Last Sunday 1st August In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong, we celebrated the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time Year B. The reflection below by Loyola Press outlines that in John's Gospel we learn that the crowd has noticed the departure of Jesus and his disciples and so seeks them out in Capernaum. In the dialogue that follows between Jesus and the crowds, Jesus unfolds for us the gift of himself that he gives in the Eucharist.

In John’s Gospel, there are four exchanges between Jesus and the crowd. In the exchanges between Jesus and the crowd who follow him and his disciples, Jesus inspires the crowd to see beyond the fulfillment of their own material needs. The crowds have followed Jesus because they have been fed. They ought to be seeking out Jesus because he can give them eternal life. Jesus wants the crowd to see beyond the surface to the One who provides true nourishment. Jesus is encouraging the crowd to see Jesus as the Bread of Life they seek. Jesus himself is the Bread of Life who will satisfy every hunger and thirst. A clear message for us all that God revealed his name to us as Yahweh, if we want to accomplish the work of God, believe in the one God has sent – Jesus, as Jesus is our bread of life.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we embrace our fourth week of Remote Learning I would like to once again pay my utmost respect to all families who are navigating, having children learning from home, older children studying from home, young adults who perhaps can't be onsite at university. And you yourselves, undoubtedly, for many of our families working from home as well. I have also reflected on how blessed we are to have teachers who have worked hard to ensure that the learning of our students stays as connected to their school learning experiences as possible. This has occurred through daily zoom sessions, detailed daily learning plans and the inclusion of scaffolded learning experiences.  Our students too have approached remote learning with dedication and commitment to their learning.  

Thank you to those parents and carers who have completed the Parent and Carer Home Learning Survey that was shared with all parents and carers on Monday 2nd August. Your feedback is very important to us as we plan another three weeks of remote learning. 

I hope you all have had a chance to look at the new St Paul’s school website. The website captures pertinent information about the school community and celebrates the many achievements of our community. There are a number of features on the website including dates for school events, a link to the Compass Parent Portal, and you are able to access all the school newsletters on the website at the bottom of the homepage.  Thank you to those parents who have provided me with such positive feedback about the new website. 

Sunday the 8th August we celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The teaching of Jesus, conveyed through the gospel passage, characterised much of the life and work of Mary MacKillop.  Mary was a prolific writer, sending messages to her sisters in the schools and communities across Australia. Two of the quotes attributed to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop that capture the essence of the teaching of Jesus is, “Do all you can with the means at your disposal and calmly leave the rest to God.” and “Never see a need without doing something about it.”

Catholic education has a long history in the Albion Park community and St Paul’s. The school was established in 1882 by the Sisters of St Joseph to serve the needs of the Albion Park Catholic community. Initially known as St Joseph’s, the single building school commenced with three Sisters and fifty students. In 1925, the beginnings of the present school were built, Bishop William Hayden of the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese, a former Parish Priest, officially opened these. Since 1882 the school has grown to accommodate the expanding rural district as well as to serve the many families engaged in the various industries of the area. 

Today marks the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day. The theme for the day is Proud in Culture, Strong in Spiri. The theme highlights the importance of supporting strong family and community connections to help children achieve strong spiritual and cultural wellbeing and to form proud cultural identities. National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day. is a time for for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to celebrate the strengths and culture of their children. It is an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as learn about the crucial impact that culture, family and community play in the life of every child. At St Paul’s we value the vital and important role that culture, family and community play in caring, supporting and teaching the students at St Paul’s. 

"When children sit, look at the sea that goes with the story, they capture all this message – it is not by accident when we teach our children about the land, about the sea, about the dance." 

Rosemary Gundjarranbuy, Yalu Marnjgithinyaraw as part of Interplay Project, Ninti One

Yours in Faith and Learning 

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

The eSafety Commission website states “No parental control tool is 100%  effective. Helping your child build good online safety habits is just as important.”

Talking with your child regarding the expectations of your home for device use is very important. Try creating a technology plan for your family: https://games.playingitsafe.org.au/technology-plan

Know your devices

All the devices that connect to the internet in your home offer lots of benefits. But you also need to understand the risks associated with these devices and how to protect yourself and your family. 

Explore how to use parental controls:

• on your home wi-fi network
• built into devices, including computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles and smart TVs
• through third-party software
• in apps and programs, including streaming services, web browsers and search engines

Use parental controls

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.  

They can be set up to do things like: 

• Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera, or the ability to buy things). 
• Filter different kinds of content — such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism. 
• Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long.  
• Set time limits, blocking access after a set time. 

If a device or program is shared by multiple members of your family, you should be able change the tool settings to reflect each user’s age and skills.

Information from https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/skills-advice/taming-technology

FEAST OF ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP

On the 8th of August we celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop - Australia’s first Saint.

Mary MacKillop was born in 1842 in (Fitzroy) Melbourne (Australia). On 8 August 1909.she died, having suffered a disabling stroke in 1902. Inspired by a meeting with Fr. Julian Tenison-Woods, Mary MacKillop at the age of 25 took her vows and the religious name, “Mary of the Cross”. In doing so, she founded the congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Soon after taking her religious vows, Mary MacKillop began schools. Within 5 years of taking her vows and founding the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph, Mary had established over 30 schools, in South Australia and over 100 women had joined the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Mary MacKillop was very conscious of the plight of the poor and needy. She worked with families that lived in isolated areas of Australia. As a result, Mary MacKillop pioneered a new form of religious life in Australia and commenced a “system” of “Josephite" schools that would provide education, especially for the children of the poor. In 1873, Pope Pius IX gave Papal approval for the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. Even today, many Australians can say that they too have felt the impact of the enormous work started by St. Mary of the Cross (MacKillop), having been educated or cared for, by the Sisters of Saint Joseph. She was noted for her trust in the providence of God and miracles of healing have been attributed to her. She was declared a Saint by Pope Benedict XVI on the 17th October 2010.

FAMILY WEEK - 8TH AUGUST - 14 AUGUST

This year we are celebrating 200 years of Catholic education in Australia, marking the bicentenary of the first Catholic school established in Parramatta in October 1820. The week coincides with the Feast Day of Australia’s First Saint, Mary MacKillop, who was a passionate educator and advocate for children and families, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Parents and carers are the primary educators of their children, and as crucial partners in each

student’s learning journey. To recognise the significant contribution families have made to the foundation, growth and continuity of Catholic schools in Australia over 200 years, a Family Week will be celebrated nationally from 8 August 2021 - 14 August 2021.

Look out for some Family oriented tasks on your child’s daily learning plan next week.

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FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION - 15TH AUGUST

 

On the 15th August we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. The Feast of the Assumption celebrates the belief that the body and soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary was taken into heaven after the end of her earthly life. Mary’s assumption into heaven is seen by many as a fulfilment of Jesus’ promise to all faithful servants; that they too will be received into the kingdom of God. Mary is seen as the first disciple of Jesus and a model for all disciples; it is fitting that she receive the gift of discipleship first of all. Belief in the Assumption of Mary had become widespread by the end of the seventh century and was eventually defined in an infallible statement by Pope Pius XII in 1950.

PARISH NEWS

ST PAUL’S WEEKEND MASS TIMES

Currently due to restrictions there are no weekend Masses.

FIRST COMMUNION PREPARATION

First Communion Preparation will begin for students who have made their First Reconciliation this year. Due to the current restrictions this will be completed online by parents and the child. An email was sent to all First Communion students with the attached letters and modules.

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A reflection by Michelle Vass the Director of the St Mary’s Towers Retreat Centre, Douglas Park, a work of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

Luke’s Gospel speaks of a single visit of the angel Gabriel to Mary, setting her path for the rest of her life. In Matthew’s Gospel, we hear of an angel visiting Joseph some four times, guiding him step by step through troubled times. Interestingly, these visitations come to the sleeping Joseph in his dreams.

As a carpenter, Joseph would have been no stranger to silence. We can imagine him spending time alone, honing his patience and concentration as he worked the wood. Perhaps there is a link between this silent way of Joseph and the silent way of dreams in which the angel communicates with him? We could be fooled in thinking that, as a man of dreams, Joseph lived in a fantasy world. Nothing could be farther from the truth. As a man of dreams, Joseph has much to teach us about the power of trust, the power of prayer and the power of discerning God’s presence in our lives.

Joseph’s dreams come to him at difficult times, when he is afraid and needs to make important decisions. The first dream comes after he finds out about Mary’s pregnancy and has decided to dismiss her. The dream allows Joseph, the righteous man who knew the law, to interpret the law with love. He might have been angry and disappointed, yet he acts as if he is saying what his step-son would say to a woman about to be stoned almost thirty years later, “He who has never sinned, let him cast the first stone” (John 8:7).

Joseph’s dreams are brief, or at least the snippets we hear are brief. In the second dream, the angel tells Joseph to get up, take the child and his mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until further instructions. If we listen to the Scriptures and the saints, it would seem that brevity is a strong characteristic of spiritual experiences. St Teresa of Avila writes very clearly that the duration of a rapture is short, and any prolonged raptures are more often due to the sister not being in control of herself, than to God!

Joseph’s dreams give clear instructions. In the third dream, again Joseph is told to get up, take the child and his mother and go to Israel, for those seeking the child’s life are dead. They also give reason and encourage. In the first dream, Joseph is told to name the child Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. In the fourth dream, he is warned that Herod’s son has replaced him and so to go to Galilee. Somehow Joseph knows to trust these messages. There is no fussing, no questioning or consulting other’s opinions; he simply acts. Think how steadfast his trust in God must have been to know that what came to him in a dream was not to be questioned.

Joseph’s dreams offer us a lesson in discernment. When we are plagued by troubles, it can be very difficult to get to sleep, let alone rest enough to be aware of a dream. To do so, we must trust, surrendering all our cares to God. We might even say we surrender our cares in exchange for our dreams!

Joseph reminds us that rest is essential if we are to hear God’s voice and understand what is being asked of us. He shows us what happens when we wait patiently even in fearful circumstances, trusting and remaining open to how Love might work in our lives. Just as Paul reminded the Romans to be transformed by the renewing of the mind so as to discern the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom 12:2) Joseph reminds us to allow our minds to be renewed through our dreams.

The fact that we hear about four of Joseph’s dreams reminds us too that discernment works in all aspects of our lives. It is a gift of the Holy Spirit and it is honed with experience. Just as Joseph’s actions were constantly guided by the angel’s instructions, we too need to adapt our spiritual practices to work, family and community demands, always alert to the need for change.

Finally, you are probably aware that Pope Francis has a special devotion to St Joseph. “I have great love for Saint Joseph, because he is a man of silence and strength. On my table I have a statue of Saint Joseph sleeping. Even when he is asleep, he is taking care of the Church! So when I have a problem, a difficulty, I write a little note and I put it underneath Saint Joseph, so that he can dream about it! In other words I tell him: pray for this problem! …”

Joseph, the man of dreams, reminds us that prayer and discernment are not about what we do, so much as how we keep our hearts open to the gifts of God. We must wait for what comes, inwardly attentive, always ready to live the messages of Love. So, happy dreaming tonight. Remember the Psalmist’s advice (Ps 127) that your earlier rising and going later to rest are in vain, for gifts will be poured on you the beloved as you sleep, just like Joseph!

Thank you Kindergarten parents, for your fantastic support given to your child throughout online learning. You are doing a great job to support your child to complete the SeeSaw tasks each day. We couldn’t do it without you! We enjoy listening to videos, viewing your crafty creations and most of all, we love seeing your child’s happy face each day.

From the Kindergarten Teachers

Year One and Year Two have been engaging in Remote Learning using SeeSaw. Each morning we have been gathering on Zoom to say Good morning before completing our tasks for the day.

Year One has been learning about the story of creation. They created many pictures to show their favourite part of creation. The children also design a butterfly using items from creation.

Year One is also learning about schools from the past and the present.

Year Two has also been engaged in some exciting new learning activities.

In Science, Year Two have been learning about the forces of push and pull. We have been experimenting at home with what items we can push and what items we pull.

Year Two has begun reading “Fantastic Mr Fox”. We had to listen to the story and draw pictures of what we could visualise was happening in the book. These are some of our visualisations from Chapter 1.

In Maths we are learning about Fractions. We began by dividing food or pictures into equal parts to create halves, quarters and eighths.

All Year 3 and 4 teachers would like to once again congratulate the students and parents for a successful fortnight of remote learning. We have seen an improvement in students trying their best at home and checking their work before submitting. 

Year 3 continued their learning about comprehension strategies by introducing ‘Visualising’. Over the week students listened to various texts for descriptive language that helped them to make a picture in their mind. Below are examples of students visualisations for the text ‘The Black Rabbit’. 

Stage Three have embraced the Olympic spirit with students receiving medals in Year 6 and creating their own Potato Olympics in Year 5. They have been doing science investigations, learning about how to inference from a picture and creating graphs.

Year 6 have been focussing on Patterns and Algebra and learning all about how to write persuasive paragraphs. They have been reading the text Crow Country, Finding out where they migrated from and investigating various art styles.

They have been enjoying their Zoom meetings and producing some great work.

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

This week's focus is BE THE BEST LEARNER I CAN BE. Whilst we are learning remotely, it is important that all students take a little bit more responsibility for themselves and their learning than they do whilst at school. Teachers are trying their best to create and provide learning experiences that are engaging, interesting and relevant. Students have a responsibility to attempt and complete these learning tasks in the best possible way they can. Here are some handy hints…

• Make sure you have eaten a healthy breakfast, dressed comfortably, brushed your teeth and made your bed before school
• Click on every “Listen” button, voice recording and read instructions and tasks carefully
• Do your very best work, take your time and check over your work before sending it to your teacher. 
• Take regular movement and relaxation breaks as needed to reset and focus
• Send messages to your teacher (infants with Mum and Dad’s help) if something is too difficult or if you are feeling overwhelmed

This week we are happy to report that we have some new Central playground activities available for students who are rostered to play there! There are Netball goal posts COMING SOON for students wishing to have a friendly game or practise their goal shooting! In addition to this, a new Volleyball net has been installed on the Top Oval. The teachers will be sharing with you the procedures for playing these games safely, respectfully and responsibly when students return to school. 

The PB4L Team

The Virtual Assembly this week will be sent out again on Friday afternoon and will have a focus on Mary Mackillop, the Olympics and also our regular awards. Watch out for some of our St Paul's Staff in their own Olympic Games Video!!

Due to COVID restrictions the majority of staff professional learning has been postponed or cancelled. St Paul’s staff are continuing to participate in our weekly professional learning sessions via zoom.

To ensure that our students involved in SPLICED and Enrichment Mathematics continue to be extended in their learning during this period of Remote Learning, a number of resources are currently being developed.  These will be shared with students and parents throughout each week.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

One of the benefits of remote learning is that many of us have more time with our children around the house. There are lots of opportunities to engage children in numeracy learning through everyday tasks. Some examples are: 

-telling the time at different points in the day on both an analogue and digital clock 

-measuring using mL, L and grams when cooking 

-doing chores around the house to earn a small amount of money then adding it up to find a total 

-estimating lengths and distances e.g. how long would it take for me to walk to the corner and back?

In the Term 2 Week 10 newsletter there was information about arrays and the benefits of finding them in the environment. Below are some examples of some numeracy learning that Year 3 have been doing using arrays to assist in learning times tables. Similar activities can be easily done within the home environment.

In response to the COVID-19 lockdown and remote learning arrangements ICAS has arranged an additional four-week sitting window in Term 4 from 5 Oct – 29 Oct 2021.

If you would still like to register your child for the ICAS assessments the Parent Payment Portal will now be open until 19 September 2021. Please see Compass for additional information on how to register. 

Olivia Djodan

Resilience refers to the capacity of an individual to overcome odds and demonstrate personal strengths needed to cope with hardship.  At St Paul’s we teach our students strategies for building resilience using the BOUNCE BACK Acronym. The Bounce Back Program teaches students how to ‘bounce back’ after encountering negative events, challenges, difficult situations or adversity and return to a sound level of emotional wellbeing.

While the social and emotional skills for developing resilience start with explicit teaching of these skills, it is through continual practise of these skills that children build their resilience and capacity to ‘bounce back’

The next letter of the BOUNCE BACK acronym represents the strategy Other people can help if you let them.

They key messages are:

• Nothing is so awful that you can’t talk about it to someone you trust.  Things will be easier if you share your worries but it takes courage to do so. 
• Everyone needs someone to talk to now and then.  Talking to someone about what is troubling you is a sign of strength, not weakness.
• Talking about what is worrying you with someone you trust means they can give you support.  If you don’t talk to them, they won’t know what you need.
• Talking to other people allows you to ‘cross-check’ your ideas and perceptions with them.  In this way, you can see if they see the situation in the same way you do.  
• If you talk to someone you trust you can get a ‘reality check’ because they will tell you if they think you are not being realistic.  Maybe you are getting the facts wrong or you don’t have all the facts you need.  Maybe you are seeing things in a distorted way.

Some strategies for supporting your children to learn and practice this strategy at home include:

• Be on the lookout for ‘helpers’ - At these times, we find ourselves watching the news more often than usual.  It can be easy to focus on the bad news, but in any situation, there are always people doing what they can to help.  Identify the ‘helpers’ in news stories and point them out.  Make these people the focus of your viewing. 

• People who can help me - make a list with your child of all the people who can help them.  Next to each name, list all the small and big things that this person can help with. 

• Check the facts - when feeling worried or speculating over an issue, write down the facts.  Be sure to avoid any wonderings, speculations or ‘what ifs’.  

The most powerful way to build resilience in children is to remind them of the strategies they have been practising in real life contexts.  Reminding children that other people can help if you let them and that they have the ability to BOUNCE BACK when they are faced with hardship is integral to developing children’s resilience to a level of independence.  

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

"I'm bored."

I bet you've heard that a few times lately.  Lock down

 is hard for all of us, and children may be particularly frustrated when they are stuck inside and not able to socialise and see their friends.

The good news is that studies show that the more bored a child is, the more they daydream, allowing their brain to switch off and top up their ‘creativity tank’.  Other studies have found that having unscheduled time results in greater resourcefulness, which can help build independence and resilience.

Nevertheless, it may be hard to see the benefits of boredom in the short-term while children are at you to help them find something to do. My favourite activities for boredom are around the creative arts – encourage your children to write a story and illustrate it, or to create a vision board with pictures, quotes and ideas of things they want to achieve over the next year. There is always painting, clay, drawing, cooking and baking, writing letters to loved ones, and building with Lego.  All of these can be great boredom busters, but thankfully there are lots of websites out there that can help you find home-based activities to keep children entertained. Find the best activities for your child and get them to make a Boredom Jar to pick from when they need something to do. 

Check out some of these websites for inspiration:

https://www.northshoremums.com.au/fun-home-activities-with-kids/

https://campaustralia.com.au/blog/easy-science-experiments-with-household-items

https://www.scitech.org.au/explore/at-home/experiments/

https://www.care.com/c/stories/3780/101-things-to-do-when-kids-say-im-bored/en-au/

 Stay healthy,

Doreen Waddington St Paul's CatholicCare Counsellor

A feature of our fortnightly newsletter is an overview of Term 3 dates. The best platform to view the Term 3 dates is a laptop or iPad rather than a phone. Some of the Term 3 dates are outlined below and please note that these are pending COVID 19 Restrictions. 

Due to the current lockdown and remote learning arrangements, St Paul’s have postponed Book Week celebrations until Term 4. Specific dates and details will be communicated with you closer to the time.

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

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.

A reminder that 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:

Term 3- TBC due to COVID restrictions

Term 4- Friday 29th October 

The Catholic Education Office has released information on changes to when staff development days are held. This will now be the case from 2022 onwards, this change is in line with the direction that the NSW Department of Education has also taken. Please see below a summary of the dates for 2022. (Term 2 and Term 3 2022, Staff Development Days are yet to be determined)

Specifically for 2022 the CEDoW gazetted dates are as follows: 

• 26 January - Australia Day holiday (Wednesday) 
• 27 January - Student vacation (Thursday) 
• 28 January - Staff Return Pupil Free Day (Friday) 
• 31 January - Staff at School Pupil Free Day (Monday) 
• 1 February - Students in Years 1 to 6 return (Tuesday) 

For Primary schools - Best Start Kindergarten Assessment will be conducted 1 February to 7 February and the first official day of the school year for the 2022 Kinder cohort is 8 February (Tuesday). 

• 8 April - Last day of Term 1 (Friday) - 11 weeks (10 plus 1 day) 
• 25 April - First day of Term 2 (Monday) 
• 1 July - Last day of Term 2 (Friday) - 10 weeks 
• 18 July - First day of Term 3 (Monday) 
• 23 September - Last day of Term 3 (Friday) - 10 weeks 
• 10 October - First day of Term 4 (Monday) 
• 19 December - Last day of Term 4 (Monday) - 11 weeks (10 plus 1 day)
• 20 December - Pupil Free Day 

This fortnight at OSHC we have been learning all about the Olympics! The children have enjoyed a range of creative and active experiences around the games this year. We have practiced our running races and had relays against our friends, created some cool Olympic torches, painted the Olympic rings logo, and made our own medals out of salt dough!

We would like to thank everyone for filling out the vacation care survey stating your interest for the September holidays and we look forward to being able to announce which days we will be open! If you would like any information about the OSHC service please email albionparkoosh@catholiccare.dow.org.au or call 0460 666 010

We look forward to having all our friends join us back at OSHC soon!

Becky and Matt

Please find below our survey for interest for September Vacation care! As per last holidays we will only run the days we can show interest in so please complete this, even if you're not entirely sure what days you might/might not need yet 

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=zlmHQHHqOUOz47-22C6OuDU3mCK-EnxGsym12WV0MppURFlNTkQ0TkFBWUlVQUhBMUFIRVFLT0FHQy4u