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Dear Families,
We hope that you had a lovely break over the student vacation period. I had the good fortune of going to the ACEL conference in Adelaide. This conference was titled Reimagining Education: A future beyond boundaries. At this conference I was affirmed with the work we are doing in supporting our students' holistic development. Some of the key takeaways from this conference were:
- The early years of a child’s development is critical in their overall development and success later in life. Children must be exposed to language through face to face conversations and being read to.
- Children need to be seen and heard. The relationships we build with our children as a parent and a teacher are critical to how the child progresses through their school years.
- Play is critical in the early years up until the age of seven as it builds emotional and cognitive growth.
- Education should be informed by neuroscience. Research is showing that introducing literacy and numeracy too early can have negative effects (such as anxiety) later in life.
- Technology is here and is not going away. We must learn to understand it, work with it and set boundaries around it.
- Building trusting relationships within diverse communities is essential for success in learning and developing a sense of belonging.
- Bringing alignment to our value as a community is essential for the agency of all community members.
Opportunities to hear leaders in our field of expertise is inspiring and affirming. We are on track as a result of the cyclic inquiry last year and making good progress with many of the contemporary themes being spoken about in education. On Wednesday 6 November parents and carers are invited to attend a listening forum. This evening will be a chance to come and hear about our School Strategic Improvement Plan targets and to present some of the Tell Them From Me data and the trends that we are seeing. Parents and carers will then have the opportunity to talk about what is going well and initiatives they would like to see in the school. The evening will be facilitated by staff and will not be an open discussion.
Parent Forum - Wednesday 6 November 6:30pm
Please mark it in your diary. We will begin at 6:30 pm with drinks and nibbles in the school hall. This is an adult only event. Then at 7pm - 8 to 8:30 pm approximately we will hold the presentation and listening activities. We look forward to seeing you there. Please complete the RSVP for catering purposes and so we can make sure we have allocated enough seats at tables. If you can attend please complete the RSVP form.
Dominican Family Day
This term we will celebrate St Dominic and the value of kindness. St Paul’s was started by the Dominican sisters. November 7 is considered Dominican Family day and this will be our Grandparents day. We align the values of kindness with St Dominic as he was a very kind man who walked many places preaching the word of God. Kindness fits well with our Grandparents day theme as grandparents are often the ones that teach this value when they share stories of their past and life lessons that they have learnt.
The day will look like this (weather dependent):
- 9:30 mass in the hall
- 10:30 - 11:30 Morning tea picnic lunch, games and book fair.
- 11:30 Marching and age races
Being kind can be as simple as smiling at someone, saying hello or just asking if they are ok. I pray that this term we are blessed with the inspiration to be kind and find ways to show kindness towards each other.
God Bless,
Catholic Care Short Survey
Please take a few minutes to fill in this important survey:
Dear Parents/Carers/Educators,
At CatholicCare Diocese of Wollongong, we are committed to providing the best possible mental health and wellbeing services for children and families in our community. Your experience and insights are invaluable in helping us understand what matters most to you, the challenges you face, and how we can tailor our services to better meet your needs.
We invite you to take part in this short survey to share your thoughts and preferences regarding mental health support. Whether or not you’ve used these services before, your feedback will help us create programs that truly make a difference.
Why participate?
- Your voice matters: Your feedback will directly shape the development of services that are responsive to the needs of families like yours.
- Help break barriers: By sharing the challenges you’ve faced; you can help us understand and address the barriers to accessing mental health and wellbeing support.
- It’s quick: The survey takes just a few minutes to complete and will have a lasting impact on the services we provide.
Start the Survey Now We Need Your Input: Help Shape Mental Health & Wellbeing Services for Families. (office.com)
Thank you for taking the time to help us improve our support for children and families. Your participation means a lot to us!
Book Week
We will be holding a book fair between the dates of 4 to 13 Nov in the school library.
On Wednesday 6 Nov we will hold the book parade at 9:30am on the playground. Children are encouraged to dress up as their favourite book character or according to the theme which is: Reading is Magic.
Christmas Art Success
Aarushi Panta Year 6 and Madeline Hely Year 5 were successful in being selected to have their art works on display at the Diocesian Christmas Art Exhibition being held in the Wollongong Art gallery. Both girls are to be congratulated on achieving this which is a first for our school in several years. I would like to thank the teachers and parents who supported all the students in preparing for the competition. As a school we are preparing a scope and sequence that will prepare our students for this final event in stage three by ensuring exposure to the process in the early years.
Mrs Browne and Ms duBois will be attending the opening night with the families in Wollongong on Wednesday evening.
School Uniform
The correct uniform for Term 4 is the Summer uniform. As a general rule for the two weeks either side of the school holidays the children may wear one uniform or the other but not a combination of the two. Therefore if it is particularly cold in the first two weeks of term the children may wear the Winter uniform in place of the Summer uniform. If it is still very cold when we return from holidays the children may wear the Winter uniform but not half and half, i.e., not a long sleeve shirt and tie with shorts or the Summer dress with Winter stockings. Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring our students always wear their uniform with pride.
End of Year Events for Year 6
A letter was sent out via compass yesterday for Year 6 families outlining the end of year events with dates and times. If you did not receive this please contact the office.
2025 Year 6 Leadership Roles
A letter has been sent home today with Year 5 outlining the process for executive leadership nominations. If you have not received it please contact the office.
Year 5 has a leadership day with Cameron Brown from Explore Discover Act on Friday 18 October.
Year 5 and 6 Camp
Year 5 and 6 will leave for camp on Wednesday 23 October. Year 5 will return on Thursday afternoon 24 Oct and year 6 Friday 25 Oct. Teachers will share expectations around student behaviour and participation with parents this week.
Long Service Leave
Mrs Browne will be on Long Service Leave Thursday 17 Oct to Tuesday 22 Oct. Mr Farruiga will be acting principal during this time.
Thank you,
Dominican Family Day
On Thursday 7th November, the school will be celebrating Dominican Family Day, in honour of Saint Dominic, one of our patron saints. This will also be a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the importance of families, particularly our grandparents. There will be a whole school Mass in the school hall at 9:30, followed by morning tea, the book fair, outdoor marching and student age races on the oval. Families are encouraged to bring in some traditional games they can play together during morning tea time, such as knucklebones/jacks, ring toss, bocce and marbles.
If you would like to include a photo of your child/ren with their grandparents in a photo slideshow for the Mass, please email to duboisc01@dow.catholic.edu.au (limit of 3 photos per family).
All are warmly invited to attend on this day.
Thank you
Catherine du Bois
Religious Education Coordinator
School Fees
As per the Diocesan Fee School Policy, all fees are due and payable by the end of the school year i.e. fees are expected to be finalised in full in the year of issue.
For those families who are on an agreement, plan or instalments, please ensure that you are meeting the terms of the agreement.
If any family is having issues, please contact the school to discuss the matter confidentially.
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.
If your child is Asthmatic or Anaphylactic please ensure the necessary plan has been forwarded to the office along with any medication so that it can be processed. We also need a "Consent to Dispense Medication" form to be completed.
Student Injuries
If a student has sustained an injury please inform the school office as we have to do a care plan and risk assessment. Please also forward any ED report or doctor letter as well.
Withdrawal
If you intend to withdraw your child from the school, the withdrawal form is available from the office. We currently have a waitlist, so advance notification would be appreciated.
Students on Visas and Residency
You also need to inform the school office if your child has gone from a Temporary to Permanent Resident of Australia or if they have become a Citizen (we do require a copy of the Citizenship Certificate).
Warm regards,
Bernadette Taylor
CatholicCare Student Wellbeing Officer
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 10
| Kindergarten | Samriddhi | Pokharel |
| Year 1 | Zoe | Barton |
| Year 2 | Jemimah | Senkwe |
| Year 3/4 W | Edison | Warburton |
| Year 3/4 B | Evan | Pertout |
| Year 5 | Matilda | Flanigan |
| Year 6 | Sakari | Curcuruto |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 10
| Kindergarten | Bihan | Devkota |
| Year 1 | Ellie | Zhou |
| Year 2 | Benji | Ebblewhite |
| Year 3/4 W | Angela | Lin |
| Year 3/4 B | Harvey | McDade |
| Year 5 | Sofia | De Michiel-Worgan |
| Year 6 | Tahlia | Harris |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 10
| Kindergarten | Arlo | Wright |
| Year 1 | Hugh | Elder |
| Year 2 | Marli | McAndrew |
| Year 3/4 W | Tyler | Wray |
| Year 3/4 B | Grayson | Harris |
| Year 5 | James | Elder |
| Year 6 | Shanaye | Thapa |
Accepting Criticism for a Consequence
Self Management
1. Look at the person.
2. Say "Okay".
3. Stay Calm.
We we have a company called Lunch Bunch Canteens who will be fulfilling our lunch orders each Thursday only.
Please find the menu below and how to order details.
Please see below the calendar overview for Term 4 2024:
| Week 1 |
Tuesday 15th October - First day of Term 4 Friday 18th October - Year 5 Leadership Day |
| Week 2 |
Wednesday 23rd October to Thursday 24th October - Year 5 Camp Wednesday 23rd October to Friday 25th October - Year 6 Camp Friday 25th October - AFL K to 6 Friday 25th October - World Teachers Day |
| Week 3 |
Friday 1st November - AFL K to 6 |
| Week 4 |
Wednesday November 6 - 9:30am Book Parade Wednesday November 6 - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup Wednesday November 6 - Parent Forum 6:30pm Thursday November 7 - Grandparents Day & Book Fair Friday 8th November - AFL K to 6 Friday 8th November - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup |
| Week 5 |
Monday November 11 - Cultural Morning Tea Tuesday November 12 - Incursion K-6 - Opera Australia "Wyniss" Musica Viva Wednesday November 13 - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup Friday 15th November - AFL K to 6 Friday 15th November - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup |
| Week 6 |
Monday November 18 - Surf Life Saving Incursion Beach to Bush - K to 6 Wednesday November 20 - Year 3 and Year 4 Excursion - Surf Awareness to Sandon Point Bulli Wednesday November 20 - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup Thursday November 21 - Year 5 and Year 6 Excursion - Surf Awareness to Sandon Point Bulli Friday 22 November - Kindergarten 2025 Playgroup Sunday 24 November - First Holy Communion |
| Week 7 |
Tuesday November 26 - Kindergarten 2026 Orientation from 9am to 11:30am |
| Week 8 |
Monday December 2 to Thursday December 5 - Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 2 - Learn to Swim at Moss Vale Pool Friday December 6 - Christmas Carols on the Oval at St Paul's |
| Week 9 |
|
| Week 10 |
Tuesday December 17 - Year 5 Mass and Supper at 6pm Wednesday December 18 - End of Year Assembly 9:30am & Mass at 12pm Thursday December 19 - Year 6 Pool Fun Day and Year 6 Clap Out 2:30pm Thursday December 19 - Term 4 concludes for Students |
