Dear Parents/Carers,                                                                        

The start to school this year has been a very smooth one. Just 4 weeks into the school year and we have already had a P&F meeting and Fete Committee meeting, as well as settle kindergarten into the St Paul’s way.  In addition to this, we have also welcomed new families into our school and this will be followed up with our P&F parent welcome evening on the 14th March.

The stories about school life are great motivators to do this work where I have the privilege to lead a school community. As I am sure many of you are aware, the children in pairs are able to book an appointment through the office to play me in chess. The children have to come in pairs, get their date, which must be at lunch time, remember it and turn up, all their responsibility. I am booked out till the end of March already. Is a game of chess that important? Absolutely not! However, connecting is, and sharing stories over a game of chess creates this. In fact, you would be amazed about many of my learnings over a game of chess that I am blessed to experience with the children.

Finally I’d also like to share my experiences so far with the CCTV cameras.  Two recent matters motivated me to view footage from the cameras to see with clarity each matter in hand before speaking to the children involved. The first matter involved a situation at the Lego table. A matter that would normally take hours to investigate literally took ten minutes to establish who was the instigator and who was impacted. In addition when giving a consequence, it was fully owned as the evidence eliminated any of the”buts” or “untruths” that such matters can sometimes impact on our ability to resolve a matter justly. Finally, we had a situation on the playground last week involving some kindergarten students where the behaviour was actually the end product and not the real problem. When I viewed the footage, it was highly evident that the little person involved was struggling with the complexity of the playground setting, putting the child into”sensory overload”. Being able to see the whole picture, including the sensory reaction made me realise that giving a consequence because of his actions was not the only consideration. After speaking to the parent and sharing the experience of the child, we were able to establish a course of action that would better support the child. Communication is the key to any relationship and this addition to life at St Paul’s is having a positive impact, helping us to make better sense of the more complex matters and how we can support those involved. My heart is happiest when it beats for others, this has been my key learning in the past fortnight.

Go Gently,         

Michael Reardon
Principal

Principal Awards

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

Bronte G, Ryan H, Aislinn M, Ariella A, Aria M, Emmanuel A, Harry S, Patrick B, Leo P, Alessia H, Poppy B, Amelia W, Cooper V, Tom B, Lyla R, Charlie M, Hugh B, Louis S, Taline A, Marlee E, Oliver L, Daniel V, Cooper J, Caelan M.

Morning Safety Issue

Yesterday, the school office received a deeply concerning letter from a community member. It highlighted the danger of students being dropped off in the Larkin Place carpark prior to our school supervision beginning.

All parents must take note that the schools supervision of students does not begin until 8:30am.

It is not acceptable for children to be dropped off at the school gate and left unaccompanied in a busy carpark. It is the responsibility of parents to supervise their children until the gates open at 8:30am. 

We thank you for your understanding in this matter to ensure all of our students are safe.

Tell Them From Me

Early next term, we will be inviting students, teachers and parents to provide feedback on their experience of our school using an online survey. The surveys are an important part of our whole school evaluation and planning process. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community we would greatly appreciate your feedback. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Paul’s. 

Further details on how to access the survey will be provided later in the term.