Dear Parents,

Prayers in Pyjamas

There was much excitement as the Prep students and their families gathered after dark for Prayers in Pyjamas. The students engaged in writing prayers, meditation, songs with liturgical movement and craft. This Tuesday night we welcome the Year 1 families to another night of prayers in pyjamas.

Andrew Chinn Concert

Despite the cold weather and the increase of unwell students and staff we still have so much to celebrate and be grateful for including a wonderful night with Andrew Chinn last Wednesday night. Families and staff filled the church with music and dance after a fun day of workshops.

Rapid Antigen Testing

The Victorian Government will continue to provide rapid antigen tests (RATs) for use by students and staff for the remainder of Term 2. 

However, from Monday 23 May 2022, it is recommended that RATs are used by students and staff when symptomatic. RATs are also required to be used for five days if a student or staff member is a close contact of a confirmed case and they are attending or working at a school.

Rapid antigen test screening requirements

Students who have tested positive for COVID-19, and have completed their 7-day isolation period, do not need to undertake rapid antigen test (RAT) screening for 12 weeks after their release from isolation. 

Household contacts

Students who are household contacts of a COVID-19 case are not required to quarantine. They may return to school as long as they undertake rapid antigen tests (RAT) 5 times during their 7-day period. They are required to notify the school that they are a household contact.

Students aged 8 years and above who are household contacts are required to wear face masks when indoors at school unless they have a valid exemption.

If a student household contact returns a positive RAT result, they must isolate for 7 days.

Learning Support Officers Day

Last week we had morning tea to celebrate the amazing work our LSO staff do every day working with students. It takes a village to raise a child and it takes a team to educate a child. 

School Photos

This Tuesday school photos will take place. Please ensure your child is in full winter uniform (and bring runners in school bag if it’s sports day).

Grandparents and Special Visitors Day

This Friday we celebrate the special people in our lives.    

9.10am Mass in Church                                                   

Plates can be left in the Hall on Friday morning.

Learning Assemblies

This week the Year 4 students will welcome their parents to come and experience learning in the classrooms.  Please check your child's newsletter for the date and time of your child's learning assembly.

National Reconciliation Week

National Reconciliation Week is coming up, starting on Friday 27 May. This year’s theme is ‘Be Brave. Make Change’, which is a challenge to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation.

This annual event is a reminder of our ongoing journey as an Australian society, and is an opportunity to make reconciliation a real part of our story and our future.

At St Paul’s we are committed to the reconciliation journey and promote it in many ways, helping our students to understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and culture, and the need for reconciliation, and inspiring them to action.

Bentleigh District Cross Country 2022

On Tuesday 17th May, St. Paul’s entered a team of 54 Runners in the B.D.S. Cross Country Championship. The children ran extremely well in the cool conditions and St. Paul’s finished 4th overall, winning the Adjusted Points Shield for the thirteenth year in a row.  A fantastic result!

From the 54 runners we had 3 children who qualified to run in the Beachside Division Cross Country on Tuesday 31st May at Bald Hill Park. They are:

Matt Strupl - 9/10 Boys

April Arundel - 9/10 Girls

Ella Logan - 11 Girls

We wish them all the best at the Beachside Division on the 31st  May.

Best wishes,

Catherine

Year 5 & 6 Incursion 

When Katrina Amon came to speak to us a couple of weeks ago, we all learnt so much about the First Nations people. She spoke about her family, bush tucker, racism and her growing up. She had lots of family and came from the Quandamooka tribe. She was given the name ‘Aunty’ because of her love for her community and the hard work that she put into helping her tribe. Her great Grandmother, Lucy the 1st, had her daughter Mable taken away from her by the government and they never got to see each other again. I would feel so angry, upset and worried if I got taken away from my mother. Katrina also talked about how she grew up. She said that some of the foods she ate were crabs, fish, oysters, mangos and avocados. Her favourite was oysters. She said she had experienced racism, been called rude names and been made fun of because of her culture. I think that it is awful that people need to make fun of someone just because they are different from you.

When she was growing up, her grandmother took her to Brown Lake. Katrina said although it looked brown, it was beautiful and clear when you were swimming in it, it was really refreshing . Her grandmother would not go in because she believed there were Bunions in the water which were mythical creatures that apparently lived in the lake. 

Katrina had two children named Lucy and Karl. Lucy is a teacher and is named after her great grandmother. She spoke about stereotyping and racism when she presented a talk to student Haileybury. I think the speech taught lots of people many things. She spoke about people being seen as half casts and often they were asked what percentage of you is Aboriginal?” The lesson there is that if you are of Aboriginal descent, you should not talk in percentages, you are Aboriginal. Her son Karl plays footy for Port Adelaide. Katrina was given the nickname ‘Mok,’ which stands for Mother of Karl. Katrina is the new Aboriginal Development Manager for St Kilda Football club and she said it is an honour to support the Aboriginal players. Overall, I learnt so many new things about the First Nations people. I think that more people should be educated on the Aboriginal culture and that we should all try and acknowledge the people who have been living here for over 60,000 years. 

By Grace Board 6HA