 17th.  We welcome new members Jessica Superina, Jessica Rutkiewicz and Alana Dichiera who will be joining continuing elected members Dave Slovinec, Nathan Foulis, Elizabeth Sarris, Amy Diggins and Kirsty McCulloch.  Our two continuing nominated members are Emma Marsden and a staff representative to be announced soon.  The other members are Ex-Officio, being the Parish Priest Father Manu and School Leadership Damian Weeks and Annette Diassinas.  We thank retiring members Kopano Shepheard, Brad Dunstan and Katerina Andrushenko for their service.  Kopano served on the Board for two years, bringing the perspective of the staff to our discussions. Brad had been on the Board for four years and was part of the Maintenance Committee that has done such good work around our school, especially in regard to the oval.  Katerina had been on the Board for two years and played an important role on our Finance Committee during this time.  Thank you Kopano, Brad and Katerina for giving your time to help improve our school.

Personalised Plans for Learning (PPLs)
If your child has one of these plans, we will email these to you next week.  This document is a living, changing document that possibly will change as the year goes on.

The PPL has a section for a parent signature indicating that the document has been developed as a collaboration between the family and school. If you can sign the PPL electronically, please feel free to return a signed copy of the PPL via email to your child’s teacher.  If you cannot sign this electronically, there is a proforma that can be signed and returned to school.

Long Service Leave
I will be taking term 3 off and will be visiting the USA during this time.  Please find attached a letter from CESA announcing that Annette will be the Acting Principal and Kelly the Acting Deputy during this time.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Dear Families, 

Welcome to Week 5!

Vote of thanks
Have you heard your child talk about an educational or administrative support officer working in our school? We are blessed to have a wonderful group of individuals who go above and beyond to support all elements of school life from learning, wellbeing, OSHC, front office, grounds, intervention, library, playgroup, Little Stars and the canteen. We recently acknowledged their contribution to our school during World Support Staff Appreciation Week. Their work, support and connection with our young people has a big impact for so many in our community. We extend our thanks and gratitude for their valuable contributions to Star of the Sea School.

Teaching and Learning
This year our intensive professional learning focus for our staff is the area of Mathematics and Numeracy. We have been guided by a CESA consultant, Carla Thomas, who meets fortnightly with the Leadership team and Leaders of Learning to deep dive into how numeracy is taught and assessed at our school. The key components of this professional learning include establishing a school Numeracy Agreement, using our student data to inform numeracy improvement strategies, planning and mapping curriculum and assessments aligned to Version 9 of the Australian curriculum, exploring and utilising key pedagogical practices and resources for teaching Mathematics effectively and using case management to inform intervention required. We look forward to continuing this work to ensure consistency across our school and achieve better outcomes for all our learners in Numeracy moving forward.

School Events
There was quite the buzz in the air last Friday with two memorable events at Star of the Sea. The first was the slick McLaren car that transported Daniel in Year 3 to school as part of the SAFM Dream Ride competition. What an entrance and what a car! The smile on Daniel’s face went from ear to ear and the sound of the engine as it left our school grounds was loud! We received feedback from the SAFM crew letting us know how wonderful and accommodating Daniel, our students and staff from Star of the Sea were to make this memorable event occur. It is always wonderful to hear positive feedback! The afternoon concluded with our whole school gathering on the courts to witness some very talented students perform for our annual Stars Got Talent event. The audience was treated to wonderful performances, ranging from singing, dancing, piano playing, theatre and gymnastics. The surprise of the afternoon was from one of our ESO’s, Connor McLeod who blew everyone away with his stunning vocal performance!

Wellbeing
I was reminded of the quote below when I was supporting a young person recently and thought it was a good reminder for all of us as parents who can sometimes feel frustrated by challenging behaviours.

In most situations, your child does not want advice – what they want is relationship. Their emotional response is NOT saying ‘fix this’, it is saying ‘see this.’

Action for Happiness: Joyful June

June’s focus on the Action for Happiness website centres on joy! Rephrasing our questions with our children after school about their day to focus on a positive could be a simple way of seeing joy in what may sometimes be a ‘full’ or ‘overwhelming day’. Many of our classes have gratitude journals which support this notion of appreciating the blessing we have in our lives. I encourage you to look at June’s joyful suggestions with your children to see if you can action some of them as a family.

https://actionforhappiness.org/sites/default/files/Jun%202024.pdf

Enjoy the weekend ahead!

Kelly Manera
Assistant Principal Learning and Wellbeing

Dear Families,

It was delightful meeting new and old families at our Transition Class induction meeting this week.  We have 36 new students joining our school next term, spread across two classes.  We will be welcome teachers Ella Borlase, Ali Rebuli & Caterina Ferragamo. Our new students will have their first visit next week.

NEW BUILDING CELEBRATION
Thank you to everyone that attended our celebration, despite the inclement weather there was a good crowd, who ate all the sausages!  Many people went on tours of the new building, led by our senior student leaders, who we thank for their time. Thanks also to Kaya and the school choir and bands for providing the delightful entertainment.

LITTLE STARS
As one group of students move from this program into our mid-year class, another group of students begin next term. This will be the group of students that will make up some of our 2025 Reception intake.

SCHOOL REPORTS
As you know we have moved to a learning management system called SEQTA ENGAGE, and we are taking the next step in our School Report process this term.  School Reports will be emailed via the SEQTA ENGAGE system on Tuesday 2 July.  All families will need to have activated your SEQTA account to access your child/ren’s reports, emails have been sent.

On Monday 1 July teachers will email families a “Curriculum Overview” that outlines the work covered in each subject area, relating to the Semester 1 Report.

The reports will be followed up by a chance to meet with your child’s teacher in term 3, the week beginning Monday 29 July (the second week of term).  Please do not feel that you have to make an appointment, it is really only if you would like to ask questions about the report and your child’s progress.

PUPIL FREE DAY
Just a reminder about day one of term 3 is Monday 22 July that this will be a Pupil Free Day.

OSHC UPDATE
I wish to inform you that Donna Marshall has resigned, for personal reasons, from the position of OSHC Director.

We are very thankful that Miffy has and will continue to be the Acting Director this term.

The position of OSHC Director has been advertised today and we expect to hold interviews in week 9.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Dear Families,

Can you believe we are almost at the end of the term. It has been great to reflect on the term and see the wonderful learning and opportunities the students had.  There have been lots of excursions across the year levels and watching our new reception children transition to school ready to start next term.  I wish you all well for the school holiday break. 

YEAR LEVEL ASSEMBLIES
I have had the pleasure of attending a number of these over the past few weeks. I am always so impressed with how comfortable our students are at public speaking. Such an important lifelong skill to foster – as not everyone likes speaking in front of large audiences. The learning that has been showcased to parents and families has been most impressive and I thank all the teachers and students for their work in preparing these gatherings. The turnout from the community demonstrates how valued these events are.

LITTLE STARS
As one group of students move from this wonderful program, led by Tania Condelli, Kylie Casey and Tarnee Moray, another group of students will begin next term. This group of students will make up some of our 2025 Reception intake and we will be running one session on Wednesday. We warmly welcome our ‘Little Stars’ and their families to our school community.

ASSESSMENT AND REPORTING
As we move towards the first written report of the year being distributed in Week 10 of this term digitally via SEQTA Engage, we thought that it would be timely to re-share some information about the role Assessment and Reporting plays in our school. Staff spend many hours each week planning and refining teaching and learning programs to provide the best opportunities for each student to learn and showcase their knowledge, understandings and growth and a large part of this is using the information gathered from ongoing assessments to move learning forward.

At Star of the Sea School, assessment refers to how information and data are gathered, and the inferences staff make from these about student progress and achievement. Reporting refers to how this progress and achievement is shared with students and their families. It is an ongoing connected process and involves continually sharing this information in a variety of different mediums, not just a written report twice a year. This can be done through providing feedback to students and families, work samples, observations, photos, conferencing, learning conversations and many other ways. Assessments provide opportunity to report and give feedback to students and families about how they are going in their learning, what they have mastered and what they still need to master.

The Australian Curriculum defines the knowledge, understanding and skills that students are directed to learn each year. This information is contained in the achievement standard for each learning area. These standards are underpinned by the content descriptors and general capabilities, which provide the learning intentions and the success criteria that are used to plan with. Other curriculum documents that are used include the Child Protection Curriculum, Crossways Religious Education Curriculum and the MITIOG (Made in the Image of God) framework. If you have any questions about your child’s learning goals, please do not hesitate to speak to their teacher.

P&F – STARS NIGHT OUT
A big shout out to the dedicated P&F team who organised a very Successful Stars Night Out last Saturday.  Our parent community had a great time at the event and the P&F Team have received lots of messages in thanks for the fun night out – I am sure just what many of our parents needed. We are grateful to the P&F for all they do in continuing to build community in our school.  Next term the P&F will be organising a School Disco for our students which we know will be a wonderful event. 

With kindness
Annette Diassinas

Dear Families

Welcome to the cold weather that has come thick and fast!  There is still plenty going on as we race towards the school holidays.  Look out next week for Curriculum outlines (Monday) and Semester 1 Reports (Tuesday).  Remember that you access the reports through the SEQTA Engage App.  This is the next step with SEQTA and our first attempt at using it to engage with families.  If you do not receive the report on Tuesday, please contact the front office.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Last week we held our first meeting of our new School Board.  We thank all members for volunteering their time to make our school a better place.  For 2024 members have volunteered for the following portfolios:

• Chair – David Slovinec
• Vice-Chair - Kirsty McCulloch
• Finance - Nathan Foulis
• Education Committee - Elizabeth Sarris, Alana Dichiera
• OSHC Committee - Jess Superina
• MDC Committee – Amy Diggins
• P&F Rep - Emma Marsden
• Maintenance Committee - Jessica Rutkiewicz

APPROVAL TO ADD A NEW PUPIL FREE DAY IN 2025
Many schools have four of these days to accommodate the pressures of teacher work.  At our school we only have three.  In the case of teachers here at Star of the Sea School, just one of the areas that has grown enormously in my four years here is our work on the NCCD.  Four years ago, we supported 39 students with their learning with 7 ESOs.  Today we support 115 students with the help of 36 ESOs.  On average, this means every class in our school has four days a week of two adults in the classroom (however in reality it does not quite work out like this). 

Four years ago, the teacher workload in this area was manageable. This is no longer the case due to the large amount of paperwork and the building of a case for support for children takes many hours.  As the School Principal I have tried to make sure that we provide a large amount of staff meeting time to assist teachers with this work.  However, the last two years has meant that there is a growing number of hours that teachers are giving up in their own personal time to gain this support for students.  Interestingly, this new work that did not exist four years ago, has been added to teacher workload without anything being removed!  Given that our staff so generously give up so many extra hours for the education of your children it is time we give a little back.

From 2025, a new pupil free day will occur on the Friday of the March long weekend, where we will devote the day to working on the NCCD.  For 2025, this falls on Friday 7 March 2025.

PARKING
At our meeting, the School Board looked at a proposal for safety around our school at the drop off and pick up time.  We would like to remind everyone about the priority for student safety at this time, when many cars are moving around the school, especially at the student crossings.  We have noticed an increase in the number of parents who do not use the crossings because it is metres out of their way.  We would like those parents to consider what your actions are saying to your children and those children watching.  If everyone takes a little time to be safe and not rush around our school, at drop off and pickup, our school can be a very safe place.  For parking, you may not know that there are a number parking sports along the beach where you could have a 3 minute stroll to our school!

TERM 3 RECEPTION
Next term 37 students will be attending school for their first time in our two mid-year Reception classes.  We will be welcome teachers Ella Borlase, Ali Rebuli & Caterina Ferragamo.

NEW OSHC DIRECTOR
I am pleased to announce that Miffy Young has been appointed to this substantive position.  Miffy has worked in the child care industry for over 30 years and has many qualifications in this area.  She has been involved in OSHC programs at a number of schools, including the role of Director.  Miffy spent a few days as Assistant Director of our program before being elevated to Acting Director early this term. I am sure you will join me congratulating Miffy on her appointment.

LONG SERVICE LEAVE
As you are probably aware I am taking leave next term and will be touring the USA.  I am not sure if I am more excited about the touring or escaping winter for another summer!  The school will be in good hands with Annette Diassinas and Kelly Manera being elevated to acting positions of Principal and Deputy during this time.

CASUAL CLOTHES
As usual the last day of term is casual clothes, just for fun!

PUPIL FREE DAY
Just a reminder about day one of term 3, Monday 22 July will be a Pupil Free Day.

Enjoy the holidays
Damian Weeks

STAFF RETREAT DAY

          “We must strive to do ordinary things extraordinarily well.” Catherine McAuley

On Monday 22 July, our Pupil Free Day, the Star of the Sea staff came together for a retreat day, called “My Journey. Your Journey. Our Journey”. Our staff retreat day was a wonderful opportunity to get to know new staff members, connect with each other, hear stories, reflect and pray together.

It was wonderful to be able to gather as a whole school staff community where we had 70 staff attend.

We were graciously hosted by the Sunny Brae Estate where we were well looked after and generously fed.

Our guest speaker for the day and  was Sr Cynthia Griffin who has been a Sister of Mercy for more than 70 years is an old scholar of Star of the Sea.

Sr Cynthia took us on a historical journey where she shared how Catherine McAuley began the Sisters of Mercy order and how they eventually established our school here at Henley Beach.

We were also blessed to have some other old scholars come and speak to us about their memories of Star of the Sea and how being part of this community has had a lasting impact on their lives.

As a staff we listened to stories of our school’s history, we reflected on how the Mercy values are still important for our students today and we looked forward to what is needed for the future of Star of the Sea.

It was a spiritually nourishing day and a beautiful way to honour the past, present and future of our wonderful school.

I leave you with a quote that Sr Cynthia kept referring to during the day and encapsulates our day together so beautifully.

“Leadership involves a creative interplay between Past, Present and Future, where the memory of our roots gives us courage in the face of the unknown.” - Pope Francis.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM
Term 3 is a very special term for most of our Year 4 students as they will be celebrating the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion later on in September.

We ask that our school community keep these students in your prayers, as these students travel along this important path of their faith journey.

With Gratitude,
Dominque Laurendi

Feast Day of Blessed Mary MacKillop

Today is the feast day of Blessed Mary MacKillop, the day we remember and celebrate the life and work of St Mary of the Cross.  Mary was an ordinary Australian like you and me. She worked with the poor and disadvantaged.

Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first canonised Saint. We celebrate the important role she played in making education accessible for children in our country. Mary MacKillop devoted her life to ensuring a holistic Catholic education for children from rural, poor families. St Mary MacKillop's impact on Australian education was remarkable.

May we too, always seek to find happiness in making others happy as St Mary of the Cross did. 

Prayer

Loving God,
You called St Mary MacKillop to be a beacon of hope and compassion.
Through her example of faith and service, she spread Your love to those in need.
Help us to embrace a spirit of generosity and peace.
Amen

Feast of the Assumption of Mary Thursday 15 August

Next Thursday is a special day – it is the feast of the Assumption of Mary – when we remember how at the end of her life Mary was taken up to heaven to be with God. Mary is very special because she was chosen by God to be the mother of God's son, Jesus. And Mary says yes to all that God asks of her.

On Thursday our Years 3-6 students will remember and honour our Mother Mary by attending the 9:15 Parish mass and our Reception -Year 2 students will celebrate with a liturgy at school at 2:00pm in the Stella Maris Room. This will be lead by our Year 2 students. Everyone is welcome to come join either celebration.

With Gratitude,
Dominique Laurendi

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Week 5. There is no denying that the Olympic spirit and national pride is currently front and centre in many households. I do get emotional watching our amazing athletes give it their all in their chosen fields, but I must admit the tears flow whenever the media pans to their athletes’ parents and family members. What a sense of pride they must feel when they witness the talents of their amazing children! It pulls at the heartstrings - that is for sure. One of our teachers, Ella Borlase is currently in Paris watching her sister Isabelle play for the Australian Opal’s basketball team. At only 19 years of age, and a member of SA’s Forestville Eagles, she has accomplished her dream of representing Australia. As I write this week’s newsletter, I am proud to say that our Opals convincingly won the quarterfinal against Serbia, giving them a chance to medal for the first time since the London Olympics!

Book Week Parade and Family Storytime
We look forward to celebrating our annual Book Week Parade in Week 5 on Tuesday 20th August at 9:15 on the courts. The theme this year is ‘Reading is Magic’ and we invite all our students and staff to dress up. This is a community event where we warmly welcome you to witness the colourful parade. After the parade you are invited to read a story with your child in their classrooms until 10:45am All welcome!

Student Safety
Student safety is our priority particularly before and after school. A reminder that teacher supervision is provided each morning from 8:20am -8:50am and each afternoon from 3:05pm-3:25pm. Students onsite outside of these times require supervision by carers or our OSHC service.

Numeracy Focus
Our staff are continuing to engage in professional learning in the area of Numeracy. This work has seen the development of a Star of the Sea Numeracy agreement, and a scope and sequence aligned with the Australian Curriculum for every year level. In conjunction with this you may also notice assessment tasks utilising the Catholic Education Performance Standards that are directly linked to the Achievement Standards. The purpose of the performance standards clearly explains the learning the students are expected to demonstrate at an A, B, C, D and E level. In addition, moving forward numeracy instruction will include daily reviews, explicit instruction (I do, you do, we do) to cement understanding and opportunities for transfer and application of new knowledge and skills.

Wellbeing: Stronger Families – A Positive Parenting Conference
Catholic Schools Parents South Australia (CSPSA) are offering a day event on Saturday 31 August that will be facilitated by prominent parent experts on the following topics:

Maggie Dent: Help Me, Help My Teen
Paul Dillon: Teens, Parties, Alcohol and Vapes – What Parents Need to Know
Madhavi Nawana Parker: Maintaining Calm Amidst Parenting Challenges.

For more information visit  the following link.

Wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead.

Go well,
Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

Below is some of our discussions from our School Board Meeting in Week 4.

COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAFF
This week, you would have received communication regarding the importance of staff wellbeing, along with updates to the Fair Work Act 2009 concerning employees' "right to disconnect." In line with these changes, our teachers will now respond to emails only during their working hours, which are from 8.00am to 5.00pm, Monday to Friday.

Please also keep in mind that due to their busy classroom schedules, teachers may require up to 48 hours to respond to non-urgent communications. While their dedication to providing the best education for your children remains steadfast, immediate responses may not always be possible for non-urgent matters.

Thank you for your understanding and support on this matter.

CHURCH CAR PARK
The Sacred Heart Parish continues to face challenges with some families disregarding carpark etiquette by parking in spaces reserved for parish members, creating their own parking spots, or using disability spaces without a valid permit. These actions prevent those who genuinely need these spaces from accessing them.

What exacerbates the situation is the response our parish staff receive when they ask these individuals to move—often met with arrogance or refusing to move. This behaviour is completely contrary to the values of our school community. I strongly urge parents and grandparents to reflect on their behaviour and consider the impact it has on others.

To address this issue, new measures have been implemented, including the use of bollards to prevent unauthorised parking in reserved spaces. However, if this disrespectful behaviour towards our parish staff persists, the Parish will be forced to take further action, which could include limiting access to the carpark entirely.

There is ample parking available along the beach, just a short 2-minute walk away. Please make every effort to park there.

Please do the right thing, prioritise the safety of our families, and ensure we treat everyone with the respect they deserve.

Below are some pictures indicating areas where parking is strictly prohibited at all times.

NAMING OF THE NEW BUILDING
I am pleased to announce that our new building will be named the Chevalier Building. Before the recent building project, the previous structure also bore the name Chevalier Building, in honour of Jules Chevalier, the founder of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, who is central to our Star of the Sea Charism.

This naming decision will be officially communicated to Catholic Education. Once a suitable date and time have been coordinated with officials from the State and Federal Government, as well as Catholic Education, a formal opening ceremony will be scheduled.

Dear Families,

It has been great to see some sunnier days and warmer weather over the past couple of weeks as we now enter the season of Spring. 

NAPLAN 2024
We would like to share this year’s NAPLAN results with you which highlight our students' progress in literacy and numeracy. Both our Year 3 and Year 5 students achieved a strong proficiency across all domains, reflecting the hard work of our students, dedication of our teachers, and support of our school community. In celebrating these successes, we also remain focused on areas for growth to help every student reach their full potential. When compared to data from other Catholic schools in the West, Catholic Education overall, and the state and national averages, our students excelled, further underscoring their achievements. These results truly speak for themselves.

At Star of the Sea, we pride ourselves on using data-informed practices to guide our educational decisions. NAPLAN data provides us with invaluable insights, helping us to identify both strengths and areas for growth. This allows us to tailor our teaching and implement targeted interventions, ensuring that every student is on the path to success.

Our teachers have been diligently analysing and reflecting on these results, celebrating our successes while also pinpointing key areas for further development. Strong performance across all NAPLAN domains this year serves as both a confirmation of our current strategies and a catalyst for refining them further.

Throughout the year, we engage in continuous monitoring, using a variety of data sources to track student progress and make informed decisions. This proactive approach ensures that we remain at the forefront of your child's education, consistently refining our methods and incorporating the latest evidence-based practices.

At the heart of everything we do is the success of our students. By combining data-driven practices with reflective teaching and consistent monitoring, we create an environment where every student can thrive. We are committed to working closely with parents and the community to support our students on their learning journeys and to ensure their continued success.

CLASS PLACEMENTS FOR 2025
As we begin planning for the 2025 school year, we will soon be working on class structures and student placements. If you have specific requests regarding your child’s placement for 2025, we kindly ask that you submit the form found on our website by Friday 18 October (Friday, Week 1). These requests may relate to your child’s specific learning, social, or emotional needs.

In addition to parent input, students will also have the opportunity to contribute by selecting a few friends they would like to be with next year.

Please note that while we will do our best to accommodate requests received by the due date, it becomes increasingly challenging to make adjustments once this date has passed. The placement of one student can impact the entire class dynamic, making late changes difficult to manage.

We want to emphasise that requests for specific teachers or teacher gender will not be considered. Our teachers invest significant time and professional judgment into the class placement process, relying on their knowledge of each student's unique needs. Once placements are finalized, changes will not be possible. It is important to recognize the complexity of placing 500 students into groups that best support their learning and social development.

Please email any requests to vandrews@star.catholic.edu.au
Rest assured, these will be shared with the teachers to assist in the placement process.

BEFORE SCHOOL EARLY ATTENDANCE
We have noticed an increase in the number of students arriving at school before 8:20 am, with some being dropped off as early as 8.00 am. Please be aware that there is no supervision in the yard before 8.20 am, which raises safety concerns for these early arrivals.

To ensure the safety of all students, any child who arrives at school before 8:20 am will be taken to our OSHC (Out of School Hours Care) service, which will incur a charge to the family.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation in helping us keep all students safe.

LIVING LEARNING LEADING SCHOOL SURVEY WINNERS

Thank you to everyone who participated in our feedback survey. We greatly appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts and insights. Your feedback is invaluable in guiding our future direction at Star of the Sea.

Congratulations to Rachel Cooke, Marnie Wade, Marina D'Cruz, and Belinda Bird, who each won a $50 gift voucher for completing our LLL Parent Survey.

Have a safe and happy fortnight.

Annette Diassinas
Acting Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Week 7. I must say I am enjoying the brighter mornings and sunnier days! As always Star of the Sea continues to be a hive of activity. I have been most impressed with our learner’s engagement in classroom and extra-curricular activities over the past few weeks, with Book Week, sport carnivals and camp being significant highlights!

As we head into Week 8 and 9, we look forward to our Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 students taking part in our 4-day swimming program. The team at iSwim at Immanuel College consistently provide an outstanding program for our young people. A big thank you to Ms Victory and teachers for facilitating this opportunity.

On Wednesday, next week, our Year 5 students will head to El Shaddai camp at Wellington for their much-awaited camp. The students will take part in a variety of activities throughout the 2-night, 3-day camp. I acknowledge and thank our committed staff who leave their families to supervise and enjoy this experience with the students. Annette and I are looking forward to spending some time with our campers too, hopefully we can have a go at canoeing and be inspired by our Aussie Olympic and Para-Olympians.

ICT User Agreement Reminders
Students and families are reminded of our ICT User Agreement. The devices that children use for learning are provided by Star of the Sea School and therefore belong to the school. Students are reminded that these are to be used as a learning tool only and must be taken care of. In the instance of damage, devices must be repaired or replaced. This becomes a costly exercise, when students are not taking due care of their iPad or Laptop. The ICT User Agreement, states that families will share the cost of device repairs and that devices will be removed for a negotiated time if children are using these for activities other than learning. Many thanks for your continued support of our school policies and practices.

In addition, I have included some information about some Apps parents should be aware of. Please refer to the image below for more information.

Year 1 Phonics Screening Check
Last week our Year 1 students undertook a phonics screening check (PSC) which is mandatory in all CESA Diocesan Schools. The screener is an additional tool that helps inform our teachers and system on how our learners are progressing in phonics. It is undertaken with children 1:1 by the classroom teacher. This assessment, in addition to our DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Literacy Skills) assessments undertaken twice per year continue to support the teaching, learning and intervention of literacy at our school.   

Enjoy the weekend ahead with your families…….and I hope to be playing the Port Power song first thing Friday morning!

Go well,

Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

Sacramental Program – Sacrament of Confirmation

The past week has been a very special time for 60 of our Star of the Sea Students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation. These were celebrated over 3 evening ceremonies. We were fortunate to have Fr Dean Marin, the Vicar General, who came to preside the ceremonies. This coming weekend, these students will also receive the sacrament of First Holy Communion where they will be welcomed into the Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach Parish.

During the past few months these students have been growing and journeying together, reflecting on their lives and their own experiences. They have grown in their knowledge and love of God; that same knowledge and love they have shared within their families and within the life of our Church.

I would like to personally thank the Year 4 class teachers, Adam Francis, Maria Trimarchi and Mel Tokic for preparing these students and assisting me with the entire Sacramental Program

Thank you to all the families, friends and sponsors for supporting these young students on this important milestone in their faith journey.

May God continue to shine upon them all and bless them always.

The Marine Discovery Centre has now released 8 exciting episodes of Porci’s Ocean Patrol! Porci (pronounced "pour-key"), a friendly Porcupine Fish, takes viewers on a journey through the fascinating marine life of South Australia’s oceans, while teaching valuable lessons about protecting these creatures, exploring Aboriginal culture, and promoting environmental sustainability.

In addition to starring MDC's own Karno and Georgie, episodes from episode 2 onwards feature students from Star of the Sea School. Each episode is about 8 minutes long and comes with downloadable activities and teacher resources. Plus, students participating in the Children’s University program can earn hours towards their passport by completing these tasks through the Children’s University portal.

The Marine Discovery Centre is working towards generating income from YouTube once we reach 1,000 subscribers. We’re calling on our community to help us reach this milestone! Please subscribe to our channel using the link below, share it with friends and family, and be the first to know when new episodes drop.

Your support helps sustain the Marine Discovery Centre—thank you for being part of our mission!

https://www.youtube.com/@porcisoceanpatrol

You can also download all of the free educational resources for each episode here: https://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/porci-s-ocean-patrol/series-episodes

One-minute videos and student activities here: https://www.marinediscoverycentre.com.au/porci-s-ocean-patrol/activities

Prayer for the beginning of the term

Dear God,
As we begin this new term, we ask for Your guidance and wisdom.

Help us to learn with open hearts and open minds, to work hard, and support one another.

Bless our teachers with patience and understanding, and fill our classrooms with kindness, respect, and joy.

Bless all parents with gratitude and appreciation, may they encourage the students to be more like Jesus and show love towards others.

May this term bring growth, success, and a deeper sense of purpose.

Amen

As we begin Term 4 and head into the silly season of Christmas and summer, many of us are counting down the days to the end of the term or keeping track of how many sleeps until Christmas.

While this gives us something to look forward to and is fun for our children, it can also be a distraction of living in the ‘now’ and being grateful for the blessings which are in front of us in the present.

Living in the moment allows us to fully embrace the present, appreciating the simple beauty of what is right in front of us. When we focus on the here and now, we let go of the constant pull of the past and the anxiety of the future. Gratitude naturally follows, as we begin to recognize the value in our everyday experiences, the warmth of a conversation, the smile of a stranger, the feel of sunshine, or even the quiet moments of stillness. By being present, we open ourselves to deeper joy and contentment, realizing that this moment is enough.

When we find ourselves being overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of life, we are reminded to be kind to ourselves, to give our worries to God and above all else: ‘Do everything with Love” – 1 Corinthians 6:14

Mercy Week & Mission Week

Over weeks 3 & 4 our students will be exploring the life of Catherine McAuley, the founder of the Sisters of Mercy. We will be learning about her life and how her values and charism have shaped and influenced our school to be the place it is today. 

The students will explore ways we can live out the Mercy values and how acts of service bring about justice towards others, especially those less fortunate than us. 

Here is a schedule of what we will focus on each day during the 2 weeks.

On Tuesday 5 November we are asking families to donate an item for the Vinnies food bunker which is located over at Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church.

Here is a list of the items that they desperately need:

• Jars of vegemite and peanut butter
• Cereal (Weetbix and Cornflakes)
• Pasta Sauce
• Cans of sweet corn
• Cans of peas and carrots
• Cans of tuna
• Cans of soup
• Packets of pasta / spaghetti
• Cans of fruit

*NO tinned baked beans or spaghetti please – they already have an abundance of these items

On Wednesday 6 November, we are asking families to donate any clothes items that are no longer needed. Please bring these along and we will organise to have them delivered to Vinnies.

Mission Market Day is on Friday 8 November at 1:30pm – 2:30pm. Each class from Years 3 to 6 will oversee two stalls, one that sells goods and one that is activity based. Each class teacher will send out more information regarding what is needed for your class stalls.

This is a cashless event, and our Mission Day Donation Cards will be available to purchase on QKR from next week. Please go to School Fundraising / Charity Collections / 2024 Mission Day Market and choose from a $2.00, $5.00 or $10.00 donation card. Please ensure you purchase a card for each individual child. Sales close on Wednesday 6 November. Cards will be given to the children on the day. Goods, raffles and activities range from 50c to several dollars. Cards are stamped as students visit the stalls. Completed cards are recycled to enter the ‘Grand Prize Raffle’ which will be drawn after lunch. As cards are considered a donation, no money will be refunded. 

All money donated will go towards assisting Vinnies with the amazing work they do in supporting families in our local community.

As always, thank you for your generosity and continued support.

With Gratitude,
Dominque Laurendi

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Welcome to Week 4!

Children’s University
This week we will acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of the Children’s University graduates for 2024. Children’s University is offered to students in Years 2-6 and focusses on celebrating the learning that happens outside the classroom and school environment. Many of our students have been involved for several years. We thank Kim Martin who has co-ordinated the program.

A big congratulations to the following students!

End of Year Testing and Data Collection
Currently, our learners across all cohorts are undertaking diagnostic assessments in DIBELS (phonics/reading), PAT R (reading) and PAT M (numeracy). This is part of our ongoing commitment to track student progress, development and growth. These results will be analysed by our classroom teachers and leadership, at an individual, class and whole school level to ascertain areas that show strengths and areas that require an increased focus for 2025. Our DIBELS data will be used to inform Tier 2 and Tier 3 intervention supports required for 2025.

Student wellbeing is also collected each term, and it is important to remember that academic success and student wellbeing are closely linked, with each influencing and reinforcing the other. Elements such as self-esteem, persistence, motivation, resilience and a growth mindset all contribute to students’ positive wellbeing and experiences at school. We are encouraged that this will be a priority in 2025 as we commence our whole school commitment to PBIS (Positive Behaviour Intervention Supports).

Numerical Acumen Awards
Year 4TO have been working on their basic number facts using Numerical Acumen. This platform challenges students to master mental computation strategies and aims to increase the recall speed of basic number facts and other mathematical facts as well as improve accuracy and speed to calculate the answers to Mathematic problems. This year, the class entered the Numerical Acumen Semester One Challenge and three of our students have won awards for achievements in the Year 4 category. Congratulations to:

• Florence P – Dedication Award
• Stella P – Improvement Award
• Frankie H – Performance Award

Morning and After School Duty
Just a reminder that children will be supervised by staff in the mornings from 8:20am. We continue to see an increasing number of children being dropped off early and having to wait in the front office. We understand family work commitments, however duty of care is a priority, and in the mornings our staff are fulfilling their beginning of day responsibilities prior to yard supervision. We appreciate your support.

Enjoy the week ahead!

Go well,

Kelly Manera
Acting Deputy Principal

Hello Friends

It goes without saying, but this term seems to be rapidly flying past. So fast in fact, that the annual Christmas Pageant in town is happening this Saturday 9 November. This event is always a signal to me that the year is nearing its completion. As we complete Week 4 of this term and enter Week 5, I remind families that students need to have their hats with them for outside play, sport lessons and fitness lessons. Please apply sunscreen to your child in the morning and this can re-applied during the day.

Carols Night 2019

The 2019 Carols Nights at Star of the Sea is fast approaching. The night will celebrated on 6 December, on the school oval. This year, Carols Night will be an Alcohol Free event. Please support this initiative by bringing and consuming soft drinks or water only. The P and F will be supplying soft drinks for purchase and the usual BBQ delights. This year, the Parents and Friends will be accepting pre orders for food via QKR. Families will be able to order their food for the evening on one order and present it to the P and F BBQ area for collection on the evening. Reserved Grass Area seating will be available via the Parents and Friends’ Raffle. Tickets are $2.50 for a single ticket and $5.00 for 3 tickets. Ticket sale will close on at 6pm on Tuesday. These spots will give winners a reserved spot on the evening and the picnic pack includes a picnic rug, cooler bag, sparkling water and a selection of cheeses. I will confirm details and times of the evening in coming newsletters. Year levels have begun their song practices already and year levels will perform a song and dance they have been rehearsing with Footsteps Dance. Father Christmas promises to attend again this year and there will be the usual ‘pre-show’ performances by various acts. We are looking forward to a great night.

‘We must restore hope to young people, help the old, be open to the future.’ Pope Francis

Last Monday I met with other APRIMs (Assistant Principals – Identity and Mission) to consider ‘Living Justly, Loving Tenderly’: Crossways, Moral Life Strand. This is one part of the new Religious Education Curriculum: ‘Crossways,’ which will be implemented across the next two years. A wonderful theologian, Fr Brendan Connell CP, spoke to us on ‘The Pursuit of the Moral Life,’ which he considers the pursuit of happiness and how we might live this personally and what it might mean for our children. This wasn’t in a hedonistic, selfish way, but rather happiness and contentment is found in a meaningful and purposeful life which often requires service and sacrifice in our relationships with God, people and others. It is outward looking. So many people seem to be isolated from others these days and in a recent government survey it found that young adults are the ones who experience loneliness most. Surprising, isn’t it?

So how do we create an environment that creates the possibility of happiness for our children? The Gospels. Jesus’ teachings were for all people; a deep concern for the other person. Jesus shows us how to be human. Did you watch any of the ABC program on https://iview.abc.net.au/show/old-people-s-home-for-4-year-olds? It was fascinating. Jesus shows us how to be moral. We all need love for ourselves, the world and others.

 It is looking at the positives and living and enjoying our everyday activities that will instill our children and ourselves with a sense of worth and contentment. We saw that with our wonderful Mission Week. Thank you for your support. The children embraced it with joy and we have donated to UNICEF, our local Vinnies chapter and our parish MSC Missions fundraised for clean water.

Stella Foley

During 2019 the School’s Bpay Biller Code changed from 46698 to 297911. There will be a transition period where both BPay Biller Codes will work. So, when your school fees statement was sent home last week via child/ren, please take note of the Bpay Biller Code and make time to change your regular school fee payments over to the new Biller Code. Please note that your individual “Reference Number” has NOT changed.

Please review your school fees statements and if you are making regular payments from either a bank account or credit card, please ensure your payments are sufficient to cover any additional fees. Otherwise you will need to make additional payments to cover these fees via Bpay, QKR or payment to the School Office as they become due. This will ensure your school fee account is cleared by the end of the year.

Just a reminder: Parents/Caregivers who contribute at least $250 for a single child family or $300 for multiple child family to the Planned Giving Programme of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Church, Henley Beach for the 2019 calendar year may apply for a full rebate of the School Capital Levy.

Application forms are available from the School Office. You will need to take the form to the Parish Office for approval.

If at any time you are having difficulty with the payment of your school fees, or have any queries, please contact me to confidentially discuss the matter.

Jane Leonard
Finance Manager

Congratulations to Kate Thomson who has been selected to represent SA at the 2019 Australian Figure Skating Championships which will be held in Melbourne, 29 November – 6 December 2019.  Well done Kate, that is a great achievement!

Congratulations to Sienna Carter who on the 26-27 October competed in the 2019 WAG level 3-5 Gymnastics South Australian State Championships at Marion. Sienna competed in level 4 under 8s and finished 2nd on beam and 4th on floor.  Well done Sienna, that is a great achievement!

Footsteps Dance for Reception – Year 4  -  Weeks 1 – 4 & 6

Surf Ed for Yr 4’s – Friday 15 and Monday 18 September 2019

To view the Tuck Shop roster and price list click on the link below.

To view the  this term's Road Monitors Roster click on the link below.

Dear Parents and Friends,

We have again reached the end of another busy term, a term like no other. Certainly COVID-19 impacted on many of our school routines and forced us to think and act differently and caused us to cancel many of our school activities. In the last few weeks, it has been encouraging to see some things return to normal and we have been buoyed by the fact we can now have parents and grandparents enter the school. Matt Perry in his Deputy Principal section will share with you the COVID-19 plan for Term 3.

Nevertheless, COVID or no COVID the last ten weeks have just flown by and with the passing of each week much has been accomplished in the classroom with the absence of the usual interruptions and distractions.

This week I was talking to some parents in the morning on the Military Road footpath and I reminded them they were welcome in the school grounds. The parents told me that they have found the COVID-19 routine of leaving the children at the gate has taught their child to be more independent and their children have learnt new skills. It only goes to show that even in times like these we can find some positives and we discover just how adaptable our children really are.

I would like to thank all of our parents for the great job you do ensuring the children are ready for school each morning with clean uniforms, homework done; recess and lunches packed and prepared for a full day of learning and fun. At Star of the Sea we value the wonderful work you do and are appreciative of the support we receive. We look forward to having you back in the heart of the school next term.

It seems as though this time has flown by with such speed that it’s hard to believe that we are in the final days of the term. This last week has been a rollercoaster of emotions for staff as we have begun the emotional journey of saying farewell to our beloved       Mr De Tullio. Joe has had an amazing presence here at our school for the last six and a half years and it is difficult to put into words the thanks and gratitude we feel towards him. His work, vision and leadership here at Star of the Sea school has been so gratefully received by us all. We wish Joe and his beautiful wife Anna nothing but health and happiness as they move into the next exciting chapter of their lives together. May the fish always be biting and your golf game get better and better Joe!!!

Head Lice
Please be aware that we have had some cases of headlice in the school and if your child is showing any signs or symptoms of headlice, including itching or scratching around the hairline then please keep your child at home and have the headlice treated with a suitable treatment process.

Grounds and Maintenance Survey
During Week 2 of Term 3, the Grounds and Maintenance survey, seeking the satisfaction of our grounds and buildings will be sent to you and I ask that when that survey comes out, you take the time to complete the survey with your child giving us as a school an indication of the quality of works and maintenance that our community feels is needed. I thank you in advance for your cooperation in completing this survey. I also thank the Grounds and Maintenance Committee for their support and work.

At this point in time Netball, Basketball and Football will be commencing up again next term.  As per message on the Skoolbag app and the email sent out, the 2020 Soccer Season has been cancelled.  Refunds have been processed for this.    

Basketball and Netball nominations close 9am tomorrow (Friday) morning, nominations will not be accepted after this time unless a $30 late fee is paid, as all registrations to St Clair must be made by tomorrow afternoon with a late fee being added after that time.  Please see the Skoolbag app for further information and Qkr! for nominations.

Nominations for SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival for students in Yrs 3 – 6 are currently on Qkr! with information on the Skoolbag app. This will close first week back Term 3.

Dear Families 

As I write this newsletter I am into my fourth day as Principal of your wonderful school and am thankful for the warm welcome I have had from everyone. 

I had just about completed my ten-year contract as Principal of Rosary School, Prospect, before winning the position here.  Spending ten years in a school is a substantial amount of time.  There was building work, refurbishments and educational changes that have shaped Rosary into a very modern school.  There are many similarities between the two schools and that is one of the reasons I was eager to become part of your community. 

I began my teaching career in the late ’80s in Whyalla and went onto winning a permanent position at Stella Maris School, Seacombe Gardens.  In a small school, you wear many hats and I went onto doing much work across the whole school in the educational arena.  As window based computers were coming into vogue, I had the opportunity to set up a computer room for the school and trained staff and students in their use.  I was shocked to find out, the School Principal at the time, had nominated me to lead the whole region of school’s and around 200 staff in professional learning in this area.  Little did I know that this was to lead me down the path to be a School Principal! 

I finished my time, at Stella Maris School, as an Acting Principal, before moving to be the Deputy Principal at St Francis of Assisi, Newton.  At the time this was a very big school of nearly 700 students.  A number of teachers, currently at Star of the Sea School, were employed in my time at St Francis!  At St Francis, I spent a large amount of my time working with teachers on the school’s educational program.  I was also involved in the Building Program that resulted in half the school being knocked down and rebuilt.  It took five years of planning, before any action because of the innovative classroom structures.  This build became the basis for many other schools and is still being used today. 

After a few Acting Principal stints, I won the Principal position at St Gabriel’s, Enfield.  I spent eight years at this school before moving to Rosary School at Prospect where I spent the last 10 years.  It almost seems as if I am doing a circle around Adelaide! 

Over the years I have had an association with Star of the Sea, through long term projects that both schools were involved in.  I was also on the External Validation Review Panel for this school.  This program allowed the school to have validated its educational and community programs.  The school passed this with flying colours! 

Netball, Basketball and Football recommence up again this term however soccer will not. As per the message on the Skoolbag App and the email sent, the 2020 soccer season has been cancelled.  Refunds have already been processed.    

Football, Basketball and Netball all begin next week, all team lists and info has been emailed to registered students, team managers and coaches for Basketball and Netball. Team lists and info will be going out to football families today and tomorrow.

Nominations for SACPSSA Cross Country Carnival students in Yrs 3 – 6 were taken off Qkr! at the beginning of the week due to COVID19 restrictions however SACPSSA are currently in consultation with SA Health and there may be the possibility that we can add students.  We will not know until the end of next week therefore if your child has missed out on nominating and would like to take part, please contact the office and ask them to put your child’s name on the cross country list. I will contact families if we are reopening nominations.  Please note there will only be a very limited time to nominate if that is the case.

SACPSSA Netball Carnival is going ahead next week.  There has been changes due to COVID19 restrictions.  All information has gone out through the Skoolbag App and there is another nominating process for students in Yr 5/6 due to their day change.  Please note, if your child has not already nominated for Wednesday’s carnival, they will be unable to attend the Tuesday carnival.  Please see the Skoolbag App for further info.  Parents please note that Parents / Grandparents, etc are allowed to attend the carnival as spectators.  Only parents who are allocated Team Managers are able to attend the carnival.  This is due to COVID19 restrictions and numbers.

Kristen Victory
Sports Coordinator/Teacher

Henley Parish Playgroup welcomed some of our families back last Tuesday. Forty four people came together in the church hall sharing stories, participating in craft, singing and connecting once again after our time apart. The joy was easy to see, the chatter lively and exciting but the thing most obvious for all was the laughter. Everyone was so delighted to be back together.

We gather as a group on Tuesday mornings each week from 9:30am – 11am in the OLSH Church Hall and everyone is welcome. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions in the Church Hall we have established a booking system to attend playgroup.

Bookings need to be registered each week via the link. or contact Barb Conlon 0439 305 543.

Unfortunately, things are in a state of change again!  This will affect many of the extra events held in our school.

It is worth giving a few reminders about how things work as we focus on the safety of our children.

As a Catholic Parish School, we take our directions from Catholic Education SA (CESA) in this area.  CESA are following the advice of government agencies concerning how the current outbreak of coronavirus impacts students, staff and parents.  Our focus is on minimising risk and ensuring we do all that we can to ensure our communities are safe. 

This is a fluid and rapidly changing situation and CESA are updating their page regularly.
https://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/news/alerts

At Star of the Sea School we have continued our cleaning efforts of the following:

• door handles disinfected
• light switches disinfected
• phones and keyboards disinfected
• hard surfaces disinfected (bench tops, desks)
• floors disinfected (kitchen and toilets)
• handrails disinfected

Thank you to those parents that have made contact about keeping children at home because they are showing signs of being unwell and at times keeping children at home because the parents are unwell. 

If we could ask parents to continue to do the following:

1. Talk to students about the importance of washing hands
2. Any student with a temperature must be kept home
3. Any student with flu like symptoms must be kept at home

As confirmed cases in SA have increased, we have recently reviewed our school closure checklist.

I would like to remind our community about what happens if there is a confirmed case of coronavirus in the school:

1. The school will communicate with families and follow the advice from relevant authorities, like SA Health.
2. It is likely the school would close for at least 24-48 hours while it is cleaned, and health authorities trace virus contact between individuals. 
3. Health authorities will declare that the school has followed all expected protocols and allow the school to reopen.
4. The school will keep you informed during any closure period via the SchoolBag App, School Website, email and if possible through written communication.
5. Parents would be advised when students are able to return.

Damian Weeks

 “Never see a need without doing something about it.” Mary MacKillop

Next week is a celebration of Catholic Education: Raising Hearts and Raising Minds. This is timely as the Feast Day of Australia’s only saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, is this Saturday and she was instrumental in bringing Catholic Education to poor children across Australia.

The World Bank estimated that in 2016, 61 million primary aged children could not access any schooling. I couldn’t have imagined my life without school, could you? Here I am, still going to school, surrounded by young, eager minds and teachers who have a love of life-long learning.

We should remember that for many countries the challenge of education will be exacerbated by the challenging times we find ourselves in and our prayers go to all those in Victoria who need to stay safe at home.

Hector Chundaloo's painting of Mary MacKillop hangs in the National Museum of Australia. The bush tucker minyjiwarra (bush plum tree) on either side of Mary is a sign of how her spirit nourishes the Australian people, of how she follows the Ngapuny way (God's way). The hill country represents her different camping places here on earth.

Mary MacKillop, pray for us.
Stella Foley

Hello friends

As I write this newsletter piece I can see from my window some beautiful winter sunshine. I trust that you have been able to enjoy the glorious weather of late, however I feel that the winter chill is yet to come.

Seaview Road
It seems as if I am writing about motorists’ activity on Seaview Road on a weekly basis, however I remind our parents and families again, that the local council are extremely active at the moment in issuing fines for motorists who are parked in the clearway zone or across driveways. 

The area adjacent to the Marine Discovery Centre on Seaview Road is a clearway zone. If parents are parked in the clearway zone the risk of an expiation notice is high. Stopping on the northern side of the pedestrian crossing to wait for a parking spot is dangerous to pedestrians crossing Seaview Road as passing cars cannot see them.

Social Distancing
With the increasing restrictions from the SA Health Department regarding social distancing, I remind parents and community members that as adults we must continue to be vigilant when it comes to social distancing in our school grounds and in our school buildings. Please be vigilant with social distancing when you are gathered in and around our school. If you are feeling unwell or have any cold or flu like symptoms, please refrain from coming onto the school site or entering school buildings. Thank you for helping keep our community members safe.

Cherish your yesterdays, dream your tomorrows and live your todays. 

Matt Perry

Dear Families,

I am having a wonderful time getting to know everybody in the community and look forward to remembering everyone’s names “in time.”  I have been working on the Year 6 classes, this week and last week, and am able to recall most students names!  I have been ringing parents to introduce myself, once I have learnt a student’s name, so do not be worried when I give you a call.

While schools have many similarities, they also all have their own feel and systems.  I refer to this as the culture of a school, culture meaning the way we do things around here!  Learning about the culture of a school does take quite a bit of effort and time.  Since last Wednesday I have been involved in many meetings, which help you understand the culture of a school.  These meetings have included: OSHC, Finance, P&F, Cluster Meeting (all Principals in the region), Bursar, Enrolments, New CESA consultant for Inclusive Education, Chair of the School Board, Star Leadership Team, Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, ICT meeting, Pastoral Council, Staff administration meetings, Staff professional learning meetings, Canteen, Lead Learning Team, Counsellor, Little Stars, MSP photography, School Quality and Performance Consultant, Year 6 Graduation, Induction, Signage of new building, Architect and Literacy.  Individual meetings have been held with most teachers and I have attended three Reconciliation celebrations.  Now that’s a few meetings!

One of the areas that stands out at Star of the Sea is that of community.  “There is a lot going on at Star of the Sea School,” was the phrase in the staff consultation and parent consultation, that I received when applying for the position.  So it has been difficult coming in, as a new Principal, in this time of CV-19.  At many of the meetings I have attended, there have been discussions around what needs to be cancelled, changed or what can go ahead as planned (there are not too many of these events)!  Sadly, this is the time in which we are currently living and we have to be agile and flexible with our arrangements.  The disco and sports day (with a possible colour run) are the first events that we have been agile and flexible with, while the Fathers Day Breakfast is not able to go ahead.  Fathers Day will be like Mothers Day with the production of a video.

While we are able to do most things, we usually do, with students on the school site, once we introduce adults, the physical distancing rules have to be applied, and then the reality hits of what this means to each event!  Of course, the speed at which the advice changes, from those in authority, complicates the whole process.  If we take children off the school site, the complexity of rules also increases.

I know this brings frustrations for parents and children.  You probably do not see the frustration of school staff, especially in planning and re-planning.  However, this is the time that we are living in and comes only from the concern of keeping everyone as safe as possible.  At Star of the Sea School we will continue to be agile and flexible in our planning of events and while we will all get frustrated with this, I know I can count on clear heads prevailing.  It is just going to be a different year!

Regards

Damian Weeks
Principal

Dear Families,

I am having a wonderful time getting to know everybody in the community and look forward to remembering everyone’s names “in time.”  I have been working on the Year 6 classes, this week and last week, and am able to recall most students names!  I have been ringing parents to introduce myself, once I have learnt a student’s name, so do not be worried when I give you a call.

While schools have many similarities, they also all have their own feel and systems.  I refer to this as the culture of a school, culture meaning the way we do things around here!  Learning about the culture of a school does take quite a bit of effort and time.  Since last Wednesday I have been involved in many meetings, which help you understand the culture of a school.  These meetings have included: OSHC, Finance, P&F, Cluster Meeting (all Principals in the region), Bursar, Enrolments, New CESA consultant for Inclusive Education, Chair of the School Board, Star Leadership Team, Chair of the Parish Pastoral Council, ICT meeting, Pastoral Council, Staff administration meetings, Staff professional learning meetings, Canteen, Lead Learning Team, Counsellor, Little Stars, MSP photography, School Quality and Performance Consultant, Year 6 Graduation, Induction, Signage of new building, Architect and Literacy.  Individual meetings have been held with most teachers and I have attended three Reconciliation celebrations.  Now that’s a few meetings!

One of the areas that stands out at Star of the Sea is that of community.  “There is a lot going on at Star of the Sea School,” was the phrase in the staff consultation and parent consultation, that I received when applying for the position.  So it has been difficult coming in, as a new Principal, in this time of CV-19.  At many of the meetings I have attended, there have been discussions around what needs to be cancelled, changed or what can go ahead as planned (there are not too many of these events)!  Sadly, this is the time in which we are currently living and we have to be agile and flexible with our arrangements.  The disco and sports day (with a possible colour run) are the first events that we have been agile and flexible with, while the Fathers Day Breakfast is not able to go ahead.  Fathers Day will be like Mothers Day with the production of a video.

While we are able to do most things, we usually do, with students on the school site, once we introduce adults, the physical distancing rules have to be applied, and then the reality hits of what this means to each event!  Of course, the speed at which the advice changes, from those in authority, complicates the whole process.  If we take children off the school site, the complexity of rules also increases.

I know this brings frustrations for parents and children.  You probably do not see the frustration of school staff, especially in planning and re-planning.  However, this is the time that we are living in and comes only from the concern of keeping everyone as safe as possible.  At Star of the Sea School we will continue to be agile and flexible in our planning of events and while we will all get frustrated with this, I know I can count on clear heads prevailing.  It is just going to be a different year!

Regards

Damian Weeks
Principal

Over the year Catholic Education encourages us to share summaries of specific documents.  Below are this term’s documents.

Bullying and Harassment Procedures and Concerns

The school will provide a positive culture where harassment/bullying is not accepted, and in so doing, all will have the right of respect from others, the right to learn and to teach, and a right to feel safe and secure in the school environment. At Star of the Sea School we celebrate our individual talents, skills and differences. We will all try to live as God wants us to.

“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:36

• To reinforce within the school community what bullying is, and the fact that it is unacceptable.
• Everyone within the school community to be alert to signs and evidence of bullying and to have a responsibility to report it to staff whether as observer or victim.
• To ensure that all reported incidents of bullying are followed up appropriately and that support is given to both victims and perpetrators.

To seek parental and peer-group support and co-operation at all times.

Policy for the Care, Wellbeing and Protection of Children and Young People 2017

South Australian Catholic schools place the highest priority on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people.  In South Australia Child Protection policy and practices support a proactive role in the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people, the provision of child safe environments and intervention procedures for responding to abuse and neglect.

These responsibilities include:

• a duty of care to students
• responsibilities as mandated notifiers of child abuse and/or neglect the provision of child protection curriculum for every student
• a code of conduct to promote respectful and caring relationships

The full document can be viewed on the CESA website:

https://online.cesa.catholic.edu.au/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-13163/Policy+for+the+Care+Wellbeing+and+Protection+of+Children+and+Young+People+29+June+2011.pdf

"Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” Mother Teresa

Have you heard of PLAY IT ON? Play It On is a company that provides funding to families who are financially challenged so their children can participate in a sporting club. Play It On believes that EVERY child deserves a chance to play sport regardless of their financial situation. Recent surveys show that half the amount of kids in lower socio-economic areas participate in sport than kids in other areas.

How You Can Help!
You can help by donating your old sport gear, such as balls, bats and boots by putting them in the collection boxes. Look out for these over the next two weeks. Play It On refurbishes the gear and sells it online; the money is then used to create funds to pay for the tuition fees for the children. If you also want to purchase good quality pre-loved sporting equipment, click on the following link.: https://www.playiton.com.au/shop/

We are also holding a raffle to support Play It On. The raffle will be held from Monday the 24 August 2020 for one week. Tickets are 50 cents each or 3 tickets for 1 dollar. The prizes are 2 signed Crows footballs (from better years) and other sport balls. The SRC will sell the tickets at recess and lunch times in front of the library.

Stella Foley, Henry Sciberras and the SRC

Behaviour Issues Between Students and the role of the Parent
Just a reminder that if an issue arises between students at school, please leave it to the school to deal with.  Parents should not be ringing other parents about these matters. 

Ups and downs at school are part of life for many young people. A good relationship with your child’s school and teachers can help you head off problems. If school problems do come up, it’s important that they are recognised and addressed. Please contact the classroom teacher if an issue needs following up.

Each year we give parents some opportunity for input regarding the placement of students for the following year. This exercise is about considering your child’s educational needs. It is not an exercise in selecting your child’s teacher. I have always held the belief that the class teacher is the person in the best position to make judgments about the educational needs of your child and hopefully, all matters of concern about your child’s needs should have been expressed to the teacher early in the school year. The school is consultative in this matter; however, the final decision rests with the class teachers. It is my responsibility as Principal to support the judgment of teachers that I entrust with this decision.

It seems that each year there is increasing apprehension about this process. Some requests are unworkable and not in keeping with our school ethos and not about teaching children the skills of resilience, persistence and getting along. Experience indicates that once the year gets underway, the students adjust to their new teacher and they get on with life in their new class. Change is inevitable and during this process I would encourage all parents to support their child in embracing change, rather than shielding them from new opportunities for learning. Throughout a child’s education, they will encounter a range of teachers and each teacher brings a set of gifts that they share with each child. Diversity enriches the learning of each student.

Teachers will begin the process of class placements in the weeks ahead with the hope of having them finalised in Term 4. This process takes many hours of work to ensure classes have a balance of gender, and learning and social needs. If you think there is some aspect of your child’s learning that requires further consideration, please put your issues in writing on the Class Placement form available from the Front Office, or you can download a form from the school’s website www.star.catholic.edu.au Please return the forms to Vivian DePalma. Forms stating the names of teachers that you do or do not want will be returned and not considered. The class placement forms need to be submitted by Friday 25 September 2020.

Damian Weeks

I am pleased to share with you our plans for Sports Day, according to the current CV-19 regulations, which of course could change! 

I am sorry to say that parents will not be able to attend this event this year.  I know that this is disappointing but that you will understand that it is not possible under current conditions.  Teachers have organised class reps to help on the day.

Food – The canteen will be offering a special deals for the day.  Orders are via QKR and these close on Thursday 17th September.  I am sure you will understand that with a large amount food preparation that the canteen will not be able to take orders on the day.  Children not ordering from the canteen will need to bring their lunch with them on the day.

Click below to see the program for the day.

Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden things from the wise and learned and revealed them to little children.” Mt 11:25

The last two weeks have seen our students take on leadership roles in the school. A group of Year 4 girls have run five ‘Dance for Fun’ lunchtimes, where different year levels could come and show their dance moves to an appreciative audience. We finished by joining in some all-time favourites such as the Chicken Dance and the Hokey Pokey.

The Stella Maris Room was a wonderful venue for this. All participants earned House Points towards Sports Day: Fitzpatrick – 1250, McAuley – 2050, Coolock – 2650 and MacKillop -  2950. It was a privilege for me to be part of their plans and support their enthusiastic endeavour and it made me smile when one girl checked in with me to make sure it wasn’t all getting too much for me!

Each day at Star of the Sea is a blessing.
Stella Foley

Dear Families,

Many thanks to our teachers who have spent many hours, before and after school, running Parent/Teacher Interviews.  It was great to be able to offer these in a face-to-face format as well. The next official communication from the school will be the end of year reports that will come home at the end of term 4.  However, as always, if you have any concerns please contact your child’s class teacher.

CV-19 IMPACTS ON COMING EVENTS
There are quite a few events approaching for the remainder of this term.  It comes as no surprise to anyone that these events have or could be impacted by Coronavirus in one way or the other. This is frustrating for everyone, but it is worth considering that we are quite fortunate to have our students at school and that we are in a State, where we can hold these events at all!  It is only natural for every child and adult to wish things could be run in the normal way, but as we all know this is not possible, at this stage.

The CV-19 theme for the remainder of the year is to be agile and flexible, when planning events!

We have reviewed the list of events for term 4 with the staff and the Parents and Friends. Next week this information will also be presented to the School Board.   The following term 4 events have been flagged as requiring a review, closer to the date:

Week 2 – Book Week

Week 8 – Graduation Assembly

Week 8 – Carols Night

Week 9 – Graduation Dinner

ASSEMBLY
​Last week, we held our first assembly for the term.  There were quite a few certificates handed out and a number of very excited children too!  For this event we divided the School into three groups and gathered in the marvellous Stella Maris Room.

Fees to reduce across all Catholic Diocesan Primary Schools

The South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools has announced that it will make Catholic education more affordable by lowering the school fees of every Catholic diocesan primary school in 2021 under its Making Catholic Education More Affordable initiative.

The exact level of fee reduction in each diocesan primary school will vary from school to school to take into account their circumstances and the needs of their families.

Our school is working with Catholic Education South Australia to finalise our fees for 2021 and these will be released in the coming weeks.

There is more information about the initiative in the letter sent from the Chair of the South Australian Commission for Catholic Schools to families this week and on the Catholic Education South Australia website at cesa.catholic.edu.au/fee-reductions

Letter from the Catholic Education Office.

Dear Partner Schools,

We write to you to ask that you share our ‘Enrolment Reminder’ information with your current Year 4 families. We are currently enrolling for Year 7 in 2023 and should your families wish to submit an application for their child, we will need to receive this by the 18^th December, 2020.

Our Enrolments page on our website outlines how to enrol, our enrolment criteria, application submission dates and important Year 7 Enrolment Reminder – including remembering to enrol siblings who may already attend our Flinders Park Campus.

Please let me know if you would like information provided for you in an alternative method (newsletter image, facebook post template etc) and I will be more than happy to provide this.

Your support is valued and appreciated.

Kind regards,

Victoria

Imagine not seeing a real ball your whole childhood? It was 2018 and Theresa Brown wanted to make a change. She worked at a local council and noticed countless families, specifically refugee families asking if the government offered financial assistance for the tuition fees of the various sporting clubs in the area. Some of these children were 12 or 13 years old and had only ever played soccer or cricket with home -made balls made from discarded odds and ends. So, Theresa founded ‘Play It On’, a company to provide sport funding for families. Teresa worked hard as the only employee until the start of this year when she also purchased a building located in Gilles Plains where she sorts and cleans the products donated. Over the years people have donated over 5,500 products to Play It On, and in the past few weeks Star of The Sea has raised $500 for Play It On through many raffles. Students also donated their quality used sport equipment to help Play It On make an even bigger difference.

We will continue to show our solidarity with children around the world through ‘Let’s kick goals together’ in Mission Week next term.

Henry Scibberas, Hayley Thomas, Mrs Foley

Dear Families,

It has been the second week of busy Sacramental Masses, I think we have now had about 8!  Many families were concerned about how different these celebrations were going to be compared to pre-CV19 times.  A number of parents have emailed, after their children’s Confirmation and commented how wonderful the experience was.  I too, found the Celebrations to be very child focussed and that the small groups made it a far more intimate experience.  Many thanks to Fathers Paul & Tan for leading all the celebrations and to Barb and Stella and the Parish for planning and running the celebrations.  Many of the school staff also attended to support the children in our school and I would like to thank them for making the time to do this.

YEAR 5 CAMP
The Year 5 students and teachers had a great time at their Wellington campsite.  The weather was fantastic and the activities even better.  I went up to camp on the Thursday and particularly enjoyed the laser-skirmish.  Quite a few staff left their families, to attend the camp and make the whole adventure possible. I would like to thank them for their dedication.

SWIMMING
School swimming seems to be going quite well and teachers are very happy with the venue, organisation and expertise of the staff.  The Year 2 classes were very tired after their first session so they must have been working very hard!  Thank you to the parents for their understanding around the CV19 restrictions too.

TERM DATES
Just a reminder that we conclude school next Thursday, September 24th at 3pm.  Next term will begin on Monday, October 12th (ie there is no pupil free day).  The school year will conclude on Wednesday December 9th.  2021 will begin on a Wednesday, January 27th, due to Australia Day.

MEETINGS
In the past fortnight I have attended meetings for the School Board, Parish Pastoral Council, Catholic Education Primary Principals and the Western Region Cluster of Principals.  There is much happening in Catholic Education at the moment at all levels!

SPORTS DAY
This event is next Thursday, but as you know, we are not able to have parents attend.  This year, Sports Day will be focussed on having a fun day rather than the usual athletics.

NEXT TERM’S EVENTS
The following term 4 events are on the calendar.  These will be reviewed next term and we will be flexible and agile around the CV19 requirements that apply at that time!

Week 2 – Book Week
Week 8 – Graduation Assembly
Week 8 – Carols Night
Week 9 – Graduation Dinner

Regards,
Damian Weeks

Year 6 Camp Wallaroo 2020

Dear Families,

Welcome back to the last term of the year, how quickly it seems it has come around!  I was lucky to make it to the northern beaches in NSW and soak up some wonderful weather in the holidays.

I hope you have had a chance to view our newly painted courts outside the Stella Maris Building.  I must say it does look fantastic.  Decals have been placed on a number of windows/doors around the new building, there is still a few areas to go before this job is completed.  Later this term the signage will also go up on the Stella Maris building and this will signify the completion of the building project.  On the Western side of the school the trees have been removed due to the fact that they were slowly dying.  Plans are underway for re-planting of more suitable trees.

This is a very busy term, as I am sure you know.  Please keep an eye on the school communications to keep up to date with everything that is planned.  As you know many of our events are still under the ‘cloud’ of CV19 requirements and we will need to be flexible and agile around how these events will unfold as we get closer to time.

Our Sports Day has been reprogrammed a number of times, but we will have one last attempt on Friday 23^rd October.  This will be quite a modified event at the school.  Due to CV-19 parents will not be able to attend this event or the Book Week parade. Information about these events have been sent via Skoolbag.

The Year 6 camp departed Wednesday morning and I will head up to Wallaroo for Thursday and Friday to join in the fun.

Regards
Damian Weeks

Thank you for supporting Mission Week. We have raised funds for the RSPCA, the Refugee Association and the Catholic Children's Charity Socktober. Well done!

Hello Friends 

What a fabulous week we have had here at Star of the Sea School. 

Last Wednesday we celebrated our Book Week parade on our brand-new courts and the children costumes and sense of fun and excitement was tremendous to experience.

We say a huge thank you to our parents and family for helping us prepare our costumes and all of the work that goes into getting ready for our book week parade. Thanks also to Mrs Kolaczkos Mrs Turner and Mrs Ottrey.

We also experienced a fabulous day on Friday last week, when we celebrated our 2020 Sports Day. The enthusiasm, excitement and “sportspersonship” skills that were on display by our students was a fabulous thing to witness. Congratulations to our sports captains who have waited patiently and diligently throughout the whole year to lead their teams in sports day. Congratulations to MacKillop House for winning the Sports Day Shield and to Coolock House for winning the Spirit Cup. 

Carols Night 2020 Update

At this stage of planning for Carols Night 2020, we are examining our options in term of how Carols Night can be celebrated. One possibility is that we will record the Year level carols and songs and make them available through Facebook and our social media platforms. The other is that we have the traditional Carols Night format with strict social distancing regulations in place on the night, with limited numbers of adults in attendance. We will take the advice of CESA and SA Health to assist our decision making process.

Lost Property

Our Lost Property continues to over flow with unlabelled items. Many of these are expensive plastic containers and lunchboxes. There are also many school uniform items, most of which are not labelled.

Safety on our Roads

Once again, I implore all road users to exercise care and safety around our school. I have seen first-hand in the last week, cars driving through crossings with the STOP signs being displayed, cars parked in clearway zones and No Parking zones and some vehicles even driving over traffic cones. The safety of our children is paramount and we need your help to maintain this safety. Do the right thing on our roads, because it’s the right thing to do.

‘Acknowledging the good that you already have in your life is the foundation for all abundance’
Eckhart Tolle

Thanks and Blessings
Matt Perry

Dear Families

It has been an exciting last week at school and the children finally had some whole-school fun which brings a school to life.  The Book Week parade was a morning of laughter and excitement as each class paraded around our newly painted courts.  I would like to thank Helen Kolaczkos and the team of staff that put the event together. 

Thank you also to Kristen Victory whom planned three sports day this year and was finally able to run a very modified program here at school that concluded with the Colour Run (thanks to the P&F).  For the record, Coolock won the Spirit Cup and MacKillop the shield.  Congratulations to all our Year 6 students that took on the task of leading Sports Day, they did a fantastic job.

One of our students Ivy, wrote about the week…

“On Wednesday we had Book Week and we had a parade for the whole day.  We had fun.  Mr Weeks dressed up as a cowboy and had a whip!  Later we went to the beach and did a clean up.  I found a small crab that was dead.  On Friday we did Sports Day and the colour Run.  We all wore white T-shirts.”

Currently teachers are working very hard not only teaching their classes but also writing reports and beginning the organisation of the 2021 year.  Last week, was also quite a big ask of our teachers, but in a very professional manner, they rose to the task without much fuss. On behalf of the community I would like to thank all our staff for their efforts last week.

I have had a small number of parents contact me in regard to parents attending events here at school.  This is quite a challenging time for all leaders of our schools as our number one concern, is the safety of everyone at our site.  As if that is not enough, it weighs heavily on all the Principals I have spoken to, in regard to the decisions they have to make. If something goes wrong and we cause transmission of CV19 or break the current rules there is the possibility of a sizeable fine and possible negative media coverage. 

All schools are trying to be agile and flexible and it is confusing that different schools are doing different things.  Some are allowing parents into events, others not.  As Principals of Catholic Schools, we are all keeping in touch with each other about these events.  The rules themselves have not changed for some time now.  The difference between schools has been due to the social distancing rule, how much indoor/outdoor space is available and how many adults and pre-schoolers are likely to come to an event.  For Star of the Sea School, we do not have a lot of space, compared to the number of students in our school.  We also have a large number of adults attend events and we are very concerned about the social distancing rules.  That being said, we are currently reviewing, what we can do within the current restrictions, for the end of year Mass, assembly, carols night and graduations.  Again, this will vary between Catholic Schools in our area, depending on space and the predicted number of adults that would attend.  Within these parameters we are trying our best!  Stay tuned to the School Bag App for further announcements.

Regards
Damian Weeks

"Because life is always beautiful when we choose to live it fully, when we choose to leave a mark.” - Pope Francis

Students make a difference

In week 2 we (Maeve, Jess, Emily and Sanur), had a stall selling homemade earrings and keyrings to raise money for refugees. It all started in the holidays when I (Jess) bought heaps of coloured polymer clay to amuse myself, I came up with the idea to make earrings, after a few days of work I had produced around 150 unique pairs of earrings. I didn’t know what to do with them and I didn’t have any backs for them, I ordered backs and continued making more pairs until I had around 500. I then got in touch with Mrs Foley, who helped me to organise a stall to raise money. My friends got involved and together we worked to make posters, as well as organising many more things so that we could make the stall possible. As   we are passionate about helping refugees, we decided that we would donate our money to some local refugee families who had absolutely nothing. Our stall was a success and we raised over $300; the money has been passed on to the refugees. In the coming weeks, we will be placing a box of earrings in the school front office for parents and students to purchase more earrings, we ask that you place $2 in a tub when taking a pair of earrings, so that you can continue to help refugees. We would like to thank everybody who purchased earrings or made a donation to our stall and we hope you continue to help us by purchasing more earrings.

Thank you. Jess Burton Year 6.

We also raised $400 for the RSPCA and $600 for Socktober. I spoke to Catholic Missions yesterday and this money will assist the children who have been injured by landmines in Cambodia; many of whom have been orphaned and live in the Catholic Arrupe Centre. I have been privileged to have been associated with the centre and have met a number of inspiring young people from the centre.

God Bless our families
Stella Foley

This week our Little Stars gruaduated. Well done.

By Miriam Hillary, Lola Arena, Lachie Rennie, Hannah Reader, Innes Wilkie and Jack Wade.

Dear School Community,

During term 3 and 4, we have been working with Mr Hoskin as Year 4 meteorologists. Being a meteorologist means that every day we go down to the oval and record the weather with a special monitor. The weather conditions we record includes barometric pressure, temperature both inside and outside, humidity, rainfall, cloud cover, dew point, wind speed and direction. We have been learning many things as meteorologist including how to read the monitor.

Another aspect of our role is graphing some of the data we have collected on Excel.  We have included a graph which shows the comparison of the humidity inside and outside our classroom during Week 8 of this term.

We appreciate Mr Hoskin giving us the opportunity to do this and it has been fun! We are currently still doing this until the end of the term and enjoying every minute of it. It is interesting to see the difference in the weather every day.  In term 4 we will train other students to take over our role.

Yours sincerely,
Miriam Hillary, Lola Arena, Lachie Rennie, Innes Wilkie, Hannah Reader and Jack Wade.

Dear Families

I would like to start this week’s newsletter by announcing the retirement of Peter Hoskin.  Peter has not taught for much of this year but has been a staff member at Star of the Sea School for 23 years.  Recently, Peter has taught science across all classes of our school and has been instrumental for setting up many of our sustainability programs. Peter commenced his teaching career in 1973 at Solomontown and after a 35 year teaching career is now retiring.  Congratulations Peter on your contribution to so many students over your time in the teaching profession.

There are a few more changes to our teaching staff next year with three of our staff due to have babies next year.  Congratulations Lisa Lata, Abbey Hinge and Breanna Brockman.  Grace Todman has won a job next year at St Pius X, Windsor Gardens.

SA CV19 RESTRICTIONS
I would like to thank everyone in our community for the way we have dealt with the latest restrictions.  I must take off my hat to the teachers at Star of the Sea.  We met last Wednesday at lunchtime to announce that all schools in the State would shutdown at the end of the day.  They swung into action and were able to have their students leave at the end of the day for the 6 day shutdown.  Who knew the children would be back on Monday!  2020 has been a difficult year for everyone but teachers have never faced the disruption to their comprehensive learning programs as they have this year.  If this was not enough, teachers have also monitored closely the wellbeing of all students.

We hope that the current COVID ‘second wave’ and associated restrictions will soon dissipate. The Premier is due to make announcements that suggest a return to a lessening of restrictions after 1 December. During the final weeks of the school year the usual ‘wind up’ activities will no doubt occur, in whatever modes are allowed.

Turning towards the end of year, the School Board met on November 9^th and confirmed a number of events.  At this stage, the event that might need a total reconstruction is the Year 6 Graduation Dinner and the Board is currently looking at this.

Any new SA Health Regulations could change these plans.

CAROLS DAY

• Friday December 4th, during the day
• Venue: oval/grandstand (as usual)
• 11:30am - Reception to Year 2 classes perform
• 2pm - Year 3-5 classes perform
• All students will attend both events
• This event will be live streamed on the School’s Facebook page
• Inclement weather plan – the event will be cancelled

Adult Registration for Carols Day
Each family is allowed one adult to attend each session. You must register on QKR to attend.  There will be a registration for the morning event and a different registration for the afternoon event.  If you are attending the event, on arrival at the Military Rd double gates, please sign in and move directly to a socially distanced chair on the oval.  On departure please move to the Military Road gates when directed being mindful of social distancing. The gates will open 15 minutes before the event begins. Do not attend on the day if you are unwell. 

EOY LITURGY

• Monday December 7^th
• 9:10am – Whole school will walk to St Michaels
• 9:30am - Whole School Liturgy at St Michaels, this event would be a celebration of the school year
• 10:15am - Reception to Year 3 will return to school at the end of the Liturgy
• Year 6 parents will probably be invited to attend this event depending on the SA Health regulations (TBC)

GRADUATION ASSEMBLY

• This will follow on from the Liturgy after a short break
• 10:40am - Assembly begins, this is to celebrate and farewell the Year 6 students
• Awards will be presented at this time
• Year 6 parents will probably be invited to attend this event depending on the SA Health regulations (TBC)

Adult Registration for the EOY Liturgy and Assembly
At this stage this is yet to be confirmed but will probably only be extended to Year 6 parents.

In a year of unmatched impact on the way we live and work, we say thank you for the support that you have shown to each other and the school.

Regards
Damian Weeks

It has been a great privilege, to have taught for 23 years at Star of the Sea School.

A very vibrant and welcoming, community.

I have appreciated your tremendous support, encouragement and friendship.

It is gratifying to me, that the Star of the Sea community, continues its commitment to Environmental Sustainability and the Science Program.

Star of the Sea School is a ‘beacon ‘of Hope, in such challenging times.

Best wishes and God bless.

Peter Hoskin
(Specialist Science and Environmental Sustainability Teacher).

Congratulations to our 2021 House Captains.

Joshua Schmerl, Isla Martino, Tahlia Martin, Rafferty Casey, Zac Nicholas, Kristian Wilbik, Samuel Marinos, Jack Crafter, Isabel Cavallo, Marisa Sghirripa, Poppy Allen, Amelie Ferris, Dana Court, Amber Kuszczakowski, Leonardo Hokianga and Seb Blefari.

The department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) has updated its information about fruit fly restrictions in South Australia.  This might change the types of fruit and vegetables your child can bring to school/preschool/child care.

New colour coded maps for metropolitan Adelaide and Riverland residents show the red outbreak areas, yellow suspension areas, and green areas not affected by fruit fly.

Our school is located in the yellow suspension area.

If you live in the red outbreak area:

Your child must not bring any fresh fruit or vegetables on this list to school, preschool or child care. This applies even if it has been cut up.  Instead, PIRSA has provided a list of alternative fresh fruit and vegetable options suitable for lunch and breaks.

If you live in the yellow suspension area

Your child can bring any type of fresh fruit or vegetable to school.

If you live in the green not impacted area

Your child can bring any type of fresh fruit or vegetable to school, preschool or child care.  All fruit or vegetables on this list must be eaten and disposed of at our school, preschool or children’s centre. These items cannot return home at the end of the day and will be disposed of safely at our school centre’s grounds.

Grated, dried, frozen, cooked or pureed fruit and vegetables of any kind are acceptable in any area.

We appreciate your cooperation as we help protect South Australia from fruit fly.

STAR OF THE SEA SCHOOL IS ALLERGY AWARE

We are concerned about the safety and well-being of all our students. Many of you will know someone who is affected by anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Our school does its best to be an allergy aware school. Staff have had training in severe allergy management and we have implemented lots of strategies to help keep students at risk of anaphylaxis as safe as we can. We have a number of students who live with the risk of anaphylaxis to foods and insect stings. Whilst these children are being taught to care for themselves at an age appropriate level, we ask that you help us educate your child on the importance of not sharing food with others, washing hands after eating and calling out to an adult if they think their friend with allergies is sick. With increased awareness and understanding of anaphylaxis, you will be able to help protect those around you.

A food allergy is an immune system response to a normally harmless food protein that the body believes is harmful. When the individual eats food containing that protein, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, triggering symptoms that can affect a person’s breathing, gastrointestinal tract, skin, and/or heart. Anaphylaxis is the most severe form of allergic reaction and is potentially life-threatening. It must be treated as a medical emergency, requiring immediate treatment and urgent medical attention.

Dear Families,

Fruit is back!  There has been a change to Government policy and many (but not all) suburbs around Henley Beach allow for the movement of fruit again.  If you live around West Lakes though this is not the case.  See the separate Fruit Fly article in this newsletter or check out the website www.pir.sa.gov.au for the full details.

Our first week at school has been very successful as we devote the week to social and emotional learning.  This is the beginning of the work, we will be doing this year, under the banner of student wellbeing which will be a focus in our school.

PARENT TEACHER CHATS
Next week we will be offering an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher.  You will have received an email on how to book a time today.

VOLUNTEERING AT STAR OF THE SEA
We are very happy to have volunteers assisting teachers and the school.  Volunteers add to the quality of what we are able to offer at the school.  The process for becoming an approved volunteer is a three step process:

1. CESA police check or Working With Children Check
2. Induction course
3. RAN training for volunteers

We are beginning this process for new volunteers for our school and all the information can be found in this newsletter.

PLAYGROUP
Our very popular playgroup began this week.  It is again held on Tuesdays in the Parish Hall.  The group is run in conjunction with the Parish and is for Parents, Grandparents and care givers.  Books are essential and further information can be found on the school website.

SCHOOL HOURS
Just a reminder that children are welcome at school from 8:20am, when our gates are opened and a teacher is on yard duty.  At the end of the day we supervise children in the yard till around 3:25pm.  Any remaining children are then seated in the front office and should be picked up no later than 3:30pm.

CARS AND CHILDREN
The safety of our children is paramount to the operation of any school and where our children and cars share the same space every care is needed.  We make many appeals to parents about parking, kiss and drop etc.  Sometimes we have neighbours and their visitors or workmen not paying attention to the parking signs.  The council are quite vigilant at checking around our school over the first few weeks and I have already seen a number of police patrols before and after school.

TERM 1 NEWSLETTERS
This term we will be publishing newsletters in weeks 1, 2, 5, 8 & 11.

Have a great weekend.
Damian Weeks.

Children's University Program
Registrations are now open for 2021 via QKR! app for
learners in Years 3-6. Registrations close Monday 1st
March. For more info check out
http://bit.ly/childrensuni2021

Over the year Catholic Education encourages us to share summaries of specific documents.  Below are this term’s documents.

Bullying and Harassment Procedures and Concerns

The school will provide a positive culture where harassment/bullying is not accepted, and in so doing, all will have the right of respect from others, the right to learn and to teach, and a right to feel safe and secure in the school environment. At Star of the Sea School we celebrate our individual talents, skills and differences. We will all try to live as God wants us to...

“Love one another as I have loved you.” John 13:36

• To reinforce within the school community what bullying is, and the fact that it is unacceptable
• Everyone within the school community to be alert to signs and evidence of bullying and to have a responsibility to report it to staff whether as observer or victim
• To ensure that all reported incidents of bullying are followed up appropriately and that support is given to both victims and perpetrators
• To seek parental and peer-group support and co-operation at all times.

Policy for the Care, Wellbeing and Protection of Children and Young People 2017

South Australian Catholic schools place the highest priority on the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people.  In South Australia Child Protection policy and practices support a proactive role in the care, wellbeing and protection of children and young people, the provision of child safe environments and intervention procedures for responding to abuse and neglect.

These responsibilities include:

• a duty of care to students
• responsibilities as mandated notifiers of child abuse and/or neglect the provision of child protection curriculum for every student
• a code of conduct to promote respectful and caring relationships