Providing a Term's Notice

Families are reminded that the College requires one term’s notice of any move to another school or learning environment (please note that international enrolments require two terms’ notice). There are several reasons for this notice period. Firstly, budgets are set on current numbers, and, as the annual budget is set in September, we need to ensure that we are calculating costs and student numbers accurately. Secondly, once school returns in January, we are unlikely to make up numbers of any students who choose to leave without providing the required notice.

Please ensure that if your daughter is leaving at the end of 2024, you have informed the Registrar (registrar@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au) by the end of Term 3.

Bodies of Work Exhibition

The Stella Maris Community is warmly invited to the 2024 HSC Bodies of Work Exhibition. Don’t miss the opportunity to view the major works of our Year 12 students on Tuesday 20 August. The exhibition brings together the artwork and innovative designs from talented students who chose to study Visual Arts, Design and Technology, Textile and Technology and Multimedia Technologies.

Date: Tuesday 20 August
Venue: Benedict Campus
VIP session for Year 12 families: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Open to all: 7.00pm - 8.00pm

Father's Day Breakfast - Friday 30 August

Stella Dads, grandfathers and male carers are invited to join their Stella student/s to celebrate Father’s Day at our annual ‘bigger than Ben Hur’ Father’s Day Breakfast.

Thank you to the almost 200 people who have already RSVP'd. To assist with catering, please RSVP via the link below and include your daughter/s in the numbers.

We look forward to a great morning celebrating our awesome Stella dads.

Date: Friday 30 August
Venue: On the deck, main campus
Time: 7.30am - 8.30am

RSVPs close on Friday 23 August.

Languages News

by Jennifer Murray, Head of Languages

Year 7 students have attended a sample lesson in Spanish, Italian, French and Japanese. This will assist them when choosing the one language that they will learn in Year 8.

Year 12 and accelerating Year 11 students studying a language via NSW School of Languages sat their HSC Trial examinations at NSW School of Languages in Petersham in Weeks 1 and 2 this term.

The HSC Languages Oral examinations will take place over the next few Saturdays. This 10-minute formal conversation in the language that they are studying is in addition to the written HSC examinations held in Term 4. Good Luck to our Year 12 students plus three Year 11 students who are accelerating in French!

Beach2Beach - It's not too late to join!

The Beach2Beach is fast approaching on Sunday 25 August.

Every year the students and staff of the Duke of Edinburgh program are involved in the Beach2Beach Fun Run event to raise funds for 'Happy Days' (a Mike Pawley charity, supporting impoverished Cambodian students and families). A reminder to parents/carers of our Duke of Ed students participating to complete the Consent2Go for your daughter asap.

We would love parents and friends to join the 'Stella Maris College' team to help us retain the title of the LARGEST school team (prize money donated to 'Happy Days').

Date: Sunday 25 August
Theme: PINK
Distance:

• 3km (Mona Vale - Newport Beach)
• 6km (Warriewood - Newport Beach)
• 14km (Dee Why - Newport Beach)

N.B. Duke of Edinburgh students will be entered in the 6km event

Community Notices

Bear Cottage Community Open Day

Bear Cottage Children’s Hospice invites the Stella community to its annual Community Open Day on Sunday 18 August 2024.

Visit anytime between 10am and 1pm at 2 Fairy Bower Road, Manly to take a guided tour of Bear Cottage with a staff member (tours will run every 15 minutes). After the tour you are invited for refreshments in the garden.

The Community Open Day is an important date on the calendar as it provides an opportunity to welcome friends and supporters to Bear Cottage to thank them personally for all that they do to ensure support services are available to all those who need them most.

Beaches Young Filmmakers Competition

Entries opened on Friday 9 August in the Beaches Young Filmmakers Competition - with a $3000 prize pool on offer. See the flyer below for further details.

National Schools Tree Day

Well done to our student-led 'Sustainability Club' whose members established a new native garden at the Benedictine campus.

Sustainability Club member, Ava K explained: "The garden will aim to increase local biodiversity and promote sustainable practices. Our mission with the native garden is to create a lush, vibrant space that not only enhances the beauty of Stella Maris but also encourages environmental sustainability. By choosing plants that are native to our region, we’re fostering biodiversity, supporting local wildlife, and reducing our garden’s water and maintenance needs."

Thanks to Northern Beaches Council for suppling the plants as part of 'Schools Tree Day'.

Australian Girls Choir Success

A huge congratulations to Leili M in Year 9 who has been awarded a scholarship with the Australian Girls Choir. Later this month the group will be taking part in a three-week international tour through Paris, Regional France, Switzerland and Singapore. Congratulations Leili, we are incredibly proud of you (and a little bit jealous).

The Cat Empire with The Sydney Symphony Orchestra

On Thursday 5 September, 12 of our elite vocalists will be performing as part of a larger choir with The Cat Empire and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The show is taking part in the Concert Hall at the Sydney Opera house and will feature world-class flamenco artists Richard Tedesco, Johnny Tedesco and Chantelle Cano. Our girls have been working hard on selected repertoire and have additional weekend rehearsals in front of them in preparation. More details of the (sadly sold out) show can be found here.

Stella Sleep Out

Students are invited to grab their PJs and friends for the Stella Sleep Out. We will sleeping out from Friday 6 September to Saturday 7 September to raise money for the Good Sam Kinder School in Bacolod, the Philippines, the Vinnies Winter Appeal, The Good Samaritan Inn and Women’s Domestic Violence Shelters.

A full program of events includes games, activities, presentations, a movie, dinner and breakfast in the morning. It's also a great way for Duke of Ed students to tick off community service hours.

Cost of entry is $50 and students are encouraged to find sponsors to support the appeal.

MAD Social Justice Club

The Making a Difference (MAD) Club is seeking donations of wool to allow them to knit winter beanies. If you can assist, please contact Sarah Metcalfe.

Good Samaritan Education Prophetic Voices Conference

Prophetic Voices was an incredible journey that we were privileged to be part of. Over the past year and a half, students from Years 9-10 attended regular Prophetic Voices conferences to discuss how to effect change in our world on significant topics such as Integrated Ecology, Reconciliation Beyond the No Vote, and Domestic Violence. Last week we shared current initiatives within our schools and brainstormed future efforts to make a difference. The Prophetic Voices camp was the culmination of this journey, bringing together all Good Samaritan Education schools for an in-person gathering. During the camp, we delved deeper into our topics with guidance from experienced mentors, crafted action plans and proposals, and visited Mater Dei School, where we spent the day interacting with the students, participating in activities, and making friends.

Day 1 Highlights:

• Arrival at Mount Carmel Retreat Centre.
• Group discussions recapping previous sessions on Integral Ecology, Indigenous Reconciliation, and Building a Culture of Non-violence.
• Presentations by two schools on their social justice initiatives, including Fire Carriers and Vinnies workshops.
• A fun bush dancing experience in the main conference room.

Day 2 Activities:

• Presentations by two more schools on their Social Justice initiatives.
• Three sessions with speakers on Reconciliation, Ecology, and creating a Culture towards Non-violence, including interactive activities.
• Writing a 200-word statement on chosen topics, with drafting and refining sessions to present to Good Samaritan Education for implementation
• Evening prayer in the chapel, followed by optional activities like watching the Olympics or sitting around a fire pit.
• Opportunities to explore the grounds and lake during free time.

Day 3 Events:

• Visit to Mater Dei Sister School.
• Morning tea, a soccer game with junior students, and classroom visits.
• Exploration of the school’s buildings, old stables, gardens, and playgrounds.
• Closing ceremony with a group prayer at the camp.

The Prophetic Voices Conference was a fantastic opportunity for learning, sharing, and making meaningful connections, leaving a lasting impact on all participants. This program has been a privilege, offering new connections, enjoyment, and, most importantly, the chance to use our voices to make a difference.

Community Mass

We celebrated a lovely Community Mass at St Kieran's Catholic Church last Sunday where the new student leadership teams from Stella and St Augustine's received a special blessing.

Touch Football

Congratulations to our representative touch football team who played at the NSW Touch Football State Final at Penrith on Tuesday 13 August. The talented Stella team had a great day and were very unlucky not to progress through to the finals.

The team had great wins against schools such as Armidale, Aberdeen and MacKillop. With just a very close loss to Tomaree (3 – 2), the Stella team missed out on a place in the finals on a count back. Well done to all members of the team:

Siena A, Kayla A, Charlotte B, Summer B, Giselle B, Zsa Zsa B, Indie C, Ellie F, Matisse F, Holly G, Charlotte H, Mia L, Lara M, Ana T, April U.

Basketball

Congratulations to our representative basketball teams who have played at the CGSSSA and Broken Bay gala days in recent weeks.

Our junior team played at the CGSSSA Gala Day on Wednesday 31 July and finished in 3^rd place. They then played at the Broken Bay Championships on Monday 5 August. The team played well all day, winning all round games and their semi final. In the grand final, the Stella team had a very close game against Mater, who narrowly defeated the Stella team by just 3 points. Well done to all members of the team – silver medallists:

Dusty B, Gracie B, Mabel B, Imogen B, Amelia F, Zoey H, Violet M, Isla P.

Big thank you to Yasmina H who came to referee on the day.

The intermediate team also played at the CGSSSA Gala Day on 31 July, finishing in 4^th place. They will play in the Broken Bay Championships later this month.

Water Polo

Well done to the three Stella Year 8/9 water polo teams who have come to the end of the NSSWPA competition. These teams have been playing since the start of Term 2. While it has been a tough competition at times, with all three teams dealing with low player numbers due to sickness through the winter months, all of the teams improved immensely over the season and had great fun. Well done to the Stella Red team who will be playing for a medal on Monday night. The Stella White team finished in 5^th place and the Green team in 9^th. Well done to all players and best of luck Stella Red.

Cross Country

Good luck to Pip Q (Year 9) who will represent NSW at the School Sports Australia Cross Country Championships in Victoria next week. This is a huge achievement to run at this event – Well done Pip!

Athletics

We are at the championship end of the athletics season. After weeks of training and twilight carnivals, the Stella athletics team will now compete in a number of Championship carnivals:

CGSSSA: Friday 16 August
IGSA: Friday 23 August
Broken Bay: Tuesday 3 September

Best of luck to the team at all of these events!

Luna Park & Ladies Long Lunch are now on sale

• Luna Park Family event – Saturday 14 September – Tickets on sale!

• Stella Ladies (Mums) Long Lunch – Friday 20 September – Tickets on sale!

Call out for help: Raffle & Silent Auction Donations for Trivia Night (23 August) and Father’s Day Breakfast (30 August)

Can you help? We're seeking prizes for our Term 3 Raffles and Silent Auction.

Your generous contributions will support the 2025 welcome events and a newly chosen mental health charity (to be announced shortly).

Luna Park 2024 Family Day Out is now on sale!

Stella friends and families, prepare for an extraordinary afternoon at Luna Park on Saturday 14 September.

Join us from 1.00pm until the park closes (approx. 8.00pm TBC) for thrilling rides that will leave you breathless. Let's see who's brave enough to conquer the Sledgehammer!

🎟️ Don't miss out—grab your tickets today. Ticket sales close at 4.00pm on Thursday 6 September as we need to pay five working days in advance to get this special price.

Ticket prices are:

🎟️ $42 for adults or daughters/siblings over 14

🎟️ $32 for daughters/siblings under 14.

All the family is welcome, whether they attend Stella or not. We are currently limited to 100 tickets, so first in, best dressed!

🌈🌟 We can't wait to see you at Luna Park on September 14th! 🌟🌈

Click here to purchase tickets

Stella Ladies Long Lunch

We are excited to invite all mums and female carers in our community to the Stella Ladies Long Lunch! This event is the perfect opportunity to take time out, relax, and enjoy a wonderful afternoon with other amazing women from our school.

Event Details:

🗓 Friday 20 September

🕐 1:00 PM

📍 Teddy Larkins, Freshwater

💵 $60 per ticket – includes entrées & main

This lunch is all about unwinding and connecting with fellow mums and carers. Whether you're new to the community or have been with us for years, this is a chance to forge new friendships and strengthen existing ones in a warm and welcoming environment. If you are worried about coming alone, let us know, and we will match you up with ladies from your year.

We received fantastic feedback from everyone and chose a time and place that suited the majority. Teddy Larkins in Freshwater provides the perfect setting for a cozy, relaxed lunch where we can all enjoy each other’s company.

Please mark your calendars and make plans to join us! We look forward to seeing you there for what promises to be a memorable afternoon.

Week commencing Monday 19 August

Week commencing Monday 26 August

The Uniform Shop is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 8.00am to 4.30pm during term and can be emailed on:

uniform_books@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au

Next week blouses and junior skirts will be packed away in preparation for summer. Please make any purchases before Thursday 22 August.

Stockings, gloves, scarves and jumpers are still available online until the end of term.

Black socks $3 (to wear with pants and as an alternative to stockings with the skirt) are available in store. We do hold limited stock as these can be purchased elsewhere.

Sport Representative Hoodies are available for selected teams. These can be worn at the representative sport events and the associated training. Cost is $75.

Please ask your daughter to collect online orders from Recess after the order has been placed. Reminders are generally not sent. Please use your daughter’s name on the order. There is space under ‘Billing Address’ on the order for your daughter’s name.

Please follow this link to the P&F Facebook second hand page:

Term 3