St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 10 February 2022
2022 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 1, Week 2
From the Principal
Dear Families,
Within the community, at large, there is often a discussion about how our children acquire their values and how they make sense of values promoted by the media and their peers. As parents, you are the primary source of values education for your children and expect support from the school in this endeavour. Values education is an essential part of effective schooling.
St Paul's Values of Responsibility, Courage, Justice, Respect and Wisdom are foundational to our democratic school culture. They reflect our commitment to a welcoming, nurturing and orderly environment where all are entitled to justice and quality education. At every Prayer Gathering throughout the year, a child from each class is presented with an award for exhibiting one of the St Paul's values.
It is important for us to understand that our values come from a common place - the Gospel. this is the case in all Catholic school settings. Our values are formed with Jesus as an example of how to live. Responsibility, Courage, Justice, Respect and Wisdom were at the core of his life, people flocked to his model that "everybody matters, everybody belongs", and I can say wholeheartedly that everybody matters at St Paul's.
St Paul's Staff 2022
I have a further staffing update for 2022. We wish to welcome Bosa Sofranic-Carter to our Learning Support Staff, in a Casual Role. Bosa (we pronounce Borsa) joined our team last year, during Remote Learning, and has been a huge asset since she arrived. This year Bosa has agreed to continue on as a Casual LSO and we are extremely pleased. Welcome Bosa!
It gives me great pleasure to provide our full staffing arrangements for the 2022 school year:
Leadership and Administration:
- Principal: Michael Watt
- Deputy Principal: Stephenie Peels
- Learning and Teaching Leader: Stephenie Peels
- Student Wellbeing Leader & Learning Diversity Leader: Sarah Kleverkamp
- Religious Education Assistant: Irene Haritos
- Maths Leading Teacher: Kelly Geoghegan
- Literacy Leading Teacher: Stephenie Peels
- Office Manager: Helen Hermann
- Casual Office Administration: Tarnia Hiosan
Classroom Roles:
- Year 5/6B: Carolynne Boyd
- Year 4/5MG: Jo McIntosh (Mon, Tue, Wed, Fri) & Kelly Geoghegan (Thu)
- Year 2/3DV: Cathie Vermeer (Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu) & Julie Dietrich (Fri)
- Year 1/2KR: Jacqui Kerr (Mon, Tue, Wed) & Maree Ranahan (Thu, Fri)
- Prep CR: Maree Ranahan (Mon) & Maria Cook (Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri)
Specialist and Support Roles:
- Italian: Isabella Lepore (Tue)
- Music/Performing Arts: Irene Haritos (Tue)
- Visual Arts: Emma-lee Curwood (Wed/Thu)
- Physical Education: Emma-lee Curwood (Thu/Fri)
- Intervention Teacher: Stephenie Peels
Learning Support Staff:
- Alayne Kowald (Library Tech)
- Elizabeth Van Graas
- Paula Hogan (Counsellor)
- Greg McCourt (Casual Relief Teacher)
- Bosa Sofranic-Carter
School Safety
At last Monday's Prayer Gathering I presented our playground safety rules, revised from last year. As a community it is vital that we remember:
- There is no staff on duty prior to 8:25am. Please do not drop off children before 8:25am
- There is no staff on duty after school as we have professional commitments
- The sandpits are closed before school
- Tiggy and chasey games can be played on the oval or asphalt areas at playtime
- Parents that use the playground with younger siblings, please ensure you are actively supervising your child (be right there watching them please) and that they do not go on the senior unit (for their safety).
2022 Parents and Friends Association Meet and Greet
Our Parents and Friends Association (P & F) has always been a very strong support for our school community. Our P & F drive our fundraising initiatives and community events.
P & F funds are used for a variety of school improvement projects, and we use P & F funds for programs that benefit all students from Prep to 6. The most recent spending of P & F funds has been on our playground spaces.
Fundraising through Parents and Friends activities has been extremely challenging over the last couple of years, and we are looking forward to a brighter future where we can hold community events and engage in fundraising once again. The structure of our P & F post-Covid may look a little different to what we have set up in the past, and this will be worked out in collaboration between parents and the school.
Parents that are interested in volunteering for our Parents and Friends Association are invited to an open meeting:
- DATE: Thursday 17 February
- LOCATION - Friends on the Hill Cafe, Main St, Monbulk
- TIME - 9:00am
All interested parents are invited to come along and enjoy a coffee to share ideas about possibilities for the future of our Parents and Friends Association - what will our P & F look like? How will it run? We are looking forward to setting up hot lunch days, the school disco, our Country Fair, movie nights, and many other fun and engaging community activities that our P & F work hard to set up every year. We are looking for ideas on how these activities can be overseen moving forward, and we are looking for people to get involved.
The cost of your coffee and a small morning tea will be covered by the school.
We will need an indication of numbers so that Friends on the Hill can staff/cater appropriately
Please CLICK HERE for the RSVP Form.
Hope to see you there!
Parent Teacher Transition Interviews
Transition to a new school year for staff and students involves setting up strong communication processes and building on the relationship between teachers and families to support student learning. As part of our transition process, on Wednesday 23 February, parents/guardians are invited for an initial interview with the classroom teacher to help support your child’s learning this year.
The booking process will be the same as it was for the Transition days that we have held earlier this term. We use schoolinterviews.com.au to organise our bookings and you will receive the details over the next couple of weeks.
School Concludes at 1:00pm on Wednesday 23 February for Parent/Teacher Transition Interviews!
Uniform Reminder
The St Paul’s school uniform communicates a sense of identity and school pride. RHSports manage our Uniform Shop. We work hard to ensure that all children are appropriately dressed for school each day. We also have secondhand uniforms of particularly good quality. The staff appreciates the support of parents in ensuring the students are in the correct and appropriate uniform.
SHOES
Our Uniform Policy states that black leather school shoes are to be worn on non sport days. I wish to acknowledge and thank those students that are wearing their black leather school shoes. Some shoe companies push the boundaries as to what is acceptable and challenge us as parents. Black leather school shoes are different to black canvas runners. We all know what correct black leather school shoes look like, and we are very grateful to our families for setting high standards on this.
I will speak to students if I notice their shoes are not school shoes, but runners, so I ask that families support our uniform policy and ensure runners are only worn on sport days. Thanks.
Sun Smart
Children at our school must wear a school hat at recess and lunchtime until the end of Term 1. Children also wear a hat during sports lessons. The children know our slogan: “NO SCHOOL HAT, NO PLAY”. Students who do not have a school hat must sit on the seats in the undercover area rather than play with their friends around the playground. Thanks for your understanding.
Face Masks
Students in Grade 3 and above must wear a face mask indoors at school, and Outside School Hours Care (OSHC) programs, unless an exception applies. Students must wear face masks even if vaccinated. Students are not required to wear masks outside, however they are strongly recommended if physical distance cannot be maintained.
Face Masks need to be provided by parents. The school has a small supply as back up, but only if a student loses or breaks their own mask. Our supply is already diminishing, so we ask that students bring two masks to school - "one mask to wear, and another as a spare!"
Yours sincerely,
Michael Watt
From the School Office
Operoo - Student Medical and Contact Details
It is important to regularly check and update our records for students and Parents/Guardians.
- Have any of your family or contact details changed?
- Have there been any changes to your child's medical profile?
Please ensure that you have reviewed and updated your child's Operoo profile, carefully checking that all information held about your child and emergency contact details are accurate and up to date.
Fee Statements
Annual statements for this year's school fees were emailed to families last Friday. If you have not yet received yours, please advise the school office. Please note the levies portion of school fee accounts will be due for payment by 18 February. Please complete this Direct Debit Request Form or contact the school, if you require assistance to set up your periodic payment plan, or to discuss your school fee account.
Conveyance Allowance
If you received Conveyance Allowance for your child in 2021, you do not need to complete an application form for them again in 2022, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete a new application form if any of the following changes have occurred:
- You have a new student that has started at St Paul’s in 2022 - you will need to complete a new application form for that child only
- You did not apply in 2021
- Changed family circumstances, such as a change of address since 2021
Check with the school office if you are unsure.
Important Notices for Health Care Card Holders:
Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund (CSEF)
New from MACS in 2022 - Concessional Fee Policy
CONCESSIONAL FEE POLICY
From the commencement of 2022 Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) have introduced a Concessional Fee Policy. Please refer to the Policy to determine whether you may be eligible for discounted school fees.
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 (subject to any COVID restrictions in force at the time).
The store is now a CASHLESS STORE, EFTPOS transactions will be the only acceptable method of purchase. Recent changes to improve the health and safety of staff and customers include perspex screens at the registers and the supply of hand sanitiser. We ask that customers please apply this on entry to the store.
Online ordering continues as normal with all delivery options available including contactless pick up. Please phone the store on 9870 1377 if you have any further queries.
Secondhand Uniform Shop
Our secondhand uniform shop is managed by Carla Rademaker with items being purchased by gold coin donation. If you are looking for items of secondhand uniform please feel free to text Carla on 0409 866 901 with your wish list. Items will usually be sent home via class tubs or collected from the school office by arrangement.
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.
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
Transition Information
