24 Term 3 Week 5

MUSIC CONCERT

Wow! What a great night it was! It was such a great buzz to see our students put their learning and skills into action on stage and perform to such a high standard. We thank all families for your willingness to make the night a priority.

We hope you enjoyed the performances as much as the students enjoyed performing. The feedback we have received has been very positive.

While this night takes a great ‘team’ to put together, we particularly thank and congratulate Victoria Traeger on her organisation, skill and talent in preparing the students in the high-quality way that she did. A big ‘Thank you’ must also go to Bruno and John for their support in the movement of equipment and Caitlin Painter and Pru Howard for the PowerPoint and artwork displayed during the performances.

CATHOLIC SCHOOLS OPEN WEEK

This week was Catholic Schools open week. As part of this special week, we had around 30 families come along for our Principal Tours. They were really impressed with the great learning they could see was taking place in classes and particularly the way we celebrate the Catholic faith in our school.

BOOK WEEK:

This week is Book Week! A great opportunity for us to acknowledge the amazing things books do for us. The theme for this year’s Book Week is “Reading is Magic!”.

We have had a number of activities running throughout the week and it was great to see so many great dress ups at school on Thursday. A special thanks to Caitlin Paynter for her organisation of the week! The costumes really helped to bring alive the ‘Magic’ of reading!

FEAST OF ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

On Thursday 8^th of August we celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – Australia’s first and only saint.

As a school community we came together for Community Prayer to acknowledge, through both word and scripture, her commitment to follow God’s calling and to dedicating her life to ensure all students could access education regardless of their background.

Mary was born in Victoria to Scottish immigrants. She was the eldest of eight children and spent her early years working to support her family. At the age of 24 she dedicated her life to God and took on the name “Mary of the Cross”.

Along with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, Mary opened a school in a disused stable in Penola, South Australia. Her vision was to provide education for underprivileged children. Many other women came to join her there, and Mary and Julian founded Australia’s first religious order: the Sisters of St Joseph.

Mary and the Sisters, were committed to serving the poor – to going to where the need was and living amongst those in need. This took Mary all over Australia to many rural areas.

Mary faced fierce opposition throughout her life, which at one point culminated in her being excommunicated. In the face of trial, Mary was a model of forgiveness, insisting no ill be spoken of those who wronged her, while also remaining resolute in her convictions.

Mary was remarkable as a strong female leader in 19th century Australia. Education in this country is what it is today thanks to her dedication and determination.

THE FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION OF MARY INTO HEAVEN - THURSDAY 15^TH AUGUST

The Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven is an extremely important feast in the Catholic Church, so much so that is one of only 2 holy days of obligation, with the other day being Christmas Day.

On this day our Year 3 –6 Students joined with our Parish Community to celebrate Mass together. With Fr Joseph currently on holiday we were fortunate to have Fr John Stewart James celebrate Mass with us.

Our Rec-Year 2 students took part in a liturgy in the afternoon which also helped them to unpack the importance of this special celebration.

This feast of Mary originated in the sixth century. By the seventh century the feast became known as the Assumption of Mary. The date of this feast commemorated a very ancient harvest festival towards the end of summer, which gave thanks to the ‘Earth Mother’ for her fertility in producing the harvest.

The feast of the Assumption commemorates the glorification of Mary, chosen by God, to be the mother of Jesus the Christ. The feast acquired a special status as a feast of Mary when Pius XII in 1950, defined the assumption as a dogma of faith. On this feast we are encouraged to affirm our humanity and work to enhance the dignity of people as daughters and sons of God.

FIRST COMMUNION CELEBRATION

Recently four students who attend Stella Maris, celebrated the Sacrament of First Holy Communion in the Brighton Parish. Pictured below are Chase, Brooke, Grace and Tate. We congratulate these students on this special occasion.

MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD (MITIOG) SEXUALITY AND RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS CURRICULUM
The Made In The Image Of God (MITIOG) Human Sexuality and Respectful Relationships Curriculum is designed for students who attend Catholic schools in South Australia from Years R-12. This curriculum is grounded in the Catholic belief that human beings are made in God’s image and likeness.

It celebrates the Catholic Church’s teaching centering on the dignity of the human person and as such honours the individual’s worth and their right to experience respectful and healthy relationships. It is an inclusive curriculum which acknowledges and respects the uniqueness of each person’s inherent goodness.

The MITIOG curriculum has been developed to ensure that human sexuality and respectful relationships education is accessible to all students in Catholic schools, and that it is delivered in an age appropriate and culturally sensitive manner. It is respectful of an individual’s right to make healthy and informed choices about their bodies and their relationships.

At Stella Maris classes will be teaching the Made in the Image of God (MITIOG) and Respectful Relationships Curriculum either late term 3 or early term 4. A letter will be sent out to families via SeeSaw, outlining the content to be covered at their child's year level, and letting families know when students will be commencing this learning.

FATHERS’ DAY MORNING TEA & LITURGY – MONDAY SEPTEMBER 2^ND

We want to celebrate Dads and all the significant male role models in our lives, so we invite them to morning tea at Stella Maris School on Monday 2^nd of September from 8.15am. The morning tea will be followed by a Reception – Year 2 Liturgy in the church at 9am, which will run for about 15-20 minutes. All Reception to Year 2 Students will be attending this liturgy which will be hosted by our Reception classes. If Dads or significant male roles are present, they are also welcome to take students from other year levels across with them to this special celebration.

PUPIL FREE DAY: FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 6TH

A reminder that we will hold a Pupil free day on Friday 6th September. On this day staff will take part in a spiritual reflection and formation day, and as such the front office will be closed for the day.

Our Patch will be running a whole day program for those families who require it. Please book in via the normal means.