Dear Parents and Carers,

This Sunday 24th May we celebrate Our Lady Help of Christians. In the Opening Prayer for Our Lady Help of Christians, the Church prays that through Our Lady’s intercession God will “grant wisdom to our leaders and integrity to our citizens”, so that “under her protection Australia may be granted harmony, justice and peace". This prayer is certainly needed during the challenging time we find ourselves in, dealing with constant change and uncertainty we can find solace in prayer.

Over the last week we have welcomed our wonderful students back for their scheduled day of face to face interaction, it was so good to be able to see our students again. The noise and the atmosphere of the school has been alive with laughter and re connection for students with both friends and teachers. I have watched the children enter the school some with trepidation and others with great excitement. Students have all had the chance to have face to face interaction with their own classroom teacher, and this has been wonderful for all of us! It has meant an increase in the workload of teachers because they have students at school as well as the remote learners but they are rising to the challenge very well. I commend our amazing staff and students for the way they have been able to adapt to changes, sometimes we have had to make them on a daily basis dependent on numbers of students present at school. Staff, students and parents/carers have been very flexible and accommodating and I thank you all for this great support. 

In line with the Premier’s announcement, all schools in the Diocese of Wollongong will be returning to face to face teaching as from next week- Week 5. All parents and carers have been sent a note from the Director Mr Peter Hill and I, about this on COMPASS.

Most importantly for everyone, from next week, there will be one form of teaching only and that will be face to face teaching. There will be no more remote teaching as of Week 5. I thank all our parents and family members who have been supporting our students with their remote tasks. All our staff appreciate this support.

If you have any queries about the plan for return to school next week, can you please contact the school office. If your child needs to remain at home for medical reasons, please complete this form so that we can discuss with you, options to support your child’s well-being and continued growth in faith and learning during this time. Please note that any unexplained absences will be followed up as per standard procedures. 

The Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong and all its schools, will still continue with our COVID-19 Management plans. We are committed to making decisions in accordance with the advice of health authorities. Our rigorous hygiene, cleaning and social distancing measures will remain in place, to ensure our school continues to be “COVID-safe” in line with health directives from the Commonwealth and State Governments. 

ADDITIONAL ADVICE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE UNWELL

The following information is advice from our Catholic Education Office and will be practice across all of our schools.

COVID-19 – Advice to families when a student is unwell at school

Given the presence of COVID-19 coupled with the commencement of the influenza (flu) season, we wanted to brief you on what to expect if your child presents unwell at school. The first symptoms of COVID-19 and flu are similar, in that they both can cause fever, cough, sore/scratchy throat and shortness of breath.

Throughout this period, we ask that you keep your child at home if they are unwell. In the event your child is unwell at school the normal processes apply: Your child will be cared for at school in the sick bay by a qualified first aid officer, while they await collection from an appropriate parent/guardian/carer.  

Schools have Personal Protective Equipment in order to support students and staff. The student will be provided with a medical mask to reduce the risk of transmitting droplets or respiratory fluids. The first aid officer who is assisting the student will also be wearing a medical mask and gloves. The student’s temperature will be taken using a non-contact thermometer to assess severity of presenting symptoms (note that regardless of the child’s temperature, all students who present unwell will be sent home). 

When the parent/guardian/carer of the student collects their child from school, a letter will be provided to them, which outlines the steps required for the student to be able to return to school. These steps include gaining a medical clearance certificate (where possible) and only returning to school once the student has fully recovered.  

We are advising you of these measures in advance so that you may discuss them with your child in the event this situation arises. 

 VIRTUAL ASSEMBLY

Thank you to Mr McCann and Miss McGeehan and the Year 6 students for the creation of St Paul’s first virtual assembly. As you are aware we will not be able to hold whole school assemblies when we all return to face to face teaching next week. Therefore we will continue to create our St Paul’s virtual assemblies this term. This is a way we can recognise the many talents and gifts of our wonderful students. 

THANK YOU

Thank you for your support, during this challenging time for all members of our community. We have great hope, that the children will feel more settled in their own classroom, experiencing normal face to face teaching with their classmates. Please be assured that we are here to support your children and are looking forward to seeing everyone next week.

Wishing you every blessing,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Laudato Si' Week - 16 to 24 May 2020 

“LAUDATO SI’, mi’ Signore” – “Praise be to you, my Lord”. These words come from the beautiful canticle/ song of praise of Saint Francis of Assisi

This week we honour Pope Francis' environmental encyclical (Letter to the World) entitle “Laudato Si” as our world is deeply affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

In his letter the Pope implores us to work together to create a better world for future generations and asks us to make the necessary changes in our lives in order to take care of, respect and value our ‘common home’.
Laudato Si’ Week helps us reshape the world that will arise after the pandemic has passed. 

The present crisis is an opportunity to start anew, and to make sure that the world that arises after this crisis has passed, is sustainable and just.

Laudato Si’ tells us that “everything is connected” and tragically, this health catastrophe has much in common with the ecological catastrophe.
Both are global emergencies that will affect many people, both directly and indirectly.
Both are experienced most deeply by the poor and vulnerable, and both expose the deep injustices in our societies.
Both will be solved only through a united effort that calls on the best of the values we share.

This week

• Reduce, reuse, recycle
• Plant a tree
• Pick up rubbish
• Conserve water
• Turn off unnecessary lights
• Go for a walk and appreciate God’s creation
• Say a prayer for all those who have lost someone to COVID-1
• Check on those who have been lonely during isolation
• Say a prayer of praise for the wonderful world we have

Acension Thursday 21 May 2020

The Ascension is the Christian celebration of Jesus rising into Heaven after He had spent 40 days on Earth after His Resurrection. It is celebrated forty days after Easter Sunday on Ascension Thursday. This date is also ten days before the celebration of the Pentecost.

The accounts of the Ascension in the bible make it clear that Jesus passes his ministry to his disciples.  It is easy to describe this event to children like the passing of a baton in a relay race.  Although Jesus did not actually pass a baton to his disciples, he did tell them very clearly that they were to take up his ministry on earth.  His earthly part of the race was complete, but the disciple’s ministry was just starting. We TODAY are meant to take that baton and continue to spread the love of Jesus with others

As parents and carers of children we pray

Dear Lord Jesus

Before your Ascension into heaven you told your apostles to be His witnesses to the ends of the earth.

May we be your witnesses to our children and spread your message in word and deed,

May our children as they grow up in our family circle. give us understanding of their needs and show us how best we can help them as they face their problems and prepare for life in the world. Help us to establish a relationship of trust between them and ourselves and to make our homes a place where at all times they may find love and security.

Amen 

Parent Spirituality and Relaxation

Ripples is a PODCAST developed for adult well-being and spirituality by Robyn Gallagher (Catholic Education Office). It offers a space where people can think and listen to a series of guest speakers and can experience some stillness through meditation and relaxation which are approximately 15 mins each session.

RIPPLE EFFECT

This program is called Ripples because of Robyn’s belief that there are some practices that have a ripple effect. When we have time to connect with matters of the heart, to hear a new perspective and to have some silence in our lives, we are more able to respond to life from a better place. This has a ripple effect and impacts the way we respond to family, friends, colleagues, to creation and to God.

THE PROGRAM

Each week a new Episode and Meditation will be offered. You may like to listen to both the Episode and the Meditation in one sitting or you may choose to do them at different times of the day or week, choosing a time that works best for you. 

I have listened to a few sessions and came away feeling very relaxed with a better outlook in a number of areas.

You can source these through the podcast below or just simply google Ripples -Robyn Gallagher and it will take you to the site.

Come away and rest a while.   Mark 6:31

Julie Ferguson, Acting Religious Education Coordinator

It is five years since Pope Francis released his ground-breaking environmental encyclical, Laudato Si' On Care For Our Common Home.

To mark this milestone, Catholics world-wide are engaging in ecological celebrations and sustainability actions that demonstrate a commitment to making our world a better place.

Laudato Si' Week is officially from 16th - 24th May and the theme for Laudato Si’ Week is “everything is Connected’

Everything is connected. Concern for the Environment thus needs to be joined to a sincere love for our fellow human beings and an unwavering commitment to resolving the problems of society.

Pope Francis Laudato Si’ 91.

By now all K-4 parents would have received their username and password to access these digital reading books. Our teachers have individually assigned books to your child at their appropriate reading level. Our students K-4 have been enjoying reading the books on the PMeCollection this term. They are learning about some extra features on the PMeCollection with their teachers during class.

They are learning how to:

Log in

Record their voice reading a sentence

View a reading session set by the teacher

Save a word to their word list

Belinda Evans, Acting Middle Leader 2

Enrol now!

Share the news with Family and Friends – We are NOW taking enrolments for 2021!

Please contact the school office on 4256 2772 or alternatively find enrolment information on our website http://www.spapdow.catholic.edu.au/

2021 Kinder Families

After a wonderful success in 2019, Transition to School Playgroup will be happening again in 2020!

Transition to School Playgroup, is a great opportunity for your child to;

• Get to know the school
• Meet their teachers
• Learn through play
• Make new friends
• Prepare for school and learning.

We look forward to you joining us in Term 4 for playgroup!

ICAS 2020

We have had confirmation from UNSW Global that the ICAS Assessments will be taking place this year in Term 3 for students in Grades 3-6. Families will receive information shortly which will detail a new online parent payment system. The new system will see parents enrol their children for the assessments and make payments online directly to UNSW Global not the school. The dates for the 2020 ICAS assessments are outlined in the table below.

Surviving Primary School Friendships

It's perfectly normal that children will argue, fall out and even change friendship groups from time to time. Children change and grow throughout the primary school years, and we can expect that friendships will change or grow along with them. Unfortunately, school friendships can be very difficult for some children, despite the vigilance of the teachers and the rules the school has in place.  

Some children tend to build friendships around outdoor games, sport and physical activity. They engage as a group and enjoy competing with and against each other. They value skill and ability, and respect this in themselves and in each other. Many friendships start on a sports court or field, and life can be very difficult for a child that don't like or is not good at competitive type play.  Some children will tease and sledge each other during play, particularly if they see another child as clumsy, unskilled or as letting down the team.  

On the other hand, some children are hard wired to find a 'best friend'. They value one-on-one play, deep and meaningful conversation and confiding in each other. Some children can be very hard on each other, and others strive to fit in. Unfortunately, children can sometimes be very frank– they say it the way they see it, and don't worry about hurting feelings. Working toward finding their 'best friends', some children will exclude others, picking and choosing who can play with them on any given day, or rejecting some children all the time, setting up an 'us vs. them' scenario.

How will you know if your child is having trouble with peers?

It is not always obvious that a child is struggling with an issue, so if you notice changes in your child's behaviour, it's important to talk about it.  The following may or may not indicate that something is worrying your child. If several of these apply, it would be  worth exploring further with your child or consulting with a health professional.

• quiet or withdrawn
• complain of vague headaches or stomach aches
• not eating their lunch or losing items
• no longer playing with previously close friends
• moody or easily distressed
• not wanting to go to school
• difficulty sleeping at night
• sudden changes in eating behaviour

What can you do?

One important thing you can do is to help increase your child's level of assertiveness. Here are some tips, adapted from the Very Well Family website:

Highlight the difference between assertive and aggressive

Assertive people are confident in who they are and what their needs and wants are. They respect and consider the ideas of others as well as their own. They can stand up for themselves in a confident yet respectful way.

Aggressive people are less respectful of the opinions of others. They are interested in their own needs and can be very forceful, both verbally and physically.

Explain to your child that aggressive people attempt to force other people to do what they want them to - they manipulate and intimidate people to get what they want from them.  Assertive people respect the needs and wishes of others while still expressing their own. They will defend themselves or others against unfairness by calmly stating their thoughts and opinions using a respectful voice and language. Teach your child to use a strong and confident voice, without aggression or anger.  

Allow them to make choices

Empower your children to make their own choices about things they are asked to do by others. Assure them that it's okay to say no to any request that makes them uncomfortable. For example, if she doesn’t want to go to the movies with a certain friend, or if he doesn't want to play at the house of a certain friend, it is okay to say no. Be sure your children know they have the freedom to make choices. Practice giving your child options that require them to make choices at home. If you constantly make choices for your children, they will be more likely to allow friends and others to make choices for them as well.

Stress that they have rights

Make sure your children know they have the right to be treated with respect, to express their feelings, to state their needs and to be proud of who they are. If your child has a friend that does not respect their rights, you should help them question their relationship with that person. Assertive people do not let others trample on their rights; they learn to stand up for themselves.  

Foster self-esteem

Building self-esteem is an important prerequisite for assertiveness. Children with low self-esteem will find it harder to be assertive and stand up for themselves.  To build self-esteem in your children, listen to and validated what they have to say, and encourage them to think for themselves. This demonstrates to them that their thoughts, feelings and opinions matter. They will be more comfortable asserting themselves if they are confident in who they are. Encourage self-expression at home where it is safe to be authentic. This helps build confidence and allows your child to practice being real with others.

Practice assertiveness at home

Role-play everyday situations that your children face at school. For instance, pretend to be a teacher and have your child ask for help. Or pretend to be a challenging friend and have your child practice being assertive. By practicing assertiveness, you will help your child get used to expressing their needs in a safe environment, which will normalize the process and make it easier for them to assert themselves later, with their peers. 

Be aware of how you respond to your child's requests

When supporting your child in developing assertiveness, it is helpful to be mindful of when a child makes a request and to remain open minded and curious when responding to their request. For example, if you get aggravated every time your child makes a request, or if you reply with a sharp “no,” this can feed into a child’s belief that their thoughts, desires, and ideas are not important. Instead, try to offer a brief explanation and context for your answer, especially if you are saying “no.” Children need to be reminded that it is acceptable to ask, even if the answer is sometimes “no.”

Communicate that assertive people still ask for help

Finally, let your kids know that being assertive does not mean they cannot ask others for help, especially if they are in a situation that is unfamiliar or scary. Be sure they know that when it comes to bullying of any kind, everyone needs a little assistance. Assure your child that asking for help is nothing to be ashamed of. Instead, it shows they are being wise in addressing a difficult issue.

The 7 Characteristics of a Healthy Friendship

1.  Treat Each Other as Equals 

In a healthy friendship, all friends are treated as equals with an equitable say in what they do. Even if one or two friends tend to take the lead, they treat your child with respect and as an equal. But in unbalanced friendships, one person usually takes the lead by wielding power, being bossy or demanding that things are done a certain way. There is no collaboration or fair treatment. If your child is not treated as an equal in the relationship, then the friendship is not healthy.

2.  Are Respectful

Healthy friendships exist when friends are respectful, honest and trustworthy. In other words, they do not engage in gossip or rumours. They also keep things other people have shared in confidence to themselves. And, if they do make a mistake, they take responsibility for their actions and apologize.  Children should feel safe and respected in their friendships.

3.  Celebrate One Another's Successes 

Jealousy and envy are very dangerous emotions that can lead children to bullying. Watch for signs of jealousy and if you witness anything that doesn't seem quite right, be sure to talk to your child about the characteristics of a healthy friendship. 

4.  Stand Up for Each Other

One of the best ways that friendships deter bullying, is when one friend stands up for or defends another that is being targeted. A good friend will tell the person to stop, help report the incident, and offer support once the incident is over. Good friends are more than just bystanders, they form a support system that will help your child cope.

5.  Support Other Friendships 

Solid friendships are not exclusive friendships. In other words, when your child is in a healthy friendship his/her friends are supportive of their different groups of friends. Children in cliques are not supportive of friends branching out; they insist on exclusivity and often pressure others in the group to conform by ostracizing others.

6.  Are Real and Authentic 

In a healthy friendship, your child will feel comfortable being themselves. Additionally, his/her friends will be authentic and real as well. No one feels like they have to pretend to be someone they are not.

7.  Do Not Engage in Peer Pressure                                                                                                                         

Good friends respect another person’s boundaries. If your child asks a friend not to do something or says no to a request, a good friend would respect that. Conversely, unhealthy friendships can involve a lot of peer pressure. If your child’s friends pressure him/her to do things they do not want to do, including pressuring them to pick on others, be sure your child knows how to respond to peer pressure.

If your child's friendships don’t have these seven characteristics, it's important that you talk to them about what constitutes a good friend and help them look for and develop healthier friendships. Help them identify what makes a good friend. Be supportive too. Making friends they can count on is not always easy. This process will take time.

Doreen Waddington, CatholicCare Counsellor

We are in the need of assistance to help transport a "dragon" from St Pius X Catholic Parish Primary School, Unanderra to our school library. 

The dragon was built by staff at Wollongong Art Gallery.   It is a paper mâché masterpiece of a Dragon ... it is quite big at least 5 metres long.

St Paul's Albion Park secured the dragon from the Wollongong Art Gallery when they were giving it away.  Mrs Warton and Mrs Frendo are keen to use this as part of our 2020 Book Week Display. 

However, St Pius X School asked to use if first for their Wakkari performance.  They have withdrawn from this performance due to COVID-19 and therefore no longer have any use for the dragon.

We are seeking assistance from any parents / carers with transporting the dragon from St Pius X Catholic Parish Primary School, Unanderra to our school library.  It will require the use of a small covered moving truck to transport it.

If any parents / carers are able to assist with this task please contact the school office on 4256 2772 or email:  info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au   

Made Fresh the current operator of our School Canteen has informed us that they are no longer able to operate our Canteen due to unforeseen circumstances arising from the COVID-19 Pandemic and the impact this has had on their business.  

Fresh Start Canteens will take over the operation of our School Canteen.  The owners of Fresh Start Canteens, Karen John and Debbie De Matos are proposing a start date of around maybe Week 6 or 7 of this Term depending on the availability of the new staff that they are currently training.  Karen and Debbie are looking forward to servicing the community at St Paul's soon as they can.  Parents and Carers will be informed of the definite start date once this has been decided.

Attached is a letter of welcome from Fresh Start Canteens and also a copy of their menu for your information.

Albion Park Youth & Community Care are doing weekly food hampers Wednesday afternoons for non-contact pickup. Please see attached flyer for newsletters or sharing. We are still here to provide remote support!   

Melanie Johnston, Service Coordinator, Albion Park Youth and Community Care Inc.