Last Sunday as a Catholic Church we celebrated the Feast of the Pentecost. The Feast of Pentecost is often referred to as the “Birthday of the Church” – since it was on that day that, filled and empowered with the Holy Spirit, the Apostles first began to proclaim the risen Christ to all the nations - starting from Jerusalem and continuing from that day to the ends of the earth. As for today: we have all received the Holy Spirit; we can be certain of this through the Sacraments we have received throughout our lives and the way in which we live our lives in right relationship with others.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Today as a nation we celebrate National Sorry Day which acknowledges and raises awareness of the history and continued effect of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families, communities and culture. Tomorrow marks the start of Reconciliation Week. Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures. 

St Paul's will recognise and celebrate National Sorry Day with a Liturgy of the Word and there are many planned activities in classrooms to recognise and celebrate National Reconciliation Week. I would like to thank Mrs Monica Ward McCann, Mrs Josephine Ball and Mrs Jodi Marsh for their preparation and organisation of the planned experiences at St Paul's to recognise and celebrate National Sorry Day and National Sorry Day.

Catholic Education celebrated 200 years in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820.

The first Catholic school in Australia was founded in October 1820 by Irish Catholic priest Fr John Therry and run by convict and lay person George Marley. The school, which Catholic historians believe was in Hunter Street, Parramatta, taught 31 students. By 1833, there were 10 Catholic schools in the colony. 

Over 200 years, Catholic schools have grown to become the largest provider of schooling in Australia (outside government) with one in five school age students attending a Catholic school. This represents 777,000 students in 1,755 schools across the country and employing over 100,000 teachers and staff.

A National Mass was celebrated in states and dioceses on the Feast of Our Lady Help of Christians on 24 May 2021. Our school captains, Ivy Armstrong and James Allen accompanied me to the St John Vianney Co-Cathedral at Fairy Meadow to celebrate a Diocesan Mass to recognise 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia. Staff and student leaders came together from the 38 Primary and Secondary schools along with the independent schools in the Diocese of Wollongong. Mass was celebrated by Bishop Brian Mascord and a number of our Diocesan priests. Each school was gifted with a book that outlines the history of each school in our Diocese. A copy of this book is available to read in the school foyer.

Wishing you every blessing,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Students in Year 1-6 will receive a written report that will be available to view in the Compass Portal. A Compass post will be sent to parents and carers during the day this is released to inform them of when the reports are live.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) states that students in Years One-Six receive grades ranging from A-E.

The A to E grade scale summarises the standard (or quality) of achievement associated with each grade. The scale describes:

• the depth of knowledge and understanding and
• the range of skills that students working at that standard typically show.

Grades are given for individual achievement. Students will get the grade that best matches the standard of their achievement. This means that teachers compare the student's work to a standard that is expected at that grade.

This week you will be sent a Compass post giving instructions on how to book a learning conversation with your child's classroom teacher. These conversations will allow parents and carers to communicate with staff about their child's academic growth so far this year. Parents of children from K-6 will be offered a time slot.

You may opt to have this conversation as a face-to-face meeting or as a phone call.

Learning Conversations will be offered across Week 9 & 10 (15-24 June)

This week, letters went out to parents and carers regarding any unexplained absences. If you received a letter please take the time to go onto the Compass Portal and provide an explanation of the absence. 

St Paul's is aiming to consult with parents and carers around the current uniform policy. This policy has been in place for some time and we would like to review the wording and ensure parents and carers have the opportunity to contribute. In the coming weeks, information will be sent out to parents seeking feedback about this. Keep an eye out for this information.

A reflection by Michele A. Connolly RSJ who is a Scripture scholar who teaches New Testament Studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney.

“When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.” Luke 2:22

Luke 2:22 shows that Joseph and Mary saw to it that, in every possible way, Jesus’ birth and early life were conducted according to the will of God. The Gospel of Luke focuses more strongly on Mary, the mother of Jesus, than on her betrothed husband, Joseph. Nevertheless, by the time we hear this verse, early in the Gospel, we have learned some important facts about Joseph. First, Joseph, who was betrothed to Mary, a virgin, was of the house and family of David (see Lk 1:27; 2:4). This means that Joseph traced his family tree back to the divinely chosen, anointed king of Israel: David. As an anointed king, David was, in the Hebrew language, a “messiah”. As a result, any son of Joseph would be counted not only as a descendant of David, but potentially a messiah.

All these small pieces of information, when put into the larger, divine scheme of events that Luke offers us, also suggest that Joseph is a man with a distinct role in God’s desire to restore the world to right relationship with Godself. Joseph’s descent from King David, the anointed one, makes it possible for Jesus, despite his humble birth, to be truly the long-awaited Messiah of the Jewish people. While he does not know the full picture, by choosing generously and courageously to accept Mary as his betrothed in difficult circumstances, Joseph enables God’s will to be fulfilled.

We have had a very busy time this term, with Covid restrictions lifting, we have been able to host a Year 4 Assembly and Mother’s Day celebration. We recited a beautiful poem for our selfless mums, and performed a hip hop dance to show our mums how much we love them!

Literacy

We are loving our shared reading experiences of Emily Rodda’s literature. In Term One we went on a quest with Rowan of Rin, to solve the riddles and save the village! Now in Term Two we are joining Patrick, the fearless Finder as he tries to solve riddles to find missing objects! We are enjoying using the comprehension strategy visualising to really understand the texts we read. 

Mathematics

In Mathematics we have been exploring the properties of 2 Dimensional shapes, including many different quadrilaterals. We have been combining and splitting common 2D shapes to make new shapes.

Geography

Our study of different biomes took us on a journey around the globe! We chose a biome we were most interested in to research how animals and plants have adapted to survive in these very different, often harsh environments.

Science

We love our hands-on science experiments, especially when we were discovering different forces like air resistance, buoyancy, push and pull, friction, magnetism and gravity.

PDH

In PDH, we are very focused on establishing positive relationships with others. Our main focus is on how we speak to each other and how our emotions can affect others. We like to THINK before we speak.

Art

We are very artistic and creative, and love sketching. We learned about the shapes and proportions involved when drawing portraits of others. Mrs Pollard introduced us to a famous artist Ken Done. His works are very colourful, reflecting simple lines, shapes and bright colours.

Congratulations to the following students who have received or will be receiving an ACE Award, Principal Award and/or a Mary MacKillop Award:

Ace Awards

Orlando Fernandes - 3 Blue

Mya Thompson - 3 Red

Kirsty Hobbin - 4 Red

Gabrielle O'Shea - 4 Red

Zara Pabis - 4 Red

Jaxon Moran - 4 Blue

Max Elliot - 5 Red

Amalia Fernandes - 6 Blue

Principals Awards

Anabelle Maounis - 4 Blue

Kobi Elliott - 4 Red

Dakodah Hicks - 5 Red

Mary MacKillop Awards

Logan Holt - 3 Blue

Shelby Veigel - 5 Red

The PB4L Team

We have had a very busy time this term, with Covid restrictions lifting, we have been able to host a Year 4 Assembly and Mother’s Day celebration. We recited a beautiful poem for our selfless mums, and performed a hip hop dance to show our mums how much we love them!

Several SPLICED Participants were invited to participate in the SPLICED Student Visual Arts Workshop held at St Paul’s last Tuesday 18th May.  These selected students have a key Visual Arts aspect to their Project and had the opportunity to refine their Visual Arts skills in a 1 day workshop with Visual Artist Amanda McPaul-Browne.  Students were supported by Mr John Charadia and Mrs Bree-Anna Fogliada.  One this day, we were also joined by several talented students from Stella Maris Primary School Shellharbour, and their SPLICED Coordinator, Mrs Kelly Mang.  All students involved had a wonderful day and we are very proud of the wonderful work they were all able to complete on the day.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

Data

Collecting and displaying data is an important part of our Mathematics syllabus. Students of all ages learn to develop questions, collect data and represent this data in a variety of ways such as tally marks, picture graphs and column graphs. 

3B and 3R have been learning how to develop questions to collect data on. Here they are pictured asking their peers their chosen question and recording their data using tally graphs.

For the older children, it is important that they learn to interpret data found in the media and critically analyse data sources. A fun activity with your children could be to have them analyse their favourite sport’s ladder and ask them questions about it. Below is data from part of the current NRL ladder. Questions could include: 

How many more points do the Rabbitohs need to beat the Eels? Which team has had the most losses?

Olivia Djodan

Acting Middle Leader

New Enrolments for 2022 are now open. Enrolments packs are available for collection at our school office. Please let your friends and the wider community know that enrolments are now open.

On Friday 4th June, we will be recognising World Environment Day (WED) as a school community. WED is an international day of environmental awareness and action  that happens on 5th June each year. 

The theme for 2021 WED is REIMAGINE. RECREATE. RESTORE. 

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 this day, 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/eco-themed mufti to school on Friday, 4 June to celebrate World Environment Day.

All classes will be involved in both class learning activities and outdoor hands-on projects to celebrate the day. This celebration is also in line with our Catholic teaching from the Pope's letter to the world “Laudato Si,” asking us to take care of our common home, the Earth. 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.

Waste-Free Warriors 2021

Congratulations to the following students who have volunteered to make our school a greener place and help to care for ourcommon home. These students will lead environmental initiatives throughout the year, along with committing to their weekly job of managing the food waste at St Paul’s (composting). I look forward to working with these students throughout the year.

Anastasia Raiyas

Olivia Feeney

Sophia Greig

Lucinda Akele 

Preston Apps

Jack Miller

Luke Tsolkas

James Schubert

Jonathan Pulido 

Madison Smith

Lacey Pearson

Imogen Gauci 

Lilliana Farraway

Lachlan Edwards

Keiran Shoebridge 

Eamon McCann

Wezley Smith

Charlotte Hooper

Hayley Frendo

Sophie Jones

Isabella De Santis

Alani West

Myah Bramstedt

Keisha Bill 

Grace Kusa

This week we are commemorating National Sorry Day on Wednesday May 26th and  Reconciliation Week May 27 - June 3.

National Sorry Day acknowledges and recognises members of the Stolen Generation. This year's theme is  ‘More than a word. Reconciliation takes action’, which is urging the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.

Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. Visit the National Reconciliation Week Website to explore 20 actions you can take to support Australia’s journey towards Reconciliation. https://nrw.reconciliation.org.au/actions-for-reconciliation/

At St Paul’s our students will be involved in a number of activities to recognise these important events. On Wednesday we will take part in a National Sorry Day Liturgy at 2.30 in the hall and our Indigneouns Students and School Captains will represent St Paul’s at the Shellharbour CIty Council National Sorry Day Flag Walk on Monday 31 May.  

Over the coming Wednesday’s all classes will visit Uncle Kevin Butler who is working onsite to create Welcome Poles for our school. This project has been made possible by a donation of ten poles from Bunnings, Albion Park Rail, and paint from Taubmans. We sincerely thank Jacqui and Aleesha from Bunnings who have organised these donations for St Paul’s. We also thank Uncle Kevin and the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong for supporting this project. It is a privilege to have Uncle Kevin complete this project onsite for our school. Once finished, the poles will be set in the gardens in our front playground, near our Office entry and in our outdoor learning space. 

Welcome to breaking news with Archie and Mia in the Senior Leader group.  In the last 2 weeks our school has had a variety of activities such as: Year 6 buddies, the Mother’s Day stall, NAPLAN, attending Mass, NRL clinic,Relay for Life, mufti day and a whole school Liturgy last Friday on the 21st May 2021. We celebrated Relay for Life last Wednesday where we got to wear yellow or purple to represent the Cancer Council and raise money.

On Monday 24th May, the School Captains Ivy and James with our school Principal Michelle Rodwell went to a Mass to represent the 200 years of Catholic Schooling in Australia

On Friday Mornings and Afternoons Stage 2 and 3 have participated in an NRL Clinic with Jeff. We learn about how to pass the football and play football properly. On Fridays, Year Six participate in buddies with the Kindergarten students.  

Each Friday, our school receives their Green Zone reward. In the morning on a Monday each classroom, with their teacher, will discuss the goal for the week.  Those students who reach this goal are invited to participate in a Green Zone Reward.

This week coming up we have National Sorry Day and will be learning the importance of National Sorry Day.  Many school children take part in National Sorry Day activities, which include essay competitions, lighting candles for Indigenous Australians who were taken away from their families and communities, and inviting local Indigenous Australian elders to speak with students. 

National Reconciliation Week starts on 27th May.  Each year from 27 May to 3 June, National Reconciliation Week celebrates and builds on the respectful relationships shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.

On Friday the 28th May, we also look forward to the Year Two assembly.

Written by Mia and Archie

Year 6 Senior Leaders

In 2020, the St Paul's community focused on the social and emotional development of students through the practice of social and emotional learning (SEL).  The aim of embedding SEL into the context of St Paul's is to assist in the development of a positive climate within our school and to equip students with the knowledge and skills to function with the complex social and emotional contexts of the world.  Through the PB4L Framework and the PDHPE syllabus, students have engaged in learning skills within the 5 domains of SEL:

1. Self Awareness: The ability to accurately recognise one's emotions and thoughts and their influence on behaviour.
2. Self Management: The ability to regulate one's emotions, thoughts and behaviours in different situations.
3. Social Awareness: The ability to take the perspective of and empathise with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures, to understand social and ethical norms of behaviour and to recognise family, school and community resources and supports. 
4. Relationship Skills: The ability to establish and maintain healthy and rewarding relationships with diverse individuals and groups.
5. Responsible Decision Making: The ability to make constructive and respectful choices about personal behaviour and interactions based on the consideration of others.

During PDHPE lessons, teachers have provided explicit teaching of the many SEL skills which fall within these domains.  Students practise these skills in everyday classroom and playground situations and continually reflect on their use of specific SEL skills.  As a school, we have embedded practices including class meetings, class mantras, community circles, kindness walls, and the BOUNCE BACK acronym to support students as they develop proficiency in emotional regulation.  

Why is SEL important for learning?

Research supports the concept that the facts a child knows and even early ability to read are not as predictive of school success as are factors like self-assurance, impulse control, ability to seek help from teachers and social skills.  Students with well-developed social and emotional skills find it easier to manage themselves, relate to their peers, develop resilience and a sense of self-worth, resolve conflict, engage in teamwork and feel positive about themselves and the world around them.  Improving social and emotional skills has a positive influence on children's attitudes, behaviours and performance, including academic success. 

BOUNCE BACK

BOUNCE BACK is one of the many resources we utilise to teach SEL at ST Paul’s.  The BOUNCE Back Acronym is a list of strategies individuals can use to build resilience. All classes at St Paul’s have learnt and continue to practise the BOUNCE (Kinder - Year 2) or BOUNCE BACK (Years 3-6) acronym and strategies.  

Netball Gala Day - 15 June 2021

There will be a Netball Gala Day held at Berkeley on 15 June for students in grades 3-6. Please refer to Compass to give permission and make payment. 

Our 2021 School Athletics Carnival will be held at Croome Road Albion Park on Friday 18 June. More information will be sent out shortly. Parent assistance will be needed and greatly appreciated on the day.

Gymnastics National Championships

The School would like to congratulate Indianna Surian for coming first in several categories at her recent national championships. We wish her all the best in her future competitions.

This term, our teachers have been participating in Professional Learning around teaching reading comprehension. The teachers have been working together in collaboration using student work samples to plan and deliver effective whole class and small group lessons to improve student outcomes in reading.

Professional Learning

Week 7

• Alight for the World- Miss Djodan 
• DLST Moderation Day- Mrs Evans and Mrs Fogliada 

Week 8

• Extending Mathematical Understanding - Miss Djodan and Mrs Rodwell 

Mathematics Assessment of Learning 

This term students will be bringing home their Assessment of Learning in Mathematics following the completion of a unit. This will occur twice per term. 

Parents are encouraged to look through the assessment and speak to their child about their results. We are hoping this provides parents and carers with a clearer understanding of their child’s attainment of numeracy concepts.

Each grade will bring home their two assessments at different points throughout the term depending on their grade’s scope and sequence of learning. The content that each grade is assessed on may also differ depending on which strand the unit was based. 

The assessment task is only one component of the assessment process. There may be more than one task needed to complete assessment for that outcome. The other components of assessment include class participation, bookwork, observation, verbal tasks and problem solving tasks. 

If your child is being assessed above or below stage outcomes their assessment proforma will not reflect a grade as assessments are addressing specific stage outcomes.

ICAS

ICAS Assessment registrations close Friday the 23rd of July.

Please see Compass for information on the ICAS Assessments and how to register your child online. 

Olivia Djodan
Acting Middle Leader

This term students from Kindergarten to Year 6 have been coding in the library at recess. The students have been learning about some of the Robots we have at St Paul’s. 

The students have been learning to code a sequence of algorithms to make a robot move:

Kindergarten are using the Blue Bots to go forward, turn left, turn right, re-code, stop and pause. 

Stage 1 are using the Ozobots and coding using coloured textas and sensors.

Stage 2 are learning to block code using the app MBlocky and the Mbots.

Stage 3 are re-modelling and coding the VEX IQ

A feature of our fortnightly newsletter is an overview of Term 2 dates. The best platform to view the Term 2 dates is a laptop or iPad rather than a phone. The remaining Term 2 dates are outlined below

Between May and July this year, our school will be taking part in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC). This is a nationwide census/survey of early childhood development held once every three years. The AEDC is an Australian Government initiative run by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment and includes all children in their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC provides vital information to communities about how children are developing in the crucial early years. AEDC data is relied upon by schools, early childhood organisations, researchers and government to inform planning and improve services and supports for children and families.

The AEDC Instrument is completed by teachers about children in their first year of full-time school. The AEDC is voluntary and is not a school test. The information collected gives a picture of how children are developing before they start school in five key areas or domains. It shows what is being done well, and what can be improved. This is why it is important for all children in their first year of full-time school to be included in the AEDC.

Information has been provided to all Kindergarten parents and assessments begin tomorrow.

Term Two

Over the past few weeks, students from Years 3-6 who expressed an interest in joining the choir have met and rehearsed some new repertoire. Their debut performance, following our picnic and open classrooms to recognise Mother’s Day, was a resounding success. Considering the students had less than a week to learn their song, teachers and parents alike thought this was a remarkable effort on the part of the students. The teachers involved in leading these rehearsals have been amazed and encouraged by the sheer delight that is evident on the students’ faces as they appear for rehearsals. They are clearly present because of their love of singing and their focus and self-motivation ensures that melodies and rhythms are learned quickly. We are really enjoying our latest song, “In our Small Way” and we look forward to the opportunity to share this with our school community.

The following dates have been planned as Staff Professional Development Days for St Paul’s this year. Being Staff Development Days they are pupil free days, so children do not attend school. The dates are as follows:

Please note that CatholicCare OSHC Care will put a survey in the newsletter closer to the Staff Development dates to seek parent/carer feedback regarding the provision of Vacation Care style service for the Staff Development dates.

CatholicCare OSHC Care process will be similar for Staff Development Dates. When these are coming up please keep an eye out in the newsletter for a survey to register your interest with them. If they gain enough feedback to warrant running the day they will provide a Vacation Care style day, from 7am to 6pm, based on children's interests and ideas! Please give Becky and Matt a call at 0460 666 010 or email them at albionparkoosh@catholiccare.dow.org.au if you have any further questions.

Thank you to those parents and carers who joined the Parents and Friends Executive for the Term 2 Meeting. The meeting was an opportunity for parents and carers to discuss a number of agenda items and collaborative with the staff at St Paul's Catholic Parish Primary School.

The second hand clothes stall will be available at Friday School Assemblies every second week. Deanna Carbonara will be available in the school hall foyer to help any parents and carers who would like to purchase any second hand clothing. 

Friday 28th May at 2:20pm

Friday 11th June at 2:20pm

Please be sure to check out our Facebook page, give us a like and share with all your family and friends.

If you would like to know more about the changes and challenges children experience in the pre-teen years (ages 9-12), our School Counsellor has put together a presentation that covers the following topics:

• What are the pre-teen years
• What is happening to my child
• Changes and Challenges
• Girls
• Boys
• Gender
• Social Media and Gaming
• What does my child need from me
• Tips for parents
• When should I be concerned

The two sessions will be held in the School Hall on Monday 21st June. Please note that these are repeat sessions

Session One: 9:15am-10:15am

Session Two: 3:15pm-4:15pm

All parents and carers are welcome to join Doreen for these informative sessions.

At the end of 2019 a descision was made by the previous School Leadership Team that the school canteen would be outsourced. As a result a number of canteen providers have provided a canteen service for St Paul's Albion Park.

Currently Fresh Start Canteens have been operating the school canteen one day per week on a Thursday.  The service has been operating in conjunction with Nazareth Catholic Primary School, Shellharbour City.  The service runs out of Nazareth Catholic Primary School and lunches will be delivered to St Paul's at 10:50 am.  Please see the documents attached for the menu and details to order lunches.

If this proves successful, Fresh Start Canteens will hopefully commit to further days of operation.