Last Sunday we celebrated the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that in last Sunday's Gospel we find that Jesus’ reputation as a healer has preceded him. When the blind man, Bartimaeus, hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, he calls out to him, asking for his pity.

When Bartimaeus calls out to Jesus, the crowd around him tries to silence him. Yet Bartimaeus persists, calling out more loudly and with greater urgency. He will not be silenced or deterred from getting Jesus’ attention. We notice how quickly the crowd’s reaction changes when Jesus calls for Bartimaeus. Those who sought to quiet him now encourage him.

Throughout Mark’s Gospel, the success of Jesus’ healing power has often been correlated with the faith of the person requesting Jesus’ help. Once his sight has been restored, Bartimaeus follows Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. In Mark’s Gospel, Bartimaeus is the last disciple called by Jesus before he enters Jerusalem. Bartimaeus hears that Jesus of Nazareth is passing by, but he calls out to Jesus using words of faith “Son of David.” Many in Jesus’ time believed that the anticipated Jewish Messiah would be a descendent of King David. Bartimaeus’ words prepare us for the final episodes of Mark’s Gospel, which begin with Jesus’ preparation for the Passover and his triumphant entry into Jerusalem.

As Mark has shown us in our readings over the past few Sundays, however, Jesus will be the Messiah in a way that will be difficult for many to accept. Jesus will show himself to be the Messiah through his suffering and death.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Over the past week and a half, 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. It has been such a pleasure to hear our students laugh and smile as they have reconnected with their friends, the squeals of excitement have been music to our ears as students have enjoyed their welcome back class parties. 

The fabulous St Paul’s Senior Leaders created a welcome back video for our school community.

I would like to sincerely thank our wonderful parents and carers for your support over the past 13 weeks of remote learning, the partnership that has strengthened with parents and carers and the school community has been very evident. Parental engagement throughout remote learning has been extraordinary as you navigated the daily learning of your child,  managed restrictions and ran households, managed your own work commitments, whilst also being the conduit between your child and their teacher. Thank you!!! I encourage you to continue to communicate with your child’s teacher about your child’s return to school. Please ask any questions that you have so that we can support our students and school community as we transition back to face to face teaching.

As we begin to move towards the end of the year, planning for 2022 is underway and as a teaching staff we continue to focus on our students and their learning. The best person to determine your child’s class placement for next year is their current class teacher, in consultation with their grade partner(s), student’s past teachers and members of the School Leadership Team, as they know your child best in the classroom and playground settings. At St Paul’s we take into account the spiritual, academic and emotional wellbeing of each child, as well as considering their social interactions, so that we work towards our main goal of having balanced classes in all grades.

I also recognise that as your child’s primary carer, parents and carers may have specific information that you wish to share with me, as the Principal of the school, that may assist in the organisation of class placements for next year.

In light of the above, the following protocols will need to be adhered to when making a request for class placements in 2022: 

• All requests must be in writing no later than Friday 5 November 2021 via the school email account addressed to Michelle Rodwell with the subject title: Classes for 2022
• At the discretion of the Principal an interview may be organised to discuss the requests in further detail. Asking the class teacher to follow up your request on your behalf will not be accepted.
• As there will be changes with teaching staff for 2022 please do not request a particular teacher as there is a possibility that the current classroom teachers on a grade for 2021 will not be the same in 2022.
• Ultimately, the decision concerning class placements must rest with the Principal and class teachers as we are privy to information concerning the spiritual, academic and emotional wellbeing of each student, therefore no guarantees will be given to supporting any requests. 
• Please note that no changes to class placements will be made after classes are announced at our Meet the Teacher Transition morning on Thursday 9 December.

If your child is not returning to St Paul's Parish Primary School in 2022, could you please notify the School Office as soon as possible. There is a ‘School Leavers’ form that needs to be completed.

Over the coming weeks purpose built intervention rooms will be built in the library space to accommodate our evidence based Tier 2 Interventions. I would like to thank the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong for their contribution to the cost of the building project. Library borrowing will be put on hold whilst the building works take place. 

Each academic year every school in NSW is required to complete an Annual School Report. I am seeking the voice of parents and carers to complete the St Paul's 2021 Annual School Report. If possible could parents and carers complete a very quick survey indicating your satisfaction with St Paul's. The link to the survey is below.

The closing date of the survey is Friday 3 December 2021. Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback to the school, as we value the feedback from our community.

This coming Friday 29th October is World Teachers’ Day, a day whereby we recognise and celebrate the many achievements of teachers. The NSW Minister of Education has shared a video of recognition and thanks to all 160,000 teachers in NSW, which is featured on the NSW Education Standards Authority website which is linked below. 

I would like to express my deep gratitude to the amazing teachers at St Paul’s who have a positive impact on the lives of our students. Thank you!! 

This term we welcome 53 Kindergarten students for Kindergarten 2022. Due to COVID restrictions we we will be  facilitating orientation sessions whereby the new Kindergarten students have the opportunity to meet other Kindergarten students via Zoom. We are looking forward to welcoming our new Kindergarten students for 2022. 

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

If your child is entering Year 5 in 2022 could you please see important information listed in the article of this newsletter titled iPad Program for Year 5 2022. This information is also available on the Compass portal for parents of this grade group.

The options and agreement need to be completed by Friday 5 November.

World Mission Sunday, fell on 24 October 2021. On World Mission Sunday parish communities around the world gathered to pray for and raise funds to support the work of thousands of crucial church-run programs. Wednesday, 27 October, is Children’s Mission Day. Our Virtual Assembly this week will recognise World Mission Month.

This year St Paul’s will be accepting donations online through the Socktober website. Please follow the link and contribute what you can as a family. https://www.socktober.org.au/fundraisers/stpaulscatholicprimaryschoolalbionpark

The month of October is dedicated to the holy Rosary, one of the best known of all Catholic devotions. Take time to pray ‘Hail Holy Queen’ this week.

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary!

Pray for us O Holy Mother of God,

That we may be worthy of the promises of Christ.

October 17 was the anniversary of the Canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. In 2010, Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed Mary’s sainthood.

Ripples is a PODCAST developed for staff and parents on-going spiritual formation. It seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation. Practices like these create a ripple effect. They have the potential to impact the way we respond to family, friends, colleagues, to creation and to God. Come and enjoy some Inspired Voices and Treasured Stillness.

Parents please find the link to Ripples Podcasts. https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au/

Parish News

ST PAUL’S WEEKEND MASS TIMES

Our church is now open to “mixed” congregations (fully vaccinated, partially vaccinated and as yet un-vaccinated).  We are under the four square metre rule, which means we are limited to 100 people, and masks must be worn. Congregational singing is once again prohibited.

To ensure the safety of others, if you are sick or have symptoms of cold and flu, please do not come to Mass.

• Saturday VIGIL Mass 6pm
• Sunday 9am

 

PASTORAL LETTER FROM BISHOP MASCORD

Bishop Brian has issued a Diocesan Response to the Laudato Si’ Action Platform. You can view the letter here: https://www.dow.org.au/pastoral-letter-diocesan-response-to-the-laudato-si-action-platform/ 

 

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

Thank you to those students and parents who have completed the First Communion Preparation. Mrs Marsh has sent the names of those who have completed the preparation to the Parish Office.

A survey will be sent to parents to gauge your expression of interest for a number of options for First Holy Communion. As parents will appreciate there are restrictions in place that will impact each option. Father Leo Duck has presented a number of options:

1. Children make their First Holy Communion at a class Mass, where only students and class teachers will be present. 
2. Children attend a First Communion Parish Mass on a Sunday at 11am, with the child and two guests only allowed.
3. Children wait until 2022 to make their First Communion in the hope that restrictions ease to allow other family members to be present.

Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator 

An extract from the Apostolic Letter Patris Corde of the Holy Father Francis on the 150th Anniversary Of The Proclamation of Saint Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.

Joseph saw Jesus grow daily “in wisdom and in years and in divine and human favour” (Lk 2:52). As the Lord had done with Israel, so Joseph did with Jesus: he taught him to walk, taking him by the hand; he was for him like a father who raises an infant to his cheeks, bending down to him and feeding him (cf. Hos 11:3-4).

In Joseph, Jesus saw the tender love of God: “As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him” (Ps 103:13). 

In the synagogue, during the praying of the Psalms, Joseph would surely have heard again and again that the God of Israel is a God of tender love,[11] who is good to all, whose “compassion is over all that he has made” (Ps 145:9).

The history of salvation is worked out “in hope against hope” (Rom 4:18), through our weaknesses. All too often, we think that God works only through our better parts, yet most of his plans are realized in and despite our frailty. Thus Saint Paul could say: “To keep me from being too elated, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me, to keep me from being too elated. Three times I appealed to the Lord about this, that it would leave me, but he said to me: ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness’” (2 Cor 12:7-9).

Since this is part of the entire economy of salvation, we must learn to look upon our weaknesses with tender mercy.[12]

The evil one makes us see and condemn our frailty, whereas the Spirit brings it to light with tender love. Tenderness is the best way to touch the frailty within us. Pointing fingers and judging others are frequently signs of an inability to accept our own weaknesses, our own frailty. Only tender love will save us from the snares of the accuser (cf. Rev 12:10). That is why it is so important to encounter God’s mercy, especially in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, where we experience his truth and tenderness. Paradoxically, the evil one can also speak the truth to us, yet he does so only to condemn us. We know that God’s truth does not condemn, but instead welcomes, embraces, sustains and forgives us. That truth always presents itself to us like the merciful father in Jesus’ parable (cf. Lk 15:11-32). It comes out to meet us, restores our dignity, sets us back on our feet and rejoices for us, for, as the father says: “This my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” (v. 24).

Even through Joseph’s fears, God’s will, his history and his plan were at work. Joseph, then, teaches us that faith in God includes believing that he can work even through our fears, our frailties and our weaknesses. He also teaches us that amid the tempests of life, we must never be afraid to let the Lord steer our course. At times, we want to be in complete control, yet God always sees the bigger picture.

As you are aware on Thursday 7 October the NSW Government announced that students would return to school one week earlier. In consultation with the Catholic Education Office, Diocese of Wollongong, it has been decided to cancel the Pupil Free Day on Friday 29 October. 

This decision has been made on the fact that most students will have been back at school only 4 days and parents and carers will be asked to be at home again with their child/children after 14 weeks of remote learning. For some of our parents and carers who have just returned to work, this has placed much pressure on them and their workplace. 

Therefore students will be at school as per normal so that learning and faith continuity can be maintained and continue.

Please do not hesitate to phone Michelle Rodwell at school to talk through any concerns you have regarding the decision to cancel the Pupil Free Day on Friday 29 October.

Australia will celebrate and thank the teaching profession on World Teachers’ Day on Friday 29 October 2021.  

Teachers (with support from parents and carers) have ensured education continues across the country this year, despite major challenges. It’s reinforced the significant role teachers play in the lives of children and students, their families, and communities. There are a few ways you can join in saying ‘Thanks’ to our teachers. 

The NSW Education Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning published a message recognising the many contributions of teachers in our communities. The video can be viewed via the link below.

Virtual Apple Thank You:

Join with your child to share a million virtual apples with teachers to let them know they’re appreciated. Visit worldteachersday.edu.au  and play a virtual game of catching as many apples as you can to add some virtual apples to the collection as a super easy way to say thanks.

Thank You Card:

Print off a Thank You card and ask your child to write a special message to their teacher onto the card. Your child can bring the card along to give to his/her teacher on Friday 29 October.

There are a number of events planned for Term 4 which are outlined below

Friday 26th November: Book Week Celebrations and costume parade

Tuesday 7th December: Year Six at Jamberoo-TBC

Wednesday 8th December: Semester Two Reports distributed to Parents and Carers

Thursday 9th December: Students meet their new teacher for 2022 during the Meet the Teacher Transition morning

Friday 10th December: Christmas Celebration and Awards for Students 

Monday 13th December: Year 6 Graduation

Wednesday 15th December: Last Day of the school year for Students

Thursday 16th December: Last Day of the school year for Staff

The Kindergarten students had a wonderful return to face to face learning last week. We have been enjoying playing with our friends again in the playground and in the classroom. On Friday, we celebrated being back at school together with our class party. We brought in our favourite teddy and had a Teddy Bear’s Picnic.

Year One returned to school on 18 October. They have worked hard over the last two weeks with students settling back into routine well.

Year One had their golden ticket party last week. What a fun time they had! A big thank you to Mrs Rodwell for the chips and poppers!

Year Two returned to school on the 25 of October. They have worked hard over the last few days, completing writing and maths tasks in their books while enjoying the lunch and recess breaks with their friends.

Year Two will have their Golden Ticket Party on Friday and are looking forward to their chips and poppers.

Mrs Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator

There were a lot of happy faces when Year 3 and 4 returned to school on Monday. It was fantastic to see the children excited about seeing their friends and getting back to face to face learning. It was straight back into learning with Year 3 continuing their number talks and Year 4 continuing automaticity with their mentals. Both grades have revisited PB4L procedures and this has allowed all students to have a smooth transition back into the school environemnt. We settled back into school with a range of fun tasks including painting and team building activities.

Mrs Olivia Djodan

Acting Middle Leader

Stage Three are all very excited to be back at school and see their friends. They have all enjoyed being back in the classroom. Both Year Five and Six have settled into their classroom routines. Year Six have had their Golden Ticket class party. They enjoyed some games in the afternoon. Year Five is looking forward to having their class party later in the week. The teachers are so pleased to have the students back and be able to support their 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 the explicit teaching of these skills, it is through the continual practice of these skills that children build their resilience and capacity to ‘bounce back’.

During Term 3 and 4, we will be sharing some specific strategies for helping develop resilience at home using each of the BOUNCE BACK key strategies.  

The next letter of the BOUNCE BACK acronym represents the strategy Blame fairly.  What was your fault, what was others and what was bad luck?

The key messages are:

• Don’t just blame yourself when bad things happen - consider how much of what happened was due to your own behaviour, how much was due to other people and how much was due to bad luck or circumstances (such as being in the wrong place at the wrong time or random events).

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

• When something bad happens, try to do a pie chart showing:
• How much is down to me?
• How much is down to others?
• How much is down to bad luck and circumstance? 

The most powerful way to build resilience in children is to remind them of the strategies they have been practicing in real-life contexts.  Reminding children that Blame fairly.  What was your fault, what was others and what was bad luck? 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

All classrooms at St Paul's teach explicit Social and Emotional skills during PDHPE lessons.  These skills are aimed to help children understand and manage their own emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships and make responsible decisions.

During Term 4 all classrooms will begin by focusing on connecting with peers and teachers and practising social skills such as cooperation, positive interactions and showing respect.  The skills taught in each class will vary depending on the needs of the students as they return to face-to-face teaching.  These skills will be explicitly taught during PDHPE lessons and will be practised during learning tasks in English and Mathematics.  For example, if a class were to be focusing on Co-operation, the skills would be taught in PDHPE and practised through partner or group activities in other Learning Areas. 

As the Term progresses, all classrooms will focus on aspects of Safety.  Children will learn to recognise and manage safe and unsafe feelings in a variety of contexts such as water safety and road safety.  Students will primarily learn strategies for remaining safe to reduce any unsafe feelings.  

Bree-Anna Fogliada

PDHPE Coordinator

During Remote Learning, our SPLICED Participants worked incredibly hard to complete their selected projects.  Students were invited to participate in 2 Zooms each week with Mrs Fogliada, set personal goals for completing their work and spent a significant amount of time producing high quality projects.  Our SPLICED students will meet with Mrs Fogliada over the coming weeks to develop plans to finish their projects.  The students will develop some videos to share their work via our Virtual Assembly over the coming weeks.

Two students from St Paul’s have had their work selected to be recognised by the Catholic Education Office as outstanding SPLICED Projects.  Congratulations to Hayley Frendo and Isabella De Santis.  Hayley and Isabella’s projects will be included in a colour brochure that lists every successful students’ name, age, school, title/subtitle and category of their work, and a blurb describing the nature of their body of work.

These works, alongside others from our diocese will be published in categories on the SPLICED website, to be launched towards the end of the year.

All the staff are so proud of the efforts of our SPLICED students and we are very excited to share their projects over the coming weeks.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher 

The ICAS assessments will take place in WEEK 6, from the 8-12 November. If you have registered your child in ICAS and know they will not be at school during this time please contact the office ASAP. 

In response to the significant amount of time spent in remote learning this year, all classes K-6 will be focusing on the Number strand of the Mathematics Syllabus for the remainder of the year. It is vital that students have a deep understanding of numbers and be able to carry this knowledge across contexts. Topics students may cover include place value, patterns and algebra, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and fractions.

Olivia Djodan

Acting Middle Leader

If your child is entering Year 5 in 2022 there was important information communicated through Compass last week.

1:1 SCHOOL MANAGED IPAD PROGRAM - YEAR 5 2022

The school engaged in a process last year that involved the provision of information, a Q&A Zoom session, a survey, and further correspondence of community preference. As a result of this process, the school has successfully implemented the School Managed system during the 2021 school year.

The iPads will be purchased through the school and added to your family school fee statements over a 2 year period.

Ordering and the iPad Purchase Agreement

As a part of this information today we are requesting all families to select an option in regards to purchasing. Please find attached an information flyer on how to nominate your option for 2022 using a Compass survey. Could you complete the form and return the iPad Agreement form (attached on the Compass Post) to school by Friday 5 November, 2021. Thank you for the continued support you provide to St Paul’s and please do not hesitate to contact me if you are having financial difficulty or require further clarification regarding the options for your child’s iPad.

A Compass survey is open for Year 4 parents to choose the iPad options for 2022. See the attached instructions to indicate your iPad options for Year 5 2022. 

If you are a parent/ carer of a Year 4 student please complete your prefernece of iPad options by Friday 5 November

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.

St Paul's Catholic Parish Primary School has a duty to take reasonable care for the safety and welfare of our students.  This care extends to assisting students to manage their medical condition that requires medication, where medication cannot be administered outside of school hours.

If your child requires staff to administer prescription or over-the-counter medication at school, you will need to complete a Request to Administer Medication Form.  

School staff will only administer prescription medication that: 

• Has been prescribed by a qualified medical practitioner (e.g. doctor, dentist)

• Is in its original container 

• Has an attached pharmacy label to the container

• Has been delivered to the school by the parent / carer and is accompanied by a completed Request to Administer Medication Form 

School staff will only administer Over-The-Counter medication that: 

• Is in its original container 

• Has been delivered to the school by the parent / carer and is accompanied completed Request to Administer Medication Form including the signature and stamp from a qualified medical practitioner

If your child requires more than one medication, you will need to complete a form for each medication.

ASCIA ANAPHYLAXIS ACTION PLANS / ASHTMA MANAGEMENT ACTION PLANS

If your child is at risk of anaphylaxis, asthma or an allergic reaction, it is important that the school is provided with a current ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan / Asthma Management Plan completed by a doctor.  This plan provides up-to-date information for the school regarding the medical management of your child’s condition.  

If there are any changes in your child’s health care needs, please inform the school as soon as possible.

Students who need a School Opal Card or Travel Pass for 2022 can apply now. Parents/students will need to submit a new application if they are applying for a school travel pass for the first time, or if they are requesting an additional travel entitlement as a result of a new shared parental responsibility situation.

Students who change address, school, campus location, or who have repeated a year or received an expiry notification from Transport for NSW for their school travel entitlement should renew or update their details before the end of Term 4. This will ensure that schools can endorse applications and current entitlements are updated and remain valid. School Opal Cardholders will have the changes applied to their existing card.

Students who have an entitlement approved under a medical condition that is due to expire will receive a notification advising them to re-apply.

Term Bus Pass holders will also receive a notification to re-apply.

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their Student Opal card at their nominated postal address. Cards will be mailed out from January 2022.

Students living in rural and regional areas should receive their travel pass at the start of the new school year from their nominated transport operator.