24 Term 1 Week 1

We welcome the year back with smiling faces and new connections, we unveil our 2024 School theme, we welcome new families and staff back for another Stella year and our building continues to take shape! Welcome to Week 1 of 2024!

WELCOME BACK:

And just like that, we are back! I do hope that you all enjoyed a great holiday break, some valuable family time and a break from the routines of school. It has been great to see familiar and new faces in our yard and classes, to hear about holiday adventures and to see the genuine smiles as ‘re-connections’ are made between students.

It has been a very smooth and calm start to the year. In fact, I was speaking to a parent this morning and commenting that this would be the smoothest beginning to a school year I have had in a while at Stella! (We have had 3 years of COVID throughout my time of course). Students have seemed calm and settled and classrooms are looking and feeling great! This of course, has much to do with the energy, committment and time our staff have spent in getting things ready over the last couple of weeks. 

We particularly welcome a large group of students and families who have joined our school community this year. We welcome 50 new Receptions as well as Adrian and Arlo (Y1), Harry (Y2), Nathaniel, Charlie, Annabelle and Noah (Y3), Lachie (Y4) and Grace (Y5). We do hope that you have a positive and rewarding experience at Stella.

We also welcome a number of new staff to our school. They have all ‘hit the ground running’ and have mentioned what a great welcome they have already received.

SCHOOL THEME:

“We are Protectors of Creation” – our 2023 School Theme is beauty! Each year we ensure that we have a point of focus and attention which aligns to our Catholic faith, our Good Samaritan charism and our strong school values.

Our returning APRIM Paula Clark does a great job of unpacking this theme for our staff and in turn, our staff unpack this and speak to our students about it regularly.  for you today – and I’d encourage you to speak to your child about how they have interpreted what this might mean for them during our 2023 school year.

Here is a brief explanation for you of the theme:

As we begin our new school year, we are excited to share our inspiring school theme for 2024:

"We are Protectors of Creation” - drawing inspiration from the wisdom of the creation story in Genesis (1:1-2:4) and from our Good Samaritan Charism.

In Genesis, we hear the awe-inspiring narrative of the creation story, where each element of the world is carefully crafted by God our Creator, who sees what He has created and declares it to be good.

As Protectors of Creation, we recognize our responsibility to nurture and safeguard the beauty of creation that surrounds us.

Our theme calls on us to be stewards for our environment, fostering a deep respect for the diversity of life and promoting sustainable practices.

Through engaging learning opportunities we aim to empower our Stella Maris students to become mindful "Protectors of Creation” who lead members of our community to foster a harmonious coexistence with the world around them for future generations to enjoy.

BUILDING UPDATE:

We are so close! As you would have seen, our Building is continuing to take shape and is very close to completion. As was communicated with parents this week, we have pencilled in the week of March 4^th as our move-in date.

I will continue to keep you updated about this, but please note to help us through the large move, we will be utilising Friday March 8^th as a Pupil free day.  This is the Friday before the March public holiday.

WEEK 1:

If your child is coming home telling you that they “are not doing any work” this week – they are wrong! It is just quite different “work” than they are used to! Here at Stella, we believe that Well-being - feeling positive, connected and flourishing are essential elements of our learning program. As such, we make a focussed decision to ensure that a vast majority of Week 1 and Week 2 is spent connecting in relationships, having some fun and getting to know classmates and the teachers and ESOs who your child will work with.

During the first couple of weeks students will also complete a class code of conduct, unpack our annual school theme, revise our school values and school expectations about behaviour and let our teachers know what is important about them. By doing this, we are beginning the vital process of ensuring students feel comfortable, safe and positive about coming to school.

COMMUNICATION:

Earlier this week I sent parents an email about the key ways that we communicate information here at Stella Maris. This ended up being a large piece of work – as we do communicate in a variety of ways for a variety of purposes. Our newsletter communication is one such way we communicate. The purpose of the newsletter is to share with the community the many celebrations / achievements / school news that occurs in our school life. You will generally find that the ‘Admin’ type information is shared via email (by me) or on See Saw (by the class teacher).

MY DOOR IS ALWAYS OPEN:

I hope by now you know how much I value the importance of positive family – school relationships. I have always held the opinion that when we work together in a positive way both to solve problems and support learning, then children flourish and grow. If you ever need to speak to me about any issues, concerns or questions you have or as importantly any celebrations about your child, please know I am always available for a chat, be it in person, email or via phone.

Thanks for a great Week 1!

The Leadership Team

Dear Families,

I extend my great thanks for the warm welcome back I have received, and I am excited to work with students and families again this year. For those who I may not have met, my name is Paula Clark, and I hold the role of Assistant Principal – Religious Identity and Mission at Stella. 

This year, I am once again looking forward to working alongside families to strengthen and celebrate the Catholic identity of our school community. I acknowledge the important role that parents play as the first and key educators of faith for their children and look to support families in this role.

The catholic values that underpin all learning at Stella Maris shape our values, interactions, and the overall ethos of our community. Our values are shared and lived out through involvement in prayerful reflections, educational learning and involvement in community events that support the rich traditions and teachings that define the Catholic faith.

Finally, once again, I thank you so much for the warm welcome you have extended to me. I look forward to working in partnership with you all this year.

Best wishes,

Paula Clark

Assistant Principal – Religious Identity and Mission

Dear School Community,

I'd like to introduce myself as Pastoral Care Worker here at Stella Maris. Mental Health and Wellbeing is deeply embedded in our School's Identity and is an integral part of who we are and how we play, work and learn at Stella Maris. I am a qualified Social Worker and am available Monday to Wednesday for all Parents, Teachers and Students. You are welcome to email me at the address below if you'd like to find out more. We are in for a very exciting year at Stella Maris - New Building, new staff, new students and families, new garden and new adventures! 

Emily Hughes

Emily.Hughes@smps.catholic.edu.au

UNIFORM SHOP - Belgravia Apparel

Stella Maris is one of the many online schools we cater for at Belgravia Apparel Campbeltown meaning that school stock is held in the back storeroom and not on display.

To avoid long waits and disruptions to other customers who have appointments we ask that you please book for an appointment on the below link.

https://www.belgraviaapparelschools.com/collections/stella-maris-parish-school

Thank you

VOLUNTEER INDUCTION SESSION for NEW VOLUNTEERS/CAREGIVERS:

Week 3 - Thursday 15 February at 2.15pm

Week 4 - Thursday 22 February at 2.15pm

Sessions will be held in the staff room (portable building)

Caregivers that have already applied do not need to attend. 

The new year is here and it’s already time to book in some committee meetings!!! If you are interested in helping out at the school with fundraisers, events, market stalls and many other wonderful things please join in our first meeting of the year.

It will be a casual dinner at The Warradale if you are keen. I will go through our 2023 successes and show planning for 2024.

Would love to catch up with you all and possibly see some new faces, bring a friend along too if they are interested 🙂

Please RSVP as soon as possible to secure a booking.

Thankyou,
Kylie Bowman
P&F Chairperson