Filter Content
“Fear not!”
Matt 10:31
(from the Gospel for the twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A)
Dear parents and carers
Yesterday, we had a crazy sock day at school. You can see some pictures on our facebook page. The children loved it! We took this opportunity whilst having fun to talk to the children about the virtue of courage. Courage is the capacity to stand up for what you believe even if it is difficult or unpopular. Courage does not mean not being afraid, but rather the choice to do the right thing despite fear. We are teaching the children that making good choices sometimes requires courage.
We will hold another “fun day” before the end of term. It was great seeing the children so happy and excited. Their joy is the best curative to the difficult year we have had so far. We have hope and faith that there are better days to come and we will have the courage to meet these days with open hearts and minds.
Kindergarten 2021 enrolment now available
We are currently accepting applications for Kinder 2021. Enrolment packages are available from the school office. Alternatively, an electronic copy can be downloaded from the school website. We will be conducting interviews (with appropriate social distancing measures) in the next couple of weeks. We will be making offers of enrolment by the end of Term 2. If you have a child due to come to school or know someone who is considering a Catholic education, please make contact with us so we can begin the enrolment process.
Interim Semester 1 Report issued by COMPASS on Friday 26 June by 4pm
At the end of Semester 1, we normally issue a progress report. Given the unusual and disrupted year we have had, the decision has been taken by our diocesan office that all catholic schools will issue an “Interim Semester 1 Report”. Please be advised that this is not a progress report. The Interim Semester 1 Report will look quite different to our normal Semester Progress Report. In this Interim Semester 1 Report, your child will be graded on engagement and effort in just Religious Education, English and Mathematics. The report will be issued to families on Friday 26 June via COMPASS.
Parent Teacher Interviews- bookings now open
You have received information this week regarding the upcoming Parent Teacher interviews (see the COMPASS notification on Monday 15 June for further details). Bookings for the interviews are now open. We are offering fifteen minute parent and teacher interviews during the last week of term (Mon 29 June to Thurs 2 July). These meetings are more important than ever this year. We need to talk together about your child and how we will progress together in Semester 2.
Building update and moving in pupil free days Monday 20 July and Tuesday 21 July
We remain on track to have the building completed in readiness for Term 3. Painting and carpet laying will be completed by the end of the school holidays. There has been a delay with the delivery times for furnishings. We will be able to move into the Year 5 and 6 classrooms on Thursday of Week 1 (Thurs 23 July).
In order to set up our school office and administration areas as well as ready the Year 5 and Year 6 classrooms for the children, the Catholic Education Office has given us two moving days. These days will be Monday 20 July and Tuesday 21 July. We are asking that you keep your children at home on these days while the staff move and set up in the refurbished buildings. We will offer supervision only to children of families who are unable to make alternative arrangements for the children on these two days. I am aware that this is going to be challenging for some families. We appreciate your support and understanding. The first day of classes in Term 3 will be Wednesday 22 July for all children.
Please keep children presenting with respiratory illness symptoms at home
If your child is showing even mild symptoms of respiratory illness, please keep them home. If your child is presenting with respiratory illness symptoms at school, we will ring you to pick up your child from school. We are applying the same standard to all school staff.
COVID-19 medical clearances
We have had some questions regarding COVID-19 testing and clearances.
- If your child has had a COVID-19 test, please let us know, provide the result to us as well as a COVID-19 clearance.
- If we send your child home from school because we suspect COVID-19 (temperature, cough, sore throat or shortness of breath), we will ask you to take your child to the doctor to be tested. In this case, we will require a clearance before your child returns to school.
- If we send your child home from school due to illness (for example, headache, runny nose, sneezing, fatigue or aches and pains), we ask that you get a medical clearance from your medical practitioner. This does not need to be a COVID-19 clearance. A standard doctor’s certificate (or equivalent) is satisfactory.
- If your child is unwell with non-COVID-19 symptoms, has not had a COVID-19 test and you have kept your child at home, you do not need to have a medical clearance to return to school. We ask that you keep your child at home until the symptoms resolve.
CEDoW COVID-19 website remains our “source of truth”
The website aims to provide clear and accurate messaging for our school communities. A link to the COVID-19 Information Centre has been placed on our school website home page. It is also available on the CEDoW website. You can access the site from this link.
https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/general-news/covid-19-information-centre
Sport Uniform Days by Class
Your child will need to wear the sport uniform on the following days each week.
Kindergarten- Friday
Year 1- Friday
Year 2- Friday
Year 3- Wednesday & Friday
Year 4- Wednesday & Friday
Year 5- Wednesday & Friday
Year 6-Wednesday & Friday
Crazy Sock Day
On Wednesday this week, staff and students were invited to show courage by wearing crazy socks to school. It was great to see such a variety of colours, stripes, spots, animals, foods and frills. In the classroom students watched a presentation about courage from the teachers. They also engaged with the latest LOLS episode, which was also about courage. Students were invited to share their ideas and experiences about courage. It was a wonderful, successful day!
St Paul’s Parish YouTube Channel
Here is the link to the St Paul’s Parish YouTube Channel where you can watch live and recorded Masses and prayers:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCL9F08CA4ayKjhG-3ke-2rQ
Ripples Podcast
Ripples is a PODCAST developed for staff and parents for on-going spiritual formation. It seeks to offer a space where people can draw on the wisdom of a series of guest speakers and can experience some treasured stillness through meditation. Practices like these create a ripple effect. They have the potential to impact the way we respond to family, friends, collegues, to creation and to our loving God. Come and enjoy some Inspired Voices and Treasured Stillness:
https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/clem-spiritual-formation/spiritual-formation/parents
Catherine du Bois
Religious Education Coordinator
What is “Reflection”?
We teach and reinforce positive behaviour expectations to our children. We want to setup all our children for success at school. Sometimes, things go wrong. Our school escalation sequence manages children who are making poor choices and decisions. The card system is a key part of this escalation process. Escalation sequence includes a “Reflection” as a consequence of a Red Card behaviour. We have had some questions and misconceptions about what “Reflection” means and what it looks like should your child find him or herself in this position.
Reflection is a calm, formal timeout during break time for students who have received a Red Card. During Reflection Time, the student comes to Leadership (usually Mrs Browne or sometimes another designated staff member).
Reflection is a teaching opportunity as well as a consequence. The child is asked to reflect on the reasons why he or she received the red card. This includes a review of the steps that preceded receiving the Red Card and the choices the child made. The Reflection is structured using the Reflection Sheet. Children have the option to write or draw their response. The children are asked to think about and respond to the following questions;
- Why are you on reflection?
- Which Code 5 rules did you break?
- How do the other people feel?
- What can you do to make up?
- What can you do differently next time?
This last reflection question is the most important part of the process. This is where we ask the child to think about alternative ways they could deal with a situation in a better way in the future. Our aim to have the child take responsibility for his or her actions and we help them to make better choices in the future.
For example, after a hands on incident a child may tell us they were angry because of a situation that has occurred between friends. We talk to the child about what made them angry in the first place and what we could do about that. We listen to the child and ask them to think about the impact of his or her actions on others. We acknowledge that it is OK to feel angry. It is the choices we make when we are angry that is important.
Another example would be when a child says they thought they were joking or just offering an opinion that has caused significant hurt or upset to others. We talk about what is considered a joke and when a joke is going too far. We talk about how words can hurt and how considering the feelings of others is important. We practice alternative ways of expressing our feelings or opinions that show respect and consideration to others.
There are times when children don’t know or understand why they reacted the way they did in a particular situation. We talk about the signs that might indicate that they are not OK and their emotions are getting out of control. We teach the children that these signs are a clue to walk away and seek the help of a teacher.
Once the child has completed the Reflection Sheet, they eat their food and they wait until the break is finished. We always make sure the child has time to go to the toilet and get a drink before returning to class.
A reflection letter will be sent home with your child. There is a section at the bottom for you to sign and return to school. When your child presents you with the letter ask your child what happened and what they were able to work out during reflection. Reflection is a learning opportunity for the student to think about their behaviour choices. It is about give them options and skills in how to make better behaviour choices in the future.
The St Paul’s Moss Vale - Parent Portal has links to a variety of online learning platforms teachers use with the students. If you would like to learn more about these please go to the Classwork page where you will find the links. Parent portal link below:
| YEAR | STUDENT NAME | REASON |
| KINDERGARTEN | Landon Lewis | Being helpful to others |
| YEAR 1 | Luella Burgess | For helping to keep our room clean without being asked. |
| YEAR 2 | Xander Eggleston | For always including everyone during playtime. |
| YEAR 3 | Aiden Speerin | For including another student in his game when they had noone to play with. |
| YEAR 4 | Harmony Grenfell | For inviting another student to join in a game. |
| YEAR 5 | Clare Grosvenor | Treating her friends and classmates with kindness. |
| YEAR 6 | Liam Ellis | All for All |
On Wednesday, all staff and students participated in Crazy Sock Day!
Everyone joined in on the fun and we saw some really crazy and fun socks!
