Dear Friends and families of St Paul’s,
This fortnight is a particularly significant fortnight in the life of the College (as they all are) for several reasons.
Last week was ESO Appreciation Week. ESO stands for Education Support Officer and at St Paul’s this represents every member of staff who is not a teacher. Our college would simply not exist nor be capable of providing the holistic service we do without these staff members. They range from our Grounds and Maintenance team to our Finance and Admin staff, to our Academic Support staff. As we with all our staff we are absolutely blessed with the quality of staff who do this most important work for all of us. For many they work more weeks on site than our teachers and carry the loads of genuine carers for our families at important moments in their, and all our lives.
On behalf of the entire community, I thank all our ESO staff for their enormously enthusiastic work and support for us and hope they are both enjoying their role and understand how important they are to the life of the College.
Staff Professional Development Day
On Monday 7th September we had a student free day which to our staff is an important part of our Professional Development schedule for the year.
Throughout 2023 our Primary staff had a focus on trauma informed practice through the Berry Street organisation. Last Monday they continued their work with Anita Schneyder from Teams On Purpose further developing an understanding of the intricacies of what makes great organisations and great teams. Our Secondary staff undertook their Trauma Aware training through Connected Self Wellbeing Services. I am sure all families would agree these staff undertakings are crucial for the college to provide the absolute best educational service we can. We will continually strive for excellence in all we do and appreciate the support we receive from our families in supporting this endeavour.
Cocurricular Assembly
On Thursday morning we had the opportunity to celebrate our Yr 7-12 Winer Cocurricular assembly. These occasions are so especially important in the life of the College. As I explained to the staff and students the celebration is not simply an award ceremony for all those who perhaps have won an award, nor is it simply about saying thank you for all the staff and students who have participated in the myriad of opportunities that are provided within our community. The assembly and celebration are an opportunity to further develop a deep understanding of both WHO we are as St Paul’s but more importantly WHY we exist.
We are a catholic school in the Edmund Rice Tradition. Our four college values are Faith, Relationships, Excellence and Diversity. The assembly acknowledges the importance of the “R” word i.e. RELATIONSHIPS and the vital role we all play in each other’s lives. Cocurricular and sport activities all revolve around teams. They all reflect life itself with its successes and failures, difficulties and they help up build on the values we all need and value such as persistence, hard work, resilience, dignity, integrity, courage and most importantly humility. These values, as Sir Donald Bradman once said are totally compatible with pride, ambition, and competitiveness.
R U OK? day
I was particularly pleased that our cocurricular celebration assembly also occurred on the national R U OK? day. At St Paul’s, given what I have just said about the importance of relationships, means that we should be living, experiencing, and having an R U OK? day everyday of our lives. We should not have to even talk about it - it should simply be the very fabric of who we are and why we exist.
To let every person on this college site achieve their full potential, to know that they are loved and worthwhile is at the core of our existence. Our leadership model is that of servant leadership, as modelled by Jesus and Edmund Rice, and our care of each other must ensure that as much as humanly possible, students know there are people here that they can turn to without fear or failure, knowing they will be supported.
I thank all our staff, students and families who share this endeavour and who full-heartedly live the R U OK? mantra daily.
God Bless
Paul Belton
In an update to the college uniform policy, at the start of 2025, all students will be expected to wear black leather lace-up shoes (business style – refer to image) with both the winter and summer uniform. Black leather sneakers will not be permitted as part of the school uniform.
