Dear Parents and Carers,

As we come to the end of the 2021 school year I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the support from our families across this year. We are very fortunate to be part of a community who work together for the benefit of all our students, who are at the centre of all the decisions we make and the goals we set. And to you, our parents and carers, my sincerest thanks for your support of the school this year, for the way in which you have engaged fully in the partnership with us in the education of your child. Thank you on behalf of all staff for everything you have contributed to our community this year.

I would like to express my sincerest thanks to the staff at St Paul’s, for guiding and supporting our students, for their commitment to St Paul’s, to the school’s purpose, mission, and values. I would like to acknowledge the staff’s commitment to the well being and the growth of our students. The staff have worked tirelessly throughout the year, demonstrating tremendous adaptability and commitment to ensuring learning continuity with the recommencement of remote learning. 

Thank you to our amazing students, who with the support of their parents and carers, once again engaged in remote learning with enthusiasm and confidence. It's often said that children are far more resilient and adaptable than we give them credit for! The courage, determination, openness to what might be, curiosity, love of learning, the attitude that springs from a place of gratitude are true testament of what our St Paul’s students have demonstrated this year. Congratulations to our students on all they have achieved in their own personal growth in faith and learning. 

A special thank you to Fr Leo for his unwavering support for our parish school. He is an inspiration to us all through the work of his ministry, constantly positive and deeply committed to our parish community.

I would also like to acknowledge the Parents and Friends Association at St Paul’s for their support throughout the year, as they have made genuine efforts to be invitational in creating community. Thank you for the wonderful fundraising opportunities that were planned and facilitated so well by the Parents and Friends Association. St Paul’s is very fortunate to have a culture of collaboration with parents and carers and we will continue this collaboration in 2022. 

With the many complexities the year has thrown at us, I have felt secure in making many challenging decisions simply because of the wonderful leadership team and administration staff that prop up my leadership and Fr Leo’s quiet and generous wisdom that continues to help create a wonderful school culture.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support in what has been an extremely challenging year. In so many ways, the impact COVID-19 has changed our lives but despite this, we have demonstrated consistently that working together we can rise above challenges that we are presented with in positive ways. I remain hopeful that 2022 will see the continued easing of restrictions for schools and a school year that resembles pre COVID times.

I wish to express my heartfelt gratitude to all members of this community for the care and support each of you have provided. I look forward to continuing our journey and am excited by the opportunities for continued collaboration in 2022.On behalf of the staff, I wish all of our families a blessed Christmas filled with hope, joy and love. I pray you all have a safe and happy Christmas and holiday break and we wish you and your families all the joy that Christmas brings. I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you in 2022 and on behalf of the staff we look forward to seeing our students and parents and carers on 1 February 2022.

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Congratulations to the following students who are the recipients of the End of Year Awards for 2021. The students were awarded their certificate on Friday 10th December and were a feature on the Virtual Christmas Story and End of Year Award Ceremony.

	Environmental Award	St Mary of The Cross Award	Academic Award	St Joseph the Worker Award
KB	Ezra Ndisabiye	Faith Winslow	Alex Temamian	Ava Staff
KR	Carter Morrison	Stephanie Hooper	Milla Zanin	Ava Leimbach
1B	Andrew Jennison	Jack Hingston	Reuben Jomon	Jasmine Wau
1R	Jake John	Charlotte Duarte	Enrique (Ricky) Hernandez	Zoe Moran
2B	Mick Kuhn	Anesu Marevanhema	Mila Quinones	Madison McKenzie
2R	Jordan Ivanisevic	Magdalena Gjurova	Molly Clifton	Samuel Adewumi
3B	Eva Bocko	Brayden Vella	Abigael Whitfield	Corey Coull
3R	Mia Hamilton	Dominic De Santis	Angelo Philip	Zali Barrett
4B	Aiden Farraway	Jaxon Moran	Paiten Hughes	Milla Nagy
4R	Kobi Elliott	Poppy Faulks	Kyden Douet	Archie Clifton
5B	Keiran Strawbridge	Ketzia Jomon	Hayley Frendo	Charlotte Hooper
5R	Jack Miller	Lacey Pearson	Leah Carbonara	Ayokunmi Adewumi
6B	Sophie Groznik	James Allen	Anthony Plattner	Ivy Armstrong
6R	Archie Newing	Indianna Surian	Lilly Mowbray	Aiden Rutgers

Congratulations to Chloe Barnes and Koby Hillard who were the recipients of the Beverley Whitfield Award. Congratulations to Eamon McCann who was the recipient of the MacKillop Award for Cross Country. Please see Mr McCann presenting the awards to Chloe, Koby and Eamon in the video link below.

Congratulations to Chaise Crilly from Kindergarten Red who was awarded an award from the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong for his efforts with the Stem Mad Project. Congratulations Chaise Crilly, well done!!!

Kinder Blue Highlights of 2021!

We have had an amazing start to our journey at St Paul’s. We have learnt so much at big school and have loved every minute of it!

Some of our highlights from Kinder have been buddies, Clean Up Australia Day, The Athletics Carnival, our very first assembly, book week, groups and of course Christmas groups!

We were also lucky to have a virtual excursion to Symbio during remote learning!! We got so good at using our devices to learn from home and school and enjoyed our daily Zoom meetings with our friends and teachers.

During Term 4 our favourite thing has been writing information reports about Australian Animals. We impressed our teachers with our knowledge and enjoyed learning many interesting facts about these animals. We especially enjoyed learning about the Emu and the Tasmanian Devil.

We have been learning about Social Skills and School Rules with Mrs Alison. We have been using the drums and other percussion instruments to help us learn. We have had so much fun! We even played in a percussion orchestra!

Kinder Red Highlights of 2021!

What a wonderful year we have had! 

Term One was spent exploring our school, meeting our Year 6 buddies and making friends. We led our first Kindergarten assembly, we competed in the cross country and celebrated St Patrick’s day.

In Term 2 we were busy! We enjoyed groups, participated in the Athletics Carnival, we learnt how to write simple sentences with increasing independence, and we celebrated Mothers Day with our parents and grandparents.

Term 3 was very different…we learnt how to be flexible learners and we used devices to learn from home. The dining room became our classroom, our parents became our teachers and we met up with our friends on Zoom each day. We visited Symbio Zoo in our lounge rooms, and we learnt about some Australian Animals. We became scientists during Science Week and had some fun dress up days! 

Merry Christmas and Thank You from 1 Blue 2021!

Year One has been so much fun!! One Blue has had such a wonderful year this year. The classroom has been filled with learning and Mrs Whalan and Mrs Rippon have enjoyed watching friendships grow and a lovely group of students support and care for each other.

Term Three was a challenging time for us but we loved connecting over zoom each morning and Mrs Whalan and Mrs Rippon loved seeing all of the hard work on See Saw especially all of the fun videos the children sent. We would like to thank the parents and carers of One Blue for all of their support throughout the year and we wish you all many blessings for the Christmas season. We hope that you enjoy spending quality time with your families and we look forward to seeing all of our beautiful students when they return to school in the New Year.

We had so many highlights in Year One, we would love to share our favourite moments with you!

Sofia. M: I love Maths and playtime

Arianna: I love Religion and Health

Jack: I liked the start of Year One meeting the teachers

Amaya: I liked the Cross Country and the Athletics Carnival

Tyson: I liked making new friends

Flynn: I always liked Maths because it was very fun

Jaden: My favourite part was Book Week because I dressed as Spiderman

Archer: I like playing with my friends in the playground

Sofia. L: My highlight of the year was the really nice teachers

Lara: I like Year One because of the Cross Country and really nice teachers

Khye: I liked the Cross Country and Maths

Brianna: I liked Maths groups, Book Week and the Cross Country

Reuben: I liked Book Week and playing soccer on the top oval

Andrew: I liked the whole year because it’s fun and I learnt a lot

Bijan: I liked doing groups, Art and playing with my friends

Cooper: I like writing, groups and Book Week

Evie: I like Maths and writing

Jessica: I like Maths groups, reading and sport

Isaac: I like English groups and playing soccer with my friends

Ryder: I like playing soccer and doing sports at the top oval

Jasmine: I loved Book Week

Here are some photos of some of our highlights!

Merry Christmas from 1 Red! 

We have had a fantastic time in 1Red! Every week we have celebrated successes and have continued to be kind and supportive of each other.

Term three was a challenging term with remote learning. I was so impressed with how engaged all of the students were and really enjoyed meeting for Zooms everyday. When we finally returned to face to face learning, the students settled back into learning and were eager to complete learning tasks.

This term we started with persuasive writing, lots of the students took feedback on board and began to take more risks with independent writing. I have witnessed many of the students produce quality writing as the term has progressed. In Maths we have been learning about place value and it is evident that the students are so engaged during rotational groups! I am very proud of all of the students and all they have achieved this year.

We had so many highlights in Year One, we would love to share our favourite moments with you!

Penelope: My favourite thing in Year 1 is Maths & English groups

Allira: My favourite thing in Year 1 is writing and groups

Zoe: The best thing about Year 1 is being in the same class as my friends from Kinder blue

Lukas: The best thing about Year 1 is playing with my friends and doing sport

Alastair: My favourite thing in Year 1 is maths groups

Chanel: My best part of Year 1 is playing with my friends and learning new things

Aspen: My favourite thing in Year 1 is reading and writing in English

Abbey: The best thing in Year 1 is playing with my friends and having new teachers

Hazel: My favourite thing in Year 1 is playing with my friends

Koa: The best thing in Year 1 is learning letters and sounds

Wes: My favourite thing in Year 1 is my teachers and doing art together

Marian: My favourite thing in Year 1 is my teachers

Brianna: The best thing about Year 1 is my lovely friends 

Jake: My favourite part of Year 1 is my teachers and playing outside 

Toby: The best part of Year 1 is maths and maths groups

Kai: I loved learning about writing and groups in English

April: My favourite thing in Year 1 was playing on the top oval 

Ricky: The best part of Year 1 is Creative Arts

Charlotte: My favourite thing in Year 1 was Maths & English groups and playing with my friends

Daniel: My favourite thing in Year 1 is going to OOSH and playing with my friends 

Mihael: My favourite thing in Year 1 is when I get to have fun with my friends and learning new things

Chiara: My favourite thing in Year 1 was making new friends 

Here are some photos of some of our highlights!

A Christmas Message from 2 Blue

The students in 2 Blue would like to thank all of our parents, carers, teachers and friends for helping us throughout the year. We started the year full of excitement and happiness because we came to school everyday. We settled into our class routines and expectations, so we could do our best and be our best. We were all proud of our achievements. We loved being with our friends in the classroom and the playground. Then suddenly we were at home Remote Learning, being supported by our families. We didn’t like having to stay home without seeing our friends and teachers, but we did love seeing everyone on Zoom everyday. In Term 4 we could come back to school and once again we settled back into our class routines and expectations.

We would like to thank everyone for being there for us and we wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year. We hope you all have a special time together celebrating Jesus’ birthday!!

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

In Year 2 we had so many highlights it’s hard to list them all. So here are a few we would like to share with you.

Aaliyah - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Remote Learning, Pet Day, my friends, my family and Cross Country.

Dionate - My highlights of 2021 were Zoom meetings and free time.

Olivia - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Pajama Day/Disco, Cross Country and Green Zone Reward.

Andre - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week and Cross Country.

Nicola - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama day/Disco, Green Zone Rewards, Pizza Day and Christmas shopping.

Anamika - My highlights of 2021 were Pizza Day, Book Week, Christmas shopping and Green Zone Reward.

Flynn G - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama Day/Disco, Science Experiments and Green Zone Rewards.

Sienna - My highlights of 2021 were Clean up Crew, Book Week, Science, Pizza Day, Cross Country, Christmas shopping and Zoom meetings.

Mick - My highlights of 2021 were Cyber Safety lessons, Cross Country, Science Experiments and growing plants.

Nate - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week and Zoom meetings. 

Eddie - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Pizza Day, Zoom meetings, Remote Learning and Science Experiments.

Jackson - My highlights of 2021 were Representing the School at Cross Country, Zoom meetings, Music, Sport and being with friends.

Addison - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama Day, Cross Country, Green Zone Rewards, Zoom meetings, Book Week and Science.

Flynn S - My highlights of 2021 were Sport, Music, Cross Country and Maths.

Mila - My highlights of 2021 were Maths, Cross Country, Science, Zoom meetings, Book Week, Pyjama Day and Green Zone Rewards.

Chase - My highlights of 2021 were Miss Jo sharing how the Dharrawal people lived in the past, Cross Country, Science, Groups.

Ava - My highlights of 2021 were Zoom meetings, Science, Cross Country, Groups, Green Zone Rewards, Book Week and Pizza Day.

Scarlet - My highlights of 2021 were Pet Day, my friends, pizza day, Remote Learning, Zoom meetings, Book Week and Science Experiments.

Koby - My highlights of 2021 were History, Pyjama Day, Maths tasks and Green Zone Rewards.

Shontel - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama Day/Disco, Green Zone Rewards, Growing plants and Games.

Dhyan - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Pizza Day and Science Experiments.

Madison - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Cross Country, Zoom meetings and exploding stuff in Science.

Ivy - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama Day/Disco, Growing plants, Cross Country, Science Experiments, Maths and English Groups.

Roman - My highlights of 2021 were Book Week, Science, The Jesse Tree, Religion and Maths.

Grace - My highlights of 2021 were Pizza Day, Cross Country, Pyjama Day, Book Week, Science, History, Cyber Safety and Math tasks. 

Chloe - My highlights of 2021 were Pyjama Day, Cross Country, Book Week, Green Zone Reward, Remote Learning, History and Science.

Anesu - My highlights of 2021 were Three perfect shots in basketball, Pyjama Day, Zoom meetings and ice blocks for Green Zone Reward.

Christian - My highlights were Playing with my friends, Sport and Science Experiment

A Christmas Message, from 2 Red

2 Red and Jingle, our classroom elf, would like to wish all of our families and friends a wonderful Christmas. We thank our families and teachers for their hard work during remote learning. Our school is a beautiful place to learn. We are grateful for the kindness people show to each other and the way we try to make sure people are never lonely. Thank you to our Year 6 school leaders who are going to high school. You have all helped to make St Paul’s a better place. Remember, Christmas is not just about getting presents; it is about spending time with your family. We hope you all have a special time together and enjoy celebrating Jesus’ birthday. 

Love 2 Red

Jordan: Sport is fun because I like doing running and practicing stuff.

Taig: I have loved doing PE and Sport. It helps to use up most of my energy.

Olivia: I have loved meeting new friends and new teachers at St Paul’s.

Libby: I liked it when we did our assembly item, “Maggalina Haggalina”. I also like literacy groups and mufti days. 

Ruby: I love that new people have joined our school because I like to make new friends. 

Benjamin: I really like learning about History and Science.

Piper: Making new friends. I also liked the Science experiment when we made the recycled cardboard bowl.

Zoe: Cross Country because I like to run on sunny days.

Jaycie: We got to have mufti days and share hot chips. We got to eat donuts with hot chocolate and wear pj’s!

Jorge: Doing Sport with Mr McCaan and doing Maths.

Rocco: I have loved doing Sport.

Billy: I love Jingle the elf coming to our classroom. I also loved the athletics carnival.

Arihana: Doing hard work to test my mind. This helps me learn new things.

Romeo: Hot chocolate day.

Braxton: Playing on the top oval with my friends.

Abby G: I love doing Art.

Samuel: I really enjoyed Sport, Maths and Science.

Abbey M: All of the Science experiments were fun.

Zoe: Cross Country because I like to run on sunny days.

Hamish: We got to go to the park for a Green Zone reward and we also had hot chips one day.

Chloe: I loved Book Week, swimming and the hot chip party.

Molly: I love being with my friends and seeing my teachers, even on Zoom.

Kiri: I really like the assessments because they help me learn new things.

Logan: I love doing Maths and Religion. I really like playing silent ball.

Liam: I only started at St Paul’s this year. I have made some great new friends.

Harrison: I really liked the pizza day and doing assessments in Maths.

Jacob: I like to learn Maths and also English because I like to write compound sentences. 

Magdalena: I love everything. I really liked the donut and hot chocolate day. I loved seeing Jingles the elf.

3B Christmas Message

A big MERRY CHRISTMAS from 3 Blue. It is hard to believe this year is over. 3 Blue took good care of Miss Djodan at the start of the year showing her how things were done at St Paul’s and what wonderful students the school has. We learnt lots of things throughout the year and had fun along the way. Maths games quickly became a favourite activity for everyone…we also loved getting outside for some of our lessons. Term 3 was hard for everyone and we thank the parents and families for the support during this time. Many, many, many hours were spent on Seesaw (infact Year 3 submitted over 20, 000 Seesaw tasks!). We loved coming back to school after Remote Learning, Miss Djodan and Ms Cookie missed the kids a lot.

Our Favourite Memories…

Planting new plants, learning to compost, pizza day, pajama day, getting hot chocolate & donuts, making marshmallow and spaghetti towers, the disco party, trash can place value maths game, bingo, fun group activities, meditation, maths number talks, learning about other cultures, learning multiplication facts, making new friends & Miss Djodan doing the splits!

A Christmas Message from 4 Blue

4 Blue Reflection

We have had a great year in spite of COVID causing lots of problems for everyone. Year Four has been lots of fun and the teachers have been very supportive and kind. We were disappointed that we had to learn at home during Term 3 and even thought we had to dodge lots of obstacles, it has been a special year for us. 

Mrs Ferguson and Mrs Spaccavento have told us how wonderful we are on numerous occasions which we loved to hear. We feel like we have learnt a great deal and improved a lot since the start of the year. We are all going to miss Year 4 but know we are leaving more grown up and we are looking forward to starting Year 5.

We would like to share some of the things we loved during our year in 4 Blue:

Jaxon: I liked doing sport. Bailey: I liked doing maths, mentals, quick write and sport

Paiten: Having all the green zone rewards Kalea: I loved doing Maths and English groups

Hunter: The best thing was when we did science. Connor: Coming to school for exercise.

Elise: The lolly jar!! Amellia: The teachers are so nice.

Aiden: I liked sports and maths. Hayden: Getting my pen license and writing in pen.

Milla: Seeing each other on Zoom during lockdown. Anabelle: My highlight was my teachers and friends.

Dante: My highlight was doing my convict speech Kristian: The best thing in Year 4 was doing English.

Minda: Doing online learning because I got hot lunches. Scarlett: My highlight was when we had class parties and movies.

Alex: The best thing in Year 4 was doing Art. Austin: The best thing about Year 4 was the Maths.

Addison: The best thing was when we had pyjama day and had hot chocolate and donuts. Then we watched a movie!

Chaise:  The best thing was having our  class parties Ryan: I enjoyed doing Maths and learning about the First Fleet

Chelsea: The best thing was getting my pen license Sienna: I loved all the times we got to learn in a fun way.

Matthew: I love doing mentals and Maths.

Our year in pictures.

Celebrating Essential Worker’s Day and the Big Vegie Crunch

World Environment Day

School Disco and Movie /  Hot Chocolate Day

We love Maths!

A message from Mrs Ferguson & Mrs Spaccavento… 

We feel so lucky to have taught such a wonderful group of children this year. 

You have all worked so hard and produced fantastic work, showing us how much you have learnt. Each of you has grown and matured, demonstrating the many talents you have. 

We would like to thank your families for the support they have given us this year and the amazing work they did in Term 3 during Remote Learning, helping each of you produce great work.

We know you are ready for Year 5 and will all do well in the future.

We wish you and your families a happy and holy Christmas and a safe holiday. 

Thank you for making 2021 such a happy year for us !!!

Prayer for 4 Red

Thank you for Ava, quick thinking and smiley

Thank you for Axel, fast on his feet

Thank you for Kobi, she’ll help you out, always

Thank you for Mason, full of ideas

Thank you for Zara, she thinks and cares deeply

Thank you for Aiden, always up for a good chat

Thank you for Poppy, she notices others

Thank you for Zaviiah, loves smashing his goals

Thank you for Isabel, so creative and colourful

Thank you for Lucas, passionate cricketer

Thank you for Kirsti, she shares her ideas

Thank you for Xavier, a wealth of world knowledge

Thank you for Vanessa, always quietly thinking

Thank you for Archie, he’ll make sure everything’s fair

Thank you for Eli, quietly determined

Thank you for Ameirah, always ready to help

Thank you for William, he loves to make connections

Thank you for Gabby, so bubbly and chatty

Thank you for Mitchell, notices someone in need

Thank you for Kyden, he’ll try any sport

Thank you for Sophie, soaks up all knowledge

Thank you for Lachlan, a true bookworm at heart

Thank you for Aden, thoughtful and friendly

Thank you for Jaden, he’s a lightning fast runner

Thank you for Alivia, dances through each day

Thank you for Ruby, so determined in learning

These are the awesome, amazing children of 4 Red. 

I have loved being their teacher, it must be said. 

They all go together, creating a beautiful scene.

Their voices make music, their laughter, a dream. 

Thank you God for each and every one of these,

Carry them gently toward their future,

I ask of You please. 

Amen 

With love from Mrs Miller

Student Reflection

Year 5 was meant to be one of the best years ever. We were meant to go to the Roo theatre, the Rocks in Sydney and we were meant to become Waste Free Warriors but of course Covid decided to have a holiday in N.S.W. But the teachers still made online learning lots of fun and made everyone feel excited to learn each day. Some of the activities that made online learning enjoyable were our birthday zooms, zoom themes, blookets and Kahoots and Friday fun days, as well as many brain breaks during the day. 

Coming back to school was a challenge but once again the teachers found a way to make us feel like we never left. The teachers at first made it very similar to online learning so we could ease back into our normal routine, by letting us have some extra brain breaks, green zone rewards and dojo auctions. With the pressure of leadership speeches they helped us to feel more confident In ourselves and in our speeches. Many of us have also enjoyed Sport and Creative Arts. Mrs. Relf has made learning musical notes fun with us playing many different brain breaks throughout the session (including seeing pictures of her little boy Angus). Many students have also really enjoyed Mr. McCanns beep tests (not) and the four wicket cricket games. All of this aside, we believe that we are all ready for the challenges and leadership in Year 6.

Written by Hayley and Grace

Student Reflection

Year 5 was meant to be a journey that included many opportunities for leadership! We still got the opportunity to do our leadership speeches, however, other things like going to The Rocks in Sydney and The Roo Theatre were cancelled. Something Covid didn’t stop us from doing was having lots of fun, even during remote learning. The teachers made sure we had many brain breaks and lots of engaging activities. All the year 5 students were so excited to come back to school and see their friends. Throughout the year we have been working on leadership, Mrs Hayes and Miss De Sousa never doubted that we would become the best leaders of the school.

Coming to the end of Year 5 we have all realised that we really are a family. We all can't wait to go to Year 6 and have an amazing time with new teachers and old friends.

So this is why we would like to say a big thank you to Miss De Sousa and Mrs Hayes for supporting us and making Year 5 the best year ever. Thank you!

Written by Isabella De Santis, Leah Carbonara, and Alexis Subotic. 

Our Year In Pictures

A Message From Miss De Sousa

Hello 5 Red!

Wow! What a year it has been. 

I have seen incredible growth within each and every one of you in a very short period of time. You have flourished as spirited individuals to become the amazing students that we see today. This year has presented many hurdles, but you all managed to push through with a smile on your face. 

I’m very blessed to have been able to teach you this year and I feel even more blessed to be part of your Year 6 journey. I know that you will be excellent role models as leaders of our school. 

Remember to always be kind to one another and approach each challenge with a growth mindset.

I would like to extend my many thanks to the Year 5 parents and carers for your continued support throughout the year.

I wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful and safe holiday vacation. 

See you in 2022!

Highlights of Year 6B 2021

2021 has been a wonderful year of success for 6 Blue.  We have succeeded in learning, growing and having lots of fun with Mrs Fogliada and Mr Holgate.

Leadership

This year, Year 6 have been active participants in their respective leadership groups.  Our Senior Leaders and School Captains have led various initiatives, including handing out the Merit Awards each week.  Our ICT Team has supported the staff and students in all their tech needs, including assisting with our Virtual Assemblies each week.  The Pastoral Care team has been responsible for saying the School Prayer and leading school Liturgies. Finally, our Hospitality Team has helped to lead fun days, fundraisers and school events within our school community. We were even fortunate enough to take part in a special leadership day where we worked with each other to develop important skills in the areas of relationships, resilience and reflection. We are so proud of our leaders and the maturity and care they have given to their leadership roles!

Buddies

We were so excited to receive our buddy groups this year. We didn’t get to see them as much as we wanted to. However, we got to spend a bit of time getting to know them and helping them get to know our great school.  We even had a Buddy Zoom during Remote Learning! We absolutely loved spending time with our buddies.

Special Days

Year 6 Blue participated in a number of special events. We enjoyed our Leadership Day as well as our PJ day and various mufit days, including our recent Christmas mufti.

Remote Learning

Remote learning feels like a lifetime ago!  Our Year 6 Superstars handled remote learning incredibly well!  The teachers will always remember our hilarious daily Zoom sessions and the feeling of seeing all your faces back at school again!  Our students displayed resilience and persistence in the face of an unpredictable challenge and didn’t let anything get in the way of learning.

Extreme Green Zones

The Year Six camp was cancelled so the teachers organised some “Extreme Green Zones”. The students in Year Six got to have a few exciting activities. They participated in Water Wars, a Costume Party, Christmas Movie Theme and the Year 6 Fun Day at Albion Park Pool.

6B Teacher’s Message

Year 6, what a year it has been!  To say we are proud of all you have achieved this year would be an understatement.  Even though we will miss you dearly, we know that you will all LOVE your next adventure of high school and we look forward to hearing about all your successes.  We wish you all the best of luck!  Have a very Merry Christmas and absolutely fabulous New Year!  

Mrs Fogliada and Mr Holgate

Highlights of Year 6R 2021

This year has been challenging but certainly didn’t stop Year 6 Red from learning, growing and having lots of fun with Mr McCann and Mrs Nunes.

Leadership

We started the year with receiving our leadership badges. These badges were a symbol of our responsibilities and roles within the school. We appointed school captains, senior leaders, a sports team, an ICT team, a hospitality team and a pastoral team. We had various jobs to do throughout the year. Year 6 Red have taken their responsibilities very seriously throughout the year and contributed to the running of a very busy school.

Buddies

We were so excited to receive our buddy groups this year. We didn’t get to see them as much as we wanted to. However, we got to spend a bit of time getting to know them and helping them get to know our great school. We absolutely loved spending time with our buddies.

On behalf of the St Paul's school community we would like to thank Year 6 students and Mrs Lydia Jones and Mrs Kira Groznik and all Year 6 parents and carers for the beautiful gift for the school. We will cherish this wonderful gift very much.

Congratulations! We've made it to the end of a very challenging year. While we're all glad to see the back of 2021, I am aware that children have only just got used to being back at school and here they are with yet another large break from routine. So here are a few summer break tips to get you through:

Set a Routine: Even the most basic structure can be a great help in break time.   Most children feel comforted when there is a predictable pattern to their day or week.

But also, Be Flexible: Too much planning can get in the way of fun.   Teach your children that it is ok to be spontaneous and to make adaptations when plans change.

Clarify Expectations: Summer often comes with a laid-back attitude. Talk with your kids about any changes to chores, curfew, allowance or spending money in advance.

Brainstorm together: Parents do not need to be the activity coordinators or problem-solvers. Work together to create a list of fun activities or find solutions to conflicts.

Honour space: Some children are emotionally drained after social activities.   Give them time to recharge by setting aside time for reading, individual play or resting.

Help Someone Else: If your children are complaining or bored, it may be time to focus on others.   Encourage them to do random acts of kindness or to volunteer to help an elderly neighbour.

Take a Deep Breath: Not every summer day is full of sunshine and laughter; don't forget to give yourself permission to take a break and relax.

Finding balance is never easy. It’s especially hard when the routine keeps changing. Keep it simple this summer break. If things seem to get off track, focus on re-connecting with your kids. And just in case, here are some tips for de-escalating arguments:

1. Be Empathetic and Nonjudgmental
   Do not judge or dismiss your child's feelings. Remember that the feelings are real, whether or not you think they are justified. 
2. Respect Personal Space
   Be aware of your position, posture and proximity when interacting with your child. Allowing personal space shows respect and tends to decrease anxiety.
3. Use Nonthreatening Non-verbals
   The more upset your child is, the less they will hear your words—and the more they react to nonverbal communication. Be mindful of your gestures, facial expressions, movements, and tone of voice. Keeping your tone and body language neutral will go a long way toward defusing a situation.
4. Keep Your Emotional Brain in Check
   Remain calm and rational. The way you respond to your child's behaviour will have a direct effect on whether the situation escalates or defuses.
5. Focus on Feelings
   Facts are important, but so is feeling. Some children have trouble identifying how they feel about what’s happening. Watch and listen carefully for the real message. Supportive words will let your child know you understand.
6. Ignore Challenging Questions
   When a child challenges you, redirect their attention to the issue at hand. Ignore the challenge, but not the child. Bring their focus back to how you can work together to solve the problem.
7. Set Limits
   Give your child respectful, simple, and reasonable limits. Offer concise and respectful choices and consequences. An upset child may not be able to focus on everything you say. Be clear, speak simply, and offer the positive choice first.
8. Choose Wisely What You Insist Upon
   It’s important to be thoughtful in deciding which rules are negotiable and which are not. If you can offer your child options and flexibility, you may be able to avoid unnecessary altercations.
9. Allow Silence for Reflection
   Silence can provide your child with a chance to reflect on what’s happening, and how they need to proceed. Silence can be a powerful communication tool. 
10. Allow Time for Decisions
    When a child is upset, they may not be able to think clearly. Give them a few moments to think through what you’ve said. Stress rises when we feel rushed, so allowing time them a little bit of time will bring the calm.

Summer break will be over before you know it…no, really, it will!  Merry Christmas to all.  Best Regards, Doreen