A Prayer for Mothers                                          

Where would we be without our mother’s love?

Lord, bless our mothers with wisdom to teach and guide

their children in a way that will help them to follow You and

to become men and women who will be pleasing in Your sight.

Give all mothers the patience to deal with the difficulties

of their job and, most of all, give them a special blessing as

they care so lovingly for the gifts that You have allowed them the honour

of raising.

Father, please bless all our mothers on Sunday and on each and every day. 

AMEN

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We wish all our mothers and grandmothers a very special Mother’s Day this Sunday.  Hopefully they will be showered with love from their children and grandchildren and be the recipients of many expressions of love and gratitude.

At Stella Maris we are so appreciative of everything our mums and nans do for us. We are truly richer for their presence and the love and care that they show for the children.

We particularly look forward to seeing you tomorrow morning at our breakfast. A big thank you to our P & F for organising this and the Mother’s Day Stall.

WELCOME BBQ

After a two year absence it was wonderful to be able to hold our annual Welcome BBQ for new and existing families last Friday. The children enjoyed playing games, meeting up with their friends, dancing and of course the yummy food. A huge thank you to our new P and F executive for their hours of organisation and to the many parents and staff who were able to lend a hand.

CONFIRMATION

The preparation program for Confirmation starts this weekend with enrolment forms to be distributed at the Parish Masses. This will be followed by a Commitment Mass the following weekend and preparation workshops.

EASTER REMEMBRANCE

The students participated in a moving Easter Remembrance Liturgy last Friday. The whole school came together to reflect on the events of Holy Week and Easter. It was wonderful to have many  parents, carers and grandparents join us and the children were so beautiful. A big thank you to our Religious Education Coordinator Mrs Sanchez-Levine for coordinating the liturgy and to the class teachers for preparing the children so well.

WINTER UNIFORM

The students will commence wearing their winter uniform this coming Monday - 9 May(Week 3). Thank you to all parents and carers for supporting the school the school uniform policy and ensuring that a high standard of appearance is maintained.  The children will certainly be looking good for the school photos on Tuesday 17 May.

LATE ARRIVALS/EARLY DEPARTURES

Recently, there have been a very large number of daily early departures and late arrivals.  I would like to stress that it is a legal requirement for children to be at school between 8.30am and 2.50pm, unless there is an urgent reason to withdraw them from school.  Regular early departures or late arrivals are required to be approved by the Principal, please collect a form from the school office for this purpose.

Early Departures and Late arrivals are reflected in your child's attendance record.

Thank you for your attention to this.

EXCURSIONS

Good luck to Year 4 for their Sydney Excursion tomorrow and to Year 6 for their upcoming Camp at Berry. We know that the students will love their outdoor experience and gain many lasting memories from these extra-curricular activities.

NAPLAN ONLINE

Students in Years 3 and 5 will be completing their NAPLAN assessments in the period between 10-20 May. Thank you to the class teachers for preparing the students so well and we know everyone will do their best.

DIOCESAN CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL

The postponed Diocesan Cross Country Carnival will now be held on Tuesday 24 May. The selected squad will continue to train during Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday lunchtimes over the next three weeks and they will need to bring training gear to school on these days.

CLASS OF TERM ONE

Congratulations to Year 1 Gold on being the Class of Term One. They earned this award through lining up quietly, paying good attention during assemblies, and walking in an orderly manner back to their classroom. They enjoyed a pizza lunch today as their reward. Kinder Gold placed second and Year 3 Gold came third.

ASSEMBLY - WEEK 4

There will be no school assembly on Friday 20 May as this is our Foundation Day.  Students awards however, will still be handed out at the morning prayer assembly at 8.30am and parents are welcome to join us. 

CONGRATULATIONS

Allegra Fosteris (Year 5) has been selected to represent NSW at the upcoming 2022 Australian Gymnastics Championships, competing in Acrobatic Gymnastics. Being selected for the NSW State team is a tremendous achievement that has required many months of vigorous training and preparation. The competition takes place from the 11th - 14th May and the Stella Maris school community wishes Allegra and her team the best of luck.

P & F FINANCIAL

At Monday's P & F Meeting, the school proposed financial support in the following areas:

$1500 - Replacing library books and updating displays

$1400 - Purchasing Maths resources

$2600 - Purchasing PM esubscription (K-2 readers)

$3000 - Teacher resources for Information Technology, including STEM & VEX                        robotics

$1000 - Purchasing custom swimming caps

$1000 - Purchasing ceramic Indigenous crosses for each classroom's prayer table

$1500 - K-6 Developmental music eBook Program - "Music Room"

The P & F accepted these requests and the children will greatly benefit from these new resources.  We are appreciative of this ongoing support.

I would like to thank the P & F for their support of the school and please be assured that you have staff and student backing for all your endeavours this year.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS 

 This Sunday’s Gospel

Jn 10:27-30

The gift of eternal life.

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 

Grade Masses have begun this term 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.

Week 2 - 3 May, Yr 6

Week 3 - 10 May, Yr 4

Week 4 - 17 May, Yr 2

Week 5 - 24 May, Yr 5

Week 6 - 31 May, Yr 3

Week 7 - 7 June, Yr 1

Week 8 - 14 June, Kinder

The Sacraments

Confirmation - Year 6 or Older

After Masses this weekend, enrolment forms will be distributed and names recorded for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Next weekend, forms will be collected with the $20 program cost.  Celebration of the Sacrament will take place on Sunday 3 July 2022 11.00am and 2.00pm.

Communion - Year 3 or Older 

Enrolment for First Holy Communion will occur on the weekend of 17 and 18 September 2022.  

If there are any questions related to any of the Sacraments, please contact the parish office via email shellharbourcity@dow.org.au

Project Compassion

Our whole school lenten fundraiser spans across the six weeks of Lent each year.  Project Compassion brings thousands of Australian schools, parishes and supporters together to raise funds for people living in some of the most vulnerable communities across the world. 

During Term 1, students watched the stories of Project Compassion and helped with fundraising.

Your generous support has helped change lives today - and For All Future Generations.

Could all Project Compassion boxes please be returned to school so that we may finalize the fundraiser for this year.  

We have managed to raise a total of $1359.55.  Together we CAN and HAVE made a difference!  Thank you!

Anzac Day 

On Wednesday 27 April at 9:45am, we remembered with special visitors from the Warilla RSL, the anniversary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli with a beautiful liturgy led by Year 5.  Anzac Day is a day when we give thanks for all that our war veterans and heroes have sacrificed so that we can call “the lucky country” - Australia - home. Anzac Day also inspires our nation to strive for peace in our homes, in our country and in the world. We recognize that it is through the successful pursuit of peace, that we can truly live a content, happy and Christ-filled life.

We would like to thank parents, grandparents and friends for attending our Holy Week & Easter Liturgy, as well as, our marvelous Leaders of Liturgy who led the whole school in this amazing re-enactment of our most important celebration in our Church’s year. 

Mother’s Day

This Sunday is Mother’s Day.  We would like to wish all our Mums, Grandmothers and

Carers a day filled with love, joy and happiness.  May you all be blessed by our most Holy Queen of all, the Mother of God, Mary.

Proverbs 31:31: "Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." Psalm 139:13-14: "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Mary Aikenhead Award Nominations

Every year we celebrate Foundation Day with the Mary Aikenhead Award.  This award is in recognition of the ministry of Sisters of Charity at Stella Maris Catholic School 1958-2009.

We are now calling for nominations from Parents/Teachers/Students.  You may only nominate one student using the following Criteria:

1. Exhibits qualities that reach out to those in need e.g. regularly contributes to missions, regularly prays petitions for others, helps other children in the classroom or playground, helpful to teachers
2. Excellent application during RE lessons.
3. Knowledge of Mary Aikenhead and the Sisters of Charity.
4. Displays reverence during Mass and liturgies and shows a willingness to always play a key role in these, for example reading at Mass/liturgies, offertory procession, role play, choir.

Please return all nomination forms to the office by 10 May. Using the criteria, a panel will decide on the winners of this award.  The Awards Ceremony will be on Friday 20 May (time to be advised).

A nomination form follows or one can be picked up from the school office.

Mary Aikenhead Award Nomination - For Parents & Students

This award is in recognition of the ministry of Sisters of Charity at Stella Maris Catholic School 1958-2009.

Nominations due to Mrs Sanchez-Levine (or school office) by 10 May

God Bless

Alicia Sanchez-Levine

Religious Education Coordinator

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.

MOTHER’S DAY VOLUNTEERS ANNOUNCEMENT:
- Any volunteers offering plates of food can either drop to Kate Mace at the canteen at bell time on Thursday afternoon or bring to school before 7:30am on Friday. We   ask that plates of food be either brought in on disposable plates or taken home straight after the breakfast to avoid having lost plates and to save time washing up.
- Stall volunteers for the Yr 4 stall on Thursday afternoon, please meet at the school cottage at 1pm.
- Stall volunteers for Friday morning, please meet at the school cottage at 8:30am.
- Mother’s Day breakfast set-up volunteers to meet at school at 7am on Friday. 

* Cottage location - walk past the library and 4B and the cottage in on the right.

Thank you so much to all who have offered to volunteer, it is greatly appreciated. 
P&F

The University of Wollongong invites students to LITTLE and EARLY LEARNING LABS, an academic and creative arts enrichment holiday program. UOW are targeting students from Year 1 to 6 who are passionate, self-motivated and curious learners.

Dates: Little Learning Labs (Years 1 and 2): 7^th – 8^th July 2022

           Early Learning Labs (Years 3 to 6): 4^th – 6^th July 2022

Venue: University of Wollongong (Wollongong campus only)

Applications close: Wednesday, 18^th May 2022

• LITTLE AND EARLY LEARNING LABS program brochure

APPLICATION PROCESS

• Students can be encouraged to apply by their school, classroom teacher, subject specialist teachers from school or out-of-school or by their parents. If a school-based professional is identifying a potential student, please supply them with a Teacher Nomination Letter
• Parents/Guardians visit our websiteand read the full list of workshops available by scrolling to the “Workshop Descriptions” section.
• Parents/Guardians (or school if parent/guardian is unable to) fill out the online application form.
• This is an academic and creative arts enrichment program designed for students who are motivated and passionate learners and performing excellently in their area of interest. First-time applicants are required to demonstrate their suitability for the program. One piece of supporting documentation is required (see 'Supporting Documentation'section on website). Please note that the Teacher Nomination Letter can be used as a supporting document.
• Learning Labs is registered as COVID-Safeand follows the guidelines set out by the NSW Government here.

Please know that applications are now open, and workshops fill very quickly.

UOW also has several sponsorship places available for students who identify as Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander or students experiencing financial difficulty. 

For further information about workshops and the application process please visit our website, or contact the Learning Labs team via email at learning-labs@uow.edu.au.