St Paul's Bulletin Term 1 Week 4 2025

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Today I share with you our school prayer. As a community, the staff and children pray this every morning at assembly. Whether a person of faith or not, I’m sure you will agree that the sentiment of this prayer is what we would want for all our children. Parents are always welcome to stay for our morning assembly each day. After we pray, we give messages to the children for the day. If you join us, feel free to join in our prayer. 

Next Friday, February 28, we will celebrate our Opening School Mass for the year at 9am in the church. At this mass we will officially welcome our new kindergarten children, as well as have our blessing ceremony for our new Year 6 student leaders. All welcome! 

You should have now received your Compass invitation for Parent-Student-Teacher Goal Setting Interviews next week. These fifteen-minute meetings are an opportunity for learning to be discussed between children, their parents and teachers. They involve highlighting student strengths, current achievement and next learning steps. Following these conferences parents and teachers should have a clearer picture of their child’s current developmental learning needs and goals. It is essential that all families participate in this process for the benefit of their children. Please check your Compass feed to make a booking. If you can't make any of the sessions, please contact your child’s teacher to find a mutually suitable time. 

Last night we held our first P&F Meeting for the year. It was heartening to see the support parents are giving to the school through the P&F. As it was the AGM, the current office bearers have stepped down. I wish to publicly thank the amazing work of the retiring committee of Tanya McCosker, Therese Willis, Jacqui Wilson, Michelle Ponman and Amber Mahoney. Their support, dedication and hard work have made a significant difference to St Paul's. The photos of the new outdoor learning space/yarning circle below are a testament to this. (Many thanks to Rory Stone for the amazing work!) While a small group of parents were willing to stand for new office bearer positions, it was decided unanimously, by those present, that we should move towards a Family and Community Engagement Group (FACE). I will keep you posted on this development as it evolves.

On Friday, March 28, the school will have its first pupil-free day when the staff will be working in the area of assessment with training provided by Essential Assessment.  Essential Assessment is a powerful online platform of assessment tool that uses AI to track students' academic growth, inform instruction, and empower children to take greater responsibility for their own learning. OOSH will be available on this day for those who need it.  

Shortly you will receive your first fee statement for the year. You may pay weekly, fortnightly, monthly or even in one lump sum. Our preferred payment option for school fees is Bpay, direct debit, credit card or cash. If you are experiencing financial difficulty with your fees, please ring the office to make an appointment to meet with me. These conversations are highly confidential; but without them, we cannot give fee relief to those in genuine need. 

Our enrolment period for Kinder 2026 has begun and goes until May 23. If you know of any families interested in enrolling next year, please let them know that the process has now started! Enrolment is done through the link on our webpage. Please see the flyer below in this Bulletin for dates of our Information Evenings, tour dates and Open Day. Letters of offer will be posted on June 13, with enrolment acceptances due July 1. Please note that with the change in enrolment policy last year, especially for enrolment to St Mary's Catholic College, there could be greater pressure on enrolments. Please enrol early for Kinder 2026 to avoid disappointment. 

Next Wednesday, 26th February, we will be holding our Welcome Back BBQ 5.30-7.30pm. The P&F will provide free sausage sandwiches. We will have a jumping castle for the kids and drinks will be available from the canteen. Everyone welcome! Many thanks to the P&F for organising this event. For catering numbers, please complete this online RSVP. Please join us! 

To ensure the safety of all our students, the school gates are opened each morning at 8.00am. Children must remain seated under the COLA until playground supervision commences at 8.20am when the children are permitted to play. Parents are encouraged not to drop their children before 8.20am, though there may be some occasions where you need to drop your child at school a few minutes early. St Nicholas OOSH is available for parents who need to drop children at school earlier than when supervision starts at 8.20am. The gates are locked each morning at 8.45am, when the first bells rings. Gates are re-opened at 2.45pm by staff at the commencement of afternoon dismissal. Kiss 'n’ Drop only operates in the morning, so in the afternoon, parents must find a park and walk to the school gate. Please take extra care exiting the school carpark as we must give way to all other traffic as we are a 'private driveway'.  

Please ensure that any changes to your child’s medication are notified in writing and that you receive a reply from the office within 48 hours. If you don’t hear from us please contact us immediately. All medication should be in a webster pack, and the relevant forms completed. 

Throughout the year, we welcome all parents to volunteer at the school for sports carnivals, excursions, BBQs and fund-raising events like Mother's Day and Father's Day. To volunteer, you must complete the volunteer’s induction via this link. This process can take up to 6 weeks, so you are encouraged to complete this early. 

You can keep updated with St Paul’s on our Facebook and Instagram pages. The P&F also has a Private Facebook page, and all current St Paul's parents are welcome to join. These pages do not provide information not given in Bulletins and on Compass but are a great way to keep on top of things happening at St Paul’s. 

With every blessing, 

Greg Cumming 

Principal 

New Outdoor Learning Space/Yarning Circle

Important Dates

2025 School Dates 

Assistant Principal's Message

Student Led Conferences

Next week (24th-28th March) families are invited to attend a Parent/Teacher/Student Conference with your child's teacher. This year we focusing as a school on building student agency and empowering students to be more responsible for their learning. As part of this focus, we will be introducing Student-led Conferences across Years 4 to 6. 

Part of this process is students explaining their work to their parents, including feedback and results. Students will also be able to explain to their parents the goals they have chosen and how they plan to reach them. 

This approach comes out of the contemporary model of learning: self-regulation, connectedness and self-direction. It gives the students ownership and control and demonstrates their accountability for their learning. It allows students to be engaged and be “spoken with” as opposed to being “spoken about”.

As always there is the opportunity to meet privately with your child’s teacher and discuss specific needs as required.

What a great opportunity for you to share with your child; witnessing them lead the meeting and show responsibility for their learning.

NAPLAN  

Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit the National  Assessment Program or Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is being held 12th-24th March. The NAPLAN test window is 9 days. 

 NAPLAN as a standardised test provides families and schools with excellent point-in-time data on how students’ achievement is going in key areas of Literacy and Numeracy. Over time it also tracks students’ growth every two years. Keep in mind that NAPLAN assessments are a snapshot of one day and do not consider individual effort, creativity or engagement.   

Here are some tips to help you and your children through NAPLAN over the coming weeks.   

Support your child’s learning throughout the year  

NAPLAN aims to test skills that develop and improve over time. Encouraging your child with their homework enables them to reinforce concepts learnt.  

Discuss their feelings and concerns  

Tests commonly bring out feelings of anxiety, so let them know that these feelings are normal. Listen to their concerns, show empathy and maintain a caring and positive attitude. More often than not talking about their fears can help to lessen these feelings.  

Encourage them ‘to give it a go’ and ‘to try their best’  

NAPLAN is not supposed to be a test of the students but rather a check to make sure that Australia is providing the best educational outcomes for children. Encourage your child to give it a go and try their best.   

Prepare for the day  

Good preparation is the key. Going to bed early the night before, and having a healthy breakfast to start the day. Keep stress levels low and arrive at school a little earlier. And don’t forget to wish them good luck!  

Keep NAPLAN in perspective  

Remember that NAPLAN is just one assessment and that teachers and the school use this information in conjunction with numerous other data to determine a student’s academic level. Your child needs to understand that their success is not determined by this one test.  

Please note that ALL students in Years 3 & 5 will need to bring in Headphones to complete the assessment.  

Jessica Moulder

Assistant Principal 

Catholic Culture at St Paul's

Shrove Tuesday: Pancakes, Preparation & Giving 🥞✨

On Tuesday week 6, we celebrate Shrove Tuesday, a special day in the Catholic tradition marking the final day before Lent begins. Traditionally, this day was a time to use up rich ingredients like eggs, milk, and sugar—hence the beloved tradition of pancakes! More importantly, it’s a day of reflection and preparation as we get ready for the Lenten season of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

To honor this tradition, we will burn palms from last year’s Palm Sunday to create ashes for our Ash Wednesday liturgy. This powerful ritual reminds us of the cycle of renewal and repentance at the heart of Lent.

Something NEW this year - Students will be able to order pancakes through Compass (keep an eye out for the event notification). All funds raised will go towards Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion, supporting those in need around the world. What better way to begin Lent than by coming together in generosity and faith? 🥞🙏💛

Project Compassion - Caritas Lenten Appeal

Lent is a special time of year – a time for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and a time to live out the good news for those in need. Caritas Australia invites you to put your compassion into action this Lent.

As individuals, we can make a difference, but when we come together through Project Compassion, our efforts become even more impactful. Our collective kindness has the power to grow, and by uniting with each other and with those living in poverty, we can create BIG, lasting change.

Let’s all Unite Against Poverty! Together, we can make 2025 a year of hope and transformation.

Our Mini Vinnies team will be established tomorrow - stay tuned for their exciting fund raising appeal OR donate via this link: St Paul's Primary School - Gateshead • Project Compassion 2025 

Green Guardians

Our incredible Green Guardians—a dedicated team of students from Year 2 to Year 6—have stepped up as stewards of creation, caring for our flourishing Tiny Forest and embarking on an exciting new project: the East Forest, with trees generously donated by Trees in Newcastle! 🌳🌿

The transformation has been astounding—some trees in our tiny forest have shot up so high they’re now taller than Mr. Cumming! 🌳😲 With the yarning circle nearly ready for planting and plans underway for a bush tucker sensory garden, our school’s green spaces are thriving.

Our Green Guardians will keep our chickens happy, our gardens lush and healthy, and ensuring our school stays free of weeds and rubbish. Their passion and care for creation are truly inspiring! Stay tuned for more updates as our school continues to grow greener together!

Sacramental Program MacKillop Parish

All baptised students in year 4, 5 and 6 are warmly invited to register for the MacKillop Parish Sacramental Program.

 Please complete the registration form via this link: 

Sports News

Lakes Region Swimming Carnival

Congratulations to all the students who represented our school at the Lakes Region Swimming Carnival. Mr Yarold, Mr Cumming and I were very proud of your effort, behaviour and all-round positivity on the day. Congratulations and thank you for being such great representatives of our school!

Congratulations to the following students who have been chosen to represent the Lakes Region at the Diocesan Carnival next Wednesday- Abel Beeton, Archie Cummings, Alfie Robertson, Harry Skippen, Cash Phillips, Nash Woolley, Sam Yager, Minnie Cooper-Stone, Harper Degan and Ellie Thompson.

Lakes Region and Diocesan Trials

Thank you to those families who returned forms to register interest for the Lakes Region Sport Trials. School trials will be held in the coming weeks (if not already) and students notified if they are successful to proceed to the Regional and/or Diocesan trials. The Regional Soccer and Netball trials will be held next Thursday 27th February. Other sports are at a later date. 

Please remember our Diocesan Sport Website is a great resource for information regarding pathway sports.

Home | CSNSW Sport Portal

School Cross Country

Our School Cross Country event will be held on Thursday 27th March (Week 9). More information including distances and qualifying times will be published in the next newsletter.

Abbey Edwards 

abbey-jane.edwards@mn.catholic.edu.au 

P & F News

Creative Arts News

Office Messages

Complaints, Resolution and Feedback

St Paul’s Primary School, The Catholic Schools Office (CSO) and Schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle are committed to providing a positive, safe environment for all staff and students. There are occasions, however, when members of our schools and wider community are concerned about something happening at a school that appears to be unsatisfactory or unreasonable.

If you have a complaint, please follow this procedure. 

Volunteering
Throughout the year, we invite parents/carers to volunteer at the school. To volunteer, you must complete the volunteer's induction. 

IMPORTANT - School Fees

Anyone wishing to continue with a special Fee Agreement in 2025, please contact the office 4943 6369 to make an appointment with the Principal to discuss. It is necessary to reapply for an extension of the agreements into 2025

Parish News

Children’s Liturgy is held every Sunday at 9:30am during Holy Mass. WE ARE NOW BACK IN ST PAUL'S CHURCH! We have a beautiful, dedicated room at St Paul’s Gateshead where we hear and discuss the Gospel each week, working our way through the Liturgical Calendar.

There’s always lots of friendship and fun activities.

Safeguarding is our highest priority. Children’s Liturgy will only go ahead if there are two volunteers with current Working With Children Checks.

All are welcome! We look forward to meeting some new friends!

Jacqui Wilson (school mum at St Paul’s Primary) and the Children’s Liturgy Team. 

Community News