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Last week I had the privilege of attending the annual Principal Retreat at the Hermitage, Mittagong. The grounds of the hermitage are open to anyone, if you ever venture up to the highlands I encourage a visit to the picturesque grounds.
The theme this year was Come and See, Go and Make. It was about looking inward, taking time to reflect, and then focusing on how we look outward. How do we make disciples of each other.
We were led through a variety of contemplative experiences and encouraged to pray and reflect on our encounter with our God. I wanted to share with you all one of the ways to pray that we experienced.
I hope you find this way of praying, and meditation as life-giving as it was for me.
God Bless
Belinda Hughes
Principal
Last year, as part of the school’s Cyclic Inquiry, recommendations were made to revise the school’s vision, mission, and values. Our goal as a school is to have by 2027, a futuristic, innovative Vision and Mission that is animated across the school and community. Consequently, with the guidance and support of the Catholic Life, Education, and Mission (CLEM) Team from the Catholic Education Office, we have identified in terms of Faith, Learning; Pastoral Care & Wellbeing, and the Environment:
- What we value;
- What we do;
- How we do it; and
- Why we do it.
ay - The AssumptionAlicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
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Catholic vocabulary term of the week: Faith – Our faith life is a grace or a gift that brings us into a personal, loving union with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This grace enables us both to hear the Word of God and to keep it. (source: Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis) |
Season of Creation
The 1st of September is the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and marks the commencement of the Season of Creation that lasts till the 4 October – the feast of St Francis of Assisi. It is an annual worldwide celebration of prayer and action to protect our Common Home.
Pope Francis launched this season at the Vatican, saying, ‘We should be united in showing mercy to the earth as our common home and cherishing the world in which we live as a place for sharing and communion’. Now, every member of the Christian world is called to engage in this season prayerfully and courageously. So, let us join our individual and collective efforts to protect this Common Home we love.
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 6 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 2024’.
Grade Masses at Stella Maris
These 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, 2024:
Yr 4 Week 7 3 September
Yr 6 Week 8 10 September
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
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:
Saturday 31 Aug 5 pm Years 1 & 2 Father’s Day
Sunday 3 Nov 9 am Years 3 & 4 Ordinary Time
Programme for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion
(Year 3 Students)
Save the Date - First Holy Communion 24 November 11 am
|
Vigil/Sunday |
Programme |
|
7/8 Sep |
Enrolment forms & a $25 fee collected. |
|
14/15 Sep |
Group preference sheets will be distributed & Parents will be required to provide preferences for the workshop days and times. |
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21/22 Sep |
Commitment Mass - Compulsory Attendance / Prayer Cards distributed |
If there are any questions related to any of the Sacraments, please contact the parish office via email shellharbourcity@dow.org.au
Uniform
Students will officially begin wearing their summer uniforms at the start of Term 4. We will have an optional transition starting from week 9 this term (from Monday 16 September 2024) where students can wear either summer or winter uniforms to school.
PB4L
PIVOT - Bouncing back from situations
As part of the PIVOT survey for students in Years 3-6, it has been noted that some students find it challenging to recover from setbacks. This week, SEL groups with Mrs. Shelton have focused on identifying these difficult moments and developing strategies to help students "bounce back" from them. Parents can support their children in building resilience at home by:
- Highlighting Growth from Mistakes: Encourage a positive attitude towards mistakes by sharing your own experiences of overcoming setbacks. When children see that mistakes are part of the journey to success, they will feel more confident and motivated to learn from their own challenges.
- Defining Mental Toughness: Develop a shared understanding within your family of what mental toughness means. Having a common language around this concept can help children naturally respond to difficulties with resilience.
- Setting Relevant Goals Together: Collaborate with your child on setting goals that interest them. Focus on non-academic areas, such as organising their room, to help them work towards a goal and develop resilience. When children are invested in goals that matter to them, they are more likely to persist and build mental toughness.
For older children, a highly recommended resource is the TED Talk titled "Overcoming Obstacles" by Steven Claunch. This talk is geared towards students in Years 3 and up and offers valuable insights on overcoming challenges and building mental toughness.
Social Media and Your Child
In recent years, the increase in technology and social media usage among children under 13 in Australia has been striking. According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority, 95% of children aged 8 to 12 now use the internet
, with 75% actively engaging on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Legal requirements around social media usage are crucial for safeguarding children and ensuring their online experiences are secure and appropriate. Educating both children and parents about responsible technology use is essential to fostering a safe digital environment, protecting privacy, and mitigating risks associated with online interactions.
We have engaged Catholic Care who have developed parent workshops to support families in managing social media and safe technology use at home.
RSVP via the link below.
Science Fair
On Wednesday 21st August, Stella Maris celebrated Science Week with our annual school Science Fair, where students experienced science through exciting hands-on experiments and STEM activities. Kindergarten, Year 1, and Year 2 experimented with colour, coded robots, and constructed towers. Years 3 and 4 investigated how their heart rate changes through exercise, designed working musical instruments, and tested gravity with paper rockets and egg parachutes. Our Year 5 and 6 students welcomed Mr Kurt Field and students from Corpus Christi, where they witnessed elephant's toothpaste and bottle rockets flying through the air, discovered the power of static electricity, and tackled the challenge of balancing a marshmallow on a spaghetti tower! The students thoroughly enjoyed the day and it was fantastic to see them all engaged and excited about science.
Book Competition
Music News
We are excited to invite you to a Music Performance Afternoon in Week 3 on Friday, 1st November at 2 pm. Students from Years 1G, 1B, 2G, 2B, 3G, and 3B are eager to showcase what they have learned in their music classes.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Key Sport Dates:
Week 7 - Monday 2nd September - Nominations OPEN for Representative Sport Cricket 2025
Week 8 - Monday 9th & Tuesday 10th September - NSWPSSA Girls Rugby 7’s - Camden (Marli K)
Week 8 - Tuesday 10th September - Representative Sport Pathway parent information session - School Library TBC
Week 9 - Thursday 19th September - South Coast Basketball Gala Day (JUNIORS, Years 3/4) - Shellharbour Sports Stadium
Week 9 - Friday 20th September - South Coast Basketball Gala Day (SENIORS, Years 5/6) - Shellharbour Sports Stadium
Week 10 - Wednesday 25th September - Mackillop Athletics Trials - Homebush (Banksii S)
Week 10 - Thursday 26th September - Nominations CLOSE for Representative Sport Cricket 2025
Representative Sport
Rugby 7’s
On Wednesday of Week 4, Marli Kissell attended the Mackillop Girls Rugby 7’s trial at Santa Sabina College in Strathfield. With it being a Mackillop trial, Marli competed against many other students from the 5 Diocese including, Wollongong, Wagga, Canberra/Goulburn, Sydney Catholic Schools, and Paramatta. This was Marli’s first time playing Rugby Union, however, with her natural sporting ability, along with her Rugby League and Touch Football experience, Marli successfully gained selection in the Mackillop team. This team competes at the NSW PSSA Championships in Camden in Week 8. We wish Marli and the team the best of luck!
Netball
During Week 4, Cooper R, Heath P, Harry T, and Mason G represented the South Coast team at the NSW All Schools Boys Netball U12’s Championships in Sydney. The Stella Maris quartet represented almost half of the team, occupying 4 of the 10 positions, which is outstanding given that none of the boys play in a regular Netball competition. The boys had some fantastic results coming away with 4 wins and 2 losses on Day 1 and 2 wins and 2 losses on Day 2. We congratulate the boys on their efforts over the two days and thank their parents for their support.
Athletics Selection Trials
Last week we had 28 students attend the Wollongong Athletics Selection Trials at Beaton Park. The weather conditions were much more favourable this week, compared with last, and all students should be commended on their efforts and sportsmanship displayed throughout the day. This event combined the best athletes from the whole Wollongong Diocese (coastal and western regions). There were some fantastic results with many students improving on their performances from the week prior. We wish to extend our congratulations to Banksii Spencer who placed second in the U8 girls 100m race and will represent the Wollongong Diocesan team at the Mackillop Trials in late September. We wish her the best of luck!
For a full list of results, please see the table below:
|
Event Name |
Name |
Result |
|
Male Junior 800m |
Kenneally, Harry |
8th |
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Male Senior 800m |
Coelho, Reid |
5th |
|
Junior Boys Relay |
Kenneally, Harry Kristevski, Isaac Oshea, Riley Yalda, Karlos |
4th |
|
Junior Girls Relay |
Condy, Anabella Jimenez, Lola Nowakowski, Alexia Tolley, Dekoda |
5th |
|
Senior Girls Relay |
Kissell, Marli Mendis, Brylee Muller, Alyra Santana, Chelsea |
5th |
|
Female 8 Years 100m |
Spencer, Banksii |
2nd |
|
Male 10 Years 100m |
Kenneally, Harry |
6th |
|
Female 10 Years 100m |
Condy, Anabella |
5th |
|
Female 11 Years 100m |
Waters, Alani |
Absent |
|
Female 12 Years 100m |
Santana, Chelsea |
6th |
|
Male Junior 200m (Heat) |
Kenneally, Harry |
6th |
|
Male Junior High Jump |
Yalda, Karlos |
3rd |
|
Female Junior High Jump |
Condy, Anabella |
5th |
|
Male Senior High Jump |
Gutierrez, Mason |
4th |
|
Male 11 Years Shot Put |
Lachlan, Olly |
3rd |
|
Male Senior Discus |
Manns, Hugo |
5th |
|
Male 11 Years High Jump |
Jimenez, Mason |
4th |
|
Male Junior Shot Put |
Riddell, William |
7th |
|
Female Junior Shot Put |
Jackson, Isabella |
4th |
Representative Sport 2025
Nominations will open Monday, next week (2nd of September) for the representative pathway for Cricket. I am running an information session on Tuesday the 10th of September at 2 pm in the school Library for any parents of students in Years 4&5 who wish to attend.
Gala Days
Soccer Gala Day
On Friday, last week, students in Years 3-6 attended the Soccer Gala Day at Terry Reserve, Albion Park. In total we had 138 students attend the event, along with 6 staff members…….. A big thanks to the parents who volunteered their time to assist us with managing teams on the day. A special thank you to Mrs. Gallinar and Mrs. Mayo for co-organising the event, and to Mrs. Sanchez, Mr. Allen, Mrs. Hans, and Miss Pomery for their management and support of the students.
Basketball
Our team nominations have been sent to the staff at CeDOW. Once we have received confirmation of team numbers we will send out the Compass event and students will be notified.
In PE with Mrs Sablowski
The students have just completed a 4-week ‘Olympic Sport’ unit. For those who don’t know me, the Olympic and Paralympic Games are events I’m extremely passionate about having represented Australia in the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games in the sport of Hockey. As this event only occurs every 4 years, I was very excited to introduce students to a variety of sports that students are often not exposed to. Over the four weeks, students participated in the modified Olympic sports of, Canoe Slalom, Triathlon, Equestrian, Handball, Volleyball, and Tennis. In week 4, students participated in the Paralympic sports of Wheelchair Basketball, Seated Volleyball, and a combined activity involving elements of Goalball and Blind Football.
We had discussions each day about the events the previous night/morning, sparking real excitement and enthusiasm within the groups. With a former Stella Maris student, Ellen Perez representing at the Paris games, we discussed that it too could be them one day, donning the green and gold and representing their country.
Community Sport
Over the weekend, a few Stella Maris students (past and current) joined together to play in the netball Koori Cup in Kiama. Team YANAGA (year 6) coached by Mrs Downing, won the whole competition. The school will be receiving the match ball as the winning prize.
Team Biraban (year 3/4) came third overall (in the same division as year 6) and was coached by Mrs Shelton’s daughter Kiara. They had the best day. Some had never played before.
Here are some photos from the day provided by Emma Kissell & Brittany Jimenez.
CEO DOW Sports Website
For more information on any of the upcoming Diocesan carnivals, or representative sports 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 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.
Casey Sablowski
Sports Co-ordinator
Father's Day Celebrations - Friday 30 August
Our Father's Day Celebrations are tomorrow!!
Breakfast will be served from 7:30 am - Those who have purchased a roll will be automatically in the draw for the lucky door prize.
The Father's Day stall will be held on the same day during school hours, please be sure to send some money and a bag along to school that day for the children to purchase some gifts for the male role models in their lives.
Pie Drive 2024 - Orders are due back by TODAY!!
This year our pie drive is running a little later, so hopefully the freezers are a little depleted of stock and need a top-up.
All orders were due to the office by Thursday.
Late orders can be emailed to the P&F email address and payments can be made via cash or direct deposit.
Christmas Market - FINAL Call Out for Stall Holders
This is the final call before we promote more widely for stall holders. If you would like to have a stall, please send the below information to parents@smsdow.catholic.edu.au along with a copy of your public liability insurance for markets.
Name:
Stall Name:
What type of items do you have for sale at your stall:
Please have all nominations sent to the above email by no later than 31st August so we can begin to finalise stall holders.
Reminder of Upcoming dates
6 December - Christmas Market
Thank you
P&F Association
The 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.
Aaron Perry
Lachlan Mackay
Sienna Lazarevski
William Yeo
Addison Gelfius
Carter Constable
Carter Crosswell
Ellcie Harvey
Kailani Cowley
Nicholas Nadis
NDIS Information Hub
Uniting has launched all-day Info Hubs in its Illawarra and Shoalhaven offices to ensure community members can easily access information about the NDIS and other resources. No bookings required! Potential NDIS participants will:
Learn more about the NDIS and how to apply
Understand your options if you do not meet NDIS eligibility criteria
Discover how to use your NDIS plan to its full potential
Speak with an industry expert about your NDIS or Disability-related questions
Here’s when and where to find the Info Hubs in the Illawarra:
Where? 1/1 Burra Place, Shellharbour City Centre
When? Every first Tuesday of the month
What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Where? 35 Kenny Street, Wollongong
When? Every third Wednesday of the month
What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
Uniting has also produced several practical resources, see these here.
Summer Sport
Looking for sports to play in the Summer? Here are a couple of local options with registrations closing soon.
