Dear Parents & Friends,

The Australian Catholic Church has been challenged again following the reports from the media about Cardinal Pell’s conviction.  Unfortunately, the Catholic Church does not have a good story at the moment.  We are in between stories and we need to create a new story that celebrates our work and the work of the Church based on goodness, fidelity and love.  As a young person I used to grapple with the question: “How come we call the Spirit - Spirit of Peace when there is so much suffering and war in the world and why does God allow it?”  Many wise theologians have tried to understand the mystery of suffering but, like love, in its essence it is inexplicable.  I think there are times when I need to remind myself that God’s peace isn’t just everything going well with no challenges.  The one thing I do know, without doubt, St Paul’s Parish Catholic Primary School community is creating our story right now.  It is a story where I shared with you in our first newsletter our journey this year.  It MUST be a good story because you place your children in our care every day with the belief they will be kept safe, on the whole happy and finally well educated.  We thank you for having the belief in our school community to do this well.  This doesn’t mean that it is perfect all the time.  This isn’t true peace.  I pray this is the case at St Paul’s.  In light of the above I leave you with the words of Martin Luther King:

“  True peace is not the absence of tension but the presence of justice and brotherhood.”

In addition to my thoughts the following information has been given to schools by the Catholic Education Office of Wollongong:

Following media reports of the conviction of Cardinal George Pell, a statement has been released by the president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, to the Catholic community.

There is no doubt news of this verdict of Cardinal Pell will give rise to a range of emotions and responses.  The legal process will now run its course. 

We should never forget, that in any matter of this nature our prayers and concerns are with victims and their families.  Please be assured, that our school system works tirelessly to ensure the safety of every child in our schools, and will continue to do so, as together we share the responsibility for the wellbeing of your children.

If you or your child requires support, please contact the Principal directly or you may also wish to contact the CatholicCare Sydney Parent Line NSW on 1300 1300 52.  Concerns of child abuse and crimes must be reported to the relevant authorities which are the NSW department of Family and Community Services (FaCS) and the Police.

Child Protection personnel at the Catholic Education Office in Wollongong are also available to provide confidential advice and support.

See included in this newsletter the statement from Bishop Brian Mascord.

Reagrds,

Michael Reardon
Principal

Listening Assembly - A date for your calendar

WEDNESDAY, 27 MARCH 2019 6.30 - 8.30PM

A Listening Assembly is a clear structured process to seek feedback from parents in our school community about Catholic Life and Religious Education ( Prayer life of the school, Religious Education, opportunities to share faith, community service etc), Students and Their Learning ( Teaching and delivery of the curriculum, learning intervention and support, use of technology to support learning etc) and Parents and Partnership (Work of the P&F, Class Parent Reps, community events such as Grandparents Day, fete etc).

The process will value everyone’s thoughts and ideas and “funnel” them in a way that we come up with the five top ideas in each of the three areas outlines.  These ideas then will become our focus and work as a school community over the next three years and I will regularly report on our progress throughout each year.

The process will begin with finger food and drinks outside the canteen area for approximately thirty minutes before the Listening Assembly Commences.  It will also finish with finger food and drinks afterwards to make it a true social gathering.

The process will not require individuals to share their thoughts with the whole group, just a group of 8 - 10 parents which you will be seated with inside the school hall.  The ideas of each table are then funneled further to become our shared ideas and recommendations.

Please RSVP on the form below and return it to the school office or alternatively you can email your RSVP via info@spcdow.catholic or by phoning the school office on 46548900.

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Listening Assembly - RSVP

I will be attending the Listening Assembly on Wednesday, 27 March 2019.

Parent Name: _________________________________  Parent Contact:________________________

Child's Name; __________________________________  Class: __________________________________

SCHOOL OFFICE HOURS REMINDER
Please note that the School Office hours are 8.45 am to 3.45 pm  

ILLNESSES
When sick children are sent to school and they are physically unwell, there is the potential that they can infect other students and our staff. Your children need to stay at home until they are fully recovered and recuperated from their illness.  This helps to prevent the spread of illness and speeds up recovery. 

A telephone call is required to the school office if students are absent for 3 consecutive days. When students return to school a note to the classroom teacher is required stating the dates absent, reason for the absence, your child’s class and a parent’s signature.

LEAVE FROM SCHOOL
It is a government requirement (Department of Education) that parents who are taking their child/ren out of school for an extended period of time are required to give notice in writing to the Principal as below;

20 days leave - 1 months notice in writing.

20 - 50 days leave - 1 terms notice in writing.

50+ days leave - 2 terms notice in writing.  This leave will then need to be approved by the Catholic Education Office and the Department of Education.

PARKING ON MITCHELL STREET
Parents please be aware that we are situated in a residential area and our neighbours need unobstructed access to their driveways at all times. Double parking is illegal and also dangerous.

Parents please do not park or drop off your child/ren in either of the schools Mitchell Street driveways as these are emergency access points to our school and must remain unobstructed at all times.

This evening at 6:30pm, St Paul’s will be hosting a presentation by Mr David Emery – Operations Manager, ICLT Diocese of Wollongong, in the school hall. At this event Mr David Emery will speak and share practical skills about how to best manage your child’s device at home.

We encourage at least one parent from each family attends the evening. You will be required to bring your child’s iPad and know their password to unlock their device.

When: Tuesday, 19 March 2019

Time: 6:30 – 7:30pm

Location: School hall

Bring: Your child’s iPad and their password to unlock the device

How big is my problem? And How big is my reaction?

We all encounter problems. Some are caused by our mistakes, some are caused by others. We need to, however, manage our problems. This involves our reactions and emotions when the problems arises. Many primary school children have not yet learned how to control their emotions. A problem that is perceived by one person as ‘small’ could cause ‘big reactions’.

Figuring out the size of the problem is the first step in being able to match reactions. We have to teach our students that small problems can be solved easily on our own. e.g. a lost toy, broken pencil… medium problems may often require the help of an adult. Kids are also capable of solving these… e.g. solving a problem, forgetting lunch at home… Big problems are when someone is really scared, worried, hurt or upset. They are generally solved by adults. e.g. if someone is sick, being bullied.

Our aim at St Paul’s is to teach our students how to recognise the size of their problem and to examine the size of their reaction. This is an important part of teaching social problem solving. One way we are intending to teach this at St Paul’s is to teach them - How big is my problem / How big is my reaction.

Through the implementation of a visible display students will learn that we all have feelings and that our feelings are okay. They will be taught to stop and think about their reaction and learn that not all problems are big problems and how to better control their emotions.

ONE WEEK TO GO TO SUBMIT TO PLENARY 2020! 

More than 68,000 people have engaged with the Plenary Council during the Listening and Dialogue stage. The contribution of Wollongong Diocese has been significant. As this time comes to an end, there’s only one week to contribute your story, your experience of faith, Church and God in your life to help shape the Plenary Council agenda. The Listening and Dialogue stage will close on Ash Wednesday 6 March 2019. We would love to hear from you before then. The website is plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au

Our Children – Engaging and Growing in God’s Love

 Our children are precious to us and to God – made in his image.  As parents, grandparents, catechists and sacramental program leaders, how do we encourage and nurture our children as they grow in this awareness?  These sessions will reflect on the process of growth in faith, how children are actively involved in their own social and spiritual development – sometimes for the good and sometimes through suffering and hardship.

When and where:

Tuesday 26  March 2019, 7:30pm-9:00pm
Ingham Room, Xavier Conference Centre, 38 Harbour St Wollongong

Wednesday 27  March 2019, 7:30pm – 9:00pm
Phillip Room, Campbelltown Catholic Club, 20 Camden Rd Campbelltown

 RSVP: To Helen Bennett by Friday 22 March on 4222 2403 or helen.bennett@dow.org.au 

The Fete committee had their first meeting last week to begin the process of planning and organising the St Paul's Fete. 

Please get behind the committee as things start to move forward in the lead up to this occasion. The date for the next fete meeting is Wednesday, 20 March at 7pm. All families are encouraged to attend.

St Paul's School Fete

"Dancing through the Decades"

Saturday, 18 May 2019

John & Mitchell Street - Traffic Treatments

Counicl will be undertaking works to improve safety for pedestrians and motorists. Works will be undertaken as per below plans and are expected to begin in early March 2019.

Should you require any further information regarding this matter, please contact Camden Council on 46547777.