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Dear Parents and Caregivers, 

On Monday, our school community came together in a beautiful expression of faith and unity to celebrate the Feast Day of our patron saint, Our Lady Star of the Sea (Stella Maris). It was a wonderful day of reflection, prayer, and gratitude for the coastal community we are blessed to call home. 

Our Year Three to Six students walked over to the church to celebrate a special Mass with our Parish Priest, Fr Marek and members of the parish. The students participated so well in the prayers and hymns, and we thank Fr Marek for leading such a meaningful service. A special thanks to Miss Starcevich and the Year Three/Four class for preparing the mass. A little later, our junior students took part in a beautiful liturgy held on campus. This special service was wonderfully led by our Year One and Year Two students, with the guidance of Miss Fish and Mrs Tyrrell. Seeing our youngest students lead us in prayer with such confidence and enthusiasm, was a highlight of our day. 

As a school and parish community nestled here in Esperance, this feast day holds a deeply personal significance for us. The title Stella Maris dates back to the medieval period. Just as ancient sailors relied on the North Star to navigate treacherous, open oceans, Christians look to Mary as a guiding light through the storms and challenges of daily life. She is also the official patroness of seafarers and maritime workers, making her the perfect guardian for our beautiful coastal town. 

Thank you to all the staff, students, and families who help make our school a community where Mary’s guiding light continues to shine brightly. 

 Fun Fact. Did You Know?  
Here is a fun historical fact about our school’s namesake! The title “Star of the Sea” actually came from a translation mistake made by a medieval monk. Mary’s original Hebrew name, Maryam, translates in Latin to stilla maris, which means “drop of the sea.” Hundreds of years ago, a scribe accidentally copied the word stilla (drop) as stella (star). The error stuck, creating the beautiful, enduring metaphor of Mary as our guiding “Star of the Sea” that we still celebrate today! 

Thank You  

I received so many messages of condolence on the passing of my beautiful Mum and knowing that there were prayers and good wishes for our family from here was helpful and appreciated. I did get there in time to be with her and my three sisters and brother and we even shared bedside time on Mother’s Day before she eventually succumbed on Tuesday. Friday saw us celebrating the life of an extraordinary woman I am so lucky to have been able to call, Mum.  

Special time for Mr Gordon as MC for the Governor-General in Sydney 

On Tuesday 12 May I was honoured to be the MC at an event hosted in Sydney by Her Excellency, Sam Mostyn, AC, Governor-General of Australia. The G-G is Patron of SchoolAid, a charity I founded in 1999, that aims to reduce the incidence of youth anxiety, depression and suicide. At this reception, where we were celebrating young philanthropists and conferred SchoolAid accreditation, we heard from the president of the Australian Primary Principals Assn, Angela Falkenberg, and from student Willow Frazer from Hunter Valley Grammar School.  

I am proud to share that since inception we have involved over 60% of all schools across Australia and raised almost $7 million for causes kids care about. 

Admiralty House, Sydney, with the Governor-General 

Sacramental Program

As part of the Sacramental program for the children who will be receiving Reconciliation, Holy Communion and Confirmation this year, there are some important family meetings with Fr Marek. Parents and Caregivers of sacramental students are asked to attend the following Sunday Mass where Fr Marek will discuss with the families how to best prepare their children to receive the sacraments. Please keep the children who will be receiving a sacrament this year in your prayers.  

• Sunday 2 August- Mass and Sacramental parent workshop, 9:00am, in the Church. 
• The Sacramental Workshop run by Mildred Rego will be in Term Three, Tuesday 18 September 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (the national data collection) is an annual collection that counts the number of school students receiving an adjustment due to disability and the level of adjustment they are receiving to access education on the same basis as other students.  For more information regarding the NCCD data follow the link below. 

FACT SHEET FOR PARENTS, GUARDIANS AND CARERS 

In Kindergarten, we have been practising counting with one-to-one correspondence to 10, naming the last number counted to show “how many”, making small collections, and recognising numbers 0–10.

We have also been exploring 2-dimensional shapes and creating patterns using a variety of materials and interactive experiences. It has been wonderful to see the children building confidence and enthusiasm as they learn through play and discovery!

This term, the Year Three/Four students have been learning about levels of government as part of our Civics and Citizenship unit. We explored the role of local government and learned about the work of the Esperance Shire Council and how councillors help make decisions for our community. Students then took part in their own classroom council campaigns, where they wrote and presented persuasive speeches explaining why they would make a good class councillor and what classroom issues they would address. After listening carefully to each speech, students participated in a preferential voting process using ballot papers, giving them a hands-on experience of Australia’s voting system and the democratic process.

Our study of Biological Science has come to end with our senior class producing their own biomes. Our Pre-Primary class created habitats for different farm animals and made sure they had all the things they need to survive. Our Year Two class is eagerly waiting for their chrysalises to hatch in celebration of their study of life cycles. Happy investigating everyone!

This month in Friendology, we’re celebrating something pretty special…

💛 We are better together! 💛

One of our favourite reminders comes from Dr Christopher Peterson, who summed up Positive Psychology in three simple words: “Other people matter.”

And isn’t that what friendship is all about?

In Friendology, we help children understand that friendships aren’t about finding people who are exactly the same as us — they’re about appreciating our differences and recognising that those differences make friendships richer, more meaningful, and more fun.

✨ Different personalities
✨ Different interests
✨ Different ways of thinking

This month’s Friendship Fact #2: Every Friendship is Different.

When children learn to honour and celebrate what makes each person unique, they become:
🌟 More open
🌟 More inclusive
🌟 More connected

Because the best friendships don’t happen when we’re all the same…
They grow when we value each other for exactly who we are. 💫

A reminder that all parents/care givers are invited to join URstrong for free! This membership allows you to learn the same language & strategies being taught in the classroom through the Friendology 101 curriculum.

If you haven’t done so already, please follow the following steps to join:

Click here to view an overview of URSTRONG.
Activate your FREE Parent Membership and explore all the resources available to your family.
Explore the hundreds of resources available to you!
Once you have joined, I recommend watching the video below to upskill around the language of the most common friendship issue faced, Friendship Fires.

What is a Friendship Fire? In this podcast interview, learn all about why friendship skills are important and how we’re supporting kids through URSTRONG’s Friendology curriculum to put out their Friendship Fires®.

Catholic School Parents WA invites all members to play an active part in guiding our work by submitting any motions for consideration at the upcoming AGM on 23^rd  June 2026. We also encourage you to consider nominating for the CSPWA Board, or perhaps to nominate someone whose commitment and perspective would strengthen our mission of supporting families in Catholic education across Western Australia. Your involvement ensures our parent voice remains strong, representative, and future‑focused.

We hope everyone is well into the swing of winter sports and managing to stay healthy with all the colds and flus making their way around town!

An exciting, but slightly tentative, save the date for families — our school disco is planned for Wednesday 24 June after school/early evening. Our committee are still working hard behind the scenes finalising all the details (with a huge thanks to Brooke for all her efforts!), and we’ll share more information as plans are confirmed.

We’re looking forward to another fun community event and hope to see lots of students there!

Tash McCarthy

P & F Chair