Week 4 Term 2 - 20 May 2022

Dear Parent/Carer

“You heard me tell you, 'I am going away and I will come back to you.' If you loved me, you would rejoice that I am going to the Father; for the Father is greater than I. And now I have told you this before it happens, so that when it happens you may believe."

John 14: 23-29

The opportunity to see you all at our Parent/Teacher conversations on Wednesday afternoon was wonderful. It highlighted to me how important the relationship between school and family is when developing student learning outcomes. St Paul’s is all about Academic and Pastoral care and when in partnership with families, so much can be achieved.

The College is always looking at how we can improve what we do in the classroom. We continue to work on our Learning Intentions and Success Criteria as a way of developing clarity for students around what is being presented in the classroom and why. This is further supported by Learning Walks, where staff enter classrooms and ask students the following questions:

• What are you learning and why?
• How are you going?
• How do you know?
• How can you improve?
• Where do you go for help?

It would be interesting for you to ask your child/ren these questions when they come home from school. The extent of their engagement in class could be determined on the depth of their responses.

While we have now released the Year 12 reports, College staff continue to work on assessing students in Year 7 through to Year 11. This may involve a collection of examinations, class work and home activities to determine grades and related comments. It is critical at this time that students listen carefully to teachers regarding what will be assessed and how to best prepare, in order to demonstrate what they have learnt about and can do!

Every minute counts and I encourage students to remain focussed in class and revise what has been learnt regularly, leading up to these examinations. Staff will be working with students in the development (if applicable) of study notes.

Finally, I thank our PDHPE staff for another successful PASS excursion that took place last week. In windy and wet weather students took part in a variety of activities showing commitment and determination. We also saw continued great results with our Cattle team who represented us well across WINGHAM BEEF WEEK.

Wishing you all a tremendous weekend.

Kind regards

Mr David JOHNS   B.Ed., Cert. Gifted Ed., Grad. Cert. Adol. Health and Welfare, M.Ed. (Ed Lead), M.Ed. (Theol) 

Principal

david.johns@lism.catholic.edu.au

The College has been informed that strike action is planned to take place on:

FRIDAY 27 MAY 2022

At this stage we are unsure of the number of staff that will be involved in this strike action. This will be communicated early next week.

As the numbers of staff involved in this industrial action has yet to be determined we are currently unable to ascertain the school's level of operation. We encourage families to consider planning for appropriate care for their child NOW in preparation for what may result from limited staff availability next Friday.

We will be in touch with you all next week once further information is received.
We have outstanding teachers and support staff at our College and this decision to strike has not been taken lightly. This will be an inconvenience, however it may provide opportunity for families to take time to understand concerns that are being highlighted by staff, not only within the Catholic sector, but also across the Government system.

Does your child catch a Busways school bus in Port Macquarie, Laurieton, Kempsey or Wauchope?

On 23 May a new school bus timetables come into effect in these areas. 

Parents and carers are recommended to check your child’s new school bus timetable at the link below:

In the ‘search’ field, type the name of your school, look at the red text that says, Effective from Monday, 23 May 2022 and then look for the changes highlighted in yellow.

Bullying is a common concern for many parents in many schools all around Australia. At St Paul’s we take all issues regarding bullying very seriously. We encourage your child to come forward early if they feel that someone is bullying them or others. The first person your child should speak to is their Pastoral Care teacher. Your child can also speak with any of our College Student Leaders if this is preferable. We will endeavour to empower every student when dealing with these sensitive issues and contact parents to work in partnership with the College.

Please do not hesitate to contact the College if you have any questions.

What is bullying?

• It's more than just a fight or disliking someone.
• It’s being mean to someone over and over again.
• Bullying is an ongoing or repeated misuse of power in relationships, with the intention to cause deliberate (on purpose) psychological harm. Bullying behaviours can be verbal, physical or social.
• Bullying can happen anywhere – at home, online, with friends, in a group, on the bus or at school.

There are many different types of bullying:

• Verbal - name calling, teasing, putting someone down, threatening to cause someone harm.
• Physical - poking, hitting, punching, kicking, spitting, tripping or pushing someone, breaking someone’s things, pulling faces or making rude hand signals.
• Social - lying, spreading rumours, playing horrible jokes, leaving someone out on purpose, embarrassing someone in public.
• Cyberbullying - using technology to hurt someone else by sending hurtful messages, pictures or comments.

There are lots of reasons why someone might bully others. Whatever the reason, bullying is never ok.

Mrs Bronwyn Shipton - Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing

bronwyn.shipton@lism.catholic.edu.au

Why is Term 2 so important at St Paul’s for Years 7, 8 & 9?

In the previous St Paul’s Newsletter I provided an outline regarding the importance of Term 2 to Years 10, 11 & 12. This week is the turn for Years 7, 8 and 9.

We have begun Week 4 with so much activity so there is much work to be done with important assessment and continued learning occurring each day this term.

Year 7 - there is a great energy level coming from our Year 7 classrooms as our students are becoming accustomed to secondary school where classes change teachers and rooms each period and new friendships are forged. The school continues to build more data and observations from our Year 7 2022 cohort, a team of teachers led by our literary coach Mr Smith are marking literacy responses and judging students based on the national ACARA Literacy Progressions presently. This information allows the school to set benchmarks and strive for improvement specifically towards literacy skills for every student. Our goal is to provide objective information this year for every student in Year 7 as they begin their secondary academic life. The upcoming school assessment is also a very important part of our Semester 1 review of student achievement- all students in Year 7 should receive clear requirements from their teachers regarding assessment tasks and be well prepared. These activities greatly assist us in working in partnership with our parents in supporting academic improvement for each student.

Year 8 - during Term 2, Year 8 students and their parents will be receiving further information from the school regarding elective choices for Year 9 2023. Students have the opportunity to select elective classes from an array of specialist subjects as well as electing a preference in either History or Geography during Years 9 & 10. The school offered elective classes in Agriculture, Art, Commerce, Food Technology, Drama, IST, Metal, Music, PASS, STEM, Textiles and Timber in Year 9 2022 and are presently reviewing similar offerings for 2023. Students in Year 9 2023 will also have the opportunity to build skills in the English and Maths pathways, allowing students to prepare for subject options in the HSC in these curriculum areas. The upcoming assessment tasks in all subjects in Year 8 allows the school to provide more objective advice to students and their parents regarding the most appropriate pathways to choose in Year 9 2023.

Year 9 - have been sitting the NAPLAN tests which provides the school further data to measure improved performance against state means. Year 9 is providing our school with a range of data to allow for more informed discussions in Year 10 2023 for HSC subject selection. Our aim is to work with families to choose the best subject options per student and the data collected specifically in Year 9 is the foundation of these discussions. All students in Year 9 must be well prepared for their Term 2 assessments, which starts with good organisation in the classroom and thorough revision of content prior to each task.

I would be very pleased to speak to students and their parents regarding these matters this term, please contact me at geoffrey.melville@lism.catholic.edu.au

Mr Geoffrey Melville - Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching

geoffrey.melville@lism.catholic.edu.au

The busyness of Term two continues here at St Paul’s. On Thursday and Friday of week 4 students from Year 7 and from Years 11 and 12 represented the College at two important student formation events provided by the CSO - Transitus and LEAD.

The Year 7 students headed up the coast to Grassy Head to engage in Transitus, an overnight retreat with Year 7 students from across the diocese. Students joined their fellow peers in games, activities, small groups and prayer as they celebrated their faith and identity.

Year 11 and 12 students began preparations for LEAD, a senior ministry event that is hosted each year at McAuley College in Grafton. Selected students met other senior students from across the Diocese and built relationships, participated in workshops and enjoyed some worship in the form of music and prayer.

As we reach the halfway point of the second term, our students will have the opportunity to apply for Shine, Ignite and the Street Retreat. Shine and Ignite are events open to students from years 9 through to year 12, while Street Retreat is targeted at Year 11 students. Applications for these events will open in week 5, and application forms can be obtained from Mr. Pollock in the office.

Mr. MacAndrews has been holding Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament in our Chapel at lunchtimes on Thursdays this term. Adoration is a celebration and recognition of Jesus’ love for us in the form of the presentation of the Eucharist. We have had good numbers of students and staff popping in to engage in this wonderful contemplative worship. All students, regardless of their faith, are welcome in the Chapel to join us in this lovely act of worship and to have that peaceful time with Him, whether that’s for a second, five minutes or all of lunch.

Finally, on Tuesday our Year 7 students received a visit from the Gideons, a society that provide Bibles to various organisations around the world. The students enjoyed a chat about the background of Gideon Bibles before receiving their very own copy of a Bible. These Bibles will no doubt become a valuable keepsake of their time at school and provide them with an opportunity to turn to the Scriptures at various times throughout the school career. The College would like to thank David and Stuart from Gideons for coming out to visit with our Year 7’s, and Ms. Stuart for organising the visit.

Thank you, and God Bless,

Mr Will Pollock - Leader of Evangelisation

will.pollock@lism.catholic.edu.au

Years 7-10 Assessment Block

Semester 1 Examinations/Assessments will be held in Weeks 6 and 7 (Monday, 30 May to Friday, 10 June).

All Study Guides and Assessment Notifications for these tasks are now available on STILE on the School Assessment Notification page. Students who need hard copies are asked to see their respective teachers.

The 'Absentee Policy for Examinations' is as follows:

• If a student has an unexplained absence, then a mark of zero is given for any exams missed. If the student has an explained absence due to illness or other reason as approved by the school principal, the following guidelines apply:
  Misadventure (catch-up) exams or an estimate will be allowed for funeral attendance, school approved activities, illness (with a Medical Certificate) and Cases for exceptional circumstances (see point 3.). Misadventure exams must occur within the exam period, or an estimate will be given. See The Assessment Guide Handbook found on SPC resources for specific conditions for students in Years 10 to 12.
• Students who are aware they will be absent for exams may be eligible to complete a Misadventure (catch-up) exam prior to their departure or upon return, as long as they occur within the exam period, or an estimate will be given.
• Cases for exceptional circumstances will be reviewed by the Principal upon written application, and if approved a misadventure exam or an estimate will be allowed.

Semester 1 Reports

Reports for students in Years 7-11 will be distributed electronically on Friday the 1st of July.
Year 12 reports were distributed to students on Thursday the 12th of May. I would like to congratulate the students who have had great success thus far in their courses and would like to encourage those who were unhappy with their reports to develop an at home study regime and to discuss how they can improve their marks and better prepare for the HSC examinations with their teachers.

Let Your Light Shine Award

I would like to congratulate the following students who were this weeks recipients for the Let Your Light Shine Award:

Edmund House:
Ben Muir, Jai Goodman, Amber Wheat, Ella Allen, Chloe Riley

Farrelly House:
Shannon Smith, Akayshia Emerton-Bell

McAuley House:
Harrison Pike, Aiden Smith, Lochlan Irving

MacKillop House:
Ralph Crocker, Patrick O’Sullivan, Xandi Whatmough, Miller Ryan, Erin Van Kal, Emily Parmenter, Stevie-Jo Digby, Coen Rogers

Mrs Amy Tovey - Leader of Curriculum

amy.tovey@lism.catholic.edu.au

University applications are now open via the University Admissions Centre (UAC). It’s a great time for Year 12 students to start considering their options. Conversations at home are a good place to start when it comes to considering what to do once the last exam is complete later this year.

For more information on how to apply through UAC, careers and post-school options visit the School’s dedicated Careers website or JobJump at the links below:

Both these websites have helpful tutorials, useful links and careers focused newsletters.

On Friday 6th May St Paul’s hosted the annual Cross Country Carnival. Due to the condition of our usual track, it was hosted in a new location, at the Eden Street Cinder Track. Thank you to the various parents who came down to support their children during this event, your attendance is always welcomed.

Congratulations to all students who took part in the cross country, especially to those who placed in the top 6 for their age group.

House point results were very close this year and came down to participation points as usual.

Edmund - 115 points
MacKillop - 113 points
McAuley - 111 points
Farrelly - 95 points. 

Well done Edmund, who have won both the Swimming Carnival and Cross Country. They look to take on the Athletics Carnival to make it a clean sweep.

Cross Country Results U12 - 17+

Age	Male	Female
U12’s	1st – William Perry 2nd – Mannix Baillie 3rd – Charlie Ferguson-Tait 4th – Ryan Wilkes	1st – Piper Kirkman 2nd – Sophie Dimmock
U13’s	1st – Wilton Townsend 2nd – Mason Calhoun 3rd – Ashton Kemp 4th – Daniel Benson 5th – Bayley Lane 6th – Abhijit Nagra	1st – Tessa Elsley 2nd – Chelsea Darling 3rd – Shayla Cronin 4th – Leah Quinn 5th – Stella Crilley 6th – Esther Buckley
U14’s	1st – Jared Clarke 2nd – Kai Etheridge 3rd – Coby Soper 4th – Patrick O’Sullivan 5th – Lincoln McCarthy 6th – Thomas James	1st – Cleo Schubert 2nd – Molly Betts 3rd - Harriett Shields 4th - Sofia Hamilton
U15’s	1st – Kayne Richards 2nd – Jack Bool 3rd – Alex Gorline-Singleman	1st – Lionnel Nyurka 2nd – Pheobe Laws 3rd – Annika Killmore 4th – Tilly Picket 5th – Ciara Peters
U16’s	1st – Patrick Preston 2nd – Jai Goodman 3rd – Lincoln Von Mengersen 4th – Matthew Ennis 5th – Kurt Nemme	1st – Ruby Trappel 2nd – Imogen Ward 3rd – Ryley Smith 4th – Isabelle Koivu 5th – Taylah Moffit
17+’s	1st – Keelan Brien 2nd – Nat Fletcher 3rd – Max Farrell 4th – Gabby Pimentel 5th – Shannon Russell-Prescott 6th – Jake Worthing	No runners

Good luck to those students who were nominated for the Diocesan Cross Country, we wish them all the best.

Upcoming events:

31st May – Country Cup Rugby League (boys)
9th June – Cochrane Cup U14’s Rugby league (boys)
9th June – Diocesan Junior Football Championships
15th June – Katrina Fanning Cup Rugby League (girls)

Mr Heath Needs - Teacher and Sports Coordinator

heath.needs@lism.catholic.edu.au

What has your child in Year 7 to 10 been learning this week?

As the year progresses, the teachers at St Paul’s College continue to provide our students with as many fabulous pedagogical experiences as possible to engage and inspire, as well as to assist them to deepen their knowledge. The focus of learning and teaching at St Paul’s is not just on content delivery but also on providing lessons that convey to the students the relevance of the learning to their lives and that have real-world application.

In Year 7, the students have been experiencing their learning through a variety of hands-on activities. In Mrs Keith’s Science class they have been learning about microscopic life, practicing using a range of microscopes to view microorganisms. They have been observing both living and prepared slides and have also been viewing organisms from around the school grounds, including going on a tardigrade hunt. They have been applying the rules for drawing biological diagrams to draw what they see. In Mr Franey’s Mathematics class the students have been exploring manipulating fractions by examining the multitude of ways a pizza can be divided. Pizza not included (unfortunately).

In Mr Smith’s Year 8 English class, the students have been learning about the way language choices shape meaning in different types of texts. To learn this concept they have been analysing language techniques (imagery, symbolism, personification, simile, metaphor) and applying them to their own writing.

In Year 9, the students have been enjoying a range of pedagogical approaches to their learning. In Mrs Nolan’s Textiles class, the students are in the final stages of designing a stencil, laser cutting the stencil, printing the design onto fabric, then sewing a fabric shopping bag. This project provides a solid introduction to the use of the sewing machine and overlocker. In Mrs Keith’s Science class the students have been learning to analyse the impacts of changes to food webs in the Ecosystems unit. They have been reading relevant texts, completing exercises to analyse impacts in various scenarios, conducting a case study “Wolves Change Rivers” and manipulating and using computer simulations and models.

Across their electives, Year 10 students are enjoying a range of interesting activities. In Mr Bramley’s Agriculture class, they are learning about pasture establishment, production, utilisation and growth measurement. They are currently establishing Winter active species of pasture on the Francis Farm, using a rising plate meter to estimate dry matter and making calculations as to how much pasture is available in the future to meet the nutritional needs of the cattle herd. They are also working in the field to learn how to visually identify various pasture plants. In Mrs Nolan’s Textiles class the students are working on the construction of hoodies. They are learning pattern placement, pattern markings, following pattern instructions and to use the embroidery machine to put an embroidery design on their hoodie whilst also developing their folio. In Mr Northey’s iSTEM class the students are coding their Arduino robots with C++.

Ms Maria Littlejohn - Leader of Pedagogy

maria.littlejohn@lism.catholic.edu.au

Positive Behaviour Reward Scheme

Students have made an excellent start to Term 2 and are quickly accumulating points in the PBRS. Teachers are always looking to award points in multiples of 10 to their students for things like:

• Showing academic excellence
• Showing academic initiative
• Arriving to classes and Pastoral Care on time
• Wearing the correct uniform
• Contributing respectfully to class discussions
• Staying on task
• Completing homework tasks
• Participating in College activities like the swimming/athletic carnivals, St Paul’s Feast Day, reading at Masses or liturgies, Anzac Day March, debating, team or individual sports, Da Vinci Decathlon, Show Team, assisting at the Ag farm, Hall Crew, Green Group, etc
• Reading aloud in class
• Willingness to help staff or other students when needed
• Having a positive attitude to class or practical work
• Looking for extra work when students have finished set tasks, and
  Letting your light shine in any positive way.

After three weeks of Term 2 Pippa Kennedy is leading Year 7 on 310 points, Samuel Farrell is on top in Year 8 on 370 points, Benjamin Muir leads Year 9 on 340 points, Year 10 has a trio of leaders in Sophie Osborne, Caitlin Williams and Reagan O’Donnell who all have 250 points, Mikayla Cameron is blitzing Year 11 on 360 points and the shining star of St Paul’s in Year 12 is Jessica Dening on 450 points.

The winner in each year receives a $100 gift card redeemable at any retail outlet that accepts Mastercard.

Uniform and Accessories

The new College Hoodie is now available and I expect that it will be very popular with students. This hoodie can be worn as part of the academic and sports uniform. I have listed the uniform accessories below and would ask parents to remind students about the permitted accessories to alleviate misunderstandings between teachers and students.

COMMON ACCESSORIES (for all students 7-12)

• Up to two small plain studs (Maximum 5 mm in diameter) or sleepers (Maximum 15 mm in diameter) in each ear (only).
• No visible facial or body piercing is permitted.
• No visible tattoos are permitted.
• One small plain ring may be worn. NOT one ring on each hand.
  No bangles, bands or bracelets. (Medical alert bracelets are the exception to this)
• One plain metal chain necklace with or without small cross only. (Medical alert necklaces are the exception to this).
• Inappropriate jewellery will be confiscated and kept until the end of term. All care will be taken, but no responsibility accepted.
• Make-up of any description is not permitted for any students in years 7-10 (this includes tinted moisturiser, and coloured lip gloss). Year 11 and 12 students may minimally use make-up such as foundation and mascara which are of natural shades only. Minimal and Natural are the keywords here.
• No eyelash extensions are permitted.
• Nail polish must be clear.
• The Year 12 Rugby type jerseys are a privilege and are not an official College uniform item. If these are allowed to be worn at school it will only be in conjunction with the correct uniform. Where the College uniform is not correct, the jersey will be removed until the uniform is corrected.

We are currently dealing with some uniform accessory infringements and would appreciate support from home in regard to this area of acceptable uniform accessories being worn at St Paul’s. The vast majority of students are able to comply with College expectations in regard to uniform accessories and these students will continue to be rewarded using the PBRS.

Police Liaison Officer visit

Steve Jeffery, our designated Police Liaison Officer will be visiting St Paul’s on Monday 23rd May to talk to students in Year 7 about safe use of the internet and vaping. Steve always gives a very important and timely reminder to our students about situations inside and outside of school that can impact student wellbeing. I encourage students to listen very carefully to Steve’s advice and to ask him questions if they require further clarification.

Mr Leon Robinson - Leader of Pastoral Care

leon.robinson@lism.catholic.edu.au  

0401 166 415

Ricki Saunders - Canteen Manager

On Monday and Tuesday (16 & 17th May), 40 students from St Paul's Catholic College traveled to St Columba Anglican School, Port Macquarie, for the Mid North Coast Regional da Vinci Decathlon. Throughout the day, students worked collaboratively to solve various challenges across a range of academic disciplines, including; Science, Creative Producers, English, Ideation, Mathematics, Engineering, Art and Poetry, Cartography, Code Breaking and Legacy.

Twenty-eight teams, from schools across the Mid North Coast, were in attendance on the day and our students performed admirably. In particular, our Year 11 team placed 1st in Science, Maths and Legacy and placed 7th overall. Our Year 9 team placed 3rd in Ideation and our Year 8 team placed 1st in Engineering, 2nd in Ideation, 3rd in Creative Producers and 8th place overall.

All of our students displayed exemplary behaviour and represented our school community with distinction.

Congratulations to:

Year 7 - Wolfe Hudson, Tom Farley, Noah Bailey, Tahlia Wall, Anthony Smith, Pippa Kennedy, Mannix Baille, Marley Crotty

Year 8 - Bradley Keith, Kai Ehtridge, Luana Silk, Mia Matlock, Emma Miller, Matthew Chow, Alannah Koivu, Kaitlyn Chadwick

Year 9 - Eva Gately, Savannah Bechaz-Hatton, Dylan Hine, Stella Thorman, Isaac Dunbar, Jacinta Pratt, Harrison Bailey, Acacia Gorline-Singleman

Year 10 - Sophie Osbourne, Evangeline Barton, Brielle Woodger, Emily Costa, Lochlan Irving, Ava Ryan, Michael Buckley, Bailey Campbell

Year 11 - Nat Fletcher, Pat Preston, Nick Kenny, Emma Kerr, Tristan Ardetti, Coen Rogers, Dylan Smith, Jonte Ross

A special mention to Mr Shipton, Mr Robins and Ms Tildsley who assisted the teams on the day.

St Paul’s P&F Association would like to thank the members of our College community who supported us in running the BBQ stall at the Kempsey Show, our first major fundraiser since 2020.

The Show itself has a long history of bringing the people of the Macleay Valley together and the BBQ stall offered the same opportunity for our College community. Over the course of the two day event, more than 50 people including staff, students, parents, friends and families generously gave their time to make this fundraising stall a success.

The P & F have already been able to use some of the funds to assist the College in purchasing a much needed portable PA system to be used at outdoor assemblies, Mass, sports carnivals and the like.

We would also like to thank the following businesses/organisations for their support:

• IGA Central
• K&J Superior Meats
• Hot and Tasty Bakery
• Kempsey Hire Service
• O`Donnell and Hanlon
• Kempsey Show Society
• Macleay Valley Rangers Football Club

We look forward to seeing some friendly new faces at our meetings or to help out during our fundraising events throughout the year. Monthly meetings are held at the College, 5.30pm on the second Wednesday of the month. All are welcome.

All email enquiries can be directed to: kmps.pandf@gmail.com

Consent forms have been distributed to Year 10 students for the upcoming vaccination clinic on Tuesday 24 May 2022. Consent forms are to be completed and handed directly to the North Coast Public Health Nurse on the day of the clinic.

Clinic schedule:

Term 2 – Tuesday 24 May 2022

• Year 10 - Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY)
• Year 7 - catch-ups for HPV dose 1 & Boostrix
• Year 8 - HPV dose 2 - catch up from 2021
• Year 11 - Nimenrix (Meningococcal ACWY) – catch up from 2021

Term 4 – Tuesday 13 September 2022

• Year 7 - HPV dose 2
• Year 7 - HPV dose 1 & Boostrix - catch-ups
• Year 8 - HPV dose 2 - catch up
• Year 10 & 11 - Nimenrix (meningococcal ACWY) – catch up

More information regarding school vaccinations can be found at the link below:

For all enquiries regarding your child's immunisations please contact the local public health unit on 1300 066 055.

All Year 6 students in the Macleay and Nambucca Valleys who have registered to attend our 'A Day in the Life of a St Paul's Catholic College Student' on Thursday 26 May have been emailed vital information regarding the day - if you did not receive this, please email kmps@lism.catholic.edu.au

St Paul's Catholic College are proud to host a Biggest Morning Tea on Thursday 16 June where students will be running stalls selling various food items and raffle tickets (prizes donated by local businesses and families). The funds raised for Cancer Council will go towards vital cancer research, support services, prevention programs and advocacy. This is being organised by 'Team Flexible' who are our wonderful Additional Needs team.

Families are encouraged to donate raffle items big or small, which can be brought to your child's PC class. 

On the day the students will wear their full school uniform but may add a colourful accessory (socks, hair ribbons, hats, scarf etc) and are asked to bring in their gold coins to school which will be collected by their PC teachers. They might like to choose a colour that represents a particular type of cancer, that they, or their family have been affected by.

To donate or for more information regarding the Biggest Morning Tea and the Cancer Council please go to:

On 16th May we recognised and celebrated the role of support staff at St Paul's College. Thank you all for your amazing work!

May is officially National Family Reading Month!

Reading at home for fun has long-lasting benefits. It builds vocabulary, comprehension, and phonological awareness. Each of these skills is a prerequisite for later success in reading, but of even greater importance is that frequent, pleasurable reading time spent with family to fall in love with the joy and power of books.

Celebrate reading more this May in a way that works well for your family. May is a great time to set a personal reading challenge and encourage the whole family to do the same.

For more information on National Family Reading month please visit the Scholastic website here:

Please be advised that the term dates have been amended for Term 4.

Changes have been made to the Close Contact guidelines:

Staff and students who are close contacts and have NO symptoms may continue to attend school if they follow the guidelines below:

Notify the College that they are a close contact and will be attending school following these guidelines -

• Conduct a daily rapid antigen test (RAT) and return a negative result each morning before attending school for 5 school days.
• Secondary school students must wear a mask indoors (except when eating or exercising).

Masks and RAT kits for student use can be provided by the College, if required.

Please note:

• No student or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to participate in overnight excursions, including school camps.
• No apprentices, trainees or students on placement or staff member identified as a close contact will be permitted to attend settings identified as high risk by NSW Health (healthcare, aged care, disability care or correctional facilities)
• Any visitor to the College who is a close contact is required to advise the College that they are a close contact before they come on site. These visitors should conduct a daily RAT and return a negative result before attending. They must also wear a mask indoors at all times.

Remember: staff and students cannot attend school if they are showing any symptoms of COVID-19. If symptoms occur at any time, students should not attend school and should undertake a rapid antigen test (RAT).

Outside of these necessary isolations students are expected to attend school every day unless they are otherwise unwell or have a different justifiable reason.

Positive COVID Cases
If a student or staff member receives a positive RAT or PCR test, they need to:

• Record the positive result through the Service NSW website or Service NSW app – please add details of St Paul’s when prompted
• Notify the school of the positive RAT or PCR test result as soon as possible and
  follow NSW Health advice to isolate for 7 days.

Masks

Masks are not mandatory for staff and students in high schools. Staff and students will be supported to wear a mask if they choose to do so. Mask wearing is mandatory for staff and high school students returning to school as close contacts for 5 school days. Where students or staff are unable to wear a mask, they will be supported to learn or work remotely.

Remember: masks continue to be mandatory on public transport. This applies to students aged 12 years and older, and staff when travelling to and from school and during school excursions by public transport or by chartered transport services.

We request your support in relation to partial day attendance of students. Arriving late and departing early places increased pressure on students, in relation to them needing to catch up on missed work. It also disrupts class learning when students enter or leave a lesson during class time.

We ask that appointments are made outside of class times and/or school hours. We realise that this is not always possible, therefore we require that the following occurs if your child has an appointment during the school day.

Early Departures

If you need to collect your child early a signed note MUST be provided to the Office, stating the reason and time the student is to be picked up. This must be provided to the Office prior to morning PC (between 8:30am and 8:55am) so that a pass out can be arranged for the student to leave class early. If a note is not able to be provided, an email with the information in regards to the appointment may be emailed to kmps@lism.catholic.edu.au

If a note or email is not provided to the Office, we cannot guarantee that a student will be ready for collection upon your arrival at the College, as rooming and class activities may change their location. This may result in a parent/caregiver having to wait until the end of a lesson before they can collect their child.

Emergencies

If an emergency situation occurs and your child must be collected immediately, we will endeavour to get them to you as quickly as possible.

Late Arrivals

Students arriving late MUST report to the College Office, so that they can be marked as present, prior to them going to class. Parents/carers are not required to come into the College with their child, however we do require an email or phone call from you to explain the reason for the late arrival.

Thank you for your cooperation with these procedures.

Congratulations to former St Paul's student and Captain, Josie Clarke, on her amazing achievement! Josie who is a Bellimbopinni local, has won the 2022 AgriFutures Australia NSW/ACT Rural Women’s Award for her outstanding work and dedication to improving inclusivity for people living with disabilities in agriculture.

Minister for Agriculture and Western NSW Dugald Saunders MP, and NSW Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor MLC, joined in congratulating Josie when she was awarded a $15,000 Westpac grant during this special event at NSW Parliament House in Sydney.

This is an outstanding achievement and provides Josie with due recognition for starting the conversation about disability in agriculture and giving a voice to those with disability working, or wanting to gain employment, in the industry.

Josie will use her grant to register her not-for-profit organisation Ability Agriculture to develop support resources, including a podcast series, and scope the development of a leadership program for those living with disability.

The 2022 AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award is an AgriFutures Australia program, delivered in collaboration with the NSW DPI and supported by the Country Women's Association (CWA) of NSW and Westpac.

Visit the link below for more information about the award: