“They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority.”

Mark 1: 22

(from the Gospel for the fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B)

Dear parents and carers

Welcome to the 2021 school year!

Today we welcomed our Year 1 to Year 6 children back to school for 2021. This is always an exciting time of year. The children have returned to school full of stories of their adventures from the summer holidays. They are clearly ready to learn. The children of our school are always a delight and a delight to work with!

Next Thursday 4 February, right across our diocesan system of schools, Kindergarten children will begin their school life. Starting school is always a significant milestone in the life of the child, the child’s family and school. We look forward to welcoming our youngest children into the school community. Over the next week, each of the children will attend their Best Start appointment with Mrs Calla-Hunstone.

In addition to our Kindergarten families, we have had quite a few new families and children joining St Paul’s right across the school. We welcome each of them to our community. The children have made their new classmates feel welcome. I am very proud of the warm, friendly manner in which the children have embraced their new classmates. This is part of our Catholic Christian faith tradition, to offer welcome to newcomers.

Our school vision statement presents us all with the challenge to be “All to all in faith and learning”. This challenge applies to everyone within our community - to our students, teachers and support staff and parents who have chosen to be part of our school and thus, part of our parish community. The major function of all Catholic schools is to work together in order to “be the face of Christ” to the children and families entrusted to our care. St Paul wrote that in communities we ought “to encourage one another and build one another up” (1Thess 5:11). What a wonderful aspiration for our whole community to continually work towards! The measure of our success is how well we treat each other, the respect we show in our words, actions and how faithfully we live in gratitude to our creator God. In doing this together, we are showing our children how Christian adults conduct themselves. This is how the children learn to grow in faith. This is what Jesus asked of us - that we extend the reign of God as a living presence within our school, families and community relationships.

I am always happy to talk to you about the future of our school. I’d love to listen to your ideas and hopes for our school. Whilst not all things are possible, it can be productive to think together about what we can do and what is possible to achieve together. Please don’t be shy to say “hello”. I am always ready and willing to meet with you to discuss anything about your child’s learning or our school. Home and school are partners in the important job of educating your children. Good, open, honest and respectful communication is the key to all relationships. Let’s make this a priority for our shared work together.

Teacher Grade Allocations for 2021

The grade allocations for teachers was advised in Week 7 of Term 4. Since then, there have been a couple of adjustments. During the holidays, Mrs Alyssa Williamson has accepted a full time position at St Michael’s Mittagong. We thank Mrs Williamson for her work, dedication and care in the two years she worked at St Paul’s and wish her the very best for the future. Consequently, Mrs Burton has decided to return to full time work with Year 1. Ms Mari Sullivan, our school’s Instructional Coach will work in this capacity Tuesday to Thursday supporting classroom practice. She will now work on Monday in Year 2 with Miss Malloy taking Year 2 for the remainder of the week. Ms Sullivan will also work in Year 6 on Fridays when Miss du Bois has release time for her Religious Education Coordinator role.

Kindergarten- Mrs Tania Calla-Hunstone

Year 1- Mrs Marg Burton 

Year 2- Miss Jess Molloy (Tues- Fri) / Ms Mari Sullivan (Mon)

Year 3- Mr Chris Boyd

Year 4- Mrs Yvonne Kiah

Year 5- Mrs Jo Smith

Year 6- Mrs Catherine du Bois (Mon- Thurs)/ Ms Mari Sullivan (Fri)

Library/ PPT- Mrs Louise Cassidy

Diverse Learning Support- Mrs Mary Lou Claremont

Instructional Coach- Ms Mari Sullivan (Tues- Thurs)

Assistant Principal- Mrs Katie Browne

Our wonderful school support staff for 2021 are:

SSSO- Mrs Eileen Vaughn

Office SSO- Mrs Hayley Barton

EALD- Mrs Jodie Iliani

SSO- Mrs Michelle Gilespie, Mrs Raelene Rowland, Mrs Maria Cevernaro, Mrs Helen Gorton

Listening Interviews for Year 2 to Year 6 in Week 3 (Monday 8 Feb to Thursday 11 Feb)

Knowing each child as a person and as a learner is an important part in establishing an effective learning environment for your child in their new class. In Week 3, we will conduct what we call “listening interviews”. This is an opportunity for you to meet and to talk with your child’s teacher for the year. The purpose of these meetings is for you to tell your child’s teacher about your child. The teachers are listening to you. You know your child better than anyone and we want to know all about your child. These brief ten minute meetings are vital in establishing the home and school relationship. At the meeting you will be given a class overview for the term. You will receive an update of the overview at the beginning of each term. We will send home an online booking note early next week. I ask that you make these meetings a priority. A COMPASS booking for the Listening Interviews will be opened next week.

Kinder and Year 1 Meeting Tuesday 9 February at 6pm in the school hall

Kindergarten and Year 1 families are invited to a meeting at 6pm on Tuesday 9th February to learn about how we teach reading at St Paul’s and how you can help. After an initial presentation you will be separated into Kinder and Year 1 parent groups. The term overview will be presented to you at this time as well as an explanation of the expectations for the year. If you have a child in both Kinder and Year 1, we suggest you attend the Year 1 meeting. These meetings will take about 45 minutes in total.

COVID-19 Advice

We have received the latest advice from NSW Health and CEDoW. I shared a letter last week (21 January) advising the current raft of safety restrictions we are required to implement. In short, we are now able to have whole school Masses, weekly assembly, parent meetings including P&F and Personal Planning meetings. We will be able to conduct a swimming carnival and cross country later in Term 1. 

Unfortunately, restrictions on parents and community members being on the school grounds or attending school events off site remain in place. If these restrictions change we will certainly let you know. We would love to have our community with us at these important milestone events.

Beginning of School Mass Thursday 4 February at 9:30am

Next week, we will celebrate the beginning of our year together with a school Mass for Year 1 to Year 6. We will come together to ask God’s blessing on our community and our work together for 2020. Fr Richard is currently on annual leave and we will have a supply priest from Penrose Park saying Mass for us. 

Kindergarten will not attend this Mass given that this is their first day of school. They will visit the church as part of their school tour. We will arrange for Fr Richard to visit them in their classroom when he returns from leave. 

Unfortunately, parents and community members are not permitted to attend this Mass due to COVID-19 restrictions. We sincerely hope that this will change as the year progresses. For now, parent attendance is not possible.

1:1 iPad Meeting Wednesday 3 February at 6pm in the school hall

Last year, we introduced a 1:1 iPad program commencing in Year 3. The program was a great success. Digital devices have become an integral and daily part of our classroom instruction. The school offers a device management system for school sourced iPads which families pay off over two years as part of the school resource fee.

On Wednesday 3 February at 6pm we will conduct an “On Boarding” meeting at which we will distribute the iPads to the Year 3 families. We need all Year 3 students and one (or both) parents to attend this meeting.

We will go over the details of how our school management system works. We will also ask you to sign an agreement with the school for the payment of the iPad over the next two years. Once the Financial Agreements and Responsible User Agreements are signed and returned, we will then be able to give the children their iPad with our school profile, defined apps preloaded as well as a cover. The meeting ought to take no longer than 45 minutes.

All children at St Paul’s will sign a “Responsible User Agreement” irrespective of their participation in the managed 1:1 iPad program. All classes in the school will undertake a digital citizenship program during Term 1 obviously at an age and stage appropriate level. We want all our children to be skilled, critical and safe users of technology.

CODE 5 update

Our school’s Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) team and the school staff have reviewed our school’s Code 5 system. Accordingly, we have adjusted the language to be more embracing of the concept of respect. At today’s whole school assembly, we talked to the children about the new language and how it looks in real life. Code 5 remains at the heart of our school’s affirmation and correction sequence. We have printed signs and banners and placed them in every classroom and around the school. The teachers will teach and explain Code 5 with the children throughout the year.

The new Code 5 language is

• Respect myself
• Respect others
• Respect learning
• Respect the environment
• Be a Mission Star

P&F Annual General Meeting (AGM) Wednesday 10 February at 7pm & nomination process.

St Paul’s has a long and proud history of parent and community involvement in the life of the school. The Parents and Friends (P&F) is the parent body that facilitates and coordinates this involvement. The work of the P&F is to fund raise in order  to support the school and provide much needed resources for all our children to use. All parents of St Paul’s are automatically members of the Parents & Friends Association. You do not need to join or be invited. 

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the P&F was in abeyance for 2020. We are now in a position to revive the P&F for 2021.

The P&F meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the school staffroom for one hour.

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) for the P&F will be held on Wednesday 10 February at 7:00 pm in the school hall.  Attached to this newsletter is a nomination form for the executive positions within the P&F. If you would like to nominate someone for these positions, please write the person’s  name and indicate the position (or positions) for which you wish to nominate them. As a courtesy, please let the person you are nominating know that you are doing so. All nominations will be seconded at the AGM. Place the nomination form in a sealed envelope addressed to the Principal and return it to the school office before Tuesday 9 February.

Gym on Fridays for all classes 

We have engaged a specialist sports company, Gymnastrix, to conduct gymnastics lessons with all classes on Fridays. The company provides qualified teachers, who deliver the program and assess the children against NESA syllabus outcomes. They also provide all the necessary gym equipment for the program. The cost of this program is included as part of your school fees. All children will need to wear their sport uniform on Fridays for Term 1. All students will wear their spots uniform tomorrow.

Sport Uniforms

Sport uniforms are to be worn on the following days for each class:

Kindergarten - Wednesday & Friday

Year 1 - Friday

Year 2 - Friday

Year 3 - Wednesday & Friday

Year 4 - Wednesday & Friday

Year 5 - Wednesday & Friday

Year 6 - Wednesday & Friday

Whole School Assembly on Thursdays

We are now able to recommence a weekly whole school assembly with COVID-19 social distancing precautions. We will conduct the assembly at 2:15pm each week during Term 1. At the assembly, we will pray our school prayer, sing the national anthem, acknowledge birthdays and celebrate children who have reached affirmation milestones. Unfortunately, we are unable to have parents or community members at these assemblies. Should this change, we will of course notify you.

Interest Groups

In previous years we have been able to offer interest groups. We offered robotics, drama and performance, singing, science group, art and gardening. COVID-19 restrictions prevented us from offering these groups for most of 2020. Unfortunately, the requirement to minimise mixing class groups remains in place. This makes offering Interest Groups impossible. Should the restrictions change we certainly reconsider this. We would love the kids to have the opportunity to pursue their interests.

OOSH

There has been a change of management at the OOSH service at Moss Vale Public School.

A new provider has been appointed - Country Children's Early Learning. 

They will take bookings from families from our school.

Below are their contact details to book in care for 2021:

Photograph Permission

You will receive next week the photo permission form for your children. We are required to seek this permission from you annually. The consent form allows for your child’s image to be used in the school newsletter, our school facebook page or by the diocese in their publications (print and digital). If you do not give consent for your child’s image to be used or do not return the permission form, we will not be able to use your child’s image. Your child therefore, will not appear in any of our school publications (print and digital inclusive). We love to celebrate all children’s achievements and participation in school events. Publishing pictures is a good way to do this. We ask that you return the consent forms at your earliest convenience.

School Terms for 2021

Just a quick reminder that there will be no Commonwealth Bank student banking this year.

We have a basket of unnamed lost property in the school office.  If your child has lost an item of clothing that wasn't labelled, please come to the front office to have a look for your missing item.

In Week 3 we will donate any unclaimed clothing to Vinnies.