Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past week, as students have settled back into school life teachers have been focusing on students social and emotional wellbeing. Students have reconnected with each other and their teachers, and it was evident that our school by its very nature is a place of hope and affirmation. It is great to see our students in person and the we truly appreciate your support as we have transitioned back to face to face teaching.

Pentecost Sunday

Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost. Pentecost marks the Holy Spirit breathing life into the hearts and minds of the Disciples, fifty days after the resurrection. The Holy Spirit gave the Disciples the strength and courage to spread the Good News and continue the mission of Jesus, for humans to experience God’s grace.  As the majority of our students have returned to school this week, I have certainly witnessed many moments of grace. Some of these include; the lengths our staff have taken to ensure our students feel safe, secure and welcome as they returned to their classrooms, the reactions of students as they reconnected with friends, the compassion of students who have looked for opportunities to support their nervous peers and the courage of our youngest students as they have made the long walk through the gates by themselves and the trust and support parents have demonstrated by standing back so their children can exercise this necessary independence.

National Sorry Day

Last Tuesday, we celebrated National Sorry Day and the beginning of Reconciliation Week. This is a time to highlight and celebrate the place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and rights in the history of our nation. The theme for Reconciliation Week is  “We’re in this together”. These very important events that we celebrate as a Nation were acknowledged and celebrated in our classrooms and were included in our St Paul's Virtual Assembly last Friday. 

Kindergarten Enrolments

Over the past few weeks I have met with parents and carers wishing to enrol their child into Kindergarten at St Paul’s in 2021. So many of the parents and carers expressed their desire for their child to be part of the St Paul’s Catholic Community. At St Paul’s we aspire to create a community that welcomes and is deeply connected to parents, carers, parishioners and the local community.

Interim Student Report for Semester 1, 2020

In these unprecedented times in education, traditional direct instruction has been altered due to the Coronavirus outbreak. Determining academic mastery is challenging in remote learning environments as conversations, observations and assessments are limited. The Interim Report reflects the engagement in learning undertaken during classroom and remote learning over the course of Term 1 up until the middle of Term 2, 2020. The Key Learning Areas of Religious Education, English and Mathematics have been a key focus for all of the classroom and remote learning experiences delivered during Terms 1 and 2. Please note that the report will not be A-E, and will assess effort and engagement only in Religion, English and Mathematics. There will not be a general comment. Please see the table below for some additional details.

 Parent/ Carer- Teacher Learning Conversations

This year we will celebrate students success by providing parents and carers an opportunity to discuss their child’s effort and engagement in learning with classroom teachers in Week 10. The purpose of the Parent/Carer- Teacher Learning Conversations is to discuss students’ effort and engagement in learning undertaken during classroom and remote learning over the course of Term 1 up until the middle of Term 2, 2020. The Parent/Carer-Teacher Learning Conversations will be conducted by a timetabled phone conversation. 

St Paul's Virtual Assemblies Term 2

Thank you to all the parents and carers who have expressed their thanks and praise about the St Paul's Virtual Assemblies. We will continue the Virtual Assemblies for the remainder of the term and I thank Miss McGeehan and Mr McCann and the Year 6 students for creating the Virtual Assemblies.

Wishing you every blessing,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Congratulations to the following students who have received or will be receiving a Principal's Award or a Mary MacKillop Award:

Principal's Awards - Virtual Assembly Friday 29 May - Week 5 Term 2 2020

• Archie Clifton - Year 3 Blue
• Tamara Frendo - Year 6 Red
• Abigael Whitfield - Year 2 Blue
• Elleah Estalilla - Year 2 Blue

Principal's Awards - Virtual Assembly Friday 5 June - Week 6 Term 2 2020

• Ciara Bastian - Year 6 Blue
• Leah Carbonara - Year 4 Blue
• Alani West - Year 4 Blue
• Preston Apps - Year 4 Blue

Mary MacKillop Award - Virtual Assembly Friday 5 June - Week 6 Term 2 2020

• Tamara Frendo

The human family has received from the creator a gift: Nature.

Pope Francis, Laudato Si’

Last week our school celebrated the 5^th anniversary of Pope Francis Laudato Si’. Our Year 3 and Year 4 students got their hands dirty in our vegetable gardens, weeding and planting some new seedlings. They planted radishes, cabbage, carrots, tomatoes and a variety of herbs.

The students have been busy watering, watching and waiting for their little seedlings to grow. Thank you to Mrs Bennett, Mrs McCann, Mrs Ferguson and Miss Tonini for volunteering your class to participate in this experience.

Belinda Evans, Environmental Coordinator

We are now coming to the end of Reconciliation Week.

Reconciliation involves building positive, respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians; enabling us to work together to close the gaps, and to achieve a shared sense of fairness and justice.

As a family talk about reconciliation and harmony between all people regardless of race, culture, age and religion.

Explain that Reconciliation is the act of bringing people together to be friendly again or coming to an agreement. An example of reconciliation is two siblings who mend their relationship after a period of fighting. 

Together say this prayer

THE RAINBOW PRAYER

Dear Loving Lord, Creator of all,
you created us all in your own image,
one image - many colours,
one image - many cultures.
You made us come together like a rainbow,
separate parts but coming together in one creation.
Help us to see the beauty you have created in each and every one of us.

Dear Loving Lord, Creator of all,
you gave us hearts to love and minds to reason.
Help us to understand our differences and grow in love for each other.
Help us to come together as the rainbow comes together, many colours, shining as one creation over all the earth, as you intended us to be.
In the name of your  Son, Jesus.
Amen

Julie Ferguson, Religious Education Coordinator

Trinity Sunday

This coming weekend, our Church celebrates Trinity Sunday. Whilst the concept of a ‘3 in 1’ God is a bit of a ‘mystery’, the doctrine of the Trinity is one of the most fundamental in our Christian faith. We express our belief in a Trinitarian God every time we make the sign of the cross. It is important to note that we don’t believe in three gods but rather three “persons” or “forms” of the one God: Father, Son & Holy Spirit.  Regardless of our understanding of the Trinity, what really matters is that we have a God who loves us so much that he sent his Son and fills us with his Spirit.

After the Easter Season, ending in Pentecost, the Catholic Church celebrates Ordinary Time. This season will continue until the First Sunday of Advent. That doesn’t mean these Sundays are insignificant. The word “ordinary” comes from the Latin word ordinaliss, meaning a series of numbers. “Ordinary Time” refers to the way the Sundays are numbered.

Find God in the Present

Some people live in the past. others stress about the future, therefore losing the joy of the present and not realising what they are missing. Our faith teaches that God gives us the grace needed to deal with whatever is happening in the present moment. So, make it a point during this season to look for God in ordinary moments.

Ordinary Time can be a time for us to find God in our homes, at work, in the car with our families, and within our souls.

5 ways to make Ordinary Time special

1.  Focus on Christ’s life

Find more time to learn about Jesus. The Sundays & weeks of ordinary time take us through the life of Christ. 

2.  Learn about the lives of the saints

Saints are a great way to show your family how to live a life that builds a relationship with Jesus. Read stories or watch movies on saints.

3.  Try new family prayers

Find short, meaningful prayers to say with your children.

4.  Celebrate the Eucharist

Go to Mass with your children, reminding them every single Sunday is a celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Talk about the Mass as a family afterwards.

5.  Create a Home Prayer Space

Have a  prayer place or table in your home. Place special items such as saint cards for the feast days, natural objects that represent the season (leaves, winter flowers, beautiful pebbles) or something your child has made and a green tablecloth.

How will you make ordinary time extraordinary this year?

Julie Ferguson, Religious Education Coordinator

Friday 5th June is World Environment Day, which is a United Nations-led event that is celebrated each year. This year’s theme is all about nature and celebrating Biodiversity.

Since it began in 1972, it has grown to become a global platform for public outreach that is widely celebrated across the globe.

World Environment Day is a day for everyone around the world to take ownership of their environment and to actively engage in the protection of our earth.

On Friday our students will participate in environmental activities to raise awareness and encourage action for the environment, offering an opportunity to reflect on some environmental challenges facing the world today.

Students can wear green mufti to school on this Friday, 5 June to celebrate World Environment Day.

We are hoping that your students can participate in an outdoor activity and an indoor activity. Each grade has been assigned a garden area to look after and maintain.

Students are to bring their own reusable gloves (no plastic if possible).

We hope the students and staff have a great day gardening and being out in nature.

Belinda Evans, Environmental Coordinator

Following direction that we have been given by the Wollongong Diocese Sports Council the following sporting events have recently been cancelled for 2020:

• CPS Basketball Challenge
• Term 3 Soccer Gala Day
• Diocesan Athletics Carnival

As a result of these recent cancellations St Paul’s will also be cancelling the School Athletics Carnival for 2020. As a school we may investigate some alternatives for these events later in the school year which we will notify you when decisions have been made and restrictions lifted further.

Brian McCann, Sport Coordinator

The Second-Hand Uniform Stall is still operating.

Parents/carers who require uniform items please contact Maria Bancroft (Phone: 0400 570 105). Items requested will be left at the office to pay and pick up at your convenience.

All items $5. 

Please Note: Office can only accept CORRECT CHANGE when purchasing uniforms. NO CHANGE CAN BE GIVEN. Alternatively, families can pay by EFTPOS.

DONATIONS of uniforms no longer required are always needed to replenish our stock.

It is important that all uniforms have been WASHED and are in relatively GOOD condition (no rips, big stains or broken zippers please). 

Parents are welcome to drop off the uniforms at the front office.

Maria Bancroft, 2nd Hand Uniform Coordinator

Karen John, owner of Fresh Start Canteens has advised us that she will be re-opening our Canteen in Week 8 on Wednesday 17 June 2020.

The Canteen will only trade on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays to start with.  There will be no Canteen facilities on Mondays or Tuesdays at this stage.  

Please find attached a copy of the Fresh Start Canteens Menu.