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- From the Principal - Mrs Katie Browne
- From the REC - Ms Catherine du Bois
- From the School Office
- Kids on Show - Bowral and District Art Gallery
- Calendar Overview
- Awards
- P&F News
- Pastrol Support
- 2025 Term Dates and Pupil Free Days
- SEL Focus - Week 7 and 8
- Swap IT!
- Brain Busters
- Canteen for Term 4 - Thursdays only
- Community News
Dear Families,
The saying, “It takes a village to raise a child” was evident across the last two weeks in our community. On Sunday students from St Paul’s and the local State school made their First Holy Communion. The event was a true celebration of community led by Fr Richard. Thank you to all the staff who assisted in the preparation of the students and helped on the day, and to the Parish members who supported the lessons and the parts of the mass. Please keep these students in your prayers as they grow in their faith journey. This celebration concluded the sacramental program for the year. Keep a look out early next year for the details and dates of the sacramental programs for 2025.
The Bush to Beach excursions for Year 3 - 6 were a great success and another example of our community working together. The organisers from the Bush to Beach program complimented our school on the way the students and staff participated, listened and got involved. It is always wonderful receiving such great feedback about our school. This program is essential in making sure our young people know how to be safe at the beach and what to do if they are ever in the dangerous situation of a rip. It also provides them with a safe opportunity to try something new like body surfing.
As the year draws to a close, staff will begin preparing students for transition into their new classes. For some students moving into new gades with a new teacher is an exciting and adventurous journey of anticipation and surprise. For others it can be a daunting and worrying time. In order to support all students in this change we will begin talking about what it is like to change grades and teachers. Year 3 and 4 will spend some time rejoining as grades and doing some activities together and some students will have extended opportunities to get to know the teacher they will be having and the room they will be moving into. Today we finished our Kindergarten 2025 transition program with Orientation day. This program provides us with the opportunity to get to know the students and for the students to get to know each other.
The better we work together to support each other the better the overall outcomes. At the recent parent forum the group indicated, things like the whole school celebrations, sporting events and P&F events, such as the disco are events they want to keep. This was great feedback. In time we will share more information from the parent forum and a survey for those who were not able to attend to contribute your thoughts.
Finally as we begin to wind up the year it is important that we stop and reflect on the things that we are grateful for. One of my favourite books is called “Wilfred Gordon McDonald Partridge” by Mem Fox. If you have not had a chance to read this story I highly recommend it. It is a story about a boy asking some elderly people what a memory is. They tell him it is something warm, something funny, something that makes you cry and so on. So Wilfred goes about collecting things and bringing them to the elderly people who are then reminded of a memory. This story reminds us about the importance of sharing stories and being grateful for the experiences we have had in life. This Christmas think about what you have been grateful for and how you can show your loved ones in a way that is more powerful than buying a gift. Showing gratitude and writing a note that is heartfelt and meaningful often has a much greater impact. During my career as a teacher the things I have kept and held onto have been the handwritten message from students and families expressing their gratitude.
I am truly grateful for this community and what we have achieved this year. We have a great school that is growing and shining and it is because the people in it make it so special and unique. Thank you.
God Bless,
We are still finalising some staffing and there may be some minor changes.
Principal - Mrs Katie Browne
Assistant Principal - Mr Simon Farrugia
REC - Ms Catherine duBois
SSSO - Mrs Eileen Norman
Kindergarten - Mrs Tania Calla-Hunstone
Year 1 - Mrs Joanne cutler
Year 2 - Mrs Angela Despotovic
Year 3 - Mrs Belinda Ballantine (nee Bayot)
Year 4 - Ms Catherine DuBois
Year 5 - Mrs Rachelle Adams
Year 6 - Mrs Jocelyn Ponticello
Library/STEM/ Music - Mrs Jo Smith
Part Time - Mrs Margaret Burton, Mrs Louise Cassidy, Mrs Mary Lou Claremont and Mrs Jacinta McAndrew
School Support Officers are still being finalised.
Mrs Kiah is retiring from full time teaching however she will be continuing to work in the school as a casual teacher. Mrs Kiah requested that as she is not leaving the community or fully retiring from teaching to not be farewelled at this time. We look forward to seeing her in 2025 as a casual teacher.
Students are preparing for the Christmas Carols and will be singing a song as a grade. We appreciate that not all families may be able to attend, however it is important that we come together to enjoy a sing a long and celebrate the year. Please let your classroom teacher know if you will be there or not there. If it looks like we are going to have a limited number of students attending we may need to make changes. Where possible students are encouraged to attend. Costume requirements were sent out via compass recently. See below.
All classes will be singing a Christmas carol and may wear a costume to compliment their class song to the event. Please see details below
K - White T-shirt and coloured shorts
Yr 1 - Shepherds or angels
Yr 2 - Christmas coloured clothes ( eg red/green) Tinsel around wrists and head
Yr 3/4B - Plain black shirt & shorts and a scarf/ piece of material with a rope or belt
Y3 3/4W - Christmas coloured clothes and any other Christmas decorations
Yr 5 - Angels
Yr 6 - All black clothes (no really short shorts please) with a Christmas hat/ head attire
For further questions please contact the class teacher directly. We thank you for your support in what should be a great community event.
Smart Devices
A gentle reminder that students must keep phones in the bags and switched off when at school. Smart watches must be in flight or school mode. Students are not to message, take photos or make and receive calls using these devices. If you need to contact your child to give them a message then please call the school office. If a student is ever concerned about how they are getting home or have a worry about home that needs to be resolved urgently then the office staff will call home.
Student Safety
It is vital that all students walk into the school yard when they get off the bus or are dropped off by car in the morning. If you see any student out the front not coming into school please alert the office. Parents are asked to talk to their children about being safe coming to and from school.
Changes to Academic Reports
As you may be aware, the NSW Educational Standards Authority (NESA) have undertaken a comprehensive review of the NSW Curriculum, leading to curriculum reform and subsequent implementation of a reformed curriculum which commenced in 2023. In response to the curriculum changes, Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong has made significant modifications to student semester reports for Primary schools to better reflect your child's academic progress at key points throughout the year and provide parents and carers with a clear picture of their child’s strengths and areas for improvement in specific subject areas.
The following changes were evident in your child’s semester report from Semester 1 2024:
- A ‘new look’ report format released via Compass reflecting the outcomes of the new K-10 English and Mathematics syllabuses providing a descriptor for each of the focus areas found in the respective syllabuses
- All Kindergarten students will now receive a written report in Semester 1 and Semester 2 with a three-point grade scale used to report student achievement using the following performance descriptors:
- Thorough
- Sound
- Basic
- Students in Year 1 - Year 6 will continue to receive semester reports twice a year with a five-point grade scale used to report student achievement using the following performance descriptors:
- Extensive
- Thorough
- Sound
- Basic
- Elementary
Report formats are also available for students who are working towards outcomes by which a graded report will not accurately represent their learning progress. As an alternative to a graded report, a comment is provided for each Key Learning Area in line with the student’s goals identified in their Personalised Plan. These reports are only used following consultation between school and parents/carers.
We look forward to this positive shift in our reporting system and appreciate your continued support in your child's educational journey.
Reports will be accessible on Compass on Friday 13 December from 3 pm. If you would like to meet with your child’s teacher you can book a meeting through the office.
End of Year Events
Christmas Carols - Friday 6 December 6pm -7pm.
We will be holding Christmas Carols on the school oval weather permitting. Bring a picnic rug or chairs to sit on and join in the Christmas carols. Should it be wet or extremely windy we will hold them in the school hall. All children will be learning some songs to sing during the event.
Community Christmas Carols - Saturday 14 December
We have been invited to participate in the Community Christmas Carols. The school Choir and any other interested Children will sing some songs at this event.
Year 6 farewell mass and supper - Tuesday 17 December 6 pm.
RSVP for additional family members are required by the google form.
End of Year assembly Wednesday 18 December 9:30 am
We will hold our annual assembly to celebrate 2024. Some annual awards will be presented and Year 6 will be farewelled.
End of Year Mass Wednesday 18 December 12 noon
This is our final school mass for the year. All are welcome.
End of Year Awards
At the End of Year assembly there will be some awards given out. These are annual awards sponsored by different community members. These awards come with specific criteria that must be met for the recipient to be considered. There are only a handful of awards for this assembly and because the awards come with prizes they are considered prestigious to win. Staff spend time discerning over the process and make nominations before the final decision is made.
As a school we are currently reviewing our award structure and have some plans to implement some grades based awards outside of the fortnightly assembly moving forward in 2025 however for now the current structure stands. The citations are printed below so the community can fully appreciate what the awards are for. It is important to note that the name of the award may not fully describe the purpose of the award so the citation is important; for example, the Sport Person Award is not for the person that has achieved the highest standard in sport. It is for sportsmanship shown throughout the year at break times, during class PE and carnivals held at school. Some awards are for set grades as indicated by the sponsor.
Veritas Award for Christian Living - Dominican Laity
Year 6
This award is given to a child whose actions reflect the Gospel values as taught to us by Jesus. St Paul’s has a long and proud association with the Dominican Order who for eight hundred years have sought to preach the Gospel all over the world. This includes us here in Moss Vale where the sisters came to manage our school for nearly one hundred years, including forty years on this site. The Dominicans following St Dominic’s example promoted truth, study and preaching. The recipient of this award is a child who treats others with respect, shows empathy, encourages others, is modest, displays reverence, is fair and plays fairly. This child tries to live the Dominican ideals.
Quiet Achiever Award - Wendy Tuckerman State Member of Parliament
Year 6
This award is given to a child who goes about their work in a diligent, focussed and quiet manner. This child demonstrates a commitment to their own learning, respects the rights of others to learn and considers the common good of the whole school. This is a child who seeks to do their best each and every day.
Sports Person Award - William Family
Year 6
This Award is given to a student who displays enthusiasm for sport and who ensures that it is played in the ‘right spirit’. They ensure that others are given a fair go, they encourage others, they value teamwork and they use their own skills to assist in improving the skills of others.
Chris Smith Memorial Award - St Paul’s P&F
Year 3 - 5
This award is given to a student who displays the qualities Chris Smith, a former teacher at St Paul’s embodied; namely an infectious positive attitude, a generosity of spirit, using personal talents for the good of others, dedication, respectfulness and an enthusiastic involvement with the life of the school.
Year 5 Encouragement Award - CWA Committee
Year 5
The award is given by the COUNTRY WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION (CWA) in memory of FLORENCE GREEN. The Florence Green award is given to a child who during their time at St. Paul’s has displayed a commitment to the school and who has been consistently trying their best.
Active Citizenship Award - Stephen Jones Federal Member for Parliament
Year 3 - 5
This award is presented to a student who is active in the development of civics and citizenship at St Paul’s. This student displays the values of tolerance and inclusion, respect, responsibility and concern for others.
Wingecarribee Community Service Award - Wingecarribee Council
Kinder to Year 6
This award recognises one student from each school who has shown initiative and action in supporting their local community.
Thank you
Catherine du Bois
Religious Education Coordinator
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).
Congratulations to our Yr 3/4 W class who were awarded Highly Commended for most outstanding submission by class at the “Kids On Show” at the Bowral And District Art Gallery. Their artworks were inspired by Picasso.
Opening night was a full house and Heidi and Evie collected our award for 'Highly Commended for Best Classroom Art Project'.
They will remain open until 1st December.
Well done 3/4 White.
Please see below the calendar overview for Term 4 2024:
| 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 Tuesday December 3 - Camerata Strings and Concert Band from North Sydney Girls High School Performing in the School Hall Friday December 6 - Christmas Carols on the Oval at St Paul's |
| Week 9 |
Saturday December 14 - Community Christmas Carols |
| 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 |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded the Principal's Award in Week 6
| Kindergarten | Henry | Johnstone |
| Year 1 | Quince | Waenkaew |
| Year 2 | Rosie | Wright |
| Year 3/4 W | Max | Xu |
| Year 3/4 B | Penelope | O'Reilly |
| Year 5 | James | Elder |
| Year 5 | Gurshaan | Bains |
| Year 6 | Monty | Taylor |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Merit Award in Week 6
| Kindergarten | Peter | O'Reilly |
| Year 1 | Ellie | Zhou |
| Year 2 | Grace | Gawthorne |
| Year 3/4 W | Kora | Muhlbock |
| Year 3/4 B | Asher | Norman |
| Year 5 | Luella | Burgess |
| Year 6 | Matthew | Holmes |
Congratulations to the following students who were awarded a Mission Star Award in Week 6
| Kindergarten | Arlo | Wright |
| Year 1 | Jayden | Wipranata |
| Year 2 | Hazel | Noyes |
| Year 3/4 W | Henry | Simpson |
| Year 3/4 B | Kellie | Lopez |
| Year 5 | Summer | Cuttriss |
| Year 6 | Emily | Leighton-Daly |
Thank you to Custom Printing who have designed and donated all of the sponsorship package flyers for the event.
Welcome to JK Day Construction who have come on board as one of our round sponsors for the evening.
Welcome to Nick Knowles Pharmacy who have also come on board as one of our sponsors for the evening.
Welcome to The Woodage who have also come on board as one of our sponsors for the evening.
AGM
As the year starts to come to an end we are already looking forward to 2025. The AGM will be held on Tuesday 11th February. If yoou would like to nominate for an executive position for know someone who would be interested in one of the positions please contact the office.
SOCIAL MEDIA AGE RESTRICTIONS
MINI VINNIES
Dear Families,
Mini Vinnies are planning to participate in some Christmas activities this year.
There will be a note coming home with your child soon requesting donations for a food item that your child chose. The students will bring the item to school which will be collected and made up into Christmas hampers to donate to St Vincent de Paul for the Christmas Appeal. Your support would be very much appreciated.
Also, the students have been invited to enter a Christmas Card competition that they are welcome to start at home and will be working on at school during Mini Vinnies.
We appreciate this can be a difficult time of the year for some, if any family has any questions or require any support please contact your child's teacher, or contact me through the office.
Warm regards,Bernadette Taylor
CatholicCare Student Wellbeing Officer
| Term 1 | 31 January - April 11 |
| 31 January - Pupil Free Day | |
| 3 February - Pupil Free Day | |
| 4 February - First day of Term 1 for Years 1 to 6 | |
| 5 February - Kindergarten's First Day | |
| 3 March - Pupil Free Day | |
| Term 2 | 28 April - July 4 |
| 28 April - Pupil Free Day | |
| 29 April - Students Return | |
| 10 June - Pupil Free Day | |
| Term 3 | 21 July - 26 September |
| 21 July - Pupil Free Day | |
| 22 July - Students Return | |
| Term 4 | 13 October - 19 December |
| 13 October - Pupil Free Day | |
| 14 October - Students Return | |
| 18 December - Last Day for Students | |
| 19 December - Pupil Free Day |
*These are provisional dates and are subject to change
STAYING ON TASK
Self Management
- Look at your task or assignment.
- Think about the steps and equipment needed to complete the ask.
- Focus all of your attention on the tasks.
- Stop working only when instructed.
- Ignore distractions and interruptions from others.
- Put your hand up if you need help.
Hello Brain Busters,
Mahjong is an ancient Chinese game that originated in China in the 19th Century and is played by all ages all over the world.
The aim is to make matching sets and pairs……. PATTERNS!
A player wins the hand by either being the first to have 4 sets of 3 and 1 pair.
TASK:
What do you NOTICE about the ‘hands’ of Mahjong tiles in image #1 and #2?
Discuss this ‘noticing’ with a family member or a friend.
Interested???
Find out more about Asia- Pacific Mahjong in this LINK - N.B. Parents view prior to sharing this with your children
Look at the images below and see if you can identify what the player has been aiming to do throughout each game ( each image shows a winning ‘hand’)
You will need to ZOOM IN to get the best image.
Mary Lou Claremont
Diverse Learning Support and Instructional Coach
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.
COMMUNITY FOOD PANTERIES - UPDATED INFORMATION
SOUTHERN HIGHLAND STORM
WELCOME EXPERIENCE
Regional Development Australia is starting a ‘Welcome Experience’ initiative which may be of interest to families that are new to the area. Click the link above to see what it is all about!
SURVEY
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITY
