2024 Newsletter #23 December 11
Principal News
Dear St Paul's families,
Welcome to our second last newsletter for the 2024 school year. Even though the year is coming to an end, there is still a lot of learning happening in the classrooms. It is important that we maintain our routine and structure as best as possible. There are many important events occurring over this next week so please make sure you check your calendars carefully.
2025 CLASSES & TRANSITION: This Friday the children will be spending the morning from 9.00am-11.00am with their new teachers and classmates for the 2025 school year. This is an important part of our transition program for our children to recognise some new and familiar faces and be prepared.
END OF YEAR THANKSGIVING MASS: This Friday at 12.15pm in the school hall we will be celebrating our final whole school Mass for the year. You are all most welcome to attend and join in this celebration.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION: The grade 6 students will celebrate their Graduation with a Mass at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Eleventh Street Mildura, to begin promptly at 5pm. Family and friends are invited and very welcome to attend. The Graduation ceremony and presentations will happen in the Church after the Mass. Following the Graduation ceremony, parents are asked to take their child to the Pizza Café where staff and Year 6 students will enjoy a meal together. Students to be collected promptly at 7.45pm.
WHOLE SCHOOL CONCERT: On Tuesday 17th December at 7.00pm we will be celebrating our end of year school concert. This is an open invitation for our school families to join us on the school grounds.
LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS: Wednesday 18th December is the last day of school for the children. School will finish as normal at 3.25pm
FINAL ASSEMBLY: On Wednesday 18th December we will host our final assembly in the hall at 2.25pm. This will also be my final assembly as Principal at St Paul’s.
STUDENT EXCELLENCE AWARDS: At our final assembly we will be announcing the Year 6 recipients of our student excellence awards for 2024.
STUDENT LEADERS 2025: At our final Assembly we will be announcing our new house and school leaders for 2025. This is an exciting time for those students who have been nominated to represent their peers and our school community in 2025.
CALENDAR EVENTS:
DECEMBER:
Friday 13th – Whole school Transition to new classes 9.00am-11.00am
- End of Year Whole School mass 12.15pm
Sunday 15th – Year 6 Graduation Sacred Heart church
Tuesday 17th- Whole School Concert Rehearsal 9-11am
Tuesday 17th End of Year Christmas Concert- 7.00pm
Wednesday 18th- Final Assembly 2.25pm in the hall
- Last day of school for students 3.25pm finish
I hope you all have a wonderful week and enjoyable weekend.
As always
Keep the Faith!
Vince Muscatello
Celebrating Mr M
On Wednesday 18th December, we will gather in the hall at 1pm to celebrate Mr M and the incredible legacy he will leave behind. Mr M's dedication, vision, and compassion have shaped not just this school but also the hearts and minds of everyone who has had the privilege to work or learn alongside him.
As Mr M moves on to his next chapter, we want to say thank you. Thank you for your patience, your leadership, and for always putting our school’s best interests first. While we will miss your presence, your influence will remain in every corner of this campus, and your legacy will continue to inspire us.
Parents and family members are welcome to attend.
St Paul's 2024 Christmas Concert
Christmas Concert Arrangements
- Students will sit with their teacher and LSO throughout the concert.
- Please ensure students arrive dressed in their designated outfits.
- Parents please bring a picnic rug or chairs for seating.
- Please arrive at 6.45pm, Concert will commence at 7pm.
- Enjoy the evening!
Senior Unit News
Grade 6 Graduation
The Grade 6 students will celebrate their Graduation this Sunday 15th December. We ask that Students & Families arrive at the Sacred Heart Church, Eleventh Street at 4:45pm to be ready for a 5pm start. Students will participate in a Graduation Mass, followed by a ceremony and then dinner at Pizza Café. Please ensure your child has been given consent to attend the dinner on SIMON as this will assist with ensuring dietary requirements are met.
Following the Graduation ceremony, parents are asked to take their child to the Pizza Café where staff and Year 6 students will enjoy a meal together. Students to be collected promptly at 7.45pm.
Students are advised to wear neat casual/semi-formal clothes for the Graduation.
Please contact Tom Pike at tpike@spmildura.catholic.edu.au if you require clarification.
Water Play - Friday 13th December
On Friday 13th December, students will be having some fun with water play. They may bring in a water pistol if they have one, but it must be clearly labeled and handed to their classroom teacher upon arrival that day. This activity is being run on the understanding that students are participating fairly, sensibly and with respect to their peers.
Students should pack a change of casual clothes they don't mind getting wet, enclosed runners or crocs (no thongs), a plastic bag and a towel. They will be allowed to stay in these clothes after they are dismissed or change back into uniform.
Class Artwork
We ask parents to send a plastic bag for students to take home any artwork that has been displayed in the unit this year.
Christmas Concert Costumes
| S11 | I want a hippopotamus for Christmas | Elves/dancers/backup singers/props - red or green t-shirt with black shorts Hippopotamus - grey or white shirt and shorts Girl - Christmas pyjamas |
| S12 | Hark The Herald Angels | Dancers - all white Drummers - Christmas t-shirts (green and red) and black basketball shorts |
| S13 | Run Rudolph Run | Sunglasses Plain red shirt Black sports shorts Black shoes |
| S14 | Here comes Santa Claus | Elves - green or red shirt with black shorts Reindeer - reindeer antlers, black shirt and shorts Snowmen - white shirt, black shorts Santa - red shirt, black shorts |
Middle Unit News
Middle Unit Fun day:
Today the Middle Unit enjoyed a fun morning at Sunraysia Ten Pin bowling. Students played 2 games with their friends. Everyone had a great time together and followed up with a delicious pizza lunch from Domino’s.
Fun Day
Water Play:
On Monday 16th December the Middle Unit students will be participating in water play. On this day students will be required to bring bathers, a T-shirt or Rash vest, a towel, a hat, appropriate footwear (eg thongs), and a bag for wet clothes.
Movie Viewing:
The students in the Middle Unit have been reading the text: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. As part of their study of the text throughout the term, they will be viewing the movie format in Week 11. As the movie is rated PG, if you do not wish for your child to view it, please contact your child’s classroom teacher.
End of Term Pack up:
We ask that each student bring to school a reusable bag; plastic or paper, that we can fill with students' artwork, etc as we pack up the classroom in the last few weeks of term. Thank you!
Thank you
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all our wonderful students and parents for your support this year. We have had a terrific year with our class, and although we are sad to see them go, we are excited for what is to come next in their learning journey. We wish them all the best in 2025 and beyond.
Wishing all our families a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy holiday season.
Mrs Slimmon, Mrs Emmett, Mrs. Brouwers, and Ms. Parker.
We would also like to say farewell to Mrs Slimmon, we wish her all the best for her new adventure. The Middle Unit Staff and students will greatly miss you!
Junior Unit News
Last week, we welcomed back our Junior Unit Elf! He has been busy watching the students be respectful, be safe and be their best.
As the school year comes to a close, we just want to take a moment to say thank you to everyone who made this year a great one.
To our students: You’ve worked hard, learned a lot, and made it through another year. We’re proud of everything you’ve accomplished, and we can’t wait to see what next year brings.
To our teachers and staff: Your dedication, energy, and support have made a huge difference. Thank you for everything you do to help our students succeed.
To our families: We appreciate all your support throughout the year. Your involvement is what makes our school community so strong.
On behalf of the Junior Unit team, we would like to wish your family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Foundation Unit News
What an amazing and busy year we have had. The children have achieved so many things and been involved in numerous fun activities. Especially our fun day last Friday. The Water Play Park was a hit and the children did not stop for the whole time they were there. We definitely had some tired children by the time we got back to school. I'm sure your Friday night was a bit quieter than the usual Friday nights. We have celebrated together as a unit and the children are leaving Foundation with many new skills and bursting with confidence. They are definitely ready to be moving onto the Junior Unit.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank our St Paul's community for your support with everything you have done this year. From supporting you child's learning by reading with them each night, attending assemblies, liturgies and special celebrations eg. Grandparent's Day. Your involvement and presence is appreciated and does not go unnoticed.
We wish you all a very safe and happy Christmas with your family and friends and we look forward to seeing you all again in 2025. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
From the Foundation team: Maryanne, Mila, Laura, Louise, Vicki and Maeva.
Tech News
The Technology room is still buzzing and remains a hive of activity, brimming with energy and enthusiasm.
It’s hard to say whether the buzz is from the exciting learning taking place or the anticipation of the fast-approaching end of the school year and Christmas festivities!
Either way, one thing is certain—everyone is learning and having fun while doing it!
This week, check out what the middle and senior students have been up to.
Over the past month, students in the Middle Unit have been honing their skills in block coding by programming Micro:Bits to display a series of pictures. They took their learning to the next level by combining it with mathematical concepts, using coordinate plotting to determine which LED lights needed to be turned on or off to create their images.
Some students went even further, incorporating music into their projects by coding the Micro:Bits to play tunes while their images were displayed. It’s been amazing to see their creativity and problem-solving skills in action!
Students in the Senior Unit have been diving into the fascinating world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). They’ve explored what AI is, why it was developed, its impact on daily life, and the benefits and challenges it presents. Most importantly, they’ve learned how to use AI responsibly, safely, and ethically.
Building on this knowledge, students used AI tools like ChatGPT and CrAIyon to generate creative stories and matching images from their own ideas. These stories are now being transformed into picture story eBooks using Book Creator. In the final week of term, students will share their creations by reading them to their Foundation and Grade 1 buddies—a wonderful way to showcase their learning and creativity!
Finally, as the year draws to a close, I’d like to take a moment to reflect on the amazing learning and creativity we’ve seen in the Technologies classroom this year. From coding and robotics to digital storytelling and problem-solving, it has been a joy to watch our students explore, innovate, and grow in their understanding of technology.
Thank you to all the students, families, and staff who have supported and celebrated the exciting projects we’ve undertaken throughout the year. Your enthusiasm and encouragement have made 2024 a memorable and rewarding year for everyone who stepped into the Technology room.
Wishing you all a safe, joyful, and peaceful Christmas filled with love and laughter. I’m already looking forward to the opportunities, challenges, and adventures that 2025 will bring to the Technologies classroom. See you in the new year!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! 🎄✨
Mrs Narelle Simms
Technologies Specialist Teacher
Mental Health Services and Support
The holidays can be challenging for some people, please remember to reach out for support if you need.
Sts Anne and Joachim Catholic Parish Bulletin
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