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Dear Parents and Carers,
This year, Mrs Sonia Sozio has joined the Stella Maris staff and has brought with her the love and passion for the Creative Arts. I am pleased to share with you this week the plan for the remainder of this year, where we will be celebrating and acknowledging the Creative Arts talents of our students.
CREATIVE ARTS NEWS
We are thrilled to announce that towards the end of Term 4, all students will be participating in a whole school Musical Production titled “Away in a Spaceship”. The school production will be held on school grounds during the school day.
Some students will be bringing home scripts for the school production. If your child brings a script home, we kindly ask for your support in helping them practise and learn their lines. Your encouragement and assistance at home will help ensure your child feels confident and prepared for the performance.
Your child will be required to attend rehearsals on Thursday 12th December and the production on Friday 13th December.
Additionally, if you know your child will be unavailable on the day of the production, please inform Mrs. Sozio as soon as possible.
Join Our Drama Committee
We are excited to announce that preparations are underway for our highly anticipated whole school production “Away in a Spaceship”, and we need your help to make it a spectacular event!
We are inviting expressions of interest from parents and teachers who would like to be part of our Drama Committee. This is a wonderful opportunity to contribute your time and talents to support our students in creating an unforgettable performance.
What You’ll Be Doing:
- Assisting with the creation and design of props
- Supporting with costumes and stage design
Whether you have experience in theatre arts or simply have a passion for creativity, your involvement will be invaluable. Joining the Drama Committee is a fantastic way to engage with the school community and enrich your childs' educational experience.
If you are interested in being a part of this exciting project, please reach out to Mrs Sozio by Week 1 Term 3, Friday 26th July. You can express your interest by emailing Mrs Sozio via the school office.
Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. We look forward to sharing these great opportunities with you all.
God Bless
Belinda Hughes
Principal
In Catholic churches and homes, one of the most popular images of Jesus is the image of the Sacred Heart. It is the image of God’s love revealed in the pierced heart of His Son. It is the symbol of a love that conquers sin and transcends death, the symbol of the One who loved us to the end.
Love has always been associated with the heart, so it is only natural that the love of God came to be represented by a heart, the heart of his Son Jesus. In him, God the Father revealed his infinite love for us. On the Friday after the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
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Catholic vocabulary term of the week: Corpus Christi (Body and Blood of Christ) – This feast is celebrated in the Latin Church on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday to solemnly commemorate the institution of the Holy Eucharist. |
God Bless
Alicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
Grandparents Day: 29th July 2pm - SAVE THE DATE!
Invitation to Grandparents
Each Grandparent is unique and irreplaceable. As society changes, the role of grandparents changes.
But some things about grandparents are constant. Join us in celebrating the gift they are in our lives!
Monday 29th July 2024 at 2pm, followed by Open Classrooms!
Grade Masses at Stella Maris
These Masses take place at our Stella Maris Church on Tuesdays at 9:30am. Parents, grandparents and carers are most welcome to attend. Please find below a schedule of the Masses for Term 2, 2024:
Yr 3 - Week 7 11 June
Yr 2 - Week 8 18 June
Yr 1 - Week 9 25 June
Confirmation Post Mass Week 10 2nd July
All Saints Catholic Parish NEWS
All Saints Church Mass Times: 19 College Ave, Shellharbour City
Saturday 5.00pm Vigil
Sunday 9.00am & 5.00pm
Stage Masses: Celebrated at All Saints Church with Nazareth students.
Please join us on the following dates where students will be involved in participating and celebrating together:
Sunday 28 July 9am Years 1 & 2 Grandparents Day - CANCELLED
Saturday 31 Aug 5pm Years 1 & 2 Father’s Day
Sunday 3 Nov 9am Years 3 & 4 Ordinary Time
Programme for the Sacrament of Confirmation (Year 6 Students)
Masses 8/9 June:
Third Week of Confirmation Workshops
Masses 15/16 June: Blessing & Distribution of
Medals
Last Week of Confirmation Workshops
Thursday 20 June: Retreat Day 9am to 2pm
All Saints Parish Hall for all students
Saturday 22 June: Rehearsal 5pm
Wednesday 26 June 7pm - Celebration of Confirmation
If there are any questions related to any of the Sacraments, please contact the parish office via email shellharbourcity@dow.org.au
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, marks the celebration of World Environment Day! This global event, established by the United Nations in 1974, is the largest day promoting worldwide awareness and action for the environment.
This year's theme is “Land Restoration and Drought Resilience” emphasising the urgent need to repair and restore ecosystems that have been degraded or destroyed. We encourage everyone to participate in World Environment Day by taking simple actions like reducing waste, conserving water, and supporting local conservation projects. Remember, every small effort counts towards creating a healthier and more sustainable planet.
Let’s come together to restore our ecosystems and make a positive impact on our environment. Happy World Environment Day!
Parent-Teacher Interviews Semester 1
Our Semester 1 Parent-Teacher interviews will be held in Week 10 this term, and Semester 1 reports will be available via Compass from the end of school Friday 28th May. Bookings for interviews will be open from Monday 3rd June, so look out for the Compass notification.
This year parents are invited to bring their child with them. While this is up to parents this semester, Stella Maris will be transitioning to student-led conferences (SLC) over the next few years. There are a number of well-established benefits to having students actively involved in this process, and it reflects the intention of the NSW Curriculum.
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Term |
Date |
Event |
|
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Term 3 |
Friday 2 August Stella Maris Catholic Primary School 2.00pm-2.40pm |
Music Showcase Choir and Music students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will be participating. |
Parents are invited to attend. |
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Term 3 |
Sunday 28th July 9am Mass All Saints Catholic Church Shellharbour |
Grandparents Day Choir will be participating in the mass for Grandparents Day. |
A permission note will be sent out to parents. |
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Term 3 |
Thursday 26th September Stella Maris Catholic Primary School |
Book Week Year 5 and year 6 students will be presenting a play on Macbeth. |
Parents are invited to attend. |
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Term 4 |
Thursday 12th December Stella Maris Catholic Primary School |
Dress rehearsal for the whole school production of “Away in a Spaceship”. |
All students to attend the rehearsal |
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Term 4 |
Friday 13th December 11:30am Stella Maris Catholic Primary School |
“Away in a Spaceship” school production. |
Parents are invited to attend. |
Mini Vinnies Fundraiser
Our 2024 Annual Improvement Plan
Our 2024 Annual Improvement Plan (AIP) is well underway and is centred around Domain 6: Leading Systemic Curriculum Implementation and Domain 8: Implementing Effective Pedagogical Practices.
We have identified the following goal: Students consistently produce writing of a high standard and demonstrate expected growth.
In order to achieve this, our school's focus for staff Professional Learning is planned on this basis. Some of the areas we continue to work on within the context of writing include:
- Collaborative Inquiry Cycles- a collaborative process to ensure consistent alignment between curriculum, teaching, learning, and assessment.
- Consistent use of writing assessment and moderation using the Writing Analysis Tool to determine student needs, set goals and monitor progress over time.
- Use of Observational strategies such as Lesson Studies, Learning Walks and Peer Observations, to support quality implementation within the classroom and allow teachers to learning from each other’s expertise.
- Opportunities for Professional Learning provided to build staff capacity in evidence-based writing strategies and the new curriculum implementation.
Over the last term, our teachers have had the opportunity to engage in Professional Learning in the areas of writing and the new K-6 Syllabuses (Mathematics and English). Our teachers have taken a 'deep dive' into each syllabus, discussing the requirements of each, as well as the research that underpins them. In order to improve student outcomes, we must first build teacher knowledge and capacity in relation to the new Curriculum.
A big thank you to our staff for your engagement and commitment to improving your own knowledge and skills and the learning for our students.
We are all life-long learners!
PB4L News - Pivot Wellbeing Survey
Stella Maris (Years 3 - 6) has been participating in the Pivot Wellbeing Check-Ins, as a way to support student wellbeing. These check-ins are short and are delivered once a week over five weeks to ascertain the emotional state and general wellbeing of students. By providing real-time insights into students' feelings and experiences, the check-ins allow teachers to identify issues early and offer timely support.
Some of the most recent positive data from the check-ins show that students at Stella Maris feel that:
- their school is a safe place for them to be at and to learn
- they belong to the school community
- people at school respect their personal boundaries.
As we enter Week 4 of the Pivot Wellbeing Survey, we have noticed a consistent trend over a number of weeks of students indicating not having had enough sleep. Roughly 35% of students in Years 3 - 6 have identified they have not had enough sleep and, are at times, feeling tired when coming to school.
A good night’s sleep can have a huge, positive impact on a student’s mood and their learning outcomes. When students sleep well, they are better able to concentrate in their classes and retain new information. When students are tired, they will be less likely to focus and learn new information quickly and efficiently. Equally, when students do not sleep well, they are less likely to be able to consolidate and easily recall new information. The recommended daily amount of sleep for adults is around 8 hours a night, but children and young people may need more. Experts suggest that 9-11 hours of sleep is best for 6-13 year olds, whilst for 14-17 year olds the optimum length of sleep is between 8-10 hours.
Staffing News
It is another busy month ahead with the continuation of the representative sports pathway and the commencement of our Gala Days.
Key Sports Dates (Term 2):
Week 6 - Wednesday 5 June - Mackillop Cross Country trials - Sydney Equestrian Centre
Week 7 - Friday 14 June - Catholic Legends Rugby League Gala Day - Reed Park, Dapto
Week 7 - Friday 14 June - Mackillop Touch Football Trials - Wagga
Week 8 - Thursday 20 June - Mackillop Softball Trials - Blacktown
Week 9 - Tuesday 25 June - Netball South Coast Gala Day - Fred Finch Park Berkely
Week 10 - Monday 1 July TBC - NSW Combined Primary School (CPS) Rugby Union Finals - Sydney
Diocesan Cross Country Carnival 2024
The 2024 Diocesan Cross Country Carnival was held at Willandra Cross Country Course in Nowra on Tuesday, 28th May. We had 24 students representing the school across 8 events on the day. As a result of the fantastic team effort of the Stella Maris students, we ended up claiming the title of Champion Girls School, Runner up in the Champion Boys School and won the overall point score for Champion School. We extend our congratulations to Reid C, Lola J, Pearl C and Leo J who all finished in the top 8 in their respective races and will attend the Mackillop trials at Sydney Equestrian Centre next Wednesday the 5th of June. A special mention to the reserve athletes who attended the carnival today and supported their teammates every step of the way.
All student results:
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Girls |
Boys |
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Age |
Name |
Place |
Age |
Name |
Place |
|
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U8/9 Girls |
Banksii S |
9th |
U8/9 Boys |
Leo J |
8th |
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Mahli C |
14th |
Casey S |
22nd |
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Quinn B |
28th |
Joel T |
49th |
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U10 Girls |
Lola J |
2nd |
U10 Boys |
Oscar C |
11th |
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Pearl C |
3rd |
Riley O |
13th |
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Evie G |
39th |
Oliver C |
15th |
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U11 Girls |
Ivy P |
15th |
U11 Boys |
Mason J |
11th |
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Alani W |
25th |
Carter C |
13th |
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Ava B |
40th |
Davey M |
54th |
|||
|
U12 Girls |
Chelsea S |
16th |
U12 Boys |
Reid C |
1st |
|
|
Marli K |
17th |
Harry T |
11th |
|||
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Alyrra M |
35th |
Nate H |
23rd |
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School Athletics Carnival 2024
On Thursday the 30th May, we held our annual school Athletics Carnival at Myimbarr Athletics Field. We were blessed with some beautiful weather on the day, that enabled all participants to immerse themselves in the variety of activities on offer.
Aikenhead House took out the first points on offer, winning the inaugural War Cry competition. Students in the U8-U12 categories then set off for the track and field events, rotating around every 45 minutes. Our younger cohorts enjoyed the modified activities and novelty events in the middle of the track and courageously took to the track for the 100m competitive races. All carnival results were collected and recorded throughout the day. Congratulations to our Age Champions:
U8 Girls - Maggie Herbert U8 Boys - Eden Mace
U9 Girls - Mia Bailey U9 Boys - Leo Jimenez
U10 Girls - Anabella Condy U10 Boys - Harry Kenneally
U11 Girls - Alani Waters U11 Boys - Mason Jimenez
U12 Girls - Chelsea Santana U12 Boys - Reid Coelho
Taking away this year's inaugural House Cup for the highest points was Aikenhead House on 2295 points, narrowly edging out Mackillop on 2286 points. Third place went to Smyth on 2185 points and 4th place was Weatherall on 2055 points.
A big thank you to the teachers who again worked tirelessly throughout the day to ensure the students had the best carnival experience. Another huge thank you once again to our parent helpers who supported the carnival across a variety of roles, it would not have been a success without you.
Athletes who have been selected to represent the school for the Wollongong Diocesan Athletics Championships, held at Beaton Park on the 13th of August (Week 4, Term 3) will be notified in the coming days.
Congratulations to all students on their efforts!
Gala Days
The second round of nominations have now closed for the Gala Days. Students will be notified by the end of the week on the success of their nominations for the Catholic Legends Gala Day (held on the 14th June) and the Netball Gala Day (held on the 25th June). We have been able to cater to those students who have placed these sports as their first or second preference and in some instances, we have been able to secure spots for students who have placed their preference as 3rd-7th.
CEO DOW Sports Website
For more information for any of the upcoming Diocesan carnivals, or representative sport please visit the following website. For further information regarding Gala Days please click on the link ‘About Primary Sport’ link on the above website.
CEDOW Instagram
Don’t forget, the Sports Council at the CEO DOW have 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.
Mrs Sablowski
Sports Coordinator
Gold Awards
Canteen News
Canteen is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
The canteen menu is on our website.
Online orders can be made via the My School Connect app - www.myschoolconnect.com.au/stellamarisps and click on create account.