Dear Parents and Carers

I hope you all had the opportunity for some down time with your children over the Easter break and enjoyed some of the peace and joy that Easter brings. Across society, I am sure you have felt the energy and positivity of being together again, something, previous to 2020, we may all have taken for granted but are truly grateful for now.

It was wonderful to be a part of the Easter celebrations in the Church with an energised community. It felt very special to be in the moment and feel the presence of Jesus as we journeyed through Holy Week and then Easter Sunday. 

We also had beautiful celebrations with your children prior to the holidays celebrating Holy Week and today celebrating Easter Sunday. The Easter story is the biggest on the liturgical calendar and I have fond memories as a child celebrating with the Church family. 

Palm Sunday: is a reminder of the welcoming of Jesus into our hearts and of our willingness to follow him. "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!

Holy Thursday celebrates the Last Supper and Jesus showing his life is in service to others with the washing of his disciples feet and then the sharing of the bread and wine. This meal, for thousands of years, still brings us together when we celebrate the Eucharist at Mass. Both these actions call on us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and serve and nourish others while following his commandment to  “Love one another as I have loved you.”

Good Friday: is a day not only to recall the sacrificial love that Jesus showed by accepting to go through a humiliating death on the cross in atonement for sins, and for the salvation of men and women but it is also a day to highlight and celebrate the new civilisation of love which Jesus established by means of his passion, death, and resurrection. 

Easter Sunday is one of the most festive events among Christians worldwide. It commemorates Jesus Christ's resurrection from death which then gives us the hope of eternal life. We are called to continue on this message of joy, love and hope and live a life where we follow Jesus’ example and  the gospel values, ensuring we make a positive difference in the world for the common good.

Project Compassion: We have a very generous community. Thank you. We are  delighted to announce that through the Project compassion boxes and the crazy sock day we raised a total of $2260.40. This money will go to Caritas Catholic Missions, with a portion to Ukraine and another portion to Kids Under Cover (https://www.kuc.org.au/)  a charity that provides housing solutions for children at risk of homelessness around Australia. It is wonderful to know that you have all contributed to making a difference within our local and global world.  

Easter Easter Egg Raffle: A huge thank you to the PFA led by Alison Dove in the 83 prizes that were raffled. We raised an incredible $2410.60. This money will go towards the outdoor benches built to support the outdoor learning of our students.

Farewell to Sarah Fraser: It is with sadness and immense gratitude that we farewell Sarah Fraser. Sarah has been truly  amazing in supporting the mental health of many of our students. Sarah has worked in our school for just over 3 years and supported students and families. Her character strengths of love, compassion, empathy, wisdom and genuine care for the children has seen her make a real difference to those she has worked with. We will greatly miss Sarah, Mackenzie and Jeremy in our learning community and wish them all the best in their new home in Queensland. 

New School Psychologists: We have many prevention practices in place to support student’s mental health and wellbeing  including a pastoral and nurturing culture, Religious Education,  Restorative Practices, Circle Time as the vehicle for Social and Emotional Learning, Respectful Relationships, Berry Street strategies, KidsMatter recognition and Positive Behaviours for Learning. 

At Our Lady Star of the Sea, we pride ourselves on being a  Catholic community with Pastoral Care as a priority. It is important to us to have interventions available onsite to support the wellbeing and mental health of our students. We will continue to provide this room to the different psychologists that will be working with students on different days.  Therefore, we welcome a few of the team from Bellarine Psychology led by Marnie Holden and also welcome Kerrie Cook, who will continue working with some of those students and families on Sarah’s caseload. I understand Sarah has spoken to those currently accessing this service and recommended some placements. If you are seeking support for your child please contact Kristen Leonard, Paul Anderson or myself. We also thank you in advance for your patience as we make this transition between services. 

Anzac Day March: It was wonderful to see the turnout for the ANZAC Day March. We had almost 70 students march. Thank you all for your involvement and to Kai Russell for laying the wreath. Another important event as a Catholic community  to pay our respects and remember the heroic actions  of young men and women in the field of battle. We give thanks and remember. 

Congratulations to the following students on representing the school so respectfully: Campbell and Estella Sorace, Adelaide Hammond, Annabelle Hipik, Tilly and Harry Dooling, Angus Carter, Isabelle Musetti, Charlie Greenwood, Annabelle and Charlie Dyer, Finn and Hope Leighton, Grace and Oscar Miller, Mia and Tom Rundle, Saoirse McKerracher, Molly Thompson, Kealan Lester, Jack and Tilly Said, Talei Tuicolo, Adelaide, Matilda and Eliza Wood, Kai and Keely Russell, Cooper Levis, Allister and Xavier Hill, Hugh Rolfs, Nash, Cruz and Isla Pascoe, Maggie Wallace, Caitlin and Josh Maud, Winnie and Alfie Ward, Molly and Daisy Warlond, Maggie and Bessie Reynolds, Mackenzie Worland,  Jordan Wiltshire, Rory Quinn, Ivy and Billie King, Sibella and Shelby Lehmann, Patrick O'Neill, Winnie Ward, Maggie Wallace, Eden Stanley, Zara Knights, River and Stevie McCoy, Jemma Geerings, Lola Carr, Evie, Astrid and Daisy Mulcaire, Jessica Counihan, Connor McKay, Maeve Pemberton, Molly Thompson.

Bike Shelter: We are excited to announce that we are in the process of getting 2 bike shelters at Our Lady Star of the Sea. Chad Ellis, one of our parents and a valued member of the School Advisory Council, has put forward a proposal for some funding to go towards this project and was successful. We would like to express our gratitude and appreciation to Kingston Ocean Grove who have donated $10,000 and Wallington’s WRG for a $2,500 voucher. The generosity of both these groups will help ensure we can have quality bike shelters moving forward. 

Federal Election: MACS extends this invitation for you to read the Australian Catholic Bishops’ 2022 election statement , Towards a Better Kind of Politics, to help you reflect on the good you can do for the community by using your vote for the common good of all. The statement includes a Prayer for the Election and the principles of Catholic Social Teaching. You can download a copy from www.catholic.org.au

We look forward to our whole school Athletics day tomorrow at Landy Field. Please see below for the schedule. We welcome as many of you that can come along to support. It truly is a wonderful whole school community event that our students love.

Wishing you many blessings for the fortnight ahead.

Kerryn