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First Holy Communion Prayer
Lord Jesus Christ, in the Sacrament of the Eucharist
Dear Parents and Carers
Last Friday and next Sunday, a number of students from our Year 4 classes at Our Lady Star of the Sea have made or are making their First Holy Communion. The Church has been described as people called together in order to share Jesus’ love. There is no better way for this to occur than through sharing the Eucharist. Like Baptism, the reception of the Eucharist brings us into a closer association with God. Each time we receive the Eucharist we become continually formed to the likeness of Christ. Nourished with Christ, we become Christ for others. We become Eucharistic people whose lives are centred on and flow from Christ. Through this ritual, a distinct message is conveyed about why we gather, who we are and what we are for. We proclaim that Jesus, who is always with us, is present to us in an intensified manner when we gather in His name. The proclamation that, “We are the Body of Christ” reminds us that we are the ones who are to take Christ to the world in which we live our life. On First Communion Day, we see our children take a new step in faith, as they share Communion with us for the first time. We are their first teachers in the ways of faith. The faith we hand on will be their strength through life. I invite us all to continue to take advantage of the journey our First Communicants are undertaking; a life-long adventure of being Christ’s hands and feet and heart and mind, to renew our own enthusiasm for doing the same. There are many ways we already see this happening as a Catholic community, including when we take the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others through generosity, care, compassion and kindness.
Congratulations to the following children who received their First Eucharist on Friday night. Many thanks to the Fr Darien, Rebecca Nancarrow and Year 4 teachers for the wonderful work preparing the children and the beautiful celebration.
Willow Annand, Isabella van der Heyden, Bohdi Bennett, Lilah Bennett, Harry Dooling, Max Bonacci, Freddy Dickinson, Ahli James, Lucy Gallagher, Sophia Jankowski, Buddy McGregor, Josh Maud, Nicholas Wright, Gemma Quinn, Winni Ward, Jordan Wiltshire, Gabe Stefankowski, Cruz Pascoe, Claire Francis, Gracie Cook, Beau Walsh, Seb Sorace, Connor McKay, Jaida Bapaume, Travis Martinelli, Flynn Rippon, Nikita Turner, Patty McCartney, Daisy Bianco.
Our Lady Star of the Sea 40 Year Birthday Celebration
Friday 9 September is our 40th school birthday! There are many great activities planned for the day, including a birthday cake (of course) and a visit from Andrew Chinn. Andrew is an Australian singer/songwriter who our students have really enjoyed listening to lately and will be involved in workshops with each hub, some singing at Mass and a school concert.
You are warmly invited to attend our Whole School Mass at 11:40am or the whole school concert at 2:00pm. Past families and Parishioners are also invited for a school tour from 9.30-11 am on this morning.
We are requesting a Gold Coin Donation on the day to raise for First Nations People- Fire Carriers Initiative. It is an exciting opportunity to acknowledge “our country” and raise awareness of reconciliation for the wrongs of the past and to promote peace and justice for all, along with learning about and appreciating the rich culture of the Aboriginal peoples. “FIRE Carriers,” an acronym for “Friends Igniting Reconciliation through Education,” is an initiative through the Catholic Aboriginal Ministry of Victoria which we will be adopting here at Our Lady Star of the Sea over the coming year.
There is no required dress up for the day as previously advertised as an 80’s theme. Sports uniform is the dress code for the day.
The Drive In Movie is on the night of our 40 years celebrations. Please be awre that all are invited to the pre movie gathering. Even if you do not have a ticket to the Drive In which sold out fast. There will be foodvans and a chance to socialise prior from 4.30 pm. More information to come.
A Renewal of the Vision: All staff were fortunate to engage in a retreat reflecting on our Vision statement. Our powerful Vision was written in 2011 and we now have more than 50% new staff since then. It was a wonderful day. The reflective walks along our beautiful coastline were a welcome addition. Many thanks to the Ocean Grove Surf Club for access to their amazing venue. We were led by Paul Spence who facilitated our Vision statement in 2011.The day achieved its purpose of staff feeling renewed and refreshed and buzzing with excitement and gratitude. All staff were able to reflect on our Catholic Identity, positive culture and moments we see the vision in action, of which there are many. We were able to renew and rediscover "life to the full" for ourselves and one another. Respect, nurture and engagement were explored further and each staff member was able to leave with one touchstone (value) of their own that is important in their work. Touchstones reveal TRUTH or HOPE. The way Paul Spence delivered and weaved the reflection of our vision through storytelling and touchstones was appreciated and invoked emotion and ownership. We feel blessed every day to work in such an incredible team. Each and every individual, having so much to offer through their own individual strengths. It is affirming to know we have a staff who show they care each day and strive for each student to flourish and "live life to the full."
Runners up in Vic State finals: We could not be prouder of this amazing Our Lady Star of the Sea football team - runners up in the Victorian championships out of 400 schools who entered. The second best team in the whole state!
Congratulations to all the boys, who were brilliant in their skills, teamwork and respectful conduct. Many thanks to coach Corey Andrews, his assistant Heath Levis and runner Brendan Briggs. Thank you also to Lisa Grigg for her ongoing amazing work in this space. It was a great day of pride, joy and true community spirit, with many families and extended family there supporting the boys.
Well done also to the mixed netball team who played in the regional division in the last week.
Indonesian Speaking Competition: Congratulations to the following children who made the final stage of the competition and received special awards last week. Scarlett Tyers, Oliver Mullen and Mackenzie Worland. We are very proud of you.
Jump Rope for Heart: Every 2 years we usually engage in Jump Rope for Heart and have missed this over the last 3 years. Therefore for this year, we will not do the formalised Jump Rope for Heart where children get sponsors. We just ask for a gold coin donation on the last day of term when children are wearing their football colours. They will also do some skipping within their hubs on this day and the money will be donated to Jump Rope for Heart to support further heart disease research.
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 29 August - Friday 16 September.
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).
Staffing News 2023: It is the time of year where teachers consider their plans for next year. We have some news regarding 4 of our wonderful staff members. Blair Vredenbregt and Georgia Cowling have recently accepted positions at Lisieux Catholic Primary School in Torquay North for the 2023 school year. Tess Mellington and Claire Toomey both have plans to travel and teach along the way for the 2023 year.
We wish these 4 magnificent teachers all the best with their future educational and personal journeys. We thank them for the many positive contributions they have made to our learning community. Who knows, we may see them return to us in time. Blair, Georgia, Claire and Tess will be greatly missed and we will celebrate their time with us as the year draws to an end.
We have been interviewing and are finalising the replacement of these teachers and will confirm in the next newsletter our new staff for 2023.
Wishing you a wonderful fortnight ahead as we farewell Winter and welcome Spring.
Kerryn
Sunsmart
As we transition from winter to spring we are aware of the importance of appropriate sun protection measures to minimise skin and eye damage and the risk of skin cancer.
As part of the Our Lady Star of the Sea Sunsmart Policy, a combination of sun protection measures are used for all outdoor activities during the daily local sun protection times (whenever the UV levels are 3 or higher) typically from mid-August to the end of April.
Students will need to have their hat at school from the end of this week and be worn from Monday August 29th.
More information on Sunsmart or UV ratings can be found at: http://www.sunsmart.com.au/.
Digital Tattoo - Parent Information Evening
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)
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
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.
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.