24 February 2023

24.02.23

From the Principal

Dear Friends of St Paul’s

This week we begin the most important time in our Catholic calendar – Lent. This season is not only important in itself, but more so because it culminates in the celebration of Easter Sunday, the resurrection of Jesus and the ultimate symbol of sacrifice and hope.

On Wednesday we held two Ash Wednesday Liturgies, one for the Senior School and one for the Junior School. Both were very beautiful celebrations and all our students were particularly reverent throughout. This is credit to our Catholic Identity Team of Mr Joe Hicks, Mrs Maria Girolamo-Corbo and Ms Mirada McGlaughlin. Our students clearly understand the significance of this season and also that it is a time to not only give something up and give to those less fortunate than ourselves but also to undertake actions that enhance the respect we have for each other.

Academic Assembly

Last Thursday we held our Academic Assembly, where we celebrated the many successes of our Graduating Class of 2022. Not only were our academic achievements outstanding and the best they have been for a number of years but we also had a great deal of success in assisting students transfer from schooling into various trades.

Definitely the highlights of the assembly were the presentations of our 2022 Dux, Lucas Sacca and old scholar Mr Chris Edge (prominent lawyer and current Chair of our School Advisory Council.) Both men were outstanding in how they reflected on their positive experiences at St Paul’s and inspirational in their message of perseverance, determination, and faith. As we have said often, we have so much of which to be proud at St Paul’s and this extends across the entire history of the College.

College Tours and Enrolment Interviews 2024 and 2025.

Over the last week we have also held more College Tours and Enrolment Interviews. We are receiving so many enrolment enquiries and visitors for tours that we have had to split the tours into Primary and Secondary, while asking all our senior leaders to both attend those and assist us with the interviews. We have the absolute pleasure of meeting so many wonderful prospective students and families and yet also know that over the next few years we will not be able to fit everyone in.

If current families have younger siblings or know of friends who would like to attend St Paul’s it is absolutely necessary that they get their applications and enrolment forms into the College at least two years prior to the actual starting date.

Primary Picnic

I know Mrs Marianne Loftus has mentioned the Primary picnic in her article, but I wanted to add both my thanks and appreciation of all the students, staff and families who attended. It was a lovely occasion and another welcome opportunity for our community to spend more quality time together.

Take care, God Bless

Mr Belton

Academic Assembly

Last week we held our Academic Assembly recognising the achievements of the Class of 2022, which included students that achieved apprenticeships, SACE merit recipients, students with ATARs over 85 and 90 and the Proxime Accessit, Austin and Dux, Lucas. A great celebration of the excellent achievements of our students. Congratulations to all and we wish you well in your future endeavours!

Ash Wednesday

Wednesday we celebrated liturgies across our R – 12 College for Ash Wednesday.

As a Catholic Community, we acknowledge the importance of this day, as a faith community.

Students were given ashes on their forehead, which are created from the burnt palms of last Palm Sunday to symbolise new beginnings.

Our students were encouraged to ponder the following questions:

What do I hope to do during Lent this year?
How can I make a difference to those around me at St Paul’s College this Lent?
What can I do for those less fortunate than me?

We look forward to journeying together through the time of Lent.

Joe Hicks
APRIM

Primary News

Dear Families,

A heartfelt thank you to those families who were able to attend our Welcome Picnic last Friday evening. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect; the weather was perfect and a lot of fun was had by all.

Another way great to connect with families is through becoming a member of our Parents and Friends Association (P&F) here at St Paul’s. The major role of the P&F is to strengthen community by bringing families together and all parents and caregivers are welcome to attend meetings. If you would like further information about how to become involved, please contact Tania Stone tstone@stpauls.sa.edu.au

Thank you to our teachers for such a smooth start to the first few weeks of the year. Our students have settled beautifully into their classes, made new friends and high-level teaching and learning is well underway. The first few weeks were important as teachers started to build a deeper understanding of our students, their individual, as well as academic and social needs.

Personalised Plans for Learning (PPLs) are now being added to, or created, over the next few weeks for some students. If your child has a PPL, their class teacher will be in touch to meet with you towards the end of this term to discuss their goals and seek your input into this process. The children are also encouraged, by their teacher, to be active participants in these discussions.

At the end of Week 2, our Year 4 students attended an overnight camp at AFL Max. This camp offers a unique and fun experience for the students, combining physical and theoretical based learning; including rock climbing, trampolining, inflatable obstacle courses, interactive gaming screens and, I have to say, VERY VERY yummy food! For some of these children, it was their first experience sleeping away from the comfort of their own home and they were all amazing!

Developing leadership potential is an important part of building a strong school community. A number of our Year 6 students are currently being interviewed for a Student Leadership role. The successful candidates will become a part of a team of Student Leaders who will work collaboratively with our Head of Wellbeing, Ms Samantha Stokes, to develop student centred initiatives within the Primary Years. These students will also lead a range of different community projects throughout the year. I wish to thank the students for the courage they have shown in writing a formal application and extending themselves well out of their comfort zone by attending an interview with members of the Primary Leadership Team. We look forward to announcing the Primary Student Leaders in the next newsletter.

This week we celebrated the beginning of our Lenten Journey with an Ash Wednesday Liturgy. Ash Wednesday marks the official beginning of the season of Lent. The Primary Years community received ashes on their foreheads in the sign of a cross as a reminder to follow Jesus and turn our hearts to God. Lent is a time for giving thanks to, and strengthening our relationship with God. Ideally, the commitments that we make in honour of Lent are made with self-improvement in mind, as we look within ourselves and discover what we may do to better our lives and ourselves as a whole. Instead of giving up behaviours or habits that we are trying to kick anyway, we want to focus on doing something positive for ourselves, or perhaps more importantly, for others.

This Lent why don’t you call that friend who has been on your mind. Reach out to someone in need. Donate your time to something you feel passionate about. Engage in a random act of kindness. Spend the day with your children or a loved one. Allow yourself some much needed quiet time. Simply, just do something that is good. Take the time to add more positives into your lives and the lives of others.

Until next fortnight, take care.

Marianne Loftus
Head of Primary Years

2023 - Empowering Voices