Dear Parents and Carers

As we conclude another busy and exciting year at Our Lady Star of the Sea, I wish to offer my sincere and heartfelt thanks to staff and families for the way we have worked alongside each other in partnership, to support our students to learn, grow and flourish. From myself and the entire staff, it is truly a pleasure and privilege to serve you all on this learning journey.

We are sadly farewelling the amazing Miss Alyce and Miss Chloe. Miss Alyce has spent 2 years with us and will go to St Therese Torquay, much closer to home. Chloe is embracing her sense of adventure and embarking on a year of travel after 3 years with us. Both Alyce and Chloe have brought passion, care, kindness and quality teaching, to their students. We wish Alyce and Chloe all the very best. Rory, our Year 3 Learning Support Officer, will also be moving on to begin her teaching career. Again we thank Rory for her care, kindness and support to the Year 3 students and wish her well as a graduate teacher. 

With Grateful Hearts Christmas Actions: We have had a wonderful time spreading Christmas cheer over the last couple of weeks. Visiting and singing in the elderly homes and the choir at Carols in the Park led by Miss Bella. We have also  used money from our Mission Fete fundraiser and some generous donations, to enable our Year Five students to budget for, prepare a shopping list and go shopping at Woolworths,  to create 25 Christmas hampers. Many thanks to Miss Rebecca and Miss Marianne and the Year 5 students and staff on this meaningful and consciously compassionate act for others.

           

Our Year Four students also have written Christmas cards and letters, which were distributed to the church, and gratefully received by the parishioners at Sunday Mass.We have even had some write back creating a further parish/ school link. One reply was: Please thank  River M and all of the other children for their Christmas letters and good wishes for the Christmas season. We hope that God  will bless them all and that they know that God’s  son , Jesus will have a very happy smile knowing that they are celebrating his birthday with him even though he is in heaven .Thank you very much children !

It was with a truly grateful heart that Sr Abeba responded to our Mission Fete donation to Bulbula.

As you can see from her attached letter, the support we have given and the money we have raised is very much needed and life changing. Christmas letter from Bulbula

Sr Abeba’s  letter from Ethiopia and the needs of her community, reflect so much of our current actions here at Our Lady  Star of the Sea.  The importance of education and giving back to the community in order to make a difference gives us all meaning and purpose as global citizens. 

Thank you to all for your support now and throughout the year with ensuring we continue our social justice actions and truly make a difference in many lives. All these gestures and actions further highlight the importance of our students taking action and making a difference to those in need, With Grateful Hearts. 

Diversity Day, Colour Run and Christmas Concert:  Some photos of our vibrant community in action last week. Many thanks to Helen Stephensen, Kristen Leonard and Natalie Skahill for the brilliant preparation and organisation of these wonderful events which bring the community together in a meaningful and purposeful way. 

Year 6 Graduates and Families Leaving: We include in our prayers those students who will graduate tomorrow from Our Lady Star of the Sea. We trust they are well prepared for the next stage of their school life as confident young people ready to further succeed. We thank each of you for the many positive contributions you  have made during your  time at Our Lady star of the Sea . We also trust you take with you  a love of learning, curiosity, respect, kindness, gratitude and conscious compassion. 

Farewell and many blessings to the following families who leave the community with their youngest in Year 6. You are always part of the Our Lady Star of the Sea family and we thank you.

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

Principal for the Day: Congratulations and thank you to Harrison Nicol for an outstanding job as Principal for the Day. He was able to do the Principal message at Assembly, teach Year 3, give 5 minutes extra play, do a Principal walk asking for the highlights of the year, enjoy morning tea with staff ihn the staffroom, participate in the Mass, cook sausages for the class, help with the Christmas giving and run a classroom game. He ws also helped by his trusted and loyal DP's Samuel Rae and Maddock Nicol.

             

Christmas Eve Mass: You will notice an attached flyer in the community news with the Christmas Mass times. On Christmas Eve, carols start from 5.40 pm prior to Mass at 6 pm. The choir has also put out an invitation for as many children as possible to dress as angels or shepherds.

Once again, thank you all. I wish you a joyous Christmas and a well-deserved break, filled with hope, peace, joy and love.

With a grateful heart.

Kerryn