2022 Week 4 Newsletter - Term 2

Weekly Focus

Each week we provide you with a short video supplying our key messages for the week.  

From the Principal

Dear Families

What a fantastic get together our School Disco was on Friday night. Not even some grey clouds could dampen our excitement and it was so good to wander around chatting with you all and seeing our children have so much fun.  

I am incredibly grateful to Benji for sharing his time, talent and disco equipment with us on Friday night.  His generosity is central to the night being such a great success.  Thank you also to Dan and Rachel and their awesome team of bar tenders  who also gave generously of their time to help us have a fantastic night together.

I hope all our mothers had a wonderful Mother’s Day on Sunday.  I always appreciate the opportunity to reflect on the gift of my own Mum and the blessing of my children.  I know it is not always the easiest of days for some people though and I think this article by Rebecca Sparrow speaks to this possible pain so beautifully.

Today is a difficult day for many, many people.  

There are those of us who have lost pregnancies, lost children and their absence can be particularly painful on Mother's Day. 

There are those women (and men) who have lost their own mother and who feel anchorless in this rough and tumble world.

There are those whose relationships with their own mothers is not what anyone would ever hope or wish for. Just because someone is your mother, doesn't mean they are mothering or even have a right to be in your life.  And there are those women who desperately want to be mothers but for whom the dream  (for a variety of reasons) has not been realised.  

So to all of us who will find today bittersweet or incredibly hard  -- this is a reminder that you're not alone.  And if you want to spend the day in bed, eating Milo out of the tin and watching Bridgerton (again) ... do it.  Be kind to yourself. 

The article reminds us to reach out to talk to someone if we are struggling and I cannot recommend this enough.  I have a loved one in my life at the moment who is really struggling so I know how hard talking about your pain can be.  Sometimes they need us to be their anchor until they are strong enough to get help themselves though.  Let us stay close and reach out to each other if needed.  You never know what a difference you can make.

God bless you and Live Jesus in Your Hearts Forever!
Jennett Mullane
Principal
jennett_omullane@rok.catholic.edu.au  

2022 School Goals

From Our APRE

I do hope that Sunday was an extra special day for all those who have a mothering role.

Last week I attended a Catholic Identity Conference in Rockhampton with many other APREs, Religious Advocates and Principals from around the Diocese.  Catholic Identity can be a complex topic and I still have so much to learn.

I always come away from these Conferences with a grateful heart for the opportunity.  There is a great deal of wisdom in the one space, and I can learn so much from others.  One of the highlights was a guided tour of the Cathedral.  It is such a beautiful building with a rich history. 

God’s blessings.

Kellie Richardson

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

HOLY MOTHER

Cradle us.

Comfort us.

Nurture us.

Teach us.

Protect us.

Forgive us.

Counsel us.

Celebrate us.

Sustain us.

Love us.

Joyce Rupp – Fragments of Your Ancient Name.

Liturgies and Assemblies

In Our Prayers

From the APC

ATHLETICS SEASON

I have been sending a lot of emails the last few weeks to you all regarding our upcoming Athletics carnivals.  The athletics season is a very busy one as it caters for all children at different times, for different events.  Our PE teachers Vicki Blake and Catherine Melrose are very passionate about athletics and their focus is always on HAVING A GO.  In their PE lessons they teach the skills needed for each event so our students are ready to participate.

All the athletics events require very different techniques and strength requirements.  I am a past PE teacher and Port Curtis Athletics Coach and in my experience, “looks can be deceiving”.   Strength is not always depicted by size, sometimes the smallest child can throw the discus or shot put the best.  The quickest child in a race might be the least looking speed demon.   Performance requires a balance of timing, technique, grit, determination and focus. 

Below is a summary of our Athletics for 2022.

The links are for you to use if you are able to help us on the day.

20^th May JUNIOR FIELD EVENTS AND PREP SPRINT

23^rd May SENIOR FIELD EVENTS

27^th May ATHLETICS CARNIVAL

Every carnival I have attended over the many years I have been involved in school sport has always given me something to remember. 

It might have been:

• The cheering of the kids encouraging the last child over the line.
• The most competitive child being rewarded with a win after many hours of training.
• The smile of a child who gave his or her all and surprised themselves by their own ability.
• Seeing a parent with tears in their eyes whilst they watched their child competing, who had been told many years prior that they would struggle to participate. 

I look forward to these carnivals to see what act of support or surprise I will see.

Have a good week everyone.

Anthony King

Assistant: Principal Curriculum

Under Eight's Week

Next Monday the 16^th May our Prep to Year 3 students will be enjoying a morning of fun to celebrate Under 8’s week. The celebrations will run from 9 am – 10:15am.

If you are able to volunteer during the morning  with set up/pack up and supervision please email jenna_gibbs@rok.catholic.edu.au

Volunteers will need to be fully vaccinated and have completed a 2022 Volunteer Induction. This is available to complete at the school office.

Mother's Day Stall

We hope you loved the special treats your children bought at our Parents and Friends Mother's Day Stall.  A special thank you to Leanne and Kristy for coordinating the stall for us and to all the generous volunteers who helped us out on the day.

Uniform Shop News - Cooler Weather

Please note the Uniform Shop is open each Wednesday from 8.30am to 10.30am.    With the cooler weather approaching,  a reminder to families that school jumpers are available for purchase from the Uniform Shop @ $33.50. Orders can be placed online via our school website http://www.staroftheseagladstone.qld.edu.au/about-us/uniform.html 

Year 1A Mother's Day Prayer

Our Mothers are a special blessing to us and our Year 1A students spent some time recently praying and giving thanks for mothers.  They listened to a story from the bible that Mrs Sisley told through Godly play and wondered together about that story.  They sang songs and prayed the Hail Mary together.  Thank you to our mums who guide us and care for us throughout our lives just as Mary did for Jesus.  We hope you had a wonderful day.

PREP 2023

Children born between 1^st July 2017 and 30^th June 2018 are eligible to commence Prep in 2023.  If you have a child eligible for Prep in 2023 please visit the school website and complete the Online Application Form.

http://www.staroftheseagladstone.qld.edu.au/enrolment/enrolment-information.html

All current families with a child eligible to commence Prep 2023 are required to complete and online application form.

Student Absentee Line

If your child is not attending school, you can call us, 24/7, to leave a message to report the absence. The  phone number is 4994 8301. 

As always, absences can be reported using Parent Lounge or by emailing your child’s teacher. (Please cc to SOSG_Absentee@rok.catholic.edu.au).

This designated phone line gives you the opportunity to call the school at a time that is convenient to you.

Notification of Positive Covid Cases

Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School wishes to advise you that, during the past week, we have been notified of positive cases of COVID-19 in our school community.
Star of the Sea regularly consults with the Catholic Education Office and relevant authorities and continues to follow the advice of Queensland Health regarding cleaning requirements.
Queensland Health has advised that no quarantine of students or staff is required as a result of school based contact.

As COVID-19 remains active in our community we ask you to continue to monitor your child’s/children’s health and if they develop any flu-like symptoms:
• Keep your child/children at home
• Seek a PCR or Rapid Antigen test where it is recommended and notify the school of positive results.
• Follow the advice of Queensland Health

As we continue to navigate the pandemic, please remind your child/ren to:
• maintain good hand hygiene at all times
• cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow and dispose of tissues in the bin immediately.
• practice social distancing from others where possible
• wear masks when required

We will continue to work closely with health authorities to keep our school community informed of any developments and advice. Thank you once again for your ongoing support.

Non State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme

2022 Gladstone Independent Schools Music Association - GISMA

GISMA is proud to present the 2022 Annual GISMA Music Workshops.  This is a great opportunity for music students of all abilities to come together with students from other independent schools.

The workshops provide an opportunity for all students to work with experienced tutors and a guest conductor.  The students recieve intensive music tuition from local and visiting tutors, coming together to work with the conductor.  

The workshop will be held from 20th to 23 June 2022.  Mrs Mallett has provided Instrumental Music students with a GISMA registration form - the forms were distributed to the children following their music lesson today.

Thank you to our Caulfield Sponsors