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This week I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate Foundation Day at Stella Maris last Friday. This was my first Foundation Day celebration and it was spectacular!
The liturgical depiction of the story of Sr Mary Aikenhead and how Stella Maris came to be was amazing. The Year 2 students led by their teachers showed reverence and a level of maturity beyond their years. The preparation and time that was dedicated to telling the story with authenticity and integrity was clearly evident.
To have Srs Genny, Margaret and Kerrie was truly special. They shared their gift of wisdom, time and enthusiasm for the story of the Sisters of Charity. They were wonderful with the children and thoroughly enjoyed the day at Stella Maris.
A highlight of the day was the open classrooms. It was so heartwarming to see so many parents and grandparents visiting the rooms and engaging with the children. The children loved showing off all the good things they have been doing and sharing their learning with you. It was an absolute delight to see so many of you and to spend time talking with many of you.
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National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week
This week marks the beginning of National Sorry Day and National Reconciliation Week.
This year National Sorry Day falls on Friday 26 May and is a day when we pause to remember the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
It leads us into the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation and National Reconciliation Week which is held each year between 27 May and 3 June.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023 is, Be A Voice for Future Generations. Here at Stella Maris we will be acknowledging the key themes in the classrooms with the support of our wonderful AEA’s Mark and Jo.
Athletics Carnival - Thursday 1 June
The School Athletics Carnival will be held on Thursday, 1 June 2023, at Myimbarr Community Park, Wattle Road, Shellharbour.
Students will need to be taken directly to and from the carnival. Buses will not operate from the venue on the day. Supervision of students commences from 8am.
Once at Myimbarr, students must report to their CLASS teacher to have their names marked off on arrival and before they leave the carnival. Students will not be allowed to travel home with another parent unless written permission is received. Our Athletics Carnival is a compulsory school activity and so it is expected that all students will be in attendance for the whole day.
Students are asked to wear their sports uniform. A plain t-shirt in the colour of their house may be worn. Spikes are NOT permitted.
100m finals will be run at the conclusion of all events, with an estimated start time of 2pm.
This year the 800 metres will be run at 8.00am. If your child is competing in this event they will need to be at the ground by 7:45am.
7:45am (800m nominated students): Arrive for 800m warm up & roll call
8:00am: 800m races. (Optional Entry)
8:30am: Carnival commences
2:40pm: Carnival concludes.
2:50pm: All children to have been collected.
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWS
This Sunday is Pentecost, when we give thanks for the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and followers of Jesus (Acts 2:1- 31). Pentecost marks the official end of the Easter season and the liturgical colour of Pentecost is red. The word itself means the fiftieth day.
We also celebrate the feast of The Visitation on May 31. During this event, a young Mary called upon her older cousin, Elizabeth, to relish the news of their miraculous pregnancies.
God Bless
Alicia Sanchez-Levine
Religious Education Coordinator
This Sunday’s Gospel
PENTECOST SUNDAY
Jesus breathes the Holy Spirit into the Apostles.
All Saints Catholic Parish Shellharbour
Mass times: All Saints Church
19 College Ave, Shellharbour City
Saturday 5.00pm Vigil
Sunday 9.00am, 5.00pm
Special 9am Mass: 28 May Feast of Pentecost - Multicultural Day
Mass at All Saints
Beginning this term, we will also be participating in weekend stage Masses at All Saints Catholic Parish. Please come and join us as we celebrate Mass together on the following weekend dates:
Kindergarten (ES1) Sunday 14 May 9am …Mother’s Day
Year 1 & 2 (Stage 1) Sunday 28 May 9am …including Pentecost Celebrations
Teachers Saturday 15 July 5pm
Year 5 & 6 (Stage 3) Saturday 26 August 5pm
Year 3 & 4 (Stage 2) Sunday 12 November 9am
Mass at Stella Maris
Grade Masses also take place 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 for Term 2, 2023.
Yr 4 Week 2 2 May
Yr 5 Week 3 9 May
Yr 3 Week 4 16 May
Yr 6 Week 5 23 May
Yr 2 Week 6 30 May
Yr 1 Week 7 6 June
Kinder Week 8 13 June
Join us for a Cuppa!
Additionally, we would like to invite parents, grandparents and carers to please join us for a cup of tea or coffee after Mass in the school staffroom. Simply follow the students, Mrs Sanchez-Levine or Mrs Hughes through the gates after Mass to join us for a 30 minute informal gathering.
The Sacraments
The Sacrament of Confirmation - Year 6 Students
After weekend Masses on the corresponding dates, the following events will occur…
27/28 May: Second Week of Confirmation Workshops
Parents indicate preferred time to celebrate the Sacrament
3 /4 June: Third Week of Confirmation Workshops
Sacrament of Confirmation times distributed
10/11 June: Last Week of Confirmation Workshops
Blessing & Distribution of Medals
16 June: Retreat Day 9am to 2pm All Saints Parish Hall for all students
17/18 June: Rehearsal Saturday 5pm for 18 July session
Rehearsal Sunday 9am for 19 July session
18/19 June: Celebration of Confirmation 7pm
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 has officially concluded and together we were able to raise an amazing $1,046.
A huge thank you to your generosity in helping to assist some of the world’s most vulnerable people create a future full of hope for their families, communities and For All Future Generations.
Foundation Day Liturgy
On Friday, we celebrated our Foundation Day celebrations. It was 65 years ago on the 20th May 1958, that Stella Maris Catholic School began with 46 children and three sisters of Charity.
In tradition, we celebrate each year with the story of Mary Aikenhead, the foundress of the Sisters of Charity and present a special award in her name. We congratulate Amelia Goodes (Infants) and Siair Paillas (Primary) for exhibiting qualities that reach out to those in need, applying themselves in Religious Education and displaying reverence during Mass and liturgies.
We would like to thank all the parents, grandparents, family and friends that joined us on this special day for the Liturgy and Open Classrooms, as well as Sr Genny, Sr Margaret and our very own Sr Kerry for celebrating with us the story of the Sisters of Charity.
It is a blessing to have such a wonderful community share with us such an amazing school. THANK YOU!
Each year since 1945 the CBCA has brought children and books together across Australia through CBCA Book Week. During Term 3 we spend time celebrating books and Australian children's authors and illustrators. This year the theme is: READ, GROW, INSPIRE
We will be celebrating with a Book Week parade on Thursday, 21 September and you are warmly invited to attend.
National Sorry Day:
National Sorry Day is an annual event that has been held in Australia on May 26, since 1998. The day is to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of Australia’s indigenous population. During the 20th century, Australian government policy resulted in Aboriginal children being separated from their families, in the interest of turning them into white Australians. Stella Maris will acknowledge this event by the students participating in a presentation led by Mark Mongta and Josephine Ball (Aboriginal Education Assistants) and various classroom activities.
National Reconciliation Week:
National Reconciliation Week – 27 May to 3 June – is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. It also creates an opportunity to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The theme ‘Be A Voice For Future Generations’ encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in our everyday lives.
The students at Stella Maris will be participating in a range of activities over the next few weeks with their teachers and Aboriginal Education Assistants (Mark Mongta & Josephine Ball), to acknowledge National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week.
On Tuesday 23rd May, the Stella Maris Cross Country team travelled to Cambewarra to compete in the Diocesan Cross Country carnival. The team placed an incredible 2nd place overall, which is a huge achievement considering there are over 30 primary schools in the Wollongong Diocese. All runners gave their best on the day and were instrumental in the success of the team. Of the 24 runners who competed, 8 placed in the top 8, meaning they will now represent the Wollongong Diocese at the NSWCPS Cross Country Championships scheduled for Tuesday 13th June. We congratulate the following students on this incredible achievement:
Riley O’Shea, Carter Crosswell, Mason Jimenez, Ivy Paillas, Maya Huetter, Sianna Badger, Pearl Coelho and Reid Coelho.
Finally, a big thank you to the team for the many sacrifices that have been made over the past 8 weeks. Training has occurred multiple times a week during lunch times and in the students' school holidays. The teamwork you have all shown to achieve success as a group has been remarkable. Well done students.
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.
