22 Term 1 Week 1

We welcome back the year in a way we have never done before, we look forward to Monday the 14^th February, we invite you to continue to connect with us in new ways and we see action on an important upgrade for our school. Welcome to Week 1 of Term 1 2022!

WELCOME BACK:

We’ve had a great start to the year!

We have welcomed or welcomed back 361 students to our great school. We offer a particular welcome to our new Reception families and the 14 new families in Year 1-6 who also join us for the first time. Students in Reception and Year 1 were welcomed back with a delicious Stella Maris cookie provided to us by Kirsty at Addicted to Bake. We’ll have something for our Year 2-6 students once school resumes for all on Monday the 14^th.

We welcome Mila, Ruby and Archie (Year 6), Michael and Michael (Year 5), Scarlett and Henry (Year 4), Eva and Scarlett (Year 3), Grace, Oliver, Agam, Austin and Dristina (Year 2) and Hannah (Year 1). And to our new Receptions of course who we have loved meeting!

We also welcome a number of new staff to our community – James McCarthy (PE and Sport), Kate Mainprize (Drama and Dance), Julia Morrison (Year 3), Kerry Zervas (Year 4) and Charlotte McCann (Year 1). We also welcome back Jemma O’Leary from maternity leave. Jemma will be with us on Thursdays this year, it’s great to have her smiling face back with us.

COVID UPDATE – RETURN TO SCHOOL:

The Premier mentioned today that things were still ‘on-track’ for a return to face to face learning for all students by the beginning of Week 3 – Monday February 14^th and we are very excited for this day! As I am sure many of you are too.

At present, we have had quite a large number of Year 2-6 students return to school and I am receiving increasing requests for students to return to school next week. What I will reiterate to all families, is that the idea of this ‘staggered start’ to school is to limit the number of students ‘on-site’ at any one time. So while, of course, if you are working or unable to “adequately supervise” your children while at home, then you are invited to send them to school. However, if you are able to supervise your children, or you can arrange for someone to do so, then you are encouraged to keep them home and access the Remote learning program that has been provided. Our current feedback is that this mode of learning is working well and while there is the occasional ‘bump’ in the road, our teachers are available and willing to support the students (and you) to engage as best as possible with the tasks set.

We certainly appreciate the sacrifices and hard work that many families are going through to keep their children home during this period. As always, if you have any questions regarding the Remote learning program, in the first instance please contact your child’s class teacher and Ella Kirkham or I are more than happy to support you if needed.

Here at school, the exact same program is being provided to the students onsite and so students at home are not ‘missing out’ on any explicit teaching or curriculum coverage.

Ongoing COVID information is provided to us from a variety of sources most days and while I am attempting to keep email updates to a minimum, I do ask that you take the time to read the emails as they are distributed to you and action items which require actioning. Thank you for your ongoing support and flexibility.

MEET THE TEACHER – PARENT INFORMATION SESSIONS:

Normally around this time of the year, we would hold a Meet the teacher information session where parents come and meet and listen to some information presented by their child’s class teacher. As we are currently under strict protocols in terms of parents on site, this will look a little different this year. The following schedule will be used:

WEEK 2 – Teachers will send out information about the year ahead to all families electronically – in a similar format to what the presentation would have been if we were meeting here at school (i.e PowerPoint etc). Further information in the form of Introductory letters and Curriculum letters will also be sent out to families.

WEEK 3 – Teachers will provide an opportunity for an optional phone conversation interview for any parent who wishes to discuss anything about their child or has any questions about the year ahead. On Monday of next week you will receive information about how to book these conversations.

WEEK 8 – We are very hopeful (and dare I say confident) that face-to-face Parent-Teacher Conversations will go ahead at this point. This will be an opportunity to discuss how the year has started for your child and initial thoughts about learning goals and future areas of focus. These conversations would be ‘compulsory’ conversations for all families.

We have a very strong belief that a positive partnership that includes regular and ongoing communication with parents is a key to your child’s success at Stella Maris and so in the mean time, should the need arise, our teachers will contact you about things that need to be discussed, and as always we strongly encourage you to do the same should you see the need.

TIMETABLE CHANGE:

We have made some minor adjustments to our timetable for at least Term 1. Our new timetable is as follows:

PARK UPGRADE:

If you have driven past, you will have seen Ramsey Avenue Reserve is currently undergoing a major upgrade. We have worked in partnership with Rebecca and Jess from the Marion Council in the design of the park and our students had an input into the things they thought would be good ideas to have added. We have made a financial contribution to the park as well. The initial work will focus on irrigation and upgrading the grass space and the installation of a number of sculptures and pieces of work near the Darlington Primary fence. This work is expected to be completed by around Week 4.

After this, our students will have access to this area of the park while the bottom half undergoes some changes. A new 3v3 Basketball court, Nature play items and a Community garden (which will be managed and cared for by our students will be key items added. We are very much looking forward to the finished product.

For the time being, stay well and take care.

James

WELCOME

I extend a warm welcome to all students and their families to Stella Maris Parish School.

I trust you all had a happy and holy Christmas and an enjoyable start to the new year with family and friends.

Whilst Wednesday’s start to the school year looked very different to previous years, it was so pleasing to see the happy faces of our Reception and Year One students as they commenced face-to face learning, and also to see the way in which our Year 2-6 students engaged with online learning either at home or supervised at school.

For those I have not met yet, my name is Paula Clark and I am the Assistant Principal in Religious Identity and Mission (APRIM). I look forward to supporting all families in the area of faith formation, whilst acknowledging that as parents, you play the vital role of being prime educators in faith for your children.

If you would like to make a time to catch up with me to discuss any matters related to faith formation, I am available most afternoons from around 1.30pm, or before or after school each day.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM FOR 2022

Enrolments for the Sacramental Program for 2022 are now being taken. If you are wondering if your child can take part in this program please note that your child must first be baptised in the Catholic faith. If you then believe they are ready to take the next step in their faith journey, they will be invited to first receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation (usually around year 3) and then Confirmation and First Holy Communion (usually around year 4).

The Sacramental Program is run through St Ann’s Parish and participants work together in small family faith groups outside of school time to assist in preparing their children to celebrate the sacraments.

I will organise for the enrolment forms to be sent out to families of children in year 3 and 4 via email on Friday 4 February. If your child is not in a year 3 or 4 class please contact me via email: paula.clark@smps.catholic.edu.au and I will organise to send the forms out to you. Alternatively copies will be available both at Holy Spirit Church and in the front office at school.

A PARENT’S PRAYER AS CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL

Heavenly Father,

At a time in life when parenting decisions

seem to loom larger than life itself,

we humbly ask for your guidance.

While our children’s shoes still smell new…

and their pencils are long and nice and sharp…

our hearts sense the need

for a stronger connection with your love

and a deeper reliance on your grace.

Help us to remember that You

know every thought we have as a parent.

Remind us that the feeling of having

our hearts walk outside our bodies

is one You are ever so familiar with.

Provide us with wisdom as we walk

this unfamiliar ground of a new school year.

We ask this prayer through Christ our Lord.

Amen

SOUTHERN CROSS

The current edition of the Catholic newspaper put out by the Archdiocese called,’ The Southern Cross,’ is available at; www.thesoutherncross.org.au

THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK:

Life is a combination of success and failure – BOTH are needed.

God’s Blessings,

Paula Clark

APRIM

Welcome back to the 2022 school year! I hope that you found some time over the holiday break to relax, spend time with family and reenergise for what is set to be another busy year. Although the school year has not begun in the way we would like, we look forward to a fun, successful and busy year at Stella Maris.

For those families who are new to Stella Maris this year, My name is Ella Kirkham and I am the  Assistant Principal of Learning & Wellbeing. My role focuses on ensuring excellent teaching and learning in a faith centred environment. We aim to reflect on our current pedagogical practices, while implementing school wide practices that are effective in improving the overall academic progress of all students at Stella Maris. Put simply, my role is to support students, staff and families to ensure we are meeting the learning and wellbeing needs of all students.

I would especially like to welcome the new students and families who have joined us at Stella Maris this year. Beginning at a new school in times like these is even more challenging and nerve-racking, which was certainly the case in my household this week as my eldest began year 7 at a new school. Please know that we are here to support your child and family to ensure a smooth and happy transition to Stella Maris.

As you would be aware, we currently have our Receptions and Year 1 classes accessing face to face learning while our year 2-6 students engage in remote learning, either from home or school. We recognise that this has brought with it many challenges for our school community and we thank you for you ongoing support as we continue to navigate through these ever-changing times. Although a different beginning, there are many things that remain unchanged, especially our unwavering commitment to our students and families.

For students returning to face to face learning, there has been great excitement, energy and some nerves in the yard over the last couple of mornings. We know that while some students come bouncing back to school, others may be nervous or overwhelmed about their return, and this may continue in the coming weeks as we welcome more students back to school. Staff are doing a wonderful job of gently settling students back into the routines of school life. In our classrooms, we spend the first couple of weeks doing a variety of activities and games that focus on building relationships, getting to know each other and establishing class routines and expectations. This builds students’ sense of belonging and builds a great foundation for the year ahead. For those students doing remote learning, teachers are doing a wonderful job of connecting with students and establishing relationships and expectations in a variety of creative ways. They look forward to building on this when all students return to face to face learning.

I would like to take this opportunity to commend our staff for their exceptional work over recent weeks, as they have prepared for the return to students, either face to face and remote. There has been a constant sense of calm and collegiality (and a great deal of time, hard work and expertise!), which is a true reflection of the dedicated staff group here at Stella Maris.

As always, I invite you to contact me at any time should you wish to discuss any aspect related to your child’s wellbeing and education here at Stella Maris!

Kind Regards 

Ella Kirkham 

Assistant Principal (Learning & Wellbeing) 

ella.kirkham@smps.catholic.edu.au 

It has been so lovely to see staff and some students back at school over the last three days, all who come with their own stories and experience of their summer holidays. I think we can safely say we have all been affected one way or another by Covid challenges over the holiday period, and every story is important. Let's listen and hear each other as we start the new school year as well as showing up for what is in our 'present'. 

Emily Hughes

Pastoral Care Support | ESO