“Let the person without sin be the first to throw a stone.”

John 8:1-11

From the Gospel of the Fifth Sunday of LENT Year C

Dear families,

This coming Sunday’s Gospel reminds us that no one's perfect. We all have our faults and make mistakes. It is what we do about our mistakes that really defines the sort of person we are. Owning our mistakes can be liberating because we demonstrate that we are willing to learn. As adults it is really important that we model this for our children. When our children see us get it wrong and be truly sorry for that or see us find an alternate solution they see what it truly means to be a mission star.

This term has certainly been busy and full of many challenges and I am incredibly proud of the way we have worked together to ensure a successful term. The working bee on Friday was a wonderful example of the community spirit that comes when we work together. I would sincerely like to thank the families and staff that gave of their time on Friday afternoon to make sure our school grounds were tidied. The growth in the gardens has been very difficult to keep up with and we were very generous in our cutting back to try and keep on top of it. Mr Browne and I took over 700 kilos of green waste to the resource centre on the weekend. We will endeavour to hold another working bee in Term 2 mostly likely on a weekend due to the end of daylight saving.

As we approach the end of term 1 would like to thank everyone for their support and understanding as we have navigated our way through this term of COVID and severe weather events. We have had a significant number of staff impacted by both events which has meant a range of casual teachers and leadership taking classes. The children have been fantastic in accepting the changes and getting on with their learning. We hope the holidays bring a chance for everyone to recover and we can return in Term 2 with a sense of normality.  

I wish you all a blessed Easter and hope that you have a peaceful break and opportunity to spend time together as a family. School returns on Tuesday 26 April.

God Bless,

Katie Browne

Principal

Cross Country Postponed

With further rain forecasted we made the decision to postpone the cross country carnival on Tuesday 29 March. We will monitor the weather and do our best to ensure all age groups have the opportunity to run. We may have to run individual age groups depending on the conditions of the oval and the weather.  We must run the races before the end of term in order to select the team. We have pencilled in Thursday 7 April as the backup date for the infant’s races and the colour house war cries. We appreciate this is not ideal however we can only do what we can do under the circumstances.

InitiaLit Working Bee

If you would like to spend some time getting to know fellow families in Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 then come along to the working bee on Monday 4 April in the school hall. During this working bee there will be plenty of cutting out and laminating to make activities that are required for InitiaLit. Morning tea will be supplied. If you would like further information please contact Emma Grange.

Personal Plan Meetings

We held Personal Plan meetings today, and they will continue on Monday and Tuesday. These meetings are for families of children who require a personal plan and adjustments in order to access the curriculum. Children who have mild medical conditions such as asthma, will have met with the classroom teacher at the listening interviews and this counts as your personal plan meeting. Children with more complex medical needs will have a personal planning meeting. Not all children have a personal plan. We will have informed you if your child has a personal plan.

ANZAC Day Service

This year we will return to marching in the ANZAC day parade in Moss Vale after a few years of not being able to. Students who wish to march are asked to meet in the Queen St car park from 10:30am ready for a 10:40am March. Students must wear their full winter uniform. The march will convene at the Moss Vale Services club with a service.

Student Update Reports

On Friday April 8 students from Year 1 to Year 6 will bring home a Student Update Report. This report is just an opportunity for the teacher to inform you of your child’s progress. If you are concerned about the report please make time to speak to your child’s teacher about their progress early in Term 2. Semester 1 reports, which are graded using the common grade scale, will be released at the end of Term 2 and there will be an opportunity for parents and carers to meet with the teachers following these reports.

MORNING DROP OFF AND AFTERNOON PICK UP ARRANGEMENTS

Children's safety is our priority therefore it is important that we all work together to ensure we follow procedures for morning drop off and afternoon pick up.

MORNING PROCEDURES

Staff supervision of students begins at 8:20am. No student should be arriving at school before this time without prior approval from the principal. 

When students arrive at school by bus they leave the bus and walk up the path along the side of the school. Students must come into the school immediately after departing the bus. 

Students that arrive by car may be dropped in the 2 min drop off zone. Parents and carers are not able to leave the car in this zone and come into the school. Students must immediately walk into school via the side path. Please discuss the importance of going immediately into school with your child. Sometimes children like to wait for their friends. It is much safer for children to wait for their friends inside on the playground.

Parents or carers may choose to park and walk their child into school. Please ensure it is not in the bus zone or the drop off zone. Police do monitor the area. 

Parents and carers are welcome to walk their children onto the school grounds however we ask that you do not walk into the school in the mornings. Some classes are required to put their bag outside the room, collect their hat and then come out to the playground. Parents and carers are asked to wait in the infant’s weather shed while their child puts their bag inside and then they can wait with them on the playground. If a parent or carer needs to see a teacher you must enter the office and see if the teacher is available to meet with you.  Teachers have a lot of preparation work to do before school and are not always available for a discussion. Parents and carers are asked not to enter classrooms without prior permission and the company of the classroom teacher or leadership team member.

AFTERNOON PROCEDURES

Buses: Children line up in bus lines and are escorted by the duty teachers to the buses on Garrett St from 3pm. Bus drivers are asking the children to have their bus passes ready for them to see. If your child has not yet received their bus pass in the mail then please contact Berrima Buslines for further information.

Walkers and riders: Leave from the Garrett Street exit after the first three buses have left. If you are going to be walking with your child, we ask that you wait out the front and once the buses have left you may leave with your child. No student should be leaving by car from this exit unless previous arrangements have been made with the principal. There are circumstances where a parent or carer may need to collect a student from the front entrance. This is arranged with the family and often occurs after the buses have left for safety reasons.

Cars: If you are picking a child up by car then you must pick up from Innes Road unless an agreed arrangement has been put in place with the principal to collect your child from the front entrance. We deliberately keep cars and buses separated to ensure everyone’s safety. Children are walked in colour house groups by the duty teachers down the egress to the yellow painted line. We ask parents and carers to wait inside the gate and behind the yellow line. Once the children have arrived they may walk to their parents or carer and then leave. Children must hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road. Children are not permitted to walk out the gate to meet you. Parents and carers must come inside the gate. This is to ensure everyone's safety and that no child can get through the gate without an adult.

Teachers wait until 3:10pm before walking back into the school. Children who have not been collected by this time are taken to the office. We ask parents and carers to please be prompt in collecting your children. Your children are not supervised by a teacher after the pick up times. Colour house order for arrival at the Innes Rd exit is Blue, Red and then Gold house.

Changes to pick up arrangements: Please notify the office by 2:30pm. It is very difficult for messages to be delivered after this time and can result in confusion. For younger children it can be helpful for parents or carers to make a small card the same size as a bus pass that says what the arrangements are each day if they are not the same everyday.

We appreciate and thank you for your support with these arrangements as it ensures everyone is safe when going home.

Vaping

The use of e-cigarette or vapes is on the rise and becoming a challenge for many families as children are being exposed to them. While it is more of an issue in high school it is beginning to filter into primary school settings. Parents and career are encouraged to talk to the children about the risks of vaping and the health concerns associated with it. There are many resources available to support parents in this process. Our diocese has created this video which is a great resource on what a vape is, what can be in a vape and what to do if you learn that your child may be vaping. I encourage you to take a look. It goes for about 13 mins. Our stage 3 teachers will also address this subject as a part of their PDH units.

Supporting Children’s Wellbeing Through Play

This link takes you to a site that talks about the importance of play and storytelling for children who have experienced a natural disaster or have been hearing a lot about natural disasters. There are a lot of major events occuring in the world from natural disasters to war. While we are not being directly impacted by some of these events they are all over the media and this can impact on young children. Take some time to have a look.

Video on the importance of storytelling and play for young children following a natural disaster.

Parents and Friends

The Working Bee last Friday was a great opportunity for families to come together and work to make our school grounds look great. It was evident that the children valued the opportunity to do something positive for the school with their families. The P&F are calling for volunteers to form a committee to plan a movie night. If you would like to be a part of this committee then please complete the google form. If we all do a little bit each then we are not only sharing the load but creating opportunities for people to connect and build relationships within our school community.

P&F google form seeking volunteers.

Thank you to the Year 3 and 4 families who have donated easter eggs for the Easter raffles. Tickets are now due in and the prizes will be drawn at the Thursday Assembly in Week 11.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Year 2 for their second place prize for their prayer mat that was entered into the Moss Vale Show.

Congratulations to Jordan Esquilant who has been selected to go to the Mackillop Trials for Rugby League in May.

Congratulations to Matthew Holmes who came 1st in the Junior Individual Medley, 2nd in Backstroke, 3rd in Butterfly, 4th in Freestyle and 4th in Breaststroke. Matthew will be swimming at the MacKillop carnival on Monday and Tuesday. 

Congratulations to Lucas Holmes for his 5th place in the 50 m U12 Freestyle at the MacKillop Trials.

PB4L Focus (Positive Behaviours for Learning)

This week we are focusing on our procedures on the oval. Although, with the weather we have not had much of an opportunity to put this into practice, it is important for us to remind ourselves of expectations.

Respect Myself: - Stay in bounds at all times. Wear your hat. Return to classlines via the stairs from the oval. Stay clean.

Respect Others: - Play safe games. Keep your hands and feet to yourself at all times. All games should avoid physical contact. Include others and invite children to join in. Speak politely to others. Games stop when the first bell rings.

Respect Learning: - Play fairly by following the rules agreed to for the game. Be a good sport by being kind, fair and take turns. Finish all games at the first bell and put equipment away.

Respect the Environment: - The oval is a “no food zone.” Pick up any rubbish you see and put it in a bin even if it is not yours. Walk only on the walkways and stairs. Use the balls provided in the weatherproof tubs and return them when playtime is over.

Our Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) focus for Week 10 is; being able to accept the no as an answer or response. This is a very important skill to have and our teachers are explicitly teaching strategies to support the children with this.

First Reconciliation

Please continue to pray for the students who have participated in the Reconciliation Program this term. These students will make their First Reconciliation on Friday the 1^st April.

First Holy Communion

Enrolments for First Holy Communion opens from Sunday 3rd April and closes on Sunday 24th April. Note: No Enrolment forms will be accepted after Sunday 24th April

Forms for enrolment can be collected from Fr Marek (or visiting priest) after any weekend Mass or from the parish office Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday from 9am to 1.30pm. The enrolment forms are to be returned after any of the Masses on the weekend to Fr Marek and NOT to the parish office. The Sacramental fee can be made by cash or by direct deposit into the account details shown on the enrolment form.

Classes will be held at 9am on Sunday 1 May, 15 May, 22 May & 29 May followed by attendance of the 10am Mass which is compulsory. (Please note, there will be no class held on Mother’s Day 8 May).

The Sacrament of First Holy Communion will be held on Sunday 19th June.

Holy Week

On Thursday the 7th April, St Paul’s will be having a Holy Week Liturgy, focusing on the Stations of the Cross. This will take place in the school hall, commencing at 12:30. Many students from each class will play a special role in this liturgy. Parents and visitors are warmly welcome to attend.

Thank you

Catherine du Bois

Religious Education Coordinator

WORKING BEE

Thank you to all who assisted at the garden working bee last Friday!  All of your time was really appreciated.

ANZAC DAY MARCH

If your child/children will be able to attend the ANZAC Day march and ceremony, they will need to wear full winter uniform and assemble at the Queen Street car park in Moss Vale at 10:30am.  We will march from there to the Moss Vale Soldiers Memorial, corner of Yarrawa and Argyle streets.  The march will commence at 10:40am.

GYMNASTICS

In Week 11 gymnastics will take place on Wednesday 6th March as well as Friday 8th March.  Students are to wear sports uniforms on both days.

Term 2 commences on Tuesday 26th April - Winter Uniform is to be worn.

On Monday 4th April we warmly welcome all parents to assist us in the making of Term 2 Resources for Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 Minilit Program.

This will take place in the school Hall. You don't have to come for the day; an hour of your time would be appreciated. Expertise is not required; you need to be able to cut and laminate. On the job training will be provided.

Should you require any further information, please see our coordinator: Mrs Emma Grange (mother of Patrick in Kindergarten and Joseph in Year 2).

Please bring your own scissors (although they will be provided) and if you have a laminator, we would appreciate that as well.

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 8

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 8

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 8

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 9

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 9

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 9

Please see below the calendar overview for Term 1 2022:

Easter Raffle

Please return tickets and money to the office - will be drawn at assembly on 7th April.

Brigadoon

Has been postponed due to the weather and condition of Bundanoon Oval.  A new date will be confirmed for later in the year.

Mothers Day Stall

Will take place in Term 2 on 6th May at school.  Information will be going home with students this week.  If you are in a position to donate a prize for a raffle, please let the P&F know.  If enough prizes are donated, we will go ahead with a raffle.

Movie night - Under the Stars

Bulb Fundraiser

A gentle reminder that we now have the bulb fundraiser in full swing, taking orders online up until the 15th of April.  Please feel free to forward the link onto family and friends.  The more sales we make, the more money we raise for our lovely school.

Planned events for Term 1

If you can Volunteer to assist with any planned events please fill in this google form:

 google link

Please see letter attached explaining the change to recording of absences on Compass.

WOLLONDILLY - SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS PHYSIE

Classes are held in Bowral. See flyers attached.

MINIROOS FOOTBALL HOLIDAY CLINICS

VACATION CARE - MOSS VALE PUBLIC SCHOOL

For bookings, please call - 6236-8305

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Wingecarribee Web https://mailchi.mp/wsc.nsw.gov.au/wingecarribee-web-enviro-e-news-march-may?e=e76efe8744