St Paul's Catholic Primary School Newsletter 2022 Term 4, Week 2
Principal's Message
Good afternoon St Paul’s families,
I can’t believe that we have commenced Term 4 - and what a busy term it is panning out to be! Please check the calendar to ensure you can join us for all the special celebrations that come with the end of year festivities.
Today we really focused on what it means to be a Catholic school – thank you to Miss Lauren and Year ½, Room 8 for leading us in a beautiful liturgy that focused on Mission Month and how we live out the gospel message by showing kindness and support to those in need. This was supported by ‘backpack creativity’ and a Mission Month lunch pack – a great day for a sausage sizzle and a donut. Thank you also to Khoda and Malay Patel from Donut King Casuarina for their donation of the delicious donuts!
This week we have been busy meeting families who will be enrolling at St Paul’s in 2023. Thank you to all our families who have spread the word about what a wonderful school community we have – our enrolment numbers are looking strong for 2023. If you know of anyone who is still thinking about an enrolment, please encourage them to do so promptly as we are keen to finalise class structures.
We had a timely reminder today of the importance of practicing our safety drills. On Wednesday of this week, we did a regular lockdown drill to practice what we would do if a lockdown situation arose. Today, we went into a genuine lockdown for a short time whilst the police attended our school car park to escort an unwelcome visitor. The man seemed confused and it was apparent that he suffers from mental health illness. Whilst the visitor was non-threatening and calmly left the school grounds when approached, it is a reminder of child safety and public awareness. This is also a reminder to please not leave children unattended before school supervision begins at 7:45am.
Following up on my recent email regarding the advertisement placed in NT News by a law firm on October 7th. We have not had any communication from the law firm or NT Police. Several parents (current and past) have contacted me to let me know that they contacted the law firm, they were told the advertisement was erroneous in the advertised date: ‘after 2005.’ Families can be sure that we, the Diocese of Darwin, Catholic Education NT and St Paul’s CPS, have wide-ranging processes in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our children.
Our Term 4 Parent Engagement Evening will focus on Health and Wellbeing on Thursday November 3 (5:30 -6:30). Children will be cared for in our OSHC free of charge during this time. We would love to see many of your attend this evening.
Enjoy a restful weekend and may the spirit of generosity that was shared this morning by our Year 1/2s permeate your lives this weekend.
God bless,
Megan
Upcoming Events
PUPIL FREE DAY on Friday 28th October 2022
ELC and OSHC will be open 7:30am-5:30pm
Contact admin.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au to see if there is still space in Vacation Care for your child/ren on this day.
LAST DAY OF TERM 4
THURSDAY 15TH DECEMBER
ELC & OSHC will be closed on the
16th of December 2022
General Information/News
PLEASE CHECK PREVIOUS NEWSLETTERS IN NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE ON SZAPP FOR ST PAUL'S GENERAL INFORMATION
Birthday Treats
This is a friendly notice that if it is a child's birthday, we ask that you do not bring any food or treats. This is to respect the dietary needs of all children & families and also to maintain equity for all.
On the day of the child’s birthday, the teacher will organise for the class to acknowledge the child’s birthday.
Parents organising a party outside of school should refrain from giving out invitations during school time, particularly if not all children are invited. It can lead to some children feeling excluded and cause unnecessary upsets. Parents should discuss options with their child’s teacher about appropriate distribution of invitations, give them directly to parents before or after school or contact them privately.
The decision was made by the school board in 2021.
Thank you for understanding and Happy Birthday to the many children celebrating birthdays!
Dear Library Borrowers,
It is the responsibility of the student who has checked out a library book to find their overdue library book for return. If the student has left the book somewhere at school it is their responsibility to find it and take it to the library and ensure it is checked back in.
Thank you for your cooperation :)
Dear St Paul's families,
This is a friendly reminder that school dismissal is at 2.35pm and children can be picked up from steps within the school ground or at the express carpark lane, both of which are supervised by a teacher.
Students left waiting at 2.50pm are sent to our Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) located on the school grounds and families will be charged the casual OSHC fee of $30. Our OSHC operates from 2.45pm to 5.30pm on school days.
We also ask that you please do not drop your children at school before 7:45am (when the school gates open) as they are unsupervised beside a busy carpark and road. Should you arrive prior to this time, please wait with your child until the school gates open.
We thank you for your cooperation.
RE News
ELC & OSHC NEWS
ELC NEWS
Just a few reminders for families that are stated in the ELC parent handbook you received when your child started at the ELC.
All families need to please make sure they are signing their child in & out each day- this is your legal obligation that is related to your Child Care Subsidy. If you need help to sign your child in or out please ask one of the ELC educators and they are more than happy to help you. If you can’t remember your pin, please see Cathy and she can reset your pin.
At all times the Assistant Director must be informed if your child / children will not be attending the ELC either by phoning the school and leaving a message or written notification on ClassDojo or phoning the Centre on 8985 4678.
Now that it is getting hotter, we will be doing lots of water play to help us stay cool in this hot weather. May you please make sure you pack a sun safe hat, at least 2 changes of clothes (including underwear) and a water bottle so we can make sure your child stays hydrated during the day.
Here at the ELC we have a lot of toys and resources, please encourage your child to not bring toys in from home as they can go missing. Educators will encourage children to look after their belongings, by placing them in their bags and lockers as much as possible. Toys from home can also be a source of conflict between children, we highly encourage to keep home toys at home.
School Counselling Program
Hi, my name is Sarah and I am the School Counsellor from CatholicCare NT. I am located St Paul’s Catholic Primary School one day a week on Wednesdays and I'm here to provide students with support and emotional well-being. Through the School Counselling Program during a counselling session I conduct Child Centred Play Therapy modality which is a developmentally appropriate, evidenced based, therapeutic intervention for school aged children from 3-11 years old. This approach is based on the belief that "play is therapy" for children, like when adults talk through their problems to solve them, here children play through their problems to solve them.
What is Play Therapy?
Play therapy builds on the child’s inner resources and strengths, which are supported by the therapeutic relationship to bring about growth, development and healing in the child. Play therapy helps children develop confidence and positive self-esteem, find healthier ways of communicating and can promote resilience and coping, in ways that are appropriate to their developmental stage.
Here are some of the following referral reasons that your child may be struggling with and that Play Therapy can be an effective therapeutic approach by referring to the School Counselling Program; divorce & separation of parents, anxiety & depression, low self-esteem & self-confidence, social difficulties, angry & aggressive behaviour, trauma & abuse, grief & loss, autism spectrum disorder, attachment issues… and more…
Play therapy is a gentle intervention that provides a safe and secure space for chil dren to process their thoughts, feelings, and experiences through their first and most natural language; play!
Referrals can be made through completing the form which is avalaible on request at: admin.stpauls@nt.catholic.edu.au
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