Dear Parents/Carers,                                                                        

Another St Paul’s Fete has come and gone—and what a wonderful day it was! These special events remain with our students long after they leave our school, and it’s heartening to know that we, as a community, helped create another cherished memory for them.

The fete is more than a fundraiser or fun day. It’s a clear expression of what makes St Paul’s so unique—our shared partnership as parents, staff, and parish working together in a spirit of faith and joy. Events like these are where we see our Catholic story come to life, not just in words, but in action.

From setting up stalls, to flipping sausages, to acknowledging children as they took their turn on rides—every act of service helped to write that story. Thank you to everyone who contributed their time, effort, and heart. Your generosity reflects the Gospel story we strive to instil in our students each day.

A personal highlight for me was being invited by two students to join them on the dodgem cars. Yes—we got thoroughly smashed each time (no surprises there!), but we also laughed, connected, and built a memory that will last. It may seem like a small moment, but it’s in these moments that our Catholic story is made real—through joy, community, and shared experience.

We are still finalising some payments, but early figures show that the fete raised approximately $65,000. These funds will be managed by the P&F and used to support school-wide community initiatives throughout the year, such as Grandparents and Great People Day and our Christmas Story, as well as supporting the resources in the school. This generous support also helps us direct school funding to major infrastructure improvements—like the first stage of our $88,000 air-conditioning upgrade, with more to come.

Let me leave you with this simple yet profound image from Mark’s Gospel:

“This is what the kingdom of God is like.
A man scatters seed on the ground.
Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up,
the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how.”
Mark 4:26–27

Our partnership—our sowing of seeds—may not always show immediate results, but over time, it nurtures a thriving, faith-filled community. Thank you for being part of this journey.

Go Gently,         

Michael Reardon
Principal

Fete Stall Holder Thank You Dinner

A reminder that the Fete Stall Holder thank you dinner is being held next Friday, 13 June 2025.

Principal Awards

Congratulations to the following students who have recently received a Principal Award.

Adriano D, Asher G, Lola C, Sam Y, Zara P, Parker K, Lara R, Amelia D, Xavier R, Ashton Y, Domenic W, Kiyomi L, Leila H, Ryan M, Cohen M, Camila H, Ava B, Frederick B, Isla R, Kyana W, Louie D.

Truth Love and Faith Awards

This award reflects the vision towards which the school consistently strives, that which is embodied in its motto of Truth, Love and Faith. It is through the motto that students are continually encouraged to strive to do their best, therefore deeply embedding the ongoing spiritual, academic and social interactions students have each day whilst at school.

The Truth Love Faith award is the formal recognition of students’ commitment to Catholic learning, belonging, celebration, hope, respect and justice. This includes achievements, appropriate behaviour and consistently doing their best.

The Truth Love Faith Awards will be presented to students in Terms 2 & 4 and will be followed by recipients attending a morning tea with Mr Reardon and Mrs Brunetta.

The Truth Love and Faith Awards in Term 2 will be Friday, 20 June 2025.

Changes to PB4L Yellow Slips

At St Paul’s school, we're always looking for ways to create the best possible learning environment for your children. With that in mind, our Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) team has made an important decision about how we address minor rule infractions.

You might be familiar with the "yellow slips" that sometimes went home to parents when a student had a minor rule breach. After careful consideration, our team realized that while these slips were well-intentioned, they often created unnecessary anxiety for both students and parents. The sight of a yellow slip, even for a small issue, could cause worry at home. Because of this, we've decided to eliminate these yellow slips. Our aim is to reduce that anxiety and shift our focus to more effective, in-school strategies for managing minor behaviours.

What Does This Mean for Your Child?

It's crucial to understand that even though yellow slips are gone, we will still be addressing minor rule breaches directly with students. If your child breaks a minor rule, they will still receive a "minor" – this is an internal record of the incident. The key difference is that these "minors" will now be handled within the school. This typically means a conversation with your child and, if appropriate, a small consequence within the school environment (like a brief loss of a privilege or a restorative chat).

What Does This Mean for You, as Parents?

• Less Anxiety at Home: You won't be receiving yellow slips for those individual, minor incidents. We hope this reduces stress for both you and your child, allowing you to focus on their positive learning experiences.
• Trust in Our Internal Processes: We are confident in our ability to address these minor infractions effectively within the school. Our focus is on working with students directly to help them understand their choices and encourage positive behaviour.

Communication for Ongoing Issues: The "Mini Major"

We want to assure you that you will still be informed about ongoing behavioural patterns. If your child receives three minors within a ten-day period, you will be

contacted by the class teacher. This contact will be about what we're calling a "Mini Major," and it will provide details of the pattern of behaviour, allowing us to work together to support your child.

Our goal with this change is to create a more supportive and less anxiety-provoking environment for our families, while still ensuring that students understand expectations and are accountable for their actions. We believe this new approach will foster better self-regulation and a more positive learning experience for everyone.

Thank you for your understanding and continued partnership. We look forward to continuing to work with you to support your child's success.

PB4L Team

Gifted and Talented Week

Gifted students are often recognised by their natural abilities, characteristics and quick learning that are quite different from other children of the same age.

Some of these characteristics may include: a strong sense of curiosity; reading before school age; advanced reading ability and comprehension; understanding subject content beyond their age peers; ability to manipulate numbers from an early age; fewer repetitions needed for mastery; greater capability in abstract reasoning; knowledgeable in areas of passion; thrives on complexity and can see many points of view; mature sense of humour; and acutely aware of social justice issues.

This term, the students who attend S.P.E.E.K (St Paul's Extension and Enrichment Kids) displayed an interest in learning a second language. We are blessed to have two parents who are kindly donating their time to lead sessions, teaching the students Greek and Japanese. Thank you to Mrs Martin and Mrs Silvano for providing this opportunity to the students. If you see the S.P.E.E.K students around the school, ask them to say hello in Japanese or Greek!