2023 Week 2 Newsletter - Term 2

Weekly Focus - What ordinary people can achieve

From the Principal - Important P&F Message

Dear Families

2024 Prep Enrolment interviews have begun and I am enjoying introducing our beautiful school to prospective new families.

One of the things I always discuss with most fondness is the incredible parent group we have here at Star of the Sea. Our community is one of our greatest strengths, built on the generosity of many families throughout our long story.

Our Parents and Friends is a group that you all belong to. They meet each month to explore ways to support our school and its students, parents and staff.

We have been blessed with a hardworking Executive, with Peter Sedgwick as our President for the past couple of years.  Peter has recently decided to step back from this role and, sad as I am to see him go, I am very grateful for the generous support and wisdom he has given to me and to our school community.

We are therefore seeking someone to step into the P&F President role. We have scheduled an extra meeting on Tuesday 16th May where we will call for nominations and elect our new President. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have.

Nominations can also be sent through before the meeting to myself and/or our P&F Secretary via the following emails:
jennett_omullane@rok.catholic.edu.au 
SOSG_PandFSecretary@rok.catholic.edu.au 

I encourage you also to attend the presentation by Janet Goodall next Tuesday 2nd May at Chanel College.  Jane’s visit has been organized by Catholic School Parents Qld as a support to you all in the important role you have.

ANZAC Day 

Thank you to everyone who was able to support our school and community ANZAC Day ceremonies. With all that is happening in our world today, we are reminded of the preciousness of peace and freedom and the need to never take it for granted.

Volunteers for Mother's Day Stall- Thursday 11 May

Our Mother’s Day Stall takes place on Thursday 11th May giving your children a chance to buy something special for their mothers.  It is organised by our P&F who need volunteers to help run the stall for the day. Please consider giving at least some of your day if you can to make this Mother’s Day Stall possible for your children.  Please contact the school office if you are available.

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

Existing Families required to complete 2024 Prep Applications to avoid disappointment

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

Sister Kym’s reflection this week is one worth sharing -

The “awe” of Anzac Day

“We are in awe of what they did,” said the Governor-General Quentin Bryce at the Dawn service on Anzac Day on the Gallipoli Peninsula some years ago.  That place with its thin strip of beachhead and rugged terrain rising ominously above, evokes the horror and terror of war, and that is truly awful.  But that was not the ‘awe’ being spoken of.  Rather, she was speaking of the love and service that was offered there. In the worst of situations, the best human response was given. And that sacrificial service has continued to be offered by literally hundreds of thousands of service personnel in the ensuing years as they have entered into awful situations and transformed them by their courage, love, wit, humour and wisdom.  When we enter into their stories, they liberate a deep knowing within us.  What uncle, grandfather, aunt did may inspire us but then we realise that they were/are ordinary people – just like us.  What they did we can do also.  And what is truly ‘awe’ful is that we can do that in our ordinary lives- this day, in this next situation that happens, be it a child needing care, a friend needing a chat, a spouse needing cheering up, a grandparent needing visiting.  Our notion of ‘mateship’ arose out of a response to a ‘need’.  Not the need to go to war, but the need to serve each other in common situations, situations that were often difficult and sometimes dangerous.  We live and work in many common situations – family, school, workplace, community.  As we experience ‘awe’ this coming week, let it within us liberate that deep knowing that we are together in life in so many ways and may we try to show to each other the ‘mateship’ we honour on this day.

Loving God, you give us the example of loving service in so many different ways.  As we honour those who have served us, give us the grace of Jesus your Son to serve each other in all the events of our lives.  We ask this in his name confident that you will hear us.    Sr Kym Harris osb

God’s blessings,

Kellie Richardson

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

ANZAC Day Commemorative Reflection

Thank you to our Year 5 students who led the school in a commemorative reflection on assembly on Monday morning. 

Catholic Identity

Masses and Liturgies at Star of the Sea.

We began our week last week with a Liturgy of the Word to celebrate the Easter season.  We regularly join together in prayer and often take time to come together in the church in God’s presence.

These moments are a way of inviting God into our daily lives and reflecting upon our own faith journey.  These liturgies and masses help us express our faith in a way that links to our story and culture.  They are a source of nourishment to take into the various moments of our daily lives. 

This form of ritual began with the gathering of the first Christians to recite the stories and break bread as Jesus first did with them.  The Mass has a basic universal structure that links us with believers across the world, each engaging in a way that reflects their own culture and story.

It is an invitation to come as we are, opening our hearts and minds and giving our full participation in our words, movements and reflection.  It can be a precious gift in our often busy and challenging lives.

Liturgies and Assemblies

WEEK 3

Year 2B invite you to their Assembly on Friday 5^th May at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 4

Year 4B invite you to their Assembly on Friday 12^th May at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 5

Year 4A invite you to their Assembly on Friday 19^th May at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 6

Year 5B invite you to their Assembly on Thursday 25^th May at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 8

Year 6B invite you to their Assembly on Friday 9^th June at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 9

Year 2A invite you to their Assembly on Friday 16^th June at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

WEEK 10

Year 5A invite you to their Assembly on Friday 23^rd June at 8.35am in the Covered Courts Area.

In Our Prayers

From the APC

Throughout this term, our school will be implementing the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum with students in all year levels – Prep to Year 6.

The Department of Education and Training, in partnership with the Daniel Morcombe Foundation, has developed the Daniel Morcombe Child Safety Curriculum for Queensland students. The Curriculum consists of classroom lessons across three phases of learning: Prep - Year 2, Years 3 - 6, and Years 7 - 9. The Curriculum, available to all Queensland schools, aims to develop student knowledge and skills to recognise, react to and report unsafe situations.

The Curriculum is based around three key messages: Recognise, React and Report.

• The Recognise message encourages students to be aware of their surroundings and to recognise warning clues.

• The React message helps students to consider choices that may keep them safe or help make them safe again as quickly as possible.

• The Report message encourages students to report unsafe incidents to an adult.

Developmentally appropriate scenarios are used to explore and discuss safety situations that children and young people may encounter in the home, at school or in their environment.

Students are encouraged to share the resources they complete in class with their families to help keep parents informed about the content being discussed and to promote discussion about safety in the home. Resources for the Parent Guides for each of the phases are available online.

Have a great week everyone!

Anthony King

Assistant to the Principal: Curriculum

anthony_king@rok.catholic.edu.au

Port Curtis Cross Country

Congratulations to Myeisha M, Amarni T and Kurt T on being selected in the Port Curtis 10-12Years Cross Country Team.  The selected students will attend the Capricornia Trials to be held in Rockhampton next month.

ANZAC DAY Ceremonies

LEST WE FORGET
Our school commemorated ANZAC Day this year, gathering both as a school and with our local community. We are grateful to our Year 5 students and teachers and all those who helped us honour this important day with its message of peace, freedom and generous sacrifice.
Special thank you to Caleb for returning to your old primary school to share your musical talents and make our ceremony very special.

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Survey regarding free Parent Workshops re Autism

In July the Autism Centre for Excellence that runs from Griffith University will be coming to Rockhampton to run some free workshops for teachers and parents. 
They would like to tailor the workshops to the local needs so are asking for some input from teacher and parents. Cath Ed have asked for teacher input to assist in making the workshops useful.  Please complete the link below if you are able to help.
https://forms.office.com/r/5rrwsrBQcm

Uniform Shop

As many of you would be aware, our Uniform supplier, Wearico, supplies Uniforms to all Catholic Schools in Gladstone.  The company has been seeking to find a shopfront to cater for more choice in availability to visit the store.

Weareco has now signed a lease @ 1/190 Goondoon Street and hope to open the store to the school community on the week of the 22nd of May.  Planned standard shop opening hours are as follows:

• Monday          8am-11am
• Tuesday          8am - 11am
• Wednesday   2pm - 5pm
• Thursday       2pm - 5pm
• Friday              Closed

Winter Uniform

We appreciate your commitment to supporting the correct wearing of our school uniform.

With the colder weather upon us, our high standards for this uniform need to be maintained please.

In Winter, a navy school pullover or jacket may be worn.  Students are also permitted to wear navy tracksuit pants over their school shorts (please do not wear them under the skorts or shorts).  

Girls are also permitted to wear navy stockings under their skorts/ shorts but must also wear socks or have them in their school bag to use when they take the stockings off.

All of these items must be NAVY in colour please without other colours/ motifs etc.  

PLEASE ALSO ENSURE YOUR CHILD’S NAME IS CLEARLY MARKED ON EACH ITEM OF CLOTHING.

Information about our Disabled Car Parks

We have a couple of families whose circumstances make them eligible to use the Disabled Car Parks.  It can be quite difficult to get out of the park with the bollards etc. if cars are parked directly behind them.  We ask that you do not park near the bollards that lead up to the top car park to allow space to reverse out of these disabled parking spots.  Please also ensure you never park in these car parks (no matter how briefly) unless you have appropriate eligibility.  Thank you for your assistance with this.

Date Claimer - Parent Workshop Opportunity - All are welcome

We have just received notice of a valuable event being provided for our Catholic School communities in Gladstone to support parents in their important role of encouraging Learning and Wellbeing. This event is brought to you in conjunction with Catholic School Parents Queensland's Executive Director, Carmel Nash, and Professor Janet Goodall from the United Kingdom.

Janet Goodall is a highly respected professor in the Department of Education and Childhood Studies at Swansea University, United Kingdom. She is a leading expert in the field of family engagement in education and has spent decades researching and developing strategies for effective parent-teacher partnerships. She has a passionate belief that parental involvement is a critical factor in ensuring academic success and overall well-being for children.

This event will be held at Chanel College on Tuesday 2nd May from 6-7.30pm. 

All are welcome - please lock this in your diary - Monday 2nd May @6pm.

Student of the Week Award

Parenting: The Great Experiment Workshop

2024 Chanel College Year 7 Enrolment Information Evening

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).

Emmaus College 30Year Anniversary

Thank you to our Caulfield Sponsors