Dear families,

Amazing that we are already at week 7 of the term!  

Traffic safety

It is vitally important that we ensure children are safe as they are going to and from school. We have received phone calls recently from neighbours and motorists who have informed us of some children dangerously crossing the road (on foot and bikes) or riding their bikes around school grounds (which is a no-go!). 

Please ensure that:

• Children walking across the road do so at the school crossing (where possible) and wait for the crossing guard to let them go
• Children riding bikes or scooters be aware of cars on the road and other pedestrians. Children must stop at the road and walk their bikes / scooters across the street

Parent Teacher Interviews

A reminder that Parent Teacher interviews are this coming Wednesday and Thursday from 2:30 - 6:00pm.

An email was sent to parents last week with details on how to book a time with your child’s teacher. Interviews are either in person or online via Google Meet. For parents who have chosen an online interview, your link will be sent on Tuesday. 

*  here is 1.40pm finish for the students on both days. While classes finish at this time, lunch play will still be on. Parents can choose to pick children up at 1.40pm from the classroom, or after lunch at 2.30pm on their class lines. Students will be supervised during the lunch play time but must be collected by 2.30pm sharp from the class lines when interviews commence. Lunch orders and After School Care are both available if parents require these services.

* To book an interview, either go to the website or scan the QR code below:

 Website:

www.schoolinterviews.com.au

Enter the event code z3uad (case sensitive)

Then follow the prompts to book your meetings.

Second Week of Lent  

Last week, the season of Lent began with Ash Wednesday, which also marked the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allow Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. 

The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good we do today extends to impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues.  We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through prayer, fasting and almsgiving in support of Project Compassion. Each class has received a Project Compassion box and for their donations. 

We pray for all people who are a source of hope in the world, 

who help to transfigure darkness into light. 

May our support of Project Compassion help to keep alive our vision of Christ as the one we should most listen to, the light of the world. 

Amen.   

NAPLAN

This year, the government has brought the sitting of the NAPLAN testing forward, from May to March, with the specific testing window running from 15th - 27th March. Going forward, this will be the time NAPLAN is held each year. This is of particular note to the Year 3 and 5 students and parents. The purpose of this change is to enable the results of the NAPLAN testing to be made available earlier to teachers and parents so as to assist in future planning. The students in year 3 and 5 have already begun their preparations for NAPLAN. 

St Paul’s Open Day

On Thursday 23 March, parents and friends are invited to an Open Day presentation and small group tours for 2024 enrolments.  Current families are very welcome to attend. If you have friends or family who are interested in attending please encourage them to come along. Please call into the office for an enrolment form or email Louise at office@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au.

School Photos 

The School photos will be taken on Monday 27 March. All Students must be in the correct Summer Uniform for the Photos. If your child has sports on Monday they should bring their runners to change into. Orders for photos are done online via the Elite School Photography Website prior to the day the photos are taken www.eliteschoolphotography.com.au 

Student Awards

At our last assembly, we celebrated the students who received awards for all the great efforts they’ve made at school so far.

Morning Meditation

To help with the smooth running of our morning meditation time we ask that:

• Students sit on the floor and not on parent’s laps. 
• Children, if they wish, to sit in front of parents in the circle and parents, grandparents or visitors to sit on chairs outside the circle.
• All mobiles to be turned off or be on silent.
• As this is a quiet time, parents take younger ones who may be unsettled, outside so as not to disturb the whole mediation process.  

Late to school/early pick up

A reminder to email the teacher and copy the office if your child is absent, arriving late or leaving early (if you know in advance). All parents need to sign in at the office if students arrive after 9am. Please don't go straight to the classroom without the office knowing.

Upcoming events

Wednesday 8 & Thursday 9 March - Parent Teacher Interviews 2:30 - 6:00pm

Monday 13 March - Labour Day Public Holiday

Tuesday 14 March - School assembly. SCR leaders for Semester 1 will be announced at this assembly (please note, assembly will be on Tuesday due to Labour Day). 

Monday 20 - Wednesday 22 March - Year 6 Camp

G

On Tuesday the 28th February, St Paul’s entered a team of 27 swimmers to compete at the Bentleigh District Swimming Carnival at the Oakleigh Recreation Centre. We had a great result with St. Paul’s winning the Adjusted Point Shield which is awarded to schools based on their number of students.  The children represented St. Paul’s in a manner that should make us all feel extremely proud. They did their best in their events and they cheered and encouraged others as they swam.  A special thanks to Miss Alex Carlson and Mrs Daragh Drummond who assisted on the day along with Luke Grima (parent) who helped on the finish line. 6 students from St. Paul’s have been selected to go on and compete in 8 events at the Beachside Division Swimming Carnival on the 10th March at the same venue. 

They are:

Lincoln Hall - Open Boys Medley / 11y 50m Freestyle and Butterfly

Carter Hoffmann - Open Boys Medley

Francis Coppola - Open Boys Medley / 12/13y 50m Breaststroke

Ollie Jones - Open Boys Medley / 9/10y 50m Freestyle and Backstroke

Greta Brown - 11y 50m Breaststroke

Ange Mercieca - 12/13y 50m Butterfly

We wish all the children the best and congratulate them on a fantastic achievement.

Danny Maher

This year Cath Knights will once again participate in the World's Greatest Shave, however this time she is colouring her hair!

It's all for an amazing cause - the Leukaemia Foundation - please donate and wait for the final reveal on 17 March!

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/cathknights

In need of winter uniform? The P&F second-hand uniform shop will be open the last two Mondays of Term 1 (27 March and 3 April) from 8:30 till 9:15am. Jackets, dresses & woollen jumpers $10, everything else is $5. Proceeds go towards the school.

Please note a change of date to St Bede's Open Day (previously listed as 15 March) - now being held on 29 March!