Dear Parents,

It has been very difficult to take in and process recent events as a Catholic Community. First and foremost, we pray for the victims and their families. We look towards the future with hope and one where compassion and wisdom can grow.

For us, as a catholic community, it is important we are faithful to our vision. It is in our actions that the trust of the education of your children is built.

Compliance with the Child Safety Standards is something we continue to rigorously monitor and review, giving it constant attention. Archbishop Peter A Comensoli at his homily last Sunday spoke of Catholic schools providing a place where students and families have a sense of hope based on the experience of God’s love and care. The wellbeing programs in our schools live out the gospel values of faith and a shared belief that we should all aspire to a common good.

We also endeavour to ensure a culture of empathy at Our Lady Star of The Sea where positive relationships with God, self and others are paramount.

During the Lenten period, Cathy Jenkins reminds us that Lent is a time in which we are able to think more deeply about God and how we are responding to God’s call in our daily lives. We are working with your children to identify positive actions they can take during this time of Lent, to make the world a better place, for themselves and others. Within society, many catholic communities undertake wonderful work, including social justice actions, where we show care and love for others based on the Gospel Values.

In our Holy Trinity Parish and Our Lady Star of the Sea School, led by our Parish Priest, Fr Darien Sticklen, we value bringing our students the opportunity for an education that sees all students flourishing. In order to do this we are forever creating rich experiences to develop the whole child spiritually, physically, cognitively, emotionally and socially.

As the Horizons of Hope vision document states, ‘we support students to grow in virtue and to embrace a view of themselves and the world that leads to peace, justice and the prospering of the whole of creation.’

Over the last week we again saw examples of our Vision in action, not only in the many experiences during classroom learning time but also on our Sports day Wednesday and our National Day of Action against Bullying on Friday.

God help us to change.

To change ourselves and to change our world.

To know the need for it. To deal with the pain of it.

To feel the joy of it.

To undertake the journey without understanding the destination.

The art of gentle revolution.

Amen. ( Michael Leunig)

Best wishes for a  week ahead where we look for opportunities to bring light and warmth to others' lives, in our kind actions and words.

Kerryn Sells