Dear Friends of St Paul’s,
It is Springtime!!
September is the very much anticipated end of the winter season and the beginning of spring!
Hopefully, this brings with it much more sunshine and warmth. Spring is also the season of new birth as we see very evident in the natural world, both plant and animals alike. For us a St Paul’s, as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition, it is the season of HOPE! We are always a hope-filled and incredibly positive community, but this is highlighted even more at this time of the year.
Having said that, it is the very busiest time of the year for us too! Our students in Years 9 – 11 are having to consider their subject selection, discuss futures with parents and staff alike and begin serious thinking about future pathways. With this process comes our background work of preparing timetables, subjects, staffing needs and budgets to make sure we are well prepared for 2023. That seems ironic – flat out preparation for 2023 when we are in week 6 of Term 3! We often refer to this period as the “ducks on the pond time.” Everything is going smoothly on the surface, but beneath that, things are going flat-out. But isn’t that life in a school anyway?
Given our continued growth and expansion due to becoming co-ed you will see several extra and replacement staffing positions advertised in this weekend’s press and on various online platforms. To be able now to expand our leadership structures, our new and ongoing education programs and support positions and our teaching and ESO ranks makes us an even better resourced school and one that yet again will improve the quality of what we provide to our students and families.
It is extremely exciting times at St Paul’s.
Year 10 Camp
This week we have our Year 10 camp in the Flinders Ranges. This is the culmination of several years camping experiences for the students, and by far the most challenging. The students always rise to the challenge of this camp, build resilience, develop further their sense of teamwork and camaraderie, while building stronger relationships with staff. These camps and our retreat program are such an important part of the overall holistic education that St Paul’s provides, and we are grateful for the support of families and students alike.
Support Staff Week
This week we have been celebrating, daily, the amazing contribution to the St Paul’s community that all our ESO staff provide. Our ESO staff are all our staff that are not teachers and this covers, administration, finance, grounds and maintenance, ICT, marketing and enrolments, library, and inclusive education. As you can see from that list, we would simply not survive without the enormous amount of dedicated love, support and work done by these staff. We are so grateful for that and hope that all the little treats that have been provided (much thanks to Ms Keera Masters) have helped them understand again how much we love what they do for us all and just how valuable they are to us. God bless them all.
Father's Day
This Sunday I hope all the fathers, grandfathers, male role models and mentors will have the opportunity to enjoy an extra dose of love and gratitude from their families on Father's Day. I am so blessed that not only is my father still alive and going well at 93, but that I am both a father and a grandfather myself. The continued love and inspiration I get from my dad and likewise from my own family remind me constantly that I must not only “say” how grateful I am, but I must “show and do” my gratitude daily. I sincerely hope that all our families have an awesome day, and can celebrate somehow, even though some may be missing.
To all our extended community, this springtime reminds us of the new life, continued hope and the abundant joy we continuously experience, being a part of St Paul’s. We acknowledge that we are only who we are now because of all the great people who have gone before us and laid an amazing foundation upon which we can build.
We are indeed blessed!
Take care
God Bless
Paul Belton
Dear Friends of St Paul’s,
It is Springtime!!
September is the very much anticipated end of the winter season and the beginning of spring!
Hopefully, this brings with it much more sunshine and warmth. Spring is also the season of new birth as we see very evident in the natural world, both plant and animals alike. For us a St Paul’s, as a Catholic School in the Edmund Rice Tradition, it is the season of HOPE! We are always a hope-filled and incredibly positive community, but this is highlighted even more at this time of the year.
Having said that, it is the very busiest time of the year for us too! Our students in Years 9 – 11 are having to consider their subject selection, discuss futures with parents and staff alike and begin serious thinking about future pathways. With this process comes our background work of preparing timetables, subjects, staffing needs and budgets to make sure we are well prepared for 2023. That seems ironic – flat out preparation for 2023 when we are in week 6 of Term 3! We often refer to this period as the “ducks on the pond time.” Everything is going smoothly on the surface, but beneath that, things are going flat-out. But isn’t that life in a school anyway?
Given our continued growth and expansion due to becoming co-ed you will see several extra and replacement staffing positions advertised in this weekend’s press and on various online platforms. To be able now to expand our leadership structures, our new and ongoing education programs and support positions and our teaching and ESO ranks makes us an even better resourced school and one that yet again will improve the quality of what we provide to our students and families.
It is extremely exciting times at St Paul’s.
Year 10 Camp
This week we have our Year 10 camp in the Flinders Ranges. This is the culmination of several years camping experiences for the students, and by far the most challenging. The students always rise to the challenge of this camp, build resilience, develop further their sense of teamwork and camaraderie, while building stronger relationships with staff. These camps and our retreat program are such an important part of the overall holistic education that St Paul’s provides, and we are grateful for the support of families and students alike.
Support Staff Week
This week we have been celebrating, daily, the amazing contribution to the St Paul’s community that all our ESO staff provide. Our ESO staff are all our staff that are not teachers and this covers, administration, finance, grounds and maintenance, ICT, marketing and enrolments, library, and inclusive education. As you can see from that list, we would simply not survive without the enormous amount of dedicated love, support and work done by these staff. We are so grateful for that and hope that all the little treats that have been provided (much thanks to Ms Keera Masters) have helped them understand again how much we love what they do for us all and just how valuable they are to us. God bless them all.
Father's Day
This Sunday I hope all the fathers, grandfathers, male role models and mentors will have the opportunity to enjoy an extra dose of love and gratitude from their families on Father's Day. I am so blessed that not only is my father still alive and going well at 93, but that I am both a father and a grandfather myself. The continued love and inspiration I get from my dad and likewise from my own family remind me constantly that I must not only “say” how grateful I am, but I must “show and do” my gratitude daily. I sincerely hope that all our families have an awesome day, and can celebrate somehow, even though some may be missing.
To all or extended community, this springtime reminds us of the new life, continued hope and the abundant joy we continuously experience, being a part of St Paul’s. We acknowledge that we are only who we are now because of all the great people who have gone before us and laid an amazing foundation upon which we can build.
We are indeed blessed!
Take care
God Bless
Paul Belton
