St Paul's Catholic Primary School Newsletter Term 3, Week 2 2021
Principal's Message
Term 3, Week 2
Good afternoon St Paul’s families,
I am so pleased that we are back at school for Term 3. I was a little concerned that with our recent lockdown we might end up suffering the same fate as so many of our friends and family in other places around Australia. I pray that we can all continue to keep safe and that our lives can continue with the new kind of normalcy to which we have become accustomed.
This term we will see a focus on ‘caring for our common home’, inspired by ‘Laudato Si’, an encyclical from Pope Francis that calls the Catholic community to action to care for our environment and our people. This will culminate in our Term 3 Parent Forum in Week 10, when we celebrate Catholic Education Week. We hope to gather a panel of people in our community who have a particular interest in creating a more sustainable world. If you would like to be part of this panel, please contact me.
As part of this focus, we will be working with some of our children, who have become affectionately known as our ‘St Paul’s Waste Warriors’ to bring to life the dreams of a recent Woolworths Junior Landcare grant. Some of these children are members of our Children’s University program but all children are welcome. We will also be calling on some parent expertise to assist us so if you have knowledge and experience in constructing a compost unit, developing a recycling station and establishing some wicking garden beds and would like to assist us, please let me know.
This term, we welcome many new families to our school community and it has been lovely to see our spirit of welcome and hospitality once again shining through. We have a busy term to look forward to with so many opportunities for our school community to celebrate our talents and our spirit of togetherness – please ensure you have looked at the calendar so everyone can be part of these events.
May the Spirit of Jesus fill your hearts,
Ms Megan Evans
Megan.evans@nt.catholic.edu.au
Royal Darwin Show
The Royal Darwin Show was a fantastic opportunity for so many of our St Paul’s students to showcase their unique talents. Some of our students have shared snippets of their experiences.
The St Paul’s Choir
Ashlyn Mc Kernan – We rehearsed so well leading up to the show that I wasn’t feeling very nervous as all. We did new song, ‘Arcade’ and I think we performed this really well. I would like to thank Andrew for getting us the gig, Miss Mona and Sr Hilde for their time and effort. We also thank our families for their support.
Chloe Ryan – I joined the Choir because I like singing at our Masses and some of my friends are also in the choir. I was a little nervous before the Royal Darwin Show but because we have performed before and have done a lot of practice, it made me a little less nervous. I felt that we did a really good job and I’m looking forward to doing more performances with the choir and I would really love it if we could sing at the end of month Children’s Masses.
The St Paul’s Band
We were so proud of our band’s performance at the Royal Darwin Show. Despite not having many formal rehearsals, the band did a great job. Being part of the band is a great way to learn to work with others, develop musical talents and have fun at the same time. We thank Andrew Arthur for working with the students and giving them another chance to shine.
DAPA Instrumental Students
A couple of our students were lucky enough to showcase their talents in a solo performance at the show.
Samantha Roccio – Before I played I was really nervous because I thought I might mess things up. I played and at the end I felt really proud of myself. I practise keyboard every day and I want to continue to get better. I love the sound the keys make, especially when I play ‘Fur Elise’.
The Baking Competition
Lily Bookall – At the Royal Darwin Show, I entered the Baking Competition. I baked 5 Butter Cup Cakes and I decorated them as: celebrating 70 years of the show, a beach, a popcorn bucket, one with sprinkles and one with stars all over it. I came 2nd and I felt really proud. This was a better result than the last time I entered.
Priya Bookall – On the Wednesday before the show, we dropped our cakes to the show grounds and I was feeling quite confident. On Thursday after school we went back to the show grounds and I saw that I came 3rd place for the birthday cake I made. I felt very proud of myself.
The Art Competition
Oriel McDonald – I was inspired to enter my art in the Royal Darwin Show by my teacher at The Artful Room. I used pastel, water-colour and charcoal to create my piece, The Magpie Goose. I chose this animal because it is an important part of our local environment and the theme for was – ‘Darwin’. I was very shocked when I won as it was my first time entering a competition like this but it something I want to continue to do. I felt proud that my grandparents were visiting so they could share in the excitement.
I also did my St John’s Ambulance training at the show and it was so good.
The Cat Show
Priya and Lily Bookall – On Saturday we put our cats in the show and our cat, Lexxi, won the best groomed and 3rd best champion adult. We won 4 ribbons, 2 certificates and some Cat Litter Crumble! Puss Puss won a White-Slip which means she will get her second title. It was such a good feeling to win all these things at the Royal Darwin Show.
Northern Territory Swimming Championships
We congratulate, two of our Year 6 students, Maddie Hunter and Lenny Kamamias, who recently represented the Nightcliff Dolphins at the NT Short Course Swimming Championships in Alice Springs.
Maddie Hunter – On the 22nd of July, I flew down to Alice Springs with my swimming club, the Nightcliff dolphins, to the NT Short Course Swimming Championships. I went in ten races and won 2 gold medals in the 100m and 200m relay. It was a very fun experience and I’m very proud of my achievements. I went down without my parents so it was a great opportunity to show my responsibilities. Although I did not get medals in every race, I still go PBs (personal best times) on every race by about 2-6 seconds. I had an amazing time meeting new people and seeing new places and I hope I can do it again one day.
Ms. Megan Evans
2021 SCHOOL TERM DATES
SEMESTER 2
TERM 3 (10 Weeks)
24/09/2021 Friday Last day of Term 3
27/09/2021 Monday to 08/10/2021 Friday Term Break
TERM 4 (10 Weeks)
11/10/2021 Monday Students return
16/12/2021 Thursday Last day for students
17/12/2021 Friday Last day for teaching staff
UNIFORM ORDERS: There has been another delay in our uniform orders due to an order error. We are currently working to rectify this issue with a new uniform company and hope to receive our remaining orders early Term 3.
If required, orders can be exchanged for larger sizes. Students in Year 6 awaiting orders are welcome to request a refund, please email Tahlia at: admin.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au
Families will be advised when their orders are ready for collection. We send sincerest apologies to all families that are still waiting and thank you for your patience yet again!
WARNING FROM CITY OF DARWIN COUNCIL
You may have already noticed that there have been Parking Rangers attending the school at pick-up times. They will continue to attend at random so please be vigilant and mindful of safety around the school. Infringements will be issues for unattended cars.
Please contact Rachel at CoD on 08 8930 0638 for further information.
Upcoming Events
St Paul’s School Concert will be held on Thursday 26th of August at 7pm at the Darwin Entertainment Centre
Tickets are available for purchase now via the link below.
Students from Transition to Year 6 who are performing will be sitting upstairs in the Dress Circle and will NOT need to purchase a ticket.
ELC students will return to sit with their parents after their performance. ELC families are asked to call the Darwin Entertainment Centre Box Office on 89803333 and NOT via the website link.
ELC families please note when booking your tickets via phone, you will need to advise the Box Office that you have a child in the ELC so that a ticket will be allocated for your child. There will be no cost for ELC student’s tickets, only family members who are accompanying them.
Religious Education News
Greetings Parents/Carers,
My name is Dee Cois and I will be replacing Rochelle (teacher 5/6 and REC) while she is away taking care of her precious baby daughter, Lucia. I am looking forward to meeting you all in the coming weeks.
The MJR (Making Jesus Real) focus for the past fortnight was Growth Moments.
The students are encouraged to ponder and reflect on how much they have learned and grown since their birth. They are reminded to continue to develop the necessary skills to enable them to fully participate in life with confidence, a positive attitude and regard for others and the environment. ‘Growth moments are the times when we do something awesome that we haven’t tried before’.
These are some real examples that students from St Paul’s have shared.
Nikolina: “Tayo encouraged me to try a game of handball because I was too scared to try. I had a go at lunchtime and I am so happy. Now I love handball.”
Olive M: “I set the table last night and Mum didn’t ask me. It made her very happy.”
Jakob: “I got out on purpose so that the new girl in my class could stay in the game. Then the other kids started to do the same because we didn’t want her to feel left out.”
We will focus on Friendships in the coming two weeks.
Confirmation News
For those who missed the first meeting, there will be a repeat session Tuesday, 24th August at 6:00pm in the Church.
The sacrament of Confirmation will be celebrated 18th September at the 6pm Mass.
‘Whatever is true, whatever is honourable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things’ (Phil 4:8)
Upcoming Events
As part of the ongoing recognition of 200 years of Catholic Education in Australia, Family Week will be celebrated 8th – 14th August. We will be asking parents to send in a favourite family photo to be displayed on a shared board. Further information will be issued on Dojo.
Weekly Awards: Week 2
Week 2 MJR 'Growth moments' Awards
Classroom News
General Information/News
OFFICE HOURS: The school office is open 7:50am to 3:30pm Monday to Friday during term time.
UNIFORM ORDERS: There has been another delay in our uniform orders due to an order error. We are currently working to rectify this issue with a new uniform company and hope to receive our remaining orders early Term 3. Families will be advised when their orders are ready for collection and sizes can be exchanged as needed. We send sincerest apologies to all families that are still waiting and thank you for your patience yet again!
LOST PROPERTY: Please check the names on your children's hats and other property as we have discovered that children are accidentally taking other children's belongings home.
SCHOOL FEES: School fee invoices have now been sent out to all families via email, please contact us if you have not received your email. When paying fees please ensure you include a reference for what the payment is for, either 'School Fees', 'OSHC Fees' or 'ELC fees' in the name.
SIBLING DISCOUNT: If you have more than 1 child studying at a Catholic School in the NT, you will be eligible for a sibling discount. Please contact finance.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au to inform our finance team of which schools your other children attend.
Rm 4 Transition - Miss Jo & Sr Hilde - SPORT DAY: Tuesday LIBRARY DAY: Friday
Rm 1 Yr 1-2 - Miss Mona - SPORT DAY: Tuesday LIBRARY DAY: Thursday
Rm 2 Yr 1-2 - Mr C - SPORT DAY: Wednesday LIBRARY DAY: Friday
Rm 8 Yr 3-4 - Miss Mandy & Sr Hilde - SPORT DAY: Wednesday LIBRARY DAY: Monday
Rm 9 Yr 3-4 - Miss Alex - SPORT DAY: Tuesday LIBRARY DAY: Thursday
Rm 12 Yr 5-6 - Mrs Del & Miss Margy - SPORT DAY: Tuesday LIBRARY DAY: Tuesday
Rm 13 Yr 5-6 - Miss Lauren & Miss Jess - SPORT DAY: Wednesday LIBRARY DAY: Wednesday
Rm 14 Yr 5-6 - Mrs Pond - SPORT DAY: Wednesday LIBRARY DAY: TBA
BOOK CLUB ORDERS: Book Club orders are sent out from Scholastic through the school twice per term. We use the “LOOP” system which means online ordering only. For more information on how to do this please see the link below www.scholastic.com.au/LOOP
Please remember to use your child’s classroom number when ordering.
PARENT CONTACT DETAILS: Please advise the office of any changes to your contact details. This includes phone numbers, address details and emails. It is vitally important that we have the correct contact number in view of any emergency. Thank you for your assistance in this area.
INSTRUMENTAL LESSONS: Instrumental lessons will take place again this year with Andrew Arthur, Violin lessons with Kirsty McCullum and Woodwind lessons with Eliza Tobin. Instrumental lessons will take place each Friday and Violin lessons each Wednesday during school hours. Contact details for Andrew are – dapa@live.com.au 0428153355 and Kirsty McCullum- kirstymac@bigpond.com and Eliza Tobin for Woodwind lessons - elizatobin@hotmail.com.
SCHOOL START TIMES: We request that families drop their children off at school as close to 8am as possible. Should you arrive prior to this time please wait on the steps outside the staffroom before going to the classroom. At 8:10am the first bell will sound which means the children and parents can then proceed to the classroom. The classrooms and office will be closed during that time however, recess/lunch trays will be accessible outside the classrooms.
SCHOOL DENTIST: St Paul’s does not have on onsite dental clinic, however you can use the Dental Clinic at Nightcliff Primary school. Parents are asked to contact the clinic on 89226466 to arrange an appointment. Parents are to accompany their child to the appointment. There is no charge for this service and it is highly recommended that children’s teeth should be regularly checked. This also includes pre-school children.
PICKING UP CHILDREN at the end of the school day. We ask that all parents/carers who will be picking up their child from school please wait in the area outside the office and staffroom.
CARPARK PICK-UP: In an effort to move the traffic along more quickly and freely we ask that parents safely follow the appropriate procedures. Should you need to get out and buckle your child in—we ask that you use the car spaces available to do so and not the pick up area.
CANTEEN NEWS:
New products available to order at the canteen: Please note the flavoured milks have 30% less sugar then alternatives
The Canteen is now open 5 days a week as of the 15th of March
Tuesdays and Thursdays will have a limited menu, please refer to Quickcliq for available items.
The Canteen will provide recess and lunch through quickcliq.com.au (account set up required). It seems that some children are choosing not to eat food brought from home and are instead requesting snacks and food from the canteen. Please note that families will be invoiced for this so please ensure your child is aware of what food is packed for them each day and that all food is labelled clearly (including packets of snack foods as it is confusing when children have the same snacks.
LUNCHES: Lunch boxes are taken to the coolroom each morning between 8.15 and 8.30am. It is important to be at school on time for the smooth running of this program and it is important that all recess and lunch boxes are labelled with your child’s name and Room No.
OSHC NEWS: If you have changed your child’s days from last year or would like more could you please let Anna-Lea or Ihrene know. If you wish to enrol in the program—Enrolment Forms can be collected from the office or OSHC. Thank you.
FULL TIME, PART TIME AND CASUAL BOOKED CARE: Please understand that fees will be charged for booked days regardless whether the child attends or not. As we need to consider rosters and menu food that are prepared and organised. There is a subsidy for your fees for this available from Centrelink. Please ring them for more information.
CANCELLATION OF CARE: Two weeks written notice will be required for cancellation of care for both full time and part time children. Change of care days should be supported by email and change to enrolment form. As above, there is a subsidy for your fees for this available from Centrelink. Please ring them for more information.
St Paul's Parents and Friends
Community Flyers
To be eligible for first round offers, and to ensure that an interview has been conducted, completed applications must be received by O’Loughlin Catholic College by Thursday 26th of August.
Our proposed interview dates for Term 3 are; 28 July, 11 August and 1st September.
First round offers will be announced via post Term 3 Week 8.
