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- Prayer
- From the Principal
- Student Wellbeing
- Hub News
- School Reports
- School Working Bee - Sunday 22 May
- Mission Fete Schedule
- PFA - Christmas Tart Fundraiser
- Travelsmart - Golden sneaker award
- Earthfest
- Scholastic Book Club
- Parish Christmas Mass Times
- Code Club - After school at Star of the Sea
- 2022 Term Dates
- Canteen - Parent Registration Information
- Community News
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to Term 4 Week 9. I hope you are all travelling well. It is hard to believe this will be our second last newsletter for the year and we are nearing the end of 2021. Time can certainly appear to travel at a great pace at this time of the year. It is therefore important to take time and to be still, which is the theme of Advent as indicated in this week’s prayer. The first candle on the Advent wreath is the candle of Hope and this was celebrated on Sunday, the last Sunday in November.
We ask that particularly during these times of COVID and the impact it has had locally and globally, may we be inspired always to lead with hope, love, charity and compassion for others in whatever we do – to look at others through the eyes of Jesus himself and to see the face of Jesus in the poor (Francis 2020a).
This week sees us enacting Hope as we recognise and celebrate two events on Friday 3 December where we offer hope to others. Mission Fete and International Day of People with Disabilities.
International Day of People with Disabilities:
Friday December 3 marks the International Day of People with Disabilities.
All year levels will be viewing the IMOVIE below with guest speakers discussing their disability, highlights of their lives, sharing great positivity, strengths and talents they use and the many character strengths they show. They are questioned beautifully by our very own students, Ella Mitchell, Ivy Mitchell, Jude De Jong, Sutton Jaye-Grant, Flynn Madden and Isabella Flanders. The Video was edited by Ella Mitchell. A very special thank you to Kristen Leonard who organised this and liased with all involved. Kristen is our Learning Diversity Leader and brings so many strengths to this role in support of all our students, including those with disabilities.
Some of the students have viewed this today and it has prompted many to forward on more questions. You are all to be proud of the amazing empathy and respect your children have shown during this viewing and the beautiful messages they have taken on board to ensure inclusivity of all. Please take the time to view again with your child or discuss.
The special guest speakers are listed below and we thank Carly, Peta, Lucy and Renay for their commitment and time to share their story, create awareness of people living with disabilities and support inclusion of all.
Carly Findlay has ichthyosis and is a writer, speaker and appearance activist. She has written 'Say Hello' and compiled ‘Growing up Disabled in Australia'. In 2020 Carly was awarded the Order of Australia Medal in the Australia Day Honours for "Service to People with a Disability". She was also in the series 2 - facial differences episode of 'You Can't Ask That'.
Peta Hook has cerebral palsy, is a disability activist and has a podcast called 'I can't Stand' where she tackles the difficult questions around having a disability. https://www.icantstandpodcast.com/
Lucy Carpenter is 19 year old local girl who went to St Ignatius. She has a condition called oculocutaneous albinism and is legally blind. She contributed a chapter about her experiences growing up here in ‘Growing up Disabled in Australia' and has an instagram page which shares her journey.
https://www.instagram.com/lucy_and_sammy/?hl=en
Renay Barker--Mulholland is a first nations woman from the Biripi and Djangadi Mobs of the mid north-coast of New South Wales. She is an artist, a writer and a mother and has ankylosing spondylitis.
Mission Fete: This week we will have our wonderful celebration of the Mission Fete. We thank you for sending your donations prior to the day and have a fun filled day planned. The day also consists of students engaging in meaningful and authentic activities which will create awareness and develop empathy. Below is the schedule for the day. We apologise that again this year we cannot invite families in for this wonderful event but look forward to this time next year having the Mision Fete of old, where our entire learning community, can be present and enjoy together.
Elizabeth MacPherson and Trish French: You may have heard through your children that we have two of our long standing and greatly valued staff members moving on to different journeys at the end of the year.
Lib MacPherson, after a career spanning 44 years of which 21 years have been at Our Lady Star of the Sea between 1982 and 1989 and 2008 until now, has made the decision to retire. Lib will be greatly missed and will be sent off with an assembly next week. I am sure you would agree with me that Lib has been instrumental in supporting the amazing culture of our school, excellent religious leadership over the years as our RE Leader and brilliant classroom teaching. Lib’s many character strengths shine through. Lib is the epitome of a wonderful Catholic primary school educator as she lives the gospel values in all she does and this is appreciated by all. I cannot think of a truer person who lives out our vision values of being respectful, nurturing and engaging. Lib’s calm and patient presence, wisdom, love, intuitiveness and kindness is greatly valued. Only in an email last week a parent said “Lib’s blood is worth bottling.” We could all do with a bit of Lib in each of us. We wish Lib many blessings as she moves forward with hope and love in life and look forward to welcoming her back at different times. Lib has said she would like to continue to be present within our the community, which as an entire community, we warmly welcome.
Trish French has decided to take leave for 12months and therefore may or may not return depending on her adventures and other opportunities that might present. Trish has been at Our Lady Star of the Sea for a total of 26 years. Trish also lives so many wonderful values out in her everyday life and shares them with us including love, kindness, courage, persistence and love of learning. Particularly in the latter years, Trish been an inspiration to many of our students in one of their most formative years, Year 6. Trish’s care, enormous strength of wellbeing and high expectations of students, has seen so many thrive and flourish in their final year with us. We personally hope Trish has a wonderful year and whatever she decides at the end of 12 months, whether it be that we warmly welcome her back or she is happily thriving in her new ventures, we wish her all the very best. Thank you Trish also for being such a valuable member of staff and making such a positive difference in all our lives. You will be missed.
We welcome another teacher Emily Bissell- Barahona aboard next year. Here is her wonderful bio.
Hi! My name is Emily Bissell-Barahona and I am thrilled to be joining Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School as a grade six teacher in 2022. I have been teaching for the past seven years in schools in Canada, Costa Rica, the UK and most recently Australia. I have enjoyed the opportunity to become part of various school communities and build lasting relationships, something I greatly look forward to doing at Our Lady Star of the Sea.
I was born and raised in Toronto, Canada where I grew up in a big family with three younger brothers and more aunts, uncles and cousins than I can count! In 2014 I moved to London, England where I spent two wonderful years living, travelling and teaching. I moved to Australia five years ago and feel very lucky to call the surf coast home.
In my spare time I enjoy hiking with my dog Roy, camping, and spending time with my family and friends. I am so looking forward to joining the Our Lady Star of the Sea school community and can’t wait to meet you all!
Vinnies Christmas Appeal: Thank you for your $2 donation on our casual clothes day. We raised an amazing $1206.50. Our Year Five students will now be allocated a family and budget accordingly for a special Christmas lunch. They will then go shopping to purchase these food items in order for St Vincent de Paul to deliver them.
Earth Fest 2022: Friday 18 February 4.30pm - 7.30pm. If you can, please read the flyer and volunteer to help out on the BBQ for the night or with your child’s hub. This will also be our beginning of the year celebration. Volunteering is a way to build school community and relationships and will be a great start to the year.
Please click here for the link to the Earth Fest flyer. Earth Fest 2022
Student reports: Reports are well underway and will be available electronically to families via PAM on Thursday 9 December.
COVID Update from School operational Guidelines: Please note changes to Rapid Antigen testing from the last newsletter.
As the population is now over 90% of eligible people vaccinated if we were to have a case at school staff and students who are notified by the school that they are a contact exposed to COVID-19 at school should:
- immediately seek PCR testing, and quarantine until they receive a negative PCR test, regardless of their vaccination status to provide evidence of their negative PCR test to school
- it is strongly recommended to complete five days of rapid antigen testing each morning before attending school.
- in exceptional circumstances, the Department of Health may determine that close contacts in significant school outbreaks are required to undertake additional quarantine and/or testing. In this scenario, students will be notified directly of any additional quarantine and testing arrangements, including rapid antigen testing.
-Staff and families of students who have been told by Department of Health that they are household contacts, are required to notify the school.
Persons fully vaccinated and living with a person who has COVID-19 will;
- quarantine for 7 days o seek PCR testing on day 6 o provide evidence of their negative PCR test to school o note that children under 12 years will be regarded as fully vaccinated if all persons they live with aged over 12 years are fully vaccinated.
-Persons not fully vaccinated and living with a person who has COVID-19 will;
- quarantine for 14 days o seek PCR testing on day 13 o provide evidence of their negative PCR test to school Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (Ltd) School Operations Guide, Term 4 Page 33 Schools are required to maintain a record keeping system to list and advise contacts of their obligations to obtain a PCR test and quarantine until they receive a negative PCR result, and to record assurance of a negative PCR test. The CECV has partnered with the Department of Education and Training to provide schools access to a statewide web-based form and instructions to complete the identification of possible exposed persons and communication templates.
Wishing you many blessings for the fortnight ahead as we wait with hope and joy during this Advent season.
Kerryn
Transitions
In the final weeks of term we will continue to focus on transitions for 2022. The impact of transitions depends greatly on the degree of change involved, however with anxiety already heightened due to COVID, it is important for teachers and parents to be informed and prepared to suport and guide our young people if required.
The following information from BeYou provides some great information about Transitions.
All transitions, but especially those to new learning environments are major events in children's lives as they change social connections that have been built.
What are transitions?
Transitions are defined quite simply as change. They are a period where we must adapt to new circumstances, expectations, people, environments or routines. Whether big or small, transitions are a significant part in children and young people’s lives, as well as the learning community. Children and young people may also experience transitions in their home life – for example, moving house, going on holiday, the birth of a sibling, family separations and bereavements.
Impact of transitions
Transition is not just about the first day – it’s a process that happens over time. It begins as families and educational settings start to prepare during the previous year, or even earlier. It continues as children and young people experience their first days, weeks and months in their new environment.
Transition from home and between education settings involves various key changes for children, young people and families, including:
• the physical environment (for example, the size of the outdoor areas, buildings, the location and types of toilets, the number of other children, young people and educators)
• rules and procedures (for example, more structured times for attending class, eating and going to the toilet, rules for different places and times such as the classroom and recess)
• relationships (for example, meeting new children, young people and adults, responding to students of different ages, leaving established relationships with educators, getting to know a range of educators for different subjects)
• learning (for example, more formal learning experiences, structured times and set tasks, increasing independence and responsibility).
Importance of transitions
Potential challenges and stresses
Research shows that transitions to a new learning environment is a time of potential challenge and stress for children, young people and their families. For some, it brings excitement about making friends and learning new things, while for others the change can leave them feeling nervous and overwhelmed. Some adjust quickly to their new school For more information visit beyou.edu.au environment; others can take many months to adapt. Studies show that around 15% of students have some difficulties adjusting as they transition in and out of primary school.
Understanding behaviour
It’s normal for children and young people to have strong feelings about an upcoming transition, such as excitement about the prospect of going to a new school, as well as nervousness about what lies ahead. Many children and young people may also feel sad or angry about leaving their current learning environment and the positive relationships they’ve established with educators and each other.
Common feelings children and young people have during transition can include:
• excitement
• sadness
• anger
• anticipation
• fear or anxiety.
Understanding and helping children and young people to handle the feelings will help to reduce their stress and can provide them with positive coping strategies. Children and young people often have difficulty explaining in words how they are feeling – instead they might show their feelings through their behaviour.
Behaviours you might observe include:
In children transitioning to primary school – clinging behaviour, restlessness, withdrawal, anxiousness, refusal to comply, avoidance, planning and organisation difficulties, crying and tantrums, regression to younger behaviours, volatility.
In transitioning to secondary school – withdrawal or difficulty participating in class discussions, low confidence or self-esteem, regression to younger behaviours, avoidance of tasks, short temper or behavioural concerns, friendship issues or isolation. Families might also notice issues such as changes in eating habits (low appetite or overeating), difficulties falling asleep, feeling unwell (for example, sore stomach or headaches) or difficulty separating from family members.
These could be typical behaviours
Many of these behaviours are typical for children as they adjust to their new environment, but educators and families need to show understanding and support to help them settle in. If concerning behaviours persist, it’s important to get help to identify possible underlying problems such as mental health issues or academic difficulties. You may need to seek advice from the school wellbeing team or external health and community professionals.
Paul Anderson
Student Wellbeing Leader
You are able to access your child's report on Friday 14 June by 4pm via PAM (Parent Access Module login).
Please click the link here: http://pam.staroceangrove.catholic.edu.au . This will take you to the PAM login page. Your username is the email address you have provided to school. Once logged in, to access your child’s report, click on the ‘Assessment Reports’ tab on the left hand side and download the current report to view.
For new families please sign up now by clicking the link here: http://pam.staroceangrove.catholic.edu.au This will take you to the PAM login page. Click on the 'Forgot Password?' link and follow the prompts. You will be asked to enter your email address, then you will need to access the link sent to your email address. You can then create a password and this, along with your email address will be your login to PAM.
School working bee 10am - 12pm (Prep Red Hub and Year 3 Yellow Hub Focus) to help tidy the school grounds and attend to some minor maintenance tasks. All families are welcome.
Tasks will include sweeping, raking, whipper snipping, cleaning tank inlets and drains, general maintenance. Bring some tools and garden implements if you can. Meet some other families, catch up with those you know.
Children must be supervised by their parents or the adult they are attending with.
Many hands make light work.
tremendous day where money raised supports the community of Bulbula in Ethiopia, with some money going to Catholic Mission. To support our fundraising we ask:
● A donation (we suggest $10) to be sent to school before Friday with your child’s name. This will enable your child to participate in all activities and receive 1 sausage & 1 Zooper Dooper, plus up to 3 pieces of food from stalls. Gluten free & vegetarian options.
● Purchase of raffle tickets ($2 each)
The outline of the day will be:
| 9am | Whole school assembly |
| 9.30am | Social Justice activity |
| 10am | Prayer time in classrooms |
| 10.30am | Recess including an icy pole for each child |
| 11am | Working in own rooms |
| 12pm | Lunch, sausage sizzle - students may also wish to bring a small lunch |
| 12.30pm | Lunch break |
| 1pm | Setting up of Mission Fete |
| 1.30pm | Mission Fete begins until 2.45pm |
| 2.45pm | Clean up |
| 3.10pm | Raffle winners announced |
mcaddy@staroceangrove.
It would be a great idea for your child to have a small bag with their name on it to carry all their
goodies!
The winner of this week's Golden Sneaker is Miss Rebecca's Year 6 class (Yr 6 RN) with an amazing 87% active travellers. Well done!
Code Camp is excited to be back at Our Lady Star of the Sea with their fun and engaging after-school coding and animation program for Term 1 starting Tuesday 8 February, running from 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM.
In our coding program, your child will design games, jam-packed with awesome features including, zombies, invisibility cloaks, and so much more. And then the real fun begins, as they use coding and logic, from drag and drop to JavaScript, to connect all the elements and bring their games to life!
The Code Camp after-school curriculum is designed to ensure that all children progress in their learning and advance their coding knowledge week to week and caters to the variety of abilities within the classroom. There are always heaps of new features and concepts to learn which your child will love.
Plus…DC Super Heroes are back at Code Camp after-school for Term 1! Your child can now design, code and create their own BATMAN, WONDER WOMAN or SUPERMAN game.
Animation after-school is the exciting connection between storytelling, art and technology! Over the course of the term, your child will create movies from scratch using stop-motion animation. Stop-motion is the process of taking multiple images of objects and stitching them together to look like they’re moving - it’s an incredibly fun and creative way to tell a story! Working with both clay and LEGO, they’ll develop an idea for their first short film, create a set, design and build characters and bring it all to life taking hundreds of photos to create an animated movie! In post-production they’ll edit their masterpiece and add music,
Code Camp will be hosting their popular Kahoot trivia quiz each week.
To enrol your child, visit codecamp.com.au/olsps. There is an Early Bird sale running for the next two weeks using the code AutumnEB15."
Staff Return: Friday 28 January
Term 1 Students return: Tuesday 1 February - Friday 8 April
Easter - Friday 15 April - Monday 18 April
Term 2 Tuesday 26 April - Friday 24 June
Term 3 Monday 11 July - Friday 16 September
Term 4 Monday 3 October - TBA December
The canteen will reopen on Wednesday 9 February
The canteen will be open Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays in 2022.
Kelly Sports - School Holiday Program
Kelly Sports - School Holiday Timetable
Tickets are $40 per person and general admission only with NO allocated seating. Covid regulations require that all patrons over the age of 12 must be able to verify they are double vaccinated and sign in with QR codes.