22 Term 4 Week 3

Camps are in full swing, with our year 5s (pictured) travelling to Port Hughes last week and our year 6s are currently there. Our year 4s will also be away in week 6 (Wed-Fri) as they travel to El Shaddai for what will be a great experience for them. School camps are a wonderful experience for students and it is great to see them try new things and interact with their peers outside of the school environment. We thank our staff for not only attending and supporting students while on camp, but also for the great deal of preparation that goes into ensuring that camps are successful. Once again, hats off to our staff!!

All Saints Day

We gathered in Holy Spirit Church on Tuesday, November 1st to commemorate the Feast of All Saints day, which recognises the remarkable lives of all Saints of the Catholic Church. We are reminded that these people listened to the gospel messages and were inspired to contribute to a world God desires. We spoke to students about ways that they can listen and be the face of Jesus in today’s world. It was wonderful to be joined by Fr Joseph, parishioners and parents.  

World Teachers' Day

Friday 28^th October was World Teachers’ Day in Australia, where we acknowledge and celebrate the amazing work that our staff do each and every day to support the young people in our school. This year the theme was ‘Hats off to Teachers’ as we thank them for their commitment, dedication and expertise that they bring to their role.

A big thank you to our families for taking time to send a message through our e-card - it was certainly greatly appreciated. Also a big thank you to our P&F who provided a coffee to each staff member on Friday.

Hats off to all teachers at Stella Maris, and thank you!! 

Diwali

Last week we acknowledged and celebrated Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights. Diwali is a Hindu religious festival and one of the most important festivals within Hinduism. It generally lasts five days (or six in some regions of India) and symbolizes the spiritual ‘victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance’.

Our students learnt about Diwali and participated in a number of activities in classes and at recess and lunch. This was a great opportunity for students to learn about celebrations that are important to many families within our Stella community. We thank Francesca McMillan and Emily Hughes for supporting students and staff with this.

Transition

This morning we welcomed 52 brand new Receptions back for their second transition visit, following an initial visit and parent information session in week 2. It was a great privilege to welcome the new families to school and see the children engage in their first ‘taste’ of Stella Maris.

Our new students, will join with our current 20 from the mid-year to form our three Reception classes for 2023. Please make these families and parents feel welcome if you see them in the yard over the next few weeks.

Sports Day

Our annual Sports Day is in 2 weeks! Please note some of the key information for the day below, including the cut off dates for Subway lunches ( Friday - 11th Nov at 11am) and the P&F fundraiser,  which closes tomorrow (Friday- 4^th Nov).

WHEN: Friday November 18^th

WHERE: Bowker Street Oval 

TIME: Students are asked to arrive directly at Bowker St oval between 8:30 and 8:45 for a 9:00am start (please note there will be no before school care available on this day).

FINISH: The day will conclude at around 2:15pm and we ask that students are picked up from Bowker St oval at this time. After school care will be available for those that require it - further information about this will be provided closer to the day.

LUNCH: Students are invited to order Subway for lunch on the day - this is now available to order and pay via QKR! Orders close on Friday November 11 at 11am. The Lions club will be cooking and offering a sausage sizzle lunch for parents / grandparents and friends for purchase on the day.

UNIFORM: Students are invited to wear a top in their House team colour (plain in appearance). Other House colour options can also be worn including zinc and hair spray etc. Families are invited to purchase items here: https://sportsdayessentials.com.au/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIh5fzrrHy-gIVS4hLBR2pGgNDEAAYASAAEgIV2vD_BwE and using the code SMPS22 for discount and to contribute to the P and F fundraiser. 

More information will be provided closer to the day including a program of events and map of the oval.

DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH:

As James mentioned in the last newsletter, October is Dyslexia awareness month and this year it has been extended until November 15^th. The Code Read Organisation encourages school and local communities to help shine a light on Dyslexia and open up the conversation in order to raise awareness and knowledge of Dyslexia.

Dyslexia is a specific learning disability that is neurobiological in origin. It is characterized by difficulties with accurate and/or fluent word recognition and by poor spelling and decoding abilities. These difficulties typically result from a deficit in the phonological component of language that is often unexpected in relation to other cognitive abilities and the provision of effective classroom instruction.

Next Thursday, 10^th November, we invite students to wear a ‘splash’ of red, as we too aim to raise awareness of dyslexia within our school community. Students might wear red socks, wristbands, ribbons, t-shirts etc. Let’s stand with our students with dyslexia and their families- as we work together to raise awareness and to ensure that we continue to provide excellent support based on student needs.

If you are looking for more information, Code Read Network and SPELD SA have some great online resources. I also invite you to contact me if you would like to discuss the specific needs of your child.

Kind Regards

Ella Kirkham

Assistant Principal (Learning & Wellbeing)