In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong we celebrated the 13th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C. The reflection by Loyola Press explains that last Sunday's Gospel reading begins a long section unique to Luke's Gospel. Jesus begins his journey to Jerusalem, which will end with his ministry in Jerusalem.  It is in Jerusalem that his disciples wait after his Ascension to be sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. And it is from Jerusalem, in Luke's second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, that the Good News is spread to Rome and the ends of the earth.

Last Sunday's Gospel reading is about the radical demands of discipleship. The three people who volunteer to become disciples on this journey show that they do not understand the demands Jesus will make of them. Neither care of self, care for the dead, nor care of one's family (as required by the Fourth Commandment) can come before the demands of discipleship. Jesus reminds the first volunteer, who would go wherever Jesus goes, that animals in the wild have more security than do Jesus and his followers. The second, who wants to bury a parent, is reminded that the demands of proclaiming the Kingdom of God take precedence. And the third, who wants to say farewell to his family, is reminded that once you put your hand to the plough you cannot look back or the furrow will be crooked. Such a person is not ready for the Kingdom of God.

Jesus seems harsh here, but he is only asking of his disciples what he asks of himself. Jesus' unconditional commitment to God's saving work will demand of him his life. He knows this, but the disciples do not understand. Jesus does not want anyone to rush into discipleship, because the demands of discipleship require everyone considering it to be aware of the cost, make Jesus and his mission central to his life, and then go forward without looking back.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to the final newsletter edition for this term. This term has seen many experiences of community that make us uniquely who we are here at St Paul’s Catholic Parish Primary School. Over the past two weeks we have focused on providing our students with opportunities to live their faith through action and outreach.

Faith in action is an opportunity for our students to develop attitudes and values founded on Catholic social teaching and act to promote social responsibility, human solidarity and the common good. Through a focus on Refugee Week, St Vincent DePaul and in Term 3 Naidoc Week initiatives at St Paul’s, we have and will continue to explore the principles of the Catholic Church’s teachings on issues of justice and responsibility in society through just action.

I would like to thank Mrs Jodi Marsh, Mrs Julie Ferguson, Mrs Jo Ball and Miss Julianne Tonini for their organisation of the initiatives and planned learning experiences for our students.

Teacher and Parent/Carer Learning Conversations

Throughout this week many parents and carers have met with teachers to discuss the attainment and growth of their child/ children in their faith and learning. This has been an opportunity for teachers and parents and carers to communicate openly and to share detailed information about our students’ learning and well being, and to celebrate the many achievements of our students. 

I would like to acknowledge and thank those parents and carers who have engaged in learning conversations as this has enabled teachers and parents and carers to provide each other feedback and collaborate so that our students can continue to experience growth in their faith, learning and well being.

I have received feedback from a number of parents and carers stating how professional and well prepared the teachers have been for the learning conversations. I would like to thank the St Paul’s teachers for the care and support they show all students at St Paul’s and for their professionalism and dedication to ensure that our students faith, learning and well being growth and development is communicated clearly to parents and carers.

Whole School Community Events

Over the past two weeks there have been quite a number of extra curricula, whole school events that our students have participated in. Many students remember these events as a highlight of the school year. I would like to thank the staff who plan and facilitate these activities and events and I recognise that these activities take time out of their busy teaching schedule to plan and lead.  

Thank you to Mrs Louise Frendo and Mr Brian McCann who organised and facilitated the school Athletics Carnival on Friday 24 June. The day was a great success due to the support of parents and carers and staff and the support they provided Mrs Frendo and Mr McCann throughout the carnival. I witnessed the way in which the staff and parents and carers all participated with such professionalism and dedication and I would like to recognise this commitment, well done everyone and thank you!!! Our students had a wonderful time, many smiles and laughs to be seen and heard. 

Afternoon Tea with the Principal

It was a pleasure to be able to spend two afternoons this week recognising and celebrating the achievements of those students who received Principal and Mary MacKillop Awards in 2020. We had a lovely afternoon and thank you to those students who shared jokes, riddles and artistic performances.

Staffing Update

At the conclusion of this term we farewell Mrs Bree-Anna Fogliada as she accesses parental leave for twelve months. I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mrs Fogliada for her high quality work in the role of Diverse Learning instructional Leader. I wish Bree-Anna and her husband Kyle the very best as they prepare for the birth of their fist child. I would like to thank Mrs Jodi Marsh and Mrs Alexandra Hingston who will be taking on the role of Diverse Instructional Leader for Terms 3 and 4. 

On behalf of the whole school, I would like to take this opportunity to extend my gratitude to all the St Paul’s staff, for the way in which they have supported our students in their academic, faith and well being growth this term. It has been a very busy term, and that the generosity of spirit is quite remarkable. I  am very proud of the work of my colleagues and most grateful to them for all that we do in partnering with parents and carers to support and care for our students. 

I would like to thank the students for their hard work and commitment to their learning this term. It has been a very busy term and our students certainly deserve a holiday. I would like to thank all parents and carers for your ongoing partnership as together we create a vibrant Catholic school community. I wish you all a very relaxing pupil vacation period and hope you have an opportunity to spend time with your family and friends and look forward to seeing you all in Term 3.

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.

The Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) Team meets regularly throughout the year to carefully examine the information provided by the teachers regarding the games that are played on the playground and ways that the school can improve their procedures to support safe, respectful and responsible play.

In Term 3, the team will be supported by the Sports Leaders to improve access to certain sports equipment to be used on the playground. They will ensure that balls for a variety of ball games are available at each break. The PB4L student representatives have had conversations with students about this process and they would like to ensure that in the front playground handballs and basketballs are available. At the Top Oval, they will check that footballs, soccer balls, and volleyballs are available.

This means that students will have access to the equipment they need to play safely and respectfully. Therefore students do not bring their own equipment as these can be easily lost or mixed up with school equipment. This can also apply to other personal belongings such as stuffed toys and Pokemon cards. 

The students will be taught the new procedures in Term 3. We thank you for supporting this request to leave personal play equipment at home. 

From an early age, children are engaged in online games. Please see the following advice from the eSafety Commissioner to help keep children safe when playing online.

“If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader”- John Quincy Adams

At St Paul's we have a number of leadership groups that help to organise various events and activities in the school. We create opportunities for leaders to inspire others through their actions.

Year Six has a variety of groups to demonstrate leadership:

School Captains

Senior Leadership Team

ICT Team

Hospitality Team

Pastoral Care Team

Sport Team

The Year Six teams help run a variety of tasks and events at school including handing out awards, greeting visitors, assisting with sporting carnivals and supporting assemblies. The Year Six leaders shine in their roles and they set a wonderful example for their Kinder buddies. 

In addition to the year six leaders, we also have the PB4L Student Leaders. This consists of one chosen representative from set classes to meet regularly to discuss various procedures and support positive play in the playground.

In Term 3, these groups will be inspiring others through various actions. They will be helping facilitate some challenges like the handball challenge. The teams will help on the playground run games for the younger students. The teams will run set activities in Passive Play and will work together to coordinate a Fun Day at the end of Term 3. School Competitions will be led by our Year 6 Leaders.

Details of these initiatives will be shared closer to the dates in Term 3. We look forward to seeing our leaders grow.

On Friday 1st July, students are invited to dress in their pyjamas. A warm chocolate drink and cinnamon donut will be able to be ordered on the day for $5 if you have not placed a pre-order. Our Mini-Vinnies team is promoting this event, with all profits going towards supporting the St Vincent de Paul Winter Appeal.

On Friday 22nd July, St Paul’s will be celebrating Grandparents Day.The day will begin at  9:15am with a Liturgy of the Word in the School Hall led by the Year 6 Liturgy Team. This will be followed with each grade performing a song or poem or dance to entertain our wonderful

grandparents. At 10:30am our Grandparents will be invited into our wonderful classrooms for open classrooms and to look at our students' fabulous work. Grandparents will then join the staff in the School Hall for morning tea at 11:00am.

ASSEMBLIES TERM 3

In Term Three, the following grades will be hosting the fortnightly assembly.

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY

Last weekend, our diocese celebrated the Immaculate Heart of Mary – our Patronal Feast. We know that Mary is present as a mother to us and so shares in the many complicated problems which today beset the lives of individuals, families, parishes, schools and communities. We know that Mary has a heart for the Christian people in our constant struggle between good and evil, to ensure that we do not fall, or, if we have fallen, that we rise again. The Blessed Virgin Mary is an image of the Church which, nourished by hope, acknowledges the saving and merciful action of God, in whose light our diocese reads our own journey and all of history. Mary helps us to interpret all that happens to us in the light of Jesus her Son. As a new creation moulded by the Holy Spirit, Mary causes the virtue of hope to grow within us.

PRAYER

Mother of the Redeemer, in this Diocese

dedicated to your Immaculate Heart,

with great joy we call you blessed.

In order to carry out His providential

plan of salvation, God the Father chose

you before the creation of the world.

You believed in His love and obeyed His

word.

The Son of God desired you for His

Mother when he became man to save

the human race.

You received Him with ready obedience

and undivided Heart. The Holy Spirit

loved you as His mystical Spouse and

He filled you with singular gifts.

You allowed yourself to be led by His

hidden and powerful action.

On this Feast we entrust to you the

Diocese which acknowledges you and

invokes you under the title of your

Immaculate Heart.

On earth you preceded the Church in

the pilgrimage of faith: guide us as we

walk in your footsteps, comfort us in our

difficulties and trials, help us to reach

God.

To you, Mother of the Church, we

confidently entrust our Bishop, our

priests and religious, our families,

ourselves.

Give us the light of true wisdom, a

wisdom to be found only in your Son as

you told us at Cana: "Do whatever He

tells us." Enable us all to meet Him who

is the Way, the truth, and the Life.

Sustain us, O Virgin Mary, on our

journey of faith, and obtain for us the

grace of eternal salvation. O clement, O

loving, O sweet Mother of God and our

Mother, Mary!

To be followed by three Hail Marys and the

invocation:

IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY,

PRAY FOR US.

(Prayer adapted by Monsignor Graham

Schmitzer)

FAMILY LOVE - “A VOCATION AND A PATH TO HOLINESS” 10TH WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES

Over several days 22 – 26 June, delegates from around the world are gathering in Rome with Pope Francis for the World Meeting of Families. This meeting has been called under the theme, “Family Love: A vocation and a path to holiness”. Delegates from Australia, and even some from our Diocese of Wollongong, have gone to meet with the Pope to discuss this important vocation. As St John Paul II reminds us, “As the family goes, so goes the nation, and so goes the whole world in which we live”. We invite you to pray for not only the success of the meeting in Rome but also all families in Australia and around the world. If you would like to learn more about the World Meeting of Families, go to www.romefamily2022.com

EMERITUS BISHOP PETER INGHAM NAMED MEMBER OF THE ORDER OF AUSTRALIA

Emeritus Bishop Peter Ingham was named a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the Catholic Church in yesterday's Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

As Marilyn Rodrigues writes in the Catholic Weekly:

He said he was “so surprised” to receive the honour and wanted to dedicate it to the people of the Diocese of Wollongong.

“I usually think of myself as a very ordinary horse in this human race, I didn’t see that I did anything spectacular but I’ve basically just tried to be there for people,” he said, adding that a lot of his work as a bishop was “loitering with intent”.

“The loitering is the hanging around after Masses and school functions, Confirmations and whatever. And the intent is the witness to the Gospel; getting to know people and mixing with them and treating them as equals so that when they did have something they wanted to talk to you about they didn’t have an inhibition about approaching you.

“Basically what I’ve tried to do is to put ‘fresh heart’ into people and to encourage them to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ and the consequent goodness then that flows from that so as to make a positive social contribution to the common good of everybody.

“If we have positive values to live by we strengthen the moral fabric of our nation. Particularly among our Catholic people if they really try to live our faith they’re a great force for good in the community.

“There’s an old French proverb that says 'Gratitude is the memory of the heart’ and in a sense, I’m grateful for the goodness of so many people across the Illawarra, the Shoalhaven, the Macarthur, in the parishes, schools, CatholicCare, our Bishop Brian Mascord and clergy, religious congregations and the wonderful volunteers and co-workers."

Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator

Congratulations to the following students who have received or will be receiving an ACE Award, Principal Award and/or a Mary MacKillop Award:

ACE Awards

Lorcan Sutton

Amarli Braddick

Chantalee Alaban

Isaac Nicholls

Jessica Niven

Sienna Astill

Benjamin Joy

Hamish Abnett

Matthew Parker

Isabella De Santis

Olivia Gorrie

Principal Awards

Wes Barrett

Christian Georgievski

Flynn Shelton

Olivia Gorrie

William Jewitt

Andre Akele

Mary MacKillop Awards

Max Gamble

Lacey Pearson

James Schubert

Lucinda Akele

Ketzia Jomon

Charlee Mackiewicz

Max Elliott

Lachlan Edwards

Wezley Smith

Eamon McCann

Hayley Frendo

Grace Kusa

Dante Rosete

Zali Barrett

On Wednesday 15th June, the Enrichment Mathematics students participated in their third 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.

The results of our Maths Enrichment students in the Maths Olympiad have seen considerable growth since beginning our 1 hour weekly workshops at the beginning of Term 1.  The staff at St Paul’s are so proud of the Enrichment Mathematics students who have dedicated themselves to developing their problem-solving and working mathematically skills.  We look forward to the amazing work our students produce throughout the remained of 2022.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

During weeks 8, 9 and 10 Year 3 have been participating in two programs with Miss Vi from CatholicCare. These programs are, Friendships and Working Together. 

The students have really enjoyed the hands-on activities. Their participation in class discussions about how to be a good friend and work together has been respectful and thoughtful. 

We’ve been practising these new skills in the classroom and in the playground. Here are some photos of Year 3 practising how to work together in different ways. Some of the situations were a challenge! For example, organising the whole class into height order without speaking. Three Blue and Three Red have come up with a poster full of ways we can work together.

Miss Ryan and Miss Tonini - Year 3 Teachers

On Wednesday 15th June, Year 4 went on a Geography excursion to explore the beautiful sights and sounds of the Minnamurra Rainforest! We were learning about the layers of the rainforest, the flora and fauna that exist together in balance and harmony, and how humans work together to protect and manage the National Park. Below are some excerpts from our digital recounts! Enjoy!

There are many benefits of reading daily and the St Paul's Staff would like to thank our students who are reading daily. Research proves that students who read more will have a more extensive vocabulary, improved concentration, better understanding of sentence structure, greater reading comprehension skills, more general knowledge picked up through their reading experience, and a higher level of creativity and imagination.

Reading just 20 minutes a day gives students a huge advantage to their overall learning and achievement. This is why it is essential that your child is reading each day. As you are aware every child in Kindergarten to Year 3 now has had access to the PM eCollection. We strongly encouraged all children in Kindergarten to Year 3 to access the PM eCollection as well as using real books. There have been new books added to the bookshelf in the PMeCollection. 

Please take a moment to read the Information for parents and at-home users document, it provides important information on how to access and utilise the PM eCollection eReader. Each child in Kindergarten to Year 3 has their own personalised login. If you can not locate your child’s individual login details please contact their classroom teacher or contact the school office for support.

Children in Years 5 to 6 will continue to access Sora— The Student Reading App. SORA provides access to a digital library with thousands of ebooks and audiobooks. Years 3 & 4 have just been given access to SORA. Today parents will be sent unique usernames and passwords for access to SORA. Check your junk mail in case the email has gone here. 

The benefit of SORA is that it contains books listed in the Premier's Reading Challenge.

To access these ebooks you will need to Download the Sora App from the App Store: (tip: if you search for the app, type Sora by OverDrive) https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/sora-by-overdrive/id1376592326?mt=8

SORA is also available through a browser: https://soraapp.com/welcome 

This video tutorial will help you setup and use Sora. http://overdrivedow.weebly.com/getting-started.html

Note: All the FAQs (General, Staff & Student) are all listed on the Overdrive support site:

http://overdrivedow.weebly.com/faqs.html

Belinda Evans

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 Education 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 3.

Week 1

Week 2

Olivia Roberts

Middle Leader

Over the past three weeks, a group of students who are enrolled in the Child Studies program at St. Joseph’s Catholic High School have joined the Kindergarten Teachers at St. Paul’s in designing and implementing a sequence of mini lessons that align to the current Personal Development and Health and Literacy programs. 

Last week the St. Joseph students visited, and observed the Kindergarten students in the classroom. They joined both Kinder Blue and Kinder Red and supported them during a Maths Lesson investigating Mass. Before the end of the session, they joined in with Group Rotations and thoroughly enjoyed working with the Kindergarten students. 

In Week 9, Cassie, Mia, Bree, Liana, Caitlyn, Leah, Liana C and Synthea planned some activities focusing on developing gross motor Skills. The kindergarten students loved the parachute games and activities that were set up in the hall by the St Joseph’s students. The students played an eye colour game, the carousel and Popcorn! The St. Joseph’s students did a wonderful job giving the Kinder Students instructions and they were highly organised and motivated.

In Week 10, the St.Joseph’s students came to support Kindergarten Students in the Literacy Block. This has been a great experience for both the students at St. Joseph’s and also St. Paul’s, one we hope that can continue in the near future.

Just a reminder that registrations for the upcoming ICAS Assessments close on Friday 22nd July. The ICAS Assessments will be completed on the following dates:

• Week 4 Tuesday 9th August - ICAS Writing
• Week 4 Friday 12th August - ICAS Digital Technologies
• Week 5 Tuesday 16th August - ICAS English
• Week 6 Tuesday 23rd August - ICAS Spelling Bee
• Week 6 Friday 26th August - ICAS Science
• Week 7 Tuesday 30th August - ICAS Mathematics

Please see Compass for further details, including registering your child if you would like them to participate. 

Bianca Koczka

Middle Leader ICT and Special Projects

In January 2021, Pope Francis announced the World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, to be celebrated each year on the fourth Sunday of July, coinciding with the feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary's parents and Jesus' grandparents, Sts. Joachim and Anne.

St Paul’s will be celebrating Grandparents Day on Friday 22 July from 9:15am till 11:30am. The day will begin at 9:15am with a Liturgy of the Word in the School Hall led by Mrs Jodi Marsh REC and the Year 6 Liturgy Team.

This will be followed with each grade performing a song or poem or dance to entertain our wonderful grandparents.

At 10:30am our Grandparents will be invited into our wonderful classrooms for open classrooms and to look at our students fabulous work.

Grandparents will then join the staff in the School Hall for morning tea at 11:00am.

We are very excited to welcome all our grandparents to this special morning and hope to see as many grandparents as possible.

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 and continue into Term 2  with over 60 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 3.

A big thank you to all our wonderful School Support Officers who assist in delivering these interventions to our students daily.  We are grateful care and hard work which is taken by each of our SSOs every day when they interact with our students.  

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

Arriving at school and class on time:

● ensures that your child doesn’t miss out on the important learning activities scheduled early in the day when they are most alert;

● helps your child to learn the importance of punctuality and routine; and

● gives your child time to greet their friends before class and therefore reduces the opportunity for classroom disruption.

Lateness is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained to the school the same way as other forms of absence.

Adding attendance notes in Compass

Following are instructions for how to add an attendance note to Compass, if your child is absent from school.

Using the Compass App on your mobile phone follow these steps:

Respectful Relationships, Child Safety and Human Sexuality education is a vital component of formal education within the Catholic faith. This effective education in schools must meet the needs of students and be informed by the principles of the Catholic tradition. Through this school-based activity and the culture of CEDoW schools, young people explore the Catholic vocation to love responsibly, to live life whole-heartedly, to enable self and others to flourish and have life to the full.

The CEDoW ‘Life to the Full’ framework aims to provide a shared, consistent and supported position and approach in relation to Respectful Relationships, Child Safety and Human Sexuality education and promoting safe and respectful school cultures across our CEDoW schools.

At St Paul’s we have an effective whole school approach to implementing the ‘Life to the Full’ Framework that focuses on both the implicit and explicit teaching of core concepts of Respectful Relationships, Child Safety and Human Sexuality as well as creating respectful, safe and supportive school communities which are essential to support explicit education.

The Staff at St Paul’s implement the framework through three essential pillars of success: 

• Research-Informed & Supported School Staff:
• Building staff capacity to engage and deliver
• Identifying early warning signs of problematic relationship behaviour
• Appropriate response and support
• Role modelling & building effective relationships
• Building a Culture of Respect Through PB4L:
• What does respect mean in our school?
• What does respect look like in our school?
• How do we address attitude, language and behaviour?
• How do we explicitly teach respect?
• Explicit Respectful Relationships, Child Safety & Sexuality Education:
• Teaching PDHPE content in an appropriate context
• Brave conversations about relationships, safety, personal safety, personal development
• Positive theology, good news about the body and sexuality
• Student-centred

It is mandatory to teach respectful relationships and child protection (safety) education in every stage of learning from Kindergarten to Year 10 as part of the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) K-10 Syllabus. Identity, growth, development and human sexuality are context areas studied as part of the PDHPE Syllabus.  The staff at St Paul’s will inform parents ahead of time when this content will be taught in classrooms to ensure a clear and consistent approach to this content.  

The key content which is taught K-6 at St Paul’s regarding the ‘Life to the Full’ framework includes:

• Respectful Relationship Education: Skills to engage in respectful and equal relationships. Supporting students, school staff and school leaders to create school cultures that promote positive attitudes and behaviours towards relationships, equality, diversity, gender, consent, power, resilience, help-seeking and respect for all.
• Child Protection/Safety Education: Strategies for building respectful relationships and resilience, as well as building skills in recognising and responding to unsafe situations, effectively seeking assistance and protective strategies.
• Growth, Development and Human Sexuality Education: Learning about the emotional, social and physical aspects of growing up, relationships, identity, reproduction, gender, human sexuality and sexual health. Promote and protect their own wellbeing and that of others.

During Term 3, the staff and students at St Paul’s will continue our implementation of Respectful Relationships through our PDHPE lessons, PB4L whole school practices and the weekly Pivot Wellbeing Survey.  We look forward to our key initiative of student voice being embedded into our daily practices as we maintain a culture of respect at our school.

Please see this video for an endorsement of the ‘Life to the Full’ Framework provided by Peter Hill, Director of School. 

https://youtu.be/ngH8invHfR0
 

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

Industrial Action - Thursday, 30 June 2022

The Independent Education Union (IEU) has informed Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong that their members will engage in protected industrial action this Thursday, 30 June 2022 for the entire school day.

What this means for you and your child on Thursday, 30 June 2022

• Limited supervision will be provided at school, but classes will not run as normal.
• You may wish to keep your child at home.
• Any absence from school on this day will not impact your child's attendance record.

On Friday 24 June the weather was on our side and we enjoyed our annual school athletics carnival at Croome Rd Sporting Complex. It was fantastic to see all of the students participate in the events with enthusiasm and sportsmanship. The day was a success due to the many volunteers who gave up their time to support the students and ensure the smooth running of the carnival. Thank you to everyone who made this day possible. 

Congratulations to the following students on becoming Age Champions:

8 Boys - Isaac Nicholls

8 Girls -  Hazel Richardson

9 Boys - Jackson Hutchinson

9 Girls - Jacinta Vieira

10 Boys - Cooper Shepherd

10 Girls - Madelynne Dowel

11 Boys - Dante Rosete

11 Girls - Charlee Mackiewicz and Milla Nagy

12 Boys - Eamon McCann

12 Girls - Lucinda Akele and Grace Kusa

The winning House for 2022 was St Francis (Green House). Students who have gained selection to the school athletics team that will compete at the South Coast Carnival on Tuesday August 9 will receive information on the next carnival as soon as possible. 

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is an annual process that schools undertake. The purpose of the NCCD at St Paul’s is to identify the number of students in our school community who are receiving ‘help’ or adjustments due to a disability or learning deficit so that adequate funding and support can be provided for students at St Paul’s. 

Staff in the St Paul's School Case Collaboration Team met last Wednesday 8th June to moderate all the students at St Paul’s who have a Personalised Plan, determining the level of support provided to students.  This information will be shared with the NCCD at the end of Term 2.  The data shared will determine the level of funding St Paul’s is provided in 2023 to meet the needs of students with diverse needs.  

For additional information, please see the attachment.  Any questions can be forwarded to your child’s classroom teacher or Bree-Anna Fogliada via our School Office.

Bree-Anna Fogliada

Diverse Learning Support Instructional Leader

Congratulations to the students who have completed the challenge individually and to Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 students who completed the challenge in class with their teachers.

The school holidays are a perfect time to get reading and there is still plenty of time to complete the challenge which closes on 19th August.

Students in grades 3-6 can complete the challenge individually and need to read 20 books in total, 15 from PRC booklist and 5 own choice.

If you need any assistance or have any questions please email Mrs Harb harbc02@dow.catholic.edu.au

Overdue Library Books: Could all overdue library books please be returned to the library by the end of the term. Students can return books at any time, even if it is not their borrowing day. Your help in assisting your child to return overdue books is appreciated. Thank you. 

Mrs Louise Frendo

School Support Officer

Headspace reminds us that school holiday periods can sometimes be stressful for children, and parents and carers alike. People are taken out of routine and don’t get to see friends, teachers and workmates as often as they are used to.This may mean that people can feel bored, unsupported, upset and sometimes anxious. It’s important to stay healthy and look after yourself. There are a number of ways to help you do this. 

To support parents and carers the NSW Department of Education created a  Self-care tips for parents toolkit and compiled a list of holiday activities for Primary aged and Early learners. The Department suggests that having a flexible plan with some scheduled activities that engage your child for 30 mins to an hour, may help structure your day. The Department reminds us that you do not have to schedule activities for every minute of the holidays. Parents and carers are encouraged to include some social activities, as well as independent solo activities which will allow parents and carers to have a break too. The Department offers a list of  Keeping active online links which may be useful.

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. 

Staff Development Days for 2022 are as follows:

Term 3: Monday 18 July

Term 4: Monday 19 December 

Term 4: Tuesday 20 December

Please note that all students will now finish school on Friday 16th December.

Other key dates for 2022 are:

1 July - Last day of Term 2

19 July - Frist day of Term 3

23 September - Last day of Term 3

10 October - First day of Term 4

16 December - Last day of Term 4

June school fee account statements have been generated by the CEDoW School Fee Liaison Office and forwarded to families.  If you are having difficulty paying for your school fees we ask that you do not ignore your fee statements and make contact with the school immediately via email info@spapdow.catholic.edu.au or telephone 42 562772 and request an appointment with Mrs Rodwell to discuss your financial situation and how the school can assist. 

The St Paul's Parents and Friends Association will be holding a school disco in Terms 3 and 4. The dates for the discos are:

Term 3 - 29 July 2022: Infants Disco will be from 5:30pm till 6:30pm and the Primary Disco will be from 6:45pm till 8:00pm.

Term 4 - 21 October 2022: Infants Disco will be from 5:30pm till 6:30pm and the Primary Disco will be from 6:45pm till 8:00pm.

Please note that a permission note will be sent home in the coming days.

Thank you to all parents and carers for your ongoing support of the Parents and Friends Asssociation.

Amy DeSantis

P&F President

This year’s annual NAIDOC Community Day will be held on Monday 4 July 2022 at Shellharbour Civic Centre from 11am till 2pm.

This free family event is a great opportunity to celebrate our local Aboriginal community.

We have also attached a NAIDOC week colouring page for your students.  These can be downloaded together with other educational resources from the official NAIDOC website Educational resources | NAIDOC

Kind regards,

Shellharbour Council

Community Connections Administration Team