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Dear Parents and Carers,
This week we have welcomed our 2025 Kindergarten families and the children have had some time with each other and in the classroom. Thank you to all involved in assisting with talking to our families and highlighting the great things about Stella Maris.
We also celebrated All Saints Day with a beautiful liturgy, acknowledging and learning about the amazing Saints who have guided and taught us how to be more like Jesus. As this feast day is the Parish’s feast day it is an important celebration in understanding the foundation of our parish.
At this week’s P&F, I shared that I will be taking some family leave from December 12 until the end of the year to celebrate and acknowledge my daughter’s HSC and finalisation of her schooling journey. Thank you to Mrs Hanns who will be acting Principal during this time.
God Bless
Belinda Hughes
Principal
Socktober World Mission Month Fundraiser
Thank you to our wonderful Stella Maris community and friends. We have raised $959 so far for World Mission Month. The students have learned all about the children in Mongolia and enthusiastically participated in the school Socktober shootout with the sock balls they made throughout the Challenge.
The fundraising page will close shortly, so if you haven’t had the opportunity to donate please head to https://www.socktober.org.au/fundraisers/StellaMarisCatholicPrimarySchoolShellharbour
Thank you once again for supporting those in need during Socktober!
God Bless
Alicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
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Catholic vocabulary term of the week: John [Gospel of] — Written at the end of the first century, it is very different from the other Gospels. It is rich in symbolism. Jesus is clearly depicted as God among us, the Incarnate Word, and those who believe will have life in his name. |
Grade Masses at Stella Maris
The Stella Maris Church is currently closed for maintenance. However, Fr Hung has agreed to resume grade Masses in our Library for our children. Due to size constraints, the Masses will only be attended by students. We thank you for your understanding.
All Saints Day at Stella!
As All Saints Day is also the feast day of our Parish, during the day on 1 November, students had the chance to draw and/or research a saint. Additionally, the Year 6 Leaders of Vision and Mission attended our All Saints Parish for a special feast day Mass with Nazareth.
To celebrate All Saints Day, we had a liturgy, where all classes had the chance to share what they learned and to celebrate the Saints together.
Remembrance Day 11 November 11 am
Remembrance Day is a nationally recognised day of commemoration held each year on 11 November, when we pause for one minute of silence at 11 am to remember in faith, the service and sacrifice of all who gave their lives in wars, conflicts, and peace operations, and those who continue serving in our armed forces. We also pray for healing and peace; that one day, all people will lay down their arms and embrace one another as brothers and sisters in one human family.
In unity, on Monday 11 November at 10:55 am, Stella Maris will join together in prayer under the COLA and listen to the Last Post. This will be followed by a minute's silence, the Rouse and our National Anthem.
End of the School Year Mass under the COLA
Mass at Stella Maris
It’s back! We will be having our END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WHOLE SCHOOL MASS under the COLA on Tuesday 10 Dec 11 am. Please come and join us as we celebrate the end of our year and farewell those who have served us with their faith, hope, and love over the years.
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
Special Masses at All Saints this Term
Please come and join us as we celebrate Mass together on the following days:
Wed 11 Dec 5 pm Year 6 Graduation Mass & Celebration
Sat 14 Dec, 5 - 7:30 pm Mass & Christmas Carols presented by each stage Christmas attire/colours to be worn.
Programme for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion (Year 3 Students)
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Vigil/Sunday |
Programme |
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16/17 Nov |
Rehearsals and Seating Allocations |
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Sun 24 Nov |
FIRST HOLY COMMUNION MASS 11AM |
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Thu 28 Nov |
Post Holy Communion Mass 10am at All Saints for those children who have celebrated the Sacrament. A bus will transport the students from school. The rest of Year 3 will remain at school. Parents are more than welcome to attend but it is not compulsory. Thank you. |
If there are any questions related to any of the Sacraments, please contact the parish office via email shellharbourcity@dow.org.au
Classes 2025
As term 4 progresses, we begin to plan for 2025, including classes. If you have any unique or extraordinary circumstances that you would like considered in class allocation, we invite you to email the school office. Many factors are taken into consideration for class allocation each year, and it is a complex process. Please note that an email submission does not mean it will be acted upon.
Attendance
This week our focus is on Leave and Extended Leave.
All families are encouraged to make medical appointments and holiday plans during student vacation periods where practicable. Where this is not possible, any leave of any duration must be applied for using the Extended Leave application form. This may include regular specialist appointments as well as vacation leave.
The application is made to the Principal or Principal delegate in their absence and approved accordingly. For leave that is 50 or more days a meeting is required with the Principal and the class teacher/s.
Please do not hesitate to contact the school should you require further information regarding attendance and the requirements.
Canteen Operations Update
Canteen Operations Update: The tender process for possibly outsourcing the canteen from 2025 has been completed. The process involved parent consultation, P&F representation in the process, and staff input. The school has awarded the canteen operations to Take A Break Tuckshop. The same online ordering system will be used, the canteen will be open 5 days a week, there will be an updated menu with a variety of food options including some homemade hot lunch options. We thank Sharon Harrison for her dedication and commitment to the canteen during her time at Stella Maris and for the time she put into providing a service for our community. Thank you to all the parent volunteers who have helped and assisted over the years. Further specific details will be communicated in upcoming newsletters over the rest of this term.
Mini Vinnies Talent Quest
Stella's Got Talent is the talent show run by Mini Vinnies and will happen this year on Monday 9th December (week 9). There will be a gold coin donation for each student in the school, and the proceeds go to the CatholicCare Wollongong Foster Care program.
There will be two separate audition sessions, which will be held at lunchtime in the Maker Space room on Thursday 7th November, and Thursday 21st November.
Anyone from any grade can audition, but please use discretion when encouraging your child to audition, as we only have 45 minutes for each audition session and can't take everyone.
Following the two audition sessions we will cull the field down to 10 finalists.
These 10 acts will perform on Monday 9th December, with an average of 4 minutes per act.
The Talent Quest will begin at 2 pm and will conclude with enough time to pack up and bus line students. Parents are welcome to attend.
Thank you.
Mr Dodds and the Mini Vinnies team.
FROM THE MUSIC ROOM!
Music Assembly - Friday Week 3
Last Friday, students from Years 1, 2, and 3 had a wonderful opportunity to showcase their performance skills at our music assembly. The event featured a variety of performances that delighted parents, families, and visitors.
- Year 1 students performed a unique musical poem, demonstrating their ability to follow a structure, play their instruments at the right times, and respond to cues from the conductor. Their performance was not only structured but also fun, engaging the audience with their enthusiasm.
- Year 2 brought excitement with their rendition of "Jungle Safari." Some students even crafted handmade binoculars to enhance their performance. The stage came alive with ‘Tarzans’ moving across the stage during the introduction and a different instrument was chosen to represent each animal in the song.
- Year 3 presented original rhythm compositions. Each piece was thoughtfully structured into three sections, with a common 'call and response' section to deepen their understanding of this composition technique.
Thank you for joining us and supporting our young performers’ journey in developing their talents and confidence.
Lights, Camera, Action!
We are thrilled to announce that “Away in a Spaceship” is coming to the stage soon!
In music and drama classes, students are diligently memorizing their lines for the production, and each class is learning a song for their scene. We eagerly look forward to this fantastic opportunity for our students and appreciate your continued support on their creative journey!
Here are some photos from drama/music classes.
Key Sport Dates
Week 5 - 12th November - Dragon Tag Catholic School Gala Day - Reed Park, Dapto
Week 5 - Thursday 14th November - School Swimming Carnival 2024 (2025 Carnival held on February 6th 2025) - Oak Flats Swimming Pool
Week 5 - Friday 15th November - 27th Annual CDF Sports Awards - St Mary Star of the Sea College
Representative Sport
Cricket
The first round of trials for Wollongong Diocesan pathway sports commenced on Tuesday of Week 3. Stella Maris had 6 students attend these trials and, whilst our students were not selected for the Wollongong team, they should be commended on their efforts and attitudes on the day (Harry K, Riley O, Olly L, Karmichael F, Davey M & Spencer G. The Wollongong Diocesan Cricket Team list can be found here.
Gala Days
Oz Tag - Dragon Tag
The Dragon Tag - Oz Tag Gala Day is being held next week (Tuesday 12th November). The venue HAS CHANGED and will now be held at Sid Parrish Park in Figtree. The event details are on Compass and all students who nominated for this event should have been allocated a place in a team. If your child is not attending this event, can you please indicate this by declining the event on Compass as soon as possible. Likewise, if your child is planning on attending, can you also indicate this via Compass.
2025 Gala Day Nominations
We will again be seeking online nominations for students for the 2025 Gala Days. With the large amount of Gala Days on offer throughout the year, we have decided to support those Gala Days offered by the CEODoW (Basketball, Netball, Soccer & Cricket) and the Catholic School Gala Days offered by external sporting organisations (Rugby League & Oz Tag Gala Day) moving forward. Nominations for all 2025 Gala Days will open again in Term 1 next year.
Carnivals
Swimming Carnival 2024
The annual school swimming carnival is being held next week, Thursday the 15th of November. Supervision will start from 8:00 am with students arriving between 8:00 - 8:30 am. The first event will look to commence between 8:45 am - 9:00 am. No event ribbons will be distributed, other than for the Year 6 races as these are the only events we will be timing. Due to the popularity of the relays last year, we have scheduled these for the end of the day (pending time). We would still love to have as many parent helpers volunteer to be in pool support for the 25m races. If you can assist with this role, please email the school.
School-Based Water Activities
Planning is well underway and we are looking forward to seeing all remaining K-2 students participating in school-based water activities throughout the afternoon. A big thanks to Ms Daphne who has kindly offered to organise and facilitate this event at school. We have changed the format slightly for this year's activities, with students moving through 3 station rotations as opposed to the 6 from last year. This is to allow extra time per station for instruction and participation and greater teacher support at each station. Parents will be invited into the school to watch their children participate in these activities.
* NEW CEODoW has released a new website. You can access this new website via the following link. To navigate to the sports 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’ - https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/student-experience/sport/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.
Casey Sablowski
Sports Coordinator
On Monday we held our last meeting for the year, we appreciate all the support we have received this year on the committee but also through volunteering at events and donations made by our community. We are lucky to have a great community at Stella Maris.
Please remember to donate any old uniforms to the school for the uniform shop! Donations can be made to the office at any time.
Our Christmas Market will be held on Friday 6 December.
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.
