2026 Term Dates

To assist families with holiday planning, please find below the term dates for 2026:

Term 1

• Friday 30 January: Term 1 commences
• Thursday 2 April: Term 1 concludes

Term 2

• Tuesday 21 April: Term 2 commences
• Friday 5 June: Staff Development Day (Student Free Day)
• Friday 26 June: Term 2 concludes

Term 3

• Tuesday 21 July: Term 3 commences
• Friday 25 September: Term 3 concludes

Term 4

• Tuesday 13 October: Term 4 commences
• Tuesday 1 December: Term 4 concludes

Father's Day Breakfast

Stella dads, grandfathers and male carers are invited to join their Stella student/s to celebrate Father’s Day at our annual Father’s Day Breakfast where a complimentary light breakfast, and tea/coffee will be served.

All attendees must have a ticket, whether a parent, carer or Stella student, so be sure to include your Stella daughter/s in your numbers.

Looking forward to a fun-filled morning with our wonderful Stella fathers.

Date: Friday 5 September
Venue: On the deck, main campus
Time: 7.30am - 8.30am
Tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/f...

RSVPs close on Friday 29 August.

Reminder – Stella Maris College Withdrawal Procedure

We kindly remind parents that it is a condition of enrolment that one full term’s written notice is required if a student is to be withdrawn.

• For students departing at the end of Term 4 (5 December 2025), notice must be provided by the end of Term 3 (26 September 2025).

To submit a withdrawal notice, please email the Registrar at registrar@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au, including your daughter’s withdrawal date, intended destination, and the reason for withdrawal. If one term’s notice is not provided, parents will be charged a terms fee in lieu of notice and will be payable prior to your daughter’s departure.

Year 7 2028 - Applications close tomorrow

A reminder for parents with daughters currently in Year 4 that applications for Year 7 2028 close tomorrow. All prospective students (including siblings of current students) participate in the enrolment process at Stella with the submission of an enrolment application and a family interview.

Please note the following important dates:

• Enrolment applications close: 25 July 2025
• Enrolment interviews: 6 - 11 September 2025

The first step in the process is completing the Enrolment Register via the link below.

We look forward to welcoming our Class of 2033!

Community News

Much Ado About Nothing - Star of the Sea Theatre

Plays six shows from 25 July - 3 August
Shakespeare’s timeless comedy about the war of words between Benedick & Beatrice, challenges the traditional gender cliches so often found in a male dominated society.

Parties, love, verbal sparring, margaritas, and hilarious attempts at unlikely matchmaking are all a part of what is one of Shakespeare’s funniest comedies! This is a PG rated performance.

Directed by: Paul Winchester & Blair Cutting
Costumes: Marisa Newnes
Lighting: Michael Arnott
Sound op / Stage Manager: Ryver Newton

Featuring a multi talented cast:
Brendan Miles, Sammie Bailey, Erica Nelson, Michael Richmond, Julia Grace, Owen Frost, Edward Gay, Lily Vinter, Majella Nolan, Oliver James Damian, Liam Dewar, Ella Castle, Blair Cutting, Bridgette Shields, Katherine Taylor, Flynn Freke, Ivy Lulu.

Much Ado About Nothing Ticket Link

Library News

by Jocelyn Christensen, Teacher Librarian

During the winter school holidays, Stella Maris Library and the English Department hosted a three‑day HSC Study Camp for our Year 12 students. The camp was fuelled by Tim Tams and carrots, while buzzing with productive focus, vibrant friendships, and expert teacher guidance. It created a supportive, collegial environment that energized students and helped them stay motivated for the upcoming trials.

NSW Cross Country

Congratulations to the Stella students who represented NSWCCC at the NSW All Schools Cross Country Championships at Sydney International Equestrian Centre on Tuesday 22 July.

The Stella students were amazing! All of the Stella girls had outstanding results against the best runners in NSW. There were more than 100 students in each race, so the competition was very tough.

A special mention to Bella R and Amelia M who have now been selected to represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Cross Country Championships on the Gold Coast in September! Well done to all runners on their results:

Sarah C: 4^th place (12 years)

Bella R: 5^th place (13 years)

Amelia M: 2^nd place (14 years)

Pip Q: 8^th place (16 years)

Eadie P: 56^th place (18 years)

Soccer Stars

Congratulations to the Stella students who represented NSW at the Emerging Matildas Football Championships at Valentine Park in the holidays. Ellie E was in the U16 NSW team who made the final! Jess P and Gracie B were in the U15 team who made the semi finals.

This is an outstanding achievement to represent NSW at such a prestigious tournament. Well done!

Snow Sports

The Northern NSW Interschools Snow Sports Championships were held at Perisher during the holidays. Ava S (Year 7), Bridey C and Archie H (Year 11) had a fantastic time competing in the snowboard and ski events, achieving outstanding results!

Well done to Archie and Bridey who both competed in the Ski Alpine and Ski X events. Together as a team, they finished in 6th place in the Ski X event! Ava competed in the snowboard events. She finished 10th in the Snowboard GS and has progressed through to the state event in the Snowboard X.

Rugby

Congratulations to Lara M and Matisse F who were selected to play in the NSWCCC U16s rugby 7s team, and to Mya B who was selected into the NSW Barbarians team. Both teams played at the NSW All Schools Championships at the end of Term 2. Matisse was unfortunately injured prior to the tournament, so was unable to play. Lara and Mya had a fantastic tournament.

Congratulations to Lara who was selected into the NSW team to play at the national championships in Queensland in the holidays. Her team finished as runners up! Lara also played in the NSW 15s team in Queensland in the holidays with her NSW team winning the championships! Well done Lara!

Term 3 Sport

We are looking forward to another busy term in Sport!

This term we have the following extra curricular sports on offer for Stella students:

There are also a number of representative sport carnivals on this term:

• 24 July: U16 Futsal Regional Championships
• 25 July: IGSA Twilight Athletics 1
• 30 July: CGSSSA Basketball
• 1 August: IGSA Twilight Athletics 2
• 8 August: IGSA Twilight Athletics 3
• 15 August: CGSSSA Athletics Championships
• 19 August: All Schools Touch Football Regionals
• 20 August: NSWCCC Netball Championships
• 21 August: IGSA Athletics 800m and Hurdles heats
• 22 August: IGSA Athletics Championships
• 26 August: NSW U14 Futsal final
• 27 August: NSW U16 Futsal final
• 29 August: CGSSSA Dance
• 10 September: NSWCCC Football Knockout finals
• 15 September: CCC Athletics
• 18 September: NSW Touch All Schools finals

Cabaret - Broadway Through the Ages

This September, Stella Maris Performing Arts will be debuting an exciting new Cabaret evening, ‘Broadway Through the Ages’. The show draws on an eclectic mix of dramatic, dance and musical material from Chicago, Moulin Rouge, The Phantom of the Opera, Burlesque, Wicked, Beetlejuice, Dreamgirls, High School Musical, In the Heights, Les Misérables and Hairspray. The performances will take place at 6:30pm on Thursday 4 September and Friday 5 September. First round tickets will go on sale in Week 3 starting with exclusive access to the families of performers involved. Tickets will be $15 (student) and $20 (adult). Watch this space for details of pre-show and intermission food and beverage hospitality.

Gold Residential Experience - Cambodia 2025

During the recent holiday break, 40 Year 11 students and eight dedicated Stella staff members embarked on a powerful and life-changing adventure to Cambodia as part of their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award Residential Project. This immersive experience saw the girls volunteering across four village primary schools and the Happy Days English School, where they taught English, played games, and shared music and dance in both English and Khmer.

Prior to departure, the students demonstrated exceptional commitment and community spirit through their tireless fundraising efforts. Their generosity and determination enabled them to purchase 68 bicycles, which were donated to local students in each of the primary schools—transforming daily one-hour walks into a more accessible and safer journey to school. In addition, they supplied 250 tote-style backpacks filled with stationery, books, playdough, clothing, and reusable sanitary products for older female students, helping to support continued education and wellbeing. In total, the group transported over 550kg of donations to families in need.

Alongside their service work, the girls embraced the opportunity to explore the beauty, history and resilience of Cambodia. They visited the awe-inspiring temples of Angkor Wat and the surrounding complex, learned to prepare traditional Khmer dishes in a hands-on cooking class, and delved into the incredible work of Apopo and their landmine-detecting hero rats. A highlight for many was spending the day at the Kalen Elephant Sanctuary, where they were able to walk alongside and care for rescued elephants in an ethical and respectful environment. The adventure continued as they mountain biked through the jungle trails and lush rice paddies of Siem Reap—soaking in the landscape and connecting with the rhythm of Cambodian rural life.

Throughout the tour, the girls threw themselves wholeheartedly into every moment—whether it was running classroom activities, sharing meals with secondary students, or dancing the night away after an inspiring performance at the Cambodian Share Circus. The bonds formed between the Stella students and the local community were genuine and deep, with many students describing the experience as one of the most moving and eye-opening of their lives.

This experience encouraged students to step outside of their comfort zones, connect across cultures, and reflect on their own opportunities with gratitude and newfound purpose. They have returned with a powerful sense of responsibility and a passion for making a difference, not only within their local community but in the world beyond. Their next mission? Leading the charge in Stella’s upcoming 'Beach 2 Beach' charity fun run to continue raising funds for our Cambodian partner schools.

A heartfelt thank you to the Stella staff who supported the girls on this journey, and to Mike and Suzanne Pawley, whose extraordinary work through the Happy Days Charity has made this ten-year partnership with our College so meaningful. Finally, congratulations to our 2025 Gold Award students, whose energy, compassion, and courage made them incredible ambassadors for Stella—shining examples of what it means to lead with heart.

Linda Silburn
Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator

During term, the Uniform Shop is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 8.00am to 4.30pm.

During Term 3 the Uniform Shop will be closed on:

• Thursday 31 July
• Thursday 14 August
• Thursday 4 September

Please follow these links to the Uniform Shop Online Store and price list.

Winter uniforms are available during Terms 2 and 3. Items not listed online can be purchased instore

Many online orders are to be collected. Orders are ready for collection from Recess after the order has been placed. Reminders are only sent as a last resort.

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

Week commencing Monday 4 August

Week commencing Monday 11 August

2025

Term 3

Term 4