Last Sunday we celebrated the 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time Year B. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that in the first part of last Sunday's Gospel, we hear Jesus warn the crowds not to follow the example of the scribes in seeking honor and attention from others. Jesus then observes how Jewish pilgrims are making their contributions to the temple treasury. 

The Temple in Jerusalem was the centre of Jewish worship in the time of Jesus. It was expected that observant Jews would make pilgrimages to the Temple to offer prayer and sacrifices. Pilgrims were also expected to make a financial contribution to the temple treasury.

As we would expect to be the case, Jesus observes that those who were rich contributed large sums to the treasury. Those with less means made smaller contributions. Jesus calls attention, however, to a poor widow who makes the smallest of contributions—two coins of little value. Jesus upholds the poor widow’s offering for his disciples’ consideration, commending her because her small offering was an act of profound generosity, giving from her livelihood rather than her surplus.

To give from our livelihood is not only an act of generosity, it is also an act of trust in God. We can only give from our need if we trust that God will provide for us. Jesus himself demonstrates the ultimate act of generosity and trust in God as he gives his life for us on the cross.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Tomorrow as a country we celebrate Remembrance Day. At 11am on the 11th day of the 11th month each year we remember the moment in 1918 when World War I came to an end. On Remembrance Day, we remember Australian men and women who have served in war and peacekeeping activities. Remembrance Day does not glorify war – it honours the memory of all those who laid down their lives for Australia. Images of war, violence and destruction fill our social media feeds. Pope Francis has been inviting us to think of our neighbour since he began his papacy and he constantly calls us to consider who is our neighbour. When we look through the news and some of our social media feeds, we can be brought to tears by the vulnerability of children caught in war zones, in places that we may have heard about in geography and religion classes, but not necessarily known about in terms of human cost and the impact of war. On Remembrance Day, we remember the courageous men and women who gave their lives in wartime and as a result of war. As we remember the lives that have been lost, let us promise each other to work for the freedom of all who are oppressed in the world today. I would like to thank Mrs Jodi Marsh for organising the St Paul's Remembrance Day ceremony that will occur in our classrooms.

St Paul’s will be also starting our appeal for St. Vincent DePaul, and we commence the good work of our Christmas hamper appeal over the next few weeks, and we are committed to reaching out to local members of our community who are in need at the moment. That need is always more acute as families head closer towards Christmas, and in the circumstances of the last two years, we know that there is a lot of need in our local area. I would like to thank Mrs Jodi Marsh for her leadership with this very important school based community activity.

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: 

• The request window has been extended, could all requests must be in writing no later than Friday 12th 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.

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.

Throughout the next two weeks students and teachers from the Aspect support class will visit the St Paul’s school site as part of the transition for students from the Aspect support class at Ss Peter and Paul Kiama to St Paul’s Albion Park. Throughout the next few weeks building works will begin to refurbish the demountable so that students and staff from the Aspect support class will have two learning spaces. As part of this planned transition there will be peer education for our St Paul’s students, which is a wonderful opportunity for our students to recognise the importance of diversity and inclusion.  The students from the Aspect support classes will become an integral part of our school where they will undertake learning experiences provided by Aspect, that will support them for a period of time to prepare them for a transition to a regular class setting. On behalf of the St Paul's community I wish the students and staff from the Aspect support class a very warm welcome.

After a recruitment process I would like to congratulate Miss Julianne Tonini, Miss Katie DeSousa, Miss Samantha Ryan and Mrs Gemma Bolton who have accepted a 12 month temporary contract for the 2022 school year. I would also like to welcome back Mr Shaun Dutaillis who will return to St Paul's in his Middle Leader 2 leadership and teaching position for the 2022 school year. After a recruitment process I would like to congratulate Mrs Belinda Evans and Miss Olivia Djodan who have accepted Middle Leader positions for the 2022 school year. I wish Julianne, Katie, Samantha, Gemma, Shaun, Belinda and Olivia all the very best for the 2022 school year.

Mrs Robyn Warton will retire at the end of the 2021 school year. Robyn is currently on Long Service Leave till the end of the year and then will move into retirement. On behalf of the St Paul's community I would like to thank Robyn for her years of service at St Paul's and her dedication to the school library, planning Book Week celebrations, organising the Premier's Reading Challenge, reading books to students and her care and support for the St Paul's Community. We wish Robyn all the very best in her retirement.

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Due to the disruption caused by COVID-19, adjustments to the curriculum have been made throughout Terms 3 and 4. The focus for Semester Two is on student wellbeing and learning, and priority has been given to Religious Education, English and Mathematics. As a result of this extended period of Remote Learning and the limited opportunity for teachers to provide quality assessment tasks during the Remote Learning period to determine student learning attainment and growth, student reporting in Semester Two will look different from the Semester One Report you received earlier this year.

The Semester Two Report will provide you with information about your child’s participation in learning during this time of extended Remote Learning. The Semester Two Reports will be distributed to parents and carers on Wednesday 8th December 2021. That will allow you time to meet with your child’s teacher for a learning conversation.

Each year on the 11th November, Australians observe one minute’s silence at 11am, in memory of those who died or suffered in all wars and armed conflicts.

At 11am on 11th November 1918 the guns of the Western Front fell silent after more than four years of war. In November the Germans called for an armistice (a ceasefire) and they accepted the allied terms of unconditional surrender. The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month became universally associated with the remembrance of those who died.

Students at St Paul’s will commemorate this important event on Thursday 11th November at 12pm.

 The St Paul’s School Community will be supporting World Diabetes Day this year. Students are invited to dress in blue for a gold coin donation next Friday 12th November. Please make sure students wear appropriate clothes with closed in shoes.

Our school is learning about diabetes

You might not know that our school has a number of students and/or staff living with type 1 diabetes. This is because they look like every other person, but they have an important difference. People living with type 1 diabetes have an autoimmune disease that means they cannot produce their own insulin. You can’t catch type 1 diabetes and it’s not caused by lack of exercise or too much sugar. 

It occurs when the body’s immune system mistakenly destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Everyone needs insulin to live. 

People with type 1 diabetes require up to 6 insulin injections every day. They also need to check their blood glucose (sugar) levels up to 6 times a day (by way of a finger prick) and carefully monitor their food intake and exercise regime daily. If their blood glucose level drops too low (commonly referred to as a “hypo”) they require a quick dose of sugar to prevent them going so low they go into a coma. Type 1 diabetes is difficult to manage. 

Around 11,000 kids in Australia have this form of diabetes, which accounts for around 10% of all people with diabetes. It is with you for life as there is currently no known cure. Every day 7 more Australians are diagnosed with this disease, most of them are children. There is no known way to prevent type 1 diabetes, but scientists are working on it. 

That’s where we come in! JDRF Australia supports research to cure, treat and prevent T1D. We’re working hard to find a cure, while also finding ways to improve the lives of people with T1D right now. Our school will be supporting JDRF and helping to deliver a better future for kids with type 1 diabetes by dressing in BLUE on Friday 12th November for a gold coin donation. 

Christmas should be a special time for everyone. Many within our local community find the financial strain of Christmas too much to bear, especially following the strain of Covid 19. Now is your chance to give back and help to change someone’s life for the better. 

This year we ask each grade to donate a specific non-perishable item.

Kindergarten – Christmas cookies, shortbread 

Year 1 – Chips, popcorn, savoury biscuits

Year 2 – Desert items - tin fruit, long life custard, Christmas pudding

Year 3 – Pasta, pasta sauce, noodles 

Year 4 – Christmas chocolates, chocolates, lollies

Year 5 – Christmas bon-bons, tea, coffee 

Year 6 – Drinks - soft drinks, cordial, non perishable juice

Please donate and give the gift of hope this Christmas. Donations can be donated to the school and will be collected in the classrooms. Please be careful to ensure that food is not past the best by or used by date for Christmas.

We are also taking donations of Christmas shopping bags to package the items in. All donations can be given to the class teacher.

These donations will be presented to St Vincent de Paul in the first week of December.

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

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 was sent to parents to gauge expression of interest for a number of options for First Holy Communion. Father Leo Duck and the Parish hope to have details organised within the next week. Parents will be informed as soon as possible.

Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordiantor

Joseph is invoked as the head of the Holy Family in the Litany of St Joseph; God the Father chose to entrust Jesus and Mary to St Joseph’s care and protection. If we think that the Holy Family didn’t really experience hardship and difficulty because of their special status, then we have misunderstood the Gospel.

The Holy Family was not immune from daily difficulties and human suffering. The Holy Family understands what it is like to be driven from their homeland, to experience poverty and hunger.

It fell to Joseph to protect, provide and lead. Together, the Holy Family trusted in the promises of God when everything seemed to indicate the very contrary and opposite. One of the reasons we call them the Holy Family is because they had to exercise the theological virtues of faith, hope and charity.

Their holiness is what makes them relevant and accessible to every family. They relate to us especially in our struggles; their witness gives us hope; their intercession gives us sure support.

But just think of the fervent and constant prayers St Joseph must have offered for Jesus and Mary – prayers for their safety and wellbeing, prayers for Jesus to grow into the man God wanted him to be, to fulfil his mission, to be happy.

Joseph loved Jesus. Joseph cared for him, provided for him, protected him. Joseph conversed with Jesus, knew his mannerisms, taught him his trade. The special relationship Joseph has with Jesus continues in heaven, which is why those who invoke St Joseph and rely on him have experienced the power of his intercession.

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

Friday 26 November: Book Week Celebrations and costume parade

Tuesday 7 December: Year Six at Jamberoo - TBC

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

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

Friday 10 December: Christmas Celebration and Awards for Students 

Monday 13 December: Year 6 Graduation

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

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

Thank you to all students who are trying their best to follow our school rules in the playground and classroom

GreenZone Rewards

All classes have been working hard to earn GreenZone rewards each week. Those students who stay within the Green Zone all week enjoy a reward which is negotiated at the beginning of the school week as a class. Some of the rewards enjoyed across K-6 have been Kahoot quizzes, guided drawing competitions, meditation colouring and board games afternoons.

Year 3 really look forward to their Green Zone Reward every Friday afternoon. During this time the students engage in self led interests. It is pleasing to see students independently choose to continue on with learning e.g. drawing animals found in Antarctica, using beads to create patterns. Students have also been playing a variety of board games in small groups and we are very proud of the behaviour we observe during this time. The students encourage each other, cooperate and take responsibility for classroom equipment. Keep it up Year 3!

Year 4 played some seriously fun Kahoot quizzes last Friday for Green Zone rewards! The energy and excitement in the room was amazing as teams and individuals battled it out for a podium finish! A great way to end a week of safe, respectful and responsible learning at school! We are very proud of the way Year 4 has settled back into learning! 

PB4L Focus

For the next few weeks, all staff and students will be actively focussed on revising what it looks like, feels like and is like to be SAFE, RESPECTFUL and RESPONSIBLE in our classrooms. We will be discussing and practising respectful ways to communicate with peers and our teachers, manners and respectful decision making during learning time.

The PB4L Team

St Paul’s offers a variety of literacy and numeracy interventions aimed at supporting small groups of students with their literacy and numeracy acquisition.  Reading Recovery, MiniLit, Macqlit, Multi Sensory Literacy (MSL) and Extending Mathematical Understanding (EMU) are the Tier 2 interventions we facilitate.  The students selected for participation in such programs are based on thorough data collection and assessment processes.  

We are pleased that all Tier 2 interventions have recommenced over the past two weeks of face-to-face learning at St Paul’s and will continue until the end of Term 4.  The students involved in these programs are a continuation of those involved in the interventions pre-remote learning.  These Tier 2 interventions will be facilitated during 2022 to those students who are assessed as eligible.  

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Teacher

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.

Due to recent Covid restrictions Kindergarten orientation sessions will be via Zoom. The Kindergarten teachers, Mrs Hingston and Mrs Grove will be hosting online orientation sessions for our 2022 Kindergarten students. The students and their families will have an opportunity to meet the Kindergarten teachers, meet some new friends and have some fun getting ready for ‘big school’. Information has been sent out to our new Kindergarten families. If you would like further information about these sessions, please contact the school office.

When: Monday 22 November, Week 8

Time: 7:00 pm

Who: New Kindergarten parents 2022

What: Parent Information Meeting 

The meeting will discuss important information to help you be ready for the start of Kindergarten. You will also hear from our Principal, Michelle Rodwell, the Kindergarten teachers and members of the School Leadership Team. More information will be forwarded soon. 

Belinda Evans

Acting Middle Leader

Year 5 have been busy learning about the qualities of a good leader and the elements of a successful speech, ahead of their preparation for leading the school in 2022. They have been exploring qualities like honesty, accountability, resilience and teamwork and have been identifying ways that they can put these into practice both on the playground and in the classroom.

Students have nominated their preferences for 2022 and those running for school captain will present their speech next Tuesday 16th November. Due to Covid restrictions, speeches will be presented to their Year 5 peers and filmed for Year 3 and 4. Classroom teachers of Year 3 and Year 4 will play these speeches at their discretion towards the end of Week 6. Voting will take place throughout Week 6 and Week 7. On Friday 19th November, all remaining students will be presenting their speeches to their class to be considered for a leadership group for 2022.

As Year 6 are completing their final weeks of Primary School here are some students thoughts about St Paul's and Year 6.

"Hi my name is Aiden Rutgers and some of the highlights form my primary school journey are probably the colour fun run in Year 4, the soccer and netball gala days and the athletic and swimming carnivals.  What I will miss the most about Primary School is seeing my friends and my teachers, especially the friends who are going to different high schools than me."

Aiden Rutgers

Year 6 Red Student

"Some of the highlights from my Primary School years are all of the gala days, swimming carnivals and fun runs.  I also enjoyed meeting my buddies.  They bring me so much happiness and excitement.  These things made me feel so happy and I enjoyed them so much.  From Primary School I will definitely miss all of the teachers and all of my friends that might not be going to high school with me.  I will miss my buddy group, and getting to go into the Year 6 classroom every day, and I will definitely miss all of the teachers' humour, and the fact that if I'm upset they will make me laugh.  I have enjoyed primary school to the fullest and I reckon I am ready for high school... almost.  Before I leave we have graduation and I think that will be the BEST highlight of primary school."

Amy Jedrzejczak

Year 6 Red Student

"My time at St Paul’s has been great. We have so many opportunities and privileges. I love being in this school because we have so much fun, it was amazing having my time here. I would say one thing I will miss is my teachers and friends. My highlight would have to be meeting my friends and then having them become my best friends. They mean so much to me I don’t know what I would do without them especially when I go to high school. I will miss my best friends because we have grown together."

Lilly Robson

Year 6 Blue Student

"My time at St Paul’s has been a blast. St Paul’s is a school of laughter, love and family. It is very hard to pick one highlight throughout the seven years at the school. I would have to say it was when I was meeting my best friends! They are so special to me and I am so lucky to have them. I will miss my awesome teachers I have had, which is 15 teachers throughout the seven years. Also my friends who have helped me grow. But also the love here at St Paul’s."

Kiara Shelton

Year 6 Blue Student

In an effort to make as much impact as possible in the remaining weeks of the school year, all classes K-6 have been focusing on an aspect of Whole Number in their numeracy lessons. Please see below some highlights from the past fortnight.

Kindergarten: Students in Kindergarten have been focusing on reading, writing and representing numbers to 20 with an increased focus on counting backwards. Students have been intentionally exposed to the language of mathematics through the use of concrete materials and activities that involve talking about their mathematical thinking.

Year One: Year One students have been working hard on their money skills. Students have been involved in counting and ordering different amounts of money and finding different ways to make the same amount. 

Year Three: Students in Year Three have been focusing on number patterns and how to use knowledge of number patterns to assist them when solving problems involving the four operations. Students have enjoyed using bead strings and blocks to represent their patterns. 

 Olivia Djodan

Acting Middle Leader

St Paul’s is celebrating Book Week in Week 8 on Friday 26 November. Each class will be exploring one or two of the shortlisted books with a class activity, participate in a virtual author visit and dress up. 

Students are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character or dress up in this year’s theme, Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds.

Each class will take part in a virtual author visit with local author Sue Whiting. Your child may be familiar with some of Sue Whiting’s books or may like to explore these in the lead up to her visit. Below is some information provided about Sue Whiting and how to order her books if you would like to. 

Sue Whiting has worked in publishing for two decades. As a storyteller and schools performer, Sue has informed, inspired and entertained thousands of kids across the country. She is also a former primary school teacher, a freelance editor and writing coach, and, of course, an author who has written numerous books for children and young adults, including the bestselling Missing and the CBCA 2019 Notable Book, Beware the Deep Dark Forest. In this her twentieth anniversary year of being an author, Sue has two new books to celebrate: The Book of Chance, a mystery/suspense novel for readers 10+ that explores finding truth in today’s fake world; and Good Question, a fun-filled romp through a fairytale land that just may shed some new light on the age-old mystery of why Henny Penny thought the sky was falling!

Students are able to order signed copies of Sue Whiting’s books on the following link: 

https://www.thechildrensbookshopspeakersagency.com.au/person/whiting-sue-speaker/

The Children’s Bookshop will deliver the books to your child’s school (free delivery). Alternatively, you can call The Children’s Bookshop directly on 9571 1897 to order and pay over the phone.

Please note: The Children’s Bookshop will endeavor to get books to the school in time for the author/illustrator visit. There are, however, sometimes delays beyond our control and in these cases or in the case of orders within 5 days of the visit the books may arrive after the visit has occurred.

Books will either be signed by the author/illustrator or have a signature sticker from the author/illustrator in the front cover.

Please direct any queries you may have directly to The Children’s Bookshop on 02 9571 11897. Thank you!

On Friday 19th November 2021 at 12pm we will be holding a lockdown drill. The teachers will discuss this with their students and they will be fully aware of the drill and the purpose of the drill. If you have any concerns about this planned lockdown drill please contact the school office.

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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’.

The next letter of the BOUNCE BACK acronym represents the strategy Accept the things you can’t change.  Try to change the things you can.

The key messages are:

• You can try to change the things over which you have some control.  For example, if you are worried about schoolwork there are lots of things you can do to improve your skills, such as asking your family or teacher for help, making a plan and practising skills.  If you have had a disagreement with a friend, you can try to talk with them about what is troubling you. 
• Some things you are worrying about may be other people’s worries, like Mum’s or your friend’s, not yours.  It is not helpful to worry about things that you have no control over or cannot change.  
• Accepting what you can’t change also means accepting other people for what they are, even if they don’t measure up to what you would like.  This does not mean you always like what they do, but you accept that they are who they are. You can’t change them, but if you accept them, they might be better able to change themselves.  

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

• Make a list.  When faced with a troubling situation, list the things you can change and the things you must accept you cannot change.  When considering the things that cannot be changed, refer to coping mechanisms explored in previous BOUNCE BACK activities.

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 Accept the things you can’t change.  Try to change the things you can 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

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.

The following dates have been planned as Staff Professional Development Days for St Paul’s for the 2022 school year.

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

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.

There are a lot of uniforms in lost property at the moment.  Could we please ask that parents encourage their children to check lost property if they have lost any items.  Any unclaimed items without names will be donated to the Second Hand Uniform Shop.