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We ask that Your grace of acceptance and compassion will guide us.
Let the Creator Spirit lead our journey with the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of this land.
May we share Your Spirit more deeply; celebrate the gifts You have given us.
Help us appreciate true harmony and peace just as our Old People did;
Keep us strong, make us resilient and remember us in this time.
Now is an opportunity to change our Nation’s history for the better.
Walk with us as we write a new chapter together and may we be one in Your love.
Amen.
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome back to Term 4. I hope you had a wonderfully refreshing break full of sunshine, laughter and joy.
Today’s prayer asks us to pray in solidarity for a better future for our First Nations people. With the upcoming referendum, there are many different points of view, along with many people without an understanding about what it all means.
As a Catholic community, we can take the time to listen deeply to the statement from the heart and reflect on what our First Nations people are asking in the Voice to Parliament. This version of the Statement from the Heart has been shared previously and certainly evokes emotion as you view and listen. Uluru Statement from the Heart Read by First Nations Collaborators
Makarrata, coming together after a struggle and walking together into the future, aligns well with our catholic faith of reconciliation and standing in solidarity with the most marginalised in our community. This could be supporting the notion to “close the gap” for our First Nations people, through recognition in the constitution and a voice to parliament, in the hope outcomes for our First Nations people will be improved.
Pope Francis advocates strongly for social justice and says, ”The measurement of a greatness of society is the way they preferentially support the people in need.” (2013)
May the upcoming referendum be a time of respect and informed decision making for us all, uniting us.
At Our Lady Star of the Sea, our Fire Carriers group, teachers and students learn a lot in this space and bring through initiatives that make a difference for our First Nations people. Many thanks to Helen Stephensen and the leaders who recently led our community "Busking for Change" and the Indigenous Literacy Book Swap to raise money for literacy initiatives in the remote areas. $620 was raised.
Parish Invitation: Sunday October 8, 12-00 – 3.00pm
WHAT? TIME OUT to experience The Uluru Statement from the Heart, an invitation from our indigenous brothers and sisters.
WHERE? “Santa Casa”, Queenscliff. A beautiful retreat centre on the beach.
If you missed the chance to attend one of the 3 reflection days at OLSOS in late June and early July, organized by our Holy Trinity Parish Spirituality Group, here is an extra opportunity to have:
COST? An hour or so of your time. Everyone is welcome.
State Netball Championships: Congratulations to the Mixed netball team who made it all the way into the grandfinal to come runner up in the whole state.
Indonesian Speaking Cometition: Congratulations to Campbell Sorace placing second in the state in the Victorian Indonesian Language Teachers Association Level 1 Speaking Competition. An amazing effort!
Working Bee October 15 10 am-12 pm:
You may be aware, we have increased our engagement with grounds maintenance providers and have scaled back working Bees to one in Term 4 and one tidy up at the beginning of the year prior to the first day back. These are more about bringing the community together in a different way and modelling with our children the positive contributions we can make in a voluntary way to our communities. We invite you along on Sunday 15 October 10am -12 noon, whether it be for the full 2 hours or half an hour. Please bring gloves and any other tools like brooms, shovel, wheelbarrows you may have. There will be a sausage sizzle at the end and a house point to go towards the "Citizenship Award" which is given to the winning house at the end of the year. Please ensure you are also registered as a volunteer or sign a code of conduct when you arrive and you supervise your children when onsite for this event.
2024 Enrolments: Please let us know as soon as possible if you are not returning in 2024.
Premiership news: Congratulations to Sam Scott who was part of a winning premiership with Leopold during the holidays.
Wishing you all successful and peaceful start back to the final term of the year.
Kerryn
Gratitude - acknowledging the goodness in our lives.
As we start our new term and enjoy the new life that emerges with the warming weather of Spring, we are reminded to stop, breathe and be thankful for the small moments of goodness in our lives. The beautiful colours of a sunset, flowers growing in the garden, the quiet of the house when the children have left for school, or the smile of your child when you see them at the gate at the end of the day. Acknowledging the good of these everyday moments, is such an important practice to hold onto in this fast-paced, often negative focused, world we live in.
Most of us associate gratitude with saying “thank you” to someone who has helped us or given us a gift. From a scientific perspective, gratitude is not just an action. Gratitude is a positive emotion, which is really important because it helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals – whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.
Research shows that when children exhibit gratitude, it's the behavior that most closely correlates with life satisfaction and happiness for that child. It's also linked to less stress and depression and more optimism. Gratitude is also a powerful tool for strengthening interpersonal relationships.
In order to practice gratitude, the first step is to pay attention - noticing and becoming aware of blessings that we normally take for granted.
Here are some tips to further develop gratitude in your children.
1. Role model gratitude and teach your kids to think gratefully.
Express gratitude often--by speaking it, writing it, gifting it.
2. Be present and empathetic with your child.
Spending time with your children is, of course, good. Spending time when you're fully present, enjoying each moment, and ready to express empathy and understanding is priceless.
3. Nurture their strengths.
Doing so builds confidence. Confidence builds self-appreciation, which makes it easier to see and appreciate things around you (as you're not busy combating feelings of inadequacy). You can even encourage your children to directly use strengths (like writing, speaking well, being kind-hearted) to show gratitude.
4. Encourage them to accumulate growth, not gadgets.
When you encourage a child to focus on developing deeper connections with people or the community and on pursuing experiences that excite their interest and help them achieve growth, it's much more likely to foster gratitude.
5. Give them a hand in lending helping hands.
Encourage your child to look for opportunities to help others, again role modeling it yourself as a closely held value. This is one of the most direct routes possible towards encouraging gratitude.
6. Help them find what matters to them.
When kids find something that's important to them, something bigger than themselves, (like a social issue, cause, or form of service), they realise they're a player in something more important. Gratitude comes from an appreciation of that larger picture and what they can do to affect it.
Paul Anderson
Student Wellbeing Leader
Personal Development Sessions
Our Lady Star of the Sea is offering you an opportunity for Parents and Students from Year 4, 5 & 6 to attend a Health and Human Development session.
Each session includes the use of a short video from The Wonder of Living series. Following the screening of the video there will be an opportunity for parent and child discussion. Whilst the sessions will not cover all aspects relating to Human Development and sexuality, it is an opportunity to open up discussion that is appropriate for you and your child.
Our Year 4 sessions will be held on Tuesday 24th Oct 5:00 - 5:45pm or 6:00 - 6:45pm
The focus for this session will be on A New Baby. This explores the development and birth of a baby using animation and real foetal footage. This will be held in Purple Hub.
Our Year 5 sessions will be held on Wednesday 25th Oct 5:00 - 6:00pm or 6:15 - 7:15pm
This session will explore the amazing human body and how a baby begins. It also explores physical and emotional changes of puberty, handling change, seeking support from trusted grownups, identifying unhealthy social media pressures and acting in ways that are safe. This will be held in Purple Hub.
Our Year 6 session will be held on Wednesday 25th Oct 6:00 - 7:00pm
This session will explore the amazing human body and how a baby begins. It also explores physical and emotional changes of puberty, handling change, seeking support from trusted grownups, identifying unhealthy social media pressures and acting in ways that are safe. This will be held in Djila Tjarri Hall.
Parenting Education Opportunities
Please refer to the Community Notice section of this week’s newsletter for information on dates, times and venues for Parenting Education opportunities offered by Regional Parenting Service programs along with MELI (formerly Barwon Child Youth & Family (BCYF) and Bethany), Family Relationship Centre, Drummond St Services and Barwon Southwest Region.
A highlight of Term 4 is always our Mission Fete. The Catholic Church calendar celebrates Mission Week every year. Traditionally Catholic schools, including Our Lady Star of the Sea, have supported the work of the Catholic Missions through fundraising. This money has assisted initiatives in the poorest communities throughout the world.
In 2013, one of our then Year 3 students, Tia, returned to Ethiopia to meet her birth mother. Tia had been adopted as a baby because her birth mother was too poor to care for her. Tia kept a blog of her experiences. Through this blog it became evident that the community of Bulbula was very similar to the communities we were supporting through Catholic Missions. As a school we decided to support Bulbula for Mission Fete. Through Tia’s experiences and her family’s ongoing support and communication with the community, we have been able to learn first hand how 100% of our money is being used.
Sr Abeba from the Daughters of Charity, makes the decisions on where our money will be best used within the community. She needs to be fair and identify areas which will provide the greatest benefit for the most people. Last year our money paid for an irrigation system, medical assistance, education, small business initiatives and food for poor families. Please find attached, Sr Abeba’s financial report.
Our Mission Fete will take place on Friday 10 November. The day includes:
- A Liturgy at the Church, which you are welcome to attend at 9:15am
- A sausage sizzle lunch
- Mission Fete from 1:30pm - 3:00pm
- Raffle
We encourage students to use their own money, or complete tasks around the home to earn money for Mission Fete activities.
In the next newsletter we will ask for donations to class stalls, advise of raffle prizes and send home tickets.
This year we are excited to hold another whole school event to celebrate our diversity as a community and to foster a culture of inclusion for all. At Our Lady Star of the Sea, we love to celebrate that each of us are unique and that we can show empathy and kindness to all. Holding a celebration is a way that we can recognise and raise awareness of our ongoing commitment to creating a more inclusive and diverse school environment.
Our day of celebration will take place on Friday 8 December 2023. Please save the date in your diaries.
At this stage, we are seeking ideas from our school community members in regards to how the day might look. If you would like to share your ideas and be involved in planning this special day, we welcome you along to a meeting on the 6th October at 2pm at school or via a Google Meet. If you are able to make this time please email Kristen Leonard kleonard@staroceangrove.catholic.edu.au and respond whether you will attend in person or online. Alternatively, if you are not able to attend but would like to share some ideas, please email them through.
Please ensure that your child is wearing the correct school uniform items, specifically the correct shoes and socks.
Over the next fortnight, depending on the weather, the children are able to wear either their winter or summer uniform however they must wear their school hat.
The Summer Uniform requirements are:
Summer Uniform
- Grey school shorts, short or long sleeved dark green polo with white embroidered school logo and white edge on collar, grey ankle length socks.
OR
- Green and white checked dress with Peter Pan collar, white socks.
OR
- Green school shorts, green long or short sleeve polo with embroidered school logo, white ankle length socks.
- Green windcheater or cardigan with embroidered school logo and white piping.
- School hat with school logo.
- Black traditional school shoes or boots. Black skate or sport shoes are not acceptable with the summer uniform.
- Green or white hair trims.
Term 4 2024
Thursday 21 November: Yr 5 Parish Mass/Year 1 MOPA Excursion
Friday 22 November: Yr 5BC assembly
Thursday 28 November: Yr 3 Parish Mass
Friday 29 November: Staff Professional Learning Day - Student Free Day
Staff Planning Day for 2025
Tuesday 3 December: School Concert 5:30pm-7:30pm
Wednesday 4 December: Prep orientation
Thursday 5 December: Prep orientation
Tuesday 10 December: Whole school orientation/Prep orientation
Wednesday 11 December: Future leaders days 2025
Friday 6 December: Diversity Day 2pm assembly
Tuesday 10 December: Whole school orientation day 9.15am - 11am
Wednesday 12 December: Yr 6 end of year excursion
Friday 13 December: Yr 6EB assembly/End of year Mass
Monday 16 December: Whole school Beach Day (students are welcome to bring plastic shovels and buckets. Ensure they remember to bring sunscreen and hats).
Wednesday 18 December: Yr 6 Graduation Assembly/Last day of school Students finish at 1pm
Term1 2025
Tuesday 28 January: Staff return
Wednesday 29 January: Staff professional Learning day
Thursday 30 January: Students return
Please note: Please refer to the Parent Calendar for all dates
WHAT? TIME OUT to experience The Uluru Statement from the Heart, an invitation from our indigenous brothers and sisters.
WHERE? “Santa Casa”, Queenscliff. A beautiful retreat centre on the beach.
If you missed the chance to attend one of the 3 reflection days at OLSOS in late June and early July, organised by our Holy Trinity Parish
Spirituality Group, here is an extra opportunity to have:
- some precious quiet time and space - to think, to read or chat
- a coffee or tea on us
- a walk around a labyrinth or through the back gate to the beach
- a family BYO picnic
COST? An hour or so of your time. Everyone is welcome.
Geelong and Barwon South West Parent Education Events Term 4
