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Dear Parents and Carers,
NAIDOC WEEK
NAIDOC Week this year is being celebrated from 8-15 November in the interest of safety for our communities. NAIDOC Week is usually held in the first week of July. NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations. The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples.
This year’s theme Always Was, Always Will Be. recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists.
To celebrate NAIDOC Week this year, our students together with Mr Price, Miss Jo and Mr Mongta have developed a video which was shown to all classes today. As well as this, the students participated in cultural activities and Miss Jo and Mr Mongta spoke about the importance of celebrating NAIDOC Week.
TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN 2021
The transition to school process for next year’s Kindergarten children and their families will officially commence tomorrow, Friday 13 November, with a parent meeting being held via Zoom (9-00am-10.15am). Relevant information will be shared with the parents and we hope that it will help them to better understand more about the school and the ways we will work in partnership with them to support and develop their children’s education. The meeting will then be followed by two orientation sessions (Friday 20 November and Friday 27 November), where the children will be dropped off by their parents at 8.45am and collected at 11am. The drop off/ collection point will be the top court next to the church. Whilst at school the children will be involved in activities with the 2021 Kindergarten teachers and this is an important part of making them feel accepted and welcomed at Stella Maris.
CLASSES 2020
I wish to thank parents for not making specific requests regarding class placements in 2021. Our staff undertakes a careful process in formulating classes for the following year with academic, pastoral, social and behavioural factors taken into consideration. I also would like to think that it is important for students to experience a variety of teaching styles, strengths and personalities as they continue their primary school journey. Class placements for next year will be communicated to parents in a letter, together with 2021 Booklists on Monday 11 December. Unless there is an extenuating circumstance that hasn’t been known, requests for changes will not be considered.
FRIDAY AWARD ASSEMBLIES
A decision has been made, in line with the current Diocesan Guidelines, to re-introduce Friday afternoon whole-school assemblies from next week, Friday 20 November. This will be the first opportunity in many months that we have been able to gather all students together. The children will sit under the COLA in their class groups whilst awards are being presented. The assembly will be held from 1.55-2.25pm, however parents are still unable to attend, once again in line with the current directives. As a result, the last Zoom Assembly will be held tomorrow afternoon at 1.55pm.
STUDENT LEADERSHIP POSITIONS 2021
The process for electing school captains, vice-captains and sports captain positions for the 2021 school year will commence next Wednesday 18 November. I will speak to Year 5 students about the concept of student leadership and will invite them to nominate for these positions as well as a number of other leadership groups. Those interested will be asked to present a short speech on why they would like to nominate for a position and what qualities they possess that would make them ideal candidates. These speeches will take place on Tuesday 2nd December at 11am, under the COLA, in front of an audience comprising of Year 3, 4 and 5 students. Unfortunately, we are not able to have parents attend these speeches this year.
CHRISTMAS CONCERT 2020
It is with much sadness that I inform parents that we will not be holding a Christmas concert this year. The change in Diocesan Guidelines last week does not present us with the necessary time to plan and organise such a significant event.
SCHOOL ARRIVAL TIMES
Thank you to all parents who drop off their children in Wilson Street between 8.00- 8.27am (When the first bell goes). 
There has been a great reduction in children arriving late for school, which assists teachers with morning routines. These times also apply to students who are riding to school. Parents are reminded not to leave their children outside the school grounds unsupervised before 8am.
CONVOY MUFTI
Whilst acknowledging that there have been a number of recent requests for donations via Mufti Days, they are the result of not being able to conduct various events/fundraisers throughout the year due to COVID-19 restrictions. There will be two more in 2020- Support for CONVOY, a well-known local event for cancer sufferers and their families and a call for monetary donations for St Vincent De Paul Christmas Appeal (in lieu of our usual support for Vinnies Winter Appeal). Tomorrow is the Mufti Day for Convoy and all children are asked to bring in a monetary donation for the right to wear casual clothes. As usual they will need to wear joggers as Fridays are sport days.
This Sunday’s Gospel
The rich man, his servants and the talents.
GOSPEL
Mt 25:14-30
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
Because you have been faithful over a few things, enter into the joy of the Lord.
Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man on his way abroad who summoned his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents, to another two, to a third one; each in proportion to his ability. Then he set out. The man who had received the five talents promptly went and traded with them and made five more. The man who had received two made two more in the same way. But the man who had received one went off and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money. Now a long time after, the master of those servants came back and went through his accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents came forward bringing five more. “Sir”, he said “you entrusted me with five talents; here are five more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Next the man with the two talents came forward. “Sir,” he said “you entrusted me with two talents; here are two more that I have made.” His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have shown you can be faithful in small things, I will trust you with greater; come and join in your master’s happiness.” Last came forward the man who had the one talent. “Sir,” said he “I had heard you were a hard man, reaping where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered; so I was afraid, and I went off and hid your talent in the ground. Here it is; it was yours, you have it back.” But his master answered him, “You wicked and lazy servant! So you knew that I reap where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered? Well then, you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have recovered my capital with interest. So now, take the talent from him and give it to the man who has the five talents. For to everyone who has, will be given more, and he will have more than enough; but from the man who has not, even what he has will be taken away. As for this good-for-nothing servant, throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”’
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
CONGRATULATIONS
We congratulate and welcome Isabel & Ivy Chisolm into the All Saints Parish Family after they were Baptised by Father Joe on Sunday.
ALL SAINTS CATHOLIC PARISH
Please see the Parish Bulletin for all updated Parish Mass Times and Sacramental Information.
ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS APPEAL
Every year at this time the Stella Maris Community generously donates a range of goods to assist the St Vincent De Paul Society with Christmas Hampers for the less fortunate. Unfortunately, due to COVID regulations we are unable to collect goods for hampers.
This year the St Vincent De Paul Society is asking for our assistance by way of monetary donations. We will be having our last fundraiser for the year in early December to support this very worthy cause. There will be more details to follow closer to the date.
REMEMBRANCE DAY
On 11 November 1918, the guns of the Western Front fell silent after four years of continuous warfare. In the four years of the war more than 330,000 Australians had served overseas, and more than 60,000 of them had died.
Each year on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Australians observe one minute’s silence in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.
The Ode
They shall not grow old as we that are left grow old.
Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.
NAIDOC WEEK 2020
This week at Stella Maris the students have celebrated NAIDOC Week with an in class Liturgy and a variety of art activities.
The Theme for NAIDOC Week is:
Always Was, Always Will Be.
Always Was, Always Will Be. recognises that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this continent for over 65,000 years.
We are spiritually and culturally connected to this country.
This country was criss-crossed by generations of brilliant Nations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were Australia’s first explorers, first navigators, first engineers, first farmers, first botanists, first scientists, first diplomats, first astronomers and first artists.
Australia has the world’s oldest oral stories. The First Peoples engraved the world’s first maps, made the earliest paintings of ceremony and invented unique technologies. We built and engineered structures - structures on Earth - predating well-known sites such as the Egyptian Pyramids and Stonehenge.
Our adaptation and intimate knowledge of Country enabled us to endure climate change, catastrophic droughts and rising sea levels.
Always Was, Always Will Be. acknowledges that hundreds of Nations and our cultures covered this continent. All were managing the land - the biggest estate on earth - to sustainably provide for their future.
Through ingenious land management systems like fire stick farming we transformed the harshest habitable continent into a land of bounty.
NAIDOC Week 2020 acknowledges and celebrates that our nation’s story didn’t begin with documented European contact whether in 1770 or 1606 - with the arrival of the Dutch on the western coast of the Cape York Peninsula.
The very first footprints on this continent were those belonging to First Nations peoples.
Our coastal Nations watched and interacted with at least 36 contacts made by Europeans prior to 1770. Many of them resulting in the charting of the northern, western and southern coastlines – of our lands and our waters.
For us, this nation’s story began at the dawn of time.
NAIDOC 2020 invites all Australians to embrace the true history of this country – a history which dates back thousands of generations.
It’s about seeing, hearing and learning the First Nations’ 65,000+ year history of this country - which is Australian history. We want all Australians to celebrate that we have the oldest continuing cultures on the planet and to recognise that our sovereignty was never ceded.
Always Was, Always Will Be.
(National NAIDOC Committee)
Julie Hopkins
Acting Religious Education Coordinator
There will be NO Swimming Carnival this year. Unfortunately, due to the late changes of the COVID regulations we are unable to organise a carnival at such short notice. The proposed date for the Swimming Carnival will be Thursday 18 February 2021.
Canteen News
We are a school run canteen and rely on volunteers to operate.
Canteen is open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays to make and prepare lunch orders and serve the children over the counter.
Online orders can be made via the My School Connect app - www.myschoolconnect.com.au/stellamarisps click on create account.
Resources on supporting wellbeing for distribution to students and parents
The recently formed COVID-19 Wellbeing Response Group, a joint initiative of CEDoW and CatholicCare, has developed a number of resources for students and parents.
This cross-team and cross-agency group has been established by the Director of Schools to discuss and develop initiatives that focus on the wellbeing of staff, students and parents during this time of disruption and change.
This resource is a brief guide to help parents and carers support their child and access support services if needed.
