Newsletter Term 4 Week 1

WELCOME BACK TO TERM 4!
We hope you all enjoyed a wonderful holiday break and that our students are feeling refreshed and excited for the new term ahead! We have so much planned for Term 4, filled with engaging learning experiences and community fun. As we ease back into our school routines, we appreciate the support and encouragement from both educators and parents, which plays a vital role in helping our children thrive.

A heartfelt thank you to our families for staying connected with us through SEQTA, Audiri, Seesaw, Facebook, and email. Your involvement makes it easy for us to share important updates. To keep communication clear and manageable, we’ll be transitioning our fortnightly newsletters to every three weeks from this term. You can expect to receive newsletters in Weeks 1, 4, 7, and an extra one in Week 9 this term.

I want to let you know that I’ll be on leave during Weeks 2 and 3.  During this time, Kelly Manera will step in as Acting Principal, with Domenique Laurendi as Acting Deputy Principal. Star of the Sea is very lucky to have such capable leaders at the helm, ensuring that our students and staff have the support they need during my absence. Thank you, Kelly and Domenique, for your willingness to step up and lead with excellence!

PARISH CAR PARK
We’ve recently received some feedback from the Henley Beach Parish regarding parking in their designated staff car park spaces. Some of our Star of the Sea families are continuing to park in these spots, despite the clear signage. The parish staff rely on these spaces, and we want to ensure a respectful relationship with our community. Below are some images of cars parked in front of the bollards where school parking is not allowed. Unfortunately, this has been happening daily. 

We kindly ask all families to please adhere to the no-parking signs and consider parking a little further away in the parish car park or along the beach. With the warmer weather upon us, it can be a lovely opportunity for a short walk. Let’s all think about how our choices impact our parish and make decisions that reflect our wonderful community spirit.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation. Here’s to a fantastic Term 4 filled with growth and joy!

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). 

As part of our partnership in learning we invite parents/caregivers to provide any significant information relating to their child’s academic, social or emotional learning, or family considerations e.g. sibling/cousin placement to be considered for the class placement process.  Requests regarding teachers, friendships or separations will not be considered.

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 finalised, 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. 

I wish you all a safe a wonderful fortnight ahead.

Annette Diassinas
Acting Principal

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