4 February 2021

Dear Friends of St Paul’s

Week one has come and gone already, and it was a wonderful start to the year for St Paul’s College. Over the past two years we have put much time and effort into re-designing and improving the beginning of year structures and activities to make the transition for all our new students a smooth one. Week one is known as our “Wellbeing Week” and the students of different year levels start the year at differing intervals to give the youngest and the newest time and space to get to know all the environment and all the school routines before the whole population returns.

I add my welcome to the 2021 school year as we focus on our theme, ‘Valuing Diversity’.

At the centre of our community are our students and their families, where staff devote themselves to a vocation of caring for all. The diversities that all members of our community bring to the College are especially important to who we are.

As we settle into routines of the year ahead, I urge all families and students to work with key staff to ensure that any experience, however diverse or lonely it feels, be brought to our attention so that we may make one another feel secure in the value such experiences generate.

Where there are challenges within or outside of school, achievements to celebrate, questions about the practicalities of each week, cultural realities, or simply the need to speak with a member of our community, I plead with families and students to approach our 2021 theme of ‘valuing diversity’ with an understanding that our role is to value all aspects of our students’ lives. We especially want to assist students and their families to overcome adversity and realise success.

Your child’s Class or Home Group Teacher is a great source of support; the value they can offer you and your child is exceptional. Where helpful, we may also engage support structures such as pastoral care leaders or leaders for learning to ensure that everything is done to ensure you feel valued, irrespective of our diverse and individual needs.

In preparing for the year ahead, I wish you every success. Engage our support wherever possible, so that you may experience genuine value as an essential member of our growing St Paul’s community.

Josh Foulis
Deputy Principal

Welcome to a fresh new year! In 2021 we will focus on valuing diversity. I think there is much to be gained from thinking about our use of language more – diversity is a terrific word. It carries with it a positive connotation rather than saying we have differences. As a community we are blessed with diversity and this enhances our character.

In the Book of Tobit we read:

A bright light shall shine
Over all the regions of the earth;
Many nations shall come from far away,
From all the ends of the earth,
To dwell close to the holy name of the Lord God,
With gifts in their hands for the King of heaven.

Within you, generation after generation
Shall proclaim their joy,
And the name of her who is Elect shall endure
Through the generations to come.

I like to think that this reading reminds us that all of humanity are called to a common cause, each person bringing a talent or a gift unique to their person. Each gift assists in creating a tomorrow for future generations full of hope. If we did not unite then that future is not as bright. The failure to value diversity negatively impacts our ability to build. We are called to do great things with the abilities we have and to do this together.

Upcoming events:

We certainly start off with a few events in the religious identity arena fairly promptly! We have our Year 9 Retreat on Friday, then next week our Rite of Welcome for our Reception families in addition to our Year 10 Retreat.

Later this term we see some students celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Please let Mrs Maria Girolamo-Corbo or myself know if you would like to organise for your child to enter into our Sacramental Program.

Blessings,
Angela Collins
APRIM

Welcome Back! It has been a very positive and enthusiastic start to the year for all the students and teachers. I have had many students pop into my office to say hello and tell me all about their Christmas break. This year we have welcomed 24 new students to the primary space. In our year of Valuing Diversity, we will celebrate our unique character strengths, our differences and when we work together, we can achieve great things.

We are still having to limit adults coming into classrooms due to the social distancing requirements. I thank you for your understanding with this. You will also notice at the entry points to our College that we now have a QR code for each adult who comes onsite to scan upon entry. Students are not required to do this but we do ask for your support by scanning the code each time you come onsite.

I would also like to remind parents that if you have a son who is in Reception to Year 2 that they are not to play in the primary quad after dismissal. They need to sit with you or they can play quietly on their ipads. We still have other classes doing lessons and the noise makes it very hard for them to concentrate. It is also a duty of care issue as we have no staff on duty to watch for everyone’s safety. If you could please support this by speaking to your son/s about staying with you that would be wonderful.

If you are running late to collect your son due to traffic or another reason, please do not worry or stress. If you can let us know then we can inform your child so that they are not anxious. Any child that has not been collected by 3.25pm will be taken to the Student Office and staff will make a phone call to you. We will never leave a child alone after school in the primary quad.

Below is a list of upcoming events in the primary space during term 1. It is already a jammed pack time with lots of great learning opportunities for our students.

 look forward to catching up with many of you in the coming weeks.

God’s blessings,

Emily Sayer
Head of Primary