St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday 4 March 2021
2021 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 1, Week 6
Labour Day Public Holiday - This Monday 8 March: NO SCHOOL
From the Principal
Dear Families,
As we journey through the Season of Lent, we are called to focus intentionally on what helps or hinders our commitment to Christ, but what does a 'commitment to Christ' actually mean? Our faith tells us that Jesus lived out his earthly life devoted to the service of others, particularly others that were poor and vulnerable. Jesus is a model of how we are taught to live, with generosity and compassion, putting the needs of others before our own wants. This is the commitment we are called to make during Lent.
A sign of choosing to improve ourselves is when we commit to 'giving something up' through Lent. Although, we might consider "taking on something" instead of giving something up, to build up our spiritual muscles. How about this for taking on something: ‘There was a woman in Swaziland, Orma Mavimbela, who had a well-paid job in the civil service. She felt called to do something for the orphans whom she saw daily around her. So, she gave up her job and financed three feeding centres where children could get a meal, receive some loving care and play games. A pretty risky venture; what happens when her money runs out?'
Of course, few of us are in a position to do as Orma did but what can each of us do? We are all made in the image of God and Lent gives us pause to reflect that at times we may not be so Christ-like in our actions. Perhaps Lent offers each of us the opportunity to think differently, to 'put ourselves out there' and to be conscious of those around us that may be needy or vulnerable.
Hello from the St Paul's Staff
I consider myself extremely fortunate to work with an incredibly dedicated, positive and fun-loving staff. As parents we know our own child's teacher/s, however there are specialist, administration and learning support staff that also work here and I will introduce them to you over the next few weeks.
Michael Watt
Michael's role:
- Principal
"It is a privilege to be Principal at this amazing school. There is a true sense of shared responsibility at St Paul’s where we work in partnership with families in order to help each child reach their full potential. Our staff truly put students and families first in everything we do."
Stephenie Peels
Stephenie's roles are:
- Deputy Principal
- Learning and Teaching Leader
- Intervention Teacher
- Literacy Leading Teacher
- Year 4/5 Teacher (Thursdays)
"I love finding great ways to engage students in the curriculum in fun and active ways through hands on learning. I also like the opportunity to work with students across the school finding out what they are learning. I enjoy time in the classroom with 4/5, as the students are curious, fun and really hard workers!"
Sarah Kleverkamp
Sarah's roles are:
- Student Wellbeing Leader
- Learning Diversity Leader
"I thoroughly enjoy working with the wonderful families at St Paul’s Primary. In my role I’m lucky to experience relationships through all levels of the school and watch those with diverse needs grow and flourish over time. We have an amazing Wellbeing team that I can rely on to support me in my role and the students within our school. It is so important for everyone to feel valued and connected to school, and I believe that we are fortunate to be able to really ‘know’ every child (and family)."
Irene Haritos
Irene's roles are:
- Religious Education Leader
- Music Specialist Teacher
"The moment I stepped into St Paul’s Primary in 2019, was the moment that I felt like I came home. I get the privilege to share both music and faith with the students, staff and community. I cannot believe the excited energy the students bring to each music class. It makes teaching a joy especially watching the children step out of their comfort zone and grow in confidence. My role as Religious Education Leader is icing on the cake as I get to promote my faith and assist teachers finding new resources to bring meaning and purpose to student’s spiritual side."
Helen Dinkgreve
Helen's role:
- Office Manager
"Joining the St Paul’s team in 2006 I firmly believe I have the best job in the school. I love the diversity of my role which includes anything from welcoming families, keeping teeth safe for the tooth fairy, putting bandaids on grazed knees, supporting our wonderful staff, and all finance/admin tasks required to keep our school running smoothly on a daily basis."
COVID Updates: School Operations Guide
With the weather becoming cooler, many of us will experience 'sniffles' or be close to someone who has signs/symptoms of a cold/flu type illness. Some parents might be wondering what the regulations are with regard to school attendance in the case of a sniffle, or a cough or sore throat. Here is the latest advice on Covid-Safe Behaviour directly from the latest School Operations Guide (dated 1 March 2021):
Stay home when unwell
The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of
COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff and students remain at home and get tested,
even with the mildest of symptoms.
Students with underlying conditions (such as hay fever or asthma)
If a student has persistent symptoms due to an underlying condition such as hay fever or
asthma, the student should still be tested for COVID-19 if they develop symptoms that are
different to or worse than their usual symptoms. Students whose symptoms are clearly typical
for their underlying condition can continue to attend school.
Parents/carers should also consider getting a medical certificate from the child’s treating GP
to confirm that it is safe for them to attend school with persistent symptoms that may overlap
with some of the symptoms of COVID-19 such as cough or runny nose.
Young children with persistent mild symptoms
For younger children (in Prep to Year 2) who have had a negative COVID-19 test that was
taken after they developed symptoms, the decision about return to school should be made in
conjunction with the child’s treating GP. If the GP is satisfied the child has recovered from
their acute illness, is otherwise well and does not need a repeat COVID-19 test, the child can
return even if they are not completely free of symptoms. Any worsening of symptoms will
require review and repeat COVID-19 testing, if considered appropriate by the doctor.
Students with a negative COVID-19 test whose symptoms have completely resolved do not
need a medical certificate to return to school.
For us at St Paul's this means:
- If a parent/carer is in any doubt, then we should organise a Covid test and stay home until we get the results.
- Parents/carers know their children best. If your child has an underlying condition, and you know what the symptoms are, and the symptoms are clearly typical of that condition, then the child can attend school. We rely on our parents to make a balanced judgement.
- A medical certificate is suggested in the operations guide above, however, it is not mandated
Face Masks– easing of restrictions
As directed by the Victorian Chief Health Officer, from 11.59 Friday 26 February, face masks are no longer mandatory in all indoor spaces in the broader community. Masks are still required in limited indoor settings, such as public transport, commercial passenger vehicles and some large retail settings.
At schools, this means that face masks are no longer mandatory in all indoor spaces for school staff and secondary school students aged 12 or older.
Requirements for the use of masks are outlined below. Visitors and parents must also observe this guidance.
- Face masks are recommended, but not mandatory, for use by staff, students and visitors when physical distancing of 1.5 metres cannot be maintained
- People aged 12 years and over must always carry a face mask – unless they have a lawful exemption
- People aged 12 years and over must wear a face mask when on public transport, school buses and when in taxis or ride share vehicles – unless they have a lawful exemption
For us here at St Paul's:
- Masks are not compulsory when parents/carers enter our grounds unless you cannot maintain your physical distance from others
- Parents/carers on site for greater than 15 minutes MUST sign in at the office or use the QR Codes displayed at Prayer Gathering Assembly
- Parents are not permitted to enter classrooms unless specifically invited for a meeting
- Currently, we advise any siblings of children who are unwell with coronavirus symptoms, waiting on test results to stay at home, although this is not mandated
- We are continuing to implement our COVID safe practices with all staff and students who are currently attending on-site; physical distancing, staff wearing masks when appropriate, sanitising, routine cleaning, etc
We all have a responsibility to stay safe ourselves and keep others safe. The decision on whether a child attends school in the first instance is with the parent, and we suggest that if there is any doubt at all then please stay home and if symptoms warrant, please get tested and wait for the result.
Change of day: Prayer Gathering - Assembly
Due to changes with internal programs and timetables, please note that the next, and subsequent Prayer Gathering Assemblies, will be held fortnightly, on a Monday, at 2:10pm. Our next Prayer Gathering Assembly will be held on Monday 15 March at 2:10pm.
School Car Park Safety
It has been most gratifying to see our families following the rules of the school car park, both before and after school, these past couple of weeks. For the safety and wellbeing of all, I would like to emphasise that children should always be escorted to the pathways surrounding the car park by an adult, and conversely that the children are escorted to cars by an adult at the end of the school day.
Cars can park in the middle of the court and also in the reverse parking area. We do have plans to re-paint the lines on our courts and we plan to paint car park lines in the future. Please avoid parking in the keep clear zones as indicated on the map below, and we ask that all cars park in an orderly fashion so as to maintain traffic flow.
If children walk or ride to school we ask that parents talk to children about entering the car park safely. This means we walk into the school, and if we are riding our bike, we dismount and walk our bike in.
Please take a look at the map below and I thank you once again for being diligent about safety in the car park. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Appointments
I am always careful about making sure we respect the decisions of parents, after all, parents are the first educators of the child! I just wish to raise the matter of appointments, and ask our community to be conscious of the impact on learning that missing too much school may have.
We all understand that certain specialist appointments can only be made during the day, on weekdays. I must admit, however, that recently there has been a significant number of students coming and going from classrooms. I really understand that appointments outside the classroom with specialists are unavoidable! I only mention this because sometimes we don't realise the impact this has on our child's learning and at times it can also be very challenging for staff to manage the distractions when students are coming and going on a regular basis. As stated we do understand that appointments are often necessary and we don't want to alarm anyone but we are respectfully requesting that appointments outside school, during school time, are made only when absolutely necessary. If we can make appointments after school or on the holidays that would be sensational! This is simply a request to consider, that is all. Thanks.
With Sympathy
Our most valued PE Teacher, Mrs Kelly Geoghegan, lost her 17 year old nephew, Daniel, very recently. Daniel passed away peacefully in his sleep and is fondly remembered by all that knew him. We send our condolences to Kelly, and Daniel's family, at this very difficult time.
School Advisory Board
The next planned SAB meeting, the AGM (Annual General Meeting), is scheduled for
Wednesday 19 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 board members are Sally Zylinski, Cara Kirby, Troy Czaja, Mariske De Wit, Mary Larkin, Fr Cruz, Stephenie Peels and Michael Watt.
NOMINATIONS WELCOME
We are currently recruiting for the School Advisory Board! The School Advisory Board constitution allows for up to 10 elected parent members. Each parent member commits to a two year term, with an option for a further two years. If you are interested in joining our School Advisory Board, we would be most grateful to accept your nomination. We meet twice per term and all SAB Meeting dates are on our school calendar.
Please CLICK HERE to put your name forward via our nomination form. If more than ten parents nominate, an election will take place.
If you have any questions about the School Advisory Board, don’t hesitate to contact myself or any of the other Board members.
Emerald BBQ
For many years Emerald Meats, managed by Alan and Joy Mills, have kindly donated the sausages and barbecue facilities for each Emerald Barbecue. We are in a very enviable position at St Paul’s to have a location on offer where we can promote our school’s name and conduct a sausage sizzle to raise funds in a position immediately outside our supplier – Emerald Meats. Our first Emerald BBQ for 2021 is Saturday 13 March and we will soon contact the families that have volunteered.
School Athletics Day - Thursday 1 April
We are looking forward to our annual Athletics Day on Thursday 1 April. The children are to wear their school sports uniform on the day, including their school hat. If the children already own a T-shirt in their house colour they can wear it on the day in place of their sports polo. Students can wear some streamers and/or headbands in their house colours. Hair is not to be sprayed in team colours, thanks. Please ensure your child has adequate sunscreen applied to their face, arms and legs prior to commencing the day’s activities and that they bring along their sunscreen (named) to re-apply during the day. All events will be held on the school oval. Parents will be welcome on the day (at time of writing this newsletter, and subject to Covid regulations changing), and we will be calling for helpers over the next few weeks.
Kind regards,
Michael Watt
PE News - Swimming
Congratulations to the following students who represented St. Paul's in Division Swimming at Croydon Pool. Mahalia, Evie, Tess, Antoinette and Grace. These girls swam in relay races and some also competed in Individual events. The weather was a lot cooler than last week and these girls braved it in the cold wind. They all put in a great effort and we are very proud of their achievements. Grace will now go through to regionals, good luck Grace, and well done team!
School Closure Days:
Please note the following days in your diary. There is NO SCHOOL for students on the following dates:
- TERM 1 - Friday 19 March 2021 (Student Wellbeing Professional Learning)
- TERM 2 - Friday 28 May 2021 (Education in Faith Professional Learning)
- TERM 3 - TBC
- TERM 4 - TBC
2022 Prep Transition
Spread the word! St Paul's is inviting 3yo, 4yo and 5yo pre-school children to join our "Ready, Set, Prep!" program. Fortnightly, on a Friday, we will run sessions that give children a "taste" of school life. If you know any families with pre-school children, please encourage them to contact us and register for the program.
From the School Office
- If you have a Health Care Card please ensure you have provided the school office with a copy to ensure you receive any fee discounts to which you may be entitled. Please note, Health Care Card discounts and/or CSEF funding have not yet been applied to accounts.
- March fee statements have been emailed to families. If you have not received your statement, or have any queries relating to your account, please contact the school office. The due date for student levies was 19 February and is now past due for families who are not on payment plans. Your prompt attention to payment would be appreciated, or alternatively please contact the school office to discuss.
- The due date for Conveyance Allowance applications is 12 March. Please contact the school office for an application form or if you are not sure whether you are eligible. (See 'Information for Families' below for details).
- Scholastic Book Club forms have been sent home this week. The due date for orders is Friday 12 March. If you have any book club queries please contact Sally Moody (0400 269 235).
Please ensure you have downloaded our school app - SZapp!
OSHClub
Out of School Hours Care: OSH Club
Newsletter
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.
Uniform Shop
School Uniform Shop
Ross Haywood Sports - Update:
St Paul's Online Uniform Shop
https://www.rhsports.com.au/product/school_wear/st_pauls_monbulk_ps
With lockdown restrictions easing we are happy to announce that the Uniform Shop at 12/100 New St, Ringwood is open for in person purchases with some restrictions.
For the health and safety of both our Customers and Employees, the shop will be open to one family group at a time. Should there already be customers in the store we ask that you wait outside.
The store is now a CASHLESS STORE, EFTPOS transactions will be the only acceptable method of purchase. We have also closed the changerooms and sample sizes will not be able to be tried on by students in the short term.
We have also made some changes in the shop including perspex screens at the registers and hand sanitisers supplied. We ask that parents please apply this as you enter the store.
Online ordering continues as normal with all delivery options available including contactless pick up as previously mentioned.
Please phone the store on 9870 1377 if you have any further queries.
Secondhand Uniform Shop - Now Open
Our secondhand uniform shop is managed by Kylie Storer with items being purchased by gold coin donation. If you are looking for items of secondhand uniform please feel free to text Kylie on 0430 546 611 with your wish list. Kylie will be at school on Friday mornings to fill orders. Items can be sent home via class tubs or collected from the school office.
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.
Community Notices
Information for Families
Below you can find various information including the following:
- Fee Support for Families
- Conveyance Allowance
- Operoo (formerly Care Monkey)
- PTV - School Bus Management System
- CDF Pay - Online School Shop
- NCCD - Nationally Consistent Collection of Data
- Ministerial Order No. 870 - Child Safe Standards
Fee Support for Families
Do you have a valid Concession Card or Health Care Card (HCC)?
If so, you could be entitled to financial support in the form of:
1. Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
The CSEF is a state government funded scheme to assist eligible families with payments for their child’s camps, sports, and excursion activities run by their school. To be eligible, parents must hold a valid means-tested concession card, see further information on the flyer below.
- Families who received CSEF support in 2020 do not need to re-apply as the application will remain active for 2021. However, if you have an additional student who has commenced school this year, you will need to contact the office to add them to your application.
- If you have not received CSEF support in the past and are unsure as to whether you qualify please contact the school office to discuss eligibility and/or to request an Application form.
2. Health Care Card Holder Discounts
Please note holders of valid and current Australian Government Health Care/Concession Cards may also be eligible for fee relief of $500 towards school fees/levies for the current year. If you have any queries or feel you may be eligible, please contact the school office.
The Catholic System also provides additional funding to the school, per eligible child. The funds for this additional support are provided by Catholic Education Melbourne and can be used to provide a portion of additional fee relief for eligible families.
Conveyance Allowance
- If you are currently receiving Conveyance Allowance there is no need to re-apply unless you have an additional student who has commenced school this year.
- If you are not sure whether you qualify for Conveyance Allowance but believe you may be eligible please contact the school office to discuss eligibility or to request an Application form.
Operoo (formerly Care Monkey)
Please ensure you login to Operoo to update the Student Profiles for your children—it is essential that we have current medical, contact and family details for all students to ensure our information is always up to date.
School Bus Management System (SBMS)
The school bus is managed by Public Transport Victoria (PTV) via the School Bus Management System (SBMS). If you have any questions or wish to apply for a place on the school bus, please contact PTV on 1800 800 007 or visit the PTV website: schoolbusapplication.ptv.vic.gov.au
CDF Pay - School Payment System
NCCD - Nationally Consistent Collection of Data
