24th October 2024

From the Principals Desk - Mrs Stacey Mullin

Term 4 Planner has been sent home. Please check through the dates with your family. It is a very busy term!!

What a fantastic start to Term 4! All the students are excited and nervous about what the end of the year will bring. A reminder that we have secondhand uniforms available if you do not wish to purchase a new one for the end of the year.

 Kindergarten 2025

This week we welcome our kindergarten 2025 students to a half day of orientation with the whole group together. Thank you to Mrs Susan Campbell and Kate Cooper who will be our Kindergarten teachers for 2025.

CAMPS

Next week Yr 5 and 6 will be on camp and Yr 4 will step up and be the leaders of our school to cover flags, bins, assembly and all the other odd jobs we call on our seniors to be part of. We will share camp and Canberra photos via teachers while we are away and on our return from camp.

2025

If your circumstances are going to change next year, please let the school know as soon as possible.

CONGRATULATIONS

Scriptwriters – Xavier Threadgate, Maya Holloway, Ariani Simmons for their efforts in Scriptwriting with the Aspire team.

Diocesan Public Speaking Finalist – Christian Gray.

These students are wonderful representatives of St Paul’s and themselves at these events. We are very proud of the contribution they make to our school community.

Assistant Principal - Ms Sharna Taranto

PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning)

As families would be aware, each fortnight we focus as a whole school, on one specific positive behaviour. During our Monday morning assembly our Year 6 leaders introduce the positive behaviour focus and share examples with the school.

Students who are observed to be following our PB4L focuses receive PBL tokens. These tokens are placed in our Colour House ‘letterboxes’. Each Monday morning students are drawn (raffle style) to receive a gold token that can be spent at the canteen.

At the conclusion of each term, the tokens are tallied. The students from the winning colour house receive a reward.

The Term 3 winning colour house is: Dwyer (Yellow)

Congratulations to these students! Their reward is to be the first students to play on the new playground equipment. Our equipment is completed! We are just waiting a couple of weeks for the surrounding grass to grow back before opening it to students.

This fortnight our focus is: Learn and Let others Learn. This behaviour focus also aligns with the SEL skills of Self-Awareness and Responsible Decision making.

The following short clips help to explain these skills further:

Self-Awareness
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUVoDmT4CN8

^{Responsible Decision Making}
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncOVtvXRfD4

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)

If you are interested in learning more about SEL I have included a video link:

SEL Information for Parents

https://youtu.be/y2d0da6BZWA?si=KT-PRScqJJVY4uQG

Mobile phones at school 

In accordance with our school rule of being Responsible, it is our school policy that students are not to have access to their mobile phones or other devices (other than BYOD) during school hours. 

A reminder that any student bringing a mobile phone or device (other than BYOD) to school must: 

• Complete a Mobile Phone Agreement & return to school 

• Hand the phone/device to their class teacher upon arrival or to the school office for safekeeping during the school day.  

Students are not permitted to have their mobile phones out or in use before or after school (this includes bus lines). We ask for the support of families by having a conversation with your child/ren about the school rules regarding bringing a mobile device to school. 

 Social Media 

A reminder that most social media sites have a minimum age limit.  For example, to have a Facebook or Instagram account, your child must be 13 years old.  I encourage all families to check the age limits of the social media sites that your children are using.  

If you would like further information and support on the topic of online safety, the eSafety Commissioner site has a variety of practical tips and information for families. Below are some links to points that may be of interest to you. 

• Should your preschooler be using online devices?   

• Is your child old enough for a smartphone? 

Peer Support 

 Peer Support, this Friday we held the final session in our Moving Forward module. Over the past term, groups have focused on developing the key skill of resilience. The experiences in the module have supported our students in developing their skills in identifying qualities and strengths, responding with a range of strategies and seeking support when faced with challenges.  The aim of this module was for students to be able to identify personal goals to further address bullying behaviour and to build their own resilience.   

Our Year 6 leaders did a fabulous job, demonstrating maturity, organization and initiative in leading their groups each week. Well done!

Awards - Week 10 T3 - Week 1 T4

Religious News

Welcome back everyone to Term 4. I pray you had a restful holiday. Looking forward we have a very busy term ahead!  

SOCKTOBER MISSION DAY 

Another successful mission day complete! Mini Vinnies managed to raise over $800 for the Socktober Foundation. This year the funds went to supporting orphans in Mongolia. Thank you to the wonderful Mini Vinnies team who practically ran the day themselves. Also thank you to Sister Joseph who held the fort helping decorate sock puppets for the students. 

SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION 2025 

I still haven’t heard anything from the Sacramental front – be assured you will be notified as soon as any news arises. I will also be sending home physical notes so everyone is aware of the program. 

GOSPEL REFLECTION 

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR B 

Mark 10:46-52 

Jesus gives sight to Bartimaeus. 

Library News - Katrina Howard

TERM 4 BORROWING DAYS

Borrowing days will continue to be the same as Term 3.

Monday: Year 4 Tuesday: Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 Wednesday: Year 3, Year 5 and Year 6 Kinder and Year 1 borrow weekly. Years 2 - 6 borrow each fortnight. Odd weeks M classes.

Even weeks W classes.

The last borrowing days for the year will be in Week 7. We ask that all books be returned Monday Week 8 ready for the annual stocktake. If a borrowed book has been misplaced, please return the overdue notice slips.

Author In Residence with Leila Rudge!

Our completed book RainBeau has been sent off to the Catholic Schools Office and we wait in anticipation for the printing to be complete. We have received a digital copy of the first draft and it is truly amazing what the students were able to accomplish in 1 week writing and drawing with Leila Rudge.

Author in Residence with Leila Rudge

BOOK CLUB

Issue 7 of Book Club is out now. Orders are due in on the 30^th of October. Please order online through the Scholastic website under the parent LOOP portal or send correct money into the school office.

https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/Parent/Login.aspx

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

Kind Regards,

Katrina Howard and Penny Sneddon

Year 1 Excursion Oakvale Farm

On Friday 18th October the Year 1 students travelled to Salt Ash to visit Oakvale Farm. All students were very excited for the day to go ahead after an overnight downpour of rain that continued into the morning. We had wonderful weather for day seeing the sunshine at the end. 
The students experienced a farm talk, patting a cow, feeding baby animals with a bottle, a reptile talk and a hands-on experience with a lizard and a snake. 
We rode the tractor train around the park and viewed various animals we had not seen before. 
The students were provided feed bags, and they were able to interact with the kangaroos, Llamas, camels and baby goats. 
Thank you to our parent helpers and Oakvale Farm for an AMAZING trip we are all sure to remember.

Mrs Walls and Mrs Cooper

Yr1 Oakvale Farm Excursion

Yr2 Hunter Valley Zoo Excursion

Last term, Yr2 visited Hunter Valley Zoo.   Everyone enjoyed the day with lots of fun and laughter.  Thank you to all the parent helpers.   You helped make the day run a lot smoother. 

Hunter Valley Zoo

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Uniform Shop

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 - Mrs Christa Molan

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR CHILDS CLASS IS UPDATED 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 and 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 

School Student Travel Information for Parents & Students

 School Travel Passes

Applications are now open for 2025 School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) travel. 

Students in the Opal network applying for an Opal card (including a Term Bus Pass) for the first time will receive their School Opal card at their nominated postal address from mid-January 2025.

Students who require a School Opal card or travel pass but have not yet applied need to apply or update their details as soon as possible.

In the Opal network, students should travel with a Child/Youth Opal card until they receive their valid School Opal card. If outside Greater Sydney, parents should contact their local bus operator to discuss their travel needs.

Students living in rural and regional areas will receive their travel pass from their nominated transport operator. It may be issued via their school or be sent directly to them at home. Note: some rural and regional operators do not issue travel passes. Students/parents should confirm with their nominated operator if they do not receive a pass.

Terms of Use

Students using School Opal cards must tap on and tap off in line with the Opal terms of use.

This includes travel within the approved times between 6.30am and 7.00pm from Monday to Friday on school days only. Students must use their Child/Youth Opal card for any travel outside these times.

All students are required to comply with the Student code of conduct. The code of conduct aims to ensure the safety and well-being of school children and other passengers. It is important that parents ensure their child is aware of this, as failure to comply with the code of conduct can result in a suspension from travel.