Newsletter Week 6 Term 1 2021

“Whoever drinks the waters I give will never thirst”

John 4: 14

(from the Gospel for the third  Sunday of Lent, Year B)

Dear parents and carers,

This week we have been celebrating the bicentennial of Catholic education in Australia. Catholic education now serves around 1 in 5  (or 20%) of all students enrolled in Australian schools. Ours is a proud heritage and one that we deserve to celebrate in this two hundredth year of Catholic education in Australia.

This week we have been teaching the children about  our church history in Australia. We have produced a “Lessons of Liturgy and Scriptures” (LOLS) video with Fr Richard focussing on Catholic Schools Week which we shared with the children at assembly. Our children need and deserve to know about this rich history and the great story of which they are now a part.

WESTERN REGION SWIMMING CARNIVAL

Yesterday, our swimming team competed at the Western Region Swimming Carnival at Bradbury. Our children performed brilliantly and achieved some great results. Importantly, they represented our school and community with great pride and dignity. We are very proud of all our swimmers.

Matthew Holmes set a new western region record for junior boys 50 metre freestyle. Lucas and Matthew Holmes were declared Western Region Age champions for the 11 years boys and junior boys divisions respectively. Minna Bowen was placed third as the 11 years girls age champion.

Some of the results for our swimmers for the day were as follows:

Lucas Holmes - 100m free (4th); 50m free (2nd); 50m back (2nd); 50m butterfly (3rd); 50m breaststroke (3rd); Individual Medley (4th); AGE Champion 11years boys

Matthew Holmes - 50m free (1st - New Record); 50m back (1st); 50m butterfly (1st); 50m breaststroke (2nd); Individual Medley (1st); AGE Champion Junior Boys

Minna Bowen - 100m free (8th); 50m free (7th); 50m back (6th); 50m butterfly (3rd); 50m breaststroke (6th); Individual Medley (6th); AGE Champion 11 years girls third place 

Dominic Bowen - 50m free (3rd)

Henry Holmes - 50m free (1st)

Ella Caseley - 50m breaststroke (4th);

Following the western region carnival, we have had the following students qualify to participate in the Diocesan Trials to be held next Monday (8 March) at Corrimal Pool. They are Minna Bowen, Dominic Bowen, Lucas Holmes, Matthew Holmes, Henry Holmes and Ella Caseley. We wish those swimmers all the very best next Monday.

A big thank you to Mrs Browne for accompanying the children to Bradbury, Mr McCue for driving the bus loaned to us by Chevalier College and to Mrs Holmes for being a time official on the day.

WORKING BEE- tomorrow Friday 5 March from 3:15pm till 5pm

Our first P&F activity for the year will be a working bee after school tomorrow 5 March. COVID restrictions state, ”After hours outdoor activities that involve parent/community gatherings, such as working bees can proceed, with up to 100 people outdoors for schools in the Southern Highlands and  Shoalhaven.” 

The main job for the working bee is to spread soft fall on the Adventure and Infants playgrounds.  We have taken delivery of twenty cubic metres of soft fall today. It has been dropped in two spots in the Adventure Playground. We will need to move some of the softfall up to the Infants Playground for spreading. If someone has a box trailer to help with this move from the Adventure Playground to the Infants Playground, it will save a lot of work. If you can help out with a trailer, please give the Office a call. 

The school has a limited supply of hand tools available for use. If you could bring some tools, it would be greatly appreciated.

If you can bring shovels, rakes, wheelbarrows or even those large, soft plastic tubs (such as from Aldi or Bunnings) that would be very helpful. 

We also have some pruning and weeding to be done in the gardens around the school. Notably the St Paul statue garden and hedge needs a trim. The Dadirri Garden (near the small weather shed) also needs a tidy up. The school’s veggie gardens that have had a fallow year with the building project. They now need to be weeded and have compost added. Again, if you are a gardener, it would be most helpful if you are able to bring pruning tools, hedge shears, leaf blowers and digging forks.

Children are welcome to attend and help out. Please be aware that children are in your care at the working bee. 

Safety is important. We ask that everyone wear enclosed footwear, hat and sunscreen and work gloves are encouraged.

Whatever time you and your family are able to give will be both helpful and appreciated. We aim to be finished by 5pm. Many hands make light work!

STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY- Monday 8 March with no classes being held

We will be conducting a staff development day on Monday 8 March. This means that there will be no classes or supervision at school on that day. The school staff are undertaking mandatory first aid training including anaphylaxis and asthma training. These skills are important in keeping your children safe at school. All schools are required to stay up to date with first aid annually.

P&F MEETING- 9 March at 7pm in SCHOOL HALL

We will hold our next P&F meeting in the school hall (not the staffroom) next Tuesday evening at 7pm. Everyone is welcome to attend. All families with children enrolled at St Paul’s are automatically members of the P&F. You do not need to join. Just turn at 7pm and you will be made very welcome. Our meeting typically last for one hour. 

PERSONAL PLANNING (PP) MEETINGS- Thurs 11 March, Wed 17 March, Thurs 18 March

We will be conducting our next round of PP meetings over three days in the coming weeks. PP are negotiated with the families of children who require additional support at school to access the general curriculum on the same basis as other children. The school is required to identify children, provide evidence for this identification, design, implement, monitor and evaluate these interventions each semester. The family and child are included in this planning process. Families who are involved with the PP process will have received a letter inviting them to nominate a PP meeting which takes around 30 minutes. The booking process is via COMPASS. This is an important and practical way in which we can enact the partnership between home and school in the best interests of your child. We strongly suggest that you prioritise these meetings.

INNES ROAD PICKUP- parent responsibilities

Today we practiced the Innes Road pickup routine with all the children. They have been reviewing the procedure in class with their teachers all week. 

We ask that parents please come into the school ground via the IN gate, collect your child and exit via the OUT gate. The children will wait for you behind the yellow line. Once you are inside the school grounds, the supervising teachers will dismiss your child to you. Please do not stand outside the gates and call your child. It makes it difficult and potentially dangerous for everyone.

After collecting your child from inside the gates, we ask that you move off to your cars promptly thus clearing the way for other parents collecting their children. 

We have told the children that playing on the road side is dangerous and not to happen. We want all our children safe. We are asking for your cooperation in complying with this procedure in order to keep everyone safe.

COVID-19 Advice

There have been no further adjustments to COVID-19 restrictions this week. Regrettably, the restrictions on parents and community members being on the school grounds or attending school events off site remains in place. If these restrictions change we will certainly let you know. Click here for the  current COVID- 19 guidelines for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wollongong. 

RESPONSIBLE USER AGREEMENTS- now due back to school

All children at St Paul’s are required to sign a “Responsible User Agreement”(RUA). A gentle reminder to sign and return the agreement at your earliest convenience. If you need another copy of the RUA, please contact the school office. We would like to finale this process.

All classes in the school will undertake a digital citizenship program during Term 1 at an age and stage appropriate level. We want all our children to be skilled, critical and safe users of technology as opposed to being passive consumers of digital content.

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

School Terms for 2021

Sacramental Program

Please continue to pray for the students who will be making their First Reconciliation this weekend.

Catholic Schools Week

This year, Catholic Schools Week (CSW) will be held from 28 February - 6 March. The theme for 2021 is ‘Faith in the Future’. This theme is shared with dioceses across the country as together we celebrate 200 years of Catholic education in Australia.

During this week, classes participated in a range of activities to celebrate Catholic Schools Week. A special LOLS video was created to celebrate this event and was shared during our whole school assembly. This episode has also been uploaded to our school Facebook page.

Thank you

Catherine du Bois

Religious Education Coordinator

Week 6

This week we will be focusing on the afternoon pick up procedures with our students. Teachers have been discussing the expectations with the children and we have had a practice of this today at school. These procedures are in place in order to keep everyone safe at school and when leaving to go home. We appreciate your support in following these procedures and discussing the importance of being safe when going home with your children

AFTERNOON PROCEDURES

Buses: Children line up in bus lines and are escorted by the duty teachers to the buses on Garrett St from 3pm. Bus drivers are asking the children to have their bus passes ready for them to see. If your child has not yet received their bus pass in the mail then please contact Berrima Buslines for further information.

Walkers and Riders: Leave from the Garrett Street exit after the first three buses have left. If you are going to be walking with your child, we ask that you wait out the front and once the buses have left you may leave with your child. No student should be leaving by car from this exit unless previous arrangements have been made with the principal. There are circumstances where a parent or carer may need to collect a student from the front entrance. This is arranged with the family and often occurs after the buses have left for safety reasons.

Cars: If you are picking a child up by car then you must pick up from Innes Road unless an agreed arrangement has been put in place with the principal to collect your child from the front entrance. We deliberately keep cars and buses separated to ensure everyone’s safety. Children are walked in colour house groups by the duty teachers down the egress to the yellow painted line, (Blue House followed by Red Followed by Gold). We ask parents to wait inside the gate and behind the yellow line. Once the children have arrived they may walk to their parents and then leave via the exit gate. Children must hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road. Children are not permitted to walk out the gate to meet you. Parents must come inside the gate. This is to ensure everyone's safety and that no child can get through the gate without an adult.

Teachers wait until 3:10pm before walking back into the school. Children who have not been collected by this time are taken to the office. We ask parents to please be prompt in collecting your children. Your children are not supervised by a teacher after the pick up times. Colour house order for arrival at the Innes Rd exit is Blue, Red and then Gold house.

Changes to pick up arrangements: Please notify the office by 2:30pm. It is very difficult for messages to be delivered after this time and can result in confusion. For younger children it can be helpful for parents to make a small card the same size as a bus pass that says what the arrangements are each day if they are not the same everyday.

We appreciate and thank you for your support with these arrangements as it ensures everyone is safe when going home.

These procedures are on the parent portal should you wish to read through them at any time. The parent portal is also full of links to other great websites and information about what is happening at school. Take some time to have a look.

Appin Massacre Memorial Ceremony Sunday 18th April 2021

Heal Country Competition

We have lots of unnamed lost property in the office including plasticwear and drink bottles.

Please ask your child if they have lost anything to come to the office and inspect all the items.

We will be donating the plasticwear and drink bottles to charity next week.