St Paul's Newsletter: Thursday, 9 March 2023
2023 St Paul's Newsletter - Term 1, Week 6
From the Principal
Dear Families,
On behalf of our teaching staff, we thank all of our parents very much for engaging with us through Program Support Group (PSG) meetings and Parent-Teacher Transition Interviews this term. These meetings have all been most valuable in order to give us valuable information to assist your child in maximising their learning outcomes this year. We hope you have found them as worthwhile as we have.
We also wish to say a huge thank you to all families for your donations of goods and also your time, at our Country Fair.
THANK YOU TO ALL FAMILIES FOR THE AMAZING MYSTERY JARS DONATED LAST WEEK!
Calling for Volunteers!
We are hoping that each of our St Paul's families can give 2 hours to the Country Fair on the day (but you are MORE than welcome to give more!). Even those involved in the planning and preparation are signing up to volunteer for jobs during the event as we need as many people as possible on the actual day.
Currently, we have several time slots that are yet to be filled, on a number of stalls.
We know that some families have told the committee they can help, but might not have filled in the volunteer sign-up through schoolinterviews. Even if you have told a committee member you can help, but have not signed up, please follow the instructions below to do so.
Volunteers can book a volunteer timeslot on a stall by following these steps:
- CLICK THIS URL: https://www.schoolinterviews.com.au/code/jgb34
- Enter the event code jgb34
- Enter your details
- Choose your stall and timeslot
Or you can scan the QR Code below.
Plates are being sent home for families to bake up a little something for our cake stall! It is a respectful request that we all bake an item for the cake stall at this year's Country Fair.
Working Bee - Thank You!
Last Thursday, we had a very productive and successful working be . The school looks amazing! We are extremely grateful to those who are able to come along. We achieved a lot in the two hours including the top-up of our playground mulch, pruning and cutting back of the gardens, tidying up of the frog pond area, edging, and much more. We say a huge thanks to the following families: Lacey, Soudah/Salter, Munn, Zammit, Whittaker, Sheers, Carne, Gipp/Bugeja, and Anoop Nechikottil.
Interrelate: Human Development Family Evening
A big thanks to those families that were in attendance for our Human Development sessions last Thursday night here at school. Robyn, from Interrelate, presented the evening and did a marvellous job.
Robyn facilitated discussions for parents and families around human development, consent, staying safe and relationships. Robyn was respectful, she ensured the content was age appropriate and also made sure that the topics were appropriate for a Catholic setting.
Thanks very much to Sarah Kleverkamp, our Student Wellbeing Leader, for organising the evening for our community.
Emergency Drills
Next week we will conduct our first emergency drill for the year. We aim to conduct a drill each term as a required compliance measure. When doing so, we inform the students of the type of drill prior to the event to reassure them that the event is a practice drill only. In the very unlikely event of a required evacuation or lockdown, our staff and students are required to know exactly what to do for the safety and wellbeing of all.
Prep Enrolments 2024
We have conducted a number of tours recently, and enrolment applications for Prep 2024 are being collected. Could I please encourage current families with a child due to start school next year to submit their enrolment form as soon as possible. As you are aware places are filling, we have had very positive feedback from our tours which is great. We hope to have all sibling enrolment forms in the office by the end of Term 1, with the remaining forms from new families coming in throughout Term 2, to ensure we can plan for 2024 accurately.
School traffic
We are aware of the traffic congestion at the beginning and end of the school day as parents arrive to drop and pick up their child/ren. As a school, we do our best to ensure that all students leave school safely and enter their cars promptly.
While the school staff is not authorised to manage or control traffic, we do remind all parents to adhere to parking and traffic rules for the safety of all motorists and pedestrians. Our local postman has asked us to make the community aware of cars parking on Moores Road along the side of the road and across the footpath. He said that this is something that is happening frequently and that it is a safety issue for vehicles but also for our children as it is blocking the footpath preventing students from walking that way.
Let's all be mindful of the importance of the need to `keep clear’ of residential driveways and entry to footpaths.
Yours sincerely,
Michael Watt
Second Hand Uniform Shop - Thank you!
We wish to say a HUGE THANK YOU to Kelly Garrett (Jetta - Year 3, Kirra - Year 1) for taking on the role of Second Hand Uniform Shop Coordinator.
Kelly will be available to assist families with the second-hand uniform, by appointment, due to work commitments on some days during the week.
Parents can contact Kelly on 0435 810 954
Project Compassion
The season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday on Wednesday 22 February. Ash Wednesday also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
The theme of Project Compassion 2023 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. If you would like a Project Compassion box at home throughout Lent, please see your child’s teacher. Alternatively you can donate by either placing your donations in the Project Compassion boxes that are in each of the classrooms and school office or online via the Caritas Australia website at: https://www.caritas.org.au/project-compassion/
Carolynne Boyd, RE Leader
2023 Art Show: Wednesday 31 May
Preparations are now under way for our 2023 Art Show. This is promising to be a fun evening in which to celebrate the artwork that has been completed by our children. Staff members are also heavily involved, creating individual pieces, as well as classroom art pieces. Six very special art pieces will be put up for auction, with each piece collectively completed by the children from each class. As the Art Show is a special school event in which to showcase the children’s skills, we anticipate that every family will take the opportunity to attend the evening.
Emma-lee Curwood is leading the event, but she can't do it alone! We are looking for roving performers, artists, makers, and we are hoping to form a parent committee. If you are interested in getting involved we ask that parents complete two small tasks:
- Complete the engaging volunteers Operoo eForm
- Email Emma-lee Curwood: ecurwood@spmonbulk.catholic.edu.au
From the School Office
Levies Due
Thank you to those families who have already paid the Levies portion of their school fees, which were due on 18 February.
If you have not yet paid for the levies, we would appreciate if you could attend to this at your earliest convenience.
If you would like to discuss your school fee account or wish to set up a periodic payment plan please complete this Direct Debit Request Form or contact the school office.
Operoo - Student Medical and Contact Details
As we begin another school year it is important to 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?
- Have you uploaded your child's updated Allergy, Asthma or Anaphylaxis plan?
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.
Conveyance Allowance
If you received Conveyance Allowance for your child in 2022, you do not need to complete an application form for them again in 2023, unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.
You only need to complete a new application form if any of the following have occurred:
- You have a new student that has started at St Paul’s in 2023 - you will need to complete a new application form for that child only
- You did not apply in 2022
- Changed family circumstances, such as a change of address since 2022
Please check with the school office if you are unsure.
Important Notices for Health Care Card Holders:
Camps, Sports & Excursion Fund (CSEF)
2023 Concessional Fee Policy
From the commencement of 2022 Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) introduced a Concessional Fee Policy. Please refer to the Policy to determine whether you may be eligible for discounted school fees.
Important Dates
TERM 1
- Monday 13 March LABOUR DAY PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- 13 - 19 March Catholic Education Week
- Wednesday 15 - Monday 27 March NAPLAN Testing Window
- Wednesday 22 March - Year 1/2 Mass
- Thursday 29 March - School Advisory Council
- Saturday 18 March COUNTRY FAIR
- Wednesday 29 march - Whole School Sports Day
- Wednesday 5 April Term 1 Concludes for Students
- Thursday 6 April SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
- Friday 7 April GOOD FRIDAY
- Sunday 9 April EASTER SUNDAY
TERM 2
- Monday 24 April SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
- Tuesday 25 April ANZAC Day PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- Wednesday 26 April Term 2 Commences for Students
- Monday 8 May School Photos
- Wednesday 10 May - Mother's Day Mass
- Wednesday 10 May - School Advisory Council
- Friday 12 May - Mother's Day Stall
- Saturday 13 May - Emerald BBQ
- Sunday 14 May - Mother's Day
- Saturday 20 May - Confirmation 12:00pm
- Wednesday 31 May - 2023 ART SHOW
- Thursday 1 June - Working Bee
- Thursday 22 June - School Advisory Council
- Wednesday 21 June - 3 Way Conferences (aka Parent/Teacher/Student Interviews)
- Friday 23 June - Term 2 Concludes
TERM 3
- Monday 10 July - Term 3 Commences
- Wednesday 26 July - Grandparents and Special Person's Day
- Wednesday 26 July - School Advisory Council
- Tuesday 8 August - Feast of Mary MacKillop
- Wednesday 9 August - Mary MacKillop Mass
- Saturday 12 August - Emerald BBQ
- Tuesday 15 August - Feast of the Assumption of Mary
- Wednesday 16 August - Assumption of Mary Mass
- Thursday 31 August - Working Bee
- Thursday 31 August - School Advisory Council
- Friday 1 September - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
- Wednesday 6 September - Friday 8 September - Year 5/6 Camp to Sovereign Hill
- Friday 16 September - Term 3 concludes
TERM 4
- Monday 2 October - Term 4 commences
- Wednesday 11 October - Prep Mass
- Wednesday 18 October - School Advisory Council
- Saturday 21 October - Emerald BBQ
- Thursday 26 October - Working Bee
- Monday 6 November - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
- Tuesday 7 November - Melbourne Cup PUBLIC HOLIDAY
- Thursday 30 November - School Advisory Council (AGM)
- Wednesday 6 December - Gratitude Day Mass
- Thursday 7 December - Christmas Carols Night
- Monday 11 December - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY
- Wednesday 13 December - Passing On Ceremony
- Wednesday 13 December - Year 6 Graduation (6pm Mass)
- Monday 18 December - Final school day for students
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 Kelly Garrett with items being purchased by gold coin donation. If you are looking for items of secondhand uniform please feel free to text Kelly on 0435 810 954 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
Community Directory
