St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday 25 March 2021
2021 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 1, Week 9
From the Principal
Dear Families,
Today’s young people are experiencing life differently to any other generation. Generation Alpha (anyone born after 2010) have had some significant world events to process in recent times. Notwithstanding the pandemic, we have also had bushfires and floods across the country and news reports inundated with issues around the conduct of our politicians. However, since returning to school this year we have noticed that many of our students display adaptability, and have the capacity to deal with the world around them. We need to harness this strength both at school and in our homes.
At St Paul's we emphasise 5 key values - Responsibility, Courage, Justice, Respect and Wisdom. We want to see the students enact these values. In past newsletters, we have explored what these values mean to the students at St Paul's, and I can think of many examples this term where I have seen students demonstrate each one of them. Although the school staff emphasise these values, we know that a student's character is built first and foremost in the home. At St Paul's we know that family-school partnerships are vital for supporting students, maximising opportunities for learning and enhancing their wellbeing.
Critical issues explored at school are aligned with our core values, attitudes, legal and societal responsibilities. For instance, last week we had a visit from the Camp Quality Puppet Show and the students and staff were thrilled with the performance. The purpose of the show is specifically to help children 0-13 grow in their understandings of cancer. We had one show for Prep/1 students and another show for Year 2-6 students. Each show was developmentally appropriate and targeted for the age groups.
Having developmentally appropriate, courageous conversations in safe and nurturing environments like St Paul's is essential. We constantly strive to enhance student wellbeing; a state of health happiness and positive engagement in an equitable, inclusive and cohesive environment (adapted from Dr Helen Street 2016, cited in Kane 2021). Whilst discussing big, worldly issues with children isn’t always easy, as parents and teachers, our children sometimes ask us big questions! And we must forgive ourselves when we don't always have all the answers. With this in mind, we shouldn't feel the need to shut down a conversation, as long as we keep in mind that the conversation should be developmentally appropriate. If we remember that we are focusing on the education of the "whole child", addressing their academic, social, emotional, mental and spiritual health, then we will continue to build our child's resilience and adaptability to the world.
Hello from the St Paul's Staff
It is an absolute pleasure to work with the staff of St Paul's. Let me introduce:
Kelly Geoghegan
Kelly's role:
- Physical Education Teacher
"The one thing I love most about teaching PE is seeing the smiles and excitement of the children as they eagerly walk into my sessions. I do my best to make my sessions 'inclusive' to all as they all come with different skills. I am also very passionate about Mental Health and Wellbeing and being active plays an important part in that. I believe a healthy mind and a healthy body go together. I leave St Paul's each Thursday with a smile and a feeling of happiness as it is a lovely place to work."
Paula Hogan
Paula's role's are:
- School Counsellor; Youth Worker; Learning Support Officer
"I am very lucky in my role to be able to build such strong relationships with our students through
Tarnia Hiosan
Tarnia's role:
- Casual Office Administration
"I have been a part of the wonderful St Paul’s community since 2007, first as a parent and now as a staff member. The best part of my role is the variety in my day, I love that I never know what each day will bring! While assisting parents, guests, staff and students there is always a challenge and never a dull moment."
Social Discipline Window
The staff at St Paul’s support all students to make positive choices regarding behaviour. We believe in supporting student behaviour with a focus on learning, and we always take a pastoral approach. Our process is comprehensive, and the same approach is used across the whole school. We are pro-active and connected with the students. It is within this positive climate that our student behaviour management processes for individual cases are applied.
If there is an incident that occurs which is outside the boundaries of our behaviour expectations the staff work with the students involved to find a resolution. Because student wrongful behaviour can have an adverse effect on the wellbeing of students, staff members and others, the proper exercise of pastoral care requires staff to ensure a just and reasonable balancing of the rights, needs, obligations and wellbeing of all concerned. The focus is always on learning from the experience. At times, as Principal, I will sometimes need to authorise certain actions that fall under our formal student behaviour management procedures, based on knowledge of the particular issues and guided by principles that include justice, respect, compassion, personal and communal safety, health, and duty of care.
The social discipline window describes four basic approaches to supporting student behaviour. The four quadrants are represented as different combinations of high or low control and high or low support. The restorative quadrant is what we aim for. This describes both high control and high support, and is characterized by doing things with people, rather than to them or for them.
When we are addressing student behaviour that is judged inappropriate or wrongful, we apply a restorative approach known as "Restorative Practices". The philosophy of Restorative Practices is based on a positive and formative approach to student behaviour management and is recommended for Catholic schools. A Restorative approach is where school staff explore the incident with the students involved and help them learn from the experience and formulate a plan to restore the relationship and move forward. This includes formulating consequences if necessary.
A commitment to Restorative Practices promotes resilience. Restorative measures help students learn from their mistakes, grow in self-discipline, take responsibility for their actions, recognise the impact of their actions on others, and reconcile and resolve conflict with others.
This process is also described in our Positive Action Agreement for a Safe School and this process is one of the main reasons we have such a strong culture around behaviour management.
School Advisory Board - Soon to be School Advisory Council
As we are all aware, the employer of all staff across the Catholic system in Melbourne has changed. Prior to 1 January this year staff in Catholic schools were employed by the Parish Priest. From this year staff in Catholic schools are employed by the Catholic education system - the entity known as Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools, or MACS.
Due to this change, we have been directed that all Catholic schools must have a School Advisory Council. St Paul's has always referred to this group as the School Advisory Board, however from this point forward, we have a School Advisory Council, or SAC. What is the difference? Well... at this point we are not sure if there will be any difference, we will be directed on any changes, and our SAC will work through this accordingly.
Our School Advisory Council AGM (Annual General Meeting), is scheduled for Wednesday 31 March at 7:00pm. The AGM is an open meeting. The AGM provides the opportunity for some current members to stand down while enabling new members to join. The current council members are Sally Zylinski, Cara Kirby, Troy Czaja, Mariske De Wit, Mary Larkin, Fr Cruz, Stephenie Peels and Michael Watt. Nominations for the School Advisory Council are welcome. Please CLICK HERE to put your name forward via our nomination form. If more than ten parents nominate, an election will take place.
Athletics Day - Thursday 1 April
Our annual Athletics Day will be held on Thursday 1 April. Mrs Geoghegan is busily preparing the program for the day. To keep in line with School Sport Victoria policy and procedure children will compete in their age groups. There will be a sausage in bread for each student provided by the P&F. The sausage in bread is free of charge and we ask students to still bring their lunch, snacks and drink bottle on the
day.
Students can wear coloured sports tops with their navy sport shorts/skorts to represent their house colour if they wish. Hair is not to be sprayed in house colours but coloured hair ribbons are fine. Face paint is not permitted.
REQUEST: If possible, can parents please place a safety pin on your child's t-shirt before school? They will need somewhere special to display their ribbons! We do have pins here at school if this is not possible.
Students will also need to apply sunscreen before school, and we ask that students bring sunscreen with them to re-apply throughout the day. Students will assemble on the oval at 9:15am, and events will begin shortly after, at approximately 9.30am. The Athletics Day Carnival is scheduled to finish at 1:20pm.
***Due to the fact that the Athletics Day is being held on the final day of Term 1, before Easter weekend, we suspect there may be families that will sign their child out of school at the conclusion of the event. If this is the case for you, please email your child's teacher so they can make appropriate plans for the remainder of the day, thanks.
We are looking forward to a great day!
Covid Update: Food Sharing - Easter Eggs!
The latest Covid-19 School Operations Guide (16 March) states: "Sharing of food is not recommended. Where this occurs, individual portions should be encouraged alongside strict hand hygiene."
We certainly would not put out shared platters or a buffet for people at this time, but we are now willing to allow individual portions under Covid safe conditions.
With Easter only just over a week away, some students may be looking at exchanging Easter Eggs. The Easter Bunny may also be keen to visit houses or even classrooms, who knows? Like Santa, the Easter Bunny will have a Covid Safe Plan that can be followed to ensure everyone is kept safe and well.
As of this Monday 29 March, students can bring in food items to share under the following strict conditions:
- Birthday treats or Easter Eggs must be individually wrapped, for example, fun size chocolates such as Freddo Frogs are ok, small, individual Easter eggs are ok ...
- Sharing out a large bag of lollies or chips is not ok - all items need to be individually wrapped
- Birthday treats or Easter Eggs must be individually given out - this means we do not put items out so that we can help ourselves!
- Students must not reach into bags, only one person is to give out the treats to each individual
- The person distributing treats is to hand sanitize before and after distributing the treats
Students that bring in Easter Eggs or Birthday Treats must bring the items in to school 2 days before they are to be given out. This allows for a 'quarantine' period to ensure the safety of all.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding on these matters.
School Closure Days
Our Term 2 School Closure Day is on Friday 28 May. Staff will be engaged in Professional Learning focussed on Education in Faith.
Our Term 3 School Closure day is on Monday 26 July. Staff will be engaged in Literacy Professional Learning.
Allergies and Anaphylaxis - Pets and Food at school
We often find ourselves in situations where we make, buy, donate and share many foods. We are out and about constantly and it is helpful to be reminded to keep ourselves safe as well as be conscious of others.
St Paul’s Primary School is focussed on the safety and well-being of all our students. Our school is an allergy aware school. Staff have regular training in severe allergy management and we have implemented many strategies to help keep students diagnosed as being at risk of anaphylaxis safe.
Many of us know someone who is affected by anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction.
At St Paul's we have two students who live with the risk of anaphylaxis to foods, and one student who’s allergy triggers include dog saliva, pollen and dust mites.
For those people that are allergic to dogs, the main source of dog allergen is saliva. Dander (shed skin particles) and hair can carry the allergen. All breeds of dog can potentially cause allergies, although some may not shed as much hair and dander (and therefore allergen) as others. Dogs also collect pollen and dust mites in their saliva which causes an additional risk to this child.
It is not our intention to ban dogs at St Paul’s, however we do need to put some boundaries in place. It is very important that children can safely exit their classrooms and our school without the risk of being licked by a dog, and that dogs do not enter any buildings or classrooms.
If families intend to bring a dog to St Paul’s, we respectfully request that the dog:
- Remains in the car park/basketball court area on the path
- Be kept on a lead at all times
- The dog lead be held by a responsible person at all times
- That dogs not be walked any further into the school than the fence in front of the Year 4/5 classroom, or remain on the school oval
- Not enter any buildings or classroom/s
Thank you for your understanding.
Working Bee
A terrific number of parents and children turned up to assist with last week’s Working Bee. The main focus of the Working Bee was to clear our gardens and grounds of weeds and overgrown vegetation. We gathered after school last Thursday and managed to clean up and tidy a significant area of our school grounds. We pulled weeds, cut back and cleaned up the entire kitchen garden, as well as the areas around the septic tank. We also cut back the frog pond space and the gardens behind the administration office. All of the families in attendance worked very hard and we are extremely grateful. A huge thanks to the following families and staff that came along: Miss Paula, Alayne, Cathie Vermeer, Carolynne Boyd, Whittaker, Austin-White, Klages, Kempster, Spargo, Perks, Rademaker, Moody, McErlain, Van Kampen and Selby.
Ready, Set, Prep! Transition Program
Our next "Ready, Set, Prep" session will be held tomorrow where the students and families will Experience Italy with Signora Lepore. If you know of any parents of preschool children that might be interested please let them know.
Kind regards,
Michael Watt
Student Wellbeing
Camp Quality
On Monday 22nd March we were very lucky to have some special visitors to our school.
Camp Quality brought their travelling puppet show to help answer all the difficult questions kids have about cancer, dispel common myths and teach us how to be supportive and understanding of kids impacted by cancer – all of which prevents bullying and exclusion.
The kids had lots and lots of laughs, whilst learning some new things about inclusion and support. We even experienced a special dance number from Mrs V.
For more information visit campquality.org.au or to email Kylie kylie@campquality.org.au
The Camp Quality App is also recommended
Camp Quality
Crazy Sox Day- Mini Monbulkers
Last Thursday Mini Monbulkers organised Crazy Sox Day. Thank you for all the donations.
Crazy Sox Day
Consent
Consent Education has been a 'hot topic' in the media recently. This image is a helpful reminder of how simple it can be when educating our children from a young age.
St Paul's staff believe it is important for everyone to have a voice and use it.
2021 School Closure Days
Please note the following days in your diary. There is NO SCHOOL for students on the following dates:
- TERM 2 - Friday 28 May 2021 (Education in Faith Professional Learning)
- TERM 3 - Monday 26 July (Literacy Professional Learning)
- TERM 4 - TBC
OSHClub
Out of School Hours Care: OSH Club
Enrolments, Bookings and Enquiries
Parents will need to enrol with OSHClub. Please visit https://www.oshclub.com.au/ and click on "REGISTER". You will need to enrol with the Monbulk Primary School service.
Community Notices
Mater Christi College – Belgrave
Mater Christi College is a vibrant, inclusive and warm community where girls feel safe and build supportive lifelong friendships. After another year of leading academic and vocational outcomes, we are experiencing a surge in demand for places.
Parents of Grade 5 students are strongly encouraged to secure a place for Year 7 2023. Visit the College website to apply or arrange a tour.
Families seeking enrolment for 2022 should contact the College Registrar 9754 6611 asap.
