St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 27 October 2022
2022 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 4, Week 4
From the Principal
Dear Families,
Last Friday we welcomed our Year 5/6 students and staff home from a very successful camp experience at "Coonawarra Farm Resort". We say a huge thanks to the students for their enthusiasm and willingness to give everything a go. We also thank our students for the way they looked after one another and for displaying exemplary manners. Once again we acknowledge and thank Carolynne, Jo and Greg for taking the students away on camp, it really is a massive effort, and the community is most grateful.
Welcome to our Prep class of 2023!
Yesterday, Wednesday 26 October, we hosted our first 2023 Prep Transition session. It was a most successful event! Our 16 Preps for next year gathered with Mrs Cook and Signora Lepore, while the parents enjoyed a morning tea and wellbeing session with Sarah Kleverkamp (Student Wellbeing Leader) and Paula Hogan (Counsellor).
This is always an exciting time for our pre-school children as they start to become familiar with a new learning environment and new educators. With several of our new students coming from new families, we look forward to welcoming them with open arms to our amazing school community.
At our 2023 Prep Information Night we asked the parents to use one word that describes their child, and the answers are in the word cloud above. It seems we have a very curious, caring and energetic group of young people joining us next year, wonderful!
Loom Bands
The Loom Bands 'craze' has returned! It is lovely to see the children mixing with one another and being creative.
At the risk of being the 'fun police', I thought I would just outline some rules for loom bands so that we can manage things effectively:
- There is no plan to 'ban' loom bands
- Students are not permitted to wear them on their wrist, around their neck, or on their body at all - loom bands can get caught on things, they can stretch and snap, we don't want any injuries!
- Loom bands are not part of our school uniform
- Students must ensure they clean up after themselves - loose loom bands that fall on the ground must be picked up
Class Placement 2023
In preparing for the 2023 school year, our teachers will soon begin the process of placing the children into class groupings for the 2023 school year, in line with our Formation of Classes Policy.
If you are not planning to return to St Paul's in 2023, please let the School Office know as soon as possible. We need to finalise our student numbers before establishing our class structure and allocating classroom teachers.
2023 School Fees
We are extremely grateful that our families invest in their child's education, and the St Paul's community supports the school so well. Overwhelmingly our families pay their fees in full, and on time, which is great for our planning and makes for a far more productive environment.
All families were forwarded a letter via Operoo outlining our 2023 school fee structure. As per our Business Manager's recommendation, school fees and levies will be increased in accordance with the CPI. We are conscious that our society is living through regular increases to the "cost of living" so the measures we have used to increase fees have been kept to an absolute minimum. The School Advisory Council endorsed the recommended increases at the meeting held on 27 September 2022 (meeting minutes are available on request).
Tuition and Capital Fees for the 2023 school year are as follows:
- $1,675 for a family with 1 child
- $2,080 for a family with 2 or more children
- Capital Fee: $370 per family
LEVIES
Each year class levies are charged to meet the associated running costs of classroom, specialist programs, subscriptions and excursions. In 2023, the levies will be:
- Prep – Year 2: $500
- Years 3 – 4: $530
- Years 5 - 6: $550
CAMP
In addition, for families with children in Years 5 and 6 in 2023, the following camp fees will apply:
- Year 5: $450
- Year 6: $450
We thank our community for their support with school fees.
Wonder in Aliceland - Photos
We are thrilled to share photos with you from our school musical - "Wonder in Aliceland". Each family was sent an email with a Google Drive link. This link will be available until 4pm Wednesday 2 November.
There were many photos taken of the event - rehearsals and the show itself. The photos have been sorted into folders for the various classes/year levels, and uploaded into the school Google Drive. They will take some 'scrolling' through, but we are confident that each child in our school is captured.
Importantly, we ask that all parents please note:
- Some students in the photos do not have parent consent to be uploaded to social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc)
- It is very important that photos of children from other families, outside your own family, are not shared under any circumstances (email, social media, WhatsApp, snapchat, messenger, SMS, etc)
For security purposes, to access these photos, parents must be logged into Google with your child's school username and password. They can not be accessed publicly, only by people with a St Paul's school Google account.
Tea Towel Fundraiser: Orders closing soon!
Our Year 4-6 students and staff have designed and produced a 2022 whole-school tea towel. The tea towels can be purchased for $15 each, or 3 for $40, just in time for Christmas!
Funds raised will contribute to our Year 4/5/6 student project to build a library in a remote farming community in Tramri, Pakistan.
These marvellous tea towels can be ordered online from www.expressions.com.au
To order:
- Go to www.expressions.com.au
- Select "online orders"
- Select "place order"
- Select the down arrow and find St Paul's Primary School
Please get behind this fundraiser, if you can. A fantastic momento of this school year.
SCHOOL CLOSED: Monday 31 October
This coming weekend is a long weekend for students. This Monday, staff are working off-site on Semester 2 Assessment and Reporting. Tuesday 1 November is a public holiday for Melbourne Cup. There is no school on Monday or Tuesday next week. Please note there will be no newsletter next week due to the Melbourne Cup extended weekend.
Warm regards,
Michael Watt
Maths News from Mrs Geoghegan
Semester 2 Report Changes - Seesaw
At St Paul's we are always looking to add value to the practices we have in place. Over the past couple of years, we have strengthened our use of Seesaw to engage our families in learning. We use Seesaw to provide feedback to our students and inform/engage parents. Seesaw was a brilliant tool during remote learning and we know that our families are familiar with it, so we have made the decision to use Seesaw as a basis for our Semester 2 reports.
Semester 2 reports will look slightly different to what parents have seen in the past. In fact, you are already receiving the reports via Seesaw right now! We have shifted to a ‘continuous reporting model’. Let me explain …
What is continuous reporting?
Continuous (or ongoing) reporting is the process of reporting regularly throughout the term/semester, rather than just at specified points. As teachers, we assess our students throughout the semester. In the past parents did not get a report on how their child was going until the end of a semester, which was often a long time after the assessment had taken place. The system of continuous reporting will allow parents to get an up-to-date, timely snapshot of what their child is learning and how they are progressing. It will support parents to participate in discussions with their children about their learning and enable parents to follow up with teachers in a timely manner if they have any concerns. Continuous reporting is a report or learning journal that builds throughout the year and provides students and parents with regular assessments of student learning. Ongoing reporting will utilise Seesaw.
At the end of Semester 2, the written report will include:
- A personal comment about your child’s achievements
- Overviews that describe the learning content
- Work habits and effort
- The Victorian Curriculum Achievement page (dots).
- There will be no checklists included, these are now on Seesaw in the form of rubrics.
What is the Victorian Curriculum Achievement Page?
This page will still be included... See below for an example...
What is a rubric?
Rubrics displayed on Seesaw have replaced the checklists you have seen in the past.
A rubric for assessment is a table or a grid that lists success criteria for a task or subject, and then a scale for the teachers to indicate your child's achievement. If you open your child’s Seesaw you will see that teachers have set tasks and the teacher has included a rubric with the task, which lists success criteria in a table with an indication of the level of achievement for your child.
These checklists are no longer in the school report:
The checklists are now in the form of rubrics, uploaded to Seesaw, throughout the term/semester:
It is vital now that all parents have access to their child’s Seesaw learning journal.
It is imperative that every parent is on Seesaw and is logging in to view their child's learning progress. The staff also ask that on occasion parents leave a positive comment for their child on their work. We see the children ‘light up’ when they open Seesaw and mum or dad have left them a message of encouragement around their learning.
School Closure Days 2022
We ask that parents take note of these dates and put them in their calendars:
SCHOOL CLOSED - Monday 31 October (Cup Eve)
SCHOOL CLOSED - Monday 5 December
*Please Note: Friday 16 December is the conclusion of the school year for St Paul's students.
Day For Daniel- Friday 28th October
Australia’s largest child safety education and awareness day
Held annually on the last Friday of October, Day for Daniel honours the memory of Daniel Morcombe. We ask all Australians on this very special day to Wear Red and Educate.
Our theme for 2022 is brave conversations.
Parents, carers, and educators are encouraged to start a conversation with children and young people about personal safety.
Students will be involved with safety activities on Friday 28th October
Students and staff are encouraged to recognise the day by wearing a RED T-SHIRT or RIBBON.
From the School Office
Rapid Antigen Test Kits (RATs)
As per government guidelines, schools are still being provided with RAT kits for staff and students during Term 3, however schools are no longer required to routinely send them home with students. We are instead providing them to St Paul's families on request.
If you would like to collect RAT kits from school or would like them to be sent home with your child/children, please either phone or email the school office.
Call for Support from our Year 4, 5 & 6 Students
If you have a business and would like to support our Year 4, 5 & 6 students in reaching their goal of $10,000 to build a library for a school in Tramri, Pakistan, please consider the advertising opportunity below and contact the school office.
Lunch Clubs
Our lunchtime clubs are up and running. They are held in the library/open learning space 1:30-2pm, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
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. Payments can be made via CDF Pay. 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
Catholic Secondary - Key enrolment dates for Year 5 students in 2023 starting Year 7 in 2025
The key enrolment dates for students in Year 5 in 2023, who will be starting Year 7 in 2025, have been agreed after consultation with the Executive of the Principals Association of Victorian Catholic Secondary Schools (PAVCSS).
Critical Dates:
27 January 2023 – Applications will open for Year 5 students commencing Year 7 in 2024.
18 August 2023 – Applications will close.
20 October 2023 – Offers to be posted to prospective Year 7 applicants.
10 November 2023 – Final date for parents/carers to accept an offer made by a school.