Last Sunday we celebrated the 5th Sunday of Easter Year C. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that last Sunday's Gospel reading comes from the Gospel of John and we hear words spoken by Jesus before his death and Resurrection.

John's Gospel does not include an institution of the Eucharist narrative; instead, Jesus washes his disciples' feet. Immediately after, Jesus predicts his betrayal by Judas. Today's Gospel follows that prediction. It can be read as a continuing explanation of Jesus' act of washing his disciples' feet. It begins with the announcement that this is the moment when the Son of Man will be glorified. This theme continues throughout John's Passion. Jesus will be glorified in his death on the cross and in his Resurrection, and the disciples will glorify Jesus in the love they show.

John's Gospel does not present a sentimental view of love. This is a type of love that is shown in service and sacrifice. It is difficult to choose to love when faced with hatred and anger. Jesus tells the disciples that all will know that they are his disciples because of the love they show for one another. This description of the early Christian community will be repeated in the Acts of the Apostles: “See how they love one another.” Christian love is the hallmark of Christianity. We see it lived in the witness of the martyrs. We see it in the example of the lives of the saints. We see it in the women and men who live and love daily, making small and large sacrifices for others.

Dear Parents and Carers,

It was wonderful to spend time with our mothers, grandmothers, aunts and all those who play such a pivotal role of female influence in the lives of our students on Friday 6 May at our Mother's Day Breakfast, Open Classroom and Kindergarten Assembly. Our students were very proud to showcase their learning and their learning spaces and connect as a community. Thank you to those mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who were able to join staff and students for a wonderful morning of celebrations. I am certainly looking forward to celebrating Grandparent’s Day and Father’s Day with our students, staff and school community.

Sacrament of Confirmation 

It was a privilege to join Bishop Brian, Fr. Leo, Year 6 students and parents and carers, and the St Paul’s Parish community as a number of our Year 6 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation last night, Tuesday 17 May. Bishop Brian spoke with our Year 6 students outlining that our faith can be expressed daily by the love and care we show others and that love and care is best demonstrated by our parents and carers. Bishop Brian spoke to the community about the importance of the Holy Spirit who helps us view others with fresh eyes, seeing others always as brothers and sisters in Jesus, to be respected and loved. I would like to express my gratitude to Bishop Brian, Fr. Leo, the St Paul's Parish Sacramental Team, the St Paul's Parish Choir, Mrs Jodi Marsh, Mrs Rebecca Nunes, Miss Katie DeSousa and Mrs Bianca Koczka for preparing the Liturgy of the Word and for preparing our students to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. 

NAPLAN 2022

I would like to congratulate Year 3 and Year 5 students as they confidently participated in The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy assessments over the past week and will conclude this week.  NAPLAN is an annual assessment for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. It tests the types of skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life. The tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy. It is a point-in-time assessment only that allows parents to see how their child is progressing in literacy and numeracy. As the assessment is now completed online, with the exception of Year 3 writing, individual student results will be available much earlier than in previous years.

NAPLAN reports are used by the school to identify strengths and areas of need in teaching programs and to set goals in literacy and numeracy. Teachers use the information as another tool, to help them identify students who require greater challenges or extra support.

Thank you to Mrs Nunes, Mrs Evans, Miss Tonini, Miss Ryan, Mrs Hayes and Mr McCann for their support with the management and facilitation of Naplan.

National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week

Next Friday as a nation we celebrate National Sorry Day which acknowledges and raises awareness of the history and continued effect of the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from their families, communities and culture. National Sorry Day marks the start of Reconciliation Week. Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures. 

St Paul's will recognise and celebrate National Sorry Day with a Liturgy of the Word and there are many planned activities in classrooms to recognise and celebrate National Reconciliation Week, including hearing stories from Uncle Kevin Butler and Aunty Josephine Ball. This coming Friday I will accompany a number of St Paul’s students as we meet with students and parents and carers from St Joseph’s to participate in a hand ceremony. Uncle Kevin Butler has been painting a beautiful Rainbow Serpent mural to be placed on the shared new Cultural Room, ‘Mudjungaal Kullilla’ meaning Friends Meeting Place. Students and parents and carers from St Paul’s and St Joseph’s will be having a small celebration where students are invited to place their hand on this mural.

On Monday 30 May I will be accompanying a number of students from St Paul’s as we participate in the Reconciliation Flag Walk with Shellharbour Council. The Reconciliation School Flag Walk, which involves all schools across the City and the local Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities is an opportunity to promote and celebrate the shared journeys of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and the non-Indigenous communities of Australia.

I would like to thank Miss Julianne Tonini, Mrs Josephine Ball, Mr Kevin Butler and Mrs Jodi Marsh for their preparation and organisation of the planned experiences at St Paul's to recognise and celebrate National Sorry Day and Reconciliation Week.

School Review and Improvement Focus for Term Two

Term 2 will see the staff at St Paul’s focus on a number of School Review and Improvement priorities which I have briefly outlined below. 

1. We will provide a range of faith and spiritual formation experiences for our students and staff which offer an encounter with Jesus through prayer and gospel reflection.
2. There will be a focus on the pedagogy of teaching reading comprehension in Years 3 to 6 and a focus on Early Literacy Teaching Strategies in Kindergarten to Year 2.  As part of this focus will be a continued emphasis on modelled, guided and independent teaching.
3. St Paul’s plans to continue our focus on parent and carer engagement in student learning.  It is our intention to create more effective opportunities for parents and carers to be engaged in the growth of faith and learning of their child so that they are knowledgeable of their child’s needs and growth.

Parent Workshops Term 2, 3 and 4

Thank you to those parents and carers who completed the Parent and Carer Workshop Survey indicating the content for the parent and carer workshops planned for Terms 2, 3 and 4. Parents and carers indicated that Digital Technologies, Mathematics, Reading and Phonics were content areas that they would like the school to focus on. This term St Paul’s staff will be hosting a parent and carer workshop on Digital Technologies. Please see the newsletter for further details regarding the Term 2 parent and carer workshop. I would like to thank Mrs Rebecca Nunes and Mrs Bianca Koczka for organising the workshop and look forward to seeing parents and carers engaging in our workshops throughout the year.

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.

Parents of students in Year One to Year Six will be provided with a Semester One report via the Compass Portal on:

Thursday 23 June

At this time of year, Kindergarten parents have the opportunity to meet their child's teacher to discuss their progress so far this year. They do not receive a written report. 

Teachers will be available to discuss student academic progress at Learning Conversations (for all students Kinder- Year Six). These conversations will be held from 27 June- 1 July. Information on how to book a phone or face-to-face meeting with your child's teacher will be released in the coming weeks.

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) states that students in Years One-Six receive grades ranging from A-E.

The A to E grade scale summarises the standard (or quality) of achievement associated with each grade. The scale describes:

• the depth of knowledge and understanding and
• the range of skills that students working at that standard typically show.

Grades are given for individual achievement. Students will get the grade that best matches the standard of their achievement. Teachers should consider all evidence gathered and should not be limited to a set number of children allocated to each grade within their class or school.

Grades are one aspect of school reporting to parents. Other important tools include:

• teacher comments
• parent-teacher interviews and
• information about student effort and application.

Grade	Description
A	The student has an extensive knowledge and understanding of the content and can readily apply this knowledge. In addition, the student has achieved a very high level of competence in the processes and skills and can apply these skills to new situations.
B	The student has a thorough knowledge and understanding of the content and a high level of competence in the processes and skills. In addition, the student is able to apply this knowledge and these skills to most situations.
C	The student has a sound knowledge and understanding of the main areas of content and has achieved an adequate level of competence in the processes and skills.
D	The student has a basic knowledge and understanding of the content and has achieved a limited level of competence in the processes and skills.
E	The student has an elementary knowledge and understanding in few areas of the content and has achieved very limited competence in some of the processes and skills.

Parent Workshop- Information Technology

Parents and carers are warmly invited to attend a parent workshop on the use of Information Technology for children. 

Date: Tuesday 14 June

Times: 9:30 am & 4:00 pm

Visiting Speaker: Snr Constable Matt Gooden (Youth Liaison Officer)- to attend 9:30 am workshop

Purpose: The workshop will have a presentation by Snr Constable Matt Gooden at the 9:30 am workshop around cyber safety and the use of social media by young users. 

There will be tech tips on how to set various security settings for an iPad.

The workshop will also explain in detail the school management system used for iPads. The school would like to consult with Year 3 parents about the extension of the iPad program to allow Year 4 students of 2023 to have their own devices. We would encourage parents and carers of Year 3 students to attend.

Cyber Safety

The school takes the safety of students very seriously. Each year the students and parents must sign the CEDoW Responsible Use of Technology User Agreement. The teachers unpack the content of this agreement with students. The agreement is attached again for your reference. The students also engage in mandatory modules each year that teach them about cyber safety and staying safe online.

CEDoW Responsible Use of Technology User Agreement https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bhx8QJ3RaL9_fBjM9vXNy8nRypfqY6fE/view

These requirements fall under the CEDoW Social Media Policy

CEDoW Social Media Policy https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/policies/social-media-policy/

If you are interested in expanding your own knowledge around how to keep children safe online please consider attending the school workshop. Alternately, the eSafety Commission has many relevant workshops available online. 

eSafety Commissioner Parent Webinars https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

2022_Parent_series_Schedule_V2_DONE.pdf

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2022_Parent_series_Safe_Settings_for_Online_Devices_A3_Poster_Final.pdf

2022_Parent_series_Safe_Settings_for_Online_Devices_A3_Poster_Final _pdf 88.82 KB

2022_Parent_series_Safer_Online_Gaming_A3_Poster_Final.pdf

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PB4L Focus for Weeks 4 to 6

The PB4L focus for weeks 4 to 6  is Toilet Expectation. Please refer to the PB4L matrix for further clarification. 

PB4L Student Representatives 

The purpose of the PB4L Student Leader Team is to give students a voice at St Paul’s. We aim to create an inclusive learning community where everyone feels respected. We believe this is created when students participate in decision-making, and their ideas inform the day to day procedures they experience, to co-create empowering environments. An empowering environment is one where students have a voice, participate and have routine opportunities for leadership. 

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.

Congratulations to the following students who have been selected as the 2022 Student Leader Team. Please join us at the assembly on Friday (20th May 2022) to acknowledge these students.

Mrs Gemma Bolton

ACE AWARDS

Ava Van Akker

Lily Hingston

Shelby Veigel

Xavier Cabanas

Amelia O'Dwyer

PRINCIPAL AWARDS

Jasmine Wau

Annabelle Dowel

Rory Smith

Alexis Wau

Emily Hooper

MARY MACKILLOP

Mia Rossi

Beau Zonneveld

Aden Nixon

Lucas Glover

Austin Nixon

Mrs Olivia Roberts

Middle Leader 1

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)

Staff will be participating in Collaborative Planning over the next two weeks.

Olivia Roberts

Middle Leader 1

Listen to some members of the Pastoral Care Student Leadership Team explain their role.

As part of a new initiative to strengthen connections between year 6 (Stage 3) and year 7 (Stage 4), Miss De Sousa, Mrs Nunes and I recently had the opportunity to spend the first of two half days visiting our neighbouring Catholic secondary schools, St Joseph’s, Albion Park and Corpus Christi, Oak Flats.Year 6 teaching teams from other nearby Catholic schools also attended. As part of this collaboration between the participating schools we are exploring ways to provide a more seamless transition process between year 6 and year 7, with a focus on learning and wellbeing.

At both schools we had the opportunity to observe year 7 English, year 7 Mathematics, year 7 Science and mixed grades Diverse Learning classes in action. During this experience we were able to have brief conversations with the students about some of the challenges they have encountered moving from year 6 to year 7. Most students highlighted the increase in the workload and the expectations of being independent learners. We also had the opportunity to engage in open discussions with year 7 teachers and members of the leadership team in both high school settings to explore the similarities and differences in our learning environments.

This collaboration will continue to develop throughout 2022 with further visits planned over the next couple of terms. Later in the year, teachers from St Joseph’s and Corpus Christi will have the opportunity to visit our year 6 learning spaces to observe English and Mathematics sessions. 

Bianca Koczka

Middle Leader - ICT and Special Projects

A guide by parents for parents The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT (CCSP) released a wonderful resource for parents and carers.

The Supporting Diverse Learning in Catholic Schools - A Guide by Parents for Parents was developed to support and accompany families as they prepare their child for school, or for the transition from primary to secondary school. It offers practical ideas and advice from parents and carers who have 'been there and done that'. It includes areas such as 'Preparing the School for Your Child', communicating with the school, conversation starters for challenging topics, as well as practical ideas such as a visual board to help establish morning and evening routines once school has commenced. Whilst it has a specific focus on supporting families of a child with diverse needs, many of the tips and strategies are useful for all parents and carers at the start of their school journey.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

Thank you to all the mothers, grandmothers, aunts and friends who joined the St Paul's staff and students for our 2022 Mother's Day Celebrations. The day began with a beautiful high tea breakfast. Our mothers, grandmothers, aunts, and friends had the opportunity to relax and catch up with each other over a light breakfast and cup of coffee.

Our staff and students were very excited to welcome our mothers, grandmothers aunts and friends into our learning spaces to work on exciting learning tasks and our students had the opportunity to proudly show their work and learning spaces to our mothers. grandmothers, aunts and friends.

Kindergarten concluded our wonderful Mother's Day Celebrations with their first SPAP grade assembly. Each grade had an opportunity to showcase their talents by performing a song, rap, poem in gratitude to our mothers grandmothers aunts and friends. 

Dear Parents and Carers,

The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT have arranged to hold a free webinar with the eSafety Commissioner for parents and carers of children aged 5-12 years.
 

The title of this year’s seminar is: Helping Kids Thrive Online.
 

This Term 2 webinar offers tips on how to support young people to socialise, learn and have fun online in a safe manner. It explains how to access information, use technology safely and navigate new online platforms.

It will cover:

• how to talk to young people about online risks on different social media platforms and games
• how to help young people develop skills to protect themselves when they are online
• where to go for help if things go wrong and how to access mental health support and information through eSafety.

Click here to register.

Who should attend? Suitable for parents and carers of children aged 5-12 years
 

Date/Time: Wednesday 8 June at 7:30 pm
 

The webinar poster can be accessed here. If you have any questions or require additional resources please contact Clare Dunstan.

Bianca Koczka
Middle Leader ICT and Special Projects

Miss Katie DeSousa

Just a reminder that there is still lots of time to sign up for The Premiere’s Reading Challenge which closes on the 19th August. 

Children are encouraged to read books from the book lists, further information can be found on the website. 

This is not a competition but a challenge aimed at encouraging children to read, to read more and to read more widely.

If your child would like to sign up and needs their login details and password please contact Mrs Carol Harb

harbc02@dow.catholic.edu.au

Carol Harb

School Support Officer

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. 

The canteen offers break snacks at lunch time over the counter for the students to purchase with money. Here are some of the healthy treats ranging from 50c to $2.50. The most popular is the $1 Fab Fruit Pop. There are also fun Pop Up break snack specials displayed on the counter at lunch break that change regularly. Regular break snack items can also be pre purchased online, $5 or $10 prepaid break snack cards are also available.

Hello everyone,

Just a reminder that I am here at the school every Monday and Wednesday and on alternate Fridays. If you have any questions about the service or if you would just like to talk to me about something, I am more than happy to speak with you (whether your child is on my case list or not). The best way to reach me is either by email at doreenw@catholiccare.dow.org.au or to leave a message with school reception and I will call you back.

On another note, I am planning to run one or two parent/carer information sessions in term 3 and 4, and I am wondering what topics you would most like to know more about? Please see the link below to indicate your preference of workshop content. 

Best regards, Doreen Waddington

On Friday 6^th May the P&F held the annual Mother’s Day Stall. We wish to thank the following parents who helped to organise, set up, sell and pack up the event, we couldn’t have done it without your help.

Thank you to Sara-Jay O’Shea, Karin Kolodzey, Jodie Robson, Jacki Plumridge, Patricia Staff, Holly Sharratts, Jenna Noronha, Penne Kusa, Karene Harrison, Kira Groznik, Katie Zanin, Catherine Krajewski, Renee Randall, Kelly Fuller, Olivia Akele and Michelle Hooper.

The children all enjoyed selecting the purchases and we hope all our mums, nans and caregivers enjoyed receiving their gifts.

Please join the SPAP Parents and Friends Executive for the Term 2 SPAP Parents and Friends Meeting on Monday 6 June at 6:30pm via Zoom. A Zoom link will be shared with parents and carers via Compass. If you have any agenda items you would like to add to the agenda please email Kelly Rayner via fuller.kelly@abc.net.au

Amy De Santis

P&F President

Please see the attached letter regarding changes to the Compass Portal which was effective from April 2022.

Kristie Bicknell

Senior School Support Officer

Please ensure when your contact details change to email the info account, so we have a record of the new details. info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au

Please find attached flyers for Term 3 Circle of Security Parenting Workshops held at Oak Flats.

One will be held over four Thursdays 9.30am-12.pm starting 26^th May and another held Mondays 5.00pm-8.00pm starting 16^th May . These are FREE evidence based workshops which focus on how parent/child relationships can be strengthened, by providing strategies for helping caregivers become more attuned and responsive to their young children’s emotional needs.

Warm Regards

Kristin Nisbet

Parenting Program

Southern Youth and Family Services

Hazeltons Uniforms now have School Ties back in stock. Please contact Diane if you need help with your uniform needs.

Diane Hazelton

Hazeltons Pty Ltd

115 Tongarra Road

Albion Park NSW 2527

Phone 42579155