2023 Week 2 Newsletter - Term 1

Weekly Focus - Keeping it simple.

From the Principal -Supporting positive behaviours

Dear Families

What a great first week we had together.  The children have all settled into their classroom routines beautifully and are showing great indicators for a year of deep learning.

I am proud of the expert teaching team that we have here at Star of the Sea in our teachers and support staff who work closely together to provide as much consistency as we can in our expectations and approaches.  We plan on continuing many of the high yield approaches and strategies  already in place but have a few core goals for 2023 that I will share with you throughout the following weeks.

Behaviour is a word that means different things to each of us and that is often a big part of the problem.  Over the past couple of years our staff and school board has worked hard to build our knowledge of child behaviour and develop a shared understanding and set of beliefs.

This has been outlined in our Positive Behaviour Policy which can be found on our school website, and I do encourage you to have a read:
http://www.staroftheseagladstone.qld.edu.au/about-us/policy.html 

Showing appropriate personal and social behaviours is something we often just expect children to have, yet we are far more patient if they are struggling to read or remember their maths facts.

Our children need us to teach them exactly what positive personal and social behaviours look like – some need a lot more practice than others.  They also need us to be consistent in what we expect and how we teach and support.

One of our core goals this year is to put into practice whole school language and strategies that support engagement and wellbeing and safe, supportive learning environments.    

The strategies we are teaching the children not only help them to interact more successfully with others, it will also help them to be more regulated and focused in their learning.

I am reading a great book by Paul Dix at the moment that stresses the importance of adults modelling what we expect from our children.  In particular we need to remember that calm, regulated children need calm, regulated adults to assist them learn and interact.

They also need us to speak the same language to them and not overwhelm them with too much. To support this goal, we have three core expectations that we will all be teaching, modelling and expecting this year:

Greet and Treat – Be welcoming, respectful and kind to others and our world.
Walk like a Star – Wear your uniform with pride and move safely.
Dig Deep – Think of a strategy that you can use to find the solution.

We look forward to seeing you all at our Parent Information Sessions in the coming weeks and explaining our goals a little more.

Have a wonderful week everyone!
God bless you.
Jennett Mullane
Principal
jennett_omullane@rok.catholic.edu.au

2024 Prep Applications now open for Existing Families

We are experiencing strong demand for our 2024 Prep classes and do not want our existing families to miss out.  Please ensure you have registered your interest in enrolling your child for next year's Prep cohort by submitting your application online:

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

2023 School Goals

From Our APRE

I am very much looking forward to gathering as a community on Friday for our Opening School Mass.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” Matthew 18:20

I talked to the students yesterday about rising up to the challenges of 2023.  We can be certain that there will be challenges, but they don’t need to be a negative and we know that there is always someone who can help us. 

This year we are challenged to create, to build, to envision a life for each one of us and for our community that is filled with amazing possibilities, exciting opportunities and great challenges that will enrich us and help us to reach our potential.

To do this we will need to rise up from the things that have held us back over the last few years and take chances, reach out and embrace life.  God is with us walking this road, loving us, holding us and wanting us to live fully the life we have been given.

Dig deep everyone – let’s make 2023 a good one!

God Bless

Kellie Richardson

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

CATHOLIC IDENTITY

The aim of Religious Education in Catholic schools is to develop students’ knowledge and understandings of Christianity in the light of Jesus, the Gospel, and its unfolding story within contemporary Australian and global society.

It expands students’ spiritual awareness and religious identity, fostering their capacities and skills of discerning, interpreting, thinking critically, seeking truth, and making meaning. It challenges and inspires their service to others and engagement in the Church and the world.

*National Catholic Education Commission Framing Paper: Religious Education in Australian Catholic Schools, 2018, p.7.

Term 1 Liturgies and Assemblies

WEEK 2

Our Opening School Commissioning Mass takes place this Friday 3rd February at 9am in the Star of the Sea Church.  

At this mass we will ask God’s blessing on the year ahead and welcome our new students, parents and staff.  We will also commission our 2023 Year 6 School Leaders and present them with their leadership badges.

All are welcome but we particularly invite new families and the families of our Year 6 students.

In Our Prayers

From the APC

This is the time of the year when your children will start bringing home books from school to read.  Reading impacts widely on learning ability and life choices and the biggest factor in reading achievement is reading volume.  I truly do understand the time constraints due to other commitments families are faced with of an afternoon and evening.  Getting your children to read requires a balance between the commitment from us as parents and an innate motivation from our children to want to read.

Below is a document that helps families build the love of reading within the home setting using three simple words : To, With and By.   I encourage you all to look at your working week and try and commit to time where you and your children follow these steps.  I used to read with and to my two children before bed.  This worked well sometimes but other times, it turned into a war zone.  This then didn’t help Carter or Abi get to sleep at all.  I would get frustrated, they would get frustrated, and reading was then looked at being a chore.   I wish I could go back and change how we did it. 

Let me know if any of you make big changes to your home reading with your children from last year and find any success.  Good luck.

Have a great week everyone.

Ant King

Assistant Principal: Curriculum

anthony_king@rok.catholic.edu.au

Congratulations Mrs McBride

We are blessed to have a staff full of such experienced and expert teaching and support staff here at Star of the Sea.  Our Catholic Education Office for the Diocese of Rockhampton seeks to especially recognise our long serving staff and show their appreciation for their work in our schools.  Mrs Melissa McBride was recently recognised for her 20 years of service to our students and their families, with Assistant Director: Teaching and Learning, Carmel Kriz, presenting the Award to Melissa at our Combined Staff Mass.   Congratulations Melissa and thank you for all you have given to our school community.

Parent Information Sessions

Our Parent Information Sessions begin this week and we encourage you to attend if at all possible as these sessions provide a valuable opportunity to meet your child's teacher and learn a little about routines and expectations for the year.  These sessions take place in the classroom and usually run between 20 to 30 minutes at the most and are a great way of establishing a good relationship between home and school which we know enhances student learning.

Week 2
Wed 1st Feb @4:30pm - Year 6A

Week 3
Monday 6 Feb @ 4:30pm - Year 3A & 3B (In own classrooms)
Tuesday 7 Feb @ 4pm - Year 4B
Tuesday 7 Feb @ 4:30pm - Prep (Combined)
Tuesday 7 Feb @ 5pm - Year 2 (Combined)
Wednesday 8 Feb @ 4:30pm - Year 6B
Thursday 9 Feb @5pm - Year 4A
Thursday 9 Feb @5pm - Year 5A & 5B

Week 4
Tuesday 14 Feb @4:45pm - Year 1A & 1B

Parents & Friends Meeting - All welcome

We invite all of our Parent Community to our P and F Meeting tonight -  Tuesday 31 January 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.

Our Main Agenda Items include:

- Planning the Welcome BBQ

- Discussing the new playground which will be installed in June and the associated applications for shade etc.

Bishop's Inservice Day - Friday 17 February - School closed

CLASS PARENTS - WE NEED YOU

As an important way to keep our class families connected, we ask that at least one parent from each class volunteer to be a Class Parent.  It can even be a shared role and Class Parents from previous years can be there to support you.

Our Class Parents play an important role in our school community.  It is not meant to be a particularly demanding job but it does provide an important bridge between the parent body and the teacher.

The role of the Class Parent has a few main duties:
•    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).  It also involves an invitation to parents to bring along a plate of food to share with the cuppa..
•    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.   This also sometimes involves a Facebook reminder if your year level has set up an unofficial group (without the school's name).
•    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.  

Please contact your child's teacher or the front office if you can assist us.

Please also let us know if you are an administrator for a Facebook Group for your class/year level.  Whilst these groups are not officially connected to the school, we recognise the connection that is provided for many parents and would like to help get information to other parents about them.  

Tuckshop

Our School Tuckshop will be open this week, operating every Wednesday and Friday. 

Orders can be made via the Flexischools App or with a paper bag and money.  More information is available via our website: 

http://www.staroftheseagladstone.qld.edu.au/about-us/tuckshop.html

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 kellie_richardson@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.

Parents & Friends Welcome Back BBQ

We are looking forward to seeing you all at our Welcome Back BBQ on Friday 10th 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.

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. 

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.  Students will not be allowed to cross the pedestrian crossing to their car without you present.
  
• 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.
  

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 our use of our school toilets.  

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

Parents, volunteers, toddlers and high school students may use the Disabled Toilet located near the Tuckshop.  

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.

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.

Drakes Fundraiser

Dear Parents/Guardians

Happy New Year to you and your families.

Please accept my thanks for your support in 2022 of DRAKES FUNDRAISER for St Joseph's Cathedral.  The support of Catholic Education Staff and Students is important to the fund's success.   COVID was a blow with our half-yearly donation being cut by 50% and  the good news, our December cheque of $1,640 was up by $100 and our total donation is now  $51,048.  Thank you!

Continue to shop at DRAKES for excellent service, good products at competitive prices and claim your benefits.

I look forward to your support in  2023.

Stay safe and well.

Shirley Hopkins

Co-ordinator

 DRAKES Fundraiser for St. Joseph's Cathedral

League Stars Program

League Stars is coming to Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School! League Stars is a before school non-contact program with no experience needed. League Stars introduces kids to the fun and skills of Rugby League. Boys and girls aged 8-12 are welcome.

Sessions run for an hour from 7:20am each Thursday morning for 6 weeks beginning on Thursday 9th February.

Registration is via the following link:

https://profile.mysideline.com.au/register/clubsearch?criteria=435923&entity=true&entitytype=program&source=rugby-league 

Please note that this is not a school run event and therefore no supervision will be provided by the school.  

2023 Port Curtis Sport Information

There has been an update to the Port Curtis Sport 10-12yrs Student/Parent process for 2023 as follows:

•    Student receives trial information from Sports Co/Sport contact.

•    Students who wish to nominate MUST complete online permission booklet, link: https://capsport.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/documents/representative%20school%20sport%20permission%20details%20booklet.pdf 

•    Print completed booklet and sign sections where marked.

•    If you are unable to access or print, school sport contacts will be able to assist.  We encourage you where possible to fill the form in electronically to assist with legibility and accuracy of documents.

•    Once student and parent has signed all necessary sections, the completed booklet is to be handed into sports co/sport contact.

•    Sports co/sport contact will sign and obtain Principal signature.

•    Form will then be given back to students.

•    Students must hand in the completed and signed booklet to the team manager at the PC trials.  No booklet = no trial.

•    This same booklet will be passed on by team managers from one level to the next level as students progress through the representative sport program.

•    If any details change after this booklet has been submitted, a change of details form will need to be completed and handed in to the team manager, link: https://capsport.eq.edu.au/supportandresources/formsanddocuments/documents/representative%20school%20sport%20change%20of%20details%20form.pdf 

In addition to this process change, the team levy has now been removed as per the below letter.

2023 School Staff

Principal        Mrs Jennett O’Mullane

Assistant to the Principal Religious Education (APRE)   Mrs Kellie Richardson

Assistant to the Principal Curriculum (APC)   Mr Anthony King
 
Administration and Finance Officer       Mrs Katherine Dawe                                   

Administration and Enrolment Officer        Mrs Louise Hanrahan
 
Teachers

Prep    -     Mrs Fiona Adamson (PA) & Miss Leigh Chapman (PB)
Year 1     - Mrs Catherine Melrose / Mrs Jenna Gibbs (1A) & Mrs Lana Kammholz (1B)
Year 2     - Mrs Brenda Emerick (2A) & Mrs Ange Jenner (2B)
Year 3     - Mrs Genelle Little (3A) & Mrs Lauren Churchill/ Mrs Prudence Tate (3B)
Year 4     - Mrs Renee Alletag / Mr Anthony King (4A) & Mrs Lorrie Columbus (4B)
Year 5     - Mrs Melissa McBride (5A) & Mrs Suzanne Smyth (5B)
Year 6     - Mrs Kaylee Cleary/ Mrs Denise Conley (6A) & Mrs Kathryn Murray (6B)

IT /Drama /Music Specialist   - Mrs Helena Sedgwick 
PE Specialist   - Mrs Vicki Blake / Mrs Kim Hooley
Inclusive Curriculum - Miss Renae Richards, Mrs Louise Sisley & Mrs Susan Pacheco

Support Staff

School Counsellor - Melissa Davey 
Library Assistant - Miss Jen Casey
IT Assistant - Miss Erin Moynihan 
Teacher Assistants - Mrs Amanda Sydes, Mrs Deb Mackay, Mrs Linda Smith, Mrs Christine Wright, Mrs Jodie Sharp, Ms Skye Alberts, Miss Lauren Jaenke, Mrs Deepa Saxena, Mr Jace Arnold, Mrs Steph Murray and Mrs Anita Spearing.
Facilities Officer - Mr Paul Ahern
Tuckshop - Mrs Julie Cook & Mrs Witney-Bre Robson
Acting OSHC Coordinator - Mrs Kylie Best
OSHC Assistants - Miss Jen Casey, Miss Bridie Stevens. 
Parish Priest - Father Andrew Chase
Associate Priest - Father Ashwin Acharya
 

We all look forward to working with you this year.  

Back to School - Safety in School Zones

Key Messages

When driving or riding in Queensland, you must:

• give way to pedestrians, bicycle and personal mobility device riders on or entering a children’s, pedestrian or marked foot crossings.
• give way to pedestrians, bicycle and personal mobility device riders on or entering a road you’re turning into.
• give way to pedestrians, bicycle or personal mobility device riders on a slip lane.
• give way to pedestrians in a share zone.
• travel at a speed allowing you to stop safely at a crossing if needed.

When driving near and around schools, you must:

• be aware that some school crossings are also pedestrian crossings, and you must give way to pedestrians, bicycle and personal mobility device riders on or entering the crossing and not proceed until theyhave fully left the crossing.
• give way to pedestrians, bicycle and personal mobility device riders on or entering the crossing
• wait until all pedestrians, bicycle and personal mobility device riders have crossed the road and the crossing supervisor has returned to the footpath.

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 teacher and  SOSG_Absentee@rok.catholic.edu.au).

Thank you to our Caulfield Sponsors