St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 7 March 2024
2024 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 1, Week 6
From the Principal
Hello St Paul’s families,
Working Bee
This afternoon, we have our first working bee of the year. Thanks to all our families that are helping out. We will be making the grounds look better with tidying, weeding and pruning. We will also be working through redistributing soft fall mulch around our playgrounds. Finally, we will be adding sand and Coldstream topping (I learnt something last week, it's not Lilydale anymore). The sand will be for the sandpits and our Athletics Day.
Athletics Day
Our whole school Athletics Day is next Thursday 14 March, in the morning. Thanks to all the families that replied on Operoo to volunteer for this event. The students and staff have been assigned their House colours, and our school leaders are excited for the opportunity to leading their House colours. On the day students can wear their sports uniform with a top in their house colour. As in previous years, I ask for no hair colour.
Our wonderful Parents and Friend team will be providing a sausage in bread and a zooper dooper icypole for each student on Athletics Day. There will be an Operoo form going home shortly for you to opt out of having a sausage and/or Zooper Dooper for your child. Please ensure you respond to the form if your child is not able to have either/both. The P&F Team are also working hard preparing for the Monbulk Car show, Sunday week, where they will be selling Choc Tops.
Parent Teacher Meetings
Yesterday afternoon, we had our beginning year Parent/Teacher meetings. Thanks to all the families that attended. Speaking with the teachers afterwards, the feedback is so valuable for us, especially for staff teaching your child for the first time. If you were unable to meet with your child’s teacher yesterday or through PSGs, please reach out to the teacher. If you have any concerns, please feel free to pop in or give me a buzz in the office.
School Closure Day - Tuesday 12 March
Next Tuesday, there will be a school closure day. The staff will be focusing on Wellbeing and especially restorative practices. This is where we focus on fixing/restoring relationships rather than punishing students. It is an important concept that we will share more information about in the coming weeks. The students return to school on Wednesday, 13 March.
NAPLAN
Next Wednesday will see the beginning of NAPLAN testing for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. Further information will be sent home via Operoo for the families concerned.
Open Days - Prep Taster Days
Next Wednesday will also see our first Open Day this year looking towards enrolments for 2025. You will now see real estate boards around the community promoting our school. Our thanks go to Richard Licciardi from MRE Property Marketing for their valued and continued support of our school.
The Open Day is from 9.30am next Wednesday 13 March. We have also set the dates for our Term 2 Prep Taster Days (see flyers below).
If you know of anyone exploring an enrolment for next year, please encourage them to come and visit as word of mouth is so powerful.
I hope that you all have a tremendous long, long weekend.
Thanks
Nick
2025 Enrolments Now Open!
We are off to a great start at St Paul’s in 2024 with many new families and several new students who have settled in well to St Paul's life.
We are already preparing our enrolment timelines for our 2025 Prep students - enrolments for 2025 are now open!
We respectfully request existing families with a child/ren intending to commence Prep at St Paul's in 2025 submit their completed Enrolment Packs into the school office by the end of Term 1 (Thursday 28 March). Enrolment Packs can be downloaded from the school website. Alternatively, paper copies or emailed forms can be requested from the school office. Thank you!
If you know of a family that is considering St Paul's for their child/ren, please encourage them to get in touch with us and book a tour, or direct them to our website.
District Swimming
On Monday 19th February, St Paul's had 13 students competing in the District Swimming Competition at Belgrave Pool. We were blessed with beautiful weather. St Paul's swimmers won lots of ribbons. We wish Austin, Esther, Harry W, Lilly and Henry all the best on Friday 8 March as they compete at the Division Swimming Competition. Go St Paul's!
School Procedures for Bushfire season
Important Dates
TERM 1
- Thursday 7 March - Working Bee - 3.15pm
- Friday 8 March - Division Swimming
- Monday 11 March - LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- Tuesday 12 March - School Closure Day: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
- Wednesday 13 March - Open Day
- Wednesday 13-25 March - NAPLAN Testing Window
- Thursday 14 March - WHOLE SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
- Friday 15 March - St Patrick's Day (Student School Leaders)
- Thursday 21 March - Hot Lunch & Sushi Day
- Thursday 28 March - Holy Thursday: Term 1 Concludes
- Friday 29 March - Good Friday
- Sunday 31 March - Easter Sunday
TERM 2
- Monday 15 April - Term 2 commences for Students
- Mon-Wed 22 -24 April - Year 5/6 Camp to Phillip Island
- Thursday 25 April - ANZAC DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- Tuesday 30 April - Open Day
- Wednesday 1 May - Whole School Cross Country
- Thursday 2 May - Prep Taster Day - #1
- Wednesday 8 May - School Photos
- Friday 10 May - Mother's Day Breakfast / Mother's Day Stall
- Tuesday 14 May - Andrew Chinn: Student Workshops & Evening Concert
- Wednesday 15 May - Prep Taster Day - #2
- Saturday 18 May - Emerald BBQ
- Thursday 23 May - Open Day
- Friday 24 May - District Cross-Country
- Thursday 30 May - Prep Taster Day - #3
- Tuesday 4 June - Open Day
- Tuesday 4 June - Division Cross-Country
- Thursday 6 June - Working Bee (3.15pm)
- Thursday 6 June - Lighthouse Expo Night
- Friday 7 June - School Closure Day - No school for students
- Monday 10 June - KING'S BIRTHDAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- Wednesday 12 June - Prep Taster Day - #4
- Wednesday 26 June - 3 Way Conferences (aka Parent/Teacher/Student conferences)
- Friday 28 June - Term 2 Concludes
- Saturday 29 June - St Paul's Feast Day
From the School Office
Hot Lunch & Sushi Days are back!
Event Details: Hot Lunch & Sushi Day - Thursday, 21 March 2024
Orders Open: Now via CDF Pay
Orders Close: Sunday 17 March @ 10pm
* Please note: No late orders can be accepted after this time
For a direct link to CDF Pay click here.
**Please see below for updated menus**
Operoo - Student Medical and Contact Details
As we begin another school year, it is important to ensure that you have reviewed and updated your child's Operoo profile, carefully checking that all information held about your child and emergency contacts are accurate and up to date.
- Have any of your family or contact details changed?
- Have there been any changes to your child's medical profile?
- Have you uploaded your child's updated Allergy, Asthma or Anaphylaxis plan?
Fee Statements - Levies now due
A reminder that all itemised levies on 2024 Fee Statements were due in February. If you have not yet attended to payment of levies, please do so as soon as possible.
To set up a periodic payment plan please complete this Direct Debit Request Form.
If you require assistance setting up a payment plan, are experiencing financial hardship or wish to discuss your school fee account please contact the school office.
BUS - OSHClub Transport
St Paul's and OSHClub is lucky to have a bus service picking students up from the front of our school. The Bus Route for St Paul's students travelling to OSH Club or home is - left into Mount Pleasant Rd, left into Main Road, left into David Hill Rd for the OSHClub drop off. The bus then continues to Monbulk College, collects students and heads off to drop students at their home bus stops. The bus travels in the reverse route each morning, picks up from OSHClub (Monbulk PS) and drops students at school.
Please ensure that you let the school know (email the office/classroom teacher) if your child is to use this service. This is especially important if circumstances change.
- The Bus Company is Ventura.
- A staff member puts the students on the bus each day at 3:00pm or when it arrives at the front gate. The staff member does not travel with or supervise the students on the bus.
- The bus arrives at St Paul's at approximately 8:35-8:40am
- It is not a public bus so unknown adults cannot get on the bus.
- Each driver has a ‘Working with Children Check.’
- Usually there are several students travelling on the bus, but be aware that it could be possible that your child is the only one on the bus.
If you have any questions in relation to bus travel, please contact the school office.
2024 Concessional Fee Policy
From the commencement of 2022 Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) introduced a Concessional Fee Policy. Please refer to the Policy to determine whether you may be eligible for discounted school fees.
Parents & Friends News
Child Safe Standards: Ministerial Order 1359
St Paul's Primary School is a child safe organisation which welcomes all children, young people, and their families. We are committed to providing environments where our students are safe and feel safe, where their participation is valued, their views respected, and their voices are heard about decisions that affect their lives.
Our child safe policies, strategies and practices are inclusive of the needs of all children and students. We have no tolerance for child abuse and take proactive steps to identify and manage any risks of harm to students in our school environments. We also take proactive steps to identify and manage any risk of harm to students in our school. When child safety concerns are raised or identified, we treat these seriously and respond promptly and thoroughly.
The original Child Safe Standards were implemented in Victoria during 2016. They were developed in response to The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse (2013 - 2017). In 2019 Victoria agreed to adopt the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations. Schools are one example of a Child Safe Organisation.
There are eleven Child Safe Standards:
Child Safe Standard 1 – Organisations establish a culturally safe environment in which the diverse and unique identities and experiences of Aboriginal children and young people are respected and valued.
Child Safe Standard 2 – Child safety and wellbeing is embedded in organisational leadership, governance and culture.
Child Safe Standard 3 – Children and young people are empowered about their rights, participate in decisions affecting them and are taken seriously.
Child Safe Standard 4 – Families and communities are informed and involved in promoting child safety and wellbeing.
Child Safe Standard 5 – Equity is upheld and diverse needs respected in policy and practice.
Child Safe Standard 6 – People working with children and young people are suitable and
supported to reflect child safety and wellbeing values in practice.
Child Safe Standard 7 – Processes for complaints and concerns are child focused.
Child Safe Standard 8 – Staff and volunteers are equipped with the knowledge, skills and awareness to keep children and young people safe through ongoing education and training.
Child Safe Standard 9 – Physical and online environments promote safety and wellbeing while minimising the opportunity for children and young people to be harmed.
Child Safe Standard 10 – Implementation of the Child Safe Standards is regularly reviewed and improved.
Child Safe Standard 11 – Policies and procedures document how the organisation is safe for children and young people.
MACS provides Catholic schools with templates for the required documentation which we are required to adapt to reflect our school community whilst ensuring all legal requirements are met. Below are 3 key documents that we continue to review in light of the new standards:
Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy
Child Safe Standards: Identifying and Responding - Reporting Obligations
Uniform Shop
Ross Haywood Sports - Update:
St Paul's Online Uniform Shop
https://www.rhsports.com.au/product/school_wear/st_pauls_monbulk_ps
For in-store purchases RH Sports are located at 12/100 New St, Ringwood.
The store is now a CASHLESS STORE, EFTPOS transactions will be the only acceptable method of purchase.
Online ordering continues as normal with all delivery options available including contactless pick up. Delivery is free for orders delivered directly to St Paul's School and will then be distributed to your child to take home.
Please phone the store direct on 9870 1377 if you have any further queries.
Secondhand Uniform Shop
Our secondhand uniform shop is onsite at school and is managed by one of our parents, Kelly Garrett, with items being purchased by gold coin donation. If you are looking for items of secondhand uniform please feel free to text Kelly on 0435 810 954 with your wish list. Items will usually be sent home via class tubs or collected from the school office by arrangement. Cashless payment for items is via CDF Pay, selecting the Second Hand Uniform option and the quantity of items purchased.
The secondhand uniform shop welcomes donations of St Paul's current school uniform items which are still in good condition. We do not accept the old St Paul's round neck jumpers, yellow shirts or non-St Paul's items. If you have any current uniform items you no longer need please feel free to leave your donations at the school office.
St Paul's Policies
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.
Transition Information
Victorian Catholic Schools Guide
To assist your decision making in relation to your child's education for 2025 and beyond, please find below a link to the March 2024 edition of the Catholic Education Guide.
CLICK HERE: https://victoriaschoolguides.starcommunity.com.au/catholic-education/
Community Notices
Open Door Community Care - Local Support Services
Monbulk Care Network has recently changed its name to Open Door Community Care. It is the same community service with a new name. Please see below for details if you would like to access these community support resources.
Food Pantry hours (next to Open Door Community Church)
Cnr David Hill Rd & Moxhams Rd
Every day: 9.30am – 5.30pm
The Op Shop & Laneway Nursery hours
Mon-Fri 10am -4.30pm
Saturday 10am -1pm
Financial Resource Support for Families
Shire of Yarra Ranges - Newsletters
Please click the link below to access latest family news and events from Shire of Yarra Ranges.