2024 Newsletter #12 July 17
Principal News
Dear St Paul's families,
Welcome back for the start of Term Three. I hope you had an opportunity to rest and recharge the batteries after such a long term two. Unfortunately, we had a lot of children and staff ill towards the end of the term and this has continued into term three as well. We are continually receiving notifications of children with the flu, covid and other illnesses. I ask that if your children are ill, please keep them home until they are well enough to return. It is quite stressful for the children when they come to school unwell, and we end up having to contact you to come and collect them. If we can stop the spread of germs, it will benefit everyone in the long run.
The wintery conditions are not helping and there are several children coming to school in shorts and polo shirts. Please talk to your children and encourage them to wear the appropriate uniform for the current conditions.
MAINTENANCE UPDATE: You may have noticed the landscaping around the chapel in the drive through entrance. Last term I worked with a local arborist as we identified several of our established trees were a hazard to the current surroundings. As a result, they were all removed and then a new landscaping project was undertaken to freshen and revitalize this important part of our school.
ADMINISTRATION & STAFFROOM UPDATE: After considerable unfortunate delays with the insurance works due to the flooding at the start of the year we are now back on track. It is anticipated the administration will be completed in the first part of the term and the staffroom refurbishment and extension will be completed by the end of Term Three. JAAG Construction have been appointed to undertake the capital works in these areas. We are looking forward to getting our workspaces back to normal.
WORK EXPERIENCE: This week we welcomed several secondary students completing work experience at St Paul's. Many of them are past students and it is lovely to see them back here. On behalf of the St Paul's community, I would like to welcome: Claudia Schilling, India Droffelaar, Lainesia Toutai, Shadae Cane and Jordana Saris. I hope they enjoy their time with us.
NAIDOC DAY CELEBRATIONS: Don’t forget next Friday 26th we will be celebrating NAIDOC Day as a community. The day will begin with a liturgy in the hall at 9.15am. You are all most welcome to attend. The children will be participating in various activities throughout the day. Thank you to the staff organising committee for all the wonderful things planned for the day. See below for more information.
UPCOMING DATES: Please check the calendar carefully as we have lots of important events coming up this term.
Friday 26th July: Naidoc Day Mass 9.15am followed by activities.
Monday 29th July: Wednesday 31st July: Book Fair #2
Thursday 1st August: 3.30pm Auskick (registered children only)
Tuesday 6th August- Thursday 8th August: Grade 4 Adelaide Camp
Wednesday 7th August: Thursday 8th August Grade 3 Swan Hill Camp
Thursday 8th August: 3.30pm Auskick (registered children only)
Friday 9th August : NO New Learning Day
Enjoy the week ahead and as always,
Keep the Faith
Vince Muscatello
Middle Unit Camp News
We hope that you all had a wonderful break! We are all ready for Term 3 with camp only four weeks away!
Grade 3 Swan Hill Camp - Wed 7th - Thursday 8th August 2024
Grade 4 Adelaide Camp - Tuesday 6th - Thursday 8th August 2024
Our camps this year promise to be an unforgettable experience filled with exciting activities, new friendships, and plenty of opportunities for personal growth.
To ensure your child has the best possible time, we have compiled a list of essential items they must bring. A list of what students need to pack has been included in the activity consent on SIMON and a hard copy has been printed and will be handed out to students as well.
A few important items regarding camp:
Packed Lunch
Students in Grade 3 and Grade 4 will need a packed lunch and snacks for the first day (including a water bottle).
For students going on the Grade 4 camp there is to be NO fresh fruit or veggies to be packed in student lunches on Tuesday. Please keep sandwiches simple, i.e. ham and cheese, Vegemite etc. Lunches will be checked by staff on Tuesday morning before being packed on the bus.
Medication
If your child requires medication to be administered whilst they are attending the upcoming Middle Unit camps to Adelaide / Swan Hill you are required to complete the school's 'Medication Authority for Camp' form. A copy of this form will be sent home to all students attending camp and a copy is also attached to this message. Staff can not administer medication to students on camp unless parents have completed this medication form.
The Medication Authority Form, along with the medication required needs to be placed in a zip-lock bag and be handed to Rachel Slimmon prior to departure on the morning of the camp. Students are not permitted to keep medication in their own bags. Medication usually kept at school (i.e. Ventolin) will not be collected by staff and taken on camp, it is the responsibility of parents/carers to provide medication required specifically for camp.
All medications (including prescription medication) must be in the original containers and packaging, must be labelled, and must have the quantity of any tablets confirmed and documented.
If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your child's classroom teacher.
We are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable experience for all students. Should you have any questions or need further information, please do not hesitate to email rthurman@spmildura.catholic.edu.au or phone 50234567.
Gr 4 AFL Max - AFL Max are updating their promotional material & they would like to use our students for this whilst they are on camp. To enable your child to be included parents must complete the Talent Release Form which will be sent out as a DocuSign over the next few days. The children will still be included in all the activities but will only be included in the videoing if they have been given consent.
We look forward to a fantastic camp program.
Warm regards,
The Middle Unit
Technology News
In the Tech Room, term three is all about coding!
Students will learn that to code is a verb, meaning to give a computer instructions. They will become creators by coding robots to complete tasks, code programs for computers to execute and code games for others to play.
Students will discover the benefits and advantages of being a creator of digital content rather than a digital content consumer.
Students in year 1 and 2, began their coding journey by learning the about the word code. They discovered the following when exploring the word:
- It is a verb, which is an action word.
- It means, to give a computer instructions.
- It has three phonemes - /k/ /ō/ & /d/.
- The phonemes are represented by the graphemes /k/ = c, /ō/ = o_e and /d/ = d.
- The word is spelt, code.
- The word contains a split diagraph, o_e, which is why the first vowel makes the long sound (like you are saying the name of the vowel).
After learning more about the word code, students then used arrows as instructions and coded 'Jack' the Code-and-Go Mouse to visit his farmyard friends.
Australian Maths Trust - Maths Competition
The AMC is an engaging 30-problem competition that demonstrates the importance and relevance of mathematics in students’ everyday lives; it is open to students in years 5/6. (Students in Grade 3/4 will not be able to participate this year as they will be on camp).
The Maths Competition will be run at St Paul's on Tuesday 6th August. If you would like your child to participate, please email Melissa Sutherland - msutherland@spmildura.catholic.edu.au
For more information please head to - https://www.amt.edu.au/amc
Library News
Hello from St Paul's Library. It is great to see the library being used by students before school.
We are having a Book Fair beginning on Monday 29th July. Books will be available for students to purchase on Monday 29th, Tuesday 30th and Wednesday 31st July.
We will be celebrating Children's Book Week with a dress up parade and great activities on Wednesday the 21st August. The theme for Book Week this year is 'Reading is Magic'. Students are invited to dress up as their favourite book character or as something to do with the theme. On this day Parents and special friends are invited to come along and watch our parade at 9.00 am. Look forward to seeing everyone there.
Auskick - Onsite at St Paul's
Hey footy enthusiasts!
We're gearing up for an action-packed season at St Paul’s Auskick Centre. Starting Thursday August 1st from 3:30pm at St Paul’s School Oval, join us for 5 weeks of learning and play—it's going to be epic!
Sign up now and let's hit the ground running!
NAIDOC DAY - School TV
Head to School TV to watch the special report on Celebrating NAIDOC Week.
https://spmildura.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-naidoc-week
Sts Anne and Joachim Catholic Parish Bulletin
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