St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 8 December 2022
2022 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 4, Week 10
From the Principal
Final day for 2022: Friday 16 December, 3:00pm
Dear Families,
Advent is the season of the liturgical year where we wait in anticipation and preparation for the coming of our Saviour; it is time to wait, prepare and reflect so that we can allow the light of God into our lives. Students have been learning about the Season of Advent in class and how they can prepare their hearts and minds for Jesus’ birth. I encourage you to take a look below at the Advent Reflection created by the Year 2/3 students. The class created a Google Slides presentation about Advent and it is well worth taking a look.
Year 6 Graduation & Year 5/6 Passing On Ceremony
It is the time of year again when we farewell our superb Year 6 students. They have been a credit to their families and the school, and have risen to the challenge of leading and setting a good example for younger students.
This Monday 12 December we will hold our Passing On Ceremony at 12:00pm in the St Paul's Church. This will be followed by a special Year 6 Graduation Lunch.
At 6:00pm this Monday 12 December we will hold our Graduation Mass and Ceremony. The Mass and Ceremony will finish at approximately 7:45-8:00pm.
On behalf of all at St Paul's we say good luck in your new schools and best wishes for the future to:
- Oliver
- Nate
- Caleb
- Evie
- Sophia
- Keira
- Eddie
- Ruby
- Maddy
- Mitchell
- Mahaliah
- Ava
- Henry
- Kristian
- Alyssa
As teachers we are passionate to live the values we strive to teach, and this has led me to join Teacher Presence, a not-for-profit charity. The Teacher Presence mission is to empower teachers and families to make a difference in the world by re-deploying the money that could be spent on the traditional end-of-year teacher gift to a charity supported by Teacher Presence.
As we approach the end of the school year, some of you may be considering purchasing the optional end-of-year teacher gift. As Principal, I am extremely grateful when families purchase a gift, I often get overwhelmed at how thoughtful and generous people are at the end of the year.
Please know that as educators we do not have any expectation that your household purchase a gift, however if your family is considering a Principal gift, maybe together we can help people less fortunate than ourselves. I have signed up for Teacher Presence. Teacher Presence allows families to donate to a charity, in place of a gift, making a big difference at Christmas time.
I wish to emphasise that there is NO expectation that families give gifts to school staff, but if you do decide to purchase a Principal gift, Teacher Presence might be something you would prefer.
If anyone wishes to donate to my page in lieu of a gift, please CLICK HERE and select "Michael Watt" from the list of teachers.
To all Families: THANK YOU
I realise that not everyone was able to attend yesterday’s Gratitude Mass and morning tea for parents. Nonetheless, it provided me with the opportunity to reflect on the close relationship that exists between the parents and staff of St Paul’s and how this is so important if we are to foster ‘the best’ in our children.
All parents that take the opportunity to contribute to school life through their simple presence around the school, convey a strong message to their children – “They see their child’s school life as being valued and important.” I never cease to be amazed at the commitment of time and energy our parents give to the life of the school. As a school, St Paul’s is very blessed to have such a
dedicated and committed parent community. Thanks very much to all of you, every family has contributed in some way this year, and we are very grateful.
Parents and Friends: THANK YOU
Congratulations to our Parents and Friends Association, which was able to re-establish itself this year. It has been amazing to see the group work together and achieve so much. Our P&F were able to get many activities going after a 2 year hiatus - hot lunches, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day and the school disco to name just a few! We are SO GRATEFUL to those families that have been able to re-establish our Parents and Friends, and we are now looking forward to next year’s Country Fair.
School Advisory Council: THANK YOU
I wish to thank and acknowledge every member of our School Advisory Council for their guidance and support this year. The parents on our SAC dedicate their time to guide and strengthen our school governance processes. Our SAC is a “Voice for the Parents” providing insight and perspective on a range of topics. We thank every member, and particularly our Chairperson Cara, for all of the work that goes into our SAC.
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!
Second Semester Reports
Second Semester Reports will be sent home next week. Year 6 students will receive their report on Monday 12 December. Years Prep-5 will receive their reports on Wednesday 14 December. The following information is important in helping you understand the context of your child’s report.
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 for Semester 2
- Work habits and effort in Specialist subject areas
- The Victorian Curriculum Achievement page (dots)
There will be no checklists included, these are now on Seesaw in the form of rubrics.
The reports look different to what you have received in the past. The same amount of work has gone into assessment and reporting, it is simply being presented differently to you. There is a digital report presented to you via Seesaw, which replaces the checklists that have been included in the report in the past. See further below in this newsletter for more detailed information.
If you are not sure what this means or have any questions about the Semester 2 Reports, please don't hesitate to contact myself or your classroom teacher.
Holiday Security
During the holiday period, we have teachers, cleaners and tradesmen around the school attending to various works, however, they are not on-site at all times. We are also in the process of upgrading our security system. It would be appreciated that if you are ever passing the school, between Christmas and mid-January, that you cast your eye over the grounds, and if you see any suspicious activity, that it be immediately reported to either Monbulk or Belgrave Police.
Bus Services
School bus services will resume for St Paul’s students on the first official day of school – Monday 30 January 2023.
Thank you and Best Wishes
Next week's newsletter will be very short with a special goodbye from the staff and some important dates. Therefore, this week, I would like to thank all the parents, students and staff for a wonderful and memorable 2022, where we have all displayed a great capacity for growth, compassion and community. To each and every one of you, I hope the Christmas season brings peace and joy to your family. For those leaving St Paul’s, I wish you every future success and happiness. For those returning, I look forward to continuing our work together to ensure the success of our students in 2023.
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
From the School Office
Scholastic Book Club 2022
Thank you to all those who have supported our Scholastic Book Club this year - you have helped to raise a grand total of $927.84 worth of books for our library this year - Well done!
Huge thanks also to Sally Moody who has done a fabulous job managing, sorting, wrapping and delivering all the orders again this year. Your efforts are much appreciated Sally, thank you!
Rapid Antigen Test Kits (RATs)
If you would like any additional RAT kits to be sent home with your child/children for over the holiday period, 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.
OSH Club - Holiday Program Information
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.
Use the following code to get 20% off your tickets to the Inflatable Fun Park: STPAULS20
COMMUNITY DIRECTORY
