Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to our third week at school for 2021. Today’s prayer helps us reflect on our catholic identity and the importance of reaching out to others, making a  difference in other’s lives by bringing peace, love, justice, hope and joy where we can.  At our first meeting as a staff, we were able to reflect on the importance of our role in a Catholic school.  With Jesus as our model, we reflected on his role as a servant of God and how this service looks in us when we live and share the Gospel values, serving our students, families and the broader community.

We have had a great start to the school year and your children are to be commended on the wonderful way they have returned to school ready, open and engaging in the learning experiences that are being presented to them. This year we have decided to go with the  theme “We Reach for the Stars.” This fits very well with our Positive Behaviours for Learning, our school motto,“Setting the Right Course” and our focus on high expectations. All year levels have begun with a focus on students understanding and knowing more about themselves as a learner.

2021 Annual Action Plan: Please see below our 2021 Annual Action Plan which stems from our 4 year School Improvement Plan. We continue to consider what it is we are wishing to improve or get better at.

Our first area of priority is that every student is engaged, challenged and connected. Some actions we will implement are:  to make greater connections in our Learning and Teaching of scripture, faith and life; continue with the Berry Street Professional Learning, implement whole school Positive Behaviours for Learning and create more outdoor learning opportunities.

Our second priority is that every teacher provides high quality learning and teaching and leadership for school improvement. Some actions include: a focus on Inquiry Learning and Mathematics, with an emphasis on engaging students and providing opportunities for problem solving that increases critical and creative thinking, the development of a whole school data plan as well as shadowing, mentoring and coaching across the school.

Building Works: 

Our building is progressing well and still on track to be completed by May. Exciting times for our whole learning community.

Student Leadership: 

The leadership program offered to the students at Our Lady Star of the Sea, particularly to our Year Six Students, focuses on students learning to be respectful and responsible leaders.

We congratulate the students who have willingly taken on responsibilities and wish them success in their roles, developing their vision and goals, organising and leading others by using their character strengths, given and learnt skills and capabilities.

School Leader 2021

Meet and Greet Interviews

You will have received an email from Operoo for  Meet and Greet interviews. These will be conducted over this week, Week 3 and Week 4 and are an excellent opportunity for you to share important information about your child with their teacher. If you would like to access the Meet and Greet via a Google Meet please email your classroom teacher and they will send a link.

COVID Update:

May I also take this opportunity to thank you all for the outstanding way you have so respectfully followed our COVID safe practices. We will continue to update you should there be any changes in our COVID safe practices. At this stage, we will not return to dropping your child into class one morning a week within a 10 minute window until the mask wearing has eased and then we will communicate this with you. Please continue to ensure you have a mask on if entering the building for essential reasons and access via the external door to the room without walking through the school buildings for appointments made via operoo. Please use the sanitiser available at each entrance and ensure physical distancing whilst being aware of congestion. At all other times we ask that you enter via reception as if you are here longer than 15 minutes you need to sign in.

School Start Time: A gentle reminder that students can arrive to school from 8.30 am. The music bell goes at 8.50 am to begin to settle into class by 9 am. If your child happens to arrive earlier than 8.30 am on the odd occasion we direct them to the library space for supervision. 

A Baby Boy: Congraulations to Michael Coldwell and his wife Milly as they welcomed their first baby on the weekend-  George Coldwell. 

Warmest wishes for the fortnight ahead.

Kerryn