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Three Essential Elements to Catholic Lenten Devotion
PRAYER as an opening to God:
During Lent we are asked to make more of an effort with prayer. There are daily Eucharist, Stations of the Cross, Lenten Prayer Reflections and on-line Reflections, individual and communal Reconciliation Rites. It would be helpful to look up Scripture readings for the Sunday and reflect on them during the week.
FASTING as an expression of self-denial:
While the Church asks us to keep Ash Wednesday and Good Friday as days of fast and abstinence, we may well consider keeping all Fridays of Lent as penitential days where we keep our meal simple, perhaps. We should make a sustained effort to deny ourselves of our favourite foods or activities during Lent.
ALMSGIVING as an opening to others:
Giving to the poor has been a long held tradition in the Church. What can we do this Lent? Support Project Compassion by having a Project Compassion box in a prominent spot at home to put change in. The boxes can be returned to All Saints Parish Church by Holy Thursday.
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
As we continue on our Lenten journey it is a great time to engage with our children about ways that they are preparing for Easter through prayer, fasting and almsgiving. Discussing aspects of our faith as a whole family supports the children’s learning at school and will help them to see that their faith is a way of life, not just a subject they “do” at school. One small thing to do as a family is to introduce “grace” before the evening meal and thank Jesus for our daily blessings.
SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
This week many of our Year 3 students, as well as other students in other grades, received the Sacrament of Penance for the first time at All Saints Parish Church. Thank you to Father Joe and to all teachers who ran Reconciliation Workshops. They will receive their first Holy Communion later in the year.
P & F MEETING
The next P & F meeting will be held in the school library next Monday 22 March.
We invite parents and carers to join us as we meet to plan events and to hear about school happenings. Those who are unable to attend in person are invited to attend via Zoom. The code for this meeting is 539 892 2871 password: sms.
FIDGET TOYS / HANDBALLS
We are experiencing problems with many children bringing the latest fidget toys, “Pop-its”, to school, which is causing a lack of attention, an inability to follow directions and ultimately a distraction to learning. These accessories are obviously beneficial to a small number of children who experience attention deficit, however if that is the case they should be included on students’ personalised plans. For the majority of students without plans, we ask that “Pop-its” are not brought into school. We also ask that children do not bring other toys to school or even their own handballs, as potentially issues may arise when personal items are lost or misplaced. Classes are provided with handballs to use during breaks and teachers, if asked will retrieve balls that go over the fence.
PROJECT COMPASSION MUFTI DAY
A big thank you to all families for their support of our Project Compassion Mufti Day. Through your generous donations, we were able to raise $803.60, which will assist in supporting Caritas Australia to address poverty in deeply affected areas.
SCHOOL BEHAVIOUR DATA
A big emphasis at Stella Maris has been placed on supporting students to manage their behaviour and form right relationships with others. Data maintained over the last five years indicates that there has been a 51% reduction in recorded minor incidents and a 57% reduction in majors. This is outstanding and I truly believe is a result of three factors, the consistent approach by staff in implementing the Diocesan Framework, “Positive Behaviours for Learning,” the wonderful support we receive from parents and carers and certainly the respectful, considerate children attending our school. Well done everyone!
EASTER RAFFLE MUFTI DAY
The next Mufti Day will be held on Monday of Week 10 - 29 March.
The children are asked to bring in Easter Eggs to be used in our Easter Raffle, which will be drawn on the last day of term, Thursday 1 April at 1.30pm. Parents are welcome to attend.
HARMONY DAY
World Harmony Day takes place each year on 21 March and it is a day to celebrate multiculturalism in our great country. The theme of Harmony Day is ‘everyone belongs’, and the day aims to engage people to participate in their community, respect cultural and religious diversity and foster sense of belonging for everyone. We will have a Harmony Day Whole School Reflection at 11am on Monday 22nd March.
SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL
It was a great relief to have fine weather for our school cross country carnival last Friday. It was an exciting day and many parents, carers and grandparents were in attendance to cheer on all the runners. A big thank you to those who assisted in various roles as well as a selection of Corpus Christi Year 10 students who acted as course marshals. Thank you also to Mr Price and Mrs Nieborak for organising the carnival. The champion house team were Weatherall Blue.
Congratulations also to the following children who were placed in their respective races:
KINDER BOYS: 1st- Leo Jiminez (A); 2nd- Joel Thompson (W); 3rd- Casey Sanson(W); 4th- Landon Benson (M).
KINDER GIRLS: 1st- Amelia Goodes (M); 2nd- Willow Pascot (S); 3rd- Quinn Beaton (W); 4th- Mia McKenna (W).
YEAR 1 BOYS: 1st - Harry Kenneally (A); 2nd- Riley O’Shea (S) 3rd- Karlos Yalda (M); 4th- Nixon Thomson (S).
YEAR 1 GIRLS: 1 st - Abbie Chapman (W); 2nd - Lola Jimenez (W); 3 rd - Dekoda Tolley (S); 4th- Ivy Chisolm (W).
YEAR 2 BOYS: 1 st - Justin Lakeman (A); 2nd - Davey McMullen (M); 3 rd - Olly Lachlan (S); 4th- Oscar Creighton (M).
YEAR 2 GIRLS: 1 st - Alani Waters (W); 2nd- Ellcie Harvey (A); 3 rd - Georgie Grove (A); 4th- Ivy Paillas (S).
8/9 YEAR BOYS: 1 st - Jacob Lakeman (A); 2nd - Harry Thomson (S); 3rd- Heath Paulissen (A); 4th- Cooper Roche (S).
8/9 YEAR GIRLS: 1st- Siair Paillis (S); Alyra Muller (S); 2 nd - Chelsea Santana (S); 4th- Sophia Comacchio (S).
10 YEARS BOYS: 1 st - Elijah Sim (W); 2nd - Leon Kotwal (W); 3 rd - Peyton Gelfius (A); 4th- Tarreal Lewis (A).
10 YEARS GIRLS: 1 st - Sidney Bartle (A); 2nd - Sianna Badger (W); 3rd- Maya Huetter (M); 4th- Aerin Ling (W).
11 YEARS BOYS: 1 st - Campbell Knox (W); 2nd - Mason Soligo(M); 3 rd - Jesse Thompson (S); 4th- Kobi Howard- Shilling (M).
11 YEARS GIRLS: 1 st -Isabella Clowes (S); 2 nd - Lily Griggs (W); 3 rd - Charlotte Weir (W); 4th- Matilda McDonnell (S).
12 YEARS BOYS: 1 st - Tyne McGregor (A); 2nd- Jack Broadhead (M); 3rd- Jett Parker (W); 4th- Cody Cannon (A).
12 YEARS GIRLS: 1 st - Bronte Grove (A); 2nd - Eden Corcoran (M); 3 rd - Tahlia Muller (S); 4th- Maya Hopkins (W).
A train-on squad for the Diocesan carnival on Tuesday 29 April, has now been selected and have commenced training during lunchtimes.
Diocesan Sporting Representatives
Congratulations to the following students on their selection in Wollongong Diocesan Teams after their performance in week 6's Winter Trials:
Netball: Maya Hopkins; Rugby League: 11s Tahj Dimond; Hockey Sam Huetter; Touch Football: Eden Corcoran, Tyne McGregor, Mason Soligo
The children now prepare for the Mackillop Winter Trials, which will be held on April 29.
NAPLAN ONLINE 2021
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a point in time assessment of literacy and numeracy skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in the annual NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.
Our school will be participating in NAPLAN Online between 11 and 21 May 2021.
In preparation for NAPLAN Online, our school will also be participating in practice tests between 22 March and 1 April. The practice test is a trial-run and key preparation activity for NAPLAN Online in May. It is not an assessment
of student ability and the tests will not be marked.
Excessive preparation for NAPLAN Online is not recommended. Students can use the public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) to familiarise themselves with the types of questions and tools available in the NAPLAN Online tests.If you have any questions about NAPLAN Online, please contact Mr Chris Price, Stella Maris, NAPLAN Coordinator.
KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS
Kindergarten 2022 enrolment forms are available from the office, or to download from the school website. The application period closes on 1 April 2021. We also have another open morning for prospective parents on Monday 29 March at 9am. Bookings should be made through the school office.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
This Sunday’s Gospel
Jesus foretells of his death and resurrection.
All Saints Catholic Parish Shellharbour
Mass times: All Saints Church
19 College Ave, Shellharbour City
Saturday 5.00pm Vigil
Sunday 9.00am
5.00pm
Mass at Stella Maris
Year 6 Blue Mass Tuesday 23 March 9:30am
Year 6 Gold Mass Tuesday 30 March 9:30am
Reconciliation Workshops
Last week we concluded the Reconciliation Workshops in the Stella Maris Library and the Grealy Centre. Thank you to the teachers who volunteered their time to lead these important sessions and the parents who continued to support their children in these experiences.
First Reconciliation
The two ceremonies for First Reconciliation occurred on Wednesday 17th March at 4pm and 6:30pm. The Sacrament was welcoming and the students and their families were joyous in celebrating the Sacrament.
Loving God, help us to teach our children that you love us totally and unconditionally. Help us to encourage our children to grow in love and to learn how to say sorry, knowing that you always forgive. Give us the courage to pray with our children and to share our faith with them as we journey together. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen
Holy Week Liturgy Thursday 1 April 11am
We would like to invite parents, grandparents and friends to a Holy Week Liturgy on Thursday 1st April at 11am under the COLA. The LIturgy will be presented by Mrs Hanns and the Leaders of LIturgy and Student Support.
St Patrick’s Day 17 March
Saint Patrick’s Day, is held on the 17th of March each year, and celebrates the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. This feast day has been celebrated for more than 1,000 years.
The tradition goes that Saint Patrick, born in Roman Britain, was kidnapped and enslaved in Ireland at the age of 16. However, Saint Patrick managed to escape, later returning to Ireland and bringing Christianity to the Irish. Saint Patrick managed to convert many people to Christianity.
St Joseph's Day 19 March
Pope Francis declared the year 2021 as the “Year of St Joseph”. This year, as we celebrate his feast day on the 19th March, let us remember the respected and faithful St Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus who took care of our Lord as a child.
Before becoming a Saint, Joseph was and is still known as Joseph of Nazareth. He was a carpenter or possibly a stone worker who taught Jesus how to be a carpenter. It’s been said that he was a direct descendant of David, the King of Israel.
Joseph wasn’t mentioned in any of the New Testament when Jesus began his public life. It’s assumed that he probably died at some point before Jesus started preaching.
Joseph is known as the patron saint of fathers, immigrants, workers, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Let us reflect …
Mrs Alicia Sanchez-Levine REC
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.
