Mother's Day Breakfast - Friday 8 May

We extend a warm invitation to all Stella mums, grandmothers and special female figures in the lives of our students to our traditional Mother’s Day Breakfast on Friday 8 May from 7.30am.

Please note, for catering purposes, we have a strict RSVP date of Friday 1 May AND we require you to include your daughter/s in numbers when booking tickets.

Winter Uniform Changeover

The first two weeks of Term 2 serve as a transition period, during which either the summer or winter uniform may be worn. The Winter uniform is compulsory from the start of Week 3. This includes the blazer.

Beach2Beach - Super Early Bird Registrations Now Open

Each year, students and staff involved in the Duke of Edinburgh program proudly participate in the iconic Beach2Beach Fun Run to raise funds for Happy Days—a charity founded by Mike Pawley that supports the education of disadvantaged students in Cambodia. We warmly invite you, your family, and friends to join the college team in this year’s event and help us achieve the title of the Largest School Team for 2026! All prize money received will be donated to Happy Days in support of this wonderful cause.

Event Details
Date: Sunday, 23 August

Courses:

• 3 km: Mona Vale to Newport Beach
• 6 km: Warriewood to Newport Beach (Duke of Edinburgh students will participate in this event and will be registered by staff)
• 14 km and Half Marathon (16+ years): Dee Why to Newport Beach

Please use the Stella Maris College TEAM LINK to register with our team.

The Super Early Bird registrations are on now. Register before they sell out.

Student Learning Conferences (SLCs)

Student Learning Conferences (SLCs) provide an opportunity for parents, teachers and students to discuss student progress to date in 2026, and to collaboratively set learning goals and strategies for ongoing improvement.

• SLC #2 29/04/26 Term 2 Week 2
• SLC #3 5/5/26 Term 2 Week 3
• SLC #4 22/07/26 Term 3 Week 1

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.

Login instructions

Interviews are booked online through an external provider called Booked. Please do not attempt to use your Stella Online login, or your past login details for Booked (previously known as PTO), as neither will work. Instructions for obtaining login details are below and are clearly explained within the document. Although you will be able to obtain login details, please be aware that you will only have access to book at the times/dates mentioned above. We highly recommend that you leave a gap between interviews (i.e. do not make bookings back-to-back). Use a computer to access Booked, rather than a phone or tablet.

One set of interviews

Currently only one parent (Carer 1 as registered on our records) has been set-up in Booked to avoid both parents inadvertently making a booking. Once the booking is made however, both parents can attend the interviews, on separate devices if needed. In this scenario, the teacher will “call” the student’s laptop (as per all interviews), and any parent not physically sitting with the student will be waiting in the MS Teams lobby (more info to follow) once they click on the teacher’s link.

Shared custody arrangements

We recognise that shared custody arrangements can make SLCs more complex for families. However, we are unable to offer separate meetings for the same student. Many of our teachers are fully booked and unable to accommodate all existing requests, so allocating two slots for one student would not be fair to other families. In addition, our conferences are student-centred, and the student’s presence is essential to meaningful discussions about their learning. Attending two meetings with each teacher places undue stress and anxiety on the student. We aim to keep the experience supportive and positive for them, and suggest the following options to support shared participation:

• Divide subject areas so that each parent can attend some conferences.
• Alternate attendance year by year.
• Use SEQTA to stay informed about your daughter’s progress and feel free to contact staff via email with any concerns.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation and please refer to further instructions on the College app.

Careers Expo

St Augustine's College has extended an invitation to Stella families to attend its Careers Expo on Tuesday 28 April - details below:

English News

Debating

Enrol now! Last chance to sign up to participate in debating in Term 2. Registration and payment must be done before EASTER MONDAY in order to participate in the competition.

Debating will run in Term 2 for students in Years 7 - 10. Students will participate in the ANVDC (Australian National Virtual Debating Competition) during school hours in Term 2. Coaching sessions will run on Wednesday afternoons from 3.30pm in the library every week in Term 2. Participating students are required to enrol for the “Debating and Public Speaking” option via the link below and pay the fee of $307 directly to ANVDC. See the ANVDC website for more information, or email alison_tedman@stellamaris.nsw.edu.au.

Textiles and Design News

We are delighted to celebrate Class of 2025 graduate Holly Ashworth, who has been selected for the prestigious TexStyle Exhibition for the 2025 HSC Textiles and Design Major Projects.

This remarkable achievement recognises excellence at the highest level across the state and highlights Holly’s outstanding creativity, technical skill and artistic vision. Holly’s exquisite wall hanging, My Sense of Home – Ocean Scapes, showcases a rich and sophisticated range of textile embellishment techniques.

Her work features hand embroidery using an array of stitches, including turkey work tufting and stumpwork, to create striking three‑dimensional effects. These are beautifully complemented by hand beading, freeform machine embroidery, machine and trapunto quilting, fabric dyeing and painting, and chenille hand‑appliquéd panels.

A kaleidoscope of hand‑embroidered techniques brings her under‑the‑sea work vividly to life. Drawing inspiration from the contemporary embroidery movement and the theme My Sense of Home – Ocean Scapes, Holly’s design reflects the influence of textile and visual artists Meredith Woolnough and Sandra Meech, whose work explores a deep connection to place and the natural world.

We are incredibly proud of Holly’s exceptional skill as a textile artist, as well as her dedication, creativity and enthusiasm throughout her Major Textile Project.

Congratulations, Holly, on this outstanding and well‑deserved achievement.

Note: Exhibition on now at Gallery 76 (76 Queen Street, Concord West) from 1 March - 24 April 2026.

Luci Kelly
Head of Food Technology and Textiles

Welcome back Osaka Seikei Girls' High School

We were delighted to once again welcome students from Osaka Seikei Girls’ High School to Stella Maris College, as part of their continued cultural and English immersion experience with us. This year, a group of 14 students, accompanied by their familiar and much-loved teachers, Mr Yokoyama and Ms Kira, joined our school community.

It was especially heartwarming to reconnect with the teachers and to learn that one student from last year’s group chose to return again this year. This is a true testament to the positive and lasting memories created during her previous visit to Stella Maris.

During their time with us, the Osaka Seikei students enjoyed a rich and engaging program. The group participated in our St Patrick’s Day celebrations by wearing a touch of green, and we appreciated their willingness to embrace this experience. While not an Australian cultural tradition, it offered a valuable opportunity for cultural curiosity and further exploration into its meaning and significance.

The students also delivered a speech at our school assembly. While this can be a challenging task in a second language, it was incredibly brave of the students to stand up and present in full English, and our community warmly supported their efforts.

The group had the opportunity to explore our campus, including time in our new Polding Centre, and to join lessons with our Year 8 Japanese Language class. These shared learning experiences allowed for meaningful language practice, cultural exchange, and the building of new friendships. We trust that our Japanese language students greatly benefited from this experience, gaining a boost in their language learning over the past few days and learning more about contemporary Japanese culture and student life.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to Osaka Seikei Girls’ High School for their continued trust in our program and for choosing to return to Stella Maris once again.

A special thank you also goes to our Year 8 Japanese Language students, who were exceptional buddies and hosts, welcoming our visitors, showing them around the College, and spending time together during recess and lunchtime. Your warmth and enthusiasm truly enriched our guests’ experience and beautifully embodied our school value for this year, the Year of Hospitality.

We look forward to continuing this wonderful partnership and creating many more shared memories in the years to come.

Mrs Mika Sennet and Mrs Ana Gonzalez

Stella Cross Country Carnival

The Stella Cross Country Carnival was held on Monday 30 March. It was a beautiful Autumn day – perfect conditions for cross country. The big surf and flooding of the lagoon park over the weekend caused a last minute change of course, so the races were held entirely on the Queenscliff to Manly beachfront this year. The beach provided the perfect backdrop for a nice, flat 3 – 4km run!

Almost 150 Stella students took part in the races! Everyone ran their hardest, and there was lots of fast times over the flat course. The Stella spirit was definitely on show, with everyone cheering each other along the way. Congratulations to all the students who ran, and well done to those who finished in the top three:

The 16 year age group will be finalised early in Term 2, as several runners were away on Duke of Ed on Monday.

Futsal Regional Championships

The NSW Football School Futsal Regional Championships took place over the last two weeks. Stella entered teams into the U14 and Open divisions of the Sydney North Regional Championships at the Dee Why PCYC. The Stella teams both performed incredibly!

The Open Championships were held on Tuesday 24 March. Stella had a young team, but that did not stop them dominating all day! The team went through the round games undefeated, had a strong win in the semi final and went on to beat Pittwater House in the Grand Final! Congratulations to all members of the team on being the Sydney North Open Futsal Champions 2026: Sophie L, Camille C, Charlotte C, Ann M, Gracie B, Siena A and Lola H.

The U14 Championships were held on Tuesday 31 March. This was the first futsal gala day for most of the Stella team. They had a wonderful day, going through undefeated in the round games and semi final. They met a strong Queenwood team in the final, and were unlucky to lose 3 – 2. Well done to all members of the team: Aria B, Lily C, Poppy L, Eloise N, Sylvie P and Emily S.

Both Stella teams will now progress through to the State final in Term 3.

Term 1 Grand Finals

It has been an exciting week for many of the Stella sporting teams who have played in grand finals across lots of different sports for the Term 1 sport competitions!

On Saturday 28 March, there was seven Stella teams playing in finals in touch, tennis and AFL. It was a very successful day for the Stella teams, with six of the seven teams winning!

Tennis Grand Finals

In tennis our top team finished the season in style. They played in a high division all season and did well to have a dominating win over Ascham.

Touch Grand Finals

In touch football, four of the five teams made it to the grand final and we came away as premiers in all of these games!

Stella 2 had an exciting game against Monte, where we scored a try in the last seconds to win the game 3 -2!

Stella 3 topped off an absolutely outstanding season with a 10 – 0 win against Monte in the Year 7 division 1 competition! This team was unstoppable all season, going through the whole season without losing a game, and barely having a try scored against them!

Stella 4 showed how much they have improved over the season securing a strong win over Ascham!

Stella 5 had a very close game against Danebank. After having a close loss to them in the round games, they played their hardest and managed to keep Danebank scoreless to finish in a 0-0 draw. This meant both teams were joint premiers!

We also had the Peninsula Cup grand finals for touch football on Monday afternoon. Five Stella teams played in the finals, and it was very exciting to come away with three wins! Congratulations to all Stella teams on an outstanding touch football season!

AFL Grand Finals

The AFL finals were held at PLC Pymble on Saturday afternoon. Both of the Stella Year 7 and 8 teams made it to the grand final this season!

Our Div 4 team have improved so much and played their best match of the season in a very exciting grand final! The game was close from start to finish and we were very excited to come away with a one point win! Congratulations to the team on being premiers of the Sydney Independent Schools AFL competition.

Our Div 1 team also had a close and nerve-racking game against Brigidine. The lead swapped between the two teams over the game, and in the end, Brigidine were just ahead by a goal when the final siren sounded. Congratulations for being the first Stella team to reach a grand final in Division 1!

AFL

Our talented AFL players have had a busy week, with lots of representative AFL being played this week!

On Monday evening, the AFL Sydney Independent Schools Representative Game was played at the GWS Giants HQ! Amali E and Charli S were selected to play in this game to represent in the Sydney North team. It was an honour for them to play in this elite game, and exciting to play on the Giants field! Both of these students have a lot of representative experience through the Swans Academy teams, and their experience definitely showed on the field. Congratulations Amali and Charli.

On Tuesday the CGSSSA/Sydney Catholic school representative trials were held at Sutherland. Stella had six students play at these trials and the strength of the Stella AFL program showed on the day. The standard was very high, and the Stella girls were up there with the best of them! Congratulations to the girls who played: Claudi S, Lucy T, Ella F, Eve S, Emily C and Mackenzie W. Good luck to the students who have been selected to play at the NSWCCC Championships in Wagga in May.

Soccer

Emerging Matildas

We are so proud of Gracie B and Evie M (Year 9) who have been selected to represent NSW at the Emerging Matildas National Championships which will be held in Melbourne these holidays. It is an amazing achievement to be selected to play at this elite competition and we wish them the best of luck!

Bill Turner Cup

Stella kicked off the 2026 Bill Turner Cup campaign last week with the round one game against Mackellar. The conditions were tough, playing on an unusually cold and rainy day, but it didn’t stop the Stella team playing some great football! Well done to the team on a 3 – 2 win. We will now move onto the next round against Pittwater House.

NSWCCC Swimming

The NSWCCC Swimming Championships were held on April 2 and 3 at Sydney Olympic Park. Stella had nine students selected to represent CGSSSA at this event.

The results on day one were outstanding!

Stella had two relay teams compete on day one. Our junior medley relay (Ella T, Chloe W, Piper B and Keira C) finished an impressive 10^th. But it was our Open Girls 4 x 50m relay team who stole the show! The team swam the race of their lives to win the NSWCCC open final! Congratulations to Charlie C, Jess O, Zara D and Mila C who are NSWCCC Champions! They now progress through to the NSW All Schools Championships in May.

Results from day two will be published in the next Stella newsletter.

CGSSSA Touch

Congratulations to the 13 Stella students who were selected into the CGSSSA touch football squads for 2026: Ellie F, April U, Summer B, Matisse F, Lara M, Charlotte B, Beatrix B, Siena A, Emily C, Anieke C, Ella F, Claudine S and Ruby H. These girls attended the final selection trial with the other CGSSSA schools on March 25. Well done to the students who were selected into the final team to play at the NSWCCC Championships in Term 2.

Term 2 Sport

Thank you to the many students who have signed up for Stella sport in Term 2. We have hundreds of registrations across the different sports again next term. All students were sent the links to register last week. If they are still interested in joining a sport, but have not yet signed up, they should register by the end of term.

Stella Athletics Carnival

Save the Date: 6 May at ES Marks Athletics Track

All details will be sent to students and parents early in Term 2.

Dance Updates

It has been a very busy term with auditions, organising the groups, and starting routines. Everyone has been working very hard and the routines are looking great. Thank you to everyone for their continuous attendance and dedication to their teams.

Next term, in week 1, the Dance Camp will be running during school hours. The Dance Camp is on the first Thursday and Friday back of Term 2: 23 - 24 April.

Please note that not all teams will be required. The focus is on preparing the Extension teams for their first competition in May. Company and Ensemble teams do not have any competitions or performances until June 19, which means there is not as much urgency to complete their routines.

A schedule for Dance Camp will be sent out by Monday 20 April. Dancers will not be required for the whole day, more likely one or two periods per day, so they must be prepared to attend regular classes on the Dance Camp days.

I am very excited to see all the routines on stage and cannot wait for the competition season to begin.

Have a wonderful Easter break.

Miss Jones

Term 1 Highlights

The Stella Maris College Duke of Edinburgh program has had an incredibly busy and exciting start to 2026, with three major Adventurous Journeys already completed this term. We began with our Gold Tasmania trip, where students were challenged by new environments, teamwork, and heatwave temperatures to display great independence in a truly spectacular setting. This was followed by the Kangaroo Valley canoe and hike, which tested resilience, navigation skills, and group cooperation both on the water and on the trail. Currently, 32 of our students are in Mt Kosciuszko National Park completing their Silver Adventurous Journey in the Snowy Mountains. These experiences continue to build confidence, resilience, and strong friendships, and it has been wonderful to see the girls support and encourage one another through each challenge.

A big thank you to our Gold Award students who generously assisted at the Year 7 Camp earlier this term. Your leadership, initiative, and care for the younger students were outstanding and very much appreciated. We also acknowledge our Year 11 students who have started a crochet group with our new Year 9 Bronze students, creating beautiful blankets for new mothers in Timor Leste — a wonderful example of service and community in action. This term we have also welcomed a huge 127 new Year 9 students into the Bronze Award, and we are currently working through award plans and assessor forms as they prepare for their Pack and Paddle adventure next term. Finally, we are now collecting donations and prizes for the 2026 Cambodia Online Auction, which will open early next term. Please see Holly or Ms Silburn if you are able to contribute a prize or support this important fundraiser.

At the close of every adventurous journey we ask the girls to communicate their 'highlight, lowlight, spotlight' as a way of reflecting and learning from our experiences. Here are some Term 1 student responses:

Highlight:

'A highlight of the journey was getting closer to my friends and people I've never spoken to. I also loved how even though it rained, it didn’t stop us from having the best time ever.'

'The company!! It was amazing spending time with my friends, as well as our amazing group leaders and teachers.'

'The energy and adrenaline of the group pulling together to get camp set up in the pouring rain, racing against the clock.'

Lowlight:

'My lowlight was how physically challenging the canoeing was. After Saturday and canoeing for 14km for two days straight my arms were so tired'

'A lowlight was the weather but that was something we couldn't change so we decided to embrace it rather then dwell on it.'

'Having to get on the plane because I wanted to stay in Tasmania.'

Spotlight:

'Mr Nic brought the spirits up throughout the trip - had lots of good laughs, and he never failed to make a dad joke whenever the opportunity would arise.'

'Ms Kelly was so fun to be around and uplifting. She was joining in with us students as well as also acting as a supportive figure.'

'To all the staff, girls and Henry the possum who went on Three Capes Hike, you were all so much fun.'

Thank you also to Lola W who made the following video of the January Tassie Gold journey.

Uniform Shop News

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

The Uniform Shop will be closed for the April holidays. Online orders placed during the holidays can be collected the first day of Term 2. The first two weeks of Term 2 are changeover weeks. Either summer or winter uniforms can be worn. Winter uniform is compulsory from the start of Week 3. This includes the blazer. The winter uniform can still be purchased in the first two weeks of Term 2. No bookings are available.

Please encourage your daughters to collect their online orders.

Online Uniform Orders

2026 Pricelist

Second Hand Uniforms

Week commencing Monday 20 April

Week commencing Monday 27 April

We wish all our volunteers a very happy and restful holiday. HAPPY EASTER!!

Majella and Cheryl

Upcoming events

Luna Park Family Day - tickets still available!

We have fixed the ticketing limit issue, so please be assured tickets are still available!

A fun day is planned for our Stella community!

Gather your friends and family for a day at Luna Park on Saturday 2 May 2026, from 10am to 8pm.

Unlimited ride tickets are offered at the following special price for Stella:

• Riders > 132cm - $40 (plus booking fee)
• Riders <132cm - $30 (plus booking fee

Special prices on Retail Food and Beverages when prepaid too!

Ticket sales close at 5pm on Friday 17/4 and are limited to 100 tickets, so jump in quick to secure your ticket!

Family and friends are welcome, even if they don’t attend Stella.

Click here to purchase https://events.humanitix.com/stella-family-luna-park-day

See you there!

Trivia Night - Friday 12 June

Back by popular demand, Trivia Night is almost here! This parents-only favourite promises plenty of laughs, friendly competition and a great night out at the Manly Leagues Club. Start forming your tables of 10, dust off your best costumes, and get those thinking caps ready — you won’t want to miss it. Tickets go on sale in Term 2.

Term 2

2026 Term Dates