“By this my Father is glorified, 

that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be my disciples.”

John 15: 8

(from the Gospel for fifth Sunday of Easter, Year B)

Dear Parents and Carers,

ANZAC Day observance

On Sunday, Gracie Bratkowski and Brittany Wray represented our school at the Moss Vale ANZAC Day commemoration at the Moss Vale RSL. The girls laid a wreath on behalf of our community. At today’s assembly we held a commemoration of ANZAC day that was led by our Year 6 leaders. Lest we forget.

CROSS COUNTRY  

Our cross country team travelled to Nowra on Tuesday to compete in the Diocesan Cross Country. The twenty four children from our school had a great day. As always, they represented our community with pride and distinction. Congratulations to all our cross country runners.

A special congratulations goes to Emiko Curcuruto and Matthew Holmes who have both qualified for the Diocesan Cross Country team in the 11 years girls and 8/9 years boys event respectively. Emiko and Matthew will travel to Eastern Creek on 8 June to compete as part of the diocesan team against other dioceses. Well done Emiko and Matthew!

KINDERGARTEN ENROLMENTS FOR 2022 ARE NOW OPEN

If you have a child who is ready for school in 2022 or you know someone who has, our enrolment period is now open. We have had strong demand for places in recent years for the limited spaces we have available. Applications can be picked up from the school office or downloaded from the school website. The first round of interviews will be conducted in the coming weeks and will continue throughout Term 2. The first round offers of enrolment will be made at the end of Term 2.

PARENTS and FRIENDS NEWS

Mothers’ Day Stall Friday 7 May

Our annual Mothers’ Day stall will be held on Friday 7 May. Children will have the opportunity to purchase a small gift for their mothers and carers. All gifts will be $5. We will coordinate the purchases of siblings to avoid doubling up on gifts. We have sent home a payment slip earlier this week. If you haven’t received it please contact the school office for a copy.  We ask that all payments be received by Wednesday 8 May. We would prefer not to be handling money on the day of the stall. We would rather be giving our attention to helping the children.

P&F meeting Tuesday 11 May at 7pm in the school hall

We will be conducting our next P&F meeting on Tuesday 11 may. We will hold the meeting in the school hall. Everyone is welcome to attend. It is a great opportunity to get involved in the life of the school and learn what is happening in our community. The parents of all children enrolled at S Paul’s are automatically members of the P&F. You do not need to join. Simply arrive at 7pm for the meeting. You will be made most welcome.  

At this meeting we will need to discuss and plan for Fr Richard and Mrs Vaughan’s farewells. We also have a need to discuss replacing the school’s portable PA system.

CANTEEN ONLINE SERVICE ON THURSDAYS 

Our school canteen service operates on Thursdays each week. The service will be an online ordering service only. Please note that there is no canteen counter service at school. 

Orders for the canteen will need to be submitted each Wednesday before Thursday service. Our canteen supplier, Fresh Start Canteens, have moved to an online ordering system called QuickCliq. Your child’s ordered lunch will be delivered to the school in time for first break each Thursday. I have attached a copy of the canteen menu to this newsletter for your information.

How this new system works:

1. Set up your QuickCliq account: you will need to set up a free account account for your family with QuickCliq in order to place orders and pay. The instructions for how to set up this account are attached to this newsletter.
2. Order and pay for your child’s lunch on Wednesday through QuickCliq. 
3. Lunch will be delivered to your child in time for the first break on Thursday.

COVID-19 safe reminders

The tragedy that is unfolding in India is a timely reminder to us all that this pandemic is not over. This week we have had a few children sick at school. There seems to be seasonal cold going around. The current government health advice reminds us that, ‘We must all remain vigilant and maintain our personal hygiene procedures at this point in time, and especially as we approach the winter season.’ Our local response to COVID-19 has been excellent. I know it is difficult to manage at times. We certainly do appreciate your on going support in managing the pandemic. The CEDoW guidelines for all Catholic schools reminds us of the following.

Stay at home if your child is unwell: If your child is unwell, please keep your child at home. If your child has ‘flu like symptoms consult your doctor and consider having a COVID- 19 test.

COVID-19 testing: If your child has been sent home from school and has been asked to have a COVID-19 test, we need to sight a negative test result before your child returns to school. An electronic copy of the text advising the negative result is sufficient.

Click here for the  current COVID- 19 guidelines for Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Wollongong. 

DROP OFF ZONE and BUS ZONE IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL

At our Garrett Street entrance to the school we have designated P2 Drop Off zone as well as a bus zone. Both these designated zones are strictly NO PARKING zones.

In the mornings, when using the Drop Off zone you should stop, allow your child to get out of the car and then immediately leave. In doing so, you free up a stopping spot for the next family which makes the system flow smoothly. Please DO NOT get out of your car and/ or walk your child into school. You are not permitted to stay in the Drop Off zone for more than two minutes. If you want to escort your child into school, please park further down Garrett Street or in the vacant lot opposite the school. You can then walk your child into school at your leisure. Afternoon pick up is from Innes Road.

Please note that it is both illegal and very dangerous to make a U-turn in front of the school.

The bus zones need to be kept clear at all times. Buses arrive throughout the morning to drop children at school. They run to a tight schedule in order to get all children using their service to schools on time. It is important that the buses are not obstructed by illegally parked cars. In the afternoon, Garrett Street is reserved for bus who arrive more or less at the same time. Children are escorted to the bus by teachers.

WINTER UNIFORM

The children look lovely in their winter school uniforms. We will wear the winter uniform throughout Term 2 and Term 3. With the weather now turning cool, we want the children to be warm and comfortable. Our uniforms are available through Whytes in Argyle Street and NSW Uniforms (online). Our uniform details including contact details for our suppliers are available under the “Parents” tab on the school website. 

Sport Uniform days for Term 2

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

Kindergarten - Wednesday and Friday

Year 1 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 2 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 3 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 4 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 5 - Wednesday and Friday

Year 6 - Wednesday and Friday

School Terms for 2021

WHY IS ARRIVING AT SCHOOL ON TIME IMPORTANT? 

Arriving at school and class on time: 

• ensures that your child doesn’t miss out on the important learning activities scheduled early in the day when they are most alert; 
• helps your child to learn the importance of punctuality and routine; and 
• gives your child time to greet their friends before class and therefore reduces the opportunity for classroom disruption. 

Lateness is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained to the school the same way as other forms of absence.

A lot can happen in the first 20mins of the school day. Children wash their hands, unpack their bags, get settled into learning by finding out what their day is going to look like and for some children interventions begin. It is really important that your child is on time and hears these messages and are settled. While we understand mornings can be difficult at times, we encourage you to find ways to ensure that your children are able to be at school on time as it will be the best possible start to the day they can have. If you are having difficulties in getting your child to school on time please let us know. We are always happy to help if we can. There are plenty of online parenting support sites that offer ideas and suggestions on morning routines. Have a look at the Parent Portal.

Class term overviews are now on the Parent Portal. These overviews let you know what the children are learning in each of the KLA’s plus other information.

https://sites.google.com/dow.catholic.edu.au/st-pauls-moss-vale/home

Regards,

Katie Browne

Assistant Principal

Sacramental Program

Please continue to pray for the students who are preparing for the sacraments of First Holy Communion and Confirmation.

Thank you 

Catherine du Bois

Religious Education Coordinator