Welcome to Term 3 Week 7
Principal Report
SUNDAY CONNECTION
Twenty-Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Cycle B Sunday, September 5, 2021
Gospel Reading Mark 7:31-37
Jesus restores a man’s hearing and speech.
Family Connection
Sunday’s Gospel invites us to consider how we witness the healing presence of Christ in our care for and ministry to those who are sick. We notice that the deaf man is brought to Jesus for healing by his friends. These people beg Jesus to lay his hands on this deaf man so that he might be healed. Jesus’ healing power is shown in his opening of the man’s ears and the restoring of his speech. When family members care for one another when they are sick, they bring Christ’s healing presence. When we pray for those who are ill, we ask God to show his healing power. When health is restored, we share that good news with others.
As you gather as a family, recall a time when a family member was ill. What steps were taken to help restore this family member to health? Talk about what it feels like to care for a person who is ill, and about how it feels to be the sick person being cared for. In Sunday’s Gospel, we hear about a time when Jesus healed a man who was deaf. Read Sunday’s Gospel, Mark 7:31-37. Notice how the man who was cured and his friends could not honour Jesus’ request to keep quiet about Jesus’ power to heal. We continue to celebrate Jesus’ healing presence in our lives by giving thanks to God for the gift of healing and health. Conclude in prayer, thanking Jesus for the gifts of health and healing. Pray together for those who are sick. After each person is named, pray, “Jesus, heal us.”
Excerpts from the Sunday Connection copyright © Loyola Press. Used with permission. Visit www.LoyolaPress.com for more information.
RE News
CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENT OF BAPTISM AT STELLA MARIS
CONGRATULATIONS Hamish, Hunter and Preston Wolarczuk who were baptised at school last Thursday. Fr John presided over this special ceremony. He beautifully explained each step of the Sacrament of Baptism to the congregation of Kinder - Grade 2 students, who were in awe throughout the whole ceremonial process. Teachers and other adults were also in attendance, including Hamish, Hunter and Preston’s Mum and Dad, and Godparent stand in and family friend, Joanna.
We are all part of God’s family, however in the tradition of the Catholic faith, Baptism is a special ritual by which we are welcomed into God’s family.
Student Representative Council
SRC NEWS - Last week on MJR Radio Stella and Lacey spoke about solving arguments appropriately in the playground. There are always going to be differing opinions when we play in groups. Working out positive ways to deal with issues is always the appropriate solution to aim for. Discussing alternative views, options for games and learning to take turns are all examples of dealing with conflicts appropriately.
SRC Shoe Shining Service
For a gold coin donation your brown school shoes can be cleaned by a member of the SRC at recess on a Monday. Donations will be going towards The Greatest Shave.
So far $90 has been raised.
School News
BOOK WEEK 2021
Book Week Parade
Dressing up can be stressful for little ones and we always appreciate you getting them to school on days like these.
Is it worth it? It is.
Seeing the school teeming with beaming parents and loved ones at the parade was proof. Occasions like these are something to revel in; something 2020 has taught us to savour. Your presence gave the students a joyous audience to parade to. We can be proud of ourselves! What a fantastic environment. How wonderful for our school to be alive, once more, with our caring school community.
As for our students, what a lovely bunch of humans we have there. They were a colourful collection of costumes and smiles.
The benefits of the buddy system was clear: the younger ones with their safe person, getting a glimpse into the world of upper primary; and a sense of belonging. The older ones with an opportunity to be someone to look up to. And that’s a powerful opportunity to have: to stop and think how you might appear to a younger, aspiring person. In the pretence of Book Week, that also gives the older students permission to dress up.
Book Week Readers
This year was the beginning of our new Book Week tradition of inviting guest readers into our school. These guest readers created a simple magic by sharing a book with the children. The ability to lose yourself in a book is something I wish for every child and adult. To share that magic is something special again. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents and treasured people who came in throughout the week to spread their love of reading. It was truly special. We hope to welcome even more of you into our school for Book Week 2022.
Best Borrowers
The Best Borrowers are those students who have borrowed the most books in their class for the year. These are students who love reading but who also remember to bring their books back!!! Parents, I think you actually deserve the award for this one!!!
This year's Best Borrowers are:
Grade 6 Charlotte Bugg & Toby Loring
Grade 5 Krystal Webb & Evita Sejo (best borrower of the school!)
Grade 4 Toby Flight & Macklan Votavota
Grade 3 Ethan Bradlow & Esther Calvert
Grade 2 Elsa Gibbs & Hamish Wolarczuk
Grade 1 Isla Stephen & James King
Prep Oliver Jackson & Elsbeth Pointon
Kinder Isla Rice & Mia Zhao
These students will each receive a copy of the winning CBCA Picture Book of the Year, How To Make a Bird by Meg McKinlay, in assembly in fourth term.
The Best Staff Borrower, with a whopping 1086 books, was Anne Kennedy. Congratulations for your ongoing borrowing efforts.
Book Week poster competition
Congratulations to Chia Gbenga and Imogen Stirrat for their stunning posters of what their magical worlds might look like. These two girls won the best posters in the 10-12 and the 7-9 year age categories for the Burnie area. Nice work girls!
Kindly,
Tanya Boon
BURNIE CITY LIBRARY BOOK WEEK WINNERS
Well done to Imogen Stirrat & Chia Gbenga for winning their age group prizes in the library's Book Week Competition.
JUST LIKE JESUS - Week 6
Congratulations to these students who received the "Just Like Jesus" award at assembly. It means that they have been 'caught' treating others in an extra respectful manner.
JUST LIKE JESUS - Week 7
Congratulations to these students who received the "Just Like Jesus" award at assembly. It means that they have been 'caught' treating others in an extra respectful manner.
TASMANIAN ALL SCHOOLS
CROSS COUNTRY AWARDS 2021
Congratulations to Zahlia, Arlie and Inika on placing 1st at the Tasmanian All Schools Cross Country this year in the 12 year old girls category, well done girls.
SCHOOL UNIFORM CHANGES
Dear Families,
Thank you all for your valued survey contributions. The survey results and broad consultation discussions have resulted in the following initial uniform changes:
· To allow Kinder - Grade 2 students the option to wear their sports uniform every day (as a trial for the rest of this year). The parent, student and staff surveys indicated a strong majority were in favour of this change to allow for improved comfort and movement for our early years students. This will commence from next week. Please note, if families prefer, students also have the option to wear their regular school uniform.
· Skorts (black) have been added as an option for students in Grades 3 - 6 which can be worn in summer with the formal short sleeved summer shirt.
· To accommodate the comfort & fitting requests with the winter tunic we will provide the option of just the skirt instead of the bib and skirt for Grades 3 - 6.
To advance our school's mission we will be engaging a specialised education consultative group to complete a refresh of our school image and brand which will provide further clarity and focus on our school colours and uniform choices.
I can be contacted directly should you have any queries around the uniform changes.
Thank you,
Christina Gretton
Acting Principal
STEM
GREEN TEAM & GARDENING TEAM NEWS
Stella Maris students have been busy preparing and transforming our school garden while working on several projects. Grade 6, room 15 students’ participated in an upcycling project using Wesley’s old fence and turned it into a beautiful art piece to enclose our garden space. One person’s trash may be another person’s treasure thank you to Samara Lynd for donating this picket fence to our school.
Room 16 students made bird houses with Mr. Veenstra. “Stella Maris Bird House Avenue” is nearly complete and will be placed in our garden soon, so please watch this space. A big thank you to Lincoln, Thomas, Josie, Aleiah, Billy and Sophia for their extra work with woodworking and painting.
Meredith and Piper in Grade 5 made a soft plastic collection bin for the class bins to be in a centralised place. Mr. Hughes will be taking this larger bin to either Woolworth's or Coles weekly. The children are learning to look at their lunch packing. “Return to store” tells us we can bring the soft plastic to the REDCYCLE program at the supermarket. Meredith and Piper have inspired Stella to think about using less plastic but if we do, not to throw it in the rubbish bin which will go to landfill. It will take hundreds of years to decompose.
P & F News
Stella Maris Facebook Policy
We will be merging our Parents & Friends Facebook page with our main Stella Maris Catholic School Facebook page in the coming weeks. Please like our Stella Maris Burnie Facebook page for all future updates. The Parents & Friends Facebook page will cease in approximately four weeks. Thanks for your understanding. A reminder that all Facebook comments are to be supportive as per our Facebook Policy.
As per our Facebook Policy implemented in February 2021, please note: 'Other Facebook Pages or Groups, which make reference to Stella Maris Catholic School or which make reference to any class groups or grades, are not to be set up by parents/carers or any other people other than Stella Maris Catholic School Administration'. Please be reminded that Facebook Pages and/or Group Messenger apps must be used for positive purposes only. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Outside News
CONGRATULATION'S ANGELISE
In Angelise's first State Championships she competed in Level 3. She had hopes of finishing in the top three for one apparatus but instead ended up as runner up state champion overall! She was just behind the winner by 0.125 points.
She also came away with a 1st overall on Vault, 2nd in her age group on beam, 3rd in her age group on floor and her level 3 team finished 3rd overall aswell.
Stellar performance and she should be extremely proud of herself. She achieved all scores above 9 (out of 10). There were 74 other competitors in her level.
