Dear Parents/Carers,                                                                        

Today, Saint Mary of the Cross Mackillop’s feast day was celebrated with a whole school Mass.

Mary Mackillop is the first Australian saint and the founder of the sisters of Saint Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Like Mary’s dream for her sisters to immerse themselves in the midst of life to empower others and bring hope, we at St Paul’s also follow her charism in our relationships in our own  community.

On another note, next week's PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning) target is  “At St Paul’s I can speak respectfully about my peers”. It is a significant target to assist students with developing and nurturing respectful relationships with each other. 

Part of St Paul’s Vision and Mission promotes positive relationships based on Catholic values and understandings. Respectful communication helps build trust, strengthens relationships, and encourages open and constructive discussions. Treating others with respect shows empathy and consideration for the feelings and perspectives of others. Speaking respectfully is more than the choice of language, tone or volume of voice. One of the skills necessary to speak respectfully about one’s peers is the ability to avoid gossip and rumour spreading. A skill many of the students are still learning and developing. Avoiding gossiping and spreading rumours is something even some adults can struggle with at times.

While gossiping and rumour spreading are related concepts, they are not exactly the same. 

Technically, gossip is just conversation about someone who isn’t present. By that definition, we all do it constantly and it is almost impossible not to gossip. However, gossip can be broken down into three types; neutral, positive or negative. Research tells us that the vast majority of gossip is neutral. About 75% of gossip is neutral, it is exchanging information in order to connect with others. About 9% is positive, it celebrates other people’s successes and builds them up. Finally, there is negative gossip, the kind that damages relationships. Rumour spreading on the other hand, specifically refers to the spreading of unverified or unsubstantiated information about someone or something. Rumours can be true, false,  or partially true, BUT they lack credible evidence at the time of sharing. Rumours tend to spread quickly, especially in the age of social media, which can lead to widespread misinformation and misunderstandings. In essence, gossiping involves discussing personal information or stories, while rumour spreading focuses on sharing unconfirmed or uncertain information about a person.

Both gossiping and rumour spreading can have negative consequences, as they may lead to misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and damaged relationships. Teaching children about the effects of both gossip and rumour spreading is essential to help them understand the importance of respectful relationships. It also helps them to develop healthier communication habits and become more mindful of the impact of their words. 

Knowing how to recognise and stop gossip is an invaluable skill and as educators and parents we need to work together to support our children in developing these skills. Teaching children about gossip and rumour spreading is the first step. There are a few comments that can be taught to your child for them to use when having conversations with or about peers:

• Why are you telling me that?
• I’m trying not to gossip so can we talk about something else
• I think we could talk about something nicer

Remember, teaching children about gossip and rumours is an ongoing process, and I encourage you as parents to be patient and supportive throughout. 

Have a blessed week,

Sheereen Brunetta
Assistant Principal

Principal Awards

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

Antonio Accoto, Eve Rota, Lucy Murphy, Eldan Varghese, Alessia Castellano, Emily Edgerton, Kian Gutierrez, Lucas Rota, Sage Trovato, Alice Farrugia, Isaac Muscat, Valentino Santucci, Felicity Oake, Jessica Mikhail, Christopher Attard, Jemma Bartolo, Gisele Gandola.

Mayor for a Day Competition

Congratulations to Anthony (Year 6), who last week was given the opportunity to present a speech in the Mayor for a Day Competition.