St Paul's Catholic Primary School Rapid Creek eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Good afternoon St Paul’s families,

A brief summary of our Year 5/6 camp and this is why we are all so proud to be part of this school community!

And that’s a wrap for 5/6 Camp 2021 and what an awesome few days we have had. We got dirty, we got sweaty, we got wet. We got scared, but we overcome fears. We tried new things and discovered new talents. We worked together and encouraged each other. We built rafts, catapults and we definitely built resilience. We zip lined, rock climbed and orienteered. We ate (LOTS) and we drank and we swam. We watched movies, we played games and had some free time.

Three of our favourite comments from the students:
“I’m going to have a go at everything and have a positive attitude”
“Finally I have found something I am really good at”
“ I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and have overcome my fear of heights”
We have had the BEST time but are now ready for some decent aircon, a nice shower and some clean clothes.

I was bursting with pride yesterday when our Year 5/6 students returned from camp. The feedback that I received from teachers, dad helpers and staff at the BOEC camp was that our children were simply THE BEST! We are so proud of them and not for their ‘achievements’ in rock-climbing, raft-building or zip-lining but of how they interacted with each other and treated each other. They were respectful, responsible and safe. Their friendships and relationships were at the forefront of everything they did. They really showed what it means to be part of the St Paul’s community and for that, we are so proud of them and so thankful for the young people they are growing into.

I also extend my thanks to the hard-working staff and generous parent helpers! Without them, fantastic formative life-experiences cannot go ahead. Thank you!

May the courage and love demonstrated by these young children, fill your lives!

Ms Megan Evans

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Upcoming Events

School Term Dates

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Please note that on Friday December 17th, our ELC and OSHC services will be closed.

On this day, our whole staff will gather together. This is a rare occasion but one that is very important for staff wellbeing and has been supported by our school board and Catholic Education Northern Territory. Families will not be invoiced for this day and therefore this will not be counted as 'allowable absence' for CCS purposes.

Our ELC and Vacation Care will be open as per usual hours from December 20 -22. Services will be closed from December 23 - January 10.

We have endeavoured to give families enough notice of this closure so that alternative care arrangements can be made on this day.

Please return all St Paul's Library and reading books by the end of Week 9

FINAL_VAC_PROGRAM_Dec_2021_Feb._2022.pdf

Complete the Operoo form by the 3rd of December to register your child for Vacation Care.

Father John Kelliher msc 50 Years Professed - A Darwin Perspective

Born on the 15^th of January 1950, in a few days’ time, on December 4^th, Father John Kelliher will celebrate his Golden Jubilee as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart. A significant part of that half-century of Religious Life has been spent in ministry in the Diocese of Darwin, from where I write.
Four years after making his First Profession as a Religious towards the end of 1971 in what was then the Croydon Monastery Chapel, John came to the Territory in December 1975 to minister as a Deacon at Santa Teresa. Father John Clancy msc was the Mission Superintendent there at the time. Ordained a priest on August 21, 1976, Father John Kelliher was re-appointed to the Northern Territory and from the start of 1977 until mid-1978, he worked at St John's College in Chaplaincy work, as a Religion Teacher and as Assistant to Brother Gerry Burke msc in the Boarding House.
In July 1978 Father John was asked at short notice to go back to Santa Teresa, this time as the Assistant and understudy to Father Brian Healy msc, whom he went on to replace as Parish Priest and Community Advisor from 1979 to March 1982.
From 1978 to 1983, I was also working in the Darwin diocese in a number of capacities and I can affirm that in both places, St John’s College and down at Santa Teresa, Father John’s ministry was characterized by patience, calmness and friendliness to all he came in contact with.
Then, as can be seen from the history line that follows, our paths diverged around about that time. In March 1982 John was appointed as Assistant Parish Priest at our Henley Beach parish in Adelaide; thereafter he gained experience as Assistant Pastor at Kippax in Canberra over the years 1984 and 1985; this was followed by a 3-year stint in our Coogee NSW parish, after which John was appointed Parish Priest of our Kings Meadow parish in Launceston for 6 years. From all of these appointments, John gained a range of ministerial skills that have stood him in good stead throughout the years that have followed.
One of Father John’s special gifts is in the area of one-to-one Faith Formation and Spiritual Direction. To further develop this capability, he spent 1995 at the Heart of Life Institute in Melbourne and gained the Siloam Spiritual Direction Diploma.
In January 1996 John again received an appointment as Parish Priest, this time to Erskinville in Sydney and for a 6 year period. While engaged in this ministry, he found time to follow a Master in Theology course at the Catholic University of Sydney and to assist with the Province’s Formation work.
In 2002 it was time for a decent break from active ministry and for an opportunity to broaden his already wide range of experiences with a Sabbatical that took him to the United States, England, France (in particular, to Issoudun where the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart were founded back in 1854) to Ireland, the Holy Land and to South Africa. These destinations were not arbitrarily chosen. They constituted a mosaic of formative experiences for Father John’s future ministry.
And where was that to be?
It was back to the Northern Territory…
And so began what has so far been Father John’s most significant contribution to the diocese of Darwin: his eleven years, 2003 to 2013 inclusive, as Administrator of the Cathedral parish, a ministry in which he thrived personally and a ministry through which he has helped a vast number of people come closer to God.
On more than one occasion, Father John has remarked to me how fortunate he considers himself to have been as a participator in the wider Sacramental life of the diocese as a result of his responsibilities at the Cathedral. One thinks of the many baptisms and marriages that take place in the Cathedral on behalf of people who live in other Top End parishes, as well as the many wider, diocesan functions, such as, for example, the multicultural Masses we used to have there. Then there are the many civic functions for which the Cathedral is Darwin’s recognized venue because of its size and structure. Father John says this wider ministry included some wonderful years working with the St. Vincent de Paul Society, with St John's College as well as in representing the clergy of the Darwin Diocese in the National Clergy Life and Ministry movement. Then from time to time he has had opportunities to function as a supply priest in other parts of the Diocese, such as Groote Eylandt and Nhulunbuy.
Father John also considers it to have been an extraordinary opportunity that, towards the end of his time as Cathedral Administrator he was able, under Bishop Eugene Hurley’s initiative and creativity, to monitor the renovation of the Cathedral’s interior, improvements that have rendered it so much more functional and better adapted for worship.
At the close of 2013, the then Provincial, Father John Mulrooney, gave Father John a new appointment in Sydney, though during the early part of 2014, John was again able to get a few months of sabbatical refreshment by way of long-service leave. And so, during the first 3 months of 2014, John combined a 6 week visit to the Tantur Ecumenical Institute in Israel with an extended period of Retreat at Douglas Park NSW, before taking up the important role of Australian Province Secretary at Treand House, Coogee, a post that he held for the next 4 years.
Thereafter, from January 2018 till the end of 2020, he was the Superior of the Sacred Heart Monastery, Kensington, a multi-faceted appointment that involved caring for the Province’s aged members, providing hospitality for numerous visitors, providing a ministerial outreach to the Sydney Archdiocese and interacting with the Chevalier Resource Community.
This is clearly not an appointment for the faint-hearted!
I imagine it was with some sense of relief that Father John was asked if he would return to the Top End as Parish Priest of our MSC St Paul’s Nightcliff parish, where I can confirm he is bringing his many pastoral skills to bear in heading up and leading a very vibrant and appreciative parish community.
Writing the above provides me with the opportunity to thank Father John Kelliher on behalf of the Diocese of Darwin (as well as the Northern Territory Missionaries of the Sacred Heart) for his diversified and ongoing ministry in our part of the Country. And as I am doing this at the request of both the Provincial Father Chris McPhee and the NT Superior Father Leo Wearden, it may serve as a small acknowledgement from the wider Australian Province of what Father John Kelliher has BEEN and what he has ACHIEVED during 50 years of Religious Life as a Missionary of the Sacred Heart.
Well done, John and we wish you all the best for your future years of ministry!

Malcolm Fyfe msc
Vicar General,
Diocese of Darwin
29.11.2021

Classroom News

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Weekly Awards

OSHC & ELC NEWS

Good afternoon St Paul's OSHC and ELC Families,

This week you will receive your invoice for the care of your child in our St Paul's OSHC. This invoice will show your fees for the last four weeks of term (last week’s fees and expected fees for this week and Weeks 9 & 10). It is important all these fees are paid promptly, prior to the close of term.

ELC FEE CHANGES IN 2022

Please note that as at the 1st January 2021 ELC fees will slightly increase.

Fees will be $500 per week (up from $475) for full time enrolments & $105 per day (up from $95) for part time enrolments.

We understand that some family circumstances may change and different care arrangements are made between full-time and part-time care, however you should be basing your payments on approx. $30 per day (taking into consideration your CCS). We are also aware that some families may be experiencing financial difficulty. If you are not able to have your account up-to-date by the end of Term 4, please contact principal.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au and finance.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible to make a time for further discussion.

Please note, if you do not see a payment you have made in the past week on your invoice, please do not worry. There is a data entry delay, we receive our transaction report for the previous week’s payments each Monday where payments get assigned to accounts (we manually record payments in the system). This means that your payments will appear behind but in actual fact it is simply the data entry delay. Please also take note that if you pay on a weekend we don’t receive the monies until the Monday so your payments may appear 2 weeks behind.

Kind regards,

Ms. Megan Evans

General Information/News

OFFICE HOURS: The school office is open 7:50am to 3:30pm Monday to Friday during term time.

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 UNIFORMS: A huge thank you for your patience to all families who are still waiting on their formal shirt and culottes orders. We will have a good supply of uniforms once they arrive so can swap your order for larger sizes if required. If you are waiting on the sports polos and green polos, you should have these now. If not, please check at reception. If you have a child in year 6 awaiting an order, please email admin.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au to request a refund or have your refund go towards school fees. We currently have a good supply of sports polos, hats, shorts and green polos available for purchase.

SCHOOL FEES: 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.

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.

SCHOOL START TIMES: Please do not drop your children at school before 7:45am (when the school gate open) as they are unsupervised until this time. 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 with your child until the school gates open.

PICKING UP CHILDREN at the end of the school day: School finishes at 2.45pm and children must be picked up from steps within the school ground or at the express carpark lane which is supervised by a teacher. Any students not picked up by 3.00pm will be sent to our Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) located on the school grounds and families will be charged. Our OSHC operates from 2.45pm to 5.30pm every 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.

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.

CANTEEN NEWS:

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).

Quickcliq

OSHC NEWS:

Public Holidays: As per prescribed policies and procedures, if a child’s booked day falls on a Public Holiday (when the centre is closed), families will still be charged as per normal for this day. This allows businesses to pay staff whom are scheduled to work on public holidays as is required by Fair Work.

Absences: OSHC absences require written notice to admin.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au by at least 8:30am on the day of absence, if this written notification is not received by 8:30am the daily fee will still be charged. This also aligns with the procedures of other schools and services in the area. If a child goes home sick from school during the day, families will still be charged their regular daily fee for that child. This is to accommodate the pressures associated with staffing, resource and catering arrangements. The government entitles each child to 42 allowable absences per year (inclusive of public holidays) before it affects the Child Care Subsidy (CCS). These days can be used as holidays, sick days or just days off.Please also note that written notification is also required at least 2 weeks in advance of the last day of care prior to a planned absence of 3 days or more. We ask this as it is required to assist with staffing, resource and catering arrangements. When no notice has been given, parents will be charged. For this reason we would also like to remind families that as per our policy, payment of all accounts should be maintained two weeks in advance.

Late Fee: Please be reminded that a late fee of $2.50/min for each minute that a child is picked up after 5:30pm.

Fee Payment Reference: When paying fees please ensure you include a reference for what the payment is for, e.g. 'OSHC Fees' so we can promptly assign your payment to your OSHC account.Please do not hesitate to contact us should you have any questions or concerns.

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

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.

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.

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.