“What then shall we do?”

Luke 3:10

From the Gospel of the 3rd Sunday of Advent year C

Dear Families,

This Sunday's Gospel is about the mission of the Church. We are called to work with others to assist them in seeing the face of Christ and by doing so we are bringing joy and happiness to them and the community. Let this Christmas season be an opportunity to show people the face of Christ. It is the simple act of doing something for someone else without expectation. Our community has demonstrated this, especially this year. The overwhelming number of acts of kindness and support we have received from our community, this year especially, has shown that we are a living example of the mission of the church. Your acts of kindness towards us do not go unnoticed and we are truly grateful.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Dulcie Ryman. Dulcie has been the Acting Assistant Principal since I stepped into the principal role. Dulcie has worked in our school community over a number of years and we have been fortunate that Dulcie was able to step into this role at such a difficult time. Dulcie is a living example of someone who embraces the mission of the Church and works quietly behind the scenes ensuring others’ needs are being met. Dulcie will be taking long service leave next year and we wish her all the best during her leave. I am truly grateful for the work Dulcie has done this year and the support she has provided to me in support of my leadership role. She's a much loved member of the St Paul’s community and I wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life.

This will be the final newsletter for the year. I would like to thank you all for your love and support after what has been a truly challenging year. We look forward to the new year in anticipation that things will be better with less restrictions. We will not forget but we will move forward knowing we have gained a great amount of resilience along the way.

God bless and may the peace and joy of Christmas be with you over the holiday season.

Katie Browne

Principal

Semester Two Reports

The semester two report will be available on Compass from 3:30pm on Friday 10 December.

End of Year assembly and Mass.

On Friday we will celebrate the end of the year with our assembly, annual awards and the handover of our student leaders. At mass we will induct our new student leaders and farewell Year 6. Due to COVID restrictions parents and carers are unable to attend however we will live stream the events. Details of the live stream will be sent home on Thursday afternoon via compass. Please note that the mass will begin at 12 noon and not 11:30am as previously advertised.

Year 6 Farewell.

Parents and carers are able to attend this event but must be fully vaccinated. Only two guests per student are allowed. If you are not able to attend then please let us know and we will arrange for you to view the event. A reply slip was sent home last week seeking numbers for catering purposes. If you have not yet returned it then please do as soon as possible. Please note, if you turn up unable to show proof of your vaccination status you will be turned away.

Free Desks and Chairs

We will be taking delivery of a new set of desks and chairs for Year 1 in January.

If you would like a small school desk and chairs they will be available next week to be collected. After that they will be going in a skip bin. Please contact the office to indicate if you would like some. 

Online games

We are observing and hearing increasing reports of children playing online games that have violent actions and sexualised behaviours in them and the children are acting out these behaviours at school. Some of the games we are hearing about have the ability for avatars to undress. These games are often live and a ground for online predators to be able to access your child and talk to them through the avatar. Please review the games that your children are playing. Often these games seem innocent however there are often loopholes that expose children to inappropriate content. The eSafety commissioner is a great place for parents to access up to date information on these games. The attached flyer gives you further information about the game Roblox which is the latest game that appears to be causing issues.

LOST PROPERTY

We have lots of lost property items that has accummulated over the year, more so during Term 4. It is full of well-loved and near-new jumpers and jackets, lunch boxes, and drink bottles. The clothing range from size 4 to 14. Please check your child’s cupboards and school bag if they are missing anything. If your child is missing anything can you please ask them to check lost property. At the end of the year most of the clothes will be disposed.

Please ensure your child’s name is on their property for easy return if misplaced.

I would like to take this opportunity to say farewell and thank the school community for your support during my time at St Paul’s. I have many memories to take with me that I will hold close to my heart for many years to come. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. 

Dulcie Ryman

Acting Assistant Principal

Staff for 2022

Dear Parents and Carers,

In our contemporary society, social media and online gaming continues to be a popular tool for entertainment and connection. However, in order to keep our children safe online, it is essential that we stay informed of the potential dangers of seemingly harmless online activities. All internet use has the potential to inadvertently expose our children to inappropriate content or unsafe situations. The eSafety Commissioner suggests that young children access online content in a communal space in the family home, where their screens can be actively monitored by parents.

Unrestricted or unsupervised internet use, children may inadvertently be exposed to inappropriate content, grooming or bullying like behaviours. In order to stay informed, please take some time to look through the attached information on the potential dangers of a variety of popular social media and gaming platforms, including Roblox, Snapchat and Minecraft. 

The eSafety Commissioner suggests that young children access online content in a communal space in the family home, where their screens can be actively monitored by parents.

If you have any further questions or concerns, there is a wealth of information, webinars and practical advice on the eSafety Commissioner Website .

Kind regards, 

Mari Sullivan

Instructional Coach and Middle Leader

MEDICAL UPDATES

At the conclusion of the school year, all medication and medical plans will be sent home with the students along with a Consent to Dispense Medication Form for 2022.  Please ensure that your child’s medical plan and medication are updated for 2022 and sent to the office at the start of the school year in 2022 along with the completed form.

COMPASS ACCESS - DOWNLOAD SCHOOL REPORTS

For any families who are leaving the school at the end of the year, please download your child’s report when they are issued as you will no longer have access to Compass from 18^th December 2021.

Premier's Reading Challenge 2021

We had 130 students from our school complete the Premier’s Reading Challenge this year. Congratulations to all those students. Certificates will be distributed this week.

Kindergarten (31 students)

Annarose, Henry, Saxon, Grace, Hattie, Beau, Grayson, Carter, Evie, Ilija, Xavier K H, Kellie, Xavier L, Peyton, Edison M, Kora, Blayze, Stephen, Evan, Henry, Ayva, Charli, Davide, Heidi, Sam, Ida, Nathan, Edison W, Andrew, Poppy, Tyler

Year 1 (20 students)

Georgia, Hannah, Katie, Lexie, Leo, Quinn, Zoe, Hugo, Joseph, Sazal, Maddison, Ryan, Angela, Thomas, Harvey, Scarlett, Asher, Ziggy, Jasmine, Max

Year 2 (22 students)

Kaitlyn, Ivy, Eadie, Gurshaan, Luella, Bridie, Alexa, Summer, Scout, James E, Lucas F, Matilda, Tilly, James G, Nevaeh, Henry, Lucas M, Aaliyah, Prinsha, Chayut, Anthony, Lily

Year 3 (20 students)

Lilly, Aarav, Dominic, Bella, Xian, Sakari, Alexander, Harry, Oliver, Tahlia, Matthew, Indianna, Santiago, Maggie, Shannon, Annabel, Shanaye, Oscar, Anthony, Min

Year 4 (18 students)

Phoebe, Lucas, Liam A, Sam, Kapree, Angel, Liam, E, Hollie, Lorelei, Daisy, Xavier, Kyna, Shsannon, Cooper, Mackenzie, Tahliah, Aiden, Alexis

Year 5 (12 students)

Minna, Kaydee, Raphy, Alex, Noah, Tahlia, Lucas, Charlotte, Edan, Eleanar, Harry, Nate

Year 6 (6 students)

Claire, Ruya, Margot, Zara, Gracie, Brittany

Special Gold awards have been awarded to the following students for participating 4 years in a row.   

Margot, Zara, Aarav, Dominic, Santi

Our borrowing for the year has now finished. Please return any library books as soon as possible. Many thanks to the families who have already done this.

P&F Annual General Meeting (AGM) Tuesday 8 February at 7pm & nomination process.

St Paul’s has a long and proud history of parent and community involvement in the life of the school. The Parents and Friends Association (P&F) is the parent body that facilitates and coordinates this involvement. The work of the P&F is to fundraise in order to support the school and provide much needed resources for all our children to use. All parents of St Paul’s are automatically members of the Parents & Friends Association. You do not need to join or be invited. 

The P&F meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the school staffroom or school hall for one hour.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the P&F will be held on Tuesday 8 February at 7:00 pm in the school hall.  Attached to this newsletter is a nomination form for the executive positions within the P&F. If you would like to nominate someone for these positions, please write the person’s name and indicate the position (or positions) for which you wish to nominate them. As a courtesy, please let the person you are nominating know that you are doing so. All nominations will be seconded at the AGM. Place the nomination form in a sealed envelope addressed to the Principal and return it to the school office before Monday 7 February 2022.

Congratulations to these students who achieved a Merit Award at last week's assembly:

Congratulations to these students who received a Mission Star Award at last week's assembly:

Events Calendar (Covid Permitting) 2021

Week 9