Welcome to Term 4 Week 10 2024

Principal Report

Dear Stella Maris Community,

It is with great thanks that we conclude the 2024 school year. 

I would like to thank families for their partnership and support of the school as we have navigated the final stages of the year. Your understanding has been greatly appreciated as we worked through some unexpected changes. We look forward to welcoming back Ms Hynes part way through Term 1 and wish her many blessings and strength and she continues her health journey. 

I feel very pleased to be able to begin the year continuing to support the leadership of the school. I will be saddened to step away from the wonderful staff and students of whom I have formed many connections with. My Acting Principal position at Our Lady of Lourdes presents a great opportunity for personal growth and new learning. 

We wish all students, staff and families a safe and Merry Christmas.

Ben McCulloch,

Acting Principal

Welcomes, Farewells and Thank You's

In 2025 we welcome Miss Lily Denman who has moved to us from Queensland. Lily will be teaching Year 2. She is an early career teacher who has been working with us in a relief capacity in 2024. We have welcomed her friendliness with staff and students and have been impressed by her adaptability and professionalism. 

We farewell Mrs Catherine Gbenga who has secured employment with the Department of Education. We would like to recognise her dedication and commitment to Stella Maris during her time here. Mrs Gbenga worked in Kinder, Grade 5 and Grade 4 and fulfilled several leadership roles and left a lasting impact on the students and staff that she worked with.

Catherine had a passion for the Arts which was demonstrated through her coordination of events such as the Burnie Eisteddfod. We wish you all the very best, Catherine.

We farewell Mrs Danica Littler who has stepped away from her tenure at Stella Maris. Danica has been a very well respected teacher with expertise in early years education. She was also Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching from 2013 - 2018. Her knowledge and experience will be greatly missed by Stella Maris staff and students. 

We thank and farewell Mrs Ali French who has taught Art alongside Lynne Fergusson this year. Ali will continue her work with Early Childhood Inclusion Service (ECIS). We wish her all the best in her future endeavours in education. 

Mrs Pauline Denman has worked with us for two years as a relief teacher. She has been a reliable, enthusiastic and a caring member of the relief team. Pauline has relocated to Launceston to be close to family and we wish her all the best in her next adventure. 

We thank Mr Matt Johnson who has taught Physical Education across the school in Term 4 whilst Liz Murton has been on Long Service Leave. He has been a welcome addition to the team and seamlessly integrated into the school. Congratulations Matt on your position at Burnie High School in 2025, you will be a great asset to their community. 

Mrs Sarah Short has worked in many of our classrooms in a relief teacher assistant capacity and has supported students with their learning. She has also worked in our canteen regularly on Fridays helping Jimmy get the big orders sorted. Thank you for your contributions, Sarah.

Mrs Angie Considine has informed us that she will continue her teacher assistant role at Somerset Primary in 2025. We thank Angie for her time spent with us in 2023. 

Farewell Father John

The school wishes Fr John Girdauskis all the best in his retirement. John was welcomed and celebrated by many at Mass on Sunday 8th December after almost 12 years in the role of Parish Priest. Brother of previous teaching staff Judy Mason and Elizabeth Finch, John has always maintained a close relationship with Stella Maris. John had a great gift in relating to and connecting with children during liturgies or prayer services. Below is a picture of John receiving his gift, a coffee machine, from parish school leaders. 

School Advisory Board

A Message from the Stella Maris Catholic School Advisory Board

The Board would first and foremost like to thank Stewart Williams (Stew), who has been a very generous Chair of the Board for 7 years, steering the Board through dynamic times including COVID, leadership changes and providing much needed support to the leadership team. He has provided warm, consistent and open communication to all over his tenure and most of all, we will miss his entertaining end of year speeches.

Special mentions go to deputy, Chair Caroline Watson (7 years), Corey Edwards (6 years) and Todd Clifford (2 years) as outgoing members in 2024 and thank Katrina Jamieson and Monique Eddington for their ongoing contributions to the board.

2024 has been another exciting year of change and growth within the school, and we have welcomed Shannon Wolarczuk (deputy chair), Allie House, David Smith and Mahadi Hasan onto the board. 

Thank-you to Allana Smith, your operational support ensures that meetings go ahead as planned.

Our role as the Advisory Board is to support the leadership team, providing advice on matters that are brought to the board, strategic planning and bringing the views of families and the community to the leadership team.

We are essentially a new board this year and are all looking forward to 2025 and beyond to continue to support the leadership team, being curious and presenting a diverse lens on matters that influence the wellbeing of our children, Stella Maris and the greater community.

This year there have been some monumental changes, the uniform, it looks amazing, years in the design and an enormous task to take on. The children are enjoying the comfortable attire and so too are the parents as it is easy to wash and wear!  The school community appreciates the efforts of the Uniform Committee.

The teaching staff continue to forge ahead with changes in the teaching of literacy and numeracy. It is exciting to hear of the gains made. This year, Stella Maris was ranked in the top 25 schools in the state according to the 2024 NAPLAN results. This is directly a result of the dedication of the entire educational and support staff, and leadership team; we are most grateful.

This year has also had its challenges, and the board wish both Christina Hynes and Ben McCulloch a restful and restorative break over the Christmas and New Year period.

Enjoy the holiday period, take time to look after yourself, your family and one another.

Maggie Prescott

Advisory Board Chair

RE News

Reflection on the Nativity of the Lord Mass – Matthew 1:1-25

After being visited by an angel in a dream, Joseph takes Mary as his wife.

Knowing your family history is important in establishing your identity. The longer form of today's Gospel lists many of the ancestors of Jesus and serves to establish Jesus' place in the history of Israel. Many important figures from the Hebrew Scriptures are named in this genealogy: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, Jesse, David, and Solomon, among many others. From among these names, however, two are highlighted: Abraham, the father of the Israelites because of God's promise to raise from his descendants a great nation, and David, the king who united the tribes of Israel and from whose descendants the Messiah would arise.

After you gather as a family, talk about the importance of your family's history. Recall where your ancestors came from. Tell some important stories from your family's history. In today's Gospel, we hear about Jesus' ancestors. Read today's Gospel, Matthew 1:1-25. Which names do you recognize from Hebrew Scripture? What do you know about these people? From this family history, we learn that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to raise up a savior from the people of Israel. Conclude in prayer together thanking God for the gift of our Savior, Jesus, who saves us from our sins. Sing together one or more favorite Christmas hymns.

Loyola Press

End of Year Liturgy Celebration

The school community convened in a spirit of prayer and harmonious song to commemorate the profound Christmas narrative, celebrating Jesus as the Reason for the Season. This occasion also provided an opportunity for reflection on the past year, acknowledging the many enriching learning experiences and moments that have unfolded.

We welcomed Fr. Jesse to our school community, who has taken up residence after the retirement of Fr. John. It was lovely for us to be able to celebrate alongside him as we get to know him ready for the 2025 school year.

We were privileged to host representatives from St. Vincent de Paul, who graciously accepted the generous donations of gifts from our school community. These contributions will undoubtedly assist those less fortunate in experiencing a joyous and fulfilling Christmas. Heartfelt congratulations are extended to all who played a role in ensuring that numerous children within our community received gifts this year.

Coins for Cambodia

Grade 2 Coins for Cambodia Appeal

Grade two are very excited to have raised over $210 dollars for families in Cambodia.

The generous donations from all classes has really shown the Spirit of Jesus though the

act of giving without the need to receiving anything in return.

Stella Stars

Sessions for 2025 will be advised early in Term 1 

Uniform Update & Ordering

Unfortunately, with some items such as trousers and softshell jackets there have been supply challenges. Invoices from Midford will outline the estimated time of delivery. Any items purchased on back order will be sent directly to families at no extra cost. 

Socks

Socks will be available at the end of January. Socks are navy blue with a blue and yellow stripe. It has been amended on the Midford website to clearly detail that the socks come in a 3-pack. 

Hats

The school is pursuing the additional option of a legionnaire hat. Unfortunately, this will not be available until next year sometime with a date yet to be confirmed. 

Art smocks

In the coming days art smocks will be available in a variety of colours to order from Midford online. 

Track Jacket

These are available for order through the online store. 

Soft Shell Jackets

These will be available in-store and online before Christmas. There have been some supply challenges in specific sizes. 

Uniform Shop 

The uniform shop will be open on Monday 16th December from 1:30-3:30pm. 

In addition, Midford will open a Pop-Up Store at Stella Maris at the following times in January: 

• Tuesday 21st January     12:00pm- 4:00pm

• Wednesday 22nd January     10:00am - 3:00pm

• Thursday 23rd January     9:00am - 12:00pm 

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we implement the new school uniform. 

Further information on ordering and opening dates are attached.

Stella Awards

Just Like Jesus Awards

Congratulations to the students who received Achievement Awards and the "Just Like Jesus"

award in our recent assembly.

Our "Just Like Jesus" award recognises those who have been 'caught' treating others with extra respect.

Stella Cup

We would like like to congratulate Miss Kennedy/Mrs McKennas and students from Grade 3 Room 10 &  Miss Probert's Prep 4 students for their positive behaviours in last week's  assembly and showing: 

 -Reverence when entering/exiting assembly

-Clapping in a responsible/respectful way (no yelling or screaming)

-Standing up/sitting down silently for the National Anthem

- Right Time Right Place (RTRP) when watching the PBS videos

Classroom & School Awards

Well done to students who were recognised for their efforts and application in their learning in their classrooms and efforts in our school community.

End Of Year Liturgy

Last Wednesday we had our whole school end of year liturgy. It was a beautiful celebration of Advent and the birth of Jesus. Our grade 6 students helped us reflect upon the Christmas story through their performance.

Grade 6 Awards

  Brave Curious & Kind Awards

This student embodies our school values of being Brave, Curious, and Kind, consistently demonstrating these qualities and positively influencing our school community.

Albie de Gooyer - Sponsored by Burnie Emu Bay Lions Club

Sophia Williams - Sponsored by Burnie Emu Bay Lions Club

Allistair Crawford - Sponsored by Burnie City Council

Maeve Stephen - Sponsored by Burnie City Council

General Excellence Awards

This student has been awarded the General Excellence Award to recognise their exceptional academic achievements, teamwork skills, and strong leadership qualities throughout the curriculum.

Jenson Hearps - Sponsored by Hon. Ruth Forest MLC & Hon. Miriam Beswick

Chathri Sanathana - Sponsored by Anita Dow MP & Senator Anne Urquhart 

Stevie Turnbull - Sponsored by Gavin Pearce MP

Zooey Davis - Sponsored by the Braddon Liberal Team

Values, Character & Community Spirit Award

This student exemplifies the values of hospitality, respect for individual dignity, and justice through honesty, reflecting the Marist motto: 'Love the Truth.'

Matilda Jamieson - Sponsored by Marist Regional College

Mercy Award

This student exemplifies loyalty, integrity, and mercy, consistently striving for excellence while uplifting others with support, fairness, and respect.

Paxton Coles - Sponsored by Knights Of The Southern Cross

Grade 6 Recognition Awards

Over the last assembly's for 2024 our Grade 6 students who have held positions of Leadership and Responsibility have been recognised.

It has been wonderful watching the students develop their leadership skills in this past year in their various roles throughout the school, engaging and supporting their peers and younger students and leading by their examples.

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Grade 6 Fun Day & Leavers Dinner

Grade 6 Liturgy

We are excited to share the heartwarming highlights from our recent Grade 6 Graduation Liturgy, held on Monday, 16th of December. This special event was a wonderful celebration of our students' journey at Stella Maris as they prepare to embark on their next chapter at high school.

The ceremony was filled with joy and reflection, centered around the inspiring song "Lanterns" by Birds of Tokyo. The lyrics beautifully captured the themes of hope, resilience, and the guiding light of friendship and shared experiences. Our school captains shared their favorite memories from their time in Grade 6, reminding everyone of the importance of the connections they have made.

We concluded the liturgy with a heartfelt blessing for our graduates, encouraging them to carry the light of their experiences into the future. It was a touching reminder that even in challenging times, they have the strength and support of their community and each other to guide them.

Thank you to all the parents and guardians for attending and participating in the celebration.

Thank you to the staff who contributed to making this event a success. Special thanks To Ms Beveridge and Mrs Howard in putting the touching PowerPoint together, and Mrs Mathews for all her help and support. Your support and involvement made it a memorable occasion for our students.

We wish our Grade 6 graduates all the best as they move forward into new beginnings and adventures!

Mrs Jackie Wickham and Ms Alison Wilkin

Grade 6 Fun Day

Leavers Dinner

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On Monday evening our grade 6 students gathered at Two Oaks in Somerset to celebrate our Stella Maris graduates. The event commenced with a prayer of thanks, followed by a delightful meal featuring a choice of pizza or fish and chips. As the evening progressed, we captured cherished memories through photos and danced joyfully, creating a wonderful atmosphere. It was truly a memorable farewell for an extraordinary group of students.

2025 Leadership & Positions of Responsibility

Congratulations to the following students who have been nominated by their peers for Leadership positions in 2025.

STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Brynley Paine- School Captain Semester 1

Ibrahem Al-Shamri- School Captain Semester 1

Meg Rawnsley- School Captain Semester 2

Samika Sridhar- School Captain Semester 2

Grace Williams

Hamish Wolarczuk

Sage Austin

Giselle Gillett

SPORTS CAPTAINS

Flynn

Brooklyn Barnard

Ruby Marshall

Mawson

Jax Keep

Amelia Britton

Lyons

Flynn Wells

Ivy Archer

Hollows

Emily Summers

Indi White

POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBLITY

Photographer

Samika Sem 1

Grace Sem 2

I.T

Hamish Semester 1

Ibrahem Semester 2 

STELLA STARS

Semester 1

Phoebe Robotham 

Lexi Dennis 

Meg Rawnsley

Semester 2

George Cannell

Aylssa Turner 

Brynley Paine

GREEN TEAM

Semester 1

Ticky Prescott

Evie McCall

Giselle Gillett

Semester 2

Lars Boon

Patrick Kelly

Sage Austin

LIBRARY MONITORS

Felicity Brown

Imogen Stirrat

Maddison Innes

Telia Streets

Zoe Wagner

Leyland Jamieson

Olivia Woodcock

Asha Parke

Kinder Graduation

Our 2024 Kindergarten classes finished off their wonderful first year at Stella Maris last week with their graduation. Thank you to all the families that attended this memorable event.

Library News

Library Competition

Congratulations Adelynn Van Tholen!!

 Grade 3 student Adelynn was the lucky student who won the family pass to the Metro Cinema. 

Merry Christmas all,

Mrs Boon

The Green Team

The Green Team leaders are proud to show off the first completed panel of the recycled bottle top mural artwork. The other 2 panels should be completed early in the new year. Congratulations to all involved. Mr Carlon. 

STEM - It Takes a Spark Excursion

 Creating and shaping a thriving Future

Last week, twelve enthusiastic students from our school had the wonderful opportunity to attend the SPARK Conference at Launceston Church Grammar School. The theme of the conference was to highlight how STEM empowers leaders, develops changemakers, and shapes the transition to a future that works for everyone and everything. Our students proved they were true STEM stars! 

Throughout the day, our young innovators explored cutting-edge technology, including testing drones and diving into the immersive world of virtual reality. They didn’t just stop at trying out cool gadgets - they also brainstormed and developed creative ideas to start their very own businesses. 

“In my workshop, I proposed to design an electric plane engine and took the role as website manager.” Laila 

Our students’ hard work and innovative thinking paid off as we took home several prizes during the day. 

“I participated in a block challenge and successfully built the longest structure that extended over the edge of a table.” 

Samika 

After lunch we listened to an inspiring keynote speech from a leading food scientist, (Dr. Samantha Sawyer) who shared insights on sustainable food production, processed food and its role in shaping the future. 

Students were particularly intrigued by the interactive tasting session, which featured crickets, mealworms, and maggots seasoned with sweet chili powder - an adventurous way to explore alternative protein sources. 

“My highlight of the day was eating bugs.”

Thomas 

Workshops offered a diverse range of topics, including sustainable building and design, where students brainstormed eco-friendly construction methods. In another workshop our students collaborated to design and construct a helicopter, which successfully took flight. 

“I won a prize in a competition where I built and designed a helicopter that actually could fly! It stayed in the air for 2.8 seconds.” 

Lars

The SPARK Conference was a fantastic opportunity for our students to ignite their passion for STEM. A big THANK YOU  to Mrs. Harnett, Mrs. Boon and Mrs. Forster who provided support and guidance to our students during the day.

Wiebren Veenstra 

Design and Technology Teacher 

Orienteering

Over the last 4 weeks, grades 4, 5 and 6 have been learning the sport of orienteering. Learning various life skills and having fun navigating the school grounds to find control boxes along the way. 

The first three weeks were focused on learning the sport and building skills to assist them to complete a course on their own. They learned the nuances of moving throughout an area, reading a map correctly, using a map legend to assist decision making.

On the final day, each student was tasked with completing their own orienteering course, having to check in at a series of designated control boxes before finishing and checking how they went. 

It was great to see everyone engage with the course, get involved and do so well!

Prep Wings Wildlife Excursion

Prep recently had an exciting excursion to Wings Wildlife Park, where we had the chance to explore and learn about some incredible native Australian animals. The students were thrilled to meet kangaroos, koalas, wombats, and many more, gaining a deeper understanding of their habitats and the importance of wildlife conservation. It was a hands-on experience that brought our classroom learning to life, as the children asked insightful questions and interacted with the animals. The day was filled with laughter, discovery, and memorable moments, making it an unforgettable part of our year. A big thank you to Wings Wildlife Park for hosting us and helping to create such a wonderful educational experience!

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Christmas Raffle

A massive thank you to all of those that donated prizes and purchased tickets.

Congratulations to our raffle winners:

1st Prize: Miller Rowlands

2nd Prize: Poppy Sharman

3rd Prize: Shannon McKenna

4th Prize: Ayla Guy

5th Prize: Andrew Stebbings

6th Prize: Chris Williams

7th Prize: Maria

8th Prize: Tamika Hardy

The Giving Tree

We were thrilled to announce that the amazing students in Room 15 raised an incredible $2043.60 for the St. Vincent de Paul Giving Tree Appeal!   We received three incredible donations - the Crawford family, Kings Cuts, and Immerse Hair. We visited Toyworld in Burnie on Monday, December 9th, where we had the opportunity to pick out presents to place under the Giving Tree for those in need. 
Thank you to everyone for being so supportive in making this possible!

Burnie 321 Presentation

Congratulations to all of our amazing Stella students who participated in the recent Burnie 321-Go.  Stella Maris had the highest per capita participation rate of any school in the Harcourts Burnie 321 Go Kids' Race.

Based on school census data Stella Maris achieved 32% participation.

As a result Stella Maris will receive a $500 Intersport sports equipment voucher.

School News

Farewell Stella Families

Xavier Allen

Lincoln Boxhall

Minen & Lydia Chen

Allistair Crawford

Zooey Davis

Gabriel Fyfe

Duke Horrack

Angelise Kennedy

Perlina Yuet Kwan

Tyger McGaffin

Ivy Pringle 

Lennon Reynolds-Hamisi

Tayla Smith

Yashika Virk

Emmie Wood

Evie Baker

Chad Edwards

Makenzie Faulkner

Allistair Gates

Miller Hanlon

Jenson Hearps

Isabelle Heyworth

Wafi Khan

Daniel Lakeman

Gabrielle Scott

Ryan Stone

Stevie Turnbull

Manha Chowdhury

Bella-Rose Kunoth

Jesse Lockett

Hasan Family

Grace Spencer

Lydia Chen

Imogen Dickson

Outside News

Important Upcoming Dates

CLICK TO SYNC TO YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday 17th December - Last Day of Term 4: - Final Day for students & teachers

2025

Tuesday 21st January - Uniform Shop at Stella Open 12.00pm - 4.00pm

Wednesday 22nd January - Uniform Shop at Stella Open 10.00am-3.00pm

Thursday 23rd January - Uniform Shop at Stella Open 9.00am-12.00pm

Friday 7th February - Term 1 2025 commences

Monday 10th March - Eight Hour Day Public Holiday

Sat/Sun 5th & 6th April - BTAS Primary School Championships

Thursday 10th April - Term 1 concludes

Monday 28th April - Term 2 commences

Monday 9th June - Kings Birthday Public Holiday

Friday 20th June - Netball Tasmania Primary School Championships

Friday 4th July - Term 2 concludes

Tuesday 22nd July - Term 3 commences 

Friday 26th September - Term 3 concludes

Tuesday 14th October - Term 4 commences

Monday 3rd November - Recreation Day Public Holiday

Friday 21st November - Schools Triathlon Challenge

Wednesday 17th December - Term 4 concludes - Final day for students & teachers

Other News

The Burnie Junior Cricket Club are looking for Under 12 players to play in the 2024/2025 Spring and Summer Rosters.  Games are played Sunday mornings  beginning  at 10am and finishing around 12:30pm  are played under the 20/20 format. Training is on Tuesday nights from 4:30pm – 6pm at the West Park undercover nets, under the guidance of  Rob Stewart  and Nick Imms.

No pervious cricket experience  is needed. Old and new players are welcome. 

Please contact Nick on 0417 574 052