Dear Parents and Carers

On Sunday we celebrated the The First Sunday of Advent. This is a joyful time when we prepare for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. We light the first candle on the Advent wreath, a symbol of hope and the light Jesus brings into the world. Advent reminds us to open our hearts to love, kindness and peace.

Diversity Day is a celebration of how God made each of us unique. We all have different strengths, talents, and traditions and, together we form a beautiful community. In our Catholic faith, we learn to appreciate and include everyone, just as Jesus welcomed all people with love and care.

Advent and Diversity Day share a special message: we prepare to welcome Jesus by welcoming others. By including everyone and appreciating their strengths, we spread God’s light and show that we are all part of His family. Let’s celebrate this season by sharing love, kindness, and hope with everyone around us.

Diversity Day: Our Lady Star of the Sea  celebrates the inclusion of all, as we recognise the strengths of each individual. We are all different, yet all the same, with the strengths we bring to each other that enhances our school community. This Friday we are celebrating this diversity with our annual Diversity Day. A really important part of diversity is making sure that all people, regardless of our differences, feel welcome. No two people are the same, and that is something to be celebrated.

We apologise for the communication only being sent out last week and understand it is short notice. This was due to cancellation of speakers and unsure if it would go ahead. We would like to invite families to join their children for a picnic lunch on our school grounds if you are able starting at 1.10pm. Students will be sitting in their sport house colours and families are welcome to join us. Following on from this, at 1.50pm, we invite all families to join us for a short assembly in the Djila Tjarri Hall. This will be instead of the normal Friday 9am assembly. During assembly we are fortunate to have Prairie from the ABC show 'Headliners' as a guest speaker for our school community. If you haven't had the chance, I encourage you to watch this heartwarming and inspirational show. From 2.30pm onwards the students will be participating in a colour run. This will begin with a lap of the oval then the students will make their way through the school gate to run, skip, dance or walk their way through a course that will be exploding with COLOUR!

Home Learning at Our Lady Star of the Sea in 2025: 

We appreciate the participation and thoughtful feedback from all our stakeholders—students, teachers, and families—throughout our consultative process on the future of home learning at Our Lady Star of the Sea. Your insights have been invaluable in shaping our approach.

The survey results and feedback clearly indicate that home learning needs a fresh perspective to better meet the needs of our community and have the most benefit for our students. You can CLICK HERE to view the data and presentation of results shared with the School Advisory Council and teaching staff. We are excited to present you with our HOME LEARNING POLICY.

Below is an outline of the key adjustments to our home learning at Our Lady Star of the Sea we will be trialling in 2025.

Key Changes to Home Learning in 2025:

1. Compulsory Reading (Prep-Year 6):

• Daily reading will be mandatory for all students and must be recorded in diaries.

2.Times Table Practice (Years 3-6):

• Times tables will be a focus and communicated via Hub News every fortnight.

3. Occasional Tasks: No provision in the policy shall prevent classroom teachers from occasionally setting tasks for their whole class or individuals. Such tasks include a speaking and listening activity and an interview with a parent about a specific topic, e.g. gathering or inquiring about information to support project work and particularly in the Year 5/ 6 area, finishing off work as required, to align with secondary school preparation.

4. A Home Learning link will be provided on the school website and a link added to Hub News for those families wishing to engage in their own home learning.

5. IPADS should not be required for Home Learning unless it is an occasional task, of which you will be advised.

6. Further Reporting via electronic platforms: The school also provides electronic platforms for sharing learning through parents Seesaw accounts and Google Classroom. This is a great way for parents/ carers to see the child’s learning and expand the family’s interaction with learning.

7. Homework Marking: Homework will no longer be assessed or reflected in formal reports.

These adjustments are intended to make home learning more meaningful and manageable while supporting students' academic growth and overall well-being.

Thank you for your continued support as we implement these changes. Should you have any questions or further feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out.

MACSSIS results: Survey results have come in. Here is a Level 1 snapshot of our staff, Year 4-6 students and families results. We thank all that took the time to complete the surveys. Our Leadership Team is currently planning our Annual Action Plan 2025 which will be shared the first week back with the community. This data, which we are able to consider at a deeper level, will help inform our School Improvement Plan and  actions moving forward.

Final Day Dismissal at 1pm Wednesday 18 December: This is an important message letting you know our school crossings will not be supervised by the council at 1pm on Wednesday 18th December. We have engaged the support of police and we will have staff members supervising all crossings around the school. Students will be supported by staff to cross at both crossings on John Dory Drive and Marlin Drive. Students will also be supported by staff to cross at the lights on Shell Road and Tuckfield Street. Please reinforce to your children the importance of travelling safely. We will also make students aware of this plan for dismissal on Wednesday 18th December at 1pm.

Canteen News: Sadly we farewell Kylie Taylor to other employment for 2025. We thank her greatly for setting up the online canteen option this year. Fortunately one of Kylie’s current employees, Sue Bickerton, will be taking over so from our school community end the canteen will continue in the same way. All the best to Kylie in her future endeavours. 

School Advisory Council Thank you: Thank you to the members of the School Advisory Council for another successful year. Teneille Pasque, Hayley Bennett, Ashlee Giuffrida, Stephanie Reynolds, Catherine Cross, Olivia Liston, Scott Annand, Pearse Fay, Paul Anderson, Deb Maud and Darien Sticklen. This volunteer time is greatly appreciated and the consultation truly valued for the best outcomes for our students. Please read Teneille Pasque’s annual report highlighting all the achievements this year School Advisory Council SAC Annual Report.

Families Leaving 2024: Over the next few weeks we will be farewelling these amazing families who have their youngest or only child leaving Our Lady Star of the Sea. We thank you deeply for the pleasure and privilege of working in partnership with you and your wonderful children. We extend our warmest wishes as your learning journey continues elsewhere. Please know you are always welcome back for a visit. It is always great as a staff to continue to hear of the successes and joy you experience over the coming years.

Armitstead, Bakacs, Banks, Bateup, Bianco, Binnion, Carr, Cook, Cruickshank, Dee, Durling, Dupe, Falconer, Gallagher, Garrard, Gee, Halloran, Hawson, James, Jankowski, Levis, Mansell, Maud, McGregor, Mifsud, Morgan, Paoletti, Paraskavas, Parton, Patterson, Perkins, Ramsay, Russell, Stefankowski, Strode, Talaue, Taverna, Trinh, Wallace, Walsh, White, Wombell, Wright.

Wishing you all a joyful fortnight ahead.

Kerryn