Dear Parents/Carers,                                                                        

NAPLAN 2023 School Means Comparative Data

What are we going to do to address the challenge presented
by the data?

Year 3
Literacy
Focus areas: characterisation in imaginative texts, use of pronouns in informative texts, identifying the word class of a word in sentences and antonyms. 

Numeracy
Focus areas: representing numbers in a variety of ways, establishing and identifying repeating patterns in numbers, chance, interpreting tables, features of 2D shapes and mass.

Year 5
Literacy

Focus areas: characterisation in imaginative texts, spelling multisyllabic words, identifying the main clause in a complex sentence and punctuating/identifying indirect speech.

Numeracy
Focus areas: using multiplication facts to solve problems, chance, interpreting tables, analysis of rotations.

The above summaries become the focus points for Yrs K-3 and Yrs 4-6 respectively for the rest of the year.  Each grade will know through their own assessments whether these areas are also problematic for their grades and if so, will be reteaching or revisiting these areas. There are some common threads evident in both the Grade 3 and Grade 5 data sets: characterisation in imaginative texts, number facts and problem solving (especially in the primary), chance and the language of mathematics.

The above common areas will need a more strategic approach and the literacy and numeracy teams will be determining the additional professional learning required by the teachers and how to successfully factor this into changes in practice or focus areas for 2023/24. Whilst this is only one form of assessment, the critical part is validating the assumptions through the use of other assessment forms.

Finally, this challenge becomes an even greater one when the students are not present. This is where we need your support. This data will be presented in the next newsletter.

Principal Awards

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

Jaxon Casey, Valentina Vella, Anna Nelson, Hudson Wallace, Leila Jarvis, Kieran Van Der Linden, Jaxon Teuma, Alessia Musico, Jade Sharvin, Ryan Grech, Gideon Korny, Jarryd Alam, Isla Maurer, Ava Grech.

Congratulations - Student Leaders

Congratulations to Sophia, Lorena and William on being elected as the Semester two student leaders.

NSW PSSA Football Championships

Congratulations to Michaela (Year 6) who recently participated in the NSW PSSA Football Championships in Nelsons Bay, representing Mackillop and St Paul's. Her team finished third overall, defeating Sydney East  2-0 in the bronze medal match. Michaela performed skillfully throughout the championships, scoring two goals and playing all nine games over four days. She loved playing at this higher level and hopes to continue gaining more experiences like this in the future. Her achievements made our school proud, and the Year 6 students enjoyed watching her games.

The school book character parade will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, 23 August 2023.

Students can come to school dressed as a favourite book character. Be creative and use items you already have at home. No need to go shopping for an outfit!

The book character parade will begin at 2:30pm. Families are invited to come along and watch the parade. Parents will enter through Larkin Place (Heritage Hall Gate) and Mitchell Street gates and the parade will be held on the playground. 

The book character parade will conclude at the end of the school day with normal afternoon dismissal.

Fortnightly Target for PB4L

Students have done well settling back into school for term 3. Staff and students are continuing to focus on re-establishing strong routines within the classrooms and across the playgrounds. This will help to maintain an environment that is conducive to learning.

Teachers will take the time to revisit and re-teach the classroom and playground routines and expectations to the students.  

The target that we are focusing on for the next two weeks is ‘At St Pauls, I follow the rules’.  This is done by:

• Practising the classroom expectations matrix - these are respectful behaviours
• Role playing respectful behaviours in the classroom and on the playground
• Looking and listening to the person who is speaking 
• Using kind words and good manners
• Raise your hand to speak
• Don’t talk back to the teacher
• Discussing consequences of not being respectful in the classroom and on the playground to their peers and staff.
• Praising students who are being respectful.
• Redirecting students in the classroom who are not showing respect and explaining the correct choice of behaviour to display next time. For example, a student is running in the classroom. Say to the child: ‘This is not respectful because… . You need to…
• Giving tokens to students on the playground who are respectful.
• Following the classroom/playground correction sequence for students who are not following the target.

Teachers continue to reinforce our whole school strategy of “Stop, Think, then Choose what to do”, when reviewing our fortnightly targets.  At St Paul’s it is important to always follow the rules to keep everyone safe, feel respected and to be responsible.  Sometimes other people will make a choice to not follow the school rules. Students are reminded that they need to stop, think and choose a safe/respectful/responsible choice, even if they don’t like it.

Western Region Athletics 

On Friday, August 3 2023, thirty students proudly represented St Paul's at the Western Region Athletics Carnival. We achieved fantastic results throughout the day, with fifteen students and two relay teams qualifying for the Wollongong Diocesan Selection Trials on Tuesday, 15 August 2023. 

Congratulations to the following students for their age-champion results

3rd - Lucas - Senior Boys 

6th - Lola - 11 years Girls

5th - Layla - Junior Girls

Our School placed 5th in Overall School Championships.

August P&F Minutes

The next P&F Meeting is Wednesday, 6 September 2023 at 7pm.

Child Protection Week