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God of light, shine forth,
show us how to bring hope to others.
God of mercy, help us
to comfort your people
and share in their joy.
God of hope, make us an Advent people,
preparing the way for life in all its fullness.
Amen.
Dear Parents and Carers
On Sunday, leading up to Christmas day, the first Advent candle of hope was lit. Many churches will light a blue or purple candle as a symbol of hope. In the Catholic Church, the first candle, which is purple, symbolises hope. It is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” in remembrance of the prophets, especially Isaiah, who foretold the birth of Christ. It represents the expectation felt in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The second candle, also purple, represents love, the third, pink, is joy and the fourth, purple, peace.
Let this first candle remind us of the great hope we have in Christ the Messiah and in God's promises. As we light the candle of Preparation let it remind us to prepare our hearts for the coming of Christ.
Last Friday, as a staff, we valued the opportunity to plan together for the 2023 year. We have chosen the theme for the 2023 year “Beacons of Hope” in which we are excited to explore engaging ways we can grow each student academically, socially, spiritually and emotionally and shine our own lights out to others whilst continuing to enrich our world. Teachers had a wonderful day in their new teams preparing for an engaging start to the year and developed a curriculum plan for the year with calendar events. We are very fortunate with our team of teachers and the passion and care they show to bring the very best to our students, your children.
This year our theme was “Together we Flourish'' and we are very grateful for the opportunity this year to have a full year of learning onsite whilst engaging in all the learning and extra curricula experiences brought to our students. These being, engaging learning, sports, excursion, incursions, camps, sacraments, parent/ carers/ student nights, school concert, Book Week, Indonesian day, Diversity Day, Mission Fete, I Sea I Care, community service, Junior Rotary, PFA events and more. From a school perspective and feedback we receive from the students and families, we have indeed seen our students flourish and they are all to be congratulated on doing the very best they can on their individual learning journeys. You will also be able to access your child’s report on Monday 12 December.
Choir: Congratulations to Miss Bella and the choir who performed on Pulse Radio recently: Jessica Counihan, Grace Miller, Eliza Wood, Winni Ward, Brydy Bakacs, Lucy Gallagher, Jaida Bapaume, Claire Francis, Nate Wombwell, April Dowling, Audrey Reid. We are very proud of this achievement and the way they spoke so beautifully about the two songs sung at Diversity Day and Mission Fete respectively: Don’t you think it’s Time (Bob Evans) and Rise Up (Andra Day). Special thanks to the beautiful Loretta Hart for presenting us with this opportunity. One of our past mums.
Christmas Eve Mass: Children from Our Lady Star of the Sea including choir members are welcome to sing at Mass on Christmas Eve at 6pm. They are encouraged to dress as Angels, or Shepherds or a Mary or a Joseph. If there are any families with a baby who would be happy to be baby Jesus” in the service please email Josephine Barnes: barnesjo2015@bigpond.com
Lilly Clark- I Sea I Care Ambassador of the Year: Congratulations to Lilly Clark on this amazing achievement. Here is Lilly’s reflection.
This year I was lucky enough to get accepted into a program called i sea I care which is run by the dolphin research institute. There were 12 year six students from Star of the sea and many students from other schools in Geelong. My favourite thing was swimming with dolphins and seals. The program was focused on teaching students about the environment and how we can help protect it. I was chosen as ambassador of the year because of my interest of sustainability and the work I do in the community. I was honoured to be chosen and I’m grateful for being able to participate in the program.
Uniform: As we approach the end of the year we have been reminding our students of uniform requirements. This includes plain socks, no extra jewellery, coloured hair or painted or acrylic nails. We understand children are outgrowing school shoes and ask that if your child is requiring a new pair of school shoes you only purchase leather or runner styled school shoes. Children should not be wearing everyday runners or sports labelled shoes to school with their uniform. Below are some photos to help guide you with buying school shoes. Their everyday runners can be worn with their sports uniform.
Recycle competition: Congratulations and thankyou to all the students and families who took up the challenge for National Recycle Week. Here are our prize winners.
Fully compostable: Thomas Rattray-Wood
First Day back 2023: Please note we will now have our first day back Tuesday 31 January for all students. Year Prep will be half days for the Tuesday and Wednesday until 12.45 pm.
Staff will be returning Friday 27 January for a staff mass together with St Aloysius and more opportunity to plan and Monday 30 January we have an exciting opportunity to engage in Professional Learning around Indigenous Perspectives and instilling country with Waddarung experts.
Finally, there will be a final brief newsletter in the last week of term farewelling our families who are moving on and wishing you all the joys of Christmas along with naming the class teachers and teams for each year level next year. Your children will have the opportunity to meet their new class teacher on the morning of Tuesday 6 December where they will have an orientation session with their new class group.
We look forward to enjoying time as a whole community tomorrow night as we celebrate our wonderful students perform in our first Christmas Concert in the Ocean Grove Park since 2019. Many thanks to Helen Stephensen for her brilliant vision, planning and preparation with the theme "Oh the places we will go". More details below.
Please note the closest public toilets are located in the Coles car park. We suggest using the toilet before attending the concert. If students need to use a toilet during the concert, they will return to their parents, who can accompany them.
Wishing you a wonderful final three weeks of the 2022 school year which has certainly flown by.
Kerryn
The Power of Boredom
As the holidays quickly approach, many parents feel the stress of frantically trying to plan for new and creative ways to entertain their children and fend off boredom. New and exciting activities, especially those involving sports, music or nature have proven to be beneficial to a child’s physical, cognitive, cultural and social development.
But there’s a lot to be said for leaving them to their own devices, and letting them just be.
‘Children need time to themselves – to switch off from the bombardment of the outside world, to daydream, pursue their own thoughts and occupations, and discover personal interests and gifts’, explains Teresa Belton (Want to be a great parent? Let your child be bored?)
‘Children need time to themselves – to switch off from the bombardment of the outside world, to daydream, pursue their own thoughts and occupations, and discover personal interests and gifts.’
And it doesn’t matter if your child doesn’t have any obvious personal interests or hobbies that they can pursue independently.
‘Just letting the mind wander from time to time is important… for everybody’s mental wellbeing and functioning.’
‘A study has even shown that, if we can engage in some low-key, undemanding activity… the wandering mind is more likely to come up with imaginative ideas and solutions to problems.’
It is important that children have moments of ‘boredom’ where they need to find ways of entertaining themselves (without a device). It is through these moments of boredom that children develop important life skills like a creative imagination and problem solving ability.
Studies also suggest that developing these life skills also encourages the ability to be quiet and mindful as an adult, without the constant need to be on-the-go or entertained.
The Benefits of Boredom Blog by Melbourne Child Psychology explores how we handle the ‘bored’ child, and teach them to embrace these moments of free time with the following suggestions.
1. Help your kids to look at these moments as opportunities, rather than deficits.
Give them the encouragement and ability to do so.
‘Children need the adults around them to understand that creating their own pastimes requires space, time, and the possibility of making a mess‘, says Belton.
2. They’ll need some materials to work with.
Simple things like cardboard boxes can become spaceships, cubby houses or animal barns for the creative child.
For older kids, even planks of wood or baskets of wool can be the source of their inspiration.
3. Support the development of their inner resources even more than the material ones.
‘Qualities such as curiosity, perseverance, playfulness, interest and confidence allow them to explore, create and develop powers of inventiveness, observation and concentration.’
So develop these faculties during organised activities, like at the museum or park, and then show them how to keep using those faculties at home.
‘By encouraging the development of such capacities, parents offer children something of lifelong value.’
4. Give them prompts.
If they’ve run out of ideas, suggest some options…
What does that cardboard box look like? How can they make it into something different?
What’s a story they could create with the materials they have?
5. Teach them the value of perseverance.
If something doesn’t work out like they wanted, encourage them to keep trying, and give them a helping hand if necessary.
This is another life skill that will benefit them ongoingly in all their pursuits.
Of course, with months of long summer days ahead of you, easy options like the xbox or tablets will be a reasonable from time to time.
But next time your child complains of boredom, remember:
Boredom gives children an inner quiet that helps with imagination and self-awareness.
Creative processes can stimulate interests that will stay with the child for life.
Children develop creative skills when they have to come up with solutions to boredom.
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.
Congratulations to Xavier Hill, Spencer Scott, Maple Campbell, Dougie Flynn and Jack McLeish who celebrated the Sacrament of Reconciliation last week.
Lunchtimes on Thursdays have been much anticipated for our keen card collectors to come along to Yellow Hub and ‘trade’. We have been impressed with how enthusiastic these children are as well as how inclusive and kind they are to each other. This week will be our last week of trading and anticipate this will be something that continues next year. This photo shows just how much fun is had!
When: Wednesday 30 November
Arrive: 5.30pm for 5.45pm start
Finish : approximately 7.30pm
Where: Ocean Grove Park Pavillion, 70 Presidents Ave
Our annual concert is on Wednesday and our students and teachers have created some great performances. Our theme is travelling songs. After the upheaval of the last couple of years, we are ‘shaking it off’ and moving on, exploring new horizons, making our mark on the world. Come and join us for a wonderful night as we celebrate our school community through music and dance, and enjoy a Prep rendition of the nativity story.
BYO Picnic rug, chairs, food and drinks. Please be mindful of rubbish, and take out what you bring in.
NO alcohol is permitted within this vicinity.
Note - there are no toilets in the park. Parents will be asked to escort their children to the toilets in the Coles carpark if needed during the evening.
- Please bring any medications your child needs eg. asthma puffers, epi-pens.
- Our students have worked hard to prepare their acts. We ask that you enjoy them respectfully, being mindful of talk and movement during performances.
- Students must sit with their class. No younger siblings are to sit in class areas please.
- Students are asked to eat before or after the concert, but not during. The concert duration will be approximately 90 mins. In warmer weather, students may be advised to have a water bottle on hand.
If you have any further questions please contact your child's teacher.
Staff Return: Friday 27 January
Term 1 Students return: Tuesday 31 January - Thursday 6 April
Easter: Friday 7 April - Monday 10 April
Term 2 Monday 24 April - Friday 23 June
Term 3 Monday 10 July - Friday 15 September
Term 4 Monday 2 October - TBA December
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.