Last Sunday In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong we celebrated the 4th Sunday of Lent Year C. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that last Sunday’s Gospel reading  is unique to the Gospel of Luke. Jesus has been teaching the crowds as he journeys to Jerusalem. As he teaches, the Pharisees and scribes complain and challenge Jesus because he is welcoming sinners at his table. In last Sunday's Gospel we hear the third of three parables that Jesus tells in response to his critics. These three familiar parables—the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the parable of the prodigal son, invite us to consider the depth of God's mercy and love.

Our familiarity with the parable risks dulling us to its tremendously powerful message. We call this the parable of the lost son or the prodigal son. Any focus on the younger son, however, must also be balanced by an examination of the unusual behaviour of the father.

First we must imagine our first response to the audacity of a son who asks for his inheritance before his father has died. Indignation would certainly be a justifiable response to such a request. Yet the father in this parable agrees to honour the son's request and divides his property among his two sons. How might we describe such a father? Foolish comes to mind, but so does trusting. Without property of his own, the father must rely upon his sons to provide for his well-being.

The younger son takes his inheritance and leaves home. The older son remains, continuing to provide for the father and the household. Having been disgraced by the younger son, the father spends some time watching the road for the return of the lost son. When he eventually sees his wayward son returning, the father not only welcomes him but also runs out to greet him and then honours him with a party. We say that this father is loving and forgiving. Yet these adjectives only begin to describe the depth of love and mercy that characterise the father.

We find no surprise in the anger of the older son. Yet the father appears sad and even confused by the older son's indignation. He says in reply that they should celebrate because the lost son had returned. The father is filled with gratitude and love for the older son's faithfulness. This love is in no way diminished by the father's rejoicing at the return of the younger son. Yet the older son's jealousy reveals his limited understanding of the depth of his father's love. The Gospel describes the reason for our joy: God's great love for us has been revealed in Jesus. Through his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, Christ has reconciled us with God and one another.

Dear Parents and Carers,

At St Paul’s we aspire to create a learning community which builds and maintains collaborative partnerships with parents and the broader community which enhance student learning and well being outcomes. I would like to thank parents and carers for participating in the various initiatives we have implemented this term which provided opportunities to share information between school and home to complement learning across both settings. The initiatives have included: 

Grade Curriculum Overviews were shared with parents and carers in Week 2 on Friday 4th February. The Grade Curriculum Overviews outlined the core content in each Key Learning Area that students will focus on for Term 1. 

Student Information Notes were distributed to parents and carers in Week 2 on Wednesday 2nd February. This provided an opportunity for parents and carers to share information with the classroom teacher highlighting your child’s strengths and other relevant information. Thank you to those parents and carers who have returned the student information sheets.  

Parent and Carer Grade Zoom Information Sessions have been facilitated with parents and carers throughout weeks 3 and 4. The Parent and Carer Grade Information Sessions provided an opportunity to further understand the content of the Term's learning for each grade and the expectations and key dates and information pertinent to learning. The power point used to facilitate the content of the Parent and Carer Grade Information Sessions has been shared with parents and carers. 

Individual Parent and Carer and Teacher Learning Conversations were facilitated throughout  the term on request by either the classroom teacher or parents and carers. This was an opportunity to share relevant information about individual student’s academic, spiritual, well being and behaviour needs. 

Student Mathematics Assessment of Learning were shared with parents and carers throughout the term. Students brought home 1 Assessment of Learning in Mathematics following the completion of a unit. The purpose of this process was to provide ongoing information to parents and carers outlining your child’s progress in particular strands in mathematics.

Student Work Books in the Key Learning Areas of Religious Education and English were sent home at the end of Week 9 on Thursday 24th March. This will provide another opportunity for parents and carers to talk with your child about the learning your child has engaged in throughout the term. 

Kindergarten Best Start Meetings were an opportunity for Kindergarten teachers to meet with kindergarten parents and carers to discuss the learnings gained from the Kindergarten Best Start Assessments. Strengths and learning goals were discussed for each student.

Collaborative Meetings for those students who have a Personalised Plan were an opportunity to discuss the goals which are set for individual students and adjustments to learning which are being made to allow academic, social and behavioural growth. 

At St Paul’s we certainly value the relationship and partnership we have with our parents and carers. In this partnership, the responsibility for student’s learning, well being and faith development is shared between parents and carers as the first and primary educator of their child, and the school community. Thank you to our parents and carers for this wonderful partnership.

St Paul’s is a welcoming environment where our aim is to ensure that all students and their families feel a sense of connectedness and belonging. Our staff, students and parents and carers make every effort to welcome and include all individuals in our activities and we pride ourselves on our strong community spirit and our happy and friendly environment. There is a genuine sense of caring for others within our community. Diversity is embraced and celebrated and the sacred dignity and worth of all persons is honoured and affirmed. At St Paul’s encounters between different cultures, religions and language are seen as a source of mutual enrichment.

To signify St Paul’s welcoming environment Uncle Kev has painted 10 Welcome Poles that have been strategically placed in 3 entry points into the school site. Over the next week Uncle Kev will work with students to complete the final 3 Welcome Poles which will feature students hand prints to symbolise unity and friendship. On behalf of the school community I would like to thank Uncle Kev for his tremendous effort and look forward to Uncle Kev working with our St Paul's students finishing the remaining 3 Welcome Poles.

On Friday 1 April we recognise a very important day, World Autism Awareness Day. World Autism Awareness Day is an internationally recognised day on April 2 every year, encouraging member states of the United Nations to take measures to raise awareness about people with Autism Spectrum Disorder throughout the world.

On Friday we are acknowledging World Autism Awareness Day by inviting our whole school community to wear rainbow mufti for the day. The choice to dress up in rainbow mufti has been made to symbolise the spectrum of colours in a rainbow that represent the wide range of abilities and talents of people with autism. We are each unique and the importance of inclusion and respect of the other is a virtue that is held in high regard at St Paul’s.

We look forward to celebrating this day with our ASPECT students and colleagues at St Paul’s. Year 5 and students from Aspect will be incorporating this important day in their Assembly on Friday 1 April at 2:30pm.

I would like to thank all parents and carers for your ongoing support as the school has and continues to respond to high student and staff absences due to COVID-19 isolation. While COVID-19 restrictions have considerably relaxed in recent weeks, schools across NSW are continuing to experience significant numbers of daily positive cases in students and staff members. While the government has made an exemption for critical education and care workers, it is not always possible for teachers and other staff to attend work when a member of their household is unwell and requires care.  St Paul’s priority is to maintain our core operation for teaching and student learning and well being and to ensure continuity of learning. This may mean at times your child will be taught by a casual teacher supported by a Stage Leader.  In this instance please be reassured that the classroom routine and teaching and learning program is followed.

Thank you to all parents and carers for your ongoing support. 

Yours in Faith and Learning,

Michelle Rodwell

Principal

Acknowledgement to Country

St Paul's Albion Park acknowledges and pays respect to the Dharawal people past and present, the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built.

Last week students at school participated in the NAPLAN coordinated practice test. The purpose of this test was to check the internet capacity in schools and to give students an idea of what the online testing environment looked like.

Thank you to the parents that ensured all students had headphones/earphones for the day. Headphones/ earphones are used regularly in the classroom environment. If you have not done so can you please ensure your child has these by the testing window in May.

Just a reminder that the NAPLAN testing window is as follows. The exact dates for the days this will be held at St Paul's will be advertised closer to the date.

naplan_test_window_infographic.pdf

naplan_test_window_infographic _pdf 285.47 KB

If you would like to give your child some additional practice in using the online platform for NAPLAN please visit the Public Demonstration Site linked here.

Work Packs Available

Just a reminder if your child needs to isolate due to Public Health Orders we are able to supply some work that students can complete remotely. Please contact the office in regards to getting access to a work pack at your child's grade level.

Lake Illawarra Youth Liasion Officer- Cybersafety

This week students from Stage 2 and Stage 3 were able to hear a presentation by the Lake Illawarra Youth Liaison Office- Senior Constable Matt.

Matt discussed the growing trends for students of different ages and how these can be harmful. He discussed the dangers of vaping. Matt also explained that e-scooters are illegal unless driven on private property. 

Matt focussed his talk on Cybersafety and how to be a respectful citizen. Matt had some great information about the age restrictions for using online apps and games. He discussed the potential dangers that can occur from online interactions when they are not respectful. 

The Senior Constable also talked to the students about what to do if they witness or are a victim of cyberbullying.

The Police discussed Cyberbullying is a betrayal, breach of privacy or unwanted and threatening posts. He gave scenarios that helped the students understand why certain interactions would be considered illegal. Cyberbullying is the repeated misuse of these technologies to harass, intimidate, bully, or terrorize another person.

Parents can often feel out of the loop as online activities are more private and hard for parents to monitor. We would strongly encourage you to monitor all online activities such as games and app use and to make yourself knowledgeable about the dangers of certain apps that students use that are not age-appropriate.

Check out the recommended information available regarding cyberbullying.

Holy Week will be celebrated in Week 11 of Term 1. On Thursday 7th April, we will have a Whole School Liturgy at 12pm in the Hall. During the week students will pray the Stations of Cross, walking around the school to pray at each station. At the liturgy we will pray together the last Stations of the Cross as a school. Parents are invited to attend. For the purpose of contact tracing, all parents will need to sign in using the QR code at the door.

On the Feast of the Annunciation, Mary is told that she is to be the Mother of Jesus by the Angel Gabriel. Last Friday, the 25th March, the students joined together to celebrate this important feast of Mary.

A big thank you to all families and students who participated in St Patrick’s Day, dressing with a touch of green and raising money for Project Compassion. As money is still coming in, a final total will be included in the newsletter in Term 2.

Project Compassion Boxes will be collected at school during the last week of Term One or the first week of Term Two.

(Week beginning Monday 28th March)

This week through Project Compassion we learn about Rosalie, who lives with her husband and seven children in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Forced to join the army when she was just 15-years-old, Rosalie experienced significant trauma and hardship during her years in the military. After she was demobilised from the army, Rosalie, like other ex-combatants, was left to fend for herself in the community.

With your generous support and through Caritas Australia's partners, the Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) and Caritas Bukavu, Rosalie was able to connect with other members of her community and participate in business skills training to help her to reintegrate into society.

She joined a savings group which helped her with a loan to start her own small business selling second-hand shoes and natural remedies.

“I can eat, dress, maintain my health and help others. My children study and manage to eat twice a day. I have learnt to work hand-in-hand with other members of the community. Really, there is more joy in sharing with others.” - Rosalie

Watch a short film about Rosalie’s story here.

Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

ANZAC DAY

Members of the community are invited to attend the Anzac Day Dawn Service at the Albion Park RSL. 4am for 4.30am Service, on Monday 25th April 2022. Our school will be represented by school leaders.

The school will celebrate ANZAC Day on Wednesday 27th April with a liturgy at 9am.

EASTER

The key event of the story of Jesus is the Resurrection - Easter. It is the climax of Jesus’ life and mission. After the Resurrection the disciples were changed. Their memory and understanding of the life and teachings of Jesus are all viewed through this great event of his Resurrection.

The Paschal Mystery is a central mystery of the Christian tradition. The Paschal Mystery refers to the Passion, including death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus. Jesus suffered, died and rose from the dead, then ascended into heaven.

Students will celebrate Easter with a Liturgy on Thursday 28th April at 1pm in the hall. Parents are welcome to attend.

2022 SACRAMENT DATES 

Please see below the proposed dates for each of the Sacraments at St Paul’s Parish this year.

CONFIRMATION

Preparation has begun for Confirmation in the Parish Meeting Room.

There have been a number of interruptions due Covid and candidates in isolation. An email will be sent from the Parish to organise time for make-up lessons during the holiday or in early Term 2.

Confirmation Ceremony: Tuesday 17th May or Tuesday 24th May

FIRST RECONCILIATION

For Year 3 or older students who have been baptised.

Reconciliation and First Holy Communion Parent Information Night: Tuesday 3rd May, 7pm.

Four weekly lessons begin on Saturday 14th May or Monday 16th May.

First Reconciliation to occur Tuesday 14th June or Wednesday 15th June.

FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

For Year 3 or older students who have made their First Reconciliation.

Four weekly lessons begin on Saturday 13th August or Monday 15th August.

First Holy Communion Masses: Sunday 18th September

Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator

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

The PB4L focus for weeks 9 -11 is being ready to learn. Teachers have been revising this focus with the students, teachers are explicitly modelling how to be organised and ready to learn. The students have been practising being organised quickly with desired learning materials, how they can listen effectively and what to do when they are finished with independent tasks. 

St Paul’s PB4L Procedures recognise positive behaviour on the playgrounds through a raffle ticket system.  Teachers look for those students who are displaying our school rules Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe on the playground and award these students with a raffle ticket.  Each week, 5 students are drawn to receive a prize from our PB4L Prize Box.

Due to wet weather, we have post-poned our PB4L Raffle ticket draw.  We look forward to our Raffle returning in the coming weeks. 

The PB4L student leaders have been selected,  parents will be notified and the students will be acknowledged at assembly in the coming weeks. Mrs Hayes will meet with the student representatives and they will begin fulfilling their roles in the next few weeks. The students will support the Staff PB4L team by collecting tickets and drawing playground raffles, chairing class meetings and reporting back to the Staff PB4L Team, communicating with their peers about classroom and playground issues, and modelling positive behaviours that contribute to a safe, respectful school climate.

The PB4L Team 

Students return to school on Wednesday 27 April 2022.  There will be a two week transition period from Summer to Winter Uniform and students may wear either uniform during this time depending on the weather.

In Religion we are learning about ‘Images of God’. We have been looking at biblical images of God that tell something of what God is like. We have worked with images of God as a shepherd, a potter, a mother and a father. We have really loved discovering how special we truly are and that we are all made in the image of God. We are also trying so hard to be better people during Lent. We have made Lenten promises to remind us how to be more like Jesus.

Our morning English block is full of excitement. Literacy Groups are always a highlight in Year 2 and we enjoy working together and learning from each other.

We are working so well in Mathematics. Some of the areas we have covered this term include:

Whole Number ~ we are developing a variety of counting strategies and ways to combine quantities.

Addition and Subtraction ~ we are exploring modelling addition and subtraction strategies focusing on the use of the jump strategy, count-on strategy and the split strategy.

Length ~ we are learning how we can measure, record, compare and estimate lengths and distances using informal units and we will be moving on to learning about metres and centimetres.

Key Learning Areas

Our learning has been jam packed in all other Key Learning Areas too.

Flynn says: “I like Science because you can do new things. You can look at plants and what they need. Some need sun, some need shade and some need water. Creative Arts is fun too. You can be creative and do everything you want. In PDHPE we are learning about ourselves. We all grow in different ways. We all can’t be the same and it is good to be different. Just be yourself! In Geography we have been learning about the world and what all the different places in the world are. Some people live in hot places, cold places, or normal temperature places.”

Special Events

What a treat to have restrictions lifted during the term and for us to be able to mix with our friends in other grades. We ended Catholic Schools Week with a delicious zooper dooper treat before “Clean Up Schools Day”. It is always great fun; we really got stuck into pulling weeds out of the garden bed near the Year 2 classrooms! Go Mrs Bennett!!!

We also felt very special to be invited to lead the first School Assembly of the year. It was so nice to have the reassuring and encouraging faces of our loved ones in the audience and we’re looking forward to many opportunities to come together and celebrate with our St Paul’s family. It was definitely a very special day for us all because we came together for World Day of Kindness to show how important kindness is to us all at St Paul’s, and that we all say “No to Bullying!”.

May you and your family be blessed as you celebrate the true meaning of Easter over this coming school holiday break.

From Year 2 and the Year 2 Teachers:

Suzette Bennett, Jodi Marsh and Michelle Griffiths

The Pivot Student Wellbeing Survey is a practical and targeted Wellbeing for Learning tool that allows teachers to measure, track and support student wellbeing so students are better placed to learn.

In 2022, St Paul’s has been invited by the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong to trial this resource in Years 3-6.  Students will complete a baseline survey during Week 11.  For the first 5 weeks of Term 2, students will complete a 5-minute survey each week measuring, tracking and supporting students in the areas of general wellbeing, resilience, safety belonging and protective behaviours.

Parents and Carers of students in Stage 2 and Stage 3 will receive a Compass Event tomorrow so that consent can be given for students to participate in the survey.

Additional information and resources will be provided to parents as they become available.  

An overview of the Pivot Student Wellbeing Survey can be seen below.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

Thank you to all those parents who have been able to meet with parents face-to-face, via Zoom, or over the phone to discuss their child’s Personalised Learning Plan.  These meetings are invaluable opportunities for collaboration between parents and the staff of St Paul’s to ensure all students are being supported in their academic, social and behavioural growth.

If your child has a Personalised Plan and you were not able to speak with your child’s teacher and you would like to, please contact your child’s teacher via the Front Office. 

The next round of Personalised Planning Meetings will take place in early Term 3. 

On Wednesday 22nd March, the Enrichment Mathematics students participated in their very first Maths Olympiad Contest!  Contests are held at various times throughout the year.  They involve students answering 5 challenging questions within a 30 minute time frame in an exam setting.  The questions are marked by the facilitating teacher and submitted to the Maths Olympiad platform to be compared to the scores of other schools.

We are very proud of our students who did an outstanding job in their first contest!  Over the coming weeks, the group will break-open each question with Mrs Fogliada to continue to develop our problem-solving and working mathematically skills. 

Tier 2 Interventions Update

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, and Multisensory Structured Literacy (MSL) 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 were able to commence very early in Term 1 with over 40 students across Year 1 - Year 5 accessing these highly valuable interventions.  The teachers and School Support Officers facilitating these interventions are so proud of the progress all students have made and are excited to see this academic growth and continued confidence in Literacy continue during Term 2.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

In celebration of Term 1, Year 6 students are organising a St Paul’s Disco and Fun Day on Friday 8th April (the last day of this term)! This event will be held during the day so all students can participate. Children will attend in their stage groups during designated times of the day:

• K-2 
• Years 3 and 4
• Years 5 and 6

Entry is via a gold coin donation which is going towards Year 6 graduation and end of year events. 

All children are to wear mufti. There will be plenty of fun activities for everyone to enjoy including:

• disco (hall)
• ball games (outside)
• competitions
• bubbles 
• Hula hoop games

On behalf of the Year 6 students, thank you for your support of this event.

Miss De Sousa, Mrs Koczka and Mrs Nunes

Year 6 Teaching Team

Your child will experience the most success in reading when school and homework together. Children learn about the importance of reading as they watch family members use reading and writing for everyday purposes. Reading for pleasure, sharing a story with your child, using a recipe or reading street signs teaches them that reading is a valuable skill in today’s world.

Reading with your child at home will help your child in all areas of the school. For example, research shows the importance of reading daily in developing their use and understanding of vocabulary.

Tips for reading with younger children:

1. Establish a home reading routine
2. The reader holds the book! 
3. During home reading time, turn off electronic devices and give each child ten minutes of your undivided attention
4. Share some of the reading with your child
5. Share your enthusiasm!

Tips for reading to older children:

1. Let them have some say in the books you read
2. They like to read funny books
3. Use the books as conversation starters
4. Allow the books to lead to other learning
5. Ensure that the reading time is a positive one
6. Create a relaxing environment
7. Use audiobooks some of the time
8. Let them see your enthusiasm! 

Many of us stop reading to older children once they've learned to read independently. However, there are good reasons for continuing to read aloud, even into your child's teen years. It enables your child to hear richer, more complex stories they would usually read to themselves. Reading builds background knowledge (general knowledge) which supports learning at school. It also extends your child's vocabulary because there are opportunities to hear more complex language and to ask about any words they don’t understand. 

Some great read-aloud books for older children:

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
2. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (6-8-year-olds)
3. The Prince and Pauper
4. The Silver Sword
5. A Wolf Called Wander (10-12 year olds)
6. Nevermoor:  The Trials of Morrigan Crow
7. Orphan Island (8-12 year olds)
8. The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Belinda Evans

Middle Leader

This term students took home 1 Assessment of Learning in Mathematics following the completion of a unit. This will occur twice per term for the remainder of the year.

Parents are encouraged to look through the assessment and speak to their child about their results. We are hoping this provides parents and carers with a clearer understanding of their child’s attainment of numeracy concepts.

Each grade will bring home their assessments at different points throughout the term depending on their grade’s scope and sequence of learning. The content that each grade is assessed on may also differ depending on which strand the unit was based. 

The assessment task is only one component of the assessment process. There may be more than one task needed to complete assessment for that outcome. The other components of assessment include class participation, observation, verbal tasks and problem solving tasks. 

If your child is being assessed above or below grade and stage outcomes their assessment proforma will not reflect a grade as assessments are addressing specific outcomes.

As part of a whole school focus many classrooms have begun implementing ‘Number Talks’. This promotes both flexibility with numbers and numeracy vocabulary. In the last newsletter we shared the learning Kindergarten students have had during their number talks, and it appears that their buddies have been busy too! Year 6 have been working hard to improve both their numeracy learning and their love of mathematics. Please see below some of their prompts and their reflections on this work.

I have really enjoyed doing number talks for numeracy sense because it really helps me to find faster strategies to use not just for number talks but also for my maths work. It helps me to understand different strategies when I am working out a maths problem.
- Myah

I enjoy number talks because it is challenging and makes my brain think about other ways of solving problems. I have learnt that it there are lot more strategies

I can use to solve a simple ‘how many’ problem.
-Leah

I really enjoyed doing number talks because I got to see everyone else’s strategies, ideas and thinking. I loved trying different strategies each day and seeing which ideas were more efficient!
-Isabella

I loved how everyone had a chance to explain there thinking and that got my thoughts going. It was a challenge but we all helped each other problem solve. It was an insight of what we were going to learn that lesson and helped us to figure out what we needed to work on. I have benefited from number talks and l loved how it makes us think of not just the answer but all the possible ways to work out the question. It was a great way to ease our ways into maths. I would definitely recommend it.

-Hayley

I like the hand signals because it shows if you have an answer or you are thinking and agreeing with people’s answer.

-Edric

I think the number talks help you to find different ways to solve patterns, and really helps our brains to focus on one Particular section. I really enjoy the number talks we have.

-Jack

I love number talk because it is a way to bring all our minds and think of all different ways of counting.It’s a way to see how other people think as well as you.There will be examples of what we have been doing in class this year.

-James 

Olivia Roberts

Middle Leader

Staff professional learning is a key component for professional growth for the staff at St Paul's and a key component for teacher accreditation and maintenance as established by the NSW Educations Standards Authority. At St Paul’s, we value the critical role ongoing professional development plays in enhancing quality learning and teaching. Therefore, throughout the year all staff are encouraged to engage in professional learning opportunities. The New South Wales Education Standards Authority requires Staff to ‘participate in learning to update knowledge and practice targeted to professional needs and school and/or system priorities’ and regularly ‘undertake professional learning programs designed to address identified student learning needs’. (NESA Standard 6)

The following staff will be participating in professional learning during the first two weeks of Term 2.

Olivia Roberts

Middle Leader

How can I keep my child or teenager safe online? This is a question many parents ask especially in this rapidly changing technological world. The following three sites provide some useful tips and strategies for parents including:

• managing time online - establishing boundaries and using parent restrictions
• online gaming - being aware of the content your child is being exposed to
• cyberbullying - how to report cyberbullying and online abuse or trolling behaviour
• unwanted / grooming contact - being aware of who is on your child’s contact list and reporting unwanted / grooming contact.

The eSafety Commissioner is a government agency which provides free online webinars for parents and educators focusing on child and teen online safety. It is an excellent site and provides a wealth of information to support parents. It also has a link for reporting cyberbullying and unwanted contact. Access the site through the following link Parents | eSafety Commissioner. There are also various links throughout the site which you might also find useful.

The eSafety Commissioner also has a page dedicated to kids which can be used to generate discussions with your child about being safe online. It also has some activities your child can complete with you at home including short videos and can be accessed through Kids | eSafety Commissioner.

Kids Helpline also has a great section for parents about cyberbullying and some of the signs to be aware of

Cyberbullying Information for Parents | Kids Helpline.

Bianca Koczka

Middle Leader - ICT and Special Project

At St Paul’s we pride ourselves in caring for our common home through our excellent waste-management processes. We use a red bin for landfill waste, a yellow bin for our general recycling and we use our fogo bins to manage our food scraps. These scraps become food for the earth when they get composted. We also help St Vinnies out by donating all of our 10c bottles and containers in the blue Vinnies bin. 

In Term 2, St Paul’s will be adding one more type of recycling to our system. We will be recycling our soft plastics. A majority of the rubbish on the playground is scrunchable plastic that can be recycled. In the playground we will have white bins to dispose of our scrunch plastics and we will have a special bin in each classroom for this too. Our Year 5 waste-free warriors will be leading this initiative with the support of our Year 6 WEN Leaders, Miss De Sousa and Mrs Evans. We’re excited to add this to our system and reduce our landfill waste. This will help us continue to do our bit to care for the environment.

Katie De Sousa

Year 6 Blue Teacher

It has been wonderful to see the students enjoying Creative Arts during Term One, with every class having both Music and Drama lessons over the term.

In drama lessons students worked in pairs and groups, learning cooperation, as well as the drama skills of improvisation, mime, and the use of their voice to create different characters. Each lesson involved drama games and acting out a variety of scenarios from travellers on a train to being a TV interviewer.

In Music the Infants classes concentrated on playing both the beat and rhythm of songs with percussion instruments and listening carefully to the pitch of high and low notes. Years 3 and 4 have learnt the value of different notes and enjoyed syncopated rhythms. Year 5 and 6 have played African drum rhythms and looked at the different styles in which a song can be played, also created their own drum rhythms. 

Next term classes will concentrate on Visual Arts and use a variety of materials to create both craft pieces and visual artworks.

We would like to offer students the opportunity to participate in creative arts activities twice a week at recess time, if they wish.

Starting in Week 1 choir will commence again at recess each Tuesday in the St Joseph’s Room for students in the Primary grades. The choir will have a number of occasions that they can perform the songs they learn; at assemblies on Friday, school Masses and at other important events during the term.

For those students who enjoy visual arts there will be drawing and craft activities at recess each Thursday in the St Joseph’s Room. Because of numbers and activities suited to different age groups, Infants classes (Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 students) will have activities on the ODD weeks of the term and the Primary classes (Years 3-6) will be invited to come for visual arts activities on EVEN weeks of the term.

We hope the students enjoy this new initiative, giving them more choices and opportunities for fun activities during the break times.

Julie Ferguson 

Creative Arts Teacher 

The Rugby League / League Tag Gala Day that was scheduled for tomorrow Thursday 31 March has now been postponed due to the weather we have been experiencing and Wollongong Council ground closures. The Dragons are planning on rescheduling the event in Term 3. Once we have been notified of a new date we will send out another Compass event to action.

Congratulations to the following students on attending the Diocesan and Mackillop trials for winter sports recently. The following students have continued along the Sporting Pathways.

Diocesan Teams

Girls Soccer - Lucinda Akele

Hockey - Oliver McDonald and Max Elliott

Rugby League - Jake Primmer

Mackillop Teams

Swimming - Jacob Mackiewicz and Charlee Mackiewicz

We wish all of the above students all the best at the next level.

On Monday 14 March Charlee Mackiewicz, Jacob Mackiewicz, Lacey Pearson and Lucas Glover competed at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival at Corrimal Public Swimming Pool. They all performed at a high level and achieved great results. From this Carnival, Charlee and Jacob qualified for the Diocesan team to compete at the Mackillop trials at Homebush where they continued to achieve excellent results in their events.

The School Cross Country Carnival which was to be held this Friday April 1st has unfortunately been postponed due to the weather and closure of council grounds.

Trials will be held at school on Wednesday 6 April for any students aged 9-13 who wish to gain selection for the Diocesan Cross Country Carnival which will be held in Nowra on Tuesday May 3. Please discuss with your child if they wish to participate in the Cross Country Trials, names will be collected on Monday April 5 from the class. 

ALL students from K-6 can wear their sports uniform on Wednesday April 6. Students aged 9-13 who wish to participate in the Cross Country Trials are asked to bring a change of clothes, socks and shoes as the oval grounds will more than likely still be wet. 

The trials will take place during the middle and afternoon sessions. All students aged 9-13 are welcome to participate in the trials. 

Students in K-2 will run a cross country race during their PE times in either Week 11 or Week 1 of Term 2.

Athletics Carnival

The School Athletics Carnival will be held on Friday 24 June at John O’Dwyer Oval, Croome Road Sporting Complex. Further details to follow in Term 2.

Brian McCann & Louise Frendo

Sports Coordinators

1. email the school office via info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au 
2. email subject line -  COVID POSITIVE 
3. Email needs to contain - Childs name:Childs class:Date child tested Positive to COVID-19:

The school will submit an absentee record for your child and return email you with the date your child can return to school.  

Kind regards,

Kristie Bicknell

Senior School Support Officer

Welcome to Vegetable Week!

Just a reminder that on Thursday 31st March at 10 am our school will be joining hundreds of schools across NSW to break the record for the most students crunching vegetables simultaneously.

We need your help to make it a success!

On Thursday 31st March, please pack your child a container of vegetables for them to crunch on as part of their crunch and sip

Need some ideas?

• carrot, celery, cucumber – cut into sticks or left whole
• capsicum – cut into sticks or wedges
• corn – raw baby corn spears or a cooked corn cob
• broccoli or cauliflower florets - raw or lightly cooked to keep their crunch
• tomatoes – small cherry tomatoes or a large tomato that can be eaten like an apple
• beans or snow peas - raw or lightly cooked to keep their crunch
• mushrooms – sliced or left whole

Thank you for your support

Angela Spaccavento

Year 4 Teacher

Enrolments for Kindergarten 2023 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. Please share this information with your friends and family. 

Applications close 3.00 pm, Friday 8 April 2022.

Staff and students at St Paul's are very excited to welcome all mothers and grandmothers to celebrate Mother's Day on the 6th May. This day is an opportunity to recognise the love and support that our mothers and grandmothers provide our students and school community.

Please join us on the 6th May and the information below provides brief details about the celebrations. 

Mother's Day Breakfast 8:15am till 9:00am: Mothers and grandmothers are welcome to join St Paul's Staff for a light breakfast in the school hall. RSVP forms will be sent home with students next week.

Mother's Day Open Classrooms 9:10am till 10:00am: Please join St Paul's Students in their classrooms participating in learning experiences. 

Mother's Day Kindergarten Assembly and Grade Showcase 10:00am- 10:45am: Please join St Paul's Kindergarten Students presenting their first assembly with a focus on Mother's Day, this will feature snapshots from other grades.

Mother's Day Stall 11:40am- 1:30pm: The P & F will be hosting a Mother’s Day Stall for all students.  All gifts will cost $5.00 with a wide range to choose from.  Students will be asked to bring in a labelled plastic bag to take their gift home.  Any parent volunteers who wish to assist in the hall for the sales of gifts please contact Amy DeSantis on amydesantis@live.com.au

We are looking forward to celebrating this very special day with our mothers and grandmothers and hope you can join us.

Please find attached a letter with updated fee information from the Catholic Education Office. If you have any questions please contact Kristie via email info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au or via phone on 4256 2772.

In order for the school to ensure that all staff and volunteers have the necessary WWCC, all parents who wish to volunteer are asked to ensure that they have the appropriate clearance in order to remain as a volunteer within the school. Once the WWCC is completed the school maintains a register of parents who are able to volunteer within the school. This includes classroom assistance, excursions, camps, canteen, Library assistance and general helping about the school.

Further information  about the Working With Children Check can be found on the CEDoW website. Follow this link to the website.

Doreen Waddington

CatholicCare School Counsellor

We have had reports from field observations that mask wearing at some schools and school loading locations seeing high levels of non-compliance. We would like to address this with the school staff and community by issuing a friendly reminder that masks are still mandatory on all public transport buses including school buses.

We understand that even though in recent times mask wearing mandates and restrictions have been easing, we wish to remind you that it is still mandatory on buses, at bus stops, bus loading zones and interchanges such as train stations for students 12 and over.

Students under 12 are still encouraged to wear face masks but it is not mandatory.

These restrictions are still in place under the public health act and we ask for the school communities support and assistance in maintaining this practice during this time.

Premier Illawarra remains committed to the ongoing safety of the students and school community relying on our buses daily and we hope we can rely on your assistance in maintaining a safe environment while travelling on our buses.

Details relating to what is required can be found at the following links:

https://education.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/advice-for-families

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe/travelling-on-public-transport#toc-using-public-transport-and-when-to-wear-a-face-mask

https://www.nsw.gov.au/covid-19/stay-safe/rules/face-mask-rules

If you have any questions or enquiries please don’t hesitate to contact us.

We thank you for your support in this matter.