9th May 2025
- From the Principals Desk - Mrs Stacey Mullin
- Calendar Dates - Week 3 & 4
- Student Awards Week 10, 11 & 1
- Assistant Principal - Mrs Sharna Taranto
- Religious Coordinator - Mr Robert Temesvary
- Library News - Katrina Howard
- Primary Coordinator & Gifted Educator Mentor - Mrs Amanda King
- Sport News - Jessica Stefanish-Smith & Melinda Walls
From the Principals Desk - Mrs Stacey Mullin
TERM 2 BEGINNINGS
We have had an exceptionally busy start to term 2. Athletics Carnival, Mother’s Day, AFL clinics, PB4L rewards day, ANZAC Day liturgy, school photos and Mr Toomey finishing with us.
Thank you all the staff and students who helped across all facets of the organisation to be done over the last 2 weeks. We are blessed to have you all.
A big thank you to the P&F mums who organised and ran the Mother’s Day stall for us this week. It is always exciting to shop for these surprises at school.
Thank you to Year 4 for organising a beautiful liturgical celebration of mothers.
Breakfast Club – Thank you Sam!
Sam’s last day of service to our students for breakfast was last week. She is one of our volunteers who make breakfast for our students every Tuesday and Thursday.
She will be missed!
Infants Playground Completed!!!!!
Automated statement of Attendance
At the end of the school holidays, an automated notification was sent to all families across the diocese to provide the level of attendance of your children. This is for your awareness. There are circumstances that contribute to a drop in attendance, sometimes we need to reach out for support if your child struggles coming to school. Please contact your classroom teacher if you need support in this area.
WISHING ALL MOTHERS, GRANDMOTHERS and CARERS a wonderful MOTHER’S DAY!
And we pray for all this weekend
Mothers Day 2025
ANZAC Day 2025
Winter Uniform – Beginning Week 4 Term 2
Winter uniform will begin in Week 4. With the weather turning cooler, if you feel your child needs stockings or long pants before then, they are able to wear parts of the winter uniform.
Our addition to the current uniform for girls for winter are grey pants. Styles are available at Lowes. Girls can wear the pants with their short-sleeved or long-sleeved blouses – both with the tab tie and jumper. Otherwise, the girls' uniform is the pinafore, long sleeved blouse with tab tie and grey tights or white socks.
Calendar Dates - Week 3 & 4
Week 3 12th - 16th May | Winter Uniform begins |
| Wednesday 14th May | AFL Clinic all Grades Dio Cross Country - Maitland Park |
| Thursday 15th May | Year 4 CogAT all day Mini Vinnies Opal Visit |
| Friday 16th May | DIO Rugby Union nominations due 5M Assembly |
Week 4 19th - 23rd May | |
| Tuesday 20th May | P&F Meeting Library & Zoom |
| Wednesday 21st May | AFL Clinic all Grades National Simultaneous Storytime |
| Thursday 22nd May | School Disco - whole school |
| Friday 23rd May | Kindergarten 2026 Enrolments Close |
| Sunday 25th May | Presentation of Oils Mass |
Student Awards Week 10, 11 & 1
| K White | Lylah Schneider Kawhi Jawhi | Jonathon Goodridge Melia Morris | Penny Suffell Erik Alling |
| K Maroon | Levi Riley Aleena Boby | Luca Walpole Joey Mutasa | Rowan Anderson Reyansh Pujara |
| 1 White | Millie Compton | Olivia Whan | Carter Johnston |
| 1 Maroon | Cole Hawkins Spencer Vause Oliver Hicks | Nicholas Lowndes Oliver Welbourne Reef Gamble | Layla Howarth Oliver Anderson Arthur Ryan |
| 2 White | Sebastian Attard Amarni Milne Indie Jedovnicky | Amarni Milne Bodhi Chesworth Violet Gowdy | Isla Bolch Jasmine Nowland Jaxx Sweetman |
| 2 Maroon | Asha Summerling Logan Sharp Kai Buckley | Michael Hill Aneya Boby Spencer Weatherburn | Alina Antony Ashton Thijs Allie Lawton |
| 3 White | Hilary Rowles Ainsley Brewer | Quinn Clark Mayumi Mallen | Hunter Holstein Aiesha Mullen Hunter Carlisle |
| 3 Maroon | Michael Piper Audrey Mackay | Peter Ireland Josef Stefanish-Smith | Daisy Taylor Catherine Rahesh |
| 4 White | Willow Macdonald Jasmine Zouikr Charlotte Street | Khushbupreet Kaur Daniella Vo Carson Beeby | Ben Johns Binty Indigo Gore Lara Thurling |
| 4 Maroon | Raphael Valenzuela Salas Gemma Connell Olivia Drage | Thea Wright Rehab Jokar Daleisha Van Der Veen | Flynn Judd Angel Jaison Eva Bipin |
| 5 White | Khye Brown Adelaide Hardman | Oliver Bandyle Lylah Hall | Joseph Aveiro Nathaniel Forrester |
| 5 Maroon | Malia Marchant Abigail Beukes | Harlan Enright Iziah Wade | Sofia Ryan Matikas Mallen |
| 6 White | Malieka Kress Lucy Davis | Darren Goodridge Jaye Rowles | Jayden Wiggins Landon Smith |
| 6 Maroon | Lilah Woods Ivy McMahon Callum Fletcher-Soars | Lahtoi Wade Sara Stefanish-Smith Sophie Way | Caleb Barry Jackson Mitchell |
Assistant Principal - Mrs Sharna Taranto
PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning)
Matrix Re-Launch: Celebrating Our School Values!
On Friday, we were very excited to share the re-launch of our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) matrix, now refreshed to reflect our core school values: Learn, Love & Serve.
To celebrate, students enjoyed a whole-school rewards afternoon filled with fun, recognition and of course positive behaviours! Our Year 6 students did a wonderful job in leading these sessions.
As part of the launch, the PB4L team held a poster competition. Congratulations to our winners:
Infants: Amelia Morris KW, Noah Westwood 1M, Violet Gowdy 2W.
Primary: Joint winners, Daisy Taylor 3M, Josie Head 3W, Jasmine Zoukir 4W, Matikas Mallen 5M, Joint winners, Lacie Lawton 6W & Miller James 6M, who each received a $5 canteen voucher and will have their posters proudly displayed around the school as official PB4L poster visuals.
A huge thank you to our entire staff for their support and particularly to our PB4L team— Mrs Collingwood, Mrs Howard, Mrs Cooper, Miss Ferguson, Mr Ebert, and Mr Adams, for their dedication and hard work in regaining momentum around PB4L and bringing this week’s initiative to life!
I would also like to extend a huge ‘Thank you.’ to our families for their valuable feedback via the Term 1 Values Survey. Your voice & input played an important role in helping the renewal of our behaviour expectations by including consistent, positive language around the behaviours that we want to see in all our students.
Religious Coordinator - Mr Robert Temesvary
Welcome back!
Welcome back to another term at St Paul’s! Lots on this term – we have our annual Mini Vinnies homelessness awareness evening coming soon along with students receiving Confirmation in the coming weeks. Our Choir is also off to the Civic Theatre in Newcastle to perform two songs with other schools around the diocese – very exciting!
Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day is a special opportunity to let our mums and grandmothers know how much we love them and how grateful we are for them and for all they do for us. We acknowledge the often thankless work they do and the unconditional love they give us.
Every child’s birth is a witness to the miraculous and awesome power of God. It is through our mothers that God works this particular miracle. We must take the opportunity of Mother’s Day to do what we don’t do often enough throughout the rest of the year – to acknowledge our mothers and grandmothers, to say thank you and to let them know how much we love them.
God of tender and caring love,
You are Mother and Father to us all.
In Mary, you gave us the model of mothers,
rejoicing in her child and loving him from before he was born.
Bless our mothers and grandmothers and all who are mother to us
as they bring your loving presence into this world.
We make this prayer through Mary and Elizabeth
and through your son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
We also acknowledge that for some, Mother’s Day carries some mixed feelings. This time might be a reminder that our mother or grandmother has passed away, or that we don’t have the opportunity to see our mum as often as we’d like, or that our relationship with our mum is not as good as it might be.
A reflection for our Beloved Pope Francis
As this Newsletter come out a new Pope has been elected by the church. Before we talk about our new Pope, I would like to reflect on our beloved Pope Francis. Pope Francis passed away on the 21st of April this year, the day after Easter Sunday. For Catholics, Easter is the celebration of new life and hope through the resurrection of Jesus. It is fitting that Pope Francis, who devoted his life to sharing Christ’s message of mercy and renewal, should enter eternal life at such a sacred time. His life and leadership were a powerful witness to the hope we find in the Gospel.
As we remember Pope Francis, we give thanks for a life lived in humble service to God and others. Throughout his papacy, he showed the world what it means to lead with compassion, simplicity, and courage. He reminded us that faith calls us to care for the poor, protect creation, and walk alongside those who are forgotten or in need.
Pope Francis taught by example—choosing kindness over judgment, dialogue over division, and love over fear. His legacy invites each of us, especially in our school community, to carry forward his message by being people of mercy, justice, and peace.
"Let us care for one another and let us be loving custodians of creation." — Pope Francis
Loving God,
We thank You for the life and leadership of Pope Francis.
May he rest now in Your eternal peace.
Help us to carry on his mission of love and service in our own lives.
Inspire us to care for others, protect Your creation, and follow Jesus with open hearts.
May we honour his memory by living with faith, hope, and compassion.
Amen.
Our New Pope Leo XIV
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost – now known as Pope Leo XIV — is the first pope from the United States.
The 69-year-old from Chicago is known as a leader with global experience. He spent much of his career as a missionary in South America and most recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments.
His election represents continuity with the papacy of the late Pope Francis and he is expected to continue Francis’ reforms of the church as well as his focus on poverty and marginalized people.
Sacraments of Initiation 2025
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.
Next up: Presentation of the Oils at Sunday Mass – see the image below for dates and centres.
GOSPEL REFLECTION
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER YEAR C
The gift of eternal life.
Library News - Katrina Howard
Borrowing Days in Term 2 will stay the same!
Tuesday Odd Weeks - Kinder, Year 1
Tuesday Even Weeks – Kinder, Year 2
Wednesday Odd Weeks - Year 3M, Year 5
Wednesday Even Weeks – Year 3W, Year 6
Thursday Even Weeks – Year 4
Library Borrowing Cup
Congratulations to KM and 5W on winning the Library Cup the past couple of weeks. The cup is presented to the class who has the highest percentage of borrowers for the week.
Premiers Reading Challenge (PRC)
Congratulations to the following students who have completed the challenge this fortnight. Well Done Erik (KW), Jeona (1W), Mila (1W), Reid (3W), Leoni (3M), Gemma (4M).
So far 3M are in the lead to win the class party!
Apologies for the incorrect weblink address shared on the original PRC letter that went home at the beginning of the year. The website has been updated with the new web address link to log books read at https://online.education.nsw.gov.au/prc/studentExperience.html#/
Library Lessons
Term 2 we will be doing an author study on Nat Amoore. She will be visiting us early term 3! Nat’s books include chapter books for upper primary, Showerland series for middle primary and this month her first picture book is released. Her stories are humorous and laugh out loud making them great read alouds together.
Drama will be explored in the infant classes. Stage 1 will explore PowerPoint and creating a book scene. Stage 2 using the coding program Scratch and Stage 3 creating book trailers.
More information can be found at Nat's website https://www.natamoore.com/
Nat Amoore along with Tim Harris have also launched a self-paced online writing course for primary-aged children – Kids Writing Cool! KWC is a delicious blend of entertainment, banter, writing tips and interactive activities. To find out more, head to kidswritingcool.com
Overdue Notices
The third and final overdue notices were sent home again this week for unreturned books. If received, please log onto the Qkr! app and pay the $15 fee.
Overdue Notices
Book Club
Book Club Issue 3 2025 has been sent home this week. Please ensure all orders are placed by Friday 16th May.
Please don’t hesitate to contact the library staff for any issues or enquiries via email at Katrina.howard@mn.catholic.edu.au
Primary Coordinator & Gifted Educator Mentor - Mrs Amanda King
CogAT Testing
Over Weeks 2 and 3, students in Year 2 and Year 4 will take part in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This assessment explores how students think and reason across three key areas that support learning:
- Verbal Reasoning: Assesses how well students understand and use words and ideas, which supports reading, writing, and critical thinking.
- Quantitative Reasoning: Focuses on understanding numbers and patterns, which is essential for mathematical thinking and problem-solving.
- Non-verbal Reasoning: Looks at how students interpret shapes and patterns, helping them approach unfamiliar problems in creative ways.
Please note: CogAT results are not included in student reports and are not used for grading. While individual results are not shared, the data helps teachers better understand students’ learning needs and tailor teaching to support each child’s strengths.
ICAS
ICAS is an optional online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to extend themselves across various subjects.
ICAS will take place during August, with each subject held in a specific week:
Digital Technologies (4–8 Aug) $20.95
Writing (4–8 Aug) $24.95
English (11–15 Aug) $20.95
Science (18–22 Aug) $20.95
Spelling Bee (18–22 Aug) $20.95
Mathematics (25–29 Aug) $20.95
All students who participate will receive a printed certificate and online results report. If you would like your child to take part, please register by Monday 28 July at 11:59pm.
To register, visit https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/parent-payment
or go to https://shop.icasassessments.com/pages/pps and enter our school code: RXO740.
Please note that no refunds or changes cannot be made once registration is complete.
Further details for ICAS can be found on Compass.
Sport News - Jessica Stefanish-Smith & Melinda Walls
St Paul's Primary 2025 Athletics Carnival
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