In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong we celebrated the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that last Sunday's Gospel outlines the power of humble persistent prayer by those who approach prayer with faith. We heard in the Gospel how the Canaanite woman, who is not Jewish, approached Jesus, requesting that he heal her demon-possessed daughter. She was met with our Lord’s silence – He answers her not a Word. When the answers of prayer are deferred, God is teaching us to pray all the more. The faith that the Canaanite woman expressed in the Gospel is an affirmation of and confidence in God’s abundant mercy.

Dear Parents and Carers,

This Sunday 27 August we celebrate Social Justice Sunday. In a tradition reaching back to 1940, each year the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference releases a major social justice statement in time for Social Justice Sunday (last Sunday in August). Through this tradition they contribute to the development of local Catholic Social Teaching. The statements encourage the Catholic community to reflect and act on social, economic and ecological issues. They remind us of the social dimension of the mission of the Church. The theme of the Statement is Listen, Learn, Love- A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

At the heart of this Statement is a call for all the People of God to embrace a new engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, an engagement which involves a commitment to listen to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sisters and brothers and to learn from them. This listening and learning and the actions which flow from them must be grounded in a spirit of love if there is to be a change for the better. Please see below a link for the statement.

Book Week Celebrations at St Paul’s

Students and staff are very excited to celebrate Book Week on Friday 25 August. Students will be involved in a number of fabulous learning experiences including a Book Week Parade, a Book Week Author live stream visit and planned Book Week literacy activities I would like to thank Mrs Alexandra Hingston, Mrs Suzanne Hayes, Mrs Liz Rippon, Mrs  Katie Colquhoun, Miss Samantha Ryan, Mrs Karen Shaw, Miss Alana Stroligo and Mrs Olivia Roberts for their excellent planning and organisation of the day. I am looking forward to seeing our students and staff dressed up in wonderful costumes and celebrating with Year 6 students as they experience their last book week celebration at St Paul's.

Father’s Day at St Paul’s

On Thursday 31 August the St Paul’s school community will be celebrating Father’s and Garndfather’s Day with a sausage sizzle, games on the playground and open classrooms. This will be another wonderful event where the community of St Paul’s recognises the importance of positive male role models in the life of our students and to express our gratitude for Fathers or those men who are significant in the lives of our students. I wish all of the Fathers and Grandfathers and the special men in the lives of the students of St Paul's a very happy Fathers Day. We hope that you can really enjoy your day with your family and your children on Sunday 3 September as we celebrate you and the very important role you play. Thank you for all that you bring to the life of our school community.

Classroom Upgrades

The Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong will be overseeing upgrades to a number of our classrooms over a three year period. The Year 1 to Year 5 classrooms will be undergoing an upgrade over the three year prior beginning in 2024. We are incredibly grateful for the Catholic Education Office Properties and Facilities team who will be organising and project managing the upgrades.

School Canteen Update

Kat Monk from Canteen Kat has decided to finish her tenure with St Paul’s on the 1st September. Kylie Thomas who is the business owner of Take a Break Tuckshop will operate at St Paul’s from Tuesday the 5th September. The school canteen will operate from Tuesday to Friday and will open at both breaks. Take a Break Canteen will still use School Connect for the online platform to order lunches for your child. We wish Kat all the very best and thank her for her support of our canteen and warmly welcome Kylie to St Paul’s. Additional information is included in this newsletter.

School and Parent and Carer Partnership 

Thank you to Mrs Amy De Santis and the St Paul’s Parents and Friends Association for facilitating the Term 3 Parents and Friends Meeting on Monday 14 August. This was an excellent opportunity to discuss the a number of highlights and reflect on the school’s progress with our School Annual Improvement goals and to highlight a number of whole school celebrations. 

I would like to express my gratitude to the Year 6 2023 Graduation Parent Committee who have been hard at work raising funds for the Year 6 Graduation and connecting with the school community with the Pie Drive and other fund-raising initiatives. This is another example of the excellent school and parent collaboration which we value at St Paul’s.

I look forward to the next two weeks at St Paul's as together we celebrate Book Week, Father's Day and the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

I thank you all for your ongoing support.

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Acknowledgement to Country

St Paul's Albion Park acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.

This term the Youth Liaison from Lake Illawarra Police, Senior Constable Jo Cummings will be visiting the school to talk with primary students. She will discuss how the police can help you, how to stay safe online, and the impact of physical aggression on others. We look forward to her visit and building community knowledge on staying safe and growing as respectful and responsible citizens.

Early this year we consulted with staff and students regarding the election of student leaders. The results were reviewed. The process will remain the same in 2023. The P&F has been presented with a proposal that includes elements of student voice. The following is a breakdown of some suggested changes for the 2024 year:

Students will nominate for a leadership role or an organisational/support role to assist in tasks that help the running of the school.

• Student leadership roles would include two school captains, two vice-captains, and two sports captains for each house colour. 
• Student organisational/support roles would include: hospitality, pastoral care, sport and ICT

Students will need to be eligible to nominate themselves for student leadership roles. This would include the Year 5 staff monitoring a ‘leadership passport’ that would rate behaviours, contributions to the school spirit (such as choir, Mini Vinnies), and a reference from one staff member.

Eligible student leadership candidates would nominate for their roles and present a speech. 

• Students can only apply for the student leadership role if they have completed the student leadership passport
• Primary students would vote
• Staff votes will count for a higher percentage than student votes.

The proposal will state that the Student Leadership process will remain the same for the election process in 2023. Next year the Y5 students will begin using the passport to be elected for 2025.

To provide feedback for the proposal please fill in the attached form.

In 2023, our school nominated the goal: Students will have opportunities to demonstrate understanding of the school Catholic values through explicit teaching in Religious Education.

A core element of this task was to nominate what our school Catholic values would be. Following a process of discernment and surveying staff, students and parents the following goals have been nominated for St Paul’s Catholic Primary School, Albion Park: 

School Motto: Constant in Faith

All Gospel values are grounded in the experience of Christian faith.

COMPASSION

We care deeply for the wellbeing of others, showing love, kindness and respect for all.

INTEGRITY

We are honest and truthful, strong enough to choose to do what is right.

INCLUSION

We welcome all so that everyone feels a sense of belonging and knows that their unique qualities are valued.

PERSEVERANCE

We strive to be the best we can be each day by never giving up, accepting setbacks as stepping stones to growth.

Students will be introduced to these values during our Welcome circle each day and in Religious Education lessons.

In 2015 Pope Francis established 1st September as the World Day of Prayer for the Care of

Creation, encouraging the Catholic community around the world to pray for our common home. The day is inspired by Pope Francis' landmark encyclical Laudato Si’, which calls on "every person living on this planet" to care for our shared Earth. The World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation begins the Season of Creation. The Season of Creation goes from September 1 to October 4, uniting the entire Christian family across the world in a celebration of prayer and action to protect our common home. As followers of Christ from around the globe, we share a common call to care for creation. We are co-creators and part of all that God has made. Our wellbeing is interwoven with the wellbeing of the Earth.

This year, the theme for the Season of Creation is Let justice and peace flow and is inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (5:24)

At St Paul’s we will begin the Season of Creation with a Liturgy at 2:30pm on Friday 1st September in the Hall led by Kindergarten. Students will be involved in activities throughout September to develop their appreciation of Creation.

Each grade will have the opportunity to present an assembly fortnightly on Friday 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 the remainder of the year. 

Term 3

Term 4

DATES FOR LITURGICAL CELEBRATIONS IN TERM 3

Mrs Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator

Our current PB4L focus is How can I seek help? Who can I go to when I need help? The PB4L Committee chose this to be a focus as it was relevant to the events that took place throughout Week 5. Last week we celebrated National Day of Action Against Bullying and Violence. Year 5 led us in a beautiful assembly highlighting the importance of spreading kindness and love to all. Last Wednesday students were invited to come to school dressed as their favourite superhero for SuperHIRO Wednesday. Students were reminded to channel their collective power to reduce bullying together. We all have a part to play in coming together to make a difference and stand up for what is right. It was a day in which we celebrated the heroes in students’ lives and the positive impact they have on each and every one of us. Students were given the opportunity to talk about the hero in their life in their Welcome Circle.The money raised was donated to Bully Zero. 

Our next PB4L focus will be on Afternoon Dismissal. There will be a change to Afternoon Dismissal whereby all students on Waiters will be asked to sit on the Basketball Court instead of the Handball Court near the Administration building. Just a reminder that when collecting your child from the Front Playground or Back Gate, your car must be parked and parents must enter the school grounds to collect their child/ren. If this is a new procedure we encourage you to speak to your children about this change. This is so we can ensure the safety of all students at St Paul’s and it can be quite congested due to Kindergarten and Stage 1 being dismissed in this area. Please refer to the attached matrix for student, staff and parent expectations. 

R U OK? Day 

Thursday 14th September is a national day of action dedicated to reminding everyone that any day is the day to ask ‘Are you ok?’. This year we are asking students and staff to wear a touch of yellow on Thursday 14th September.

In the coming weeks we are asking for Year 1 and Year 2 students to bring all their merit awards to school. We are in the process of uploading all merit awards to Compass as it is hoped that parents will eventually receive a notification informing them that their child will be awarded an ACE Award, Principal’s Award or Mary MacKillop Award at the following assembly. If your child is in Year 1 and Year 2 please send all your child’s awards to school in a sealed ziplock bag. This includes all awards received from previous years at St Paul’s.  

ACE AWARDS

Xavier 1 Red

Chase 2 Blue

Allira 3 Blue

Koby 4 Red

Dominic 5 Blue

Savanna 5 Blue

Ruby 6 Red

PRINCIPAL AWARDS

Tyson 3 Blue

Savanna 5 Blue

Alex 6 Blue

Ruby 6 Red

MARY MACKILLOP AWARDS

Hunta 5 Red

Alex 6 Blue

Xavier 6 Blue

Ruby 6 Red

Year 3 have been hard at work this Term! Enjoy a snapshot of their learning:

Miss Julianne Tonini and Miss Samantha Ryan

Year 3 Teachers

Throughout the year teachers have access to a variety of quality professional development opportunities. Casual teachers are employed to cover classes with the teacher ensuring the teaching program and routines are followed. 

“Those who dare to teach, never cease to learn” John Cotton-Dana

Our teachers have continued to implement targeted teaching small group lessons in Mathematics using the Outcomes of Representing Number around the 6 aspects of Place Value. The students across K-6 have been working with various-sized numbers and decimals to deepen their knowledge in reading, writing and representing numbers.

The six aspects of place value:

1. Count
2. Make and Represent
3. Name and Record
4. Compare and Order
5. Calculate
6. Rename

During weeks 6, 7 & 8, our teachers will continue to deepen their knowledge around place value through staff meetings as well as have the valuable opportunity to closely collaborate with Bridgeen Pritchard, a specialist in mathematics education. Together, they will engage in reflective practices, through collaboration to develop and plan engaging Mathematics lessons for our students. 

GOAL: 

Teachers will have a deep understanding of the aspects of place value and implement evidence-based strategies for teaching Representing Number so that all students demonstrate growth in place value 

Here are some pictures of the work that has been happening in classrooms during targeted Mathematics lessons.

Mrs Belinda Evans

Middle Leader

See below a flyer for our upcoming Mathematics Parent Workshop. Please RSVP via the Google Form Link: https://forms.gle/Qrj1Bx4hi7Ae4t8V6

Term Three aligns with the Planning Phase of the annual Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) cycle. In Weeks 9 and 10, parents will be invited to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss their child's Personal Plan.

The purpose of the Collaborative Planning Meeting is to revise previous goals, celebrate the successes of each student and set goals for the term ahead. Teachers will also discuss and review adjustments to ensure that students with a disability, or those students who require additional support in the classroom, are able to participate in learning and the life of the school on the same basis as their peers. These meetings are a key part of the consultation process with parents and carers, and the students who are at the centre of the plans. 

Bookings will be available via Compass in the coming weeks.

Mrs Alexandra Hingston

Middle Leader 

This year National Child Protection Week will continue to champion the message ‘Every child in every community needs a fair go’. This message captures the essence of National Child Protection Week which aims to promote a safe and supported life for every child, now and into the future. 

Join a Catholiccare counsellor in a one-hour parent information session that is designed to give parents practical skills and information to help increase protective factors for their children at St Patrick's Catholic Parish Primary School Port Kembla. On Thursday 7th September a Catholiccare counsellor will be presenting a 1 hour Managing Big Emotions session which is aimed to support parents help their children with emotions.

ICAS has been taking place over the last few weeks with Digital Technologies, Writing and English being completed. This week Science and Spelling Bee will be completed with Mathematics the following week. All students have been amazing, being prepared with their ipads and completing the assessments with a positive attitude.

Congratulations to those who have already completed an assessment and good luck to the students for the following assessments to come.

A huge thank you to Mrs Hingston for facilitating the assessments and troubleshooting technical difficulties along the way! 

The submissions for ICAS 2023 are closed however if you would like to find out more information about ICAS please see the link below.

Learn more about ICAS here: https://www.icasassessments.com/products-icas

Miss Eliza Treble

Middle Leader

In Week 6 students in Year 1 will complete the 2023 Phonics Screening Check. The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short assessment that tells teachers how students are progressing in phonics.

What is phonics?

Phonics is the relationship between letters and sounds and is vital in learning to read. Some

children struggle with learning to read so it is important these children are identified quickly so teachers can plan for any specific support they may need.

What is the Year 1 Phonics Screening Check?

The Year 1 Phonics Screening Check is a short assessment that tells teachers how your child is progressing in phonics. Your child will sit with the class teacher and will be asked to read 40 words aloud. These words include 20 real words and 20 nonsense words. The test normally takes a few minutes. If your child is struggling the teacher will stop the check. The check is carefully designed not to be stressful for your child.

Why use nonsense words?

The assessment includes pseudo or nonsense words to see if the student is able to use their

knowledge of blending to read a word rather than their memory of having seen that word before.

If you have any further questions, please talk to your child’s class teacher.

Mrs Alexandra Hingston

Middle Leader

With one paper remaining, our Maths Olympiad Team are crushing the numbers and working hard to solve challenging maths problems The final competition paper is available for completion on Wednesday the 6th of September. We wish our Maths Team all the very best as they complete the 2023 series. 

Mrs Alexandra Hingston

Middle Leader

Mrs Louise Frendo

SSO Library

Book Club Issue 6 is now available to view on the Scholastic website by clicking the following link https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/book-club/. All orders must be placed on the Scholastic Website via the LOOP. Credit Card payments only, unfortunately the school is unable to accept cash. Orders will close on Monday 4th September. No late orders can be accepted.

Miss Caitlyn Dryden and Mrs Christine Calleja

Book Club Co-ordinators

September 1st marks the beginning of the Season of Creation (1 September - 4 October) and it is the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. “Let Justice and Peace Flow” is the theme of this year’s ecumenical Season of Creation, inspired by the words of the prophet Amos: “Let justice flow on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream” (5:24). Click here to see the letter from His Holiness Pope Francis that announces this year’s World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

Next Friday, 1 September, St Paul’s will be recognising this day by participating in activities centred around caring for and appreciating creation. Students are invited to wear the colours of creation (blue, green, brown, yellow etc.) There will also be a liturgy hosted by Kindergarten in the school hall at 2:30pm. All parents and carers are welcome to join us in prayer. 

Waste-Free Wednesday is happening each Wednesday. The Year 5 Waste-Free Warriors and Year 6 Pastoral Care Leadership Team will be monitoring this and rewarding students who bring a waste-free lunch with prizes and raffle tickets. 

So many students are doing this every day, which is amazing to see!

What is a waste free lunch? A waste-free lunch is when we are conscious and mindful of the amount of plastic we bring to school. We can reduce the plastic by bringing more whole-foods to school or emptying packaged foods and disposing of the plastic thoughtfully at home. 

Here are some examples:

Mrs Katie Culquhoun

Year 6 Teacher

St Paul's had a great week of celebrating Science!! Please see our learnings below.

Miss Samantha Ryan

Year 3 Teacher

The Children's Book Council of Australia Book Week theme for 2023 is ‘Read, Grow, Inspire’; acknowledging the power of literacy and the magic of a great book! 

Book Week will be celebrated throughout Week 6 of this term and students will engage in a variety of activities including a livestreamed musical related to the CBCA Shortlisted Picture Books of the Year. 

The SPAP Annual Book Week Parade will be held on Friday the 25th August at 9am. Students are encouraged to select their favourite character from a story and come to school dressed in their costumes, ready for the parade. Parents are invited to stay for assembly and enjoy the Book Week Parade. 

Please note that there is no need to rush out and buy up big, some of the greatest costumes are created using pre-loved items from home. 

Mrs Alexandra Hingston

Middle Leader

We are over the halfway point with Jump Rope for Heart and St Paul’s has been skipping up a storm. We have raised an amazing $11,900 so far! Our Jump Off Day will be the last day of term on Friday 22nd September, so keep on practising those tricks!

We still have 5 weeks to go so don’t forget to share your online fundraising page with friends and family to raise money for a great cause!
Still need to sign up online? It’s easy just follow this link and enter your details.

https://www.jumprope.org.au/fundraisers/stpaulscatholicparishprimaryschoolalbionpark 

Thank you for your support. 

Mrs Amy Lyons

Jump Rope for Heart Coordinator

Our Year 6 Senior Leaders have started hosting the 2023 Handball Competition. Students in Kindergarten to Year 6 nominated themselves if they wished to participate. Last week we began first round of the Competition. This week the winners of last week will play against one another to determine who will make it into the final in Week 7. Prizes will be awarded to students who are good sports, most encouraging, students who try their best and the overall winner. The final competition will be held on Thursday 7th September. 

Mrs Alana Stroligo

Middle Leader

Evie O'Shea a Year 2 student at St Paul's kindly donated her hair to the Alopecia Foundation. Evie has been growing her hair for a few years so that she could donate her hair to those in need through the great work of the Alopecia Foundation. What a wonderful gift Evie has given to others, this is certainly an example of faith in action. Great work Evie we are all proud of you!!

Following Fathers Day, Monday, 4 September 2023, students may begin wearing their summer school uniform as the days become warmer.  From the commencement of Term 4, Monday, 9 October 2023 all students must be in summer uniform. Thank you to all parents and carers for your support in ensuring that our students wear the correct school uniform, which they do with such pride. Please see the St Paul's updated Uniform Policy.

Could all parents and carers please contact the school office if there is any change to your child's school dismissal/pick up arrangements. Students will not be able to leave with any other parents or carers if the school office has not been notifiied prior to 3:15pm. We thank all our parents and carers for supporting our school with transparent communication about our students dismissal/ school pick up arrangements.

Please ensure when your contact details change to email the info account, so we have a record of the new details. info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au

If there has been any change of information in relation to your child, please contact the office as soon as possible.  This could include change in emergency contacts, change of address, email or phone number, or updated medical information. 

Kristie Bicknell

Senior School Support Officer

On behalf of the students at St Paul's we express our deep gratitude to Albion Park Oak Flats Rugby League Football Club for kindly donating jerseys for our school. We are very lucky to have generous local community support of our school. A special thanks to Amy and Nick Mowbray for organising this generous donation. We are looking forward to wearing the jerseys next term at the Dragon Tag Gala Day.

Dr Justin Coulson is a dad to 6 daughters. He is the parenting expert and co-host of Channel Nine’s Parental Guidance, and he and his wife host Australia’s #1 podcast for parents and family: The Happy Families Podcast. He has written 9 books about families and parenting. In the article below Dr Justin Coulson outlines the importance of 5 factors that contribute positively to wellbeing. 

Catholic School Guide is offering one lucky family the chance to win $2,000 worth of school fees. Every student attending a Catholic school in Australia is invited to enter this competition which closes at 5.00pm on Friday 1 September 2023.

To enter the competition visit catholicschoolsguide.com.au/competition.  

You are invited to a special evening event on 28 August 2023 in Campbelltown with Robert Falzon from menALIVE, as he unpacks practical advice and shares stories that are powerfully important, informative, and instructional for fathering in today’s world.

In an age where there is training to do almost everything, there are so many fathers who are in desperate need of tips and tools to do one of the most important and impactful tasks on earth – Fathering! – and this evening will be a source of great formation and encouragement for dads.

Details:

Speaker: Robert Falzon: Fathering from the Front Line
Topic: Fathering from the Front Line
Date: Monday 28 August 2023
Time: 7 - 8.30 pm
Location: Level 1, Micah House Resource Centre, 35A Cordeaux Street, Campbelltown 
Cost: Free 

Thank you to the parents and carers who were able to join the St Paul's Parents and Friends Association for the Term 3 meeting held on Monday 14th August. Please see below the minutes for the meeting.

Father's Day Stall

The St Paul's Parents and Friends Association will be holding a Father's Day stall on Friday 1st September. The cost of the Father's Day gifts is $5.00 per gift. Please provide a bag so that your child can carry the gift home.

If there are any parents or carers that can volunteer from 8.30 am at the Father's Day stall please email the school info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au. A working with children number will need to be provided or a volunteer declaration form will be available on the day to fill out.

See attached OSHC September/October Flyer.

Students from St Paul’s Parish have commenced preparation for the Sacrament of the Eucharist - First Communion. Please keep students from Year 3 and other grades in your prayers as they prepare for this Sacrament.

Students are attending weekend Masses on Saturday at 6pm or Sunday at 9am.