Dear Families,

Welcome to our Week 5 Newsletter. It has been wonderful seeing all our students settle into their classes and school routines. Our teachers have been very busy with Literacy and Numeracy assessments, which guide us throughout the year. 

Last Monday, we had a wonderful school assembly where we introduced our Year 6 Leaders and our SRC Class Reps to the school community. Our Year 6s and SRC’s have already shown excellent Leadership qualities on the playground, around the school, and by representing St Paul’s at Interschool Sport. They also have one or two (or three!) ideas on how to improve the school. I look forward to hearing all about it. 

This week, our Prep students begin school full time. No more Wednesday Rest Days! We hope they make it through.

School Photos

A reminder that school photos are scheduled for  Friday 22 March. Students are required to wear full summer uniform on that day. For classes that have sport lessons, please pack a pair of runners in their school bags.   Booking information will be sent out shortly.

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Next week, we begin Parent-Teacher Interviews from Years Prep - 6. They run over two afternoons: Tuesday 5th and Wednesday 6th of March. A reminder that school finishes at 2:30 on these days. Art and PE Specialist lessons will run as per usual. Please remember to book a time in for your child. For families that have had a PSG meeting, a further Parent-Teacher interview is not required. Please refer to the email sent out from the office last week with details. 

St Paul’s Open Day and 2025 Enrolments

Our St Paul’s Open Day will take place on Thursday 14 March from 9:30 - 11:00am. Tours of the school will be led by Year 6 students and staff Leadership Team.  Spread the word!

Enrolments for Prep in 2025 open on this day.  We are rolling out a new enrolment form which will be available then.  Current families feel free to use our existing form which is available in the office or on the website.

Seesaw

We use Seesaw as a platform to showcase all the wonderful work children do.  Access to Seesaw should be immediate family only (grandparents welcome of course!)

We ask that parents do not share Seesaw accounts with people outside their immediate family. 

Welcome Picnic - Thursday

The upcoming St Paul’s Welcome Picnic looks to be a fantastic event. It’s a wonderful opportunity for families to come together and enjoy some time at the park. Thank you to the P&F team for organising the event. Bring along a picnic basket with lots of goodies, or enjoy the sausage sizzle put on by Danny Maher and the dads. I hope to see many of you there.

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) testing is just around the corner, beginning on March 13. Our Year 3 and Year 5 students will be undergoing assessment of their skills in Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language (spelling, grammar, and punctuation), and Numeracy from March 13 to March 25. To ensure our students feel confident and at ease, our dedicated teachers are diligently familiarising them with the testing style. The results of these assessments provide information which helps in shaping educational strategies, benefiting students, parents, teachers, and principals alike. If your child happens to be absent on the test day, worry not! We'll provide catch-up sessions during the NAPLAN testing period. Let's support our students as they embark on this valuable learning experience.

Extreme Weather

It seems Melbourne’s weather is keeping us all on our toes as we go from scorching temperatures to torrential downpours, and everything in between! Luckily, the school has come off reasonably unscathed, but we knock on various bits of wood as I write this. 

On days where temperatures are mid 30s or higher, we keep a close check on the Bureau of Meteorology. On days of extreme temperatures, children will have recess outside (unless the temperature reaches mid 30s at recess time) and lunch play indoors. All rooms have air-conditioning units. 

Throughout Term 1 and 4, students are reminded to reapply sunscreen before recess and lunch time play. It is essential that all students wear a hat outside. We have a “not hat, no play” rule at St Paul’s. Students without a hat need to spend their playtime in the amphitheatre under the shade sail. 

School Expectations

Here at St Paul’s, we pride ourselves on fostering a positive and supportive learning environment, and last year, after considerable Professional development and workshops, we introduced some exciting new school expectations. Through consistent and explicit teaching, we've seamlessly integrated these expectations across the entire school. As we embark on a new school year, it's heartening to witness our students not only becoming familiar with these expectations but also embracing them with enthusiasm. Whether it's in the classroom, on the playground, or during extracurricular activities, our students are demonstrating a commendable commitment to embodying these values. It's a testament to their understanding and our collective effort to create a respectful and inclusive atmosphere where everyone can thrive academically and socially. Here's to another year of shared growth and success!

Upcoming Events

Thursday 29 February - Whole School Welcome Picnic

Monday 4 March - School Assembly

Tuesday and Wednesday 5 and 6 March - Parent Teacher interviews 2.30 finish both days

Monday 11 March - Labour Day Public Holiday

Monday 18 to Wednesday 20 March - Grade 6 camp

Monday 18 March - School Assembly

Thursday 21 March - Harmony Day

Friday 22 March - School photos

Tuesday 26 March - end of term Mass 10am

Wednesday 27 March - Colour Blast 2.30 - 3.30

Thursday 28 March - End of Term 1, 2.30pm

I hope you all have a great week ahead.

Kind regards,

Freda