Dear Families,
As we approach the end of another year, we want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you. This year has been filled with remarkable milestones—student growth, the completion of a building project, exciting excursions, and many memorable events that have enriched our school community. None of this would have been possible without the dedication, hard work, and collaboration of our incredible staff and families.
The holiday season provides a perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and appreciate all that we've achieved together. We hope that you take this well-deserved break to rest, recharge, and enjoy quality time with your loved ones. Whether you're celebrating Christmas, ringing in the New Year, or simply enjoying a peaceful holiday season, we wish you all peace, joy, and good health in the days ahead.
A special farewell to our Year 6 students, we are so proud of all you've accomplished, and we wish you every success as you take your next steps into the future. May the journey ahead be filled with new opportunities, growth and happiness.
Two of our wonderful ESO’s will be embarking on some Long Service Leave in Term 1 and part of Term 2. We wish Leanne Stokes and Jacinta Walton a beautiful break and thank them for all they have contributed to our community this year.
Thank you for your unwavering commitment and for everything you do to support our school. We are excited about the opportunities that the new year holds, and we look forward to achieving even greater things together in 2025.
New Assistant Principal in Learning and Wellbeing
We are delighted to announce that Nick Ryan will be joining our school as the Assistant Principal for Learning and Wellbeing in 2025. Nick comes to us with a wealth of experience in education, having most recently served as the Leader of Learning at Dominican School for the past three years.
Throughout his career, Nick has held leadership roles in various schools, including as Leader of Learning at St Joseph’s Norwood and various positions at Michael’s Primary School. His experience spans across a broad range of areas, including Inclusive Education, Wellbeing, Gifted and Talented programs, and enhancing student learning outcomes.
Nick’s passion for fostering inclusive, supportive learning environments makes him a fantastic addition to our school. We are excited to welcome him aboard and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make to our school community in 2025.
Year 6 Awards:
A huge congratulations to many of our incredible Year 6 students for receiving their well-earned awards! Their hard work, dedication, and teamwork have truly shone this year. We’re so proud of all they’ve achieved and excited for what’s ahead!
Father John Rate Award:
Father John Rate was our beloved Parish Priest for many years and very connected to our school community. A dear friend, Father John became a mentor and a confidant to many of us over years during his time at Henley Beach Parish. Father John was a man of great love and compassion. He always met people where they were at, he was relational, humorous, intelligent, kind, and approachable. His memory and time in our Parish and School continue to be remembered and honoured each year by this special award. Father John strived to live out the msc motto “to be on earth the heart of Jesus’.
This year’s recipient of the Fr John Rate award is Amelia Fantus. She has been working at Star of the Sea school since 2011. During her time as an Educational Support Officer, she has demonstrated all the attributes Father John modelled and valued. Every student, colleague, and family she works alongside are appreciative of her humbleness, gentleness, kindness and dedication. Amelia has supported countless number of children over the years and connected with their families too. One of her student shared that she loves her so much because she is always helping her. You will often see Amelia checking in on staff or having a quiet conversation with a student during their break time. She became known for supporting many of our students with soft landings in the morning. Amelia goes out of her way to ensure every young person they encounter feels valued, supported, and cared for. She embodies all the attributes of our beloved Father John. A very deserving recipient.
Mary Colton Award: This award was presented by Matt Cowdry MP. This year’s Mary Colton Award was presented to Mitchell E.
Tony Quinn Award: Tony Quinn was a much-loved staff member at Star of the Sea, and this award is in his memory. Tony Quinn was passionate about music and sport and demonstrated the qualities of courage, commitment, faith, and heart. This year’s Tony Quinn award was presented to both Chloe K and Grace B.
Sr Cynthia Award: Sr Cynthia is a Sister of Mercy and was a student and staff member at Star of the Sea. The Mercy’s motto, ‘Loyal en Tout’ means ‘Loyalty in Everything.’ The recipient of this award was someone who has shown loyalty to everything throughout the year. This year, the Sister Cynthia award was presented to Grace B.
Mercy Awards: The Mercy Awards were presented to those students who continually reflected the school's values of Honesty, Compassion, Integrity, Collaboration and Respect. The Mercy Awards were presented to: Mia K, Daniel K, Evie B, Gabriel T, Ella S, Thomas H,Sophia T, Xavier R, Georgia M, Ben W, Samuel U, and Isaac L.
Academic Awards - These awards were presented to students who have achieved exceptional academic results, across all curriculum areas throughout the entire year. The Academic Award awards were presented to April D, Alex P and Olivia D.
The Principal Award: This award went to a student who has gone above and beyond in all areas of learning, and shown exceptional commitment to their school, peers, and community members. This year’s Principal’s Award was presented to Evie B.
Annui Valorem: A new award and is our annual values award for a student who has gone above and beyond in our yearly value of focus. This year’s value of focus was inclusivity and the award was presented to Lila W and Lilly K.
Congratulations again to all these students.
Family Fun Day
Our P&F is excited to host a Family Fun Day on Sunday 2 March 2025, at Star of the Sea. Be sure to mark the date in your diaries – it's going to be a fantastic event for the whole family!
Holiday Office Hours:
- The school will be closed from Friday 13 December 2024 to Friday 17 January 2025.
- The Administration Office will reopen on Monday, January 20, 2025.
- School will resume for all students on Tuesday 28 January 2025.
As the year comes to a close, we extend our warmest wishes to all our families for a joyful and blessed Christmas filled with love and togetherness. May the New Year bring you peace, happiness, and new opportunities for growth and success. Thank you for being an integral part of our wonderful school community. We look forward to seeing you in 2025!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
From the Leadership Team
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