2024 Newsletter #15 August 21
Principal News
Dear St Paul's families,
Welcome to this week's news update. The weather was very unpredictable on the weekend, but at least the sun was finally shining on Sunday. It looks like it's slowly warming up again. It was interesting to hear some students talking about how warm it was yesterday. How quickly we forget what our summers are like in “Tropical North Victoria” (Thanks Shane Jacobsen)
BOOK WEEK PARADE: Well, it was another very successful Book Week Parade in the hall. Our theme this year was “Reading is Magic”. Once again, the children and staff have outdone themselves in the costume department. There was a special appearance made by “Big Bird” and “A Very Cranky Bear”. There will undoubtedly be lots of photos on our Facebook page. It is time to retire the costumes for a while by me.
MIDDLE UNIT CAMP: Thank you to everyone who was involved in the Middle unit camps recently, especially the staff for all the work and planning that went on behind the scenes to ensure everything ran smoothly. Judging by all the photos on our Facebook page, the children had a wonderful time.
WHOLE SCHOOL MINI OLYMPICS: Due to the inclement weather we will be hosting our Athletics day at the Aero ovals on Monday 26th August. At this stage it looks to be a sunny warm day. Don’t forget, we will need help in setting up the Marquees on Monday morning at 7.30am as well as volunteers to help with events. If you are available, can you please email tpike@spmildura.catholic.edu.au or phone the office and leave your details. I hope everyone has a great day competing and cheering on their teams and each other.
INTERSCHOOL SPORTS: Congratulations to the Senior students, staff and Mr Hateley for coaching the students as they competed in the Basketball competition. Mixed results from the day, however they all enjoyed themselves and tried their best.
WOW PROGRAM: This week several of our students from Grade 3- 6 participated in the WOW (Working On Within) program. This was their second session. This is a wonderful opportunity for these students to develop skills and strategies that focus on: Respect, Persistence, Confidence, Fear, Trust, Bullying, Culture & Language, Leadership, Self-Regulation/Anger Management and Self-Reflection. If you want to know more about the program, click on the folowing link: https://www.wowprogram.com.au/
RAAF HOT AIR BALLOON VISIT: On Friday 6th September, The Royal Australian Air Force will be visiting St Paul’s and putting on a presentation for the children throughout the day. The children will be participating in a unique experience involving the RAAF Balloon.
ST PAUL’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY: On Friday 11th October, St Paul’s will officially celebrate its 50 years of Catholic Education in the Ballarat Diocese. There is a public notice in the local paper, on our Facebook page, Parish Bulletin and throughout the diocese promoting this event. Please share it with anyone you know who is or has been associated with St Paul’s over the years.
Finally, congratulations to this week’s gotcha recipients for being their best, being respectful and being safe -
Bee Milestones – George Thomas, Sylvia Simmons, Jaxun Thouliss, Yindi Lopez-Bertalli, Isabella Carter, Peyton Tarr, Heidi Slimmon, Seth Ram, Clayton Body
Hive Milestones – Julian Thai, Matthew Read, Levi Hickey, Jessica Ram, Oliver Angwin, Nicholas Cross, Marley Lopez-Bertalli, Aubree Carmichael, Mathew Lizbeth, Helen Mouzakis, Hunter McInerney-Greco, Sofia Cricelli, Baran Rona, Esta Pascale, Jaren Echanes, Ashton McDonald, Dae Dae Moore & Milaan Roccisano
CALENDAR EVENTS: AUGUST
Thursday 22nd- 3.30pm Auskick- John Hill Oval
Friday 23rd- 2.45pm Jump Rope for Heart Launch at Assembly
Wednesday 28th – First Holy Communion Parent Information meeting for children Grade 4 and above at Sacred Heart Church at 7.00pm
Thursday 29th - 3.30pm Auskick- John Hill Oval
Friday 30th – Fathers’ Day breakfast in the hall
- Whole School Mass 9.15am in the hall
SEPTEMBER:
Tuesday 3rd- SAC meeting 7.00pm at school
Thursday 5th – Division Mini Olympics for those students who have qualified.
Friday 6th - Footy Colours Day
- Junior Unit Liturgy 9.15am in the Chapel
- RAAF Hot Air balloon Visit F- 6
I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoyable weekend. As always
Keep the Faith!
Vince Muscatello
Senior Unit News
Interschool Basketball
Well done on our Basketball teams for the way you performed at Interschool Basketball.
We are all very proud of you!
Interschool Volleyball and Tennis
Our next Interschool Sports will be Volleyball and Tennis on Tuesday 27th August. Volleyball will occur at Trinity Lutheran College and Tennis at St Paul's.
Please ensure your child has consent to get the Bus to the Volleyball on SIMON.
Note regarding food at Interschool Sports: We would like to remind parents of the importance of healthy food and drinks to support students. We have noticed a trend of students bringing in large amounts of lollies and sweet drinks to sports days. Students are required to bring their usual lunch, snack and drink bottle to sports days.
Middle Unit News
It has been a very fun filled first half of the term for the Middle unit.
After our exciting time on camp in week 4 we reflected on our favourite parts, the memories we made while we were away and we completed an artwork based on this. Here is a sample of the wonderful work students created
Last week we completed our Science topic about heat transfer, learning all about heat conduction, convection and finally, heat radiation. The students have been completing SPO’s (Single Paragraph Outlines), using note-taking skills and transferring these into a paragraph. Perhaps you could ask your child to explain the difference between heat conduction, convection and radiation!
On Monday we started our new Science topic about electricity. The students completed an investigation, making ‘static electricity ghosts’, and seeing how things move using friction with balloons. They could see static electricity in action!
Today is our Book Week day celebrations. Students have come dressed as book characters and they all look amazing. The day began with a parade in the hall and will follow with lots of activities based on some of this year’s shortlisted books. Be sure to check back in our next newsletter for some photos!
Junior Unit News
Important date: The Junior Unit Liturgy will be held on Friday 6th September @9:15am. This will be held in the school Chapel. We are excited to share our learning with you about what it means to consider the ‘call’ to Christian life and the nature of what it is to be ‘called.’
Inquisitive Unit: For the remainder of Term 3, our Inquisitive unit will be based on Geography. The People and Places topic is divided into four units; Australia’s Location, Australian Places, People’s Connections to Places and Local and Global Connections. Within these units, students explore local places and how places are named. They look at Australia’s location in the world. Students look at the connections that different people have to places in Australia and overseas and also look at the factors that can influence people’s accessibility to places. The geographical tools of maps, special technologies and visual representations are used. The geographical concepts of space, place, interconnection and scale are addressed.
Book Week 2024!
Library News
Book Week 2024: A Celebration of Stories and Imagination
Today, St Paul's was transformed into a vibrant world of stories, characters, and creativity as we celebrated Book Week 2024! The excitement was palpable as students and staff alike embraced the magic of reading, bringing to life some of their favourite book characters.
The Book Parade: A Spectacle of Creativity
The highlight of the day was undoubtedly our annual Book Parade. As students arrived at school, the grounds were awash with colour and imagination as students and staff donned costumes representing a wide array of literary characters. From classic heroes and villains to contemporary favourites, the parade this morning was a joyful expression of the love for reading that thrives within our community.
It was wonderful to see the effort and creativity that went into each costume, with students proudly showcasing their characters as they marched through the school. The enthusiasm was infectious, and it was clear that everyone—from the youngest Foundation students to the most seasoned teachers—had put their hearts into making the day special.
Fun and Learning in the Classroom
The celebration didn’t end with the parade. Throughout the day, classrooms were buzzing with a variety of activities designed to deepen our students' engagement with reading. Teachers led interactive story sessions, creative writing workshops, and book-themed arts and crafts. Each activity was crafted to inspire a love of literature and to remind students of the endless adventures that books can offer.
Acknowledging Our Community
We would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents and families who supported our Book Week celebration. Whether it was helping to create those incredible costumes or encouraging your children to participate in today’s activities, your involvement helped make Book Week 2024 a memorable experience for everyone. A huge thank you also to Georgie and Jorja, our parade MC's, and their team of helpers who organised a fantastic celebration this morning. Ms Marg would be very thankful to you all for carrying on the tradition of our Book Week Parade 👏🏼
Book Week is always a special time at St. Paul's, and this year was no exception. We are proud to be a school that fosters a love for reading and learning, and we look forward to continuing this tradition in the years to come.
Happy reading, everyone!
Mini Olympics
🏅 Mini Olympics - New Date Announced! 🏅
We’re excited to let you know that our Mini Olympics has been rescheduled after last week’s washout! Mark your calendars for Monday, 26th August as we gear up for a day of fun, fitness, and friendly competition. Please ensure you have given permission on the SIMON Everywhere App for the Rescheduled Mini Olympics.
🌞 All other details remain the same, so get ready to cheer on our young athletes and enjoy a day of community spirit.
We can’t wait to see everyone there!
#MiniOlympics #NewDate #SchoolSportsDay #CommunityFun #RainOrShine
Father's Day Celebration
👨👧👦 Father’s Day Celebration at St Paul's! 🥞
We’re excited to honour the incredible dads, and those that are like fathers to us, in our community with a special celebration this Father’s Day! In preparation for our celebration, we kindly ask families to share one photograph of their child / children with their father, or someone who is like a father to them. Can photographs please be emailed through to mblagus@spmildura.catholic.edu.au. We look forward to celebrating and giving thanks to you all.
Event Details:
📅 When: Friday 30th August, Breakfast at 7:30am, Mass at 9:15am
📍 Where: School Hall
🍳 Father’s Day Brekky: Join us for a delicious breakfast to kick off the day and spend some quality time with your little ones.
🕊️ Special Mass: Following breakfast, we will gather for a special Father’s Day Mass to reflect and give thanks for all the love and support our dads provide.
Dads, grandfathers, and father figures, we hope you can join us for this heartfelt celebration. It’s our way of saying thank you for everything you do!
We look forward to celebrating with you! 💙
Foundation Unit News
What a busy term we have had and we are only half way through. Last week the Foundation unit had the local firefighters come to school to talk to them about being safe around fires. They learnt about the difference between a "safe" fire and a "bad" fire. They also learnt how to get down low and "go, go, go" if there is smoke in the house. Check out the Facebook post to have a look at the photos. They will return next Thursday 29th August to allow the children to look through the truck and learn about how the firefighters put out fires safely.
Today we had a wonderful Book Week celebration and the children looked amazing in their costumes. We enjoyed beginning the day in the hall and Georgie did a wonderful job of showcasing all of the children and teachers during the parade. It was a lot of fun. There will be a lot of fun photos to view on our school's Facebook page.
Unfortunately our Mini Olympics was cancelled last Friday due to wet weather but fingers crossed it will go ahead on Monday 26th August.
Jump Rope for Heart
Jump Rope for Heart kicks off this term at St Paul's!
Jump Rope for Heart is the Heart Foundation’s primary school skipping challenge that helps kids move more, have fun, and raise funds for life-saving research and programs.
This year we’ve got an audacious goal to see our student Heart Heroes at St Paul's to log 40 hours of skipping throughout the program!
Register your child online, so they can receive the full benefits of the program and participate in online fundraising, simply follow the link below to get started. www.jumprope.org.au/parents
Students will be skipping throughout the term in PE lessons/during lunch breaks. During this time you can share their online fundraising page with family and friends to help raise money for this great cause.
We will hold our school Jump Off Day on Friday 20th September, this will mark the end of the program and is a chance for everyone to come together to skip and show off their newly learned skills.
Thank you for supporting the Jump Rope for Heart program!