Dear Families,

What an amazing day yesterday was for our annual Fete! The weather was extremely kind to us and there was an incredible buzz every minute of the day.  Thank you to our families who came along and spent the day enjoying the spectacular rides, stalls, and food. 

SO many hard-working people put in untold hours and effort to get this day planned on so many detailed levels and to ensure all went smoothly.  I can’t adequately express my thanks to Toni Anderson, Sonia Porcino, Luke Cranefield, Jill Holmes, Luke Chesson, Marta Baker, Melissa McGloughlin, Kelly Swanson, Chris Manakis, Jenny Moore, Kim Lee, Michelle Monaghan, Emma Brand, Emma Wood, Lisa Galante, Kate Densley and Chloe Ziola and all stall co-ordinators, volunteers and sponsors. From a school perspective, the fete could not run so smoothly without the experience and generosity of Danny Maher, Tony Reiche, and Louise James. 

It was very rewarding to hear all the results of your efforts borne out in all the incredible feedback and lovely comments I have received. It was also heartwarming to see past St Paul’s students come back and say hello. It’s always lovely to see how they’ve grown into teens and reminisce about their time here. And wonderful to see some alumni parents who not only came to say hello, but also came to chip in and volunteer their time once again, for old time’s sake! Days like yesterday make us all grateful to belong to such a beautiful community. Congratulations to everybody for another fantastic St Paul’s fete!

School Concert

Due to the pandemic restrictions over the past few years, St Paul’s, like all schools, has not held a whole school concert. This year we are excited to be able to present a performance for parents and families, to showcase what the students have been learning in their STOMP dance lessons. The students in each class are working diligently to prepare a dance item to accompany the story of ‘The Great Primary School Mystery’. This is a fun, light-hearted play that promises to keep you entertained and the music will most certainly have you tapping your toes.    

As OLSH is still in the throes of renovating their hall, and many other local schools being unavailable for various reasons, we have had to look elsewhere for a venue suitable for our performance and one which is large enough to cater for our school community. Sacred Heart in Oakleigh has generously offered us the use of their facilities and it is an excellent fit for our needs. We thank them enormously for their hospitality in hosting us for this event.  

Our concert is to be held on Thursday 23rd November. Please note that it will be a 6.30 arrival for students with the concert to start at 7pm. It will run for approximately 1.5 hours. There will be further information regarding ticketing, costumes and any other important information and requirements in the coming weeks.  

Upcoming events

Week 5 

Monday 30 October - Friday 3 November: Prep - Year 3 Swimming Program

Thursday 2 November: 2024 Prep Information Night

Week 6 

Monday 6 November: School Closure Day 

Tuesday 7 November: Melbourne Cup Public Holiday

Thursday 9 November: BDS Flag Rugby Gala Day

2024 Prep Orientation 2:30pm

Week 7

Monday 13 - 17 November: Year 4 - 6 Swimming Program

Thursday 16 November: 2024 Prep Orientation 2:30pm

The second uniform shop is changing up! Ongoing, we will be shifting our opening day to a Friday (previously a Monday). We will next be open this Friday 3 November from 8:40-9:30am.

Poppy Appeal

Don't forget we have badges, pens and wristbands for sale in the Office for Remembrance Day on Saturday 11 November.  This is a great way to acknowledge all who served and those who died in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations.  Please bring small change for your purchases.

Classroom Awards

Thunderstorm Asthma season

Every year between October and December there is an increase in hay fever and asthma symptoms.  Could all parents please ensure that any child with asthma has a current asthma action plan if required and that asthma medication is up to date.

Have a great week and a relaxing long weekend ahead.

Kind regards,

Freda

Upload your fete photos here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11KWkiTApX-0uvSp6bpYia_ssa1RnZlRR?usp=drive_link

The Lorraine Francis Community Award is presented each year to a year 6 student at schools in the Bentleigh electorate.

It is named after the late Lorraine Francis, former principal of St Peter’s Primary School, East Bentleigh between 1995 and 2005. Lorraine is remembered for being someone who has always taught her students the value of service to others - whether it was participating in school fundraisers to provide aid for people in remote villages around the world, or for causes closer to home. Lorraine encouraged her students to make the lives of others better and in doing this, she empowered her students to be strong leaders.

Last week Nick Staikos presented this award at Assembly to the student who demonstrated strong leadership, involvement in improving the lives of community members and most importantly was a strong role model for other students at St Paul’s.  I am delighted to announce Ange Merceica from 6DL as the recipient of the Lorraine Francis award for 2023 – we are so very proud of you Ange!  Congratulations and well done for all you contribute to St Paul’s and our community.

OLSH Junior students are presenting a Christmas show called Deck the Stage, a Christmas variety show, on Thursday 16 November and Friday 17 November. The show is a series of short plays and musical numbers inspired by Christmas carols and all things festive! 

OLSH would like to offer our families a 25% discount on tickets - just enter the code PRIMARY2023 when you book tickets via TryBooking. 

Use the QR code below or this link: https://www.trybooking.com/CMAOY