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O God, source of all goodness,
who have shown us in Saint Mary
a woman of faith living by the power of the Cross,
teach us, we pray, by her example
to live the gospel in changing times
and to respect and defend
the human dignity of all in our land.
Through our Lord.
All: Amen
(The Roman Missal has the following prayer for the Feast of St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop).
Dear Parents and Carers
The Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross (MacKillop) was celebrated yesterday and all our students and teachers, in two groups, celebrated her feast day with a liturgy in the church. This learning also ties in well with the history unit we are doing across the school and further uses our catholic identity lens.
Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in (Fitzroy) Melbourne (Australia). On 8 August 1909 she died, having suffered a disabling stroke in 1902. Inspired by a meeting with Fr. Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary MacKillop at the age of 25 took her vows and the religious name, “Mary of the Cross”. In doing so, she founded the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Soon after taking her religious vows, Mary MacKillop began schools. Within 5 years of taking her vows and founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary had established over 30 schools, in South Australia and over 100 women had joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Mary MacKillop was very conscious of the plight of the poor and needy. She worked with families that lived in isolated areas of Australia. As a result, Mary MacKillop pioneered a new form of religious life in Australia and commenced a “system” of “Josephite" schools that would provide education, especially for the children of the poor. In 1873, Pope Pius IX gave Papal approval for the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Even today, many Australians can say that they too have felt the impact of the enormous work started by St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop), having been educated or cared for, by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She was noted for her trust in the providence of God and miracles of healing have been attributed to her. She was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on the 17th October 2010.
We take inspiration from Mary Mackillop as educators and members of a Catholic Community to make a difference in our world and as she famously always said, ‘never see a need without doing something about it.’ Very apt also for this week which is National Homelessness Week. As a staff, we are currently taking action by donating blankets and bed linen to children in our local area who are disadvantaged and are in need of these items.
Tree Planting Day:
We welcomed Fernando Garcia from Barwon Water and planted 150 trees last Friday. Special mention to Sue Constable, Kellie Clark and the Year 6 and Year Prep teachers and students for helping to further beautify our yard and create natural spaces for our children to play.
Indonesian Day
Terima Kasih to our wonderful Indonesian leaders Bu Bree, Bu Novy and our Indonesian leaders Elisa MacPherson and Memphis Allen for coordinating a fun day of Indonesian Activities.
The students thought the day was "Bagus" and it certainly was.
100 days of Prep:
Congratulations to all our Preps who celebrated 100 days. It was a day full of fun and the extra mile our teachers go to ensure our students celebrate these special events and ensure their learning is engaging is greatly appreciated. Well done to all.
40 Year Celebration: As you know we will be celebtrating 40 Years as a school on Friday 9 September. This flyer lists some of the wonderful activities. More details to follow including a timetable in our next newsletter.
Technology Devices Update 2023 and beyond: Some of you may be aware that beginning next year we are moving our BYOD Program to a school 3 year leasing arrangement for Year 3 2023. Our current Year 2 families moving into Year 3 will pay a technology levy of $150 a year and will be able to take the IPAD between school and home. This positive change will see the school manage the IPAD, a reduction in cost and also further support for families with students knowing it is a school device.
Further to this 3 year leasing arrangement we will be providing Prep-2 children with new IPADS at a ratio of 1:2. These IPADS will not go home but will add value to our technology learning and accessibility for students which is currently a challenge with only one set in each hub. This will add a technology device levy to the Prep -2 families of $75 a year.
We are working on a new leasing policy and will share this when complete.
Vision Renewal Day: A reminder that this Friday sees us as a whole staff engage in a professional learning day where we are Renewing our Vision. Our wonderful vision statement was written in 2011 and we now have a staff that has grown in size with more than 50% new staff since 2011. It will be invaluable for us all to reflect on our vision statement and have a voice in what it means to us personally. We will reflect on how we can all be empowered to be faithful to our Vision, embrace our Catholic identity, place our students at the centre of the vision and further build on our shared expectations and positive culture through dialogue and a sense of agency. We are very fortunate to have Paul Spence who led our staff in the formation of our Vision in 2011, lead us again on this day.
Wishing you many blessings for a healthy fortnight ahead.
Kerryn
Digital Tattoo
Things that are posted online may seem like they are ‘here today, gone tomorrow', but this is not the case. When images and videos of our ‘bad hair day’ or latest crazy exploits are posted online they can end up anywhere in the world and be re-used in ways that we never intended—even years later. This can be referred to as our 'Digital Footprint' or 'Digital Tattoo'.
Devices and technology intersects almost every aspect of our children's lives. The challenge for parents and teachers is how to educate our children to harness this technology in a safe, respectful way that ensures they control their digital tattoo. Digital material is no longer under our control once it has been shared, even if it is only shared with people we trust. Once images and information about us goes online there is no knowing who will see it, or when they will see it.
We have engaged Leigh Bartlett from Batforce to lead our community in conversation and build strategies for parents to help guide their children online, particularly in the area of 'digital tattoo'.
What: Digital Tattoo - with Leigh Bartlett
When: 7 - 8:30pm Tuesday September 13th
Where: Djila Tjarri (School Hall)
Paul Anderson
Student Wellbeing Leader
One of the main goals of the family survey is to identify the strengths and areas for improvement in our school. MACSSIS data benefits everyone within our school and provides valuable community insights on areas that each school can focus on. Our school believes it is important to encourage families to have a voice and contribute to shaping the ongoing improvement of the school.
Students in Years 4 to 6 will complete the survey at school between Monday August 29 - Friday September 16th.
The survey is available online, can be accessed from Monday 29 August and needs to be completed by Friday 16 September 2022. Families will be emailed their unique pin and the online link in the week leading up to the survey opening (Week 7 - August 22nd - 26th).
All participation is invited, welcomed and 100 per cent voluntary. The surveys are not a test; they are an inclusive way to support 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.
Paul Anderson
Deputy Principal
Red Hub News will be up soon. Check in later today.
Term 3 Week 5 - Green Hub News
Term 3 Week 5 - Yellow Hub News
Term 3 Week 5 - Purple Hub 4 News
Term 3 Week 5 - Purple Hub 5 News
Term 3 Week 5 - Orange Hub News
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
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.
The school canteen operates each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Following guidelines from the Healthy Eating policy, the canteen offers options for students to order lunch on these days.
Ordering is via an online platform, "School24". Following the instructions below you will be able to set up an account and order via an app.
Online ordering closes at 8.15am for same day ordering.
The canteen is operated by manager, Kerry Street. Parent volunteers are welcomed between 12.30 and 1.30pm on Canteen days. Contact Kerry on 0414 926 144.
Hi Story Dogs supporters!
Westfield Local Heroes is a recognition and awards program that shines the spotlight on individuals and their organisations in Australia and New Zealand who make a positive impact to their local community or environment. The Westfield Local Hero finalist with the highest number of community votes for each Westfield centre will be awarded a $20,000 grant for the organisation they represent. Finalists receive a $5,000 grant for their organisation.
I am excited to share with you that Story Dogs, represented by our Coordinator Karen Knuckey, is a finalist in the competition!
The winner will receive $20,000 for the program. This will enable us to implement a new Coordinator training program and continue the good work done by all of our Story Dogs volunteer teams.
Here is the link to vote:
https://www.westfield.com.au/geelong/news/5MOtqfwpbICd2b3LnBaLYC/local-heroes-2022
Year 6 2025 jumpers and polo tops are now available for ordering at Bellarine Uniforms.
To place an order, please click the following link:
https://www.noone.com.au/school/lady-star-sea/shop Filter by Year/Category/ Click on Grade 6 2025
Please note that all orders must be submitted to Bellarine Uniforms no later than Friday 13 September 2024.