The Sunshine News....

"Is as the light of the morning when the sun rises, a morning without clouds, when the tender grass springs out of the earth, through sunshine after rain."

2 Samuel 23:4

Find out how we have been living out God's Mission at Stella Maris, upcoming events, special feast days etc

Meet Our Sunshine Team.......

The Sunshine Team help spread sunshine throughout the school and the community. They meet every Wednesday after school to plan collective worship, think of and carry out ideas to help others, pray together etc. 

The Sunshine Team spreading Love - February 2025

The Sunshine Team raised decided to leave all the members of staff a little surprise for Valentine's Day. They thought it would be nice to spread the love. 

"In this life, we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love." Saint Teresa of Calcutta

The Sunshine Team looking after others - January 2025

The Sunshine Team organised a cake sale and raised £140. Some of the money raised was used by the Sunshine Team to make some care packages for those in our community who are poorly. The Sunshine Team chose all of the goodies to go in the car packages. 

Thinking about those we love - September 2024

After celebrating our special feast day, Alice thought it would be lovely to make some more prayer boats for everyone in the Sunshine Team group. The group decorated them and wrote the name of someone they would like the Sunshine Team to pray for and think about. At the end of our session, we placed the boats on some blue cloth, lit our Sunshine team candle and took some time to think about those people in our lives that might need our thoughts and prayers. Henry finished with a beautiful spontaneous prayer. 

Helping the Imps to have a prayer space - September 2024

The Sunshine Team raised funds to help the new Imps make a prayer space outside., which was so kind of them. The Sunshine Team raised over £200. The Imps have been loving their quiet, prayer space and can often be found outside reading Bible stories together. Thank you Sunshine Team!

The Sunshine Team being inspired - March 2024

Catholic Social Teaching Principle - Dignity of Work

On Wednesday 20th March the Sunshine Team met with Ann and Marion who run a pantry in Hythe. They spoke to the Sunshine Team all about the work that they do for the local people and they answered questions from the Sunshine Team. It was really lovely to hear how their pantry has grown over the years and about all the different ways they help others, both locally and globally.  The Sunshine Team told Ann and Marion all about our very own school pantry and they also thought about ways that we could all work together. 

The Sunshine Team helping Gardening Club - February 2024

Catholic Social Teaching Principle -Creation and Environment

The Sunshine Team, during one of their meetings, helped gardening club to tidy up our school and to make sure all of the plants were fed and water etc. Just like Pope Francis said in his letters, we all need to be looking after God's World. 

"We are stewards, not masters of our Earth. Each of us has a personal responsibility to care for the precious gift of God's creation." Pope Francis

Sophie Showing Love - December 2023 

Catholic Social Teaching Principle - Human Dignity

Sophie re stocked up the Sunshine Team food Pantry after going shopping with her own money to buy some lovely Christmas goodies for the local families to enjoy from the pantry. We are super proud of Sophie, always thinking of our families and making sure the pantry to stocked so no one goes hungry!

The Sunshine Team out visiting! - November 2023

On Wednesday 1st November, the Sunshine Team went to visit a local nursing home, where they chatted with the residents and sang songs. The Sunshine Team also made some decorated hearts to take with them to give to the residents. It was so lovely to see our young people chatting so confidently with people they had just met, and the smiles on all faces was heart warming. One of the residents asked if the Sunshine Team could go back again soon to visit as they definitely bought the sunshine with them! 

How wonderful are our Sunshine Team?

Ivy, Gracie, Henry and Sophie have been amazing this week. All three girls have re stocked the Stella Maris food pantry for our families between them and we think this is definitely showing our Gospel Values. Thank you so much girls!

How Kind!

Benas decided to save up all of his pocket money to help fill the food pantry and he donated lots of items. It was so thoughtful and kind of Benas to think of others in our community. 

How special!

Birdie wanted to do something lovely for her grown ups at school, so she picked some flowers from her nanny's garden and made each adult a boutique. How kind and thoughtful, it really made the adults smile!!

A lovely surprise 

Our lovely Sophie left every member of staff a little gift in their classroom, ready to start the last term of the year. It was such a lovely surprise and so thoughtful. It really did make everyone's day, thank you Sophie and keep spreading that sunshine! 

Helping a New Charity - May 2023

Alba and Luna decided that they wanted to help a brand new charity with their fundraising. The charity is called 'Parent Pathways' and has been set up by our very own Mrs Jessup. The charity aims to help new parents. Both girls created some beautiful paintings to sell and they managed to raise £31. We are really proud of our Sunshine Team members, they are both so inspiring!

Showing such Kindness - April 2023

After the Easter break, Orla bought in her Easter eggs that she had received and put them into our school food pantry. She wanted others to have a special treat! We are so proud of Orla and how kind and thoughtful she is. Such a wonderful role model for us all. 

Thinking of Others - March 2023

Sophie decided that she wanted to help others and decided to cut her hair off, that she had been growing for such along time, and send it to the Princess trust who collect real hair to make wigs for poorly children. She also ask for people to sponsor her to do this. All of the money raised will also go to the trust. Such a wonderful act of kindness!

Solidarity - February 2023

Darcey has only just joined our Sunshine Team and she is already helping to help build God's Kingdom. Darcey decided to sort out her toys and donate lots to the children in Ukraine. Darcey's dad helps to drive the lorries over to Ukraine and he took Darcey's toys to hand out to the children. What a lovely and thoughtful act of kindness from our Darcey. 

Spreading Sunshine Cubes - February 2023

During our Sunshine team meeting we decided to create some Spreading Sunshine Cubes. We thought these could be used by the members to help try and spread sunshine, not only in our school but also in our community and in the wider world. We made links and thought about our Catholic Social Teaching Principles. 

Sunshine Team visit St. Richard's school - November 2022

The Sunshine Team went over to visit St. Richard's Primary school in Dover to tell them all about the Sunshine Team. The children spoke about thier roles in the Sunshine Team,  the qualities needed for being a Sunshine Team member and also shared the Sunshine Team page on the website. 

The Sunshine Team shared lots of pictures of how they have been helping the community. 

The Common Good - November 2022

Sophie has been using her own time to help pack up food bags for the homeless. Sophie gives up her own time, once a week, to make up the food bags for a local charity. We are so proud of Sophie!

Sunshine Team Supporting the Community - November 2022

The Sunshine team visited St. Jospeh's Parish to meet some of the older members of the community who gather together for a cup of tea, a slice of cake and some company. The children chatted, shared cake and played bingo with the older members and it was such a lovely afternoon. The Sunshine Team will be visiting once a month. 

The Common Good - March 2022

Our Sunshine Team member Elsie was inspired by the work of the volunteers at the local Ukraine drop off point and she decided to spend some of her own time drawing pictures to sell for donations. The money Elsie raised was given to Peter for the Ukraine appeal. We are very proud of Elsie and her kindness.

Helping the Homelessness Group in Folkestone 

One of our lovely Sunshine Team members, Sophie, now volunteers in her own time to help pack food bags for the Homelessness Group in Folkestone once a week. The group make up food bags to hand out to the homeless and vulnerable in Folkestone each week and we thought it would be a great idea to make some colourful messages and cards to go inside the food bags. The Sunshine Team worked really hard on making some beautiful cards to go with the bags, in the hope that they can bring a smile to someones face. Well done Sunshine Team.