St Paul's Primary School Rutherford - 27th February 2024

From the Principals Desk

Robyn Wright Retirement

Congratulations to Robyn Wright, who has worked as an LSA and volunteered for the youngest of our students to give them the extra support and love they need to flourish at school.

We thank Rob for her dedication, her morning tea slices and her gardening wisdom at St Paul’s.   We wish Robyn a speedy recovery from a little operation and enjoy your retirement.

Goal Setting Meetings

Thank you for the way you have engaged with your child and their teacher setting goals for Semester 1 of 2024. We all need something to strive for, and keeping these goals at the forefront of our mind helps us maintain our focus and motivation.

Parking and Collection Points

MORNING DROP OFF – The kiss and drop area is not for parents to get out of the car.

If your child needs to be escorted into school, or assisted to get out of the car, please move to a space where you can park and either deliver them to the crossing where Steve can help them cross the road into school, or park and bring your child into school.

A reminder about all of the collection points at the end of the day.

Verge St, Infants Gate and Gillies St gate -  you are required to park your car and make your way to the gate. Due to the volume of students at Verge and Infants, we ask that you come inside the gate to collect your child so that our teachers have a good line of sight for the safety of all children.

Church Pick Up - this is a kiss and ride space only. No parents should be getting out of the car at this pick-up point. Teachers are monitoring students getting into cars.

Bus Lines – all buses and OOSH buses collect from this gate under teacher direction.

OOSH St Nicholas – students using this service line up at the OOSH/library gate and are met by the after-school carers.

Enrolments Online

We move to online enrolment forms as of March 1. See our website for the direct link that will be active from this date.

Backyard Blitz

Our band of families helped out over the weekend for a huge tidy up around the school.

Thank you to the Letham family, Merchant Family and Lambert family for giving up their time to help us out.

Assistant Principal

Maitland Agricultural Show

On Friday 16^th February, the students involved in our school Poultry Cub had the privilege of attending the Maitland Agricultural Show. Each day these students are involved in all aspects of caring for our school chickens. Facilitated by Mrs Clare Collette, the students prepared our chickens (bathed and groomed) to be entered into the poultry competition at the show.  We are very excited to share that some of our chickens even placed in the judging!

Our Poultry Club students also took great pleasure in entering the scarecrow competition. Collaboratively designing and building the scarecrow in their own lunchtimes at school. This was a team effort and the students involved were also thrilled to hear that we placed with a ribbon.

Caritas Launch Mass

Last Tuesday I had the privilege of accompanying our school leaders to the 2024 Caritas Launch Mass at the Cathedral in Newcastle. We were joined by student leaders and their principals from across the diocese. I could not have been prouder of the leadership that our students demonstrated on the day.

Basketball Clinics

Last week our students commenced their Term 1 Basketball Clinics. We are fortunate to have received a Sporting Schools Grant, enabling us to book Maitland Basketball Association for 5 weeks of Basketball Clinics for every class. The clinics are run by trained coaches and focus on skill development, mini games and most of all- having a go!

Student Awards Weeks 

Religious Education Update 

Opening School Mass

Our Opening School Mass is scheduled for Tuesday the 5^th of March at 9:30am under the COLA (week 6). At this Mass, we will also have a badging ceremony for our 2024 School and House Captains. All families are invited to come along and help celebrate the 2024 school year.

Family/Commissioning Mass

On Sunday the 10^th of March we are scheduled in to have our annual commissioning mass with Staff and the Mini Vinnies team. This will be at regular Sunday mass at 8am and we warmly welcome anyone from our school community that would like to come along and attend with us. This year, we are continuing the ‘Family Mass’ once a term where students and staff of St Paul’s will do all the ‘Ministry’ jobs of the Mass. We hope to see you there!

SCHOOL VISION AND MISSION STATEMENT

We have an ongoing focus and commitment to our school vision and mission statement: “With faith in Jesus Christ, we Learn, Love and Serve. We share our many gifts in service to one another. We build strength and resilience to grow as a community of learners. We develop positive relationships which respect the dignity of all.”

Our teachers are in an ongoing journey with the students to make this vision and mission part of our everyday school language. This will also tie in with our ongoing PBL focuses throughout the year.

Sacraments of Initiation 2024

Below are the events to mark on the calendar for those completing their Sacraments of Initiation this year. For any information, please contact me through the school office.

GOSPEL REFLECTION
SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT YEAR B

Mark 9:2-10
Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James and John.

Library News

Hello Families,

I hope you have enjoyed some home reading with your children this fortnight. A reminder that borrowing this year is back to weekly. Please encourage your child to regularly return borrowed books and to bring along their own library bag.

2024 Borrowing Days
Monday - Year 2
Tuesday - Kinder, Year 4, Year 5
Wednesday - Year 1, Year 3, Year 6 

Congratulations to 4W and 1M who had 100% borrowing for the first fortnight! These classes will share the St Paul’s Library Cup over the next two weeks.

Home Reading Bookmarks

This year we are introducing a home reading bookmark across Year 3 to Year 6. Last week all students in these grades received a blue bookmark to record reading on. Reading is encouraged at least four times a week for a minimum of 15 min. Stamp, date or sticker a box each day that reading is enjoyed. If reading occurs for half an hour then fill 2 boxes etc. Reading can be either silent to self or read aloud together.

Once the bookmark is completed, please return back to the school library to be displayed and added to our school home reading total. Another different coloured bookmark will then be sent home to complete. One completed bookmark will equal 5 hours of home reading. This will compliment any reading tasks already assigned by the classroom teacher.

High frequency words are on the back to also practise. Immediate recognition of high frequency words will help improve reading fluency. 

Library Monitors

Thank you to all the Year 5 students who applied to become Library Monitors for 2024. Congratulations to the following students who will be our 2024 Library Monitors. Sara Stefanish-Smith, Alexandra Cox, Sienna Lambert, Jaye Rowles, Hunter Bale, Claire Freeman & Lucy Davis. Their commitment to this role ensures the smooth running of the Library and Makerspace.

Author PenPal

This year St Pauls will again participate in the Australian Author PenPal program with the Year 3 students. It is an exciting opportunity to connect authors with classrooms, giving purpose to writing.

More information about the program can be found at 

BOOK CLUB

Orders for Book Club Issue 1 have been finalised and will be sent home with students once they are delivered to our school in the next week or two. Thank you to all those families who placed orders! Every order placed via our school earns us reward points to use on resources for the school. Thank you!!

Lunchtimes in the Library

This week kicked off the start of our first round of Mondays Chess Tournament. It was great to see so many students sign up. Each week students will qualify into the next round to eventually have a St Paul’s Chess Champion.

Drawing Club has also been popular on Thursdays where we have seen some impressive characters being drawn.

If you have any questions or concerns about the library please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Penny in the Library.
katrina.howard@mn.catholic.edu.au

Term 1 2024

Term Dates for 2024

Term 1 Tuesday, 30 January - Friday, 12 April
Term 2 Monday, 29 April - Friday, 05 July
Term 3 Monday, 22 July - Friday, 27 September
Term 4 Monday, 14 October - Friday, 20 December

Week 5 26^th – 1^st March

Mon 26^th - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 27^th - Yr’s 4, 5, & Kinder Library & Music
Tues 27^th – Opening School Mass/Parish Mass 9am
Tues 27^th – Dio Swimming Carnival
Tues 27^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 28^th - Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Thu 29^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Fri 1^st – 6M Assembly – All parents are welcome to attend 2pm

Week 6 4^th – 8^th March

Mon 4^th - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 5^th – Opening School Mass/Parish Mass 9.30am
Tues 5^th – School Leader Badge Ceremony
Tues 5^th - Yr’s 4, 5, & Kinder Library & Music
Tues 5^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 6^th - Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Thu 7^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Thur 7^th – Lower Hunter Cluster Regional Netball Trials
Fri 8^th – Dio Cricket Trials
Sun 10^th – Staff and Mini Vinnies Commissioning Mass

Week 7 11^th – 15^th March

Mon 11^th - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 12^th - Yr’s 4, 5, & Kinder Library & Music
Tues12th – Dio AFL trials
Tues 12^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 13^th - Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Thu 14^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Thu 14^th – School Disco
Fri 15^th – 6M Assembly – Everyone is welcome to attend

Week 8 18^th – 22^nd March

Mon 18^th – Pupil Free Day – School is closed
Mon 18^th - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 18^th - NAPLAN
Tues 19^th – P&F Meeting 6.30 Library or Via Zoom
Tues 19^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 20^th - Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Thu 21^st - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Fri 22^{nd -}  Newcastle Knights NSLW Challenge U/12 girls 7’s
Fri 22^nd – Caritas and Harmony Day
Sun 24^th – Palm Sunday

Week 9 25^th – 29^th March

HOLY WEEK

Mon 25^th - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 26^th – Parish Mass 9am
Tues 26^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 27^th - Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Wed 27^th – Open Classrooms
Wed 27^th – Easter Raffle
Thu 28^th – Holy Thursday Liturgy 2.15pm
Thu 28^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Fri 29^th – Good Friday
Sun 31^st – Easter Sunday

Week 10 1^st – 5^th April

Mon 1^st - Yr 2 Library & Music
Tues 2^{nd -} Breakfast Club 8.20am
Tues 2^nd – Free Dental Van
Wed 3^{rd -} Yr’s 3, 6, & 1 Library & Music
Wed 3^rd - Free Dental Van
Thu 4^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Wed 4^th - Free Dental Van
Thur 28^th - Free Dental Van
Fri 5^{th -} Free Dental Van

Week 11 8^th – 12^th April

Mon 8^{th -} Yr 2 Library & Music
Mon 8^th – Free Dental Van (last day)
Tues 9^{th -} Breakfast Club 8.20am
Tues 9^th – Combined School ANZAC commemoration Civic Theatre (Leaders only)
Wed 10^th – Newcastle Knights U10’s & U12’s Thornotn
Thu 11^th - Breakfast Club 8.20am
Thu 11^th – Last Day for students
Fri 12^th – Pupil Free Day
Fri 12^th – End of Term 1

School Student Travel Passes 2024

Uniform Shop Hours 2023

TUESDAY AFTERNOON                      2.30PM – 3PM
WEDNESDAY MORING                       8.30AM – 9AM
THURSDAY AFTERNOON                   2.30PM – 3PM

When ordering Uniforms via QKR, don’t change the order date.

Orders will be sent the classrooms the days the uniform shop is opened.

If for some reason you need to exchange sizes, please ensure that the tags are still on the garment and the garment is in the original packing.

Christa Moylan
Uniform Shop Coordinator

Canteen

PLEASE UPDATE YOUR CHILDS CLASS ON QKR

Canteen Opening days.

MONDAY CLOSED
TUESDAY OPENED
WEDNESDAY OPENED
THURSDAY OPENED
FRIDAY OPENED

Order via the QKR App, by 8.55am ON THE DAY.
Lunch orders will be sent to the classrooms in the class lunch tubs.

(IMPORTANT WHEN ORDERING LUNCHES – CHECK THE DATE OF ORDER)
In the past students haven’t received lunch due to the wrong order date entered.

Please discuss with your child if this happens, ask them to come to the office to see Mrs West or Mrs Mac, we will organise lunch for them through the canteen.  Only sandwiches will be on offer.

RECESS TIME:  10:30AM – 11:10AM
LUNCH TIME:  12:40PM – 1:20PM

St Nicholas OOSH

Reminder Bus Safety

Guitar Lessons