Ash Wednesday

Last week we celebrated Ash Wednesday together on the deck. Thank you to everyone who assisted with the prayer. As we now move into the Lenten period, I encourage students to support our Caritas and Mater Dei fundraising.

Supporting Teens

Much advice from experts is given to parents and carers about what will help our young people develop as well-rounded individuals who can balance their needs with the needs of others. What characterises good parenting hasn’t really changed but the environment we are in has.

Teenagers operate in a world where their connectedness is 24/7. Their phones, watches and computers keep them in that social world which their parents/carers did not experience at the same age.

How can we help them keep this in balance?

• By ensuring that there are technology-free times in their day.
• Make sure there are no phones at the dinner table and encourage family talk.
• By keeping technology out of bedrooms in the evening.
• After schoolwork is done and any favourite network shows are seen, ensure the technology is not charged in the bedrooms. This strategy will help your teen to get a good sleep. You may need to invest in an alarm clock!
• By talking about the impact of AI and filters in social media.

It is important for teens to realise that what they see on social media channels is not real. So much of what is present has been altered and manipulated.

For parents and carers that means there is an incredible balancing act that needs to occur.

Parents/carers need to be receptive to the needs of those in their care, by letting them know they love and care for them, that they will listen to them and give them support no matter what has happened.

In equal measure, parents/carers need to set the bar for what are appropriate behaviours for them. Activities need to be age appropriate (don’t give in because ‘everyone else’s parent/carer is permitting it) and not put them in unsafe situations (don’t be afraid to ring the parent/carer who is hosting your daughter for that sleepover).

As well as this, parents/carers need to help their teens self-regulate. Adolescents must learn to be disciplined with study, homework, sport and music practice before they are given freedoms or rewards. The pull of their peers becomes greater over time and their relationship with you can seem more distant. The reality is that the connection to you is changing and allowing them to develop independence and maturity.

At Stella, the Wellbeing Team want to support you in this journey. Please reach out to the Head of Year or the counsellors if you want some advice on dealing with your teens.

Lenten Prayer

Loving God,
You have given humanity
Jesus Christ our Saviour as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming human
And giving His life on the Cross.
Help us to bear witness to You
By following His example
And make us worthy to share in the Resurrection.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son.

AMEN

Open Evening - Wednesday 13 March (early finish)

A reminder that our annual Open Evening takes place on Wednesday 13 March from 4.00 - 7.30pm. To allow time to prepare for the evening, students will be dismissed at 1.30pm. Please make travel arrangements for your child on this day. Thank you to all our wonderful student volunteers and to parents/carers helping out on the P&F barbecue.

Stella Sailors Set Sail

The tides of excitement have risen as our sailors embark on a thrilling new chapter this year, navigating the beautiful waters of Middle Harbour aboard the sleek Melges keelboats. Renowned for its sporty design and impressive speed, it is the choice of boat this year. Each Wednesday afternoon our girls share their passion for adventure and camaraderie. It’s a celebration of sea, sail, and sisterhood.

Ann O’Brien – Sailing Coordinator

Community Youth Mass and Dinner

A warm invitation is extended to attend the Community Youth Mass at St Kieran's Parish this Sunday from 6.00pm.

Dads and Carers Workshop

Fathers and male carers are invited to attend a workshop, "Supporting men to connect to their teens" at the Seaforth Village Community Centre on 20 and 27 March. Further details in the flyer below.

Workshop details

NAPLAN 2024

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual evaluation conducted in Australia for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It aims to identify student progression in literacy and numeracy skills over time. NAPLAN assesses what students have been learning in the classroom in their current and previous years at school, and is linked to the Australian Curriculum: English and Mathematics. They are tailored tests that adapt to a student’s performance, and are administered online.

Students in Years 7 and 9 will participate in NAPLAN tests in writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy during Weeks 7 and 8 this term – 13 to 18 March. Catch-up sessions will occur during 19 to 22 March for students who are absent.

Students have been informed of these dates and reminded that they do not need to worry about the tests. In preparation for NAPLAN, the College will be conducting a practice test session with students during Week 6. This will provide an opportunity for students to become familiar with the online test format, functions and tools. Students do not need to be able to touch type to complete the tests. These practice tests are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Students are required to bring a fully charged laptop, earphones (please avoid Bluetooth devices to circumvent poor connectivity) and a pen/pencil to all NAPLAN tests.

Students can access the public demonstration site to further familiarise themselves with NAPLAN tests. However, excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not recommended.

https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site

Adjustments in NAPLAN tests are permitted for students with disability to enable access to the tests on the same basis as students without disability. These adjustments will reflect the kind of support and assistance normally required for assessment in the classroom. Cath Douglas (Head of Inclusive Learning) will be organising these adjustments and will contact families as required. If you have any queries regarding NAPLAN adjustments, please contact Cath at Cathy_Douglas@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au.

NAPLAN tests are a routine part of the school calendar. However, students may be withdrawn from the testing program by their parent/carer for reasons such as religious beliefs or philosophical objections to testing. This is a matter for consideration by individual parents/carers in consultation with the College and a formal application for withdrawal must be received prior to testing. If you wish to withdraw your child from NAPLAN please contact Kim Naylor (Director of Studies) at kim_naylor@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au and alternate academic activities will be arranged during the scheduled tests.

The data generated from NAPLAN provides valuable insight for students, parents/carers, teachers and schools, to support improvement in best teaching and learning practices.

All students who participate in NAPLAN will receive an individual report of their results in each assessment area. The results are classified into one of four proficiency levels: Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support.

These reports are expected to be available in Term 3.

Some useful links for parents and carers regarding NAPLAN 2024 include:

https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/for-parents-carers

https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/naplan/parent-information#:~:text=You%20can%20withdraw%20your%20child,a%20year%20before%20the%20tests).

Watch a video that explains tailored testing:

We wish our Year 7 and 9 students well for the NAPLAN tests.

Date: Friday 1 March 2024
Venue: Manly Pool (Andrew Boy Charlton Aquatic Centre)
Dress: House colours in the theme of “Super Heroes and Villains”
Time: 8.40am – 3.20pm

The Stella Swimming Carnival is a compulsory school day for all students in Years 7 – 12.

All students should be at school by 8.40am for PC. Students will walk to the pool in PC groups. All students are required to walk back to Stella at the conclusion of the carnival and will be dismissed from school at 3.20pm.

No student will be permitted to go home directly from the pool.

What to wear:

HOUSE COLOURS in the theme: “Super Heroes and Villains”

All students will need a one-piece swimming costume and house coloured swimming cap (available from the uniform shop).

No singlet tops or inappropriate length shorts. Covered shoes must be worn for the walk to and from the pool.

Other important information:

• There will be no canteen on the day
• Bring a hat and plenty of suncream
• No coloured hair spray, feathers or coloured streamers allowed at the pool
• Students must remain in their house areas when they are not competing. The indoor pools and children’s pools are out of bounds.
• Normal school rules apply for the day.
• Students will not be allowed mobile phones at the carnival.
• WET WEATHER: Please keep an eye on emails for any changes to the carnival due to wet weather.

The Events:

Entries for Championship events will close at 5pm on Friday 23 February. All students have been sent the link to enter championship races.

Students my enter non-championship races on the day (50m Freestyle, 50m Breaststroke, 50m Backstroke).

It is expected that all students will participate.

There will be fun out of the water as well: students are encouraged to dress up for the fashion parade, as well as get involved in the cheering, relays etc.

There is no scheduled lunch break. Students are encouraged to bring their own healthy snacks and lunch for the day.

There is no canteen available for students.

We encourage all students to participate! It is a fun day and we look forward to all Stella girls swimming, cheering and getting involved in this great event.

We have had great results in our AFL and water polo competitions. The basketball competition has started up this week, and so far, all teams have had excellent games! Touch football started very early in the term, but has been affected with the recent rain and storm activity. We hope that games can go ahead again next week.

Students are also enjoying participating in a wide range of non-competitive sports. We have had great numbers at run club, surfing, pilates, group fitness and sprint training.

In the coming weeks we look forward to starting Rugby 7s and Cross Country training which will commence in Week 6.

Upcoming Gala Days

Good luck to the students who will be competing at the NSWCCC triathlon and Broken Bay Touch Gala Day in the coming week.

The NSWCCC triathlon will be held at the Sydney International Regatta Centre on 21- 22 February. Unfortunately, due to poor water quality after the recent heavy rain, the swim leg of the event has been cancelled. We are hopeful that weather conditions will allow for a modified duathlon (bike and run) to go ahead.

The Broken Bay U15 and Open Touch Gala Day will be held at Nolan’s Reserve on Tuesday 27 February. Good luck to both of the Stella teams.

Individual Broken Bay / NSWCCC Registrations

A reminder that registrations for the Broken Bay U15 netball trials will close on Friday. Students must be 14 or 15 years of age and have strong representative experience to trial. Students have been emailed the link for registration, or it can be found on the Broken Bay website: https://csnsw.sport/brokenbay/secondary/sport/netball

Long Distance Swimming event nominations are also open. This is for swimmers who compete in swim events outside of school. Experienced and capable swimmers may nominate to swim in long distance events at NSWCCC that are not swum at the Stella or Broken Bay carnival. Students have been emailed the link for registration, or it can be found on the Broken Bay website: https://csnsw.sport/brokenbay/secondary/sport/swimming Nominations will close on March 7.

Hawaii Soccer Tour: July 2024

We are excited to announce that planning is well underway for the 2024 Hawaii Soccer Tour. Students have been emailed details and the link to express interest in attending this tour.

The tour will be held from the 11 - 18 July. The team will travel to Hawaii to compete in the Aloha International Cup. Expressions of interest are open (students 16 and under) and trials will be held on Wednesday 28 February at Keirle Park at 7.15am.

Performances

Congratulations to the Vocal Ensemble and Year 10-12 Elective Music classes for their performances at the Ash Wednesday Liturgy and Opening Liturgy. Your singing was excellent and your ongoing contributions to the musical culture here at the College are valued. For those interested in joining the Vocal Ensemble, please email leanne_haines@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au

Ensembles

All Music and Drama ensembles are now up and running. If your daughter would still like to join please email leanne_haines@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au. First performances for all music ensembles will be at Music Open Evening on Wednesday 13 March. A schedule will come out shortly with performance times.

Shrek

We are very excited to have Andrew Waldin join the Shrek production as Director and Sarah Mitchell as Assistant Director. Just a reminder that rehearsals have changed to Monday and Tuesday afternoons. Ms Mitchell will continue to send out weekly rehearsal updates to students. Please look out for emails if you are required for a Tuesday morning Vocal rehearsal as well. The band have now started rehearsing on a Thursday morning.

Out Front Exhibition

Congratulations to Stella Class of 2023 students Josie Fowler, Ashley Gerber and Holly Wickham whose artwork has been selected for the Out Front Exhibition.

The Exhibition is open from 1 March to 14 April at the Manly Art Gallery and Museum.

Save the date: P&F General Meeting – Thursday 29 February, 2024

JOIN US: Our first Stella General P&F meeting of the year will be held Thursday 29 February at 7.30pm in the Library in Scholastica (please note new venue). Please mark your calendars and join us as we discuss all the plans for 2024!

Watch out for details via email early next week on how to join remotely if you cannot attend in person. Everyone is welcome!

Call out for a Year 11 Rep for WhatsApp Admin

Join our dynamic Stella Maris College community as a Year 11 WhatsApp Admin in 2024! Help facilitate seamless communication, foster positivity, and support parents/carers and students. Whether experienced or new, your enthusiasm is what counts. Please express your interest by reaching out to us today! Contact Clare via the P&F email pandf@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au.

Help needed - Open Evening BBQ – Wednesday 13 March

On Wednesday 13 March, the school will hold its Open Evening for prospective students from 4.00 - 7.30pm. To support the school, the P&F will be running the BBQ. We seek volunteers to set up, cook, and serve about 500 sausages in three hours. If you can spare an hour or two, we will need about 12-14 volunteers doing one-hour shifts from 3.30pm until about 7.45pm approx. Please sign up by Friday 8 March - thanks!

Join us for an exclusive Year 7 Social at Freshwater Brewery - Thursday 21 March

As we continue to foster connections within our school community, we invite Year 7 Parents & Carers to join us for a special gathering at the Freshwater Brewery in Brookvale. Hosted by our dedicated Year 7 WhatsApp admin, Catriona Turnbull, this event promises an evening of casual camaraderie and enjoyment.

• Date: Thursday 21 March
• Time: 7.00 - 9.00pm
• Location: Freshwater Brewery, Brookvale
• Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1178871. Your ticket includes your first drink and a selection of delightful nibbles to accompany our conversations.

Take advantage of this opportunity to connect with other Year 7 parents and carers in a relaxed atmosphere. We look forward to seeing you there!

WhatsApp Channels

Here is a list of the P&F WhatsApp Channels and the admin(s) who look after them:

The Uniform Shop is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 8.00am to 4.30pm during term and can be contacted via email:

uniform_books@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au

Reminders

Year 9 200 Hours Music texts need to be prepaid this week.

Hospitality uniforms need to be paid for and collected this week.

There are still Year 7 Art Packs that have been ordered and not yet collected.

All Term 1 extra curricular sports uniforms should now be purchased. Please come in this week if your daughter does not have hers.

Track jackets in the smaller sizes will be available online by the end of the week.

The Swimming Carnival is on Friday 1 March. It is preferred that the girls swim in a colour house swim cap. These can be ordered online.

Winter uniforms will be available to Year 7, Year 10 and new students who started from Term 4 last year from 5 March. Year 10 students are to come at Recess and Lunchtime only. Parents have been emailed details.

The Uniform Shop has packed away most of the dresses and shorts till the end of Term 3. A small selection of sizes are available till the end of this term.

We are holding many online orders. Please ask your daughter to collect their online orders from Recess after the order has been placed. Please use your daughter’s name on the order.

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

Week commencing Monday 26 February

Week commencing Monday 4 March

Term 1

Term 1

Wednesday 31 January - Friday 12 April

Term 2

Tuesday 30 April - Friday 28 June

Term 3

Tuesday 23 July - Friday 27 September

Term 4

Tuesday 15 October - Tuesday 3 December