Dear Parents and Carers,

It's hard to believe we're already approaching the halfway mark of Term 3! With just nine weeks in the term, time is certainly flying by.

I am thrilled to share with you that I will be continuing in the role of Acting Principal for the remainder of 2025. This ongoing leadership provides a sense of stability for the school and I look forward to continuing our work together. More information regarding plans for 2026 will be shared in due course and I’m excited for what lies ahead for our school community.

As you would have seen at drop off this morning, our roof repairs have begun on the main building. This should take just over a week depending on weather conditions. As communicated this morning, Jasper Road entrance will not be available at drop off or pick up. There should be no other impact to the students and families. Once the roof has been fixed, the internal repairs to the computer lab and library will begin. Fingers crossed this resolves any more leaking roofs!

Last week, St Paul’s participated in Bully No Way Week, embracing this year’s theme: Be Bold, Be Kind, Speak Up. This national initiative is Australia's key bullying prevention program for schools and it provides a valuable opportunity for our students to reflect on how they can support others, speak out against bullying and contribute to a safe, inclusive and welcoming school environment.

A special thank you to our Year Six Wellbeing Team for leading the educational sessions with the classes. Their leadership helped students engage meaningfully with the message of respect and kindness.

The word bullying is often used incorrectly to describe a range of student incidents. While we work consistently to educate our students about what bullying is, it's equally important to ensure that our parent community understands the distinction between conflict and bullying.

Bullying is defined as a person or group repeatedly and intentionally using words or actions to cause distress, harm, or risk to someone’s wellbeing. The key elements here are repetition and intent. While it’s normal for children to have disagreements, especially during games and sports, these one off conflicts are not bullying. In fact, they are part of growing up and learning vital life skills such as resilience, empathy and cooperation. It becomes bullying when the behaviour is ongoing and targeted, with the clear aim of hurting or isolating another individual. As a school, we take these matters seriously and work proactively to support all students involved.

At St Paul’s, bullying in any form is not tolerated. We are deeply committed to building a culture of respect, kindness and inclusion where every student feels safe and supported. Every student is expected to uphold our school values, and as part of our proactive approach to wellbeing and behaviour, all students and families are required to read and sign the Code of Conduct at the start of the school year. This document clearly outlines our expectations for behaviour, both in the classroom and in the playground, and reinforces the importance of treating others with dignity, fairness and empathy.

In addition to setting clear expectations, we also take a strong educational approach to building a positive school culture. Students are explicitly taught social and emotional skills through our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum and the Respectful Relationships program, which was introduced this term. The Respectful Relationships program helps students understand the foundations of healthy relationships, including empathy, emotional regulation, conflict resolution, and how to seek help when needed. These lessons support our students to build resilience and develop the skills necessary to navigate friendships and challenges in a constructive and respectful way.

By working together, we can ensure that St Paul’s remains a place where everyone feels valued, respected and safe.

This will be the last week of formal STOMP sessions. The students have done a wonderful job of learning their class items and I thank the teachers for preparing the students so well. I have been truly impressed by the commitment and dedication of our main cast and understudies too. Each week, they arrive at rehearsals prepared, enthusiastic and ready to bring the next scenes to life. Their energy and focus have been outstanding. On Friday, we ran through the majority of the show with our lead performers and it was fantastic to see how well everything is coming together. From Week 7 we will begin to integrate the class acts with the lead roles. It’s shaping up to be a truly amazing concert and we can’t wait to share it with our school community!

This Thursday, Cath Knights and I will be visiting OLSH to meet with the venue’s technical team and finalise logistics for the evening. A detailed email will be sent to families next week with important information about show times, ticket sales, costumes and other key details. We are excited for what promises to be a memorable performance!

Kind regards

Jussahra Treagus

Upcoming Dates to note

Term 3 Dates: Monday 21 July - Friday 19 September

Monday 18th - 21st August - Book Week Fair

Friday 22nd August - Book Week Parade 9am

Monday 25th August -  Whole School Assembly 2.50pm 

Thursday 4th September - Father's Day Stall

Friday 5th September - Father's Day breakfast

Monday 8th September -  Whole School Assembly 2.50pm

Friday 12th September - RU OK Day? celebration

Friday 19th September - Last day of term, finish 2.30pm

Term 4 Dates: Monday 6 October - Tuesday 16 December