2022 Week 9 Newsletter - Term 1

Weekly Focus

This is one of my favourite videos ever.  It has such a simple and powerful message for anyone who cares for children.  It takes only 1 minute 18 seconds so PLEASE WATCH.  

From the Principal

Dear Families

It is fitting that our Say No To Bullying Day is celebrated during Harmony Week.  The two events share the same basic principle of respect for diversity.  Even in these young children we teach, there is a strong desire to be the same as everyone else.  Celebrating our similarities is a great strength but, if it excludes or harms others or leads to bullying because of differences, then we need to stand up against it.  One of our school virtues is Courage and it is core to creating a community that respects all its members and helps them to flourish.  With a Behaviour Policy that values individual story, it will be courage and respect that help it to be implemented.

Over the past few weeks I have shared our 2022 School Goals for our students, including finding ways for students to have a voice and take personal responsibility for their learning.  Student voice is more than just students 'having a say' and 'being heard'. It is essentially about developing a culture that values the perspectives and opinions of all.   In the classroom it shows itself in many ways:
•    Teachers having a ‘welcome circle’ that allows students to share their feelings about the day              ahead and any other important news.
•    Writing for audiences beyond the classroom.
•    Setting personal learning goals.
•    Collaborating in teams to solve problems.
•    Listening to all perspectives in a situation.
•    Having choice in the work they do and its presentation.

Our goal is to help our students take responsibility for their own achievements, disappointments and mistakes, and put into words the things that are affecting them in and out of the classroom, in order to help them plan achievable learning goals.  Our hope this year is to show our students that their voices can be powerful instruments of learning for themselves and others—and instruments for change in their classrooms and beyond.

As you would be aware, our Year 3 teacher, Mrs Maree Lynch sadly lost her husband at the start of the year.  She has understandably decided to take the rest of this year as leave.  We have begun advertising for our new Year 3 teacher and we encourage you to help us spread the message and find someone special for this beautiful class.

God bless you and Live Jesus in Your Hearts Forever!
Jennett Mullane
Principal
jennett_omullane@rok.catholic.edu.au  

ASPIRE TO TEACH, TEACH TO INSPIRE!
Applications are invited for the full-time contract teaching position (Year 3) at Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Gladstone.

This contract will commence from Term 2, 2022 until 15 January 2023.

To apply, please click the following link https://applynow.net.au/.../279982-cer296-classroom...

To find out more about Catholic Education in the Diocese of Rockhampton please visit www.rok.catholic.edu.au

Applications close 27 March 2022.

From Our APRE

Personally, 2022 has already been a year full of challenges, stress and heartache and it is only the third month.  It is during these times that I often remember back to a book that was once recommended to me many years ago titled “Where the Hell is God?” by Richard Leonard.

As we navigate our way through various tragedies and suffering we may find it hard to make sense of our Christian Faith.  When the going gets tough how do we find God? 

When there is doubt, challenge and suffering people often say it is the ‘will of God’.  Our world and the people within in it are somewhat imperfect; however, God enables us to respond with love and grace in times of need.

I have once again witnessed God’s grace and love as a result of my own challenges as I have support from so many people around me.  People reaching out to offer support in many different ways -  taking on extra roles because I can’t do them, taking time to listen, a phone call to check in, special deliveries or simply smiling on the way past.  This is where God is.

Even in times of pain, we can be reminded of the love that surrounds us.  An all time favourite reflection of mine is ‘Footprints in the Sand’.  It is in our times of need when God carries us, to help lighten the load.

May we find healing, forgiveness and peace in God’s Divine Mercy as we navigate our way through life’s pathways.

God bless

Kellie Richardson
Assistant Principal: Religious Education
Kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

Third Week of Lent - Caritas Story

We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Janice, a Wagilak woman and traditional dancer who tells her family’s stories through movements handed down over generations.

Like many remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, Janice’s faces a range of challenges – low employment and education, financial hardship, poorer health and lower life expectancy.

With your help, Caritas Australia supports Djilpin Arts Aboriginal Corporation, which operates a centre for traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts and culture, providing employment and generating income for local communities.

Janice believes that Djilpin Arts’ work is essential to create opportunities for young people to stay on-country, to share intergenerational knowledge between elders and the younger generation - to promote healing, and to keep culture alive.

Watch a short film about Janice’s story here.

Virtues Project

St Vincent de Paul Flood Appeal

In our Prayers

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. 

•    We pray as we celebrate Harmony Week: May we always have the courage to respect the unique story of each human being.

•    We pray for those who suffer the fear and injustice of war:  May those with power have their hearts moved to peace so as to make decisions that support it.

•    We pray for all those affected by the floods in Qld and NSW:  May they receive the support and the strength they need to recover from this tragedy.

•     We pray for all of us in this Season of Lent:  May we use this as an opportunity deeper prayer and reflection of our call towards Grace.

Curriculum News

 Diagnostic Reading Assessment    

Over the coming weeks, students at SOS in Year 1 to Year 6 will be involved in a Diagnostic Reading Assessment (DRA).  The DRA is a diagnostic tool used in schools across Catholic Education, Diocese of Rockhampton to identify the individual needs of learners and monitor reading development. The DRA provides a common language for describing levels of reading engagement, oral reading fluency and comprehension. Teachers are able to systematically observe, record, and diagnose a student’s independent reading level and identify next steps.  

Increasing the volume of books read and the time spent on reading has been shown to have a positive effect on a child’s reading abilities, and the home plays a vital role in doing this.  This does not always have to be the child reading to you.  Sometimes you might read with them, or to them as well, to help them build stamina.  We saw a significant improvement in many students that we trailed this with last year at school, and we would love your assistance in helping us see further growth in our students by increasing reading volume at home.   Our students will undergo the DRA testing again in Term Three and we look forward to seeing their reading growth.  Our collective goal for reading instruction is for our learners to become proficient, critical, enthusiastic readers who can read for purpose and meaning, thinking deeply about the texts they read.     

Have a good week everyone.

Anthony King

Assistant Principal: Curriculum

ICT Code of Practice - ACTION REQUIRED PLEASE

Information and Communication Technologies are used as a resource in many of the teaching and learning activities in the classroom.  A requirement of all students participating in these activities is to commit to a safe and respectful use of the various technologies.  This is completed each year by parents logging on to Parent Lounge, reading through the ICT Code of Practice with their child and showing their commitment to this Code of Practice by clicking the appropriate approval icon.

https://401sosg.https://401sosg.rok.catholic.edu.au/parentlounge/login.cfm?reason=timeout rok.catholic.edu.au/parentlounge/login

Students in Years 3 to 6 also work through the Code of Practice in class as well to ensure a thorough understanding.

Thank you to those families who have already completed this process.  This approval must be given by the start of Term 2 please.  Any students not covered by this agreement will unfortunately not have access to technology equipment at Star of the Sea from Term 2 onwards.

CLASS PARENTS - WE NEED YOU

We are still in need of a Class Parent for many of our classes this year.

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 near the Toilets): 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).  At this stage we are not wanting people to bring a shared plate unfortunately.  The school has a selection of individual serve biscuits that you can collect from the office to use for the cuppa.
•    Sending an email (or Facebook reminder) 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.
•    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.

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.  

Harmony Day Fun

Our Harmony Day celebrations were very special.  A huge thank you to our Year 6 Leaders for helping our school community celebrate with fun, respect, peace and inclusiveness.

Harmony Day

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PREP 2023

Children born between 1^st July 2017 and 30^th June 2018 are eligible to commence Prep in 2023.  If you have a child eligible for Prep in 2023 please visit the school website and complete the Online Application Form.

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

All current families with a child eligible to commence Prep 2023 are required to complete and online application form.

*Uniform Shop Change to Opening Hours*

Please note the Uniform Shop is open each Wednesday from 8.30am to 10.30am.  Orders can be placed online via our school website http://www.staroftheseagladstone.qld.edu.au/about-us/uniform.html 

Student of the Week Awards

Chanel College Enrolments 2023

ECSI Parent Survey - Please help us by completing this as soon as possible.

Covid Update

Star of the Sea  wishes to advise you that, during the past week, we have been notified of positive cases of COVID-19 in our school community.  

Star of the Sea regularly consults with the Catholic Education Office and relevant authorities, and continues to follow the advice of Queensland Health regarding cleaning requirements. 

Queensland Health has advised that no quarantine of students or staff is required.

As COVID-19 remains active in our community we ask you to continue to monitor your child’s/children’s health and if they develop any flu-like symptoms: 

•    Keep your child/children at home
•    Seek a PCR or Rapid Antigen test where it is recommended and notify the school of positive results. Please be aware, a negative COVID test does not change the requirement to be symptom free to attend school. 
•    Follow the advice of Queensland Health 

As we continue to navigate the pandemic, please remind your child/ren to: 
•    maintain good hand hygiene at all times
•    cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the inside of their elbow and dispose of tissues in the bin immediately.
•    practice social distancing from others where possible
•    wear masks when required

We will continue to work closely with health authorities to keep our school community informed of any developments and advice. Thank you once again for your ongoing support.
 

Thank you to our Caulfield Sponsors