Newsletter Term 1 Week 9

30.03.23

From the Principal

Dear Families

Harmony Day was a lovely celebration last week with a sea of orange across our school. Just as exciting this week was the pouring of the slab, a major stage in our building project which is still running to the timeline!

SAFETY ALERT

We have been made aware of an incident in West Beach where a student was travelling on a bus and approached by a stranger. It could be a timely reminder to have a discussion with your children (at their level) to be wary of approaches from strangers, especially when they are unaccompanied or travelling to and from school. Some advice for the discussion could be, if they are approached students should not respond but seek the assistance of other nearby adults if they feel unsafe and should report the event to a trusted adult (parent or school staff member) as soon as possible. SAPOL advises that taking out a mobile phone and calling police can deter the offender and they recommend the student making a formal report to their closest police station.

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.

LENT

As we approach the end of the season and celebrate the pinnacle of the Church’s year, Easter, our students will be involved in a number of liturgical celebrations. This will bring to life the significant events, beginning with Palm Sunday and then Holy Week.

REPORTS

As you know we will be moving to a new reporting system with Catholic Education SA’s next step in the SEQTA Learning Management System. While SEQTA has been in operation for several years now, it has been operating in the background, unseen by anyone other than staff during this time. So, the new reporting system will be the first time that families will see something related to the system. The mid-year report will be significantly different from what we have been using up until this time and the report will not present as much information as our previous reports.

For many years teachers has been using continuous reporting (ie reporting on learning throughout the term), in various ways like SEESAW, or various assessment books coming home. When reflecting on children’s learning this type of reporting is timely and informative. Our response to the CESA mid-year report is that we are sharing more continuous reporting, that is more targeted reporting to keep parents more informed throughout the term with your child’s learning journey. I hope you find this informative as it will replace much of what was once seen in the mid-year report.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT

I would like to inform you that Kelly Manera will remain Acting Deputy Principal at Star of the Sea School, Henley Beach until the end of Term 2, 2023.

Please see letter below from Dr Neil McGoran.

LONG SERVICE LEAVE

A number of staff will be taking a variety of amounts of this leave throughout the year. Katrina Frangiosa will take the last week of term off, as will I (Kelly Manera will be in charge in my absence). Allison Sammut will be taking the last two weeks off. Next term we will welcome Eva Lake back after having term 1 off.

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 have visited our school this week 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.

Today, I present quite a comprehensive car parking guide, particularly for the parish carpark, which we use thanks to the generosity of the Parish. PLEASE SEE LINK BELOW.

Finally, I would like to thank the 95% of families for whom this communication is irrelevant because they always do the right thing.

Go the Crows!

Damian Weeks
Principal

View File View File

30.03.23

From the Acting APRIM

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.

Important Dates

Sports Day 2023

Thursday 13 April 2023

Last Day of Term

Friday 14 April 2023

Pupil Free Day

Monday 1 May 2023

Volunteers Induction 5-6pm

Tuesday 2 May 2023

Literacy Meeting R-2 6-7pm

Tuesday 2 May 2023

Safeguarding Children and Young People Policy.

Child Protection

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

Volunteers Induction Evening

Our next volunteer induction will be held in the Stella Maris Building Tuesday 2 May at 5pm.

Volunteer Requirements:

Collect a Volunteer Pack from the Front Office
Complete and read and sign off on all documents in the pack
100 points of identity must be presented to the Front Office, of which one form must contain a photograph (e.g. Passport of Driver’s Licence)
All volunteers at Star of the Sea School must hold a current certificate for Responding to Abuse and Neglect or equivalent. This training is available online https://www.plink.sa.edu.au/pages/signup.jsf
Please select “Volunteer”, then relevant location. We recommend using Google Chrome web browser to access and complete this training due to compatibility issues. You will be required to complete this training and provide the Front Office with a copy.

Absentee – notifying the school when your child is away

You have 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.

Thank you for your co operation.

COVID reminder

COVID-19 continues to affect the community and we all have a part to play in keeping our school community safe and minimising the disruption to learning that can occur when illness circulates at school.

Students who are unwell should stay home if they have

cold or flu-like symptoms and get tested for COVID-19.
If students have COVID-19, please advise the school as soon as possible, and stay at home until all acute symptoms (runny nose, sore throat, cough and fever) have cleared.

Friday 14 April Casual Day

LAST DAY OF TERM – CASUAL CLOTHES

As is the tradition in our school the last day of every term is a casual clothes day. Families might like to make a donation to Project Compassion through the QKR app

Save the date: Gala Ball Saturday 28 October 2023, Adelaide Oval.

Please see attache Gala Sponorship Letter from the P&F.

OSCH Bookings

OSHC ON SPORTS DAY

Before (BSC) and After School Care (ASC) is still available for those children permanently booked into OSHC on, Thursday 13 April 2023 – Sports Day.

Non-cancellation fees will apply if you do not cancel your booking or if your child is collected early and does not attend OSHC on the day.

If you do not require care on this day, please notify us of your cancellation A.S.A.P to enable places for others.

PUPIL FREE DAY

Term 2, Monday 1 May is a Pupil Free Day. Please confirm if your child/ren require care at OSHC on this day, by contacting us.

We will contact our OSHC families and confirm if care will go ahead, with viable numbers by Wednesday 26 April.

Regards
OSHC Team
Ph: 08 8115 7403
Mob: 0404 174 076
E: oshc@star.catholic.edu.au

Paint Playgroups REaD

‘Paint Playgroups REaD’ introduced the ‘Book Swap Box Project’ this week at Henley Parish Playgroup.

We encourage reading, singing, talking and rhyming with children every day so we can help them to be ready to learn and literally grow their brains!

Click here for more information.

Playgroup is on Tuesday mornings 9.30 – 11am during the school term.

Thank you
Kylie Casey

Track Pants

For the last three weeks of Term 1, the preloved uniform shop will be having 50% off all summer uniforms.

With Term 2 only around the corner, now is also a great time to come in for winter uniforms. A reminder that we also have school soccer tops available to purchase.

The preloved uniform shop is open on Wednesday mornings from 8.50-9.20am.

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