7 May 2021

Dear Friends of St Paul’s

Welcome back to Term 2 of the Year, a term we refer to as “Edmund Rice Term” here at the College. This is because each year we celebrate the Feast Day of Blessed Edmund Rice on or as close to the 5th May as possible.

Hence, this week on Wednesday we held several significant events, all contributing to what is the most wonderful community building day in our calendar. Our community celebrates the fact that if it were not for the amazing efforts, dedication, and commitment by Blessed Edmund and all the Christian Brothers that joined him, over 200 schools in over 20 different countries would not be in existence today.

Our day contained a beautiful Mass, a solidarity walk, a food festival, guest presentations and a fun-filled obstacle challenge to end the day. A day such as this cannot happen without a huge amount of planning and organization and we collectively thank our APRIM, Ms Angela Collins for all her efforts in bringing the day together. Several staff also contributed “above and beyond” including Mrs. Maria Girolamo-Corbo and Mrs. Maria Gibson who worked tirelessly on preparing food for us all to share.

Mr Nick Gillard again prepared and ran the fun obstacle course for the College and every member of the staff contributed significantly to making sure the whole day ram smoothly. We were blessed with awesome weather and we raised a significant amount of money to send to India and support of the millions of people who are doing it really tough with the second wave of COVID 19. As an international Edmund Rice family, we have many schools in India and we remember them especially currently.

The month of May is also a very significant month in the Catholic calendar as it is devoted to Mary, the mother of Jesus. It is no coincidence then that in May we also celebrate Mother’s Day.  To all the mothers in our community can I offer you on behalf of the children a very special thanks for everything you do for you them. The word mother is synonymous with commitment, sacrifice, dedication, and hard work. I hope that Sunday is a very special day for you all and that you get really spoiled.

Parent / teacher / Student Interviews

On Tuesday night we held our Parent / Student /Teacher subject interviews in Callan Hall. To say the Hall was buzzing is an understatement! It was by far the best attended, positive, and enthusiastic evening of this type that I have witnessed in all my time at ST Paul’s. The positive vibe throughout the afternoon and evening was lovely to see and hear, as were the many smiling faces that were obvious – both on the way in and the way out!! If that reflects how we are going as a community of learners, supporting each other in our desire to help everyone be the very best version of themselves, then we are going well,

Staffing News

At the end of next week (week 3) I will be taking a short, 5-week break during which time I will attend an EREA Principal’s gathering in Brisbane, a SA Principal’s Retreat in Darwin and visit several schools to learn more about all things co-education and about the infrastructure needed for a College of 900-1000 which we will become in the not-to-distant future. I will have a bit of long service leave too and be back at the beginning of Week 8.

In this time Mr Josh Foulis will be Acting Principal, Mr Nick Callary Acting Deputy and Mr John Grave will step up into the head of Student Development role. We wish them well and thank them for their continued efforts in leading our community. I thank everyone also for their support of the Leadership Team throughout this time (and always of course!)

Take Care, God Bless

Paul Belton

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Welcome back to the start of Term 2. A new term brings new challenges for our students, both within and outside the classroom environment. We hope to see that the effort and resilience shown by our students in Term 1 continues to strengthen as we move towards the end of Semester.

All students have settled back into their class routines which has been pleasing to see and I am looking forward to another positive term ahead. As expected, there are many interesting events and activities that will occur during the term. I have included the Term 2 calendar for your convenience. Use this as a guide for the term ahead. Please note that additional activities will come up throughout the next few months in the table above.

Winter co-curricular and active after school sports will begin this week and I wish all the participants the best of luck!Ensure you follow the Winter uniform guidelines throughout the next two terms. If your son is unable to attend school in the correct uniform, please notify the class teacher or front office. The uniform policy is located on the school website should you require it.

Once again, I look forward to an amazing term and cannot wait to celebrate the successes of each individual student.

Kind regards,

Jake Stewart
Acting Head of Primary 

Sunday marked the end of a virtual robotics programming competition that spanned five months. The global Student Robotics competition headquartered in London, saw teams from around the world compete in a virtual league, with four matches of increasing complexity, building up to the knockout rounds and grand final that was held last night. The Paladins of St Paul’s were extremely proud to represent Australia, while competing alongside teams from the UK, France, Germany, Malaysia and Indonesia. The competition sees us given a (virtual) robot to compete in the 2021 game, Radars of the Lost Ark, where teams have to claim (and steal!) towers from each other, all by writing and submitting code - which will then be simulated against other team’s robot code, along with exciting commentary from the brilliant team at Student Robotics!

St Paul’s College will be conducting Parent Teacher Interviews for all Reception to Year 6 students on:

                           Tuesday 11 May 2021 (Week 3) 3:30pm – 5:00pm

Please Note:  College buses will operate on our normal timetabled schedule to align with our partnership with Kildare College and therefore departing at usual times.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be conducted in your son’s classroom. It is an expectation that students attend in full uniform.

These interviews provide an opportunity for parents to formally meet with the teacher to discuss their son’s progress.  As such, we look forward to seeing you at the interviews.

To Make a Booking:

• Go to www.schoolinterviews.com.au and follow these simple instructions.
• Select ‘Make a Booking’ at top of screen
• Simply enter the code:  zz6ku     
• and press "Go"

Step 1 Enter your details (email, name and contact number). Please include contact phone number when you enter your name 

Step 2 Select your son’s teacher

Step 3 Select an appointment time that suits your family

Step 4 When you click FINISH, your interview timetable will be emailed to you automatically

You can return to www.schoolinterviews.com.au at any time and change your interviews, via a link in the email that was sent to you, when you made your bookings

If you have any questions in relation to the process outlined above, please contact me at the College.  If you require assistance in the process of making an interview booking through School Interviews Online please contact Bonnie Phillips on 8334 8318

Yours faithfully,

Mr Michael White
Head of Teaching and Learning

In Week 1, students across the Primary were fortunate enough to engage in experiences led by LIFE Education. These sessions were delivered to all classes in a mobile pop up classroom. There were even some special guest appearances from Harold the Healthy Giraffe.
Classes experienced sessions ranging from hygiene, nutrition, safety, friendship, cybersafety and the effects of smoking.
The lessons were designed to engage, inspire and empower students in making decisions which relate directly to them in making healthy lifestyle choices. They lead the path into Term 2’s curriculum.

Lisa Daws
Leader of Learning 

The National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests will commence for all Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students from Tuesday 11 May.   NAPLAN testing is now undertaken online (with the exception of the Year 3 writing test). Due to the online format, the testing period has been extended to give schools more flexibility in scheduling each test and concludes on Friday 21 May 2021

The test times will be available on SEQTA, placed on student Notices. There will also be times allocated for catch-up tests for students who are unable to complete all components of the test throughout the testing period due to unforeseen events. These will be scheduled based on need during the testing period.

The assessment provides parents and schools with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school’s assessment and reporting process – it does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. NAPLAN also provides schools, education authorities and governments with information about how education programs are working and whether young Australians are achieving important educational outcomes in literacy and numeracy

NAPLAN tests provide information useful to schools in identifying particular student needs and areas for development within the curriculum, and information to parent/caregivers on the educational achievement of their children relative to other students.  While it is important that all students take these tests seriously, all teachers will support individual students to ensure students are not overwhelmed by the experience. Results will be made available to parents in due course. 

The Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) have a wealth of resources available on their website  https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/school-support and specifically an information brochure for parents and caregivers  https://nap.edu.au/docs/default-source/resources/naplan-online-information-brochure-for-parents-and-carers.pdf

If you have further questions or concerns about the testing process please feel free to contact Mr Jake Stewart – Acting Head of Primary at jstewart@stpauls.sa.edu.au or Michael White - Head of Teaching and Learning at mwhite@stpauls.sa.edu.au) or contact the College on  8334 8317.

Week 7 – June 8-11

As a compulsory part of the PLP (Personal Learning Plan), your child is required to complete four days of work placement to explore a future career pathway. A letter along with all forms, was given to your son at the end of last term.

It is important that this is finalized in the next few weeks to avoid not being able to find a placement. If you have any other queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me either by email jwilliams@stpauls.sa.edu.au or phone 8334 8300.

Jo-Anne Williams
VET/Careers Coordinator

The most effective time management techniques for students

Time is in short supply, especially when you’re a student!  It’s tough enough to juggle school as it is, but throw work and social life into the mix and everything becomes seemingly more difficult to manage. The trick to staying on top of things is learning effective time management techniques. 

1. Create a daily to-do list:

Before letting yourself get to the stage of piles of work and overwhelming stress, you should get into the routine of creating daily to-do lists. A daily to-do list helps to:

• Break things down into actionable tasks
• Prioritise tasks
• Stay focused on what’s important
• Kick your mind into work mode
• To-do lists are a simple and effective study technique and time management tool that every student should become familiar with.

2. Create a time limit for every task

• Setting a realistic time limit for every task is the best way to manage your time.
• Doing so ensures that every task is completed when it’s supposed to be and with the least amount of procrastination. 
• You should be careful not to cut yourself short and only set realistic time frames that are achievable.
• If you don’t set realistic completion goals, you will only set yourself up for failure.
• The more tasks you undertake, the more familiar you will become with the amount of time you should set yourself.

3. Do the small things first

• Knowing that you have a seemingly endless amount of work to do will make you never want to start.
• When it comes to learning time management techniques, it helps to knock over the small stuff first and consequently warm up your brain for work mode.
• You’ll often find that by the time you get to the larger jobs, you’ve already done most of your work.
• Don’t be too hard on yourself.
• These time management tips for students will have you juggling everything like a pro! 
• If you can master all three effective time management techniques, you’ll find that getting things done becomes a lot easier. 
• Don’t sweat the small stuff and remember to take breaks between tasks to rest your brain and move your body. 

If you liked this article, you might also like How to prepare for uni: Things to know before you go. https://www.careersevent.com/the most-effective-time-management-techniques-for-students/

During the recent holidays, students involved in the Media Club undertook an excursion to the Port Adelaide Railway Museum. As a location it has much to offer. Every key photographic element is well represented.  Colours, textures, shapes and perspectives abound. The additional benefits of this location include its safety in that it is away from the mainstream public and that much of the museum is undercover providing protection from the weather if required.

It is delightful to observe the excitement and inspiration of the young photographers as they discover fine details and unusual perspectives as a result of their intense scrutiny and their attentive eye to what surrounds them. Students further enhance their understanding of photographic techniques through this process.

At the completion of the day, an ice cream and trip on model train on the circumference of the museum was enjoyed by all.

Tony Goodwin
Media Club

GAME: St Paul’s vs. Trinity 2

Result: Won 12-0

Well done boys!!! An awesome first game of the season. You played very well as a unit and was pleased by the sportsmanship shown on the park. I am looking forward to the next game. 

Our team for this game:

Biar Biar (Captain), Pasia John, Zack Papalia, Caleb Evans, Emir Shukur-Rivera, Liam Diehl, Eliseo Rizzo, Aidan Faugno, Matthew Majetic, Rocco Feo, Calvin Walkley (GK), Louis Dorsi, Connor Fulton, Jayden Wangongu, Moses Duku. Unavailable: Joshua Lunn and Pach Pach Kuch Kon

Walter Chatindiara
Teacher

On Thursday 8 April, a team of 40 athletes from St Paul's College competed in the Secondary Track & Field Championships at SA Athletics Stadium. Fielding teams in Under 14, 15, 16 and Open, the boys participated vigorously all day, with some students doing exceptionally well in their chosen event and others stepping up to compete in place of others. It was a fantastic effort all around by the boys. As a whole, the St Paul's boys came third in the C2 division of competition. This result we built on some outstanding individual efforts by Bier Biar, Awan Kardo, Jaxzen Wilson and Ali Karimi, who each won their individual events, plus the Under 16 and Open boys relay teams in winning their races. Some personal bests were obtained by a number of boys, which they are immensely proud of. Well done boys on a successful and competitive day.

Mr Ryan Austin
Teacher