2024 Week 2 Newsletter - Term 1

WEEKLY FOCUS - Creating safe learning environments

From the Principal -Setting our children up for success

Dear Families

Our year is off to a wonderful start and there is a great feel amongst the students and staff.  We are keen to see your child make us much growth as possible in all areas of their development this year and there are a few ways you can help us.

Help them set up a routine for home - Establishing routines can help your child engage better at school, build good habits and create a sense of security and success. 

Prioritise their attendance – Research has shown that students with high attendance often learn better and be more successful in their friendships.  Right from Prep, regular attendance builds connection and resilient learning habits.

Promote the value of learning – You are your child’s first teacher and your attitudes and example with regards to learning new things and valuing school can have a huge impact on your child.

Work with your child’s school – Partner with your child’s teacher and help them get to know your child.  Work with them to support your child’s individual learning needs.

We will talk more about each of these points in the coming weeks and welcome your suggestions and queries regarding ways we can assist you.

All parents at Star of the Sea are automatically members of our Parents and Friends group which exists to support our school and to assist parents in their important role as first educators.

We would love to see you at our first Parents and Friends (P&F) Meeting tonight, Tuesday 30 January in the staffroom (entry via the Office Ramp) at 6:30pm.  It is a great way to meet others and connect with what is happening and get involved with volunteering if you are looking to do so.

2024 BOARD MEMBERS

Our School Board plays an essential role in the life of our school.  It has a number of important responsibilities including providing a shared wisdom to guide the Principal in ensuring our school stays focused on its core mission and vision.

We are seeking new members for our Board this year and invite you to find out more about what we do if you are interested.  We will be holding an information session in Week 4 on Tuesday 13 February at 5:15pm in the Staffroom.  It should only take half an hour.  Please also feel free to talk to myself or our Board Chair, Mary Ross, with any queries you may have.

PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS

A great way to set up up your child for success is to show an interest in their school and learning, forming a positive relationship with their teacher.  Our Parent Information Sessions are a great way to do this.  Please check your emails and this newsletter for more information.

Have a wonderful week everyone!
God bless you.

Jennett Mullane
Principal
jennett_omullane@rok.catholic.edu.au

From Our APRE

I am very much looking forward to gathering as a community on Friday for our Opening School Mass.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  After Mass we will present our 2024 leaders with their badges.

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

I had a short conversation with a parent on Monday morning about how the students don’t like coming back to school.  We came to the conclusion that they do like it, they just take time to get back into routine – a bit like trying to get them to have a bath.  They resist getting in the bath and then we struggle to get them out again.
Whether students are Prep or Year 6 the new year takes time to get used to.  Students and teachers set up routines and work out what is going to work and what isn’t.  This all takes time and we need to constantly remind ourselves of that.  We are only working in Day Five of the school year (Monday morning).  

Each year our school invests in professional learning opportunities. A key message that seems to keep coming through is the importance of building relationships.  It is at the core of what we do – if something is bothering you or your child please come and talk to us.  We are working together for the good of ALL.

Our school has a rich history and we have some wonderful role models who have gone before us.  Our school was founded by the Marist and Mercy traditions.  This alone reminds us to live with faith, hope and love as inspired by Mary and to bring Jesus to life in even the most ordinary of ways.

My prayer is that we will take care of each other in ordinary ways, no matter who it is and where we are.

“Never see a need without doing something about it.”  
Saint Mary of the cross McKillop

God Bless

Kellie Richardson

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

Liturgies and Assemblies

WEEK 2

Our Opening School Commissioning Mass takes place this Friday 2nd 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 2024 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

NUMBER TALKS

One of our core goals at Star of the Sea is to encourage deep learning through the development of critical thinking skills and skillful questioning techniques, especially in Mathematics. One of the ways we are doing this in our classrooms is through daily NUMBER TALKS.  Number Talks change the learning emphasis from set procedures to student sense-making. They bring student thinking to the foreground of learning and encourage deep thinking and analysis.  

During the Number Talk sessions, students share their strategies and justify their choices. Wrong answers are never frowned upon, but rather used as an opportunity to unearth misconceptions and investigate their thinking. Each student begins to realise that mistakes are opportunities for learning. Teachers use question prompts to deepen the thinking of all students. This maximises student participation as they all begin to feel confident to communicate their mathematical thinking. In doing this they develop their reasoning skills by justifying their ideas when sharing their strategies for mental calculations. 

 (Number Talks : Helping Children Build Mental Math and Computation Strategies by Sherry Parrish, Math Solutions, 2010. Making Number Talks Matter (Year 4-10) by Cathy Humphreys & Ruth Parker, 2015) 

Throughout the year I will be adding some Number Talks to my section of the newsletter. It would be awesome if you could sit with your child and do the number talk with them. By doing this at home, your children will learn from you, as you learn from them. Together, you will discover similar thinking strategies or identify different styles of understanding. They are designed to give you all opportunities to share your thinking, so some weeks may seem hard, or easy or just right. Keep in mind, it isn’t the level of difficulty, or being right or wrong. It is the sharing of thinking that is the focus.  

Have a great week.

Anthony King

Assistant to the Principal - Curriculum 

anthony_king@rok.catholic.edu.au

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.  

WEEK TWO
Year 4 - Wednesday 31 January @ 5pm

WEEK THREE
Year 1 - Tuesday 6 February @ 5pm
Year 5 - Wednesday 7 February @ 4:30pm
Year 3 (TBC) - Wednesday 7 February @5pm
Year 6 - Thursday 8 February @ 4:30pm

WEEK FOUR
Year 2 - Tuesday 13 February @ 5pm

Parents & Friends Meeting - All welcome

We invite all of our Parent Community to our P and F Meeting this  Tuesday 30 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.

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 30 January @ 6pm (Before the P&F Meeting)

Friday 2 February @ 2:30pm

Monday 5 February @ 8:50am (After Assembly)

Tuesday 6 February @ 5:30pm (Please note this time has changed)

Long Service Award - Mrs Suzanne Smyth

Congratulations to our wonderful Year 4 teacher, Mrs Suzanne Smyth, on your 21 years of service within Catholic Education. We are very grateful for all you give to Star of the Sea.

Many thanks to Mrs Carmel Kriz (Assistant Director: Teaching & Learning) who joined our Combined Staff Commissioning Mass and presented Suzanne with her plaque on behalf of Catholic Education in the Diocese of Rockhampton. 

Parents & Friends Welcome Back BBQ

We are looking forward to seeing you all at our Welcome Back BBQ next Friday 9th 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. 

2024 Date Claimers

2024 Term Dates

Please note that 2024 has an extra week, making it a 40 week school year.

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. 

IMPORTANT: Please Update Your Media/ Information Sharing Details

Dear Parents

We are asking your assistance in updating media/information sharing consent for your child/ren.  Our system has been updated with more options that give us clarity with the myriad different ways your child's details can possibly be used.  

This is important information that affects our ability to collect data and obtain funding for our students.

This is a very quick task completed through Parent Lounge and below are some instructions to guide you with this task.  You will need to complete this task for each child you have at Star of the Sea please.

We appreciate your help in ensuring we have the correct information for your child/ren.

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.
  

Position Vacant - Parish Administration Officer

Applications are invited for a part-time (20 hours a week) role providing assistance to the Parish Priest in the administrative tasks of the parish.

A copy of the full position description and instructions for applying can be obtained by contacting the parish office (sosgladstone@rok.catholic.net.au or 49721025).

Applications should be submitted no later than 16^th February 2024.

Responsible Use of Digital Devices - Valuable Opportunity

Catholic School Parents Qld is offering a valuable opportunity to attend an online webinar presentation by Susan McLean.  Please consider registering at this link: https://www.eventcreate.com/e/mobiles-webinar 

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.

Community Notices

PLEASE NOTE - The advertised Auskick Sessions below will take place on the top play area.

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

Caulfield 2023 Sponsors