2022 Newsletter #34 Oct 26

Principal News

Dear St Paul's families,

Welcome to the weekly update. Once again, the weather has continued to wreak havoc on several planned events for our children.  As usual, we are a resilient bunch and always look at alternatives to ensure our children don't miss out.

On Sunday night I was privileged to attend the celebration of the sacrament of Holy Communion at the Sacred Heart Church.  It was lovely to see our students receive the sacrament for the first time and be there with their families to celebrate this special milestone in their faith journey.  It is the last sacrament of initiation for the children.  A special thank you to Mrs Blagus for coordinating and supporting our children at the Saturday night and Sunday night masses. Thank you to those staff who were able to attend and support the children as well.

PUPIL FREE DAY/PUBLIC HOLIDAY: On Monday 31st October, the staff from St Paul's and St Joseph's, Red Cliffs, will be working together as we continue our Structured Literacy journey. 
Tuesday 1st November is the Melbourne Cup Public Holiday.  The children will have a four-day long weekend as a result of this and will return to school on Wednesday 2nd November.

MIDDLE UNIT CAMP UPDATE: The Camp to the Pioneer Settlement in Swan Hill has been cancelled due to the continued rising river levels and concerns over flooding. As a result of this the children will be participating in excursions locally in Mildura next Thursday 3rd & Friday 4th November. 

FOUNDATION 2023: The children will be participating in their third transition session. This is a longer session than the previous two as the children get to experience more about school life at St Paul's. It has been extremely positive to see how quickly they have adjusted and settled in already.

MISSION WEEK:  Lots of different activities happening this week, especially on Friday, with our whole school liturgy at 12.15pm in the hall.  The Middle and Senior Unit children have been busy preparing for their fundraising stalls on Friday. All classes will have an opportunity to visit and purchase items.  There is a planned soccer match in the afternoon between the students and staff which should be very entertaining. 

GRANDPARENTS DAY: The Foundation children are very excited to have their grandparents and special friends join them at school this Friday as well and participate in a range of fun activities.

DIOCESAN LEADERSHIP: This Thursday and Friday all the principals of the Ballarat Diocese will be meeting in Horsham for our final gathering of the year. It will be an opportunity to discuss upcoming issues and initiatives in Catholic Education as well as farewell those principals who are retiring. Of particular note is Mr Frank McGrath who has served as principal of St Joseph's Charlton for 32 years.  An amazing contribution and outstanding commitment to his school community.  Mr McGrath has been a wonderful supporter of the Catholic schools and principals in the northern part of the Ballarat Diocese.

Congratulations to this week's milestone achievers for following our school norms: Be Safe, Be Respectful and Be Your Best.

BEE MILESTONE: Pippa Doecke, Lola Droffelaar, Zac Scott, Ariah Tickle, Holliee Tickle, Eden Vo

HIVE MILESTONE: Ariani Arden, Alice Blanchard, Lilliana Bush, Livinia Fitzgerald, Maddilyn Gibson, Sienna Humphrey, Lily Jamieson, Lily O'Meara Quayle, Tyler O'Rielly, Arianna Ram, Aisha Smythe, Darcy Strubelj, Mele Toto, Chi Vong, Harry Williams, Gabb Yandon, Jett Yates, Nayte Yates

UPCOMING EVENTS: Please check the SIMON calendar for all future events, especially next week as it is a short week, with the Junior Unit Activity Day on Wednesday 2nd November.

I hope you all enjoy the extra long weekend break and if you happen to have a flutter on Melbourne Cup Day, please do so responsibly.

As Always,

Keep the Faith!

Vince Muscatello

RE News

Mission Day – Friday 28^th October 2022

Every October, we celebrate World Mission Month. It is a time to reach out to those children and their families who are most in need in our world. This year, we are fundraising for ‘The Shared Table’ in Peru.

Students have been immersed in learning about ‘The Shared Table’ and our Middle and Senior Unit students were very fortunate to engage in a session with Mrs Marion Guthrie last week, focussed on the mission of ‘The Shared Table’ and some of the Peruvian Projects that have been supported by the Sacred Heart Parish, along with both of our parish schools.

This Friday, from 12pm, we will be celebrating our Mission Day. It will be a time to unite and reach out to those most in need, through prayer and fundraising efforts. Our day will be as follows:

12.05pm: Mission Liturgy

Our whole school community with gather in prayer in our School Hall. Our liturgy will be led by Fr Matt and our students.

12.30pm – 2pm: Mission Day Fundraising Stalls & Make Your Own Sockball

Fundraising Stalls:

Our Middle Unit and Senior Unit classes have been planning small fundraising stalls to raise money for ‘The Shared Table’ in Peru. Some of the items being sold include: Frog in a Pond, Zooper Doopers, Guess the Lollies in the Jar, Spider Drinks, Origami, Craft, Chocolate Crackles, Chuppa Chup Halloween Style and Games’ Challenges. Prices will range from 50c to $2. All students will have an allocated time for their class to visit the fundraising stalls. We kindly appreciate students bringing along some small change to purchase a good/s, with all proceeds being sent directly to Peru.  

Sockballs:

The game of soccer is both well-known and played internationally. Sport unites people from all walks of like. Despite what country you are from, what language you speak, gender, age, religion, ability or wealth, everyone can unite over a game of soccer.

A sockball is a ball created from old t-shirts, socks, rags, plastic bags and string. It is a misshapen ball that was used and is continued to be used in some countries to play the game of soccer. When there’s a will to play, there’s a way to play, and Pope Francis still remembers growing up playing soccer with a sockball, as leather balls were far too expensive and rubber balls weren’t very common.

Our students will engage in making a sockball, either individually, in small groups or as a whole class. We kindly ask students and their families to donate any old t-shirts, socks, rags and plastic bags to be used for this activity. All donations are greatly appreciated and can be passed on to your child/children’s classroom teachers.  

2pm-2.25pm: Recess

2.25pm-2.50pm: Sockball Activities in Classes

Students will play some different games, using the sockballs that they created during the previous session.

2.50pm-3.25pm: Staff vs. Students Sockball Soccer Match

We will conclude our day with a Staff vs. Senior Students soccer match, using a Sockball. We encourage families and friends to come along to the friendly support and cheer on our staff and students for not only the match, however for their fundraising support for The Shared Table in Peru.

We thank you for your generous support with our Mission Day for 2022!

Senior Unit News

In Literacy and Science, the Senior Unit students have been exploring the adaptations of different plants and animals. This week we will be learning about carnivorous  plants including the Venus Flytrap.  Our Science experiment will explore plant designs to minimise evaporation. 

As a school we value and appreciate the food provided for your child from home. As a staff we also supervise the students to ensure they are being their best, safe and respectful while eating at school. Unfortunately some students are persisting with swapping snacks or parts of their lunch and therefore not eating what has been provided for them from home. We are focusing on reteaching the expectations during our School Wide Positive Behaviour Support lessons. It would also be greatly appreciated if you could provide a friendly reminder to your child, so we can ensure all students feel safe and respected during eating times. 

Many of our students are excited to have earned their Gotcha Rewards. Some of the  favourite prizes are: afternoon tea with the Principal, lunch in the staffroom with a friend, Gotcha Hour, a visit to another classroom or a choice from the Prize box. Well done to the students who have received their award. With many more students getting very close to their next Gotcha reward, so continue the amazing efforts! 

Last week Marion Guthrie visited the Senior Students and provided them with some insight on how the money that is raised during Mission Week is used.  Father Michael McKinnon's amazing work to help the people of Peru was featured. We would like to sincerely thank Marion for sharing her involvement and journey with us.  

Next week is a very short week for the students.  Monday is a pupil free day for a whole staff professional learning day and Tuesday is a public holiday. Wednesday to Friday will be busier than usual with swimming lessons at the Waves each day. Students are asked to wear their bathers to school under their uniform and pack clean dry clothing to change into after the lesson. Please contact your child's class teacher if you have any questions about the swimming lessons. 

Thankyou Bunnings!

Christian F, Christian H, Fletcher, Bryce and Tarlow would like to thank Jane at Bunnings for the generous donation of soil, pots and seeds. As part of our RE unit on Integrity and inspired by Pope Francis' Laudato si', the boys grew plants from seed to sell to the School Community. Just over $50 was raised and will be put towards the School's community garden project. 

Middle Unit News

It is with great sadness that we announce that due to the flood waters we have had to cancel our camp to Swan Hill. Instead students will attend school on Wednesday as per normal. On Thursday 3rd  and Friday 4th November students will participate in activity days as follows. 

Students will be traveling by bus to Tenpin and Laser Force. They will be provided lunch at the Pizza Cafe. Students will then walk to the cinema where they will enjoy a movie and a small combo.

On Friday students will again travel by bus to the Woodsies Gem Shop where they will enjoy exploring the cave and the maze. They will then get to enjoy a provided lunch together. We will then travel by bus to Benetook Farms to explore the strawberry farm and a range of activities. Students will be required to be at school by 9am on both days and will return by normal school pick up. Students will need to wear school sports uniforms on both days. They will need to bring a hat, drink bottle and brainfood. All other food will be provided.

IMPORTANT - As lunch is being provided on both days if your child has any speical dietary requirements please notify your classroom teacher via email before Friday the 28th of October at 4pm. Lunch on the Thursday will be pizza at the Pizza Cafe and on Friday it will be nuggets and chips.  If your child prefers not to eat these foods please ensure that you provide a packed lunch box. 

Please ensure you give permission for your child to attend these days on  SIMON Everywhere. 

Junior Unit News

We need your help!

In Week 7 - Mappen Week - we are hoping to have a few parents, grandparents, aunties, uncles or special friends to visit our classrooms to talk about the work they do (or used to do). As we learn about growing and changing during our life cycles, it will be really helpful for the children to hear about the different jobs that grown ups perform.  If you, or someone in your family, can spare ten-fifteen minutes at any time during Week 7, please contact us. 

J4: Emma Rutherford erutherford@spmildura.catholic.edu.au

J5: Aimee Oxlade aoxlade@spmildura.catholic.edu.au

J7: Karen Brouwers kbrouwers@spmildura.catholic.edu.au

J8: Rebecca Bugden rbugden@spmildura.catholic.edu.au 

Thank you!

This Friday 28th October we will be raising money for The Shared Table in Peru. There will be treats for sale and fun stalls to visit, so the children may like to bring a few dollars to spend. We will also be making and playing with sock balls, so any donations of old socks or plastic bags would be much appreciated. 

Foundation Unit News

Welcome to Week 4!

This week on Friday we are celebrating "Grandparents Day". We will spend our time in the Foundation Unit where we will perform a song for our Grandparents and then take part in a special activity. If your child's grandparent are unable to attend they are more than welcome to ask a "special friend" to take the place of their grandparent.

The following week, Friday 4th November the Foundation Unit will be having breakfast at school in the Hall at 8am. This will then be followed up with some fun activities for the day.

For the next couple of weeks in Maths the children are learning about the following things:

* what we do at certain times of the day eg morning, noon and night

* how long it takes to complete different tasks

* learning the days of the week

* learning about analogue and digital times (o'clock times)

* how to sequence events in order

* learning about the things we do on certain days of the week

This week was our 3rd week of Orientation for the 2023 St Paul students. It was lovely to see so many enthusiastic faces.

We hope everyone has a lovely 4 day weekend and hopefully the sun will be shining so you can get outside and enjoy yourselves.

Mildura Show Artwork

Well done to all of the students whose wonderfully creative artwork was recently entered into the Mildura Show!! A big ‘CONGRATULATIONS’ to the students who were lucky enough to receive recognition of their pieces with a prize for their section. They are now on display in the school foyer for all to see! 

Thanks for you hard work and a special thanks to the staff who helped organise for the art pieces to be entered. Great effort everyone!! 

PE News

Interschool Cricket Postponed

Due to the wet weather and poor condition of playing surfaces, the decision was made to postpone the Middle & senior Unit Interschool Cricket. 

The new dates for our teams are: 

Thursday 10th November - Senior boys and girls

Friday 11th November - Middle boys and girls

New permission notes will be sent on SIMON in the coming days. 

Cricket in PE

Over the past few weeks, students have been enjoying learning the skills and rules involved in cricket. It has been great to see so many students participate and even set up their own matches during lunch and recess. 

Technology News

In term 3, students in the middle unit learned about QR codes, including how they work, purpose and uses. Last week they began a project that will have them combine that knowledge with learning to organise and create different types of information and safely sharing it as online content in the form of a digital library. Students are using iMovie to capture images of picture story books, combine this with audio recordings of them reading the book and organise this information into a video clip.  Stay tuned for further updates describing and showing the next step in the process!

Although we are firmly in the camp of no social media for primary school-aged children, we are all about keeping parents informed. We also understand how overwhelming all the different Parental Control options on the most popular apps can be. That is why we highly recommend checking out Inform and Empower's blog post for all the details about what your Parental Controls can and can’t do on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Discord. CLICK HERE to read.

Until next week, remember, "Technology is best when it brings people together." - Matt Mullenweg.

Cheers, Mrs Simms

Arts news

Hands Up Mallee

Walk to School months commences next Wednesday 2nd November and runs until Friday 25th November. During this time we encourage students to walk/ride/scoot to school (or at least part of the way)each day to increase their level of physical activity

Why Walk to School?

Being active every day is great for kids. Why? It helps: 

• Mental wellbeing
• Mood and self-esteem
• Confidence and life skills
• Connection with family, friends and neighbours  

Moving commutes from the roads to the footpath also helps: 

• Make school streets safer
• Reduce traffic congestion
• Contribute to a healthier environment

A few things to remember if you would like to give it a go with your children:

• Part way is OK! Remember if the walk to school is too far, you can park a few blocks from the school and walk the rest of the way.  
• Take it in turns with other parents to walk/ride/scoot to school with the kids, but ensure you maintain physical distancing with walking buddies outside your household.  

Hands Up Mallee has some great incentives available to the top 3 schools with the highest percentage of active travellers. Prizes for the schools include a fully paid year pool celebration, a $500 HART Sport voucher to purchase more equipment for our school and enough colour powder for our school to conduct a colour run! They are all amazing prizes that would be so valuable and rewarding for our school to win! Our sport leaders will be going around the classes to make a tally of students participating.

This Friday the SENIOR UNIT will be able to ride/scoot and test out their skills on the basketball courts at lunchtime. It would be great to see lots of Seniors taking up this opportunity.