Dear Parents & Guardians,

Last week the parish and school community gathered together to mark the beginning of Lent in our Liturgical year with the Ash Wednesday Mass.

Lent is often seen as a time when people ‘give things up’. This comes from the practice of fasting and careful preparation for baptism at Easter which once took place. It is associated with the period of 40 days which Jesus spent in the wilderness preparing himself for his ministry.

As Catholics it is important to reflect on what Lent means to us in our relationship with God. It is a time to cut out the background noise of life and listen to God’s voice and turn our hearts and minds in the right direction and find true fulfilment in living.

• Prayer offers us all a privileged opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to a way of life grounded in our Baptism. Are you making time in your day to spend in prayer?

• Fasting and Almsgiving can be closely linked. Pope Francis states: “Fasting makes sense if it really chips away at our security and, as a consequence, benefits someone else, if it helps us cultivate the style of the Good Samaritan, who bent down to his brother in need and took care of him.” During Lent do you think God needs the chocolate, lollies, and other trivial things we tend to give up? God needs us to look deep within ourselves and reflect. God wants our heart.

I leave you some practical ideas to consider with you and your child/ren during this Lenten season:

1. Fasting: Refrain from gossip and unkind words

Give up gossiping for Lent. If someone says something negative about another person, either say something nice or don’t say anything at all.

2. Prayer: Be kind to your heart and body

Spend Lent focusing on taking care of the body that God gave you. Set aside time each day for prayer and contemplation.

3. Almsgiving: Be kind to others

Challenge yourself to be nice, even when others are not. Say 3 nice things to family and friends each day.

May you and your family have a blessed Lent.

Sheereen Brunetta
Acting Principal

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

Kieran VanDerLinden, Oliver Morassut, Tobias Itskos, John Luci, Amelia Nelson, Declan Fairbrother, William Luck, Addison Lovett, Madeline Hooper, Lewis Danjoux, Isaac Gandola, Elijah Mercieca, Harper Limbrey, Bryson Marano, Athan Drakakis, Hudson Macdonald, Hannah Andreuzza, Lucy Murphy

Thank you for your school's participation in Catholic Schools Week from 1-7 March. It's a wonderful opportunity to celebrate and showcase many of the fantastic things happening in your school every day, and in all our Catholic schools across the Diocese of Wollongong.

We thank you for working together in partnership with us to help make your school community such a vibrant, nurturing place of learning, faith, belonging and hope.

If you or a family member or friend would like to enrol your child in one of our schools, please download an enrolment package here.

Have a look at our Catholic Schools Week video below, celebrating what our students across the diocese love about their Catholic school. Can you spot the students from your school?

Social Emotional Learning (SEL)

This year St Paul’s will begin to implement SEL (Social and Emotional Learning). This will be embedded within our new PDHPE curriculum and lessons. SEL has 5 core components that students will be introduced to.

For the remainder of the term, I will unpack each of the core competencies so that way you are aware of what students will be taught within the new PDHPE curriculum.

Self Awareness is… 

Recognising and understanding our feelings, while valuing our strengths and abilities. This is the most important component for students in the development of their social emotional learning. 

To promote this at St Paul’s, our whole school practice is journaling on Friday afternoon about something positive that happened this week. In addition to journaling, each grade has a daily routine to develop mindfulness. 

Across the school, students are spending 5 minutes meditating after 1st break, taking the time to relax and create a mind ready for learning.

Book Club 

Sacrament of Penance Programme

New Canteen Price List

P&F AGM 

Reminder - P&F Annual General Meeting 7.00 pm Wednesday 4 March 2020 to be held in the Heritage Hall followed by the usual monthly General Meeting – all welcome.

Voting for P&F Executive positions

Thank you to those who have nominated for Executive positions. We have received the following nominations:

President:          Annemarie Lauricella, Danielle Ryan
Vice President:   Kylie Farrugia
Treasurer:          Michelle Muscat
Secretary:          None

We are still seeking someone to fill the Secretary role and nominations will be taken from the floor at the AGM. If you wish to find-out more about the Secretary role please contact the out-going Secretary, Henry Pisanko at pandfstpaulscamden@gmail.com.

At the AGM, all candidates will talk briefly as to the contribution they can give to the position and they will need to be Proposed and Seconded.

All parents are welcome to attend the AGM. Voting will be via secret ballot and Mr Reardon will be the returning officer who will manage this process. 

High School Open Days/Information Evenings

Catholic Care