Dear Parents/Carers,

We have reached the end of the first term as we enter into Holy Week with larger numbers allowed back into the Church. This is a significant time in the Church year but a special time where we can all be a community again. I have been reflecting on Holy Week and the meaning of the cross. Jesus said:

“If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him take up his cross every day and follow me. For anyone who wants to save his life will lose it;but anyone who loses his life for my sake, that man will save it.” (Luke 9:23-24)

Our classrooms have a crucifix present in every classroom, and so they should!  The cross is a central religious symbol about the christian way. It reminds us of the greatest paradox, transformation through failure. As we strive for excellence in our school, there is also to be a space for failure. Somehow, our assessment successes, the sporting prowess of students, festive prizes, must never be established as the norm for our school endeavours lest the shadow side of school life is ignored.

The paradox of failure is an authentic human experience and the children need to be in touch with its realities. The christian way is that on the point of failure stands the prospect of redemption and grace. There is no implication here of opting out from striving for excellence or accepting indifferent efforts but an awareness that we all carry limits whoever we are or whatever we do. Limits do not represent our worth.  By incorporating the shadow side, our failures as a part of our humanity, we are more in touch with self awareness and our growth as people.

This is an important lesson that we need to constantly teach our children.  Otherwise, we don’t assist them in forming their own resilience and their capacity to own the choices they make.  

How good are you at reminding your children about the two faces of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, both belong to the same person, Jesus Christ?

May the Easter Season be a restful time for your family and enjoy the downtime it provides for us all.

Go gently,

Michael Reardon
Principal

Dismissal Back To 3.15pm

We are finally able to bring back into our school procedures, normal 3.15pm afternoon dismissal. Each class is brought out onto area two where they are lined up to wait for dismissal. It is important that parents stay away from the side where the toilets are as we need this area clear for classes to make their way to their line up area.  It is also important that parents do not take their children off the line and wait for their child to be given the direction to go to them.  

We are busy people who have competing deadlines, but having to wait an extra few minutes before ensuring everyone leaves in an orderly and safe way is more important than this desire to move off rapidly.  We stand at the gate to ensure that each child is leaving with an adult, moving carefully out into the Larkin Street carpark.  I’m sure you can all accept that a little inconvenience will always be “trumped” by the safety of the children.

Letter from Bishop Brian Mascord & Peter Hill

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

Leo Argenta, Jack Miller, Leila Jarvis, Gavin Wilson, Bianca Azzopardi, Chloe Costin, Jack Strong, Thomas Sammut, Alanna Dominelli, Cody McClelland, Lachlan Cassone, Ari Gauci, Isla Korny, Declan Fairbrother, Oliver Dunbar, William Luck, Isabella Minici, Alana Mifsud, Joanna Iofrida, Lucy Murphy, Zeke Soster, Valentina Vella, Sophia Moraghan, Angelina Cilia, Tabitha Danjoux, Ruby Woodcock, Luke Murray, Addison Lovett, Dean Georgievski, Josephine Luck.

Kindergarten 2022 Enrolments 

Enrolments for Kindergarten 2022 are now open. Enrolment packs are available to download from our school website or to collect from the school office. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1LHwPLISl8HYk4CC0GxTGaY-NLKSiMeLb/view 

Applications close 3:00pm, this Thursday, 1 April 2021.

House Cup

Congratulations to students in Therry who won this Terms House Cup.

Premier's Reading Challenge

The NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge has begun and we would love to see many of the primary students participating in the challenge this year.

The challenge closes for students on Friday, 20 August 2021. Students may read books and ebooks from home, the school library, town libraries, wherever. Books can be read by the student or to the student (e.g. parents or in audiobook form) Our older students may even find great reads on Sora. 

You can check out the book lists and you may have some of the books at home. If they have already been read, they can also be added to the Record. Record sheets can be downloaded or collected from the library. 

Infants classes are completing the challenge as a whole class with their teachers reading the required 30 books to them and each student will receive a PRC Certificate from the Premier at the end of the year.

Year 3 - 6 students will need to read 20 books and complete the Online Student Reading Record by Friday, 20 August 2021. 

15 books need to be from the PRC booklist and 5 can be personal Choice books. You may read from the grade book list you are in or above (not below). Approved Series are on the PRC booklist, you may read 3 books as PRC books. Any others from the series can be added as Personal Choice books.

Reading 20 books really doesn’t take long. Once you get going, finish the challenge as fast as you can. The sooner you start, the sooner you finish. 

Visit the site below and find out what you need to do. Rules, booklists and login

Students have their own USERNAME and password

If you have any questions, please make contact with your child's teacher or Mrs Jaques via info@spcdow.catholic.edu.au

PRC webpage:

https://online.det.nsw.edu.au/prc/home.html

PRC Certificate from the Premier will be handed out at the end of the year.

Term One Sports Wrap

It has been fantastic to be back in the swing of sport at St Paul's with many children participating in sporting events.

Western Region Swimming

On Wednesday, 3 March 2021, 18 students represented St Paul's at the Western Region Swimming Carnival. Congratulations to all our students who represented our school by wearing their school swimming caps with pride. We achieved some great results throughout the day.

A special congratulations to Ava, placing 5th in the Junior Girls Age champion.

Wollongong Representative Selections

Throughout the term, we have had numerous students attend selection trials for various sports. Congratulations to all students who attended these trials and displayed St Paul's school spirit.

Well done to Isabella & Leila who were selected to represent Wollongong in Football at the Mackillop Trials in May.

Sporting Schools Grant

In Term One St Paul’s was successful in applying for a Sporting Schools Grant. This grant has allowed the school to engage Hockey NSW (Yr 3) & NSW Rugby League (Yr 6)  These programs will introduce the children through a sequential program to Hockey and Rugby League.

Cross Country Carnival

On Friday, 5 March 2021, we held our Primary Cross Country at the Camden Bicentennial Equestrian Park. All students ran the 2km course with tremendous determination and SPC spirit in beautiful conditions. Good luck to the students who will be competing at the Wollongong Diocese Cross Country Championships on Tuesday, 27 April 2021, at "Willandra" Browns Mountain Road, Nowra. 

Results

P&F Meeting

Our next P&F meeting will be held Wednesday, 5 May 2021, 7pm. All welcome.

Easter Raffle

A very big thank you to all our families who generously donated to the Easter egg raffle. The Easter raffle will be drawn this Thursday, 1 April 2021.