Dear Parents,

A very warm welcome to Term 3. I hope you and your families have had a relaxing break and that the children are ready and excited to return to school.  Term 3 is a term of growth, increased learning and consolidation. 

A message about kindness and respect

Today I spoke with all the classes welcoming them back from the winter break. There were plenty of lovely discussions about what children did on their holidays. Some went to warmer climates, others went to the snow (brave souls!). Others stayed at home and enjoyed the relaxation of sleeping in. One of the consistent messages I gave to all our students from Prep to Year 6 was about how we speak to each other and about each other. We have a wonderful, caring community at St Paul’s and it’s important to start the term with being kind and respectful. Whether that is out on the playground, choosing fair teams for our games, or how we speak to people when things don’t go our way. There is always a teacher around to listen and help when needed. The most essential take away from our discussion was that we need to look after each other and let everyone feel welcome.

Staff Goodbye

At the end of Term 2, we sadly said goodbye to Leeroy Zamudio for the rest of the year. Leeroy is unable to continue teaching in 2023 due to ongoing health reasons. It has been a difficult decision for Leeroy however, from advice from his specialists, Leeroy will need to take time away from teaching. On behalf of the St Paul’s community, we wish Leeroy all the best.

Welcome to St Paul’s

This term we welcome the Soultanidis family to St Paul’s. Ayla in 1M and Zac in 5K. We wish them all the best as they settle into this wonderful school community.  

We are all looking forward to a great term ahead.

Take care,

Freda

Social Justice Leaders in Grade 6 Making a Difference in Our Parish

We are proud to shine a spotlight on the incredible efforts of our Grade 6 Social Justice Leaders, who worked tirelessly to bring joy and support to the sick and elderly within our parish. These compassionate students have embodied the true spirit of service, demonstrating their commitment to making a positive impact on the lives of others. Here are some highlights of their remarkable initiative:

Let us all join in recognising and appreciating the extraordinary efforts of these students, who serve as inspiring role models for our entire school community. Their compassion and initiative remind us of the power and free will that God has given us to create positive change in the world. 

We extend our deepest gratitude to the parents for supplying the ingredients! We are blessed to have such generous and supportive parents that instill in the children the values of lending a helping hand to those in need.

In Term 2, the children in Grade 6 made their Sacrament of Confirmation and we know that Bishop Ireland told us to imitate the saints. We are also reminded of the Ten Commandments, to love one another. A beautiful exposition about love is from the fourth chapter of the first letter of Saint John. Fr Michael O’Connor tells us “this is love - not that we have loved God but that he has loved us. It begins with our reception of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and God's love for us.  God has given us the Holy Spirit and the spirit of God dwells in us. If we're not receiving the love of God, if we don't trust that God loves us personally, then individually we are encouraged to meditate on the symbol of God's love (such as the crucifix). Meditate on the Sacred Heart of Jesus crowned with our sin but still a flame with love right. Receive God’s love, be transformed by his love. Love yourself, love your neighbor and love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. 

If you have any suggestions or would like to get involved in any meaningful initiatives, please contact rnolan@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au

Rebecca Nolan

Religious Education Leader

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent/Teacher Interviews will be held in week 3 of this term. The interviews are a critical part of the communication process between school and home, providing an important opportunity to discuss your child’s achievements, share their progress, and establish goals for improved learning and achievement in the future.

The interviews are scheduled for Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th July. They begin at 2.30pm and each one is for a 15 minute duration. The students will be dismissed on both of these days at 2.30pm, after the lunch break.

Further information and the online booking form will be shared with families later this week, so please keep an eye out for that.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
• level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact Marg Mitchell mmitchell@spbentleigh.catholic.edu.au 

Marg Mitchell

Learning Diversity Leader