Dear parents, carers, staff and students

We have arrived at the last week of Term 2. We can all agree that it has been a very busy and fun filled term of learning and teaching. Some of us have found this winter extremely cold and wish it were over, while others prefer the colder months and thoroughly enjoy the winter season.

As we enter into our holidays, may I ask all students to listen to the good advice that your parents give you to be safe and well. Please ask your parents/carer’s permission when leaving your family home, your parents and I need to know that whoever is supervising you is being responsible for your safety.  We all want you to enjoy your holidays and come back safely to us.

Immaculate Heart of Mary

Last weekend 30 June, we observed our Diocesan Feast day: The Immaculate Heart of Mary.  Mary is patroness of our Diocese, under the title of her Immaculate Heart . This was the title chosen by Pope John XXIII when on 6th June 1959, he dedicated what was then a new Diocese to Our Lady. As we celebrate the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the whole Diocese of Wollongong looks to Mary, the Mother of the Church. Thanks to the Marian shrines and churches around the Diocese dedicated to the Mother of God, devotion to Mary should be very strong and widespread among the people in our local Church. The Blessed Virgin Mary is an image of the Church which, nourished by hope, acknowledges the saving and merciful action of God, in whose light our diocese reads our own journey and all of history….

To the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Mother of hope and of consolation, we confidently lift up our prayer: to Mary we entrust the future of the Diocese of Wollongong.

Reconciliation Retreat Day

Last Thursday approximately fifty- two students attended their Reflection day in preparation for the sacrament of Penance. The children from our state and Catholic schools participated in activities that gave them a deeper understanding of the sacrament. Mrs Ferguson took the children to the church and gave very student an opportunity to practice how to receive the sacrament.

Let us keep these young children in our prayers as they receive the sacrament of penance.

Heavenly Father, Your Son Jesus taught us how to forgive when dying on the cross on that first Good Friday He asked you,”Father forgive them.”

I hear you saying, ”I love you as you are, don’t ever doubt it.

My love has no conditions.

It’s not that kind of love that waits until you are good or worthy.

Your name is written on my palm.

I say it again and again; I love you as you are.

I am that kind of God, that forgets your mistakes.

I forgive and forget.

I always see you new and fresh, starting again.

I know you have turned away from my love.

That just makes me open my arms wider saying.

My child you are far more important to me, Than anything you did.

As long as you believe I love you and never stop loving you and,

All I ask is that you try to love me back and remember,

You are the child of a forgiving God.

Sincere Thanks

I take this opportunity to thank the staff for the immeasurable hours they spend each day in preparing and providing quality learning and teaching experiences for our children. Our promise to each of you is to make a difference in the student’s day-to-day lives at school and they deliver with satisfaction. To each of them I say thank you on your behalf for a rewarding semester.

I am ever so grateful for their continual support and loyalty.

I wish each of you a safe and restful holiday, praying that you return refreshed to continue the learning journey of our students.

Happy Holidays

I wish all our students a very happy and safe holiday. Always remain within the eyesight of an adult and avoid dangerous play. I want each of you to return in Term 3 rested and ready to take on new challenges in your learning. 

I call on God’s abundant blessings on you and your families.

Colleen Easton, Principal

We invite you to join our students who attend Mass each Friday at 9:30 am. 

• Friday 5 July, 2019 Year 6 will attend Mass.

What a great opportunity to join with the children of our parish school to pray for all those who are in desperate need of God’s help.

These dates and classes are subject to change.

Principal's Awards

Congratulations to the following students who received a Principal's Award at our last Assembly on 21 June 2019:

Stephen Jones

Congratulations to the following students who will receive a Principal’s Award at our next Assembly on Friday 5 July 2019:

Sienna Allitt, Ava Quinones, Elliott Klein, Zaviiah Green and Henry Smallman

The Mayor of Shellharbour City Council, Mayor Cr Marianne Saliba will be at our school on  Monday, 29 July 2019 at 8:55 am to present Thomas Allen and Janae Robertson with the Beverley Whitfield Award for 2019.

Our next Assembly will be held this Friday 5 July 2019 commencing at 2:20 pm in the hall.  The Year 6 students will be presenting this Assembly and the theme will be NAIDOC Week.  

Parents and Carers are asked to use the Parish side entrance to the hall.

Our Week 8, Term 2 Waste Free Warrior Winners are:

• Max Sutton - Year 6 Blue
• Ebony McCloy - Year 4 Blue
• Scarlett Carrett - Year 2 Blue
• Emma-Lee Sutton - Year 4 Blue
• Isaiah Infante - Year 4 Blue

NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognises the valuable contribution they make to our community. 

Celebrated each July, NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for Australians from all walks of life, to come together and participate in activities that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. The week is celebrated not only in Indigenous communities but also by government agencies, schools and organisations, local councils and a growing number of workplaces around the country. 

A few weeks ago, St Paul’s Catholic Parish Primary School, Albion Park moved to a new Financial Management system, TechnologyOne, and adding enhancements to our Compass Student Information System. This is an exciting transition for our school and will result in more efficient electronic financial management for our school office.

School fee management will also move to TechnologyOne.  Please be aware that:

• Your school fee statement and receipts for payments will look different
• The school fee statement you receive from the new financial system will have a ‘balance carried forward’ and any transactions that have occurred during the month rather than a detailed list of any transactions completed during the year due to the movement of the fees from the old financial system to TechnologyOne
• All current BPay, Direct Debit and Centrepay arrangements will continue as normal and be electronically redirected to your new school fee account in TechnologyOne
• After you receive your first statement from TechnologyOne, if you do pay via BPay we ask that you update the BPay details as per the new reference numbers on your statement

As part of this change we will also have new features available in Compass. These will include:

• Visibility of your school fee account in the Parent Portal
• The ability to pay school fees and pay for events such as excursions via the Parent Portal 

EXCURSIONS / EVENTS

All excursions will now be known as Events in the Compass Parent Portal.  We will no longer be sending home hard copies of Excursion notes for parent permission and payment. 

Parents will receive an email notifying them that they have an event to attend to in Compass.  You will then click on this link and following the instructions on the screen to give your child consent to attend and to make the payment online using your credit / eftpos card.

If you child is not attending an Event could you please email the school informing us the reason your child will not be participating. Please send the email to this address:

info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au

Should you have any queries or require assistance with your login details for the Compass Parent Portal please do not hesitate to contact the school office. 

This year the first semester report for your child will be electronically provided using the Compass portal. You should receive this on Thursday 4 July 2019.

Please contact the office if you require your login details for the Parent Portal on Compass to be updated / verified - ie., reset your password.

All parents will have an opportunity to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss the report.  Refer to the Parent Teacher Interview article for further information.

You will then have an opportunity to make an appointment with your child’s teacher for a parent/teacher meeting.

Access to book an interview time with your child's classroom teacher can be made through the Parent Portal on Compass.

Refer to the attachment for instructions on how to book this throught the Compass App. 

Please note that these bookings will be opened for you to access as of Wednesday 3 July 2019 afternoon at 3 pm.

On Wednesday 7 August 2019 from 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm all parents and carers are invited to celebrate your child’s learning. The classrooms will be open for you and your child to share their First Semester learning.

We will celebrate this special feast day of SS Joachim and Anne on Friday 26 July 2019.  We will commence the day with a liturgy, then visit our classrooms, share lunch together and then be entertained with the annual Creative Arts Dance Spectacular. I would like to extend this invitation to all grandparents, parents, carers and family members to come and celebrate this special day with us.

The following timetable will help with organising your availability to attend if you are working on the day.

10:30 am:                    Liturgy in the church

11:15 am:                    Open Classrooms

11:45 pm – 12:15 pm:  Lunch

12:15 pm– 12:30 pm:   Preparation for Dance Spectacular on the Front Playground

12:30 pm – 1:30 pm:    Dance Spectacular

Grandparents Day Prayer

Loving God, You have given us the wondrous gift of grandparents. Your gracious love is reflected in their love and care for us.

We thank You, Lord, for the surprises grandparents give, for our things and our problems that they fix, for the stories they share.

We thank You, Lord, for the ways our grandparents spoil us, for the celebrations they never forget, and for all the snuggles they give.

We thank You for giving us grandparents to share their wisdom, to listen to us, to be there loving us.

Happy Grandparents Day!!!

Each year the staff prepare the students for this event in the Key Learning Area of Creative Arts. The Stage outcomes are achieved when a student can make dance movements safely with an awareness of the elements of dance to communicate and represent ideas about experiences and observations of the world to audiences.

We know that the children enjoy performing for you and show that their learning in this strand of Creative Arts is fun.

The staff is encouraged each year to also participate and demonstrate that we all enjoy our annual Dance Spectacular. Parents are quietly preparing their item and we all look forward to an enjoyable afternoon at the Grandparents and Dance Spectacular Day on Friday 26 July 2019.

There will be NO SCHOOL for students on Monday 22 July 2019 as the staff will participate in professional learning on Sustainability. We will be writing lesson plans to implement with our students.  This is a pupil free day.

There will be second Staff Development Day in Term 3 - Friday 30 August 2019.

The second Staff Development Day on Friday 30 August 2019, Week 6.  The staff will be attending their Spirituality Day at Mary MacKillop Place in North Sydney.

Please remember that there is NO SCHOOL for students on both these days.

Please complete the survey that was asked of you in preparation for my Principal’s Appraisal.

The survey closing date for Mrs Colleen Easton's Principal Appraisal has been extended to Friday, 5 July (end of Term 2).

If you have not already completed the survey, the link is https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ParentEaston2019

Your contribution to the Principal Appraisal via honest survey feedback is highly valued and an important component of the process.

Warm regards

Carolyn Hadley

Dear Parents and Carers

Congratulations on your students' participation in the VEX robotics scrimmage day - sounds like the kids had a fantastic time! There is an article live at

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/general-news/vex-robotics-scrimmage-day-builds-students-stem-skills/

It is also available for viewing on our social media channels, you can find this at the below links:

Facebook - http://bit.ly/2ZrRCMX
Twitter - http://bit.ly/2XUbxUnInstagram - http://bit.ly/2ZzkpPQ

JESSICA SPARKS
Communications Officer
Office of the Director

Term 3 Commences on Tuesday 23 July 2019 for all students.  Monday 22 July 2019 is a Staff Development Day - a Pupil Free Day.

I have had several meetings with the personnel from the Properties Office of Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong to ascertain the development of the Front Playground area that has been cordoned off for several months. The major works will be carried out during school hours and I will reorganise the entry and exit procedures when I am informed of the starting dates and times. I have requested a suitable front entry with a ramp and the service pipes that have surfaced to the top of the soil to be repositioned.

I have also been informed that the fire hydrant at the administration entry needs to be cordoned off (boxed in) and another one placed in the middle of the Quiet Area to service the classrooms at the rear of the school.

The Parents and Friends will once again hold their disco for the students on Thursday 4 July 2019.

• The Junior Disco (Kinder to Year 2) will be held from 5 pm to 6:30 pm.
• The Senior Disco (Years 3 to Year 6) will be held from 6:30 pm to 8 pm.

The cost is $5 per child.

Please remember your drink bottle (Name marked) and entry fee of $5.00 per child.

Unfortunately we do not have siblings at our discos as this requires additional supervision by the P & F and teachers and it is a safety issue with under age siblings and the students of our school while dancing.

Children will be fully supervised and will not be permitted to leave the school hall until parents come to collect their child.

The P & F have requested parental support for supervision for the two sessions, so please offer your support.  If you are able to assist, please email Sara-Jay O'Shea, P & F President:  sjayoshea@outlook.com

Thanks Sara-Jay for taking on the responsibility for conducting the disco each term. You certainly do an excellent job with keeping the children entertained.

Today we have students enjoying a day of fun and competition at the Netball Gala Day. There are no prizes or trophies to be won at our Gala Days. Thanks to all our staff and parent helpers who offer to take responsibility for days such as these to give our students opportunities to play against other schools and express their team spirit.

Thanks to Mrs Sykes, Miss McGeehan and Mrs Frendo for your support.

After a week of continual rainy weather, the conditions were good to conduct the annual athletics carnival at Croome Road. I sincerely thank Mr Dutaillis and Mr McCann for all the organisational and detailed planning for the day. We are grateful to all the parent helpers and additional staff members who offered to support the students at the carnival.  Please refer to Mr Dutaillis Sports News article for further information.

A broken gold chain was handed in at the Athletics Carnival.  If you are missing this item, please contact the school and ask for Mrs Janet Sykes.

St Paul’s Athletics Carnival

We were blessed with beautiful weather on Friday 28 June 2019 for our annual Athletics Carnival, held at John O’Dwyer Oval. In a similar fashion to the Cross Country Carnival, there was a distinct buzz in the air, filled with the anticipation and excitement of the students. The presence of our wider school community only added to the atmosphere and spirit of the day. 

Beginning with the 400 and 800m races, through to the competitive and non-competitive track and field events, as well as the tabloid activities, the carnival ran extremely well. This was due to the overall behaviour and participation of the students, and the tireless efforts of our parent volunteers and staff. These days are particularly hard on our feet as we are on the go and trying to keep our energy levels up.

As we all know, events like this simply don't happen. It requires weeks of preparation, from conducting in-class trials, to organising marshalling sheets and extends into next term for the South Coast Athletics Trials. We express our gratitude to all those who fulfilled a role on the day, especially our parent volunteers.

Age and House Champions for 2019 will be announced at our Assembly on Friday 5 July, 2019.  From there, a St Paul’s Athletics Squad will be formed and go on to represent our school at Kerryn McCann Athletics Centre (Beaton Park, Wollongong) on Tuesday 13 August 2019 (Term 3, Week 4).

Diocese of Wollongong Representatives

Congratulations to Wil Moran, who travelled to Forbes on Sunday 30 June 2019 in order to participate in the MacKillop Rugby Union Selection Trials, which was held yesterday. We look forward to hearing about Wil’s experience and efforts. 

Well done to ALL our students who representated the Diocese of Wollongong throughout Term 2:

Football (Soccer): Zane Stroemer, Gemma Bishop and Matilda Pearson

Hockey: Breanna Cresswell, Billie Elliott and April Gray

Rugby League: Mason Smith

Touch Football: Angus & Sean Bancroft, Samuel Shepherd and Holly Czornobej

Rugby Union: Wil Moran

Cross Country:

• Matilda Pearson (11yrs Girls - 40th out of 56)
• Janae Robertson (12/13yrs Girls - 38th out of 55)
• Declan McCann (11yrs Boys - 22nd out of 58)
• Zane Stroemer (12/13yrs Boys - 17th out of 58)

South Coast Soccer Gala Day

The South Coast Soccer Gala Day is scheduled to be held on Friday 2 August (Term 3, Week 2). Being a gala day, it is designed primarily for student enjoyment, promotion of exercise and a positive sporting experience. It is one of the largest gala days conducted, with over 1000 students participating.

This year, there are three different locations:

• Junior Girls & Boys (Yrs 3 & 4) - Lyrebird Park, Nowra  
• Senior Boys (Yrs 5 & 6) - John O’Dwyer Oval, Albion Park  
• Senior Girls - Darcy Wentworth Oval, Warrawong

Based on expressions of interest from students at school, we have nominated 3 x Junior Boy teams, 2 x Junior Girl teams, 4 x Senior Boy teams and 2 x Senior Girl team. We are hoping to have information, consent and costing forms sent out this week to relevant families via Compass.

NSWCPS Basketball Challenge

Preparations for the NSWCPS Basketball Challenge, being held in Albury on the weekend of October 26 & 27 (Term 4, Week 2), are continuing here at school. We have had a pleasing response and have nominated 8 teams into the Challenge (1 x Junior Girls, 2 x Junior Boys, 2 x Senior Girls and 3 x Senior Boys teams). 

A member of the Basketball Committee will be in contact with parents, this week, who nominated to be a coach or manager of a team. As in previous years, we are looking to establish weekly training sessions, to be held before school at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School.

We are looking forward to the Challenge, for both its competitive and social aspects!

Calendar Dates

• Friday 2 August (Term 3, Week 2) South Coast Soccer Gala Day
• Tuesday 13 August (Term 3, Week 4) South Coast Athletics Selection Trials
• Tuesday 20 August (Term 3, Week 5) Diocese of Wollongong Athletics Selection Trials
• Sat. 26 & Sun. 27 October (Term 4) NSW CPS Basketball Challenge (Albury)

Shaun Dutaillis & Brian McCann, Sports Coordinators

A special guest has been invited from the Catholic Education Office for our meeting. Please come to this important meeting and find out how the newly released Catholic Education Office Social Media Policy will affect all of us.

The meeting will commence at 6:30 pm in the St Joseph’s Room on Monday 29 July 2019. Please make every effort to attend this meeting, as the policy will have implications for all of us who use social media.

Just a reminder about the procedures we have had in place to address any issues in reference to our students. I ask all parents and carers to please follow the procedures and give this the integrity it deserves as you have entrusted your child to our care and we all need to ensure we are supporting your child.

Procedures for Complaints Handling:

If there are issues arising about life at school and your child’s learning, please approach your child’s teacher about the problem.

 To do this please make an appointment through the School Office for an agreed time to address the issue.  Please do not approach teachers on morning assembly lines on their way to class.  At that time they have teaching responsibilities and need to be free to do their best work in the classroom to sustain a positive learning environment.

If you are not satisfied with the outcome of that meeting, then make an appointment through the School Office to speak to the member of the School Leadership Team who works with the relevant stage:

• Early Stage 1 (Kinder) – Mrs Janet Sykes - Religious Education Coordinator
• Stage 1 (Years 1 & 2) – Mrs Rebecca Nunes - Assistant Principal
• Stage 2 (Years 3 & 4) – Mr Shaun Dutaillis - Middle Leader 2
• Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6) – Mr Andrew Edwards - Acting Middle Leader 2

In the event that one of these Leadership Team members are absent the matter will be referred to Mrs Rebecca Nunes, Acting Assistant Principal.

Please make an appointment with the teacher and or Stage Coordinator to discuss your concerns.  Emailing issues does not always solve the problem, as a meeting will be necessary anyway.

Lastly, if you are still not satisfied with the outcome and feel that it is necessary to speak to the Principal, Mrs Easton about the issue, please make an appointment through the School Office.  Your concerns will always be listened to and hopefully problems solved, as we consider the well being of the child as vitally important.

These school holidays, Green Connect is running farm tours for kids in Warrawong and art workshops for all ages and abilities in Bellambi.

Green Connect is a Wollongong-based, not-for-profit social enterprise that creates jobs for young people and former refugees in industries that are good for the planet and the community. Two of these are the Green Connect farm in Warrawong where we grow chemical-free fruit, vegetables and free-range animals, and the Green Connect op shop in Bellambi.

Kylie, Green Connect, General Manager