In Parishes throughout the Diocese of Wollongong we celebrated the 3rd Sunday of Lent Year A. The reflection by Loyola Press explains last Sunday's Gospel outlines the significance of the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman. The Samaritan woman is herself converted to belief in Jesus as Messiah because he knows her sin but speaks with her just the same. Having come to know Jesus as the Messiah, the Samaritan woman becomes an evangelist to her own people.

Jesus uses his encounter with the Samaritan woman to teach his disciples that God’s mercy is without limit. The conversion of the Samaritan townspeople is a foretaste of the kind of open community that will be created among those who believe that Jesus is the Messiah.

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 8 of Term 1. It is wonderful to be back at St Paul's energised after experiencing the 2023 Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles. The Congress was an opportunity for leaders across the world to come together to learn from each other. Mrs Jodi Marsh and I had the amazing experience of meeting and talking with the Arch Bishop of Los Angeles Jose Gomez. The message Arch Bishop Gomez encouraged delegates to take away from the Congress was to follow Jesus Christ with joy and simplicity of life, seeking to serve God and their neighbours in their ordinary daily activities of life. He spoke to delegates explaining that Catholic schools are a light of hope and we are changing lives and lifting people up every day.   Another highlight was visiting St Genevieve’s Parish Schools in Los Angeles on Ash Wednesday. Here we spent time in classrooms and with the Principal Mr Dan Horn and the School Leadership Team. I would like to thank the Catholic Education Office for nominating St Paul’s to represent the Diocese at the Congress.

I would like to thank Miss Angela Crandell and the St Paul's School Leadership Team for their collaboration and excellent leadership during my absence. Miss Crandell spoke to me about the wonderful St Paul's spirit of hospitality and welcome that she experienced during her three weeks as relieving Principal. Thank you to our school community for the care and support shown to Miss Crandell.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN is a national literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment that all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national standards and over time.

NAPLAN is just one aspect of our school’s assessment and reporting process and  provides teachers with additional information about students’ educational progress and attainment. The NAPLAN testing window for 2023 is from today Wednesday 15 March until Monday 27 March. Years Three and Five participated in NAPLAN today and they all tried their very best.  I would like to wish our students all the very best over the coming week. I would like to thank Mrs Rebecca Nunes, Mrs Belinda Evans, Miss Julianne Tonini, Miss Samantha Ryan, Mrs Suzanne Hayes and Mr Brian McCann for preparing our students.

As we move into the third week of Lent we acknowledge that Lent is a time for both reflection and action. It is by entering into stillness, silence and solitude that we are able to peel back all the distractions that impact our lives and listen to the whisperings of God in our hearts.

Lent should be a time of joy. The practices of prayer, fasting and alms giving encourage us to both reflect and act as we focus on living in relationship. Living the Christian life is one of joy, as we strengthen our relationship with God, others and our world. Where do you experience this joy and share it with others?

I wish you all a wonderful week ahead.

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.

NAPLAN commenced today with both Years 3 & 5 completing their writing test. Testing continues over the coming days with catchup tests available for students who have been sick.

Just a friendly reminder- 

• Make sure your child has headphones
• Make sure your child is on time for school

From this year, parents and carers will get earlier, simpler, and clearer information about their child’s NAPLAN achievement based on new, more rigorous national standards.

Education ministers have agreed to change the way NAPLAN results are reported to parents and carers, now that all students are taking the tests online, and with the move to an earlier NAPLAN in March. New proficiency standards with 4 levels of achievement for each year level will replace the previous 10-band structure that covered all 4 levels tested and the old National Minimum Standard set in 2008 when tests were on paper. The new proficiency standards include a baseline benchmark to identify students who are likely to need additional support.

The numerical NAPLAN bands and the national minimum standard will be replaced by the following 4 levels of achievement:

• Exceeding
• Strong
• Developing
• Needs additional support

The descriptors for each category will make it clear to parents what their child’s literacy and numeracy skills are at the time of NAPLAN testing, and support discussions with their school on their child’s progress.

This year one of the Annual Improvement Plan goals is that students will have an improved understanding of interpersonal skills so they respectfully interact with others through the application of consistent evidenced-based strategies for teaching social and emotional learning and wellbeing.

Research would support that in order to be the best they can be children need various needs met first (Maslow). When students returned from remote learning periods the school tried to build connections again and support the child's sense of belonging and friendship. We quickly identified that students needed to be taught social and emotional learning skills in order to be the best they can be at learning.

The following social/interaction skills are vital for successful learners in a classroom. 

They address the following social-emotional competencies enhancing a positive classroom climate, a sense of belonging and connectedness: 

• Self-awareness  identifying own emotions and strengths 
• Self-management managing emotions through self-reflection
• Social Awareness identifying and understanding feelings in others - “sense of other”
• Relationship skills communicating and relationship building
• Responsible decision making problem solving, personal responsibility, respecting others 

The school has engaged in Professional Learning around supporting students to learn and use these competencies. As part of the Annual Improvement Plan goal a number of staff have attended Professional Learning entitled "Berry Street Educational Model". this course will support the teaching of social-emotional competencies and support students to engage respectfully with each other and be 'ready to learn'.

The Berry Street Education Model (BSEM) provides strategies that enable teachers to increase the engagement of students with complex, unmet learning needs and to successfully improve all students’ self-regulation, relationships, wellbeing, growth and academic achievement.

The staff will explore the content of the course together to start working towards the goals we have set in the Annual Improvement Plan.

Just a reminder that there are still a few available workshops run by the e-Safety Commisoner's website. These webinars are a great way to learn how to keep your child safe online.

This year, Project Compassion is built around the  theme of 'For All Future Generations'. This theme asks us to reflect on the great 'Yes' that Mary said when the angel told her that she was to become the mother of Jesus. She freely accepted a unique place in the history of the human family. The great prayer she shared with her cousin Elizabeth says 'all generations will call me blessed'. Her 'Yes' is 'for all future generations'.

Each classroom has a Project Compassion box for their prayer space, where the students are encouraged to make donations. These boxes will be collected each week. Your generosity allows Caritas Australia to improve the livelihoods of vulnerable communities, supporting them to flourish and create opportunities for future generations to live to their full potential and thrive.

We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Priscilla, who lives in the Hwange district in Zimbabwe with her husband, Charles, and two of their grandchildren. Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe.
During times of intense drought and food shortages, Priscilla had to commute to the town centre and wait in long queues to collect food. 

With the support of Caritas Hwange, Priscilla learnt conservation farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops and started poultry farming to support her family during the current food crisis. Priscilla was able to produce a bumper harvest in her first year of practising in conservation farming. Priscilla also used the funds from her harvest to start poultry farming, which enabled her to sell eggs to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, books and stationery. The poultry farming provides a safety net for Priscilla and her family during times of hardship, like the current drought.

While the situation in Zimbabwe and across eastern Africa remains dire, the work of Caritas Hwange means that Priscilla can learn the techniques, tools and resources she needs to build resilience and support her family during this current food crisis. 

Watch a short film about Priscilla’s story here

On Friday 17th March we celebrate St Patrick's Feast Day. This will also be an opportunity to raise funds for Project Compassion. Students are invited to wear green and bring along a gold coin donation. 

• Year 4 attendance at the Parish Mass - 17th March 9:30am - Morning Tea for Parents and Carers in the school hall after Mass
• Feast of St Patrick- students wear green and gold coin donation - 17th March
• Project Compassion Fund-raiser- students wear green and gold coin donation-17th March
• St Joseph's Day - 19th March
• Harmony Day- 21st March
• Year 4 Assembly- 24th March
• Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord - 25th March 
• Holy Week- 6th April 

Mrs Jodi Marsh

Religious Education Coordinator

As part of our school safety compliance, it is important that we carry out evacuation and lock down drills regularly. The normal practice in schools is to complete these drills once each term.  The Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong has requested that the lock down and evacuation drills be completed over the coming weeks. These drills will allow us to refine our practices in ensuring that our students and staff are safe in the event of an emergency.

Please listen to the ICT team discuss ways they support us at St Paul's.

Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB₄L) is an organisational framework for behaviour support to enhance respectful relationships and engagement of students in their learning. It is an evidence-based framework that is implemented across Kindergarten to Year Six.

The PB₄L Framework includes: 

• Improving and maintaining the social climate of the school by reducing problem behaviours, whilst increasing prosocial behaviours and respectful relationships;
• Promoting the social and emotional skills students need to be successful in life; 
• Supporting and enhancing the learning and teaching environment, and engagement of students to improve student learning outcomes; 
• Increasing a proactive approach and reducing a reactive response to problem behaviours through a continuum of support.

Miss Alana Stroligo

Last Tuesday, a small group of Stage 3 students represented St Paul’s at the first SPLICED Workshop. This workshop kicked off the 2023 SPLICED program and our SPLICED team are eager to get started!

The 2023 unit entitled “A View from Afar; Examining and Dissecting, Marvelling and Wondering through a Wide-Angle Lens’ is a conceptual unit of differentiated learning that covers a wide range of syllabus outcomes. It is designed to extend the students’ capacity to think critically, creatively and reflectively.  

We look forward to sharing our journey as we complete this program, and showcase our SPLICED projects later this year. 

Term One aligns with the Planning Phase of the annual Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) cycle. In Weeks 9 and 10, parents will be invited to meet with their child’s teacher to discuss their child's Personal Plan.

The purpose of the Collaborative Planning Meeting is to revise previous goals, celebrate the successes of each student and set goals for the term ahead. Teachers will also discuss and review adjustments to ensure that students with a disability, or those students who require additional support in the classroom, are able to participate in learning and the life of the school on the same basis as their peers. These meetings are a key part of the consultation process with parents and carers, and the students who are at the centre of the plans. 

Bookings will open on Wednesday the 15th of March (Week 8). Meetings will be held in Weeks 9 and 10 of Term 1. 

To book, please select the ‘Term 1 Collaborative Planning Meeting’ reminder. This reminder will appear on the top right hand side of your Compass home page, just above the ‘News’ section if you access Compass on a desktop computer or laptop. On a mobile device, this will appear just under your child’s profile pictures. Once you have located this, select ‘click here for booking’ and then select ‘start booking now’ and choose a time from the available time slots. 

If you are experiencing difficulties with accessing the Compass booking system, please call or email the office and we will be able to assist you. 

Mrs Alexandra Hingston

Ace Awards

Mahlee McMahon 

Jade Wibawa 

Spencer Gatley 

Reuben Ortega 

Oliver Canby 

Olivia Negro 

Sophie Edwards 

Abbey Adams 

Zoe Moran

Elise Jennison

Eddie Matta 

Principal Awards

Milla Zanin 

We have had some wonderful sport success over the last few weeks here at St Pauls. 

Congratulations to Jacinta Vieira who has been selected into the Wollongong Representative team and will attend the Mackillop Football trials to be held in Goulburn on the 26th of May. 

Congratulations to Harrison McDonald who has been selected to represent Wollongong at the Mackillop trails in Canberra on the 5th of May. 

We also would like to congratulate our super fish who attended the Wollongong Swim Selections yesterday at the Corrimal pool. Sophie Kennedy, Harrison McDonald, and Jacob Mackiewicz represented our school at these trials and all swam amazingly well. Jacob Mackiewicz deserves a special mention as he has made it to the next swim meet to be held in Homebush. Jacob will have not one but four swims at this carnival. This is a tremendous achievement and we are all very proud! 

A reminder that our school Cross Country will be held in Week 10, Thursday the 30th of March. Students will be arriving at school as normal and traveling by bus with their classes down to Croome Road Sporting Complex Albion Park Rail. This will be a great day to come together as a community to have fun and run hard!

Miss Eliza Treble

This year, we will be celebrating Harmony Day by encouraging all students to come to school dressed in appropriate orange mufti clothes.

Throughout the day students will be participating in a range of activities and visit classrooms to learn about a different culture. 

Students will have the opportunity to decorate a flag that shows their culture and the things they enjoy doing. These will be put on display to formulate a flag showing that students come from diverse national, ethnic and religious backgrounds and to acknowledge and celebrate the principles of fairness, harmony and respect.

If your child would like to compete in a Harmony Day poster competition please refer to the attached link.

Miss Alana Stroligo

Mrs Katie Colquhoun

Hi everyone,

My name is Bernadette Taylor and I am your school’s new Pastoral Support Worker (PSW) on Mondays and Tuesdays. A little bit about myself: Until the end of last year, I had been working as an SSO for over six years while completing my Bachelor of Theology and other training in counselling and support to students with additional needs. I am currently undertaking post-graduate studies in Counselling, as I see that area to be in great need for present times and the future. My faith and love for God, is why I am actively committed to helping others, being present and bringing joy to those I meet each day. I accept that each person has a right to their own beliefs and ideals and support the Catholic social teachings of justice and equity.

I especially enjoy working in schools, as I have five children of my own and live in array of different personalities. I love drawing on my experiences to support children and families. I see open and clear communication as the key to positive relations and hope to become a conduit between schools and community, so to nurture the well-being of the whole community, where children’s safety and care is paramount and individuals are valued, supported, respected and included. 

My role as your PSW will involve providing support to the school’s students, staff and families in areas of faith formation, spiritual and emotional needs, well-being, non-therapeutic welfare. Working closely with the school counsellors, I will be facilitating a variety of programs to support any identified needs in cooperation and consultation with the school and parish, such as: the Parish Sacramental Program formation; social justice groups such as St Vincent de Paul Society and CatholicCare; running various personal growth programs; and other school community focussed incentives. I am looking forward to serving you all in any area I am able. Please say hello and introduce yourself to me if you see me around at school. 

God bless.

There is still lots of time to sign up for the Premier's Reading Challenge which closes on Friday 18 August. Students in K-2 are completing the challenge as a class and students in Years 3-6 are encouraged to complete the challenge individually. The students in the Primary Grades are required to read twenty books from the book lists found on the Premier's Reading Challenge website. Many of the books from the lists are on SORA or in our school library and have been specially marked.

Please see below for an article published by Happy Families written by James Anderson who is an international speaker, author and educator. This article focuses on the importance of learning to take on challenges.

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

If there has been any change of information in relation to your child, please contact the office as soon as possible.  This could include change in emergency contacts, change of address, email or phone number, or updated medical information. 

Please note that bus drivers are not allowing students onto buses if they do not have their opal card. Please make sure your child has their opal card on them at all times. If you have any concerns about this please make contact with your child's bus company.