From the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to Week 3 of the term. On Friday 26 July we celebrated National Tree Day. Friday was a great day, the weather was perfect, all Year Prep and Year 6 students were amazing and so helpful and well mannered.
Tree Day is a great way to inspire students to learn about the local environment while playing an active role in their community. This enriching experience for our students and school community as a whole is an opportunity not just to plant trees, but to foster a deeper connection with nature and instil environmental stewardship in future generations. As a catholic community we are called to care for creation and something we continue to value greatly. The following is included and highlighted in our mission statement:
We are stewards of creation and show responsibility for the environment and actively care for creation.
We thank Kellie Clark, the Prep parents and grandparent, the Year 6 sustainability leaders and Garden Club who have worked extremely hard over the past 2 weeks on preparations. Also a thank you to Bellarine Landcare Nursery for their advice regarding ongoing care and plant selection and the Bellarine Catchment Network for their support and lending/loaning us their planting tools for the day.
- 160 students planted
- Tree day activities were assisted by 12 staff
- 70 indigenous plants were planted on Friday with another 70 to be planted over the coming weeks in STEM classes & lunchtime Garden Club
- 14 species of indigenous plants local to the the Bellarine Peninsula
- Total planted Kellie's seven tree days is 1783. We estimate around 2000 trees, shrubs and grasses at school and approximately 6000 planted in the community at local dunes and wetlands over time. An amazing achievement.
Continuing along with caring for the environment here are our chooks. Year 4 have moved our chicks outside. Their temporary hutch is set up between Purple Hub and the gym. Classes across the school are visiting to check out our 10 week old chicks.
Screen Time versus green Time: We often chat to our students about the importance of “green time over “screen time.”
Spending time outdoors, known as "green time," is essential for physical and mental health, aiding in exercise, vitamin D intake, stress reduction, mood improvement, and cognitive and social development. In contrast, excessive "screen time" can lead to physical issues like a sedentary lifestyle and eye strain, mental health problems such as disrupted sleep and increased anxiety, as well as attention problems and diminished creativity and social skills.
To ensure a healthy balance, parents should set clear screen time limits, encourage regular outdoor activities, establish screen-free zones and times, model balanced technology use, and support alternative hobbies and creative play.
At Our Lady Star of the Sea we are here to support you and work in partnership to ensure our students have clear boundaries and understand the importance of green time over screen time. Students in Year 3-6 also have the option of leaving their IPADS at school and doing paper homework. Please speak with your child’s teacher if this is required. Together we can work in partnership to support our students to make these responsible choices and decisions.
We are offering the following information sessions to our families.
Year 2 IPAD Information session: Parents and Students of Year 2 are invited to attend an Information Evening at school on Tuesday 9 September, 6-7pm about the upcoming Year 3 iPad Program for 2025. This event will provide valuable insights into the program and address any questions you may have. Topics to be covered:
| Introduction to the iPad Program Overview of the program and its objectives |
| School Leased Program - Why? Explanation of why the school has chosen a leased program |
| Tech Levy Details about the technology levy and its benefits. |
| The Device Information about the iPads being used, including specifications and features |
| Student Responsibilities Guidelines and expectations for students using the iPads. |
| Parent Recommendations Suggestions for parents to support their child's use of the iPad |
| Jamf Parent Introduction to the Jamf Parent app and how it can be used to monitor and manage the iPads |
| Questions Opportunity for parents and students to ask questions and get clarification on any concerns |
We believe this program will significantly enhance our students' learning experience and equip them with essential digital skills.
Year 3 IPAD Information Remote session: Year 3 Parents are invited to attend a remote meeting to discuss important aspects of the Year 3 iPad Program. This session will be held via Google Meet, making it convenient for you to join from the comfort of your home. Date and time to be confirmed. Topics to be covered:
| Student Responsibilities Guidelines and expectations for students using the iPads |
| Parent Recommendations Suggestions for parents to support their child's use of the iPad |
| Jamf Parent Introduction to the Jamf Parent app and how it can be used to monitor and manage the iPads. |
| Questions Opportunity for parents to ask questions and get clarification on any concerns |
We look forward to your attendance and to providing you with all the necessary information to support your child’s learning journey.
Walkathon and Green and Gold Day Friday 2 August: On Friday 2 August we are walking together in unity and striving to make a difference for Our First Nations people by donating a gold coin to the Opening Doors Foundation which is an annual fundraiser as part of our commitment as a Fire Carriers School. These funds will go towards enabling First Nations students to go to school and get the best education they can. We are also celebrating the launch of the Olympics by wearing Green and Gold.
Why do we wear Green & Gold? These are Australia's national colors. Gold represents our beautiful beaches and rich mineral wealth, while green symbolizes our lush forests and eucalyptus trees. They are also the colors of our national floral emblem, the golden wattle. These colors are inclusive and represent everyone.
It doesn’t matter who you are, your sporting ability or your background, sport has the power to unite us all.
The Walkathon will be held at Shell Road Oval.
The times we have allocated for the year levels are:
| Prep, Yr 1 and Yr 2 | After assembly (20 minute walk - a thon) |
| Yr 3 and Yr 4 | 12noon - 12.30pm (30 minutes) |
| Yr 5 and Yr 6 | 2:20pm - 2.50pm (30 minutes) |
Wishing you a fortnight ahead full of peace, unity and plenty of opportunity for green time.
Kerryn