Dear Parents and Carers,

As we conclude another wonderful term at St Paul’s, we reflect on the many rich learning experiences our students have enjoyed, including excursions and the celebration of important school and parish events. 

Our Year 5 and 6 students enjoyed a wonderful camp experience at Berry Sport and Recreation facility. This overnight experience provided valuable opportunities to develop independence, resilience, and leadership skills, while also strengthening friendships and teamwork.

On Thursday, 11 September I attended the Catholic Mission Launch with our school captains, Sienna and Logan. This event reminded us of our mission as Catholics to support people in need. If you would like more information about being a missionary of hope please watch the video below.

This term our parents had the opportunity to visit their child's class for Learning in Action to see an English lesson. I hope that you enjoyed seeing how we teach reading and writing.

Each term, I have the pleasure of hosting an afternoon gathering with the students who have received a Principal’s Award. This is always a highlight for me, as it provides an opportunity to recognise their accomplishments in following our school rules as well as their academic efforts throughout the term.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Father Leo, our Parish Priest, for his leadership in celebrating Masses throughout the term, and for joining with our students in the Sacrament of First Holy Communion. Father Leo’s guidance continues to strengthen our spiritual formation in the mission of the Catholic Church.

This Friday, we will finish the term with our Colour Fun Run, organised by the P & F. The purpose of this special event is to raise funds for new playground markings, which will further support student learning and enhance opportunities for positive social play.

I wish all our families a safe and happy holiday, and I look forward to welcoming everyone back for another exciting term of learning in Term 4.

Kind regards,

Angela Pecnik

Principal

Collaborative Planning Meetings for Students with a Personalised Plan

In eraly Term 4, we will be holding collaborative planning meetings for students who have a personalised plan. These meetings are a great opportunity for parents, teachers, and support staff to come together and discuss your child's progress and goals.

We highly value your input and look forward to working together to ensure every student continues to thrive. Bookings will be made available on Compass for parents to schedule a meeting time. A notification will be sent once the portal opens for bookings.

Smartwatches and Mobile Phones

St Paul’s strives to create an environment that is optimal for learning for our students. In an ever-changing technological world personal devices are available for all age groups. These devices include mobile phones and smartwatches. Personal devices provide messages, notifications, and communication that can distract a student or class from learning. 

Smartwatches and mobile phones have become increasingly popular and are often used as a convenient tool for communication. However, these devices can pose significant distractions during school hours and impede the educational process. To ensure our students remain focused on learning the school has put procedures in place to maintain an environment conducive to learning. 

Mobile phones/ smartwatches should not be brought to school.  However, we are aware that there are some parents and students who feel mobile phones/ smartwatches are necessary for safety reasons. 

Conditions:

The school accepts no responsibility for mobile phones/ smartwatches students bring to school. If students bring a mobile phone/ smartwatches to school it is entirely the responsibility of the student and their family.

Mobile phones/ smartwatches will be turned off while on school premises.

Mobile phones/ smartwatches will be taken to the office for storage during school hours.

Mobile phones/ smartwatches discovered at school that students use to make or receive phone calls, check for or send messages, take out to show other people, play around with to change the settings, use to play games etc. will be confiscated. Mobile phones/ smartwatches that are confiscated will need to be collected by parents. This is to help ensure that parents are aware of the problem we have had with their child and their mobile phone/smartwatch.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring all students have an optimal learning environment.

FIRST COMMUNION

Congratulations to all the students who received the Eucharist for the first time on the weekend of the 13th and 14th September.

CHRISTMAS ART

Students from Years 5 and 6 have been working towards presenting their Christmas Art during Term 3. Last week staff judged the students' art work to choose three from each grade to go through to the Diocese of Wollongong.

Congratulations to the following students whose artworks were chosen.

From Year 5: 

Toby Bancroft - Jesus’ Manger

Lara Williamson - Journey to Bethlehem

Charlotte Duarte - The Long Journey 

From Year 6:

Shontel Ristevski - The Meeting of Heaven and Earth

Harrison Whitehead - A Two Way Road to Bethlehem

Ivy Richardson - Birth of Jesus

Next term all artworks will be displayed in the corridor next to the St Joseph’s Room.

FEAST OF ST FRANCIS OF ASSISI

The Feast Day for Saint Francis of Assisi is celebrated annually on October 4th in the Catholic Church. In Week 1 of Term 4 students will engage in a class liturgy to recall St Francis. St Francis of Assisi is the Saint that we recognise with our value of Inclusion for Term 4.

OCTOBER - MONTH OF MARY

October is known as the Month of the Holy Rosary, a time for Catholics to honor the Blessed Virgin Mary through prayer, particularly the Rosary. The month is dedicated to Mary in gratitude for her protection of the Church. The Hail Mary will be prayed each day in class. 

CRAZY SOCK DAY - SOCKTOBER

On Friday 24th October we will celebrate Crazy Sock Day to raise funds for Catholic Mission. 

Catholic Mission, as the Australian agency of the Pontifical Mission Society contributes funding and provides project support to critical church-run initiatives in Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America as well as remote dioceses within Australia. Catholic Mission creates opportunities for people to be formed in mission, and respond through prayer, fundraising and action, inspiring them to reach out, and give life—within Australia and around the world. All of us engage in mission when we proclaim our faith through our words, actions and lives.

The Mini Vinnies team are promoting this event and ask for a gold coin donation from students wearing crazy socks.

ASSEMBLIES 2025

Each grade will have the opportunity to present an assembly fortnightly on Wednesday afternoons in the hall at 2:30pm. ACE, Principal and Mary MacKillop Awards will be presented at these assemblies. Parents are welcome to attend. Please see below the dates for Semester Two.

 Term 3

Term 4

PB4L Focus Term 3 Week 10 - Library Expectations

We have been explicitly teaching library expectations across the school. Students will participate in a stage practice revising how to:

- Enter and exit the library respectfully

- How to move around the library space safely

- What to do when they finish borrowing

- How to leave the library shelves after visiting the space

Please ensure your child packs a library bag ready for borrowing. 

Monday - Year 5

Tuesday - Year 1

Wednesday - Year 3 

Thursday - Kindergarten

Friday - Year 6, 2 and 4

At St Paul's we have been lucky to have a team of excellent Early Career Teachers at our school. To continue their Professional Learning they have regular meetings with Mrs Staff. During their Early Career teacher planning time they have unpacked the NSW Syllabus, planned engaging lessons that cover the curriculum for their grade and reflected on their teaching through observations and feedback. 

Our Year 1 and 2 staff members have also participated in Phonics training, which is facilitated by the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong. This training has focussed on the teaching of Phonics and it's application to Reading in Stage One. The teachers have implemented lessons and assessed the students based on the Professional Learning to ensure that students recieve systematic phonics instruction at their point of need. This training has been facilitated by Jo Treffone and Lexie Hingston. 

Names to be advised in Week 1 Term 4!

Good afternoon teachers, students, staff and parents. We are your senior leaders signing in for the week Sienna and Harrison. We are delighted to inform you this is the last week of Term 3. That means we only have one more term to go till the end of the school year! 

From the 8th to the 10th of September, Year 5 & 6 participated in many exciting and challenging activities at camp. We did activities like canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing and the cookout. In the evening, students and teachers participated in engaging activities like the mini olympics, and “steal the keys and tag”. Thank you to all the staff that organised and attended camp, we appreciate it greatly!

On the 11th of September our school celebrated RUOK day where students dressed up in full yellow mufti or just simple accessories. Classes also participated in RUOK day activities for example Year 6 did an RUOK day escape room where students solved multiple puzzles to win a prize.

On the 11th of September Mrs Pechnick and the school captains went to Magdalene Catholic College for mission month. At Magdalene Catholic College we learnt about the importance of hope and how we need to keep the people of Zimbabwe in our prayers.

On the 12th of September it was Year 2’s excursion to the Wollongong science space, we asked some Year 2 students what their favourite part was, and here’s what they said. My favourite was the air tube that shoots up a beach ball using air pressure. Another year 2 said their favourite was the planetarium where you could see the earth, planets and Milky Way galaxy. 

 Another activity that many students enjoyed was the basketball gala on the 19th of September where students in years 3, 4 5 and 6 went to the Shelhourbour stadium. I hope you had a fun time playing multiple games of basketball.

Today some students are attending the MacKillop athletics because they made it to the next level in their athletic competition. Congratulations and good luck to the students that accomplished this great achievement. Hope you have fun competing.

Tomorrow the 25th, Year 3 will have their excursion to the Nan tien temple. They will learn about the Humanistic Buddhism culture. Students will also get to have lunch at the temple. Enjoy!

This Friday the 26th of September we will have our colour fun run, where students can buy a ticket to participate. Each ticket is 20 dollars and goes to play ground markings, make sure you remember to wear a white shirt.

So much has and will be happening this and next term.

These are the senior leaders signing out for the term, Sienna and Harrison. Have a great holiday!

Science Centre

On Thursday the 11th September, Year 2 attended their excursion to the Science Centre. This excursion supported the learning from their Science and Technology unit of work. Some of the learning students have been engaged in includes forces, push and pull and The Material World strand focuses on how materials can be changed, manipulated and combined. 

Our curious Year 2 explorers had a fantastic day at the Science Centre in Wollongong! With wide eyes and eager hands, they discovered the magic of magnets, marveled at the spinning planetarium, and watched in amazement through the bubble zone.

The hands-on exhibits were a hit — especially the giant see saw and Air Cannon Challenge – Kids launched soft balls using air pressure and learned how force and motion work together. ! It was a joyful day of learning through play, sparking wonder and excitement about the world around us.

Check out the fun we had...

 
 

Have you completed our volunteer onboarding process?

Before volunteering at any St Paul's events or gala days Parents will need to complete the volunteer induction process. Please see the below link.