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2024 Week 8 Newsletter - Term 4

Swimming Carnival - Friday 22nd November

The Swimming Carnival is quickly approaching and we want to keep you all informed of the plans and procedures.

If your child will be absent on the day of the Swimming Carnival or special circumstances prevent them from swimming please contact the school office on 4972 1305.

Order of Events

FREESTYLE: 100 - 50 - 25 - 25 assisted
BREASTROKE: 50 - 25 - 25 assisted
BACKSTROKE: 25
BUTTERFLY: - 25
BACKSTROKE: - 50
BUTTERFLY:- 50
FLYING SQUADRON: - 50
PARENT/TEACHER/STUDENT RELAY:-50

Age Champion age groups are as follows: Under 9 girls and boys, 10 Years girls and boys, 11 Years girls and boys and Open girls and boys. For U9 age groups, they will race in their individual age groups, but the times will be compared to calculate Age Champion points for this age group.

To qualify for Age Champion Points, you must swim 50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke and 50m Backstroke. 50m Butterfly and 100m Freestyle will also accumulate points but are not compulsory. Presentation is at Assembly 8:35am 25^th November.

Points for positions are as follows: 1^st place – 10, 2^nd place – 7, 3^rd place – 4 and 4^th – 8^th is 1 point.

Anthony King - Assistant to the Principal Curriculum

anthony_king@rok.catholic.edu.au

Important Swimming Carnival Information

Christmas Hamper

Each year our school supports the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal. Please see attached flyer for details. This year we will hold a free dress day as part of the campaign and students are asked to donate something toward this appeal if they choose to come to school in free dress on the day.

FREE DRESS DAY – THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER

Students are invited to wear sun safe free dress to school on this day and donate an item of food for the St Vincent de Paul Christmas Appeal.

Star of the Sea Christmas Concert Friday 29th November

Our Star of the Sea Christmas Concert is an important event in our school calendar. It is a major event that involves a significant number of attendees, so we ask that you make yourself familiar with the following set up and procedures to ensure the safety and enjoyment of everyone present.

We start at 6pm so try to be there by 5:45pm. We are unsure of our finishing time. It usually takes a couple of hours and you can collect your child after the whole school finale.

SEATING ARRANGEMENTS

Students are to sit in their class groups with their teacher in the main car park. Parents, siblings and other family members are asked to stay on the grassed area please.

The front section of the viewing area is for blanket/mat seating only. You are welcome to bring chairs to sit on also, but these must be placed further back behind the blanket area.

Please do not set up before the end of the school day.

PAPARAZZI ARRANGEMENTS

During the Nativity Play / Singing of the carols, no family members are permitted to come forward to take photos. There will be combined classes and the increased numbers mean the paparazzi option cannot be safely accommodated. The event will be live streamed onto a large screen that will improve your viewing experience.

During the class dances, we suggest one person from each family may come forward to film/take photos. Even with only one person from each family, that will be a group of more than 50 and we cannot accommodate much more.

Entry to the performance area is via the ramp please. This seemed to worked well in 2023 and we will continue the same system this year. Please follow the arrows →. The stairs are only to be used to return back to your place. For safety reasons, no-one is permitted to stand on the stairs or pathways please.

TOILETS

Students will be provided their own toilets for the night near their seating. All other adults and children are to use the shed toilets at the back of the grassed viewing area.

OUT OF BOUND AREAS

For safety reasons, the new playground area is out of bounds, as is the area to the side and back of the shed/ courts area and our Courts and Terrace – please supervise your children/ teens carefully.

ALCOHOL AND FOOD

A bar providing both alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks for purchase will be operating for your convenience and a sausage sizzle for the adults will be provided as well. Both cash and EFTPOS will be available. To assist us in complying with Responsible Service of Alcohol legislation, please note that BYO alcohol is not permitted. All alcohol must be consumed within the grassed viewing area and cannot be brought down to the performance area.

As students will be required to stay with their teacher for the duration of the concert, they must bring their own drink bottle (with name on it please). We ask that students have dinner before arriving - the P&F will kindly be providing students with snacks during the night – this will include plain potato chips, tiny teddies and an apple. Please inform your child’s teacher if there are any dietary requirements.

Please make sure you familiarise yourself with the information and picture below:

Blue Crosses - Seats can be used in this area behind the red line

Yellow Crosses - Blankets / Mats only

Green Arrow - Move down the ramp

Black Arrow - Only use stairs to travel up (unless assistance is required).

Parent/toddler/teen toilets in the shed

Bar / Sausage Sizzle in the shed

In Our Prayers

Let us pray...

We pray for those children who are preparing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation for the first time: May they come to know the peace that is found in God’s mercy and love.

We pray for all in our world and in our community who suffer in any way because of illness, disaster, war or injustice: May they always know they are not alone.

We pray for those members of our school community who are battling sickness and suffering in their life: May they be consoled and strengthened in their time of need.

Important Dates in Term 4

WEEK 8

YEAR 5 LEADERSHIP SPEECHES – Tuesday and Wednesday morning, please refer to class communication for details.

FREE DRESS DAY – **Please note the change of date to Thursday 21^st November - wear sun safe clothes and bring a donation to add to our St Vincent de Paul Christmas appeal.

SCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL – YR 2 – YR 6 – Friday 22^nd November.

WEEK 9

Year 6 invite you to their FINAL assembly presentation on Thursday 28^th November at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

Everyone is invited to attend our annual Christmas Concert on Friday 29^th November.

WEEK 10

Everyone is invited to attend our Year 6 Graduation Liturgy on Monday night @ 6pm in the Star of the Sea Church.

Everyone is invited to attend our End of Year Mass on Friday 6^th December in the Star of the Sea Church at 9am.

Instrumental Music Program Recruitment Process

It is that time of the year again when our Instrumental Music Program begins their recruitment process.

On Wednesday (back on the 23rd October) our Beginner and Intermediate Band performed for the school and demonstrated the various instruments that are available.

All students currently in Years 2, 3, 4 and 5 are eligible to be tested for the Instrumental Music Program. There are many benefits to playing a musical instrument, including self-confidence, team work, social skills and much more.

All instrument trials will take place on Monday 2nd December. For more information about the program and if your child is interested in joining the Instrumental Music Program for 2025 please click on the link below to complete the form.

Please complete the form by Friday 29th November to be included in Instrumental testing on Monday 2nd December.

https://forms.gle/hjtdsXhPFAdL7KWcA

We thank Mrs Kerrie Mallet for the work that she has put into this program at our school for many years. Kerrie will retire at the end of this year and Mrs Carmen Tankard will be returning to the role in 2025. Mrs Tankard will be in touch regarding instrument testing as soon as possible.

Departing Families

At this stage of the year, work and personal circumstances sometimes mean that we have families moving from Star of the Sea. If you have not already done so, please send us an email or a note to let us know. This allows us to make accurate preparations for 2025. It also allows other families on our waiting lists for certain year levels to be considered for a place with us next year.

We hope you can join us for our End of Year Mass so that we can pray a special blessing for you and your family.

Have you downloaded our new App yet?

We already have way over half our parent community who've downloaded our new mobile App.

The App, Parent Orbit, which is connected to Parent Lounge, will improve our communication with each other as it offers a quick and easy way to receive notifications, add Student Absences, view and pay School Fees, accept or decline excursions via the Events and Activities, check the school calendar, update details and permissions and much more.

Some of you may already be using the Parent Orbit App for Chanel College and you will simply add Star of the Sea as another school you can access.

The App uses your Parent Lounge log in to access and will be a great way to access Parent Lounge features as you will not have to log in every time.

To download the App to your mobile device you can click on the link https://parentorbit.page.link/sosg or visit your APP store.

Most of our Term Dates for the rest of the year are already installed on the App so it really is a good resource for you.

2024 School Priorities

Wearitto Extended Trading Hours

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.

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

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