Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School Gladstone eNewsletter

Weekly Message

Parents & Friends Meeting - All welcome

We invite all of our Parent Community to our P and F Meeting this Tuesday 4th February at 6:30pm in the staff room (entry via the front office).

Although the meeting starts at 6:30pm you are welcome to join us a little earlier for a chat and a glass of something if you can.

Parents & Friends Welcome Back BBQ

We are looking forward to seeing you all at our Welcome Back BBQ this Friday 7th February at 6pm.

This event is kindly organized by our P and F and is a great chance to meet new members of our Star of the Sea family and to reconnect with others.

Our P&F will kindly be operating the BBQ and drinks will be on sale.

Parents should please be aware that this is a Parent run event and therefore no formal supervision of the children is being provided by the school. Parents are responsible for the supervision of their children during this social gathering. Students should not attend this function without being accompanied by a supervising adult.

We would appreciate you assisting us with our preparations by indicating your approximate order via the below Google Form. We also require volunteers to assist with cooking and serving. Please indicate the time slot you can assist via the Google Form.

https://forms.gle/6dgcuCXHqdTap1eSA

Class Parent Volunteers

Thank you to everyone who has volunteered to assist as a Class Parent.

We are still in need of volunteers from the following classes please:

Prep A

Year 2A

Year 4A

The responsibilities of this role are as follows:
• Liaising with the classroom teacher
• Assisting with Class Morning Teas (Held in the Outside Hours Care Room): This involves making sure the urn is filled and turned on ready before the Class Assembly item or whenever there is a Year Level Cuppa. (You can even get someone else to turn on the urn if needed). You can also invite parents to bring along a plate to share.
• Sending an email as a reminder for class events etc. This just involves writing what you would like said and then emailing it to the office and your child’s teacher for us to send out for you.
• Administering the Class Facebook Group – Whilst these Facebook groups are not officially associated with the school, they can be used as a form of communication. Your role would be to ensure all communication is in line with our Parent Code of Conduct. As not all of our parent community use Facebook, an email through the school about important things will still be needed at times.
• Helping serve food and drink to the students in your class at events such as the Christmas Concert (or organizing someone else to do it).
• There are other optional things you can do such as organize class get togethers for parents etc. but this is not a mandatory part of the role. I know some of you have already put together such events and I thank you for your enthusiasm and commitment.

If you would like to nominate for this role for your child’s class this year, please complete the form below:

https://forms.gle/H1jnnmyFs9M8yBHMA

2025 Opening School Mass

Our Opening School Mass saw us gathering as a school community to ask for God's blessings of hope, strength and joy for the year ahead. Our Year 6 students were presented with their leadership badges and made their pledge to be leaders who follow Jesus and be a model for others; who strive for excellence and live out our school motto, ‘Let Your Light Shine’; who use Mary as a guide and be helpful and kind to all.

We also took the opportunity to congratulate three of our long serving staff who have contributed exemplary service to Catholic Education for many years: Christine Wright (20 years), Amy Rhodes (23 years) and Kellie Richardson (30 years). We are grateful for the care and expertise they have shared with us.

Welcome back to Instrumental Music. Lessons are back this week and if your child is interested in returning to the program or joining as a new enrolment in 2025 it’s not too late to enrol!

The Instrumental Music program is a weekly band and lessons program and lessons run during school hours and students have the option to learn one of the following instruments: Flute, Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Baritone, Bass Guitar or Percussion.

If your child missed testing day which was held at the end of last year and you would like them to be considered for a position in the program, you can fill out the online form here: https://forms.gle/hjtdsXhPFAdL7KWcA

Testing will take place this Friday, 7^th February. You will receive a follow up email soon after with the recommendation on what instrument best suits your child and an application package with all the information you will need to consider before you commit.

If you have any other questions or queries, please contact Carmen Tankard at tankardc@gmail.com

Volunteer Inductions

ARE YOU PLANNING ON HELPING IN THE CLASSROOM OR AT SCHOOL EVENTS SUCH AS OUR CROSS COUNTRY?

You will need to join us for a Volunteer Induction first please!

These inductions do not take long but serve a very important purpose in helping us to provide a safe and supportive environment for your child.

Please note that this is an Annual Induction that must be completed each year.

Join us if you can in the staffroom at the following times:

Tuesday 4th February @ 6pm (Before the P&F Meeting)

Friday 7th February @ 2:30pm

Monday 10th February @ 8:50am (After Assembly)

Tuesday 11th February @ 5pm

League Stars Program

The League Stars Program will be held on the Top Playground each week commencing Tuesday 11th February and concluding Tuesday 18th March - 7.15am to 8.15am.

If your child is interested in participating in the program please access the link below to register your child.

https://profile.mysideline.com.au/register/entity?data=eyJlbnRpdHlJZCI6NTkzMzE5MzgsImVudGl0eVR5cGUiOiJwcm9ncmFtIn0%3D&source=rugby-league

If you require further details please contact Vicki Blake via email vicki_blake@rok.catholic.edu.au

Caulfield Committee 2025

2025 Term One Date Claimers

Tuesday 4 February - Parents & Friends Meeting at 6:30pm

Friday 7 February - P&F Welcome BBQ

Friday 21 February - PUPIL FREE DAY - Bishops Inservice Day

2025 Term Dates

Term 1	Monday 28 January to Friday 4th April	10 weeks
Term 2	Tuesday 22 April to Friday 27 June	10 weeks
Term 3	Monday 14 July to Friday 19 September	10 weeks
Term 4	Tuesday 7 October to Friday 5 December	9 weeks

Family Name Labels to use in your car for drive through pick up in the afternoon

Having your child's surname clearly printed and placed where it can be seen on the sunvisor or dash helps us find your child quickly and speed up the collection process in the afternoons.

In the past we have printed names for all families in our school – if you would like us to send home a label for your car to be used at pick up please email us and we will get one ready for you and send it home.

Email sosg@rok.catholic.edu.au if you make the subject SCHOOL PICK UP SIGN we will know to make one and send it home for your use.

School Drop Off /Pick Up Procedures

As we start the new year it is a good idea to refresh ourselves with the rules and procedures surrounding the safe arrival and collection of our students.

Students arriving at school in the morning are to wait on the steps in front of the Music Room please. No child is to be on site before 8am unless they are enrolled in Before School Care. Teachers are on duty from 8:10am. Failure to comply with this rule puts your child at risk.

In the afternoon, there is only one designated Pick Up area for parents - The Car Park near the Herbert Street Cul-de-Sac. Students are supervised in this area until 3.15pm.

When using the Car Park we urge you to remember the following

The Drop Off Lane is for short drop off and pick up only please. You cannot hop out of your car to help your child, say goodbye, watch them walk in etc.
Please do not block the exits to the properties along the road. Keep your eye out and make room for them. This is especially important near the ambulance at the bottom of Central Lane.
PLEASE TURN LEFT at the bottom of Central Lane.
It is a wide turn for some vehicles to enter the car park and we ask you to be aware of this as you are travelling in the opposite direction and give way as necessary.
You are not permitted to exit the car in the drive through area. Students may only enter the car from the fence side. If this does not work for your family, please park your car and collect them.
Please watch out and give way to others entering and exiting the drive through area.
Feel free to come a little later to pick up if you can.
Smile…and breathe…we are doing all we can to keep your children safe.

Important Health Notice

In order to make sure all of our children are kept as safe as possible we need to let you know that we have a number of students in our school with severe allergies to nuts and other allergies.

We are not a ‘nut free’ school but we do encourage you to be mindful of these allergies as you pack your child’s lunch and talk with them about disposing of rubbish carefully and cleaning hands carefully afterwards please.

If your child has any form of Health Action Plan we ask you to bring a copy to the School Office. Also, any medication to be administered must be taken to the Office where the necessary paperwork can be completed.

Use of School Toilets

As part of our commitment to providing a safe and supportive learning space for our students we have strict rules surrounding the use of our school toilets.

Only students who are currently enrolled at Star of the Sea School are permitted to use the student toilets, including the PWD Toilet.

Parents, volunteers, toddlers and high school students are asked to go to the School Office to be directed to suitable toilets if required.

Parent Orbit 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.

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).

2025 Week 2 Newsletter - Term 1