Stella Newsletter
Student Learning Conferences
Student Learning Conferences (SLCs) are an opportunity for parents, teachers and students to meet and discuss progress so far in 2025 and to identify learning goals and strategies to achieve these.
MS Teams
This year’s SLCs will again be conducted through MS Teams. In preparation, your daughter(s) will be instructed as to how it will work.
SLC sessions are available to all students:
- Wednesday 9 April (4:00 – 7:00pm)
- Tuesday 6 May (2:30 – 7:30pm)
- Wednesday 14 May (2:30 – 7:30pm)
- Wednesday 21 May (2:30 – 7:30pm)
For the sessions starting from 2:30pm, students will be dismissed after Period 4. Period 5 students will be learning remotely with all lesson work being on SEQTA.
Login instructions
Interviews are booked online through an external provider, PTO. Please do not attempt to use login details for PTO from a previous year or your Stella Online login, as neither will work. Instructions for obtaining login details will be emailed the day before bookings open. Please look out for this email. If you do not receive it, contact College Reception.
We highly recommend that you leave a gap between interviews (i.e. do not make bookings back-to-back).
Use a computer to access PTO, not a phone or tablet.
One set of interviews
Currently only one parent (Carer 1 registered on our records) has been set-up in PTO to avoid both parents making a booking. Once the booking is made however, both parents can attend the interviews on separate devices. In this case, the teacher will “call” the student’s laptop, and any parent not physically sitting with the student will be waiting in the MS Teams lobby (more info to follow). While the preference is that only one set of interviews be made per student, if the second parent/carer needs an entirely separate interview, please email Mark Cruise (mark_cruise@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au) and your login details can be provided upon request.
You will receive an email from Mark Cruise (Head of Operations) with further information.
Project Compassion
Every year, Stella joins Project Compassion, the annual Lenten fundraising and awareness campaign by Caritas Australia. This year's campaign runs from Ash Wednesday (5 March) until Monday 4 April.
The theme of Project Compassion 2025 is ‘Unite Against Poverty’, because together we can take action to make a lasting difference!
By donating to Project Compassion, Caritas Australia (the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development), can work with local communities around the world to:
- End poverty
- Promote justice
- Uphold dignity
To make donating easy, students can contribute in the following ways:
- Online via your PC’s QR code
- By placing cash/coins in your PC’s donation box
- By donating cash/coins at Student Reception
Families are encouraged to donate online to their daughter's specific PC class via the 'Our Teams' list on the main Stella Maris College Project Compassion 2025 webpage.
Head Above Water - calling all swimmers!
Parent and Stella Fellas co-ordinator, Nick Poutney, is organising a Stella team to participate in the annual Head Above Water 24-hour swim. Details below:
Parents/carers and daughters are encouraged to participate in the Head Above Water 24-hour swim at the Collaroy Ocean Pool over the weekend of March 22 - 23. The team at Head Above Water raise funds to promote mental health and resilience initiatives that support the Stella community. This is a great event to be part of.
Swimmers of all abilities are welcome, from beginners to casual swimmers, weekend warriors, and experienced pros. The idea is to pick a one hour time slot to swim at a time that suits you.
1. Use this registration link to buy your ticket for the swim - https://headabovewater.grassrootz.com/headabovewaterswimathon25/tickets
You can choose any time and any lane. If you want to swim with friends, coordinate amongst yourselves which time slot you're going to swim in (the lane doesn't matter.) On the first page of the registration form, you'll see all the available times and how many places are still available in each lane.
2. When you get to the question "Are you fundraising in a team?" please select Yes - Join an Existing Team from the dropdown menu and select the Stella Maris team.
3. Use the code TEAM2025 at checkout to pay only $20 (if you forget the code, you'll pay $40!)
Mathspace - Parent and Carer Information Night
Mathspace is hosting a webinar for parents and carers to show how you and your child can use the platform to track their progressive mathematical learning.
Two Zoom seminars will be run on Wednesday 26 March at 6.00pm and 9.00pm.
Community Notices
12 Angry Jurors - coming to Star of the Sea Theatre
Point Break Theatre Company is super excited to announce their upcoming production of the brilliant American play, "12 Angry Jurors" (men and women) at the Star of the Sea Theatre, Manly, from 27 March to 6 April.
