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Dear Parents and Carers
This week, we have a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our school's identity and deep-rooted faith. Our school feast day is the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which we will be celebrating this Friday.
This feast day is not only a significant event in the Catholic Church, but it also holds a special meaning for us as the Stella Maris community. Mary, our patroness, is a beacon of Faith, Hope, and Love—the very virtues that form the foundation of our school motto. Her unwavering faith in God's plan, her hope for a better world, and her unconditional love for her son, Jesus, inspire us every day to live out our own mission.
We will celebrate this special occasion with a school-wide Mass on Friday at All Saints. Following the Mass, our students will participate in a range of fun activities and festivities to mark this joyous day as a community. Please see RE news for the details. We warmly invite you to join us for the Mass and to celebrate with us.
Thank you for your ongoing support and for helping us nurture a vibrant and faith-filled community at Stella Maris.
God Bless
Belinda Hughes
Principal
On 5 August, Year 6 students from Stella Maris joined with students from other schools in our southern cluster for Mass with Bishop Brian Mascord at St Peter & Paul’s, Kiama. Meeting the Bishop was a memorable experience, as was the opportunity to mix with children from our neighbouring schools prior to high school.
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Catholic vocabulary term of the week: Pope – Title of the visible head of the Catholic Church. He is called Pope (Greek pappas, a child's word for father) because his authority is supreme and because it is to be exercised in a paternal way, after the example of Christ. |
God Bless
Alicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop
Friday, 8 August marked the Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Australia’s first saint who was born in Australia to poor Scottish immigrants. When she was 14, Mary began working, and she was often her family’s main source of financial support. In 1860, she moved to the small rural town of Penola to serve as governess for the children of her aunt and uncle. There, Mary provided her cousins with a basic education and soon extended this to the poor children of the town.
A young priest, Father Julian Tenison Woods, encouraged her to continue this work, assuring her that educating the poor would be an ideal way to serve God. In 1866, Mary MacKillop and Fr Woods founded Australia’s first order of nuns, the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Sacred Heart, and established St. Joseph’s School in a converted stable in Penola, providing free education to children from the area. In 1867, Mary took vows and became the first mother superior of the Sisters. The following year, the sisters opened schools in other Australian cities, as well as an orphanage and a refuge for women.
A Prayer for Saint Mary of the Cross
Ever generous God,
You inspired Saint Mary MacKillop
To live her life faithful to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and constant in
bringing hope and encouragement
to those who were disheartened, lonely or needy.
With confidence in your generous providence and through the
intercession of Saint Mary MacKillop
We ask that you grant our request to keep safe at these times.
We ask that our faith and hope be fired afresh by the Holy Spirit so
that we too, like Mary MacKillop, may live with courage, trust and openness.
Ever generous God hear our prayer.
We ask this through Jesus Christ.
Amen.
Mary MacKillop
Amen.
International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
On 9 August each year, we celebrate the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. We give thanks for the sacredness of the traditions and cultures of our Indigenous sisters and brothers, who through their example have enlightened our way to walk gently upon this earth which our Creator has gifted us.
As we go forth with grateful hearts thanking God for the blessings we enjoy, we pray together…
Religious Literacy Assessment
Last week, our Year 4 students completed the Religious Literacy Assessment. This assessment provides a systematic Diocesan approach to the documentation and reporting of students’ learning in the Key Learning Area of Religious Education across the diocese and in particular, aspects of religious literacy. It is a means of celebrating and sharing the good news about students’ learning in Religious Education and enables the story to be told on a continuing basis.
Stella Maris’ Feast Day - The Assumption 15 August
Celebrate with us the day Mary, the Mother of Jesus, was assumed, body and soul, into heavenly glory. Parents and caregivers are invited to share with us in any of the following activities:
- 9:30 am K-6 Mass with Nazareth at All Saints (Students will travel as a school by bus)
- 12:00 -1:00 pm 3-6 Teacher Vs Year 6 Game on the Stella Playground
- 1:00 -1:45 pm K-6 Lunch on the Stella Playground - Bring a picnic lunch & a fold out chair!
When you come in for lunch, find a spot around the courts to settle.
Please keep clear of the COLA and office area.
Once you are seated, students will be dismissed by their teachers from their usual eating areas to join parents. After lunch, please wait until the students are settled in their classes before proceeding to Open Classrooms.
- 2:00-2:35 pm Open Classrooms K-6
- 2:50 pm Dismissal
The ‘St Francis of Assisi’ Environmental Award
This year, teachers at Stella will be involved in nominating students for the St Francis of Assisi Environmental Award. This annual award is presented to a student in each year from K-6 who exemplifies outstanding environmental stewardship and aligns with the values of St Francis of Assisi. The Award will be presented at a special liturgy presented by Year 3 on 5 September at 2 pm under the COLA. The liturgy will celebrate the ‘World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and Season of Creation 2025’.
Grade Masses at Stella Maris
Grade Masses take place at our Stella Maris Church on Tuesdays at 9:30 am. Parents, grandparents and carers are most welcome to attend. Please find below a schedule of the Masses for Term 3, 2025:
Yr 4 - Week 5 19 Aug
Yr 5 - Week 6 26 Aug
Kinder - Week 8 9 Sep
All Saints Catholic Parish NEWS
All Saints Church Mass Times: 19 College Ave, Shellharbour City
Saturday 5.00 pm Vigil
Sunday 9.00 am & 5.00 pm
Programme for the Sacrament of Communion (Year 3 Students)
Timetable of Events after the Vigil/Sunday Masses: TBC
If there are any questions related to any of the Sacraments, please contact the parish office via email shellharbourcity@dow.org.au
Each week, we focus on an area of the school to explicitly reteach our expectations. Each focus is based on observations and behaviour data. This week, we are focusing on the Canteen rules and expectations.
Canteen
- Students can purchase food from the canteen after the eating bell has rung at recess and lunch
- Students purchase food for themselves only using their own money
- Students line up in the designated year group line and wait to be called to the counter
- Wait patiently behind the person in front
- Student use their manners when talking with the canteen helpers
- Students sit down whilst they consume their canteen food
Please have a conversation with your children about the importance of only purchasing items for themselves from the canteen and not sharing food with other children.
We are excited to invite you to an upcoming P&F meeting, where we will be running a parent workshop focused on Mathematics education. This session will explore your child’s learning journey in Mathematics from Kindergarten through to Year 6.
During the workshop, we will highlight the professional learning our staff have undertaken around place value, and share the positive impact it has had on student understanding—supported by real examples from our classrooms.
You’ll also have the opportunity to learn fun and practical games you can use at home to support your child’s learning.
We look forward to seeing you there!
School Counsellor News
National Anti-Bullying Week
During National Anti-Bullying Week, our school community will continue to focus on creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone. We believe that every student has the right to feel respected, valued, and free from harm.
Throughout the week, we will be reinforcing our school's commitment to preventing and addressing bullying through various initiatives. Our established processes include clear reporting procedures for students and parents, confidential support services with our counselor, and explicit educational learning experiences that teach students about empathy, respect, and the importance of being an "upstander" rather than a bystander. By working together, we can ensure our school remains a place where Faith, Hope, and Love can flourish.
Science Week
Key Sport Dates:
Week 4 - Tuesday 12th August - South Coast Athletics Championships - Beaton Park
Week 4 - Thursday/Friday 14th & 15th August - NSW All Schools Boys Netball U12’s Championships - Sydney (Olly L & Spencer G)
Week 5 - Tuesday 19th August - Wollongong Diocesan Athletics Selection Trial - Beaton Park
Week 6 - Friday 29th August - South Coast Soccer Gala Day - South Nowra Fields, Nowra (Year 3-6 invited)
Week 9 - Thursday 18th September - South Coast Basketball Gala Day (JUNIORS, Years 3/4) - Shellharbour Sports Stadium
Week 9 - Friday 19th September - South Coast Basketball Gala Day (SENIORS, Years 5/6) - Shellharbour Sports Stadium
Representative Sport
Rugby League
During the holidays, Spencer T participated in the NSW Primary School Sports Association Rugby League State Development Camp at St Gregory’s College. He was among a squad of 34 students striving for selection in the NSW State Team. Spencer’s dedication and performance earned him a place in the team, proudly wearing the #11 jersey, as he went on to compete at the School Sport Australia Championships in Moreton Bay, QLD during Week 2 of Term 3. Throughout the tournament, Spencer and his team delivered several clinical performances, helping NSW reach the final, where they were ultimately defeated by a highly talented Queensland side, 24-0. Here are the results from his competition:
Sunday 27th July - NSW vs QLD (0-26 loss)
Monday 28th July - NSW vs VIC (28-10 win)
Tuesday 29th July - NSW vs ACT (40-0 win)
Thursday 31st July SEMI FINAL - NSW vs VIC (18-4 win)
Friday 1st August FINAL - NSW vs QLD (0-24 loss)
This is the highest level of representation a student can achieve at Primary School and we are so proud of Spencer’s efforts and commitment to sporting excellence.
Rugby Union
In Week 3, Spencer T attended the NSWPSSA Rugby Championships in Newcastle.
Results:
Mackillop vs South Coast (34 - 7 win)
Polding vs Mackillop (15 - 5 loss)
Sydney North vs Mackillop (38 - 10 loss)
CIS vs Mackillop (34 - 17 loss)
Further playoff games were abandoned.
Congratulations, Spencer, on all your hard work, dedication, and effort throughout the championships. We’re so proud of you!
South Coast Athletics Championships
Earlier this week, 36 students from Years 2-6 attended the South Coast Athletics Championships at Beaton Park. Students competed in a variety of track and field events throughout the day, Below is a summary of the results from the day.
2025 RESULTS SHEET
|
TRACK EVENTS |
|||
|
Event No |
Event Name |
Name |
Result |
|
1 |
Male Junior 800m |
Leo Jimenez |
2.57.69 (10) |
|
2 |
Female Junior 800m |
Mia Bailey |
3.16.86 (10) |
|
3 |
Male 11 Years 800m |
Harry Kenneally |
2.50.40 (8) |
|
4 |
Female 11 Years 800m |
Lola Jimenez |
2.52.33 (2) |
|
5 |
Male Senior 800m |
Davey McMullen |
3.05.85 (10) |
|
6 |
Female Senior 800m |
Ella Sanson |
3.01.08 (5) |
|
7 |
Junior Boys Relay |
Odin Barthelmess Landon Benson Xavier Garcia Casey Sanson |
1.04.78 (3) |
|
8 |
Junior Girls Relay |
Mia Bailey Mahli Creighton Maggie Herbert Banksii Spencer |
1.13.89 (12) |
|
9 |
Senior Boys Relay |
Kenneally, Harry Kristevski, Isaac Oshea, Riley Yalda, Karlos |
59.97 (8) |
|
10 |
Senior Girls Relay |
Ella Sanson Lola Jimenez Alexia Nowakowski Alani Waters |
1.02.61 (6) |
|
11 |
Male 8 Years 100m (Heat) |
Tom Broadhead |
17.54 (11) |
|
Charlie Cunningham |
18.20 (17) |
||
|
12 |
Female 8 Years 100m (Heat) |
Marlee McConnell |
17.07 (2) 16.81 (2) - Final |
|
Ella Wheeler |
17.10 (3) 17.62 (6) - Final |
||
|
13 |
Male 9 Years 100m (Heat) |
Xavier Garcia |
16.39 (10) |
|
Eden Mace |
16.13 (5) 16.09 (5) - Final |
||
|
14 |
Female 9 Years 100m (Heat) |
Maggie Herbert |
17.10 (6) |
|
Banksii Spencer |
16.74 (3) 16.44 (4) - Final |
||
|
15 |
Male 10 Years 100m (Heat) |
Landon Benson |
16.03 (13) |
|
Casey Sanson |
15.58 (8) 15.55 (5) - Final |
||
|
16 |
Female 10 Years 100m (Heat) |
Mia Bailey |
16.97 (17) |
|
Amarah Tungai |
18.21 (33) |
||
|
17 |
Male 11 Years 100m (Heat) |
Harry Kenneally |
14.74 (6) 14.76 (5) - Final |
|
Karlos Yalda |
15.34 (14) |
||
|
18 |
Female 11 Years 100m (Heat) |
Lola Jimenez |
16.28 (15) |
|
Alexia Nowakowski |
16.08 (14) |
||
|
19 |
Male 12 Years 100m (Heat) |
Olly Lachlan |
16.28 (28) |
|
Davey McMullen |
15.19 (16) |
||
|
20 |
Female 12 Years 100m (Heat) |
Ella Sanson |
16.43 (26) |
|
Alani Waters |
14.47 (1) 14.99 (1) - Final |
||
|
27 |
Male Junior 200m (Heat) |
Casey Sanson |
32.46 (5) |
|
Isaiah Tuitu’u |
34.44 (16) |
||
|
28 |
Female Junior 200m (Heat) |
Maggie Herbert |
36.92 (29) |
|
Mia Bailey |
36.59 (25) |
||
|
29 |
Male 11 Years 200m (Heat) |
Harry Kenneally |
31.59 (8) |
|
Riley O’Shea |
32.78 (14) |
||
|
30 |
Female 11 Years 200m (Heat) |
Lola Jimenez |
34.78 (14) |
|
Alexia Nowakowski |
33.92 (12) |
||
|
31 |
Male Senior 200m (Heat) |
Carter Crosswell |
33.27 (21) |
|
Davey McMullen |
32.18 (15) |
||
|
32 |
Female Senior 200m (Heat) |
Ella Sanson |
35.04 (25) |
|
Alani Waters |
31.49 (3) |
||
Congratulations to all students who gave it their all on the day. The following students will get the opportunity to trial for the Wollongong Diocesan team next Tuesday, the 19th of August.
- Lola Jimenez - 11 Girls 800m
- Odin Barthlemess, Landon Benson, Xavier Garcia, Casey Sanson - Junior Boys Relay
- Marlee McConnell - 8 Girls 100m
- Banksii Spencer - 9 Girls 100m
- Alani Waters - 12 Girls 100m, Senior Girls 200m, Senior Girls High Jump, Senior Girls Discus, Senior Girls Long Jump (52 points)
- Hunter Halilovic - 12 Girls Shot Put
- Isabella Jackson - 11 Girls Shot Put
- Jett Kahler - 12 Boys Discus
- Eden Mace - 9 Boys Discus
- Nixon Tracey - 10 Boys Shot Put
A special congratulations to two of our students, Eden Mace and Alani Waters, for their outstanding individual achievements on the day. Eden set a new event record in the Junior Boys Discus with an impressive throw of 28.55m. Alani delivered consistently strong performances, placing in the top four in five of her events, and was crowned the U12 Girls Age Champion.
A big thank you to Mrs. Mace and Mrs. Norris, who attended the carnival with the students and ensured they were prepared for their events.
Gala Days
Soccer
The Soccer Gala Day is coming up on Friday, Week 6 (29th August). Teams are being finalised. Just a reminder, students MUST wear joggers/runners, NO SOCCER BOOTS ALLOWED. All students will need to provide/wear shin pads and long socks (any colour). If your child does not own a pair or can not borrow a pair for the day, please reach out to the office staff and we can assist.
Community News
Congratulations to Lachland Mackay who has been nominated for Para Athlete of the Year by the Illawarra Academy of Sport. The Para Athlete of the Year award is proudly supported by Australian Paralympic Team, with the winner to receive The Brett Stibners Award, named after IAS alumni athlete Brett Stibners OAM.
SPORT PATHWAY FOR MULTICLASS STUDENTS
Please view the following website for further information on Multiclass sporting opportunities.
https://csnsw.sport/students-with-disability/student-with-disabilities-links/multi-class
The Multiclass Pathway is for students with a physical or intellectual disability. Athletics, Swimming and Cross Country provide Multiclass events and provide a pathway for students in the school system. Students will need to have a classification in order to progress through the sports pathway as a multiclass athlete. This can take some time to organise so if you are considering this option for your child please act as soon as possible. If you have any questions please see Mrs Sablowski.
CEODoW Website
CEODoW has released a new website. You can access this new website via the following link. To navigate to the sport section please follow the below process:
Go to the CEODoW website: https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/
Click on the three lines in the yellow box at the top right hand side of the page
Click on ‘Student Experience’
Click on ‘Sport’
Click on ‘Primary Sport’
Navigate through the options
CEDOW Instagram
Don’t forget, the Sports Council at the CEO DOW has set up an Instagram account to help spread the news about sport in our Diocese. Please follow @cedow.sport to keep up to date with all the latest news and information.
We wish to inform you that the current operator of our school canteen has made the business decision to conclude their operations at Stella Maris. We thank them for their service to our school community this year.
We’re pleased to share that a new canteen provider, The Lunch Lab, will commence from Week 6 – Wednesday, 27 August 2025. The Lunch Lab will operate four days a week: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, and will be closed on Tuesdays.
The new canteen provider brings an exciting menu featuring homemade options alongside some of the familiar favourites your children already enjoy. We look forward to this fresh chapter and the delicious offerings ahead!
It is likely that a new ordering platform may be used, we encourage families to use up credit in their current Myschool Connect accounts to avoid unnecessary fees.
Further details, including menu and ordering information, will be shared shortly.
Assembly Update
Please note that there will be no assembly this week due to our celebration of The Assumption Feast Day.
The next Awards Assembly will be held in Week 5 on Friday, 22 August. There will be no assembly in Week 6, with the following assembly scheduled for Week 8 on Thursday, 12 September.
Thank you for your understanding as we accommodate special events in our school calendar.
