30 August 2024

From the Principals Desk

Father's Day Community CELEBRATION

Thank you to all who attended our celebration of dads, grandfathers, pops, great grandfathers and even mums who fulfill the role of dad in their household. It was a beautiful community gathering of our St Paul’s family and such a lovely day to be outside.

We are highly appreciative of the staff who set up the breakfast and cooked for us from early in the morning and set up our sacred space for our liturgy to bless all dads – especially Year 1 who have been preparing this special time for the last 2 weeks!

Thank you to the P&F who created a wonderful Father’s Day stall with highly sought after gifts for dads. It takes time to order, organise and sort for all grades to be able to shop from the stall. We are blessed to have such an involved group do these things for our school.

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 15

Next

School Representation

It has been an overwhelming term of gala day sports, tournament of minds, public speaking, ASPIRE, book fair and book week, Holy Communion, grandparent's day, 100 days kindergarten, goal setting meetings, Father’s day, ICAS and we have plenty more coming up over the next couple of weeks including excursions and preparation for camp in Term 4. Thank you to all the staff who have accommodated these activities for our students outside of daily face to face teaching.

The students have been wonderful representatives of St Paul’s on these various activities.

CHURCH PICK UP

Please remember the road rules before and after the crossing on Young St when waiting for collection at church pick up. You cannot collect your child in a no stopping zone, or park, or stop across the crossing while waiting for the kiss and ride line to move. If the line is full, please drive around the block to give the traffic time and space for students to get into cars safely and move through when the lights change. Steve, our crossing guard has had multiple occasions where parents are not following the road rules and putting students, parents, drivers and staff in dangerous situations.

Kindergarten 2025

Next week our 2025 group of preschoolers and parents share their first play experience in the fortnight. The teachers had set up play areas for the groups and parents got to know our classroom spaces and our infant's playground.

AUTHOR IN RESIDENCE

We are excited about Leila Rudge joining us for an intensive week of writing and illustrating our own book. The students will be highly involved with each stage of the process. All families will recieve a copy of the published version at the end of the year. There will also be an option of purchasing more copies once we know the publishing timeline.

Assistant Principal  

Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L)

This fortnight’s focus is Move Sensibly to lines and wait patiently. This focus aligns with our school rules of Responsible and Learners as well as our school value of Serve.

For students to competently follow the above focus, they require two skills:

• Self-Management
• Self Awareness

The below clip focuses on the Social and Emotional (SEL) skill of Self-Managment and how we can best support our children in developing this skill. 

Peer Support

Last week in Peer Support children had an opportunity to discuss their personal qualities and strengths and identify their qualities. Through activities children recognised how they used their strengths to achieve success.

This week children will discuss their skills and how to communicate their feelings and needs to others. The children will discuss skills they use when participating in a variety of activities.

When children understand they already have many of the skills needed to succeed, they can feel more confident when trying something new. This week all groups are asked to identify events which trigger different feelings.

Discussion points:

• Ask your child to describe their qualities/strengths so you can recognise and acknowledge these.
• Encourage your child to remember the skills they have used in one activity when trying something new. Also encourage your child to communicate their feelings and needs.

Uniform Reminders

At St Paul’s we encourage our students to have pride in their uniform and it is important that all students wear the correct uniform daily. The school uniform requirements are below for your convenience. The school procedure for uniform infringements is as follows:

• Students must have a written explanation from a parent/ carer requesting an exemption from wearing the full school uniform.
• If a parent carer/ note is not provided, the student will receive a first warning.
• Upon 3 verbal warnings in a week, the infringement is recorded in COMPASS and parents/carers are notified.

I ask for your support in this by discussing the importance of taking pride in wearing the full school uniform with your children.

St Paul’s Summer Unform Standards

When enrolling your child at St Paul's Primary School you have agreed to abide by the enrolment agreement and the Code of Conduct of the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Maitland Newcastle.

All schools have set requirements for uniforms and general grooming.

Uniform Standards

• All students will wear the correct school uniform as listed in the requirements
• Provisions will be made for students who are financially disadvantaged.
• All students are to have their hair neat and tidy - students with long hair touching shoulders are required to wear their hair tied back for hygiene and safety reasons.
• Ribbons, bands and combs worn in the hair should be maroon, white or school dress material and kept to a minimum.
• Students will be permitted to wear a watch, a signet ring and a single bracelet or bangle (gold, silver or culturally significant). A gold or silver necklace or medallion may be worn, if covered by the uniform.
• Single ear-piercing with small sleepers or small, plain studs may be worn, but no long or dangling earrings.

No other body piercing is allowed to be worn. No other rings or jewelry will be permitted.

• No tattoos or nail polish.
• Hair is to be of natural colour.
• Haircuts are not to be extreme. For example, no rat's tails, shaved designs or Mohawks.
• Shoes must be black, leather school shoes. They must not be skate shoes or ballet style shoes.
• Sports shoes must be fit for activity and be predominantly black or white.
• All children are required to wear a school hat in line with the school's SunSmart Policy.
• The length of the girl's dress/tunics should be just above the knee.

Girls Uniform

Summer

Maroon and white check dress with short sleeves, Peter Pan collar, drop waist with kick pleats front and back, (worn approximately knee length) (AVAILABLE LOWES)

Cross grain maroon ribbon tab tie with maroon button.
Plain white turn-over ankle socks
Black leather shoes (No joggers, skate or ballet style shoes).

Boy’s Uniform  

Summer 

Grey Gaberdine classic style school shorts (not cargo style) 
Blue, short-sleeve, button-up school shirt. 
Plain grey turn-over ankle socks 
Black leather shoes (No joggers or skate shoes). 
Sunsafe School Hat (only available from uniform shop) 

Religious Education Update 

ST PAUL’S FAMILY MASS

Last Sunday the 25^th at 8am, St Paul’s Primary joined the parish for Sunday Mass here in the church at St Paul’s. It was a wonderful occasion made extra special by students from our school receiving their final Sacrament of Initiation – First Holy Communion. Thank you so much to everyone that could come along and help/participate. We have more students celebrating their first communion this weekend and we continue to keep them in our prayers.

FATHER’S DAY

On Friday the 1^st of September we had our Father’s Day celebrations. The serving of breakfast started at 7:30am which was followed by a liturgy hosted by Year 1. Thank you so much to Year 1 for all the hard work with the liturgy, it was absolutely beautiful. Also, another huge thank-you to the rest of staff that came in early to help with everything. A wonderful team effort!

DADS HELP THEIR CHILDREN THRIVE

Children do better academically, emotionally, and socially when their father has greater involvement in their lives. They tend to take more risks, while also developing greater self-discipline. Involved fathers are also more likely to have a stronger influence on their children’s moral development and religious belief and practice. The kind of involvement is important too.

The most effective forms involve:

• Listening, encouraging, and conveying warmth
• Providing everyday assistance
• Providing reasonable and consistent behaviour correction, and
• Facilitating children’s increased independence over time

For more information see ‘The Father Factor’ by Peter O’Shea and Robert Falzon © 2017 CathFamily

A prayer for fathers
Heavenly Father,
we praise you for the gift of our fathers
and those who have been father-figures
to us.
We thank you for the life and love they
have brought to our world.
May they be strengthened in virtue and
faith so that
they might give glory to you through
their lives of service.
Amen.

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.

We are onto the second last event for this year this weekend – First Holy Communion (all Mass centres)

GOSPEL REFLECTION
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B
Mark 7:1-8. 14-15. 21-23
Jesus confronts the Pharisees, who pay only lip service to God.

Library News

TERM 3 BORROWING DAYS

Due to staff and timetable changes library borrowing days have changed this term.

Monday: Year 4
Tuesday: Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2
Wednesday: Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6

Kinder and Year 1 will continue to borrow weekly.
Years 2 - 6 will borrow each fortnight. 
Odd weeks M classes. Even weeks W classes.

PRC

The Premiers Reading Challenge is now completed. Well done to 6M for being the winners of the class with most students to complete the challenge. They will enjoy a pizza party in the library before the end of term. What a great reading achievement to the 55 students who completed the challenge at St Paul’s in 2024. Certificates will be on their way shortly.

BOOK WEEK ASSEMBLY

The students had an enjoyable time at the Book Week Parade. Thank you to all the families and staff for the effort put in to create amazing costumes and to those who came along to enjoy the parade. Book Week is a great reminder of the benefits of reading expanding vocabulary, enhances empathy and emotional intelligence, boosting creativity and imagination and helping with stress reduction and relaxation just to name a few!

Prev

Showing images 1 - 8 of 23

Next

Author In Residence with Leila Rudge Next Week!

Book Characters have been finalised: Rainbow Lorikeet, Cockatoo and Magpie.
Book Theme: Inclusivity - Everyone belongs
Setting: Maitland Hunter River Levee Bank

All students will participate in assemblies, writing and illustration lessons, book creating and storyboarding throughout the week. A book co-authored with Leila will be completed by the end of the week. Parents and Carers are invited to join us at an afternoon assembly on Friday 6^th Sep when the book will be launched and shared with the school community.

BOOK CLUB

Book Club catalogue issue 6 was sent home last week. Orders are due in on the 13^th of September. Please order online through the Scholastic website under the parent LOOP portal or send correct money into the school office.

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

Katrina Howard and Penny Sneddon

penny.sneddon@mn.catholic.edu.au 

Kind Regards,
Katrina Howard and Penny Sneddon

Debating Competition

Thursday two teams from Year 6 went to represent St Paul’s at the Lower Hunter Debating Competition, held at St John the Baptist Primary School. While we unfortunately didn’t come away with a win, both teams were fantastic to watch and created some compelling arguments. Mrs Tobin is incredibly proud of these students and the way that they represented our wonderful school. Well done!

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

School Student Travel Passes 2024

Uniform Shop Hours 2024

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.

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

Guitar Lessons