Last Sunday we celebrated the Feast of The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This is a celebration of both Mary’s earthly and heavenly presence living in and through us today.

The Gospel for this holy day recalls Mary's actions after the announcement of Jesus' birth by the Angel Gabriel. Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is also with child. Elizabeth greets Mary with full recognition of the roles they and their unborn children will play in God's plan for salvation. Mary responds to Elizabeth's greeting with her song of praise, the Magnificat. Both women recall and echo God's history of showing favour upon the people of Israel. Mary's Magnificat, in particular, echoes the song of praise offered by Hannah, the mother of Samuel.

Mary’s life was one of continuous transformation as she journeyed through the unknown. Yet it was Mary’s willingness to take part in God’s unfolding plan for humanity and the deliverance of the universal story that remains within us to continue today.

Today's Gospel highlights Mary's faith. Mary's faith enabled her to recognise the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to all. Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan of salvation.As for Mary, her earthly transformation was made possible through her free will and her freely choosing to let go, to trust and to cooperate with the Spirit. This is what is being asked of us today.

Dear Parents and Carers,

As we move into week six of remote learning and nearly eight weeks of lockdown I hope things are well for you and your family. Last week Governor Margaret Beazley shared a message with all New South Wales school Principals and schools, and extended her gratitude to those working in schools, and to all the students learning in New South Wales at the moment. It is a very thoughtful message of thanks and gratitude to teachers and staff working in schools at the moment. I would once again like to extend my thanks, as I have previously to my colleagues, for all that they are doing to ensure that remote learning honours our curriculum, and for the way in which their calmness, their good humour, as well as their professionalism has enabled our students to receive a high standard and continuity of learning. The gratitude expressed by Governor Margaret Beazley resonates with the emails I have received from parents and carers who too have expressed their gratitude to the staff of St Paul’s. 

When I listened to Governor Margaret Beazley's message and she spoke about the power of education and the vocation of education, I did think about Saint Mary MacKillop of the Cross, our first and only Saint here in Australia and her commitment to education. Mary MacKillop saw education of children and  the poor, as a way of reaching justice in our world, and the way of changing the fate for the lives of so many people and families. If you have the time I encourage you to listen to the message of gratitude expressed by Governor Beazley below. 

Last Sunday 15th August we celebrated the Feast of the the Assumption. The Feast of the Assumption is the main celebration of Mary's life and ministry. We celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15. On this day, we particularly honour Mary's journey into heaven, taken body and soul, to share in the glory of her Son’s Resurrection. Catholics believe that God assumed Mary into heaven because of Mary's special relationship with God. Her position in heaven is guiding, watching and caring for God's children on earth.

Mary's assumption reflects God's promise to all his children, that we live in the hope of new life after death. Catholics hold Mary's assumption as a reminder that God loves them and yearns for them to join Jesus, Mary, and all the saints in heaven. This week our students are engaging in learning experiences focused on the Feast of the Assumption during remote learning. I am looking forward to seeing their work via the online platforms.

This week we also celebrate Science Week. This is an opportunity for students across Australia to focus on the National Theme Food: Different by Design. The theme this year honors the United Nations International Year of Fruits and Vegetables and the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development. I would like to express my thanks to Mrs Belinda Evans and members of the St Paul’s Science Team for organising the wonderful teaching and learning activities that students have and will continue to explore this week during remote learning. I am looking forward to seeing their work via the online platforms and I had a chance to see our Kindergarten Scientists in their Monday Zoom, which was an absolute delight!! Both the Feast of the Assumption and Science Week will be a focus in the Week 6 Virtual Assembly. 

In consultation with the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong the Pupil Free Day that was planned for Monday 12th July has been moved to Tuesday 5th October. In Term 4 there will now be two Pupil Free Days as a result of the Term 3 Pupil Free Day being changed to Term 4. The second Pupil Free Day is Friday 27th October which has been communicated with parents and carers from the beginning of the school year.

On Monday 23rd August we warmly welcome Mrs Vennessa McGeehan back after her surgery and recovery. Vennessa is looking forward to joining the St Paul’s community after her period of leave. I would like to sincerely thank Mrs Diane Allison and Ms Shari Allison who have supported Mrs Kristie Bicknell in the school office. On the 28th August we farewell Mrs Rachel Della-Libera as she begins parental leave. Rachel has been a member of the St Paul’s community for the past 18 months and we wish Rachel and her husband Mitchell all the very best with the upcoming birth of their first child and will keep Rachel and Mitchell in our thoughts and prayers. 

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

If it is absolutely necessary for you to send your child to school with the current health restrictions we ask that you send them with earphones/ headphones. It is difficult for the supervising adults when all children are trying to connect with their learning online in the same room. 

All earphones/ headphones should be labelled with your child's name or in a bag with your child's name.

Did you know that the Australian Council on Children and the Media website allows you to check age-appropriate movies and apps?

This site is handy if your child is asking to watch a show or download an app and you do not know if it is safe. 

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION - 15TH AUGUST

On the 15th August we celebrated 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. At our Virtual Assembly on Friday we will celebrate this occasion in prayer.

THE SEASON OF CREATION

We recognise the Season of Creation during September, beginning with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on Wednesday 1st September. Look out for more information in our next newsletter.

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. The modules can be accessed via SeeSaw for students at St Paul’s school. 

A reflection written by Lara Kirk who currently works for the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn as Marriage, Family and Relationships Co-ordinator. 

I can’t relate to the Holy Family. Mary was completely without sin, Jesus was God and Joseph was a saint. That doesn’t sound a whole lot like my family! Thoughts or comments like these can easily arise when trying to engage with the subject of the Holy Family. Yet, in this Year of St Joseph (which has dovetailed nicely into the Year Amoris Laetitia Family), the Church is encouraging us anew to draw grace and strength from the fully human, grace-filled family life of Jesus, Mary and Joseph.

The Holy Family can inspire us by their example of being richly and warmly present to each other, to their extended family, to their community and to the world they found themselves in. The fact that Jesus, a holy man and preacher, was so comfortable in the company of outcasts and sinners bears testimony to the hospitality and compassion expressed in the family home at Nazareth. Their neighbours would have known them as "good people", people you could go to in a crisis, people who wouldn’t judge you or look down on you or air your dirty laundry. Jesus learnt in the family home to be compassionate, accepting and merciful. The fact that Jesus loved to share meals, to tell stories and to attend celebrations shows that his home life was rich and celebratory. The fact that his stories are full of images from domestic life – cooking and cleaning; from agriculture – sowing and reaping; from business – debt collectors and employers; and from nature – the lilies of the field; indicates that his parents encouraged a grounded, well-rounded appreciation of all aspects of human existence.

The Holy Family were not superhuman; they were fully human and extra-ordinary. They didn’t have a crystal ball that told them how their life would turn out. They had to live and grow through space and time like the rest of us, trusting that God is good and that ultimately he has everything in hand. They had to exercise faith. They had to choose hope and they had to learn how to accept and appreciate the gift of each other’s unique personhood just like we do. Nor did resisting sin mean they were free from temptation, discouragement, doubt, fear, misunderstandings, hurt, anxiety, stress or grief.

The Holy Family are much more like us than they are different from us and they have much to teach us about what it means to be fully human. Let’s draw close to these good people, who learnt through trials and sufferings and joys how to walk humbly with God and to trust in his provident goodness. Let the Holy Family encourage us, that as we open the ordinariness of our lives and relationships to his grace, God can bring about his saving plan.

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 importance of friends and how to describe their friends.

In Maths Year One have learnt about 3D Objects. They can describe 3D objects and make them at home.

In Mathematics, Year One has also been learning multiplication and how to make groups of using items found at home.

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

Each day we check in using the Zones regulation to identify how we feel.

Year Two continues to listen to “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 3.

In Maths we are learning about Time. Students have made their own clocks to help make o’clock, half past and quarter to and quarter past times.

In Science we have been learning about forces. We had the chance to design and make a pulley that would lift a drink bottle or to design and make a floating ball toy.

Stage 2 has had another wonderful fortnight of remote learning. It is pleasing to hear students starting to become more independent and aiming for their best work. 

Year 3 has been hard at work learning about poetry in both reading and writing. We have been blown away at some of the creations they have come up with. As part of this learning students investigated the use of onomatopoeia and created some fabulous artworks! 

In Religion students were able to choose their own way of demonstrating how they can ‘go forth and spread the Gospel’. Not only were the messages from the Gospel clear in each response, but the quality and imagination of their work was very impressive! 

See below for a snippet of this great work!

Year 4 has been busy in Science investigating different types of shoes. They had to look at their properties, materials and their purpose. Students did a wonderful job at explaining their findings and thinking! 

In Personal Development and Health, students focused on their well being by creating their happy place. It is safe to say students (and teachers) are going to be using their happy place to help get through the next few weeks. 

See some of their great work below. 

Stage Three children have had two great weeks of learning. They have covered content around all Key Learning Areas. They have been learning about 2D shapes and the properties they have. They have been reading and writing informational texts and persuasive texts. The children have been drawing, sketching, and drafting ideas for the Christmas Story Art. The is usually conducted in Term Three. All children prepare an artwork based on a scripture passage about the Christmas Story. Both grades have looked at the Zones of Regulation and have begun identifying emotions and how to be ready to learn. They have acknowledged special people in the church because of the Feast of the Assumption and this week they are learning all things Science. Science Week sees our Stage Three children, learning all about various scientific concepts, investigations, and experiments.

Our staff thanks you for the generous support and ongoing patience you have shown over the last four weeks while, together, we continue to live, learn, and work under the restrictions and challenges posed by COVID-19.

We urge everyone to continue to follow the advice from the NSW Government and NSW Health regarding Stay-at-Home orders and restrictions in keeping all members of our community safe and well. As you know, COVID-19 case numbers continue to be high across Greater Sydney, as does the number of people who have been in the community while infectious. In light of this, the NSW Government and NSW Health have again reinforced the message that parents and carers must keep children home if they can.

We understand how difficult it can be to manage working from home as well as supervising your child’s learning, however we are requesting your support to limit the risk of COVID-19 by having your child learn from home, rather than school, unless you absolutely have no other option. As we continue to plan for supervision of students who must attend school it is vital that we schedule only the minimum number of required staff members each day. This is to ensure we meet the direction provided by Catholic Schools NSW and NSW Health.

If it is absolutely necessary for your child to attend school for onsite supervision on any day until Friday 27 August 2021, please complete this form:

This information will enable the school to organise appropriate supervision for students onsite whilst managing teachers working remotely and ensuring there is adequate access to electronic devices for students being supervised at school to engage in online learning.

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 Unhelpful thinking makes you feel more upset.

They key messages are:

• Our thoughts strongly influence our feelings and actions.  Changing how we think helps us to manage how we feel.  
•  Unhelpful thinking involves thinking things such as:
• ‘Everybody must like me.’ (There is no-one who is liked by everybody.)
• ‘I must never make a mistake.’ (Everyone needs to make mistakes to learn things.)
• ‘I must never lose.’ (Everyone has to lose sometimes.)
• ‘Bad things always happen to me.’ (They don’t, but you are probably only noticing the bad things that happen and not noticing the good things that also happen to you.)
• Don’t mistake your feelings for facts.  Just because you feel self-conscious doesn't mean people are looking at you.  Sometimes you need to do a ‘reality check’.
• Use low-key words for your feelings and they will stay more easily under control.  For example, say to yourself: ‘I am annoyed’ rather than ‘I am furious’, or ‘It is unpleasant and I don’t like it’ rather than ‘It is a disaster and I can’t stand it’.

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

• Notice and name unhelpful thinking - It is natural for people to engage in unhelpful thinking from time to time.  To reduce this habit, notice and name when a member of your household is using unhelpful thinking.  Work together to reword phrases to be easier to control.  You can even begin to point out when characters in movies and on TV are engaging in unhelpful thinking and notice the repercussions of these thoughts.  

• What Went Well today - focus on the good parts of every day!  After engaging in home learning, at the dinner table or before bed openly share something that went well in everyone’s day. 

• Get a reality check - 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 unhelpful thinking makes you feel more upset 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

Our focus for Remote Learning continues to be “Be the best learner I can be!” Being safe, respectful and responsible at home while we learn is important. We all need to make the most of all the learning opportunities our teachers share with us, follow the family and house rules and look after ourselves and our families while we learn. 

This week we are happy to report that we have had some new Central playground equipment installed for students who are rostered to play there! Netball goal posts have arrived! We are very excited to share these with you! Another great Central Playground activity for all students to enjoy when you return to school! 

The PB4L Team

During Term 3, Personalised Plan Collaborative Meetings are scheduled to take place between classroom teachers and parents.  These meetings will likely take place over the phone on the basis of current Covid restrictions.  We are currently scheduling dates and time for these conversations to take place before the end of Term 3.  More information will follow in the coming weeks 

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

Dear Parents and Carers

Our school has registered to take part in Fruit & Veg Month 2021. 

Fruit & Veg Month runs from Monday 23rd August to Friday 17th September 2021. 

The theme for this year’s event is ‘Festival Fruit & Veg!’  

Fruit & Veg Month is a health promotion event that aims to encourage increased fruit and vegetable consumption amongst NSW primary school children

As part of Fruit & Veg Month, it would be great if you continue to encourage your child / children  to eat more fruit and vegetables. 

You can do this by 

• Choosing healthy snacks
• Packing a healthy lunchbox
• Adding a variety of vegetables to your main meal

As we are learning from home at the moment you may like to look at some recipes that you can cook together as part of a brain break during the day.

Fruit and Veg month Recipes

Angela Spaccavento & Katie DeSousa

Fruit & Veg Month School Coordinator

The catalogue for Issue 6 can now be viewed online at www.scholastic.com.au

Go to:

Then:

All orders need to be placed online via the LOOP. If you place an order for Issue 6, due to the current remote learning situation you will have the option from Scholastic to select home delivery (at a cost of $7.50) or school delivery.  

All orders need to be placed by Wednesday 1st September.

Thank you

Louise Frendo

Library School Support Officer

Recently school fee statements were forwarded to families via email from the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong. Attached to this school fee reminder email is information from the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong regarding Deferred Payment Option and Fee Concession Applications in the case that families are experiencing difficulty due to COVID19.

The school fully understands that in the current climate families are under financial pressure, please remember we are here to help.  The school is here to assist, you just need to make contact with the school office. Please email the school via info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au or alternatively call the school on 42 562772 and ask to speak with Michelle Rodwell or Kristie Bicknell, all communication is confidential.

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. 

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.

"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

Wednesday 18^th August 2021
Lightening the lockdown load
7pm-8pm

Free

Lightening the lockdown load with Dr. Justin Coulson - FREE Webinar | Shellharbour Council (nsw.gov.au)

Lockdown is hard, and going through a subsequent lockdown can be even harder.
The pressure feels higher. The demands feel greater. Kids might seem more oppositional, and the home learning stretch tougher.
So how do we build our kids up? How do we support them and show them that there is light at the end of the tunnel?

Join our webinar with Dr. Justin Coulson on Wednesday 18 August 2021 as he shares his 4 secrets for 'Lightening the Lockdown Load'.
By the end of this FREE webinar, you’ll:

• Feel reassured, with less stress and pressure around your kids, their schooling, and life
• Have concrete strategies you can start on immediately to make your family happier
• Know how to be on the same page as your partner
• Be able to develop habits and practices that will ensure your children – and YOU – can get your daily work done, even while everyone is stuck at home.

Wednesday 1^st September 2021
Screen Addicted Kids and Parents
7pm-8pm
Free
Screen addicted kids and parents with Dr. Justin Coulson - FREE Webinar | Shellharbour Council (nsw.gov.au)

Is your family screen-addicted?

COVID Lockdowns have changed the way our families interact with screens. Between homeschooling and working from home, many families are spending a lot more time on their devices than usual.

So how can we stop the drama around screens and help our children have a healthy screen-time balance? And what about our own screen behaviours?

Join Dr Justin Coulson, one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts, as he unpacks how families can create a healthy screen-time balance:

This webinar will show you:

• Why the concept of screen-time misses the point and leads to unhelpful conflict about tech
• How to eliminate the drama around screens with most kids in most situations without having to ‘ban’ devices, especially in a COVID environment
• What parents really need to worry about when it comes to screens, and what they can relax about
• The sneaky ways our kids are using screens without our knowledge
• How we can make screens work in our family’s favour
• How parents can model better behaviours for their children while also benefiting from more connection as a family.

This presentation will challenge your views, and change the way you talk about screens and tech in your home – for the better.

Interested in other parenting presentations? Check out our FREE webinar on 18 August 2021 from Dr Justin Coulson helping families to lighten the lockdown load.

Parish Newsletter