Newsletter #14 May 27
Principal's Report
Welcome everyone to our new format for our newsletter. We hope you find this easier to navigate. It also has some fantastic new features that allows you to select your language of choice. Another way to hopefully improve our communication with our school community. Use the links above to go directly to a specific article. The ^ arrow located to the right of screen will take you back to the top of the newsletter.
Yesterday was a great way to return to school for the Foundation and Junior Unit children. We hope your children enjoyed the day as much as we did. And yes the King Bee did make an appearance, although judging by the photos, he may have lost a little of his buzz. I can't understand why?
Thank you all for your patience and understanding with the drop off and pick up of students. To make it a little easier please read the procdures below. Hopefully, this will avoid any further confusion.
Drive Through Area- Foundation and Junior students with no other siblings in the Middle or Senior units (currently at school), are to be seated in this area and collected at 3:10pm.
Foundation and Juniors with siblings in Year 3-6, currently at school, are to sit at the outdoor tables located under the front of school verandah.
Pedestrian Gate Access-Any children who are being picked up via the pedestrian gate are to wait under the front of school verandah near the flagpoles. Staff will escort them to the gate to be collected.
It would really help us if you could remind your child daily if you are collecting them by car or at the front gate.
Congratulations to this week's 25 Gotcha Winners: Shaylee Blake, Felix Blanchard, Aaron Clarke, Lola Droffelaar, Elih Groenen, Harrper Hannah, Paityn Miller, Andrea Norton, Soobhanah Parvez, Treeza Jessil and Alliyah Silorio for consistently Being Safe, Being Respectful and Being Your Best.
Congratulations to this week's 50 Gotcha Winners: Sienna Brown, Jack Humphrey, Jett Johnson, Sophie King, Darcy O'Callaghan, Alyssa Ovenden, Ithika Parvez and Oliver Welsh for consistently Being Safe, Being Respectful and Being Your Best.
We will be hosting virtual assemblies for the remainder of the term at school. We are endeavouring to provide a link so that you also have access. We will share these when available.
This Sunday is Fr Mick's last day in Mildura. On behalf of the St Paul's school community, I would like to say thank you to Fr Mick for all that he has done for our school during his time here in Sunraysia. He will be sorely missed by all those he has come in contact with. Fr Mick has often spoken about how much he has enjoyed visiting our children at school as they always make him feel so welcomed and connected to us. I would also like to welcome Fr Matthew Thomas to St Paul's. Fr Matt was in Mildura a number of years ago and we are all looking forward to reconnecting with him and welcoming him into our school community once more.
Once again I, Thank you very much for the support you have given us during the last 2 months. It is very much appreciated and we are all looking forward to when the Middle and Senior children rejoin us on Tuesday 9th June.
As always
Keep the faith
Vince Muscatello
Foundation Unit News
The Foundation students have settled back into school so well. It was lovely to see them all making their way to their classrooms and entering with big smiles on their faces. They have been able to complete their morning routines and sit down on the mat ready to begin the day. We are super proud of them.
Can parents please remember to send the children with a water bottle as they are unable to use the drink stations at the moment.
On Thursday 4th June the Foundation and Junior Unit will be having a special Pyjama Day. They will come dressed in their pyjamas and have some fun activities to do throughout the day. We will be watching "The Lion King" and completing some activities based on the movie. As "The Lion King" is rated PG we are asking that you contact your child's teacher if you don't want them to watch the movie.
Junior Unit News
Hello everyone! Yesterday was our first day back at school after our remote learning period. It was so wonderful to welcome everyone back and have students reunite with their friends, peers and teachers.
This week, we are engaging in an author study all about Julia Donaldson. Yesterday we began by reading the book The Gruffalo and completed a story wheel to retell the events in order.
Here are some photos from our first day back at school, doing our work and washing our hands!
Don’t forget that next Thursday 4th June is Pyjama Day. Students can come dressed in their pyjamas ready for a fun day of learning.
Middle Unit News
Hello middle unit families! We are all very much looking forward to seeing you all soon at school. This week we are continuing our work on information reports so it will be important to try and have some discussions about what they are reading and writing. Maths will continue to revolve around measurement so keep your kids in the kitchen cooking up a storm or helping you to build things. The best way for students to consolidate their learning is to continue rich discussions around the new vocabulary and information they’re getting. Keep up the hard work guys we are nearly there.
Library News
Hello from the Library , today is National Simultaneous Storytime day. Foundation and Junior students celebrated this together this morning. National Simultaneous Storytime is celebrated annually. Every year a picture book is selected and read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres and many other places around the country.
This year's title is 'Whitney and Britney: Chickens Divas' by Lucinda Gifford. Look out for some photos in the next newsletter.
It would be fantastic if everyone could have a look around at home for any library books and return them.
Arts News
This week, the senior students were asked to listen to a song and draw what came into their minds. The song was "Three Little Birds" by Bob Marley and the responses have been varied and wonderful. It's been so lovely being back and seeing all of our Foundation and Junior smiley faces and I can't wait to see all of the middle and senior students in week 9!
Jess Freeman
"Everything's gonna be alright"
~ Bob Marley ~
"Three Little Birds"
Technology News
All students from Foundation - Gr 2 recommenced school on Tuesday 26th May. Any school owned device that has been borrowed for students in F-2 SHOULD HAVE RETURNED THE DEVICE (& CHARGER) TO SCHOOL. If you haven't done so please return tomorrow, Thursday 28th May.
School own devices currently being used by students in Gr 3 & 4 do not return theirs until they return to school on Tuesday 9th June (after long weekend).
To help ensure our community's safety the students may bring the device with them to their class. These will be collected from the by Mrs Simms during the day.
Families are not required to clean the devices prior to returning as the school will sanitise & reset them. Please note that any student work on the device will be erased so please ensure you have submitted all work before returning device tomorrow morning.
Sports Update
It's so nice to see the F-2 children back at school onsite this week! Each class will be practicing some more of their catching skills that they began working on at home earlier this term. Here are some photos of some of our foundation students enjoying their first class back.
For those still at home, another fun way to keep the body moving for children are the 'gonoodle' dances. They are simple and easy to follow along with. Simply search for 'gonoodle' and many options will be available for you to choose from.
For adults, Kayla Itsines is a fitness trainer that has a number of workout videos that you can train along with at home. Just search her name in google or facebook to find them. Also, if you are a fitbit user there are a number of workouts they have released that are available to use on the ap. They are also offering premium membership for 3 months for free at the moment.
Until next week.
Kyra Mitchell (PE teacher/Sports Coordinator)
