Welcome to 2020

Dear Parents and Friends,

Greetings and welcome back to the start of a new school year! It has been great to see everyone return refreshed from the summer holidays. I trust your break from school was pleasant and revitalising. It is amazing what a change of scenery and time away can do for the soul. The children have returned with renewed vigor and some have grown taller and others lost teeth. Overall they all appear happy to be able to catch up on holiday news with their friends. The teachers and staff have also returned with restored energy and exciting plans for their classrooms and I am sure that the year will be filled with many learning opportunities and fun times.

We welcome to Star of the Sea, all new students and their families. We have a number of new families in Reception and others in various year levels. If you know of a new family, please make them feel a part of our community by introducing yourself and offering your support.

As we head into the new school year we are very mindful of the bushfires that have destroyed large parts of our country and in particular we have experienced the devastating Adelaide Hill fires and Kangaroo Island fires. As a school community we pray for the loss of human lives, for homes, animals, plants, trees and the scaring of the earth. We pray for the healing of the land and the healing of lives and communities. The children are very aware of the fires and in many classrooms it is a topic for discussion. In the weeks ahead the 2020 SRC group will no doubt be organising some fundraising so we can contribute to the healing efforts as a school community.

Holiday Works

The holiday break delivered some very hot weather and as a result the capital building works lost several days of work. However, we remain on track for the work to be completed for the start of Term 2. During the holidays the second floor of the MacKillop Building received a lot of attention and will be ready for the Year 4s at the start of next week.

Once again I apologise for the disruption to access around the school. I appreciate it is a long walk to some classrooms. It will all be worth it in the end as we watch the remainder of the build progress.

Staff News

During the holidays there were several changes to staffing.

• Janine McCormick who has been a teacher at Star of the Sea for nearly 20 years moved with her family to Cairns. We are very thrilled to welcome Daniella Barilla to Year 2BR. Daniella has been teaching in the public system and we are blessed to have her at Star of the Sea.
• We are very pleased to welcome back Tammy Reardon who is sharing the Year 2BR class with Daniella. Tammy returns from parenting leave and mum duties with little Oliver.
• We welcome Shelby Lee to the role as Science Teacher this year. Shelby is replacing Peter Hoskin who is on leave for the year. Shelby is a familiar face around the school as a relief teacher and an old scholar. Shelby will be sharing Science with Michelle Fulton.
• I am delighted to welcome back Eva Lake. Eva is teaching Year 4 this year and returns after having 2019 off to work as a nanny in Spain. It is wonderful to have Eva back and I am sure her experiences of a year in Spain will be shared with her class.
• At the end of last year our Canteen Manager Dee Taggart became very ill and was admitted to hospital for treatment of a very rare blood disorder. Dee is still recovering and will be away for the start of the year. We welcome Ada Tippins who has kindly agreed to take on the Canteen while Dee is away. Ada is a past parent and experienced Canteen volunteer.
• Also during the holidays Helen Nicholaou resigned from her role as an ESO and will be working at Charles Campbell High School. Replacing Helen in the ESO role, we welcome Leanne Stokes. Leanne has been working as an ESO at Sacred Heart College for a number of years.

On a final note I remind parents that as we start the new school year it is important that students wear the correct school uniform. A copy of the uniform policy is available on the school’s web site. Next week I will be sending home reminder notices to students who are wearing the incorrect uniform, shoes or those who forgot to have a haircut during the holidays. I would appreciate your support in this matter.

Thank you to all of the parents who supported the Champagne and Tissues morning on Tuesday. We had a wonderful response and I am pleased to report that there weren't too many tears. Thank you to the Star Outreach group for organising the morning; it was a very special way to start the school year.

Enjoy the weekend ahead
Joe De Tullio

Hello Friends

A sincere and warm welcome to 2020. I hope you had a connecting and restful holiday period and it provided your family with a chance to connect and relax. I love summer and day light saving. Being able to eat outside and enjoy warm nights is great. I hope this New Year and decade provides you and your family with health and happiness.

It has been tremendous to see our students return with vigour and zeal for the new school year. Our students have settled back in to the routine of school adjusting to their new class structures and routines.

Please remember to send your child to school with an application of sunscreen which will be reapplied during the day, a bottle with water in it and a labelled school hat. Remember to ensure all items of clothing and equipment that is brought to school, is clearly labelled with your child’s name. Supervision begins on the school oval at 8.20am and the first school bell to move to class sounds at 8.45am. The school day officially commences at 8.50am children are set up for a successful day of learning when they are able to arrive at school on time and ready for the day ahead.

Parking Restriction, Traffic Monitors and School Gates

Once again in 2020 I ask motorists to please be mindful of parking restrictions around our school. It is common place for council inspectors to frequent the school at pick up and drop off times. Council do monitor and fine those motorists parked illegally or who have expired their time in parking spaces. Please remember that it is illegal to park across driveways. Please be aware of the legal distance required to park away from driveways. We would like our school to continue to be a respectful neighbour to our nearby residents. This includes our school driveways, in case of emergency vehicles need to gain access to school grounds. I also remind our families and friends that our traffic monitors have been trained by SAPOL and have been instructed when to stop traffic to allow pedestrians to cross. Sometimes there is a short wait for them to find a safe break in the traffic to raise the ‘stop’ signs and allow pedestrians to cross.  I also remind motorists that Foord Avenue, that runs adjacent to the Church can only be accessed from Marlborough St. This means that entry into Foord Avenue is from Marlborough St only and motorists need to exit the Church car park on to Seaview Rd. Access from Foord Ave to Military Rd is for private residents only.

Another important point to remember is the need to keep the traffic ‘flowing’ on Military Road and Seaview Roads. If you cannot access the ‘collection areas’, then you will need to go around the school block and attempt to join the queue again. Motorists caught obstructing traffic on Military Road and Seaview Rd can be fined by SAPOL. Thanks for your continued cooperation. Students need to access vehicles quickly and safely and independence in this action is appreciated. This means that children should be able to open the door of the vehicle, enter the vehicle and use the seatbelt independently. Please pass on this information to family and friends who may drop off or collect students from our school. Our traffic monitors will be on duty in the morning from 8.30am to 8.45am and in the afternoons from 2.50pm to 3.15pm. We value the work that our senior students perform on crossing duty and appreciate your cooperation with them when using the crossings as a motorist or a pedestrian. School gates will be open from 8.20am and again at 2.40pm allowing for easier entering and exiting of the school at peak times and decreasing traffic congestion in the corridors. Students will need to be collected by 3.25pm on Seaview and Military Road pick up points. After this time, students will be directed to OSHC. After school pick up is another busy time and I ask for courtesy and vigilance in ensuring the safety of your child and the safety of others. Please use the pick-up lane if on Military Rd and Seaview Rd if there is room to do so, please DO NOT park on the yellow clearway lines or leave your car unattended. There may be times when you may have to drive around the block to queue again. Please feel free to use the Church car park and walk to the school, using the crossing on Malborough St to meet your child on the school grounds. SAPOL often patrol the area and fine parents so I advise you to always exercise caution and obey the signs. I thank you for your understanding.

Communication at School

I encourage you to remain in communication with your child’s class teacher. Email is a convenient way to maintain communication, particularly if you are unable to frequent the school. Our school teachers remain vigilant in keeping up with the volume of emails that they receive on a daily basis and so teachers will respond to your email within a 24 hour time frame in a school week. Please send emails at a respectful hour.

Wishing you a fabulous Term 1.

“Gratitude helps you to grow and expand; gratitude brings joy and laughter into your life and into the lives of all those around you.” – Eileen Caddy

Thanks and Blessings

Matt

It has become tradition here at Star of the Sea school that each year students in Years 3 to 6 are invited to enter the Ken Kelsey Writing competing. The winners are announced during the Book week assembly.  This year the entries had to be a narrative and could be linked to the Book Week theme ‘Reading is my Secret Power’. 

There were many wonderful entries from talented writers which made choosing 2 students from each Year 3-6 class to be shortlisted for the award very hard!

But, even harder was choosing the 2 winners, one from Year 3-4 and one from Year 5-6. A huge congratulations to this years’ winners who were Mia Luey (Year 4) and Felicity Dini (Year 6) - your stories were an absolute joy to read.

Ken Kelsey attended school here at Star of the Sea between 1930 and 1940. He has many fond school memories and he shared many of these with staff during a visit in 2009. One of the highlights of his time at the school was when he won a medal for the highest Q.C. (Yr 7) score in the district of Henley Beach and Grange.  Ken Kelsey donated this medal to Star of the Sea school, which was made into a trophy.   The Ken Kelsey Medal has been established to celebrate our important history at Star of the Sea.

Here are some extracts from our winners:

BEING THE OLDEST THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE CRAZY By Mia Luey 4L

Boom! Crash! WAHHHH! MIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAA!

That’s the sound I hear first thing every morning! I am only 9 years old, but because I am the oldest of four children, I feel like I’m 19 years old! I know how to do almost everything around the house. I can change nappies, fold laundry, do dishes, pack school lunches, and everything else a parent could do…………

I am the organized and sensible one of the family. I help mum with chores, I do all my homework by myself, I play beautiful music on the piano, and I am the peace keeper of the family. I think I am the legend of the family (because I M). Sometimes I lie in bed and wonder what it would be like to be an only child? I would get ALL the attention. I would get to sleep in all the time, I would have my very own room, I wouldn’t have to share my toys, and I would only have to worry about myself. It would be very peaceful. Mum, Dad and I would get to do very special things together……in peace and quiet.

Last weekend, I went my friends sleep over birthday party. I had so much fun! There was no Boom! Crash! WAHHHH! MIIIIIIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAA! In the morning. I didn’t have to deal with the mess, noise, and someone following me around. It was so peaceful. It was like all my dreams had come true. Then, when I got home the next day, Benjamin ran up to me and said in the cutest voice “Mim Mim miss you” and gave me the biggest hug and a sloppy kiss. As I wiped his sloppy kiss off my cheek, I realized I really did miss him too. I actually missed everyone.

EXISTENCE by Felicity Dini 6M

The sun gleamed brightly through Oscar’s bedroom window on a Sunday morning. Oscar felt dizzy as he stepped out of bed, re-calling the past day’s events. He was now scared to slip his watch on and was replaying the words over in his head. He opened his door and walked down to the kitchen. He saw his dad drinking coffee, and eating toast, while Charlie enjoyed a bowl of chocolate flakes. Usually Charlie and his Dad waited for him to wake up, as mum was at work early and Oscar would have to eat alone…..

Oscar ran further than ever before and lost track of time, barely noticed the sky grow darker and darker. He relayed the words from yesterday in his head, Find the missing lore… lore… missing lore. What on Earth? He now saw the world as a blur from his salty tears in his eyes and sat down. He looked at what he was sitting on and jumped in fright as he realised it was an old gravestone. He looked around at the surrounding ones, assuming he was in the cemetery. He felt unwelcome, and secluded in the presence of the dead, much as he felt in the antique shop.

He was on his way to leaving until he noticed the familiar name on the gravestone, he was previously settled on. It read:

ALVIN BOLDMAN
1900-1999
May His Heart Rest in Peace.

The School Board held its first meeting for Term 3 on Monday 12th August.  A number of important items were on the agenda for Board discussion and consideration. The Finance Report was tabled as read and showed that the school’s finances remain in a healthy state. The cash at bank shows an increase on 2018 figures, this is due to not having to draw down on the capital project just yet and the timing of grants. All other areas of the school finances are in good order.

Joe presented the 5 Year Financial Plan to the Board and presented several scenarios for the annual increase in school fees for Board members to consider at the September meeting.

Andrew McEgan’s Capital Development report was tabled as read. Matters arising from the report focussed on three additional works to be included in the new building development. These include new guttering to the convent building, new ceilings and electrical work to the MacKillop upper floor classrooms and the Imaginative Play Space. The School Board gave an in principle agreement to proceed with these works with the approval from SACCS.

Deanne Stephanos presented a report on the School Canteen survey. The Board discussed the following recommendations in light of the review:

Review canteen menu –

• Reduce choices
• Review fresh and frozen options, inc storage options and how to accommodate
• Review number of items on menu
• Review healthy alternatives/options available
• Review special dietary options ie, Gluten/Dairy free.

Review current suppliers, investigate options
Review pricing of items
Review environmental sustainability with intent to reduce unnecessary waste
Development of a Canteen Policy including a policy that any new food items need to meet one or more of :

• Fresh
• Sustainable
• Dietary needs
• Cost

The Board voted that the recommendations be implemented by the school with a report back to the Board in 2020.

Joe asked the School Board to consider the naming of the new building. It was agreed that the school community should be invited to help name the new building. Joe will begin the process of consultation with students, staff and parents and bring a recommendation back to the Board.

The next Board meeting will be held in September.

Phillip Reichelt
School Board Chairperson