Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past few weeks, we’ve had several wonderful events that have not only strengthened our sense of community but also reinforced our school vision: In the richness of our Catholic faith and tradition, we achieve excellence.

On Thursday, 15 August, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption, a significant day marking the end of Mary’s earthly life and her return to heaven, where she was reunited with Jesus. It’s important to note the distinction between the Assumption and the Resurrection. While both Jesus and Mary are now in heaven, Jesus ascended by his own power, whereas Mary was taken up to heaven by the power of her Son. This is why we refer to these events as the Ascension of Christ and the Assumption of Mary.

We were fortunate to have Father Leo preside over our whole school Mass. He was deeply moved by the students' participation, particularly their singing and responses throughout the service. Our students were even acknowledged during the weekend parish Masses that followed. As the Principal of St Paul’s, I couldn’t be prouder of our students, and I’m grateful to Fr Leo for his kind recognition.

It was delightful to launch the 2024 Book Week celebrations with our annual book parade. A huge thank you to our parents for your support in providing the students with fantastic book character costumes and for attending the event. It was a joy to see not only our students but also their siblings joining in the fun. Our staff also embraced the spirit of the day. I must admit, I always enjoy dressing up for these special occasions.

On Friday, 23 August, a group of students attended the soccer gala day, where they demonstrated excellent sportsmanship and proudly represented our school. Congratulations to all the teams, staff, and parent volunteers for their hard work and dedication. It was wonderful to hear other schools acknowledge our school's  organisation of our parent helpers, who wore vests, name badges, and carried first aid kits.

On Tuesday, 10 September, we will be engaging in a Cyclic Inquiry process. We are inviting parents to meet with one of the panel members to share their insights about future directions and your school experiences. Your input is invaluable to us, and we appreciate your participation. Please email the school if you are available on the 10 September between 8.30am and 9am.

This term, it was encouraging to see an increased number of parents at our P & F meeting on Monday, 19 August. I’m pleased to announce that the P & F have funded the upgraded fans in the hall. Thank you to all our parents for your fundraising efforts at the Colour Run event at the end of Term 1. The larger fans will help keep the hall cool during assemblies and other community events.

We are eagerly looking forward to our Father’s Day celebrations on Thursday, 29 August. Dads and father figures, please join us for a sausage sizzle, games on the playground, and an assembly. A friendly reminder that parents are welcome to use the hall toilets, and if you need to leave before the end of the day, please exit through the main office.

Wishing you all a joyful end to the week.

Angela Pecnik
Principal

Following Fathers Day, Monday, 2nd September 2024, students may begin wearing their summer school uniform as the days become warmer.  From the commencement of Term 4, Monday, 14 October 2024 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 Uniform Policy.

This term the Youth Liaison from Lake Illawarra Police will be visiting the school to talk with primary students. They 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 the visit and building community knowledge on staying safe and growing as respectful and responsible citizens.

Last year we consulted with parents, staff and students regarding the election of student leaders. This 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, and ICT

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

Eligible student leadership candidates will nominate for their roles and present a speech in Term 4.

• 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.

Information regarding important dates for leadership nominations will be shared with parents early next term.

For more information review the attached flyer.

Uniting has launched all-day Info Hubs in its Illawarra and Shoalhaven offices to ensure community members can easily access information about the NDIS and other resources. No bookings required! Potential NDIS participants will:

• Learn more about the NDIS and how to apply
• Understand your options if you do not meet NDIS eligibility criteria
• Discover how to use your NDIS plan to its full potential
• Speak with an industry expert about your NDIS or Disability-related questions

Here’s when and where to find the Info Hubs in the Illawarra-Shoalhaven:

• Where? 1/1 Burra Place, Shellharbour City Centre
• When? Every first Tuesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
  
  
• Where? 35 Kenny Street, Wollongong
• When? Every third Wednesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm
  
  
• Where? Level 2b, 57 Graham Steet, Nowra
• When? Every second Tuesday of the month
• What time? From 9.00 am to 5.00 pm

Uniting has also produced several practical resources, see these here.

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 To Hope and Act with Creation. As people of faith we are called to lift the hope inspired by our faith, the hope of the resurrection. This is not a hope without action but one embodied in concrete actions of prayer and preaching, service and solidarity.

At St. Paul’s, we will celebrate the Season of Creation with a special liturgy at 2:30 pm on Friday, September 6, in the Hall. Throughout September, students will participate in various activities designed to deepen their appreciation of Creation. On this day, students are invited to come to school dressed in the colours of creation and are encouraged to bring a gold coin donation. All funds raised will be used to purchase additional trees for shade on the Top Oval. A special thank you to Mrs. Colquhoun and her Waste Free Warriors for leading this wonderful initiative.

This term, the Mini Vinnies team has been actively involved in knitting. Each student is encouraged to knit a 14 cm square. These squares are then given to the grandparents of some Mini Vinnies students, who will sew them together to create blankets and scarves for people experiencing homelessness. St. Vincent de Paul will distribute these warm items to those in need.

On Monday, a group of mothers and grandparents generously volunteered their time to help the students with their knitting. We look forward to them joining us at our next Mini Vinnies. 

Students are encouraged to continue practising the skill of knitting at home. Please scan the QR code for a short video that we will be using throughout the term to support students with their knitting. 

If you would like to support the Mini Vinnies students in our winter woollies initiative, please contact the school office.

Students from the older grades will be attending Mass on the Friday’s below. Parents and carers are invited to attend Mass, followed by an opportunity to visit the grade classroom and have morning tea in the hall. Mass begins at 9:30am in St Paul’s Catholic Church.

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.

PB4L Focus Week 5 & 6 - Compassion

Students have learned about how to live out our Term 3 Values focus on Compassion. Inspired by St Mary of the Cross Mackillop, students have practised showing compassion to themselves, others and God's creation through their words and actions.

PB4L Focus Week 7 & 8 - Appropriate Games on Playgrounds

Students will revise what games and activities they can safely engage in on each playground.  Students will review the equipment available on each playground and practice using this equipment to play safe and respectful games during playtime. 

Bullying No Way: National Week of Action

Throughout Week 4, our school came together to recognize Bullying No Way Week, centred around the powerful theme, "Everyone Belongs." Each class engaged in meaningful activities, exploring the vital role we all play in preventing bullying. Students learned the importance of speaking up and creating a safe, inclusive environment where every individual feels supported and respected. It was an inspiring week, filled with opportunities to reinforce that our voices are not just heard but valued, fostering a school culture where everyone truly belongs.

ACE Awards

Principal Awards

Before volunteering at St Paul’s, one of two forms needs to be completed. 

If you already have a Working with Children Check number, you will need to fill in the V.2 Form For School Volunteers. 

If you do not have a Working with Children Check number, the Volunteer Declaration V.3 Form is the required form. 

Both forms are available from our school office. If you email the school these can be sent home with your child for you to complete and return to us.

These forms will need to be filled out at the start of each year to keep them up to date.

Kind regards,

Kristie Bicknell

Senior School Support Officer

Spelling Professional Learning 

Our teachers have been working collaboratively within grades with support from Lexi Hingston from CEDoW to develop a series of spelling lessons based on data from various assessments aligned with the syllabus. These lessons are carefully designed to incorporate phonological, orthographic, and morphological components, focusing on the specific spelling needs of our students. By using explicit instructional strategies, teachers are enhancing their knowledge and helping students understand, use, and discuss words more effectively. This targeted approach aims to strengthen our students' spelling skills, supporting their overall literacy development.

Curriculum Focus Day Professional Learning

Mrs Evans and Mrs Pecnik recently attended a Curriculum Focus Professional Learning session, where Patricia Foster and her team unpacked the NESA requirements for teacher compliance and expectations. During this session, we collaborated with other primary schools and leaders from our diocese to review teacher programs in line with these compliance requirements. We are pleased to report that St. Paul's has successfully met the NESA requirements for teacher programming and documentation.

Mathematics Professional Learning 

In Stage 1, students have been learning to solve word problems and explain their thinking like mathematicians. As part of their learning, they need to distinguish between two key concepts: how many groups there are and how many are in each group. This involves recognising and understanding the difference between the total number of groups and the number of items within each group to solve problems accurately.

Mrs Belinda Evans - Instructional Coach

Soccer Gala Day

We had approximately 115 students attend the Soccer Gala Day on Friday 23rd August at Terry Reserve, Albion Park. The weather was beautiful and the students had lots of fun! Throughout the day our school values were on display with students demonstrating sportsmanship, perservence and compassion, trying their best and supporting their peers. 

 

A big thank you to our parent managers, who volunteered to manage our teams on the day. We truly value your support in making these days a success.

Thank you to Mrs Michelle Griffiths for her organisation of the day. Thank you to the teachers who supported the day, managing and supervising students, Mrs Coloquhoun, Mrs Grove, and Miss McNamara.

Book Week 2024 at our school was an incredible celebration of stories, creativity, and community spirit. 

Our week started with the much-anticipated Book Week Parade, where students from all grades brought their favourite book characters to life with creative and colourful costumes. The parade was a joyful display of imagination, and it was wonderful to see the effort put into each outfit. After each grade parade, lucky door prizes were drawn, adding an extra element of excitement and anticipation to the day.

On Wednesday 21st August, we were delighted to welcome author Karen Hendricks to our school for a special visit. Students gathered in the Hall to hear Karen share her journey as an author and to listen to her captivating stories.  The author's visit was a highlight of the week, leaving students inspired and eager to explore more books.

Throughout the week, students engaged in a Book Week incursion livestream event titled "Maybe a Miracle".  This performance was a joyful leap into the world of imagination that books inspire every individual to be part of, while featuring a selection of the 2024 CBCA Short Listed books to help point the way.

All students were invited to participate in our SPAP Book Week Colouring-In Competition. Students had been working on their entries throughout the week, and the library received a wonderful array of colourful and creative artworks.  Winners from each class will be announced during our Week 6 assembly, presented by Year 5.

Book Week 2024 was a memorable and enriching experience for all involved. A big thank you to our teachers, parents, and students for their enthusiasm and participation. We are especially thankful to our SPAP Book Week Committee who assisted in ensuring Book Week was an engaging and memorable week for our school community. We look forward to more literary adventures in the future!

Bree-Anna Fogliada
Middle Leader 2

Book Club Issue 6 catalogues have gone home with students. All orders for Book Club - Issue 6 need to be ordered via the LOOP by Friday 6th September. Unfortunately, we are unable to accept cash payments. Parents can order and pay online using a Credit Card via the LOOP. 

If you have any Book Club tote bags at home could you please return them to the library. 

Caitlyn Dryden and Christine Calleja

Book Club Coordinators

Science Week 

In Week 4, our school celebrated Science Week. Our students had a blast during Science Week with a series of engaging experiments. They created their own Cornflour Slime where they learned about the changes in properties when substances shift states. By mixing food colouring, water, and cornflour, they observed how the slime’s consistency changed from a liquid to a solid-like substance and explored how these changes affected the material’s movement and behaviour. In the Fizzy Colours activity, students mixed colours with bicarbonate soda, seeing how different colours blend and react to form new hues. They also enjoyed Rainbow Colour Mixing, using milk, food colouring, and detergent to create vibrant, swirling patterns. 

These hands-on experiences helped them understand chemical reactions, colour mixing, and the physical properties of materials, sparking their curiosity and enthusiasm for science in an interactive and enjoyable way.  Who knows, we might have another Einstein in our midst!

Mrs Belinda Evans, Mrs Gemma Bolton and Miss Samantha Ryan

St Paul's Parents and Friends Association will be holding a Father's Day stall on Thursday 29th August. 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 you can volunteer on the day please email info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au. A current working with children check will need to be verified or a Parent volunteer declaration will need to be filled out.