23 Term 2 Week 5

It has been a busy fortnight for our School and Parish Communities, with important occasions for us to acknowledge and celebrate.

Last Wednesday we gathered as a whole school to celebrate Stella Maris Day. This was held on the Feast day of Mary Help of Christians, our Patron Saint. We celebrated with a whole school Mass led by Fr Joseph, followed by eating donuts together on the court area to celebrate all things Stella Maris! Classes then spent the afternoon enjoying fun activities with their buddy classes, which is a great opportunity for students to spend time with students from other year levels.

Sunday 28th of May was the great feast of Pentecost, where we celebrate the “coming of the Holy Spirit” to the disciples of Jesus. Pentecost is when we as Christians celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. It is celebrated on the Sunday 50 days after Easter (the name comes from the Greek pentekoste, "fiftieth"). Pentecost is regarded as the birthday of the Christian church, and the start of the church's mission to the world.

NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK:

This week we acknowledge National Reconciliation Week. This is an opportunity for us to acknowledge the rich tradition and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and to also acknowledge the severe pain and hurt caused to past and present first nations people due to the treatment of them over the last 200 odd years. The word “reconciliation” means to ‘bring together again’. The week seeks to ensure that we continue to celebrate and build on positive relationships between Aboriginal and Torres-Strait Islander people and other Australians. This year’s theme is “Be a Voice for Generations”, which encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise. It urges all Australians to use their power, their words and their actions to create a better, more just Australia for all of us.

CELEBRATION OF LEARNING - OPEN MORNING INVITATION:

Next Wednesday, we invite and encourage all parents to engage in our Celebration of Learning open morning / afternoon. Further information was emailed by James earlier this week. In short, classrooms will be open from 8:00 - 8:45am and again from 3:00 - 5:30pm. Parents will be taken on a 'learning tour' by their child - including a tour of the classroom and some of the learning that they have completed and encountered in the last term and a half. We are asking parents to rsvp to this event, please do so by filling in this form: https://forms.office.com/r/Yb36mby3GK

MID YEAR RECEPTIONS
In week 7, we will welcome 23 new reception students to Stella Maris as they begin their school transition visits prior to starting school in term 3. This new reception class will be taught by Talia McCabe, who is very familiar with the Stella Maris community through the relief teaching and short term contracts that she has done already this year. I know you will join us in welcoming our new students and their families to our Stella Maris community.

REMINDERS

Just a few reminders for the coming weeks:

Subway Lunch: The Parents and Friends have arranged for a Subway Lunch for students on Thursday 22^nd June. Orders and payments are via QKR! only. Orders need to be in by 16^th June. 

Student absentees: If your child is going to be absent from school, our first preference is that you TEXT through the name and class of your child and the reason for their absence to 0408 279 478. You can also ring the front office to let them know. 

Parent Workshop: We are looking forward to presenting our Parent Workshop on The Resilience Project on Monday June 19^th. Two workshops will be offered, 9:00am and 6:30pm. 

Thank you for your ongoing involvement and support of our school. Please feel free to contact me either at school or via phone/email if there is anything you would like to have a conversation about.

Kind Regards

Ella Kirkham

Dear families and friends,

Pentecost -the birth of the Church

Last Sunday was the Feast of Pentecost, recognized as the birthday of the church.  The disciples of Jesus, bereft and confused by the events of Easter, were filled with confidence and a sense of purpose with the coming of the Holy Spirit.  It renewed and empowered them, to go out among their communities and beyond to spread and give life to the teachings of Jesus.

‘When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven, there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them and a tongue rested on each of them.  All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability.’                                                        (Acts 2, 1-4).

When our R/1 classes attended Parish Mass on Tuesday, they noticed that the church was decorated with beautifully embroidered red cloths to represent this special day.

Sacramental Programme – Confirmation and First Eucharist Preparation begins early next term

Information was sent out last week via the Year 4, 5 and 6 class SeeSaw apps, with regards Sacramental preparation for Confirmation and First Eucharist. 

This will begin next term and the updated sessions details are;

• Session 1 Tuesday July 25^th 7-8pm
• Session 2 Tuesday August 8^th 7-8pm
• Session 3 Tuesday August 15^th 7-8pm

We are still waiting to hear whether Confirmation is being held on the 22^nd or 23^rd of August and will let you know as soon as possible.  First Eucharist celebrations are occurring on August 27^th, at 9.15am in the Holy Spirit Church and 10.45am in St Bernadette’s Church.

News from our Student Social Justice Team about the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal

“We have been working diligently to help Vinnies by working to create many fundraisers to support those struggling in poverty without everyday needs. We are getting donation bins from Vinnies soon so we ask you to please see if you have any items you no longer need, such as good quality winter clothing that your family would be able to donate. Long life food can also be donated.”

Many thanks from Evie, Mary, Fletcher and Ella on behalf of the Student Social Justice group.

We have just received an email from Vinnie’s to let us know that the wheelie donation bins are being dropped off at our school today.  If you do have any good quality used winter clothing items, blankets or sleeping bags, please send them along.  New items are of course also very gratefully accepted as are cash donations. If you would rather donate long life food, please send this along with your child/children who will place them in their class collection basket.

I will leave you with a little prayer…

Loving Spirit

We ask that you are a tangible presence in our lives.  Give us the courage, wisdom, persistence, empathy, compassion and strength to be of service to others.   May we be a source of hope and a light for the future for all those we love and encounter in our lives.

Amen

And some wisdom from the author J.M. Barrie…

“Shall we make a new rule of life from tonight:

Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary.”

Many blessings to you all,

Tanya Stott