2024 Week 8 Newsletter - Term 1

WEEKLY FOCUS - We Need Your Help

From the Principal - Feelings Matter

Dear families

Thank you to everyone who was able to join the Berry Street Team for their Zoom presentation last week.  It was perfect timing as a number of you in our Parent Survey had expressed an interest in finding out more about what we do at Star of the Sea to develop positive student behaviours and support mental health.  Some other topics mentioned in the Parent Survey include the following:
-    How we teach Mathematics.
-    How to support my child’s reading and writing.
-    Cyber Safety.
-    Religion, indigenous perspectives and cultural awareness.

We are planning a few opportunities to gather and explore these topics in the coming terms.  It is not too late to share your thoughts in the survey: https://forms.gle/3bc4HWWKUWsAAPT26

Our P&F Meeting will be the last chance to gather together this term.  Please note that it will take place after the Cross Country on Tuesday 26 March at approximately 11am.  Please let us know if you are able to attend to assist with catering.

In our Working Together Wednesday lessons we have been talking about emotions and how to express them in healthy ways.  The Berry Street Zoom gave some great tips to help calm your children when they are stressed or upset.

Model how to regulate emotions:
•    Get down low with your child.
•    Position yourself shoulder to shoulder – not facing them.
•    Take a breath (or 3).
•    Use a calm and soothing voice.
•    Bring them into your calm – don’t join them in the chaos.

Words to help find some calm together:
•    This is hard. I’m here to support you.
•    Let’s take some deep breaths together.
•    Let’s just take a break now.
•    I can see you’re angry by the way you’re holding your body.  I’d be angry too.
•    I can see you’re having a difficult time.  Let me help you.
•    It’s okay.  We will be okay.

Other phrases that can help de-escalate the situation and allow them to talk more calmly with you:
•    You’re not in trouble.
•    I want to hear your side.
•    I’m not mad at you.
•    Tell me what happened.
•    How can I help you right now?
•    Let’s talk about this.
•    Tell me when you’re ready.

What physical movement activities calm you when you’re feeling stressed?
Many of us need a walk /run or some other sort of physical activity to help calm down after a stressful day.  It is great to help our children get to know their bodies and what helps make them feel calmer.  

Have a wonderful week everyone!
God bless you.

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

Position Vacant - Facilities Officer (Groundsperson)

Mr Paul Ahern is a much valued member of our school family who plays a huge part in making our school so awesome.   We are sad to share that Paul has decided to retire from his position at the end of this term but we definitely support his decision to enjoy some well earned rest with his loved ones.  We will get to farewell Paul more formally later in the term.  For now, it is time to find his replacement. This will not be easy so we encourage you to spread the word far and wide and to help us find the perfect person.

Applications can be made via this link:

https://applynow.net.au/jobs/CER926 

From Our APRE

We move into the fourth week of Lent this week. 

Written by Michael McGirr

We have all lived through a great deal of change. Even young people have seen plenty. ChatGPT is a recent development and so are electric cars. Older people can remember having a phone plugged into a socket that you couldn’t carry around with you. Sometimes we have discussions about the good old days.

They are often tinged with nostalgia for things we miss and gratitude for improvements. We no longer need to buy film for our cameras or change typewriter ribbons. Climate change is deeply troubling. Many medical improvements are inspiring.

Change can certainly be frightening. It can also be an occasion of great hope. Jesus seems to have understood this.

Jesus says that the light has come into the world and that people prefer the same old darkness. They are set in their ways.

Every Lent, through Project Compassion, Caritas Australia asks us to help bring light into the world and to make positive change. An example is presented to us this week in the story of Memory, a young woman from rural Malawi, the eldest child in a family living at the level of subsistence farming.

Listen to some of Memory’s words: 'Growing up in the village was not easy. My parents don’t have a job, so they depend on farming. When the season goes wrong, we suffer a lot and become food insecure. Sometimes we need to bathe without soap. Sometimes we need to walk without shoes.’ With the support of Caritas Australia and its partner the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM), Memory was able to enrol at a technical college where she learnt practical skills in carpentry.

A new life became possible. She can now realise her full potential and offer more to her family and her community.

We are reminded in the Bible that every person is ‘God’s work of art.’ God is the artist who never signs off on a painting but is always trying to make it better. Perhaps we can see the world in the same way.

God Bless

Kellie Richardson

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

kellie_richardson@rok.catholic.edu.au

Catholic Social Teaching – Care for our Common Home

The earth and all life on it are part of God’s creation. We are called to respect this gift. We are responsible for taking care of the world we live in and for sharing all the wonders and resources the earth gives us.

Our changing environment prompts us to stop and think about how we live on our planet. We are called to respond and to adopt new ways of living as Pope Francis highlights in his encyclical, Laudato Si': On the Care for our Common Home.

It is the world’s poorest communities who are affected by changes to our planet. Caritas Australia’s development programs are attentive to environmental concerns and seek to promote care for the earth and its resources.

At Star of the Sea we have a number of projects to help raise awareness about taking care of our Common Home.  We as a Reef Guardian School, encourage students to take good care of the environment they work in, recycle our poppers and plastics through the containers for change scheme and collect food scraps daily to save them going into land fill.

The amount of food waste daily is quite alarming and may be worth a conversation in your household.  The animals that get the scraps each day are grateful, but I am certain that you are not sending good food to school to feed the animals.  I am noticing whole pieces of fruit and vegetables, untouched sandwiches and other food being thrown out daily.  Tuckshop days seem to see more wasted food as students prefer to eat ice blocks instead of the food that has been ordered.  We do speak to students about this, but a backup conversation from home may have more of an impact.

In Our Prayers

From the APC

All students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in Australia do NAPLAN tests in March each year.  Our Year 3 and 5 classes will complete the test on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

• NAPLAN tests students’ skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Students read some of the questions and listen to others with headphones.
• The tests will get easier or harder, depending on how students are going in the test.
• Students do four different tests.

The names of the four tests are Writing, Reading Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) Numeracy and a Writing Test.  Students in Year 3 will do the Writing test using pencil and paper. Year 3 students will answer the other test questions on the computer.

• Students in Years 5 will answer all their test questions on computers.
• Teachers will help students get ready for NAPLAN tests.
• Schools will get the results, then will then give parents a report showing their child’s results.
• Parents/carers can talk to the teacher about these results.
• NAPLAN shows how students are going all over Australia.

Our teachers have been preparing our students ready for the tests and we wish them all the best for the week.  

Have a great week everyone.

Anthony King

Assistant to the Principal - Curriculum 

anthony_king@rok.catholic.edu.au

Invitation to the Chrism Mass

For those unable to join in person, the Mass can be watched on the St Joseph’s Cathedral, Rockhampton YouTube channel -  https://www.youtube.com/user/StJosephsCathRton 

2025 Prep Enrolments

Our Combined Schools Musical Star

A huge congratulations to Amarni Thetford, one of our Year 6 Leaders, who is currently performing in the Gladstone Combined Schools Musical Production of The Little Mermaid.  We are very proud of the commitment and enthusiasm Amarni has shown towards rehearsals and sharing her talents on stage.  Well done Amarni - Keep shining bright!

Parents & Friends Meeting - Change to Meeting Time - Tuesday 26th March at 11am (After Cross Country)

We invite all of our Parent Community to our P and F Meeting on Tuesday 26th March at 11am in the staff room (entry via the front office).  

With our Cross Country event taking place at school that day, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to gather straight afterwards for our P&F Meeting.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Cross Country 2024

Cross Country this year will be held on site at Star of the Sea. The course will be a mix of terrain, with some gentle inclines to add to the fun. Cross Country will be held in Week 10 on Tuesday 26^th March.

As always, we will be asking for parent help, so if you will be available to help on the morning, please send Mrs Hooley an email (kim_hooley@rok.catholic.edu.au). With the event being held at school, training and walk throughs of the course will occur in PE, so students will be very familiar with the course.

In preparation for the Cross Country, Mrs Hooley has started a fitness club on Tuesday mornings, which commences at 7:50am in the top shed. Students will need to wear comfortable clothing – that isn’t their uniform, and comfortable running shoes (these can be school shoes if they are suitable).  Please remind students to bring their school uniform to change into following training.  This training will be available from students in Year 3 – 6 and will focus on building running stamina.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Mrs Hooley at the email above.

Caulfield 2024

Our Caulfield Team is looking for helpers and there are lots of different ways you can assist us.

Please contact soscaulfield@outlook.com for more information.

2024 School Priorities

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.

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

Community Notices

Caulfield 2023 Sponsors