2024 Week 10 Newsletter - Term 4

Weekly Message

From the Acting Principal

As our year draws to a close I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you who continue to support our wonderful school.

Our annual Christmas Concert on Friday night was a time for us to showcase the wonderful gifts and talents of our students and staff.  It was another spectacle, enjoyed by a large crowd.  Thank you to everyone involved.  There is a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure the success of the night.  To the P & F who support the event – THANK YOU.  From financial support to physically removing fence panels – people are always willing to help in whatever way they can.

We give a special thank you to all who leave our school this year and wish you every blessing and happiness.  Please know that your contributions have been valued and will remain a part of the fabric of all that we hold dear.  This year we say farewell to some amazing parents who have generously given so much of their time and talent to Star of the Sea. Please know that your efforts have been greatly appreciated and our school is so much the richer because of your contributions.

I would like to say a special thank you to Melissa McBride and Leigh Russell who have been valued Teachers at Star of the Sea and leave us this year.

Melissa joined our staff in 2003 and has been willing to fulfill many roles over the last 20 years – from sporting, to cultural and academia, you name it Melissa can do it.  I wish her every blessing for the ‘Seachange’. You will leave a big hole at Star of the Sea and will be missed.

Leigh Russell first joined us in our Before and After School Care facility as the Co-ordinator before coming on board as a classroom Teacher.  Leigh goes about her day with a smile on her face and has taken wonderful care of our Prep families for the past 2 years.  As Leigh and Tim prepare for the next chapter of their lives I wish them all the very best and can’t wait to meet ‘Baby Russell’ in 2025.

We also say farewell and thank you to Matt Cameron who has been our Facilities Officer this year.  We thank him for the hard work he has put into our school grounds and wish him all the best for the journey ahead. 

A massive thank you to all of our staff here at Star of the Sea, it is an absolute privilege to work with them.  Each day I see the compassion and effort they put into caring for your children.  I thank them for all they have done for our students and each other this year.

We also welcome back Mrs Jennett Mullane and thank her for her continued guidance.

A special thank you to Father Andrew and Father Peter for their love and support of our school again this year.  They provide a great witness to our students of faith in action and are a source of wisdom for us all.

Finally, a special thank you to Anthony and Louise who have been by my side this year, every step of the way.  The support they give me is greatly appreciated and I couldn’t have done it without them.

May God bless you all and hold you safely in the palm of his hands.

Wishing you a joyous Christmas.

Kellie Richardson

Acting Principal

Kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

In Our Prayers

End of Year Mass and Arrangements for the Final Day of School

9am - Whole School End of Year Mass

Our End of Year Mass will take place on Friday 6^th December at 9am in the Star of the Sea Catholic Church.  

At this mass we will present our Star of the Sea Awards, farewell our departing students and families, hand over leadership roles to our 2025 leaders and thank the Lord for our blessings this year.

12:15pm Final assembly and farewell

We will have a final assembly in the Covered Courts area where we will farewell our Year 6 students.  

Parents may take children home after this.

All children left at school will be supervised in the library.

Children will not be permitted to walk or ride home until 2:55pm unless they are accompanied by  a supervising adult.

2025 Term Dates

From the Parish

Nativity Play

School-aged children are invited to join rehearsals for the Nativity Play to be held during Star of the Sea Church’s Christmas Eve 6pm Mass. Rehearsals will be after 8am Masses at Star of the Sea Church on Sundays 1^st, 8^th, 15^th & 22^nd December.

Please email the parish office sosgladstone@rok.catholic.net.au to register or ask questions.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL SOCIETY

Can you spare an hour or two to make a difference in your community? You're invited to join the St Vincent de Paul Society. Vincentian work is hands on and practical. The Gladstone conference needs people who can assist with assisting those in need directly But, if becoming a Conference member is not for you, volunteers are also required to:

• Drive the truck to pick up and deliver donated clothing and goods;
• Prepare goods for sale or redistribution;
• Repair furniture and appliances;
• Serve customers behind the counter of the shop. Training provided | No experience necessary.

If any of this work interests you, please email olss4680@svdpqld.org.au and a member of the local St Vincent de Paul Conference will contact you to discuss how you can get involved.

Please note: There will be NO Tuckshop this week

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.

Wearitto Uniform Shop Extended Trading Hours

Wearitto Uniform Shop Normal Trading Hours

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

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).

St Joseph's Cathedral Appeal

Community Notices

Caulfield 2024 Sponsors