Dear Parents, 

The season of Advent reminds us that the life journey is a series of endings and beginnings – as it must be if we are to grow as human beings and as people of faith. As we prepare to ‘let go’ of 2020, we also begin looking to the year to come and all that it might bring.

The second candle, also purple, represents faith. It is called the “Bethlehem Candle” as a reminder of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem.

The third candle is pink and symbolizes joy. It is called the “Shepard’s Candle,” and is pink because rose is a liturgical color for joy. The third Sunday of Advent is Gaudete Sunday and is meant to remind us of the joy that the world experienced at the birth of Jesus, as well as the joy that the faithful have reached the midpoint of Advent.

On the fourth week of Advent, we light the final purple candle to mark the final week of prayer and penance as we wait for the birth of our Savior. This final candle, the “Angel’s Candle,” symbolizes peace. It reminds us of the message of the angels: “Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men.”

The link to this weeks Advent Liturgy

The easing of restrictions means we can look forward to an Advent of faith and family, crowned by Christmas celebrations. As we await the coming birth of Christ, let us remember that 2020 has also given us other things to celebrate, including health, family and resilience and a strong connected community

As the year comes to an end, I would like to thank teachers and staff for all the work they do in educating, nurturing, protecting, supporting and growing each child and young person in our school.  At St Paul’s we are very blessed with a dedicated and energetic staff who work hard every day to improve the learning outcomes for all students. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them all for a year that has been like no other. Despite the challenges of remote learning, we come to the end of what has been a very successful year, evident in our end of year results, friendships, respect and care for each other,  happy smiles and resilient children.

Thank You

Although the School Board has met only a few times throughout the year, they have continued to support me in decision making and where they have discussed policy and been a voice for other parents. Thank you Meghan Speers, Suzanne Commerford, Craig Schneider, Greg Ryan, Steve Savva and Helen Skinner for your service and positive contribution to the school. 

The Parents and Friends have had a very quiet year of fundraising, although their capacity to build a strong community spirit is forever constant. I would like to especially thank Libby Dewar and Claire Stanley, Co Presidents of the Parents and Friends for their amazing contribution and support. 

I would also like to acknowledge the Father’s group who are always on hand to support school functions and provide a warm welcome to new and existing families. 

In just a few days we will be saying farewell to the Year 6 students and their families at the end of Year Graduation liturgy.  Thank you for your leadership and the inspiration you have been to other students. We wish you continued success and blessings for high school.

In 2021 we move into a new phase of School Improvement and as such a new Leadership Team has been formed. The Leadership Team will play a pivotal role in creating an organisational climate that engenders trust and collaboration. It drives school improvement and is committed to the core business of improving student outcomes for every student.

It is my pleasure to announce the Leadership Team and Staffing for 2021.

Leadership Team for 2021

(L-R) Cath Knights, Katie Lachal, Kat Gardiner, Amanda Moore, Michael Juliff, Margaret Mitchell, Catherine Tammesild, Danni molino, Freda Tahtouh

Staff for 2021

Farewells

I would like to take this opportunity to thank those staff who are leaving:

Mr Ed Dooley who has served the Federated Schools for the past 4 years as Faith and Mission Leader, and at St Paul’s as Student Wellbeing Leader. Ed has made a significant contribution to our schools providing rich opportunities for engagement in prayer, Liturgies and Curriculum. Ed has also supported staff and students to grow and understand the mysteries of our faith and embrace every opportunity with a sense of themselves and the world around them. Ed is taking time out to travel and spend time with his family and friends. Ed is famous for being the number 1 supporter of the Dees!

Anne-Maree Kolodziej is moving to St Louis de Montfort after working at St Paul’s for many years as a classroom teacher and our Performing Arts teacher. Anne-Maree has made many positive contributions to St Paul’s and will always be famous for coordinating two whole school concert productions over the past few years.  Anne Maree is also famous for her crush on Robbie Williams!

Joyce Henderson will be working 4 days a week at St Peter’s and 1 day a week at St Catherine’s in 2021. Joyce is famous for bringing joy into learning Japanese and inspiring a love of languages in young people.

Brena Farrelly has only been with us a short time as she replaced Katie Lachal during her maternity leave. Brena has been a joy to have on staff and will be greatly missed as she moves across town to Bacchus Marsh. Brena is famous for her beautiful Irish accent and her kind heart!

End of Year Celebrations  

Congratulations to the Year 6 students who made their Confirmation last Tuesday. Although parents and sponsors did not attend, the ceremony was live streamed for families and friends to watch. We wish the students God’s grace and the blessings of the Holy Spirit for their future.

Year 6 Graduation will be celebrated onsite with parents in the Amphitheatre on Tuesday night at 6.30. Students are asked to arrive at 6.15. On Tuesday afternoon, parents are invited to attend ‘Walking out the Door’ and the guard of honour as we farewell the Yr 6 students for the final time. Parents are asked to enter via the front gates on Higgins Rd by 2.50pm. Due to the Graduation set up in the Amphitheatre, the farewell will happen on the Tennis courts. Tuesday will be the Yr 6 students final day of school.

Meet the Teacher

Students from Yr P-5 will have the opportunity to meet their teacher for 2021 on Wednesday. 

Liturgy

End of Year Liturgy will be held in the church on Wednesday morning as we come together to give thanks and ask God’s blessing on us all during this special Christmas time. Due to Covid restrictions, sadly  parents are unable to attend the Liturgy. Families with a child in Yr P-5 who are leaving St Paul’s will receive a certificate during the Liturgy.

Reports

End of year reports will be emailed out to all families today. Please contact the Office if you did not receive your child’s report.

Last day of Term

The Year 6 students will have their final day on Tuesday, concluding with their  Graduation Ceremony. Years P-5 will finish school for the summer holidays on Wednesday 16 December at 3.30. 

Thank you for your continued support during a year that will make history. 

Wishing you and your families  joy, health and the blessings of the newborn Christ.

Take care,

Catherine

Why give thanks - the final cuppa before the tea runs out!

A teacher once remarked “at the end of the day, it’s not about the lesson plan. It’s not about the fancy stuff  teachers and others at  schools make,the crafts we do, the stories we read or the papers we laminate. No, that’s not really it. That’s not what matters most.

They won’t remember how organized your bulletin boards were. How straight and neat  desk rows were.

Nor, will they remember that amazing decor you’ve designed.

But they will remember you.

Your kindness. Your empathy. Your care and concern. They’ll remember that you took the time to listen. That you stopped to ask them how they were, how they really were. They’ll remember the personal stories you tell about your life: your home, your pets and your kids. They’ll remember your laugh. They’ll remember that you sat and talked with them while they ate their lunch.”

As teachers and staff we hope at the end of the day we have made a difference in the children’s lives.

If a student wakes up in the morning and wants to come to school then that is a great sign.  If they finish the school day wanting to come back the next day that is also great.  At one level we have done our job.

A person’s happiness is the key to everything in life.   

Every child is special, bright and gifted because every child, like you and I, have God within us.  But we are often too quick to parade our child as better than others.  To me, a child’s happiness is the core gift and value in life which will then transfer, hopefully, into adulthood.

The greatest disservice we can do for our children is to pressure them beyond their limits.  Yes, we all want them to be successful but if success is at the price of happiness then we do success a disservice.

We are all on our own journey.  None of us know the path this will take.  At times it will be rocky and other times a breeze.  The God we believe in says to us to find the blessing in whatever we are doing and give thanks.  When we give thanks, we learn something about ourselves and therefore about God.

In chapter 25 of Matthew’s Gospel, we find  the story of the Sheep and the Goats.  A wonderful story which in many ways is a list we could keep to check off at the end of our lives.

I can assure you, that when we have our meeting with God, to enter eternal life, God will not ask what score we got in our VCE, or why we couldn’t play an instrument, etc.  But the God I believe in will ask whether I was kind, forgiving, loving and happy.

This is not to dismiss academia in any way but it is time we focused on what life is really about.  If there was a blessing in the lockdown this year it was the blessing of looking at the priorities in our lives.  The quiet streets were a blessing to many, the curfew for many was a blessing, crime was down, people having dinner around the kitchen table was up, board games were up and parents saw much of what their children were learning in remote learning.

Now that we are coming out of lockdown, have we returned to the past rat race or have we started to live in a different way?

Joan Chittister says, “All of life cannot be planned. Our life is God’s and gratitude is its key”.
 
She says, “Giving thanks to God is good psychologically to keep our thoughts light and full of energy. It is not true, psychologists tell us, that we think the way we feel. On the contrary, we feel the way we think, and thoughts can be changed.
 
Giving thanks to God is good spiritually. That is the beginning of contemplation.
 
Giving thanks to God is good socially. It makes us a positive presence in a group. (Only negative people want to be around negative people.)
 
We need to stop and thank God—consciously—for the good things of the day. We spend so much time wanting things to be better that we fail to see our real gifts.   The ordinary is what reveals to us, little by little, inch by inch, “the holiness of life, before which, we bow down in worship.”

Do we ever stop to just Give Thanks?  How often do we stop and say, Thank You God?

To be more than Catholic by name is to take these little things seriously.  Giving Thanks is a courtesy we all want, and so too does God!

And back to the start….as my four year contract  concludes in January 202, I say farewell to the Federated Schools of Holy Trinity Parish.  I say thank you to the Staff, Students and Families for all you have given me these past four years.

I say thank you to Fr Michael Sierakowski whose vision was the birth of a wonderful and inspiring collaborative leadership which gave Michael Juliff, Lynda O’Donnell, Catherine Tammesild, Michael Hanney and myself a supportive network in what are, at times, lonely positions.  Sadly, the vision was not seen worthy enough to continue and for that I am saddened and disappointed.  

But I do not allow disappointments to stop what has been a joyful and happy four years where I truly believe I have learnt more than I was able to give.

If any of the students ever remember me perhaps they will remember two things: The optimism of a true Dees supporter and the different wacky socks worn every day at School!  Hopefully they saw in me the joy, peace, compassion and love to others and oneself that can come from following and loving God.

As we all continue our journey in life may everyone be kind to each other, gentle with each other and show the love and empathy that Jesus showed to all who came in contact with his message of love.

Edward Dooley (Mission and Faith Leader)

Dear Students and Parents,

It’s the final week of the school year… as one door closes another door opens. I have accepted a position at St Louis de Montfort’s in Aspendale. This means that it is time to say goodbye to St Paul’s after nearly two decades of teaching in various capacities.  I would like to offer my sincere gratitude and best wishes. I want to thank each child for all the warmth, the memories and the learning we have shared together during this time.  I have always been proud to say that I belong to the St Paul’s community, it’s absolutely amazing!

To my students: I say “Thank you”, for when I teach, I also learn.  Throughout the years, we have grown together and I have been extremely proud of what we have achieved.  A little bit of each of you will always be with me.  Always strive to be the best that you can be! 

To the parents: I say “Thank you” for entrusting me and allowing me to work with your children.  It has been my privilege. Your support has made my time at St. Paul’s both rewarding and enjoyable.

I sincerely (with tears in my eyes) wish your families all the best for the future. 

I will miss you all.

Take care,  Anne-Maree Kolodziej.