St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 1 December 2022
2022 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 4, Week 9
From the Principal
Reminder: School Closure Day - Monday 5 December
Dear Families,
Last Sunday we celebrated the commencement of the Season of Advent. During Advent, we are reminded of how God came into people’s lives in totally unexpected ways. Two thousand years ago a teenage girl became the mother of God while a carpenter became a midwife! During Advent we are encouraged to prepare for Christ to be born into our lives but, as Mary and Joseph experienced, you don’t have to be highly prepared with your spiritual life in total order. Christ, during His life, showed that He was not seeking people who were perfectly prepared and in control of things. He was interested in people who had difficulties in their lives but who wanted a way out of these difficulties; people who were honest with themselves and of good intentions.
Christ, today, does not expect us to be perfect but to be people of patience, showing we are capable of waiting for great things to occur, and who trust that His coming will have meaningful consequences in our lives. Mary and Joseph are wonderful examples of how amazing things can occur if we wait, and trust in God’s word.
2023 Prep Transition
The fourth and final Transition Session for our 2023 Prep children was held this morning. The children are now well and truly ready for school! It is apparent that the program is a well-staged process as the children are now very comfortable in coming to school, and are eager to commence in the new year. The transition program will conclude with visits by Mrs Cook and myself to the children in their preschool settings over the coming days.
Year 6 Reflection Day
Last Friday 25 November, our Year 6’s participated in a Reflection Day here at St Paul’s Church. This annual event provides the students with an opportunity to further bond as they reflect on their primary school years and make preparations for their Graduation Ceremony, on Monday 12 December. We thank Carolynne Boyd for the thoughtful planning that went into the day. Fr Cruz joined the group, where he celebrated an intimate mass.
School Closure Day: Monday 5 December
A final reminder that this Monday, 5 December, is a School Closure Day for Staff Professional learning. The 2023 teachers will be engaged in facilitated planning for 2023.
Gratitude Mass and Parent Morning Tea: 7 December
As a way of thanking all the parents who have helped at St Paul’s in any way during the year, the staff would like to invite all parents to a special morning tea on Wednesday 7 December, immediately following the Gratitude Whole School Mass. At St Paul’s, the staff recognise that we could not offer the rich curriculum, programs and facilities on offer, without the support of so many parent helpers.
Gratitude Mass will begin at 10:15am, after Fr Cruz completes Mass at Belgrave.
End of Year Whole School Prayer Gathering Assembly: 9 December - 9:00am
On Friday, 9 December, all parents and relatives are invited to join the school community in celebrating our final Prayer Gathering Assembly for the 2022 school year. Our Prep class will lead our prayer at the beginning, followed by end-of-year acknowledgements and celebrations - all welcome!
Warm regards,
Michael Watt
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 5 December
*Please Note: Friday 16 December is the conclusion of the school year for St Paul's students.
From the School Office
CDF Pay: Sushi Lunch Day – Friday, 9 December
Orders Open: Orders can now be placed via CDF Pay
Orders Close: Monday 5 December @ 10pm
* Please note: No late orders can be accepted after this time
For a direct link to CDF Pay click here
Rapid Antigen Test Kits (RATs)
As per government guidelines, schools are still being provided with RAT kits for staff and students during Term 4, however schools are no longer required to routinely send them home with students, so we have instead been providing them to St Paul's families on request.
Given that we now have an over-supply of RATs in storage at school we have recently sent home 2 boxes of RAT kits per student. If you don't need them for your own family, please feel free to pass them on to extended family or friends that can use them, as we would rather they be used than expire and end up in the bin. We have also put a small supply of boxes on the bench in the school foyer for parishioners or families who would like extra boxes.
If you would like any additional RAT kits to be sent home with your child/children, please either phone or email 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.
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY
