“The Holy Spirit will teach you everything and remind you of all I have said to you.”

John 14:26

From the Gospel of the Sixth Sunday of EASTER Year C

Dear Families and Friends,

Following Easter there are a number of reminders in the gospel stories that Jesus is still with us. The Holy Spirit works in mysterious ways and its presence in our lives is often noticed in the little things such as the way another person stops to help someone in need or the way children play together and notice when someone is feeling left out. We pray that the presence of the Holy Spirit will enrich our lives and continue to motivate us to be the best version of ourselves. 

VALE Mrs Gloria Turner

Farewell Mrs Turner.  Gloria Turner passed away on 18 April 2022.  Her mind remained sharp until her final hours, though her body had grown tired.  Much loved mum to her 4 children and ma to her 4 grand and 5 great-grand children.  Gloria loved her family and also loved to teach children how to read and write, over a teaching career that spanned 60 years.

Mrs Turner taught at St Paul’s from 1968 to 1990. It’s hard to call Gloria anything else than Mrs Turner, as that was how she was known to pupils, teachers and the community alike, though one little pupil in all innocence called her Growlia.  When asked, Mrs Turner said that,  “The highlight of my career would be meeting previous pupils and seeing their achievements and their offspring.”  Mrs Turner taught hundreds of pupils, who benefited from her phonics approach to reading, even when that approach was not the fashion.  Mrs Turner left St Paul’s in 1990 and her teaching career moved to St Michaels in Mittagong where she taught as a relief teacher until 2011.  Gloria did enjoy travel, visiting the USA, the UK, China, Cambodia, Vietnam, New Zealand, Taiwan, Brunei and Singapore. Mrs Turner will be sadly missed, and her family will choose a charity to donate to in honour of her memory.

Camp Theme Funday this Thursday 19 May

Mr O’Brien was a lover of bushwalking, camping and playing his guitar. Recently it was his birthday so to celebrate we are going to have a funday with a camping theme on Thursday 19 May (tomorrow). Students may come dressed as if they are going camping. They must have a hat and enclosed shoes on.  The staff will provide a free sausage sizzle during an earlier second break from 1pm to 1:30pm. Children are still encouraged to bring their normal lunch for first break and there will only be one sausage in bread per child available at second break with a choice of sauce. Parents and carers of children who have specific dietary requirements and allergies are asked to contact the office to let us know if your children can have a plain sausage in bread. In the afternoon at assembly time we are going to have a sing along with Tim Hart. Tim is an educational officer for CEDoW and a talented musician. He is going to lead the school in some fun singing. We will hand out the awards at 2:30pm.

If any parents or carers are available to assist with the cooking of the sausages from 12:00pm to 1pm we would be very appreciative.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing concludes this week. The children have been fantastic in their approach to NAPLAN, understanding that it is one test on one day and doing their best to ensure they are attempting all parts as best they can. The data from the NAPLAN tests provides the school with rich information that we can use for planning in ensuring we are providing quality learning opportunities. This year one of our focuses as a school is to look at assessment and how we can use it to adjust our lessons to support the children with where they are at. The NAPLAN data will assist in this process.

Uniform purchasing changes from 2023

From 2023 the majority of the school uniform will only be able to be purchased from Whytes Moss Vale. Accessories including the school hat, gloves, scarfs, beanies, raincoats and the Year 6 sports shirt will be purchased through NSW uniforms - Ethne Drew. This has come about due to requirements that the uniform suppliers for the three Southern Highlands Catholic schools be on the one contract.  A tender process was followed and Whytes were the successful applicant. This is similar to the process that took place with the cleaning contracts a few years ago.

Ethne is currently running her stock down and by the end of the year what remains will be purchased by Whytes with the exception of the girls winter skirt. It will be purchased by the school and sold through the school office.

I would like to thank Ethne for her service to the school community with uniforms and look forward to our ongoing commitment in regard to accessories and the Year 6 sport polo.

Whytes are open 9am - 4pm and Saturday mornings 9:30am - 12 noon. They offer online ordering and click and collect and will be able to deliver to school if required. Please see their website for details.

Whytes website

NSW uniforms can be contacted on - 0400 805 596 or emailed on - ethne@drewdesigns.com.au

Kindergarten Enrolment interviews

We are currently interviewing families for Kindergarten in 2023. Spaces are filling up quickly. If you or someone you know is looking to enrol a student for 2023 please get your applications in so you do not miss out. We currently have places in Years 2 - 5. If you know of any families that are looking for a Catholic Educaiton they are most welcome to arrange an interview.

Athletics Program

As mentioned in the last newsletter we have made changes to our athletics program and were hoping to hold a field events carnival followed by the running carnival however the conditions of the oval and the ongoing rain is impacting on the classes ability to comprehensively teach the skills in the best possible way. Staff are currently teaching the skills under modified circumstances and measuring students' attempts in case we are not able to hold the carnival days. We will continue to update you as the carnival dates draw closer.

School Oval - URGENT

Recently we were fortunate to receive a donation from GUBBINS Hardware for sand for our long jump pit however in delivering the sand the truck got bogged on the oval and then the ute that came to get the truck out got bogged. As a result we have damage to the oval and the sand had to be dumped in order to get the truck out. See the pictures below. If any parents or carers have equipment to help repair the oval and put the sand where it needs to go we would really appreciate your help. Please contact the office if you can help us. We will not be able to hold our athletics carnivals until we have the oval repaired and the sand moved.

Changes to Library Days from Week 6

Mrs Cassidy will be taking Long Service Leave from the end of Week 5. We wish her all the best during her leave. We have unsuccessfully filled her position after advertising twice so for the remainder of this term we have been able to secure Mrs Jacinta McAndrew, Miss Jess Molloy, Mrs Kate Armsstrong and Mrs Genevieve Norrie to fill the library days for the last 5 weeks of term.

The library days and teacher will be as follows from Week 6.

Monday Even Weeks - Year 4 Mrs Jacinta McAndrew

Monday Odd Weeks - Year 3 Mrs Jacinta McAndrew

Wednesday Even Weeks - Year 6 Miss Jess Molloy

Wednesday Odd Weeks - Year 5 Miss Jess Molly

Thursday Even Weeks - Kindergarten Mrs Kate  Armstrong / Mrs Genevieve Norrie

Friday Even Weeks - Year 2 Mrs Jacinta McAndrew

Friday Odd Weeks - Year 1 Mrs Jacinta McAndrew.

I would like to thank the ladies for taking up the library position until the end of this term. We will advertise the position for Terms 3 and 4 and inform you of the arrangements towards the end of term.

Laudato Si’ Week

Laudato Si’ Week (16-24 May) is a celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ and a call to action for Catholics around the world to care for our common home. You can participate through prayer, action and reflection with the new resources for parishes, schools, organisations and individuals created by the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace. Go to www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au

WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY: The Catholic Church in Australia celebrates World Communications Day on the Sixth Sunday of Easter (May 22 this year). Pope Francis’ message this year focuses on the importance of “Listening with the ear of the heart”. The Australian Catholic Media Council has produced social media resources and homily notes for the celebration. Access resources at www.catholic.org.au/wcd 

Reconciliation Week

National Sorry Day 2022 falls this year on Thursday 26 May and is a day when we pause to remember the Stolen Generations of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. It leads us into the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation and National Reconciliation Week which is held each year between 27th May and 3rd June.

The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2022 is Be Brave. Make Change. Reconciliation Week is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. For the Catholic Church in Australia, this week offers us a time to be fully the Church that God dreams for us - a Church in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples make their own unique contribution and that contribution is joyfully received by others.

We will be holding a working bee on Sunday 5 June from 1pm to spread mulch around the Adventure Playground and the Infants Playground. This is essential work to ensure our playgrounds are safe for the children. Please bring along a wheelbarrow or bucket, gardening gloves and shovels. Many hands make light work. The more the merrier and the faster the job will get done. We will monitor the weather and move the delivery of the mulch and the working bee should the weather not be in our favour.

NCCD and Personal Plans

Towards the end of last term and since returning this term we have been meeting with families to go through the personal plans. We would like to thank our families who have been part of this process in supporting us in providing adjustments for your children. For further information in the process please see the attached flyer.

WSTSD is a Nationally participated day, aimed at schools and has health, road awareness and pollution reduction at its heart.

 In more detail the main objectives of Walk to School Safely Day are:

• To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children and reinforce safe pedestrian behaviour.
• To promote the health benefits of walking and help create regular walking habits at an early age.
• To ensure that children up to 10 years old hold an adult's hand when crossing the road.
• To help children develop the vital road-crossing skills they will need as they become mature pedestrians.
• To reduce the car dependency habits that are being created at an early age and which will be difficult to change as children become adults.
• To promote the use of Public Transport.
• To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles.
• To reduce the level of traffic congestion.

Assembly Time changed.

From next week we will be holding assemblies from 2:15pm to allow enough time to ensure we comfortably fit in all the things we would like to fit in. Parents and carers are most welcome to attend.

God Bless,

Katie Browne

Principal

PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning) focus

With the weather affecting our play spaces in recent times, the focus for our students has been how we play on the courts. Safety and student wellbeing will always remain our priority in these spaces.

Respect Myself: - Wear your hat. Walk on the ramps, paths and stairs. Bouncing and shooting basketball games only. Basketball / netball games are played on and stay on the marked courts.

Respect Others: - Play games by the agreed rules. Play safe games that do not involve throwing balls over or through other people’s games. Be a good sport by being kind, fair and taking turns.  Speak politely, include others and invite children to join in. Keep hands & feet to yourself at all times. Be aware of the personal space of others at all times. Kicking balls is not allowed on the bottom playground or in the weather shed. We don’t throw balls at people.

Respect Learning: - Finish all games at the first bell and put equipment away. Use the toilets and wash your hands before the second bell. No chasing games on the lower playground.

Respect the Environment: - Use equipment for its intended use. Put all equipment away in the right places. Pick up any rubbish you see and put it in a bin even if it is not your rubbish.

Year 6 Student Leadership

Year 6 have been working on developing leadership groups and coming up with projects to work on during 2022. This has included writing proposals and possible strategies for the focus areas of their group. 

They have already shown great maturity and leadership skills throughout the beginning of this process. I look forward to working with them and their teachers as they express their voice and opinions. They are certainly shaping a different approach to Year 6 leadership which future grades will benefit from.

First Holy Communion

The third class for First Holy Communion will be held this Sunday at 9am in the school hall.

The Sacrament of First Holy Communion will be held on Sunday 19th June. This will take place at 12:00 midday. Students will be allowed to invite up to seven guests.

Thank you

Catherine du Bois

Religious Education Coordinator

MORNING SUPERVISION

School supervision begins at 8:20am each morning. Children are not to be dropped off prior to 8:20am.  If there are circumstances that make this impossible, you must make contact with the school and make an appointment with Mrs Browne to discuss this matter. If you require your child to be cared for before this time you can access care at Moss Vale OOSH. Children who attend OOSH are accompanied onto the bus from OOSH at Moss Vale Public School and arrive at St Paul’s during morning supervision.

MEDICATION

Only medication that is prescribed by a doctor is permitted to be dispensed at School upon completion of a “Consent to Dispense Medication” form which is available from the office.  The form and the medication are to be given to the office staff in the original packaging with the student’s name and dosage.  We are not permitted to administer Panadol unless prescribed by a doctor and the necessary form completed.  Thank you for your cooperation with this.

STAFF PD = PUPIL FREE DAYS

All staff will be undertaking Professional Development on the dates listed below which means that they are Pupil Free Days (the school will not be operating on these days):

Friday 19 August and Monday 10 October

CHANGE OF CONTACT DETAILS

If you change your address, phone number or email, please inform the school office so that we can update our records.

LOST PROPERTY

There is a significant amount of lost property, please encourage your child to look through the lost property as many of the items are unlabelled (any labelled items have been returned).

SCHOOL BAGS

• Replacing older seating around the school
• New buddy chairs
• Prayer Garden - this is our major long term plan. It is to be designed and made more accessible and become a usable space for reflection, play and an outdoor classroom.

See photos below:

Summary of planned events for Term 2 (with more to come!)

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

 google link

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 2

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 2

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 2

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 3

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 3

Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 3

Please see the link below with information about available scholarships and bursaries for students applying to Chevalier College in Year 7 2023 and 2024.
 
Chevalier College – Scholarships and Bursaries are available for 2023 and 2024, see: https://www.chevalier.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/scholarships-bursaries/
 
If you have any questions please call their Enrolments office on 4861 0524.

Please see below the calendar overview for Term 2 2022:

Interchange Australia July School Holidays Program

The ASDESI July School Holiday program is now open for bookings. This is a wonderful program providing children with Autism Spectrum Disorder the support they need in a fun and friendly environment.  It is more than just vacation care, its aimed at building on the skills, confidence and friendships of children and young people in a fun and safe environment.  Supervised by qualified and experienced staff, they offer activities for kids 5-15 years old with Autism Spectrum Disorder.  The ASDESI Holiday Kids Klub is held at Gib Cottage - 57 Kirkham Road, Bowral and from there they embark on some amazing adventures. Siblings are also welcome to attend. 
Details are in the link below:

https://interchangeau.org/asdesi/holiday-kids-klub/

Walk Safely to School Day - Friday 20th May

Walk Safely To School Day (WSTSD) is coming up soon, next week Friday 20^th May.

WSTSD is a Nationally participated day, aimed at schools and has health, road awareness and pollution reduction at its heart.

Dhungung Share - Morning Tea

Dhungung Share provides free food boxes for Aboriginal people and their families of the Wingecarribee Shire. See flyer attached.

Mittagong RSL Junior Disco