Prayer

There is a season for everything, a time for every occupation under heaven:

A time for giving birth, a time for dying; a time for planting, a time for uprooting what has been planted.

A time for killing, a time for healing; a time for knocking down, a time for building.

A time for tears, a time for laughter; a time for mourning, a time for dancing.

A time for throwing stones away, a time for gathering them; a time for embracing, a time to refrain from embracing.

A time for searching, a time for losing; a time for keeping, a time for discarding.

A time for tearing, a time for sowing; a time for keeping silent, a time for speaking.

A time for loving, a time for hating; a time for war, a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes - Chapter 3, 1-8

As a learning community we ask that you particularly pray for Richard Stubs and his wife Helen and children Maddie, Sam and Harry. Please keep the Stubs family in your prayers.

Selamat Siang Parents,

It is hard to believe we are almost halfway through the term with so many wonderful learning opportunities happening within our community from Year Prep- Year 6. The Hub news is a real pleasure for me to read each fortnight, not only sharing news with you moving forward, but also celebrating the learning that has taken place in the previous fortnight. The staff in each hub do a wonderful job bringing motivating and stimulating learning to your children. Some extra curricula highlights have been the Preps visiting Sea View Manor with the experience adding great value to their learning. A parent caught me at the gate recently and said it was wonderful on their visit to have two 100 year old women share their advice in life which was to always be kind. He said it was great because they reinforced with our Preps the same message they are getting from school and home. A huge congratulations also to the Year 6 football team who came runners up in the next stage of the regional competition and the Mixed netball who just played in the next stage of Regionals too. A group of our potential Respectful Relationships Leaders from Year 5 also did us proud, participating in workshops around gender equality and respectful relationships and playing in the Respect Cup in Geelong.

Eucharist: Yesterday we saw the second group  of Year 4 celebrate their First Eucharist. Terima kasih to  Fr Darien, the teachers and parents for preparing them. Congratulations to the following students: Eliza Ashton, Maggie Ashton, Raimend Bernazzoli, Bede Clarke, Mitchell Cook, Zavier Godfrey Lilli Godfrey, Isla James, Lincoln McCall, Xavier Monahan, Rhys O'Neil, Edward Quayle, Alice Sampson, Frankie Wilkens, Tess Wolfe, Zara Bellingham, Baxter Briggs, Alyssa Coghlan, Maddie Gibbon, Augie Graham, Tessa Leen, Melissa McDonald, Chris Nutt, Briony Peplow, Charlie Rae, Miller Wellard, Stella Williams.

Indonesian: This Friday we will be celebrating our Indonesian Day. Bu Bree has led us beautifully this year as a learning community in our immersion program, ensuring we are learning and using functional language daily. We thank Bu Bree for enabling the transition this Year for Prep-6 students and staff to be learning Indonesian in such a meaningful, supported way.

Learning languages, in addition to English, extends student’s literacy repertoires, including comprehension and their capacity to communicate. It strengthens student’s understanding of the nature of language, culture, and the processes of communication.

We have been set a challenge this week to take every opportunity to use the language and record in our classes when we hear it being used. The competition is titled 

"Did I hear Indonesian?" 

Apakah - did/do

saya - I

dengar - hear/listen

Bahasa Indonesia - Indonesian

Perhaps at home you can take the opportunity to learn from your children. It is amazing how quickly children are able to learn and use this language. 

School Improvement Surveys (CEMSIS)- Towards the end of the term, we will be participating in the CEMSIS – Catholic Education Melbourne School Improvement Survey which is a comprehensive collection of data from students, staff and families. It is an opportunity to gain feedback and also celebrate successes within our learning community. We believe it is timely and will provide a rich source of information that will further enhance our strategic directions and implementation of our annual improvement actions. Please read more specific information below from Paul and myself.

Working Bee: A reminder we have a Working Bee this Sunday 18 August from 10 am - 12 noon. If you are able to support for any time it would be greatly appreciated as we have we have a number of tasks listed. Please bring any gardening tools along such as gloves, tools, rakes. Everybody welcome and particularly a focus on Yellow and Blue Hub families for this working Bee, Come along to get some House Points for your child's team and continue to build on our great community spirit..

Coffee Friday- Continuing on with our focus as a whole learning community on Sustainability and looking for opportunities to further enhance our school grounds, please refer to the opportunity in the Sustainability section of this newsletter for proceeds from Coffee Friday to go towards sustainability and biodiversity in our school. 

Here is a great article from the Council website of our school’s action with Tree Planting. Star of the Sea Tree Planting Thankyou again to Kellie Clark and all the Year 6 students, staff and parents involved.

Given that we are moving into the second half of Term 3, we are also looking towards next year and beginning to plan class structures and staffing for 2020. May I please ask if you are not returning in 2020, that you let us know as soon as you are able.

Berkat (Blessings) for the fortnight ahead

Kerryn

I have recently returned from a family road trip to the Northern Territory. An unintended benefit of this holiday was that it allowed my teenage children an opportunity to 'disconnect' from their tech driven existence and reconnect with the more organic aspects of life. With little phone coverage, limited power and the absence of wifi, my children turned to nature and each other as their source of stimulation. With this in mind I thought the following artcilce by David Bott (Institute of Positive Education) provided some interesting thoughts on the importance of nature and was worth sharing.

Kind Regards

Paul Anderson

Deputy Principal & Student Wellbeing Leader

Have You Had Your Nature-Pill Today?

by David Bott

The way we are living our high-tech, hyper-connected, stimulus-rich lives can be very exciting, meaningful, rewarding…and stressful.

Ongoing exposure to highly stimulating environments can take a significant toll on our nervous system, endocrine (hormonal) system, and immune system.

One particular study at Bournemouth University found that, on average, dementias in Western countries are affecting people a decade earlier than they used to in adults. Furthermore, the proportion of deaths caused by brain disease has risen significantly in adults aged over 55 and nearly doubled in adults aged 75 years or older.

In part, these types of findings reflect our relative success in treating diseases of the body, such as cancer and heart disease, compared to neurological illness. But this is only part of the story. Undoubtedly, our modern lifestyle is straining our brains like never before.

For example, the proliferation of social media has provided a wonderful platform for connecting with others – but not without cost. A recent study of Australian women found that frequency of Instagram use is associated with depressive symptoms, lowered self-esteem, anxiety, and body dissatisfaction. And in particular, increased exposure to beauty and fitness images on Instagram significantly decreased self-rated attractiveness.

Another recent University of Pittsburgh study found a significant link between extended periods on social media and depression rates in young adults. The study found that ‘frequent checkers’ were 2.7 times more likely to develop depression than those who checked social media feeds less frequently.

And it’s not just social media that’s to blame. For many of us, in so many ways, the experience of ‘normal life’ is shifting radically. Our world has changed. Our interaction and interface with our world continues to change. It’s not hard to appreciate how, unchecked over time, the frenetic pace and complexity of our lives can have poisonous effect on our wellbeing.

But, we do have a very powerful antidote. Nature.

Research over the last 30 years has demonstrated that connectedness and exposure to nature is linked to a range of mental and physical health benefits including:

• increased positive emotion, vitality, and life satisfaction;
• reduced pain and faster hospital recovery;
• stronger feelings of connectedness with others, greater sense of community, lower levels of violence and aggression, and a better capacity to cope with life’s demands.

However, whilst all of this is great – we are busy. We have students to teach, and families to look after, and meals to cook, and reports to write. How much nature do we actually need?

A new study from researchers at the University of Michigan has helped to answer this question. They found that taking a “nature-pill” involving spending 20 minutes in a “place that brings a sense of contact with nature” was enough to significantly reduce stress hormones in saliva samples. On average, participants who were exposed to between 20 and 30 minutes of nature, had their blood cortisol levels reduced by 18.5%.

Whilst the researchers acknowledge that age, baseline stress level, socioeconomic factors and lifestyle factors all modulate the effect of nature, there is significant potential benefit for all of us.

There are many things that we can do to enhance our wellbeing and help protect us against stress and illbeing. But ultimately, there may be nothing simpler and more broadly effective, efficient, and powerful than a short daily stroll through the park.

“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.”
Lao Tzu, 6th Century Philosopher

David Bott is the Associate Director of the Institute of Positive Education, Geelong Grammar.

Term 3 Week 5 - Blue Hub News

Term 3 Week 5 - Purple Hub News

Term 3 Week 5 - Green Hub News

Term 3 Week 5 - Red Hub News

Term 3 Week 5 - Yellow Hub News

Dear Parents/Carers

Throughout each year, we pause to listen to our students, families and staff to gauge how our learning community is travelling. This feedback is invaluable to our progress as effective school communities and is backed by evidence-based research and best practices.

One of the more important formal ways we engage and gather data is through CEMSIS, the Catholic Education Melbourne School Improvement Surveys.

CEMSIS is a set of surveys that have been built specifically for Catholic Schools in Melbourne by Learning Services teams at Catholic Education Melbourne in partnership with researchers at Learning First and in wide consultation with Principals in our schools.

This year, students, families and staff at Our Lady Star of the Sea are invited to participate in CEMSIS using the brand new, secure and purpose-built online platform. The online platform is where our school leaders will access the summary reports that visualise the results of the student, family and staff surveys.

The CEMSIS survey platform is operated by an independent supplier, ORIMA Research Pty Ltd. The platform meets with the very high security and privacy standards for handling student and school data. We have recently updated our privacy policy to ensure school communities are fully informed and protected. Our updated Privacy Policy is available on the school website.

Students in Years 4-6 will be provided with supervised sessions where teachers are on hand to help and answer any questions. Families and staff can complete the survey anytime over the three-week window via an emailed link and password. The surveys can completed using a range of mobile devices and different web browsers.

The data entry window for CEMSIS in 2019 will be Monday September 2nd to Friday September 20th (ie. the last three weeks of Term 3).  More information regarding CEMSIS will be included in our next newsletter.  Families will receive an email inviting them to participate in CEMSIS later this term.

Our community’s opinions are critical to understanding how our school is performing – CEMSIS is a key data source for guiding the ongoing work to improve our school.

All participation is invited, welcomed and 100% voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to feed the work we are already doing to improve our school. Everyone has the right to refuse to participate, or withdraw from the survey at any point before, during, or after completion of the survey. Please notify the school if your child does not wish to participate.

If you would like more information, please contact the school.

Yours sincerely

Kerryn Sells     &      Paul Anderson

Principal                  CEMSIS Coordinator

Regional Football Championship

Congratulations to the Year 6 students that participated last Tuesday, 6 August  at the Western Region Football Competition. The team of 24 were fabulous all day and after being successful throughout their games made it to the grand final, losing by only a couple of a goals. Thank you to Craig Jeffrey for coaching the team throughout the lead up to and on the day of the competition and to the many parents that assisted with goal umpiring, scoring and running. Thanks also to Kate Every for outfitting the team in our new school footy socks.  

A pat on the back to the following students who were involved on the day and also at the district and division level: Xavier Wallace, Lucas Anderson, Tom Snowden, Tommy Walsh, Oliver Terhorst, Lachlan Payne, George Every, Noah Leske, Noah Jeffrey, Hugo Walsh, Max Bassett, Archie Moran, Ned Badrock, Will Cunningham, Gus McCartney, Sam Eales, Hamish McDonough, Luke O’Brien, Jack Wood, Max McGuane, Axle Kerr, Max Connell, Riley Eyck, Emily Soppitt, Alexie Murray, Josh Poirier & Balan Speight.

Lisa Grigg 

Sports leader 

GREENING our CANTEEN

At the recommendation of our Year 6 Sustainability Leaders and Mackenzie F from Year 1, our school canteen will be taking on some environmentally friendly initiatives commencing this week.  

These will include reducing one time use containers and plastic forks. Students are now encouraged to bring their own reusable containers and forks/spoons from home for Spaghetti Bolognese, Dim Sims and Salads.

After a successful first week trial,  some reminders for BYO containers and utensils are:

• Containers MUST be labelled with your child’s name
• Containers MUST be clean
• Containers MUST have a lid that fits well
• Containers MUST be placed in brown paper order bag

• Utensils DO NOT have to come to the canteen in the order bag, they can remain in school bags or morning snack containers until needed
• If you require a fork, please write this on the order bag

Let’s work together on this to Green Our Canteen!

This year in October our school is participating in Walktober. We will be promoting travelling to school actively by walking, riding and scooting. Each day we will record how many students have travelled to and from school in an active way. Each class will have their own chart and we compete with other schools in our area for prizes. If it is not practical to travel actively all the way from home, you can still be involved by getting dropped a safe distance from school and walking from there. We hope everyone gets involved!

Thanks, Travelsmart group.

BOOK WEEK 

Reading is a secret power! This is the theme for this year’s Book Week celebration.  Reading gives us the power to be transported to other worlds, to go on unimaginable adventures and to be whomever we want to be. 

Come dressed as your favourite book character or super hero, with a costume parade to celebrate the conclusion of Book Week. 

This will take place in week 6 of this term on Friday 23 August beginning with an assembly led by Year 5LG and will include a whole school parade, weather permitting.

We will continue the celebrations with a variety of classroom activities based on this theme throughout the day. 

As part of the day, we ask each student to bring a book in good condition that they can then swap in return as part of our Book Swap. Books they no longer read or need can be swapped, with a gold coin donation, for a new one (or more) .  Books are being collected within the hubs by the Book Swap Team in 6GO/HS. The gold coin will go to raise money for The Indiginous Literacy Foundation. Read more here.

When it comes to using sun protection, temperature isn't a good guide. You can’t see or feel UV but UV is the part of the sun that can damage skin and eyes and lead to skin cancer. SunSmart advises that Victoria’s UV levels start to rise from mid-August. Please remind your child to pack their hat and sunscreen.

Students will need to wear their school hat from Monday 2 September.

Please ensure your child’s hat is in good condition and named. Hats are available to purchase from Bellarine Uniforms, Moorabool Street, Geelong.

Bellarine Uniforms

162 Moorabool Street

Ph: 5221 9199

bellarine@noone.com.au 

The Chocolate Toss stall will be running again at the school drive-in. Donations of chocolate blocks and bars (nut-free) are requested and may be left in the bag at the school office. Thank you!”

Term 4 2020

Friday 16 October: Respectful Relationships "Gratitude Day"

Monday 19 October: Book Week Dress Up Day 

Thursday 22 October: Footy colours casual clothes day and Gold Coin donation for Cherished Pets Ocean Grove.

Friday 23 October: AFL Grand Final Public Holiday, school closed 

Sunday 25 October: School working bee 10am - 12pm - Purple Hub TBC

Tuesday 3 November: Melbourne Cup Public Holiday, school Closed 

Friday 6 November: Mission Fete Day 

Monday 9 November: School Photo Day Individual and Class Photos

Tuesday 10 November: School Photo Day Family Portraits

Monday 23 November  - Tuesday 24 November: Year 6 Camp Wyuna

Tuesday 24 November: Prep 2021 Parent Information Session 6 - 7pm TBC

Thursday 26 November: Prep 2021 Parent Information Session 6 - 7pm TBC

Friday 27 November: Staff 2021 Planning Day, student free day 

Monday 30 November: Year 3 Camp Wyuna

Tuesday 1 December: Year 4 Camp Wyuna

Wednesday 2 December: Year 5 Camp Wyuna

Wednesday 2 December: Prep 2021 Orientation Day 9.30am - 11am TBC

Tuesday 8 December: Prep 2021 Orientation Day 9.30am - 11am TBC

Thursday 17 December: End of Term 4

Please note: Please refer to the Parent Calendar for all dates