From the Acting Deputy Principal

Term two at St Paul’s has started with a flurry of energy and excitement.  Friendships are cementing and the new routines of the year are becoming second nature.  We are venturing into some deep learning and enjoying excursions and events that anchor us within our values.  We love celebrating family and especially our mums in May!  So, if you haven’t already, please RSVP for the Mother’s and Son’s afternoon Thursday 5 May 4-5:30pm.  You don’t want to miss the fun activities we have prepared for you and your cherubs! Our students are learning about the value of Forgiveness.  This is an amazing tool we have where we are all able to defuse any situation with some grace and forgiveness.  Whether this is the person who cuts us off in line through to offense caused by someone we love and trust.  With a deep breath and the ability to forgive, we learn that most people we encounter do not set out to cause anyone harm or inconvenience.  Instead, they often are unaware of how their actions or words have affected us.  So, in times where you could react in a way that could add fuel to the fire, choose grace and in time, forgiveness!

From The Head Of Teaching & Learning

In Term 1, students in Prep - 2/3 participated in the initial part of the Read Write Inc program. This term, we are starting the next phase of the program, where students are broken into smaller groups and have explicit teaching of phonics, phonemic awareness, spelling, grammar, reading, comprehension and writing. Lessons are in full swing with students engaging deeply with the program and making great progress already. Readers will be sent home each Friday (from the class teacher), with a special book sent home once a week online (as an eBook) for students to show off their excellent decoding, vocabulary, fluency, expression and comprehension skills to you in their 'Performance Read'. Please make a big deal about your child's Performance Read as they have worked hard on a range of skills throughout the lesson cycle on this text and they will be keen to show you their excellent reading skills.                

Sports

Gala Day Friday 6 May and 13 May  Our wonderful boys and girls will be representing our school on the sports fields of Caboolture District during Weeks 3 and 4. Games start at 10.00 am and will continue through the day until 2.00 pm. We will field 4 Netball teams at Apex Park, Caboolture; 2 Soccer teams at Bribie Island (First Ave, Bongaree) and 2 Rugby League teams at Peterson Road Sports Fields, Morayfield. Children are to wear Sports Uniform, bring a hat and a drink bottle. Specific playing jerseys will be provided for Soccer and Rugby League teams. A reminder that mouthguards and football boots (no metal studs) are mandatory for Rugby players, shin pads and appropriate soccer socks (to hold shin pads in place) are mandatory for soccer players. Northern Cluster Cross Country Friday 22 April A stunning day of running, brilliant efforts and unbelievably magnificent student behaviour was the outcome of our Cross Country event on Friday last. Students from 4 schools (St Peter's, St Benedict’s, Living Faith and our own St Paul's) huffed, puffed, motored, zipped and scooted their way around the 1km course. Magnificently supported by a great contingent of parents and friends of the schools involved, most ably directed and encouraged by wonderful senior students from Grace College and St Benedict’s senior college, and impeccably officiated and marshaled by numerous teachers, support staff and willing volunteers, the Northern Cluster of Catholic and Independent Schools Cross Country event was a huge and blessed success. Huge congratulations to our incredible team of runners who covered themselves in sweat and glory and extra special thanks to the staff and parents who so willingly gave of their time and efforts to ensure a successful day. Extra huge thanks and admiration to our incredible ground staff, Karen D and Ian Mc. District Cross Country Tuesday 3 May Our next representative running event takes place on Tuesday week. The District event is a pathway to regional and state representation for those most able runners, so it is with great optimism that we head to that event. 29 students have qualified to represent our school at the event taking place at Burpengary Sports Complex - Station Road, Burpengary. Tennis and Rugby Union District Trial Trials for Tennis and Rugby Union are coming up in the next 2 weeks. Open to regular competition players, turning 10 or older this year. Please see Mr Wooding for all details.            

School Assemblies

Our school assemblies are a great place to celebrate through the giving of awards that align with our school values.  As a sustainability school, we have made the decision to no longer laminate the awards, however, we endeavor to send home notification for when your child is receiving an award for you to attend assembly should you wish to.  If you are unable to be there, your class teacher will make every effort to take a photo on your behalf. Warm Regards, Marcia Jealous Acting Deputy Principal  

Inside Story – Music & Drama

MUSIC - In Prep, Year 1 and Year 2, students are singing and moving to music, enjoying games, rhymes and action songs, playing chime bars and untuned percussion instruments, and learning how to actively listen to different types of music, identifying elements including tempo (fast, slow), dynamics (loud, soft), timbre (voices, instruments), rhythm (long, short) and pitch (high, low). Year 3 students are singing, moving, improvising and playing chime bars, and listening to ‘Peter and the Wolf’, learning about orchestral instruments and how music tells a story. In Year 4, students are exploring rhythmic patterns and rounds, and learning about different types of keyboard instruments – the Celeste and Pipe Organ are their favourites! Year 5 students are creating and performing body percussion arrangements and learning about Beethoven’s Choral Symphony, analysing different interpretations of the famous ‘Ode to Joy’ melody that have appeared throughout history. In Year 6, students are playing and improvising drum patterns, creating and performing arrangements of an Indigenous Australian song, and listening to, and expressing viewpoints about percussion instruments from different times, places and cultures. DRAMA - In Year 6 Drama, students are exploring voice and movement to script short scenes. They also viewed live drama at the Incursion with Brainstorm Productions, analysing how these actors created believable characters and dramatic action.    

Mother & Son Afternoon Tea

Dear Parents & Caregivers, Do not forget to RSVP by 4pm on Tuesday 3 May. When returning your RSVP, make sure you place your child/children's names. *Please be aware this event is capped at 120 for catering and activity purposes, RSVPs cannot be accepted after the due date*

Devotional Thought

Spend time this week with Jesus’challenge, “Not to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).  If only every leader in our world had the attitude that they are in their leadership positions “not to be served, but to serve”. What a difference it would make! If every national leader, or CEO, the leaders of our bikie gangs and sports teams valued the opportunity to serve, more than winning, gaining power, or simply being in it to see what they can get out of it. Jesus wasn’t just a King and a great leader. He is God himself. He promised us that He came not to be served but to serve. As such, He gave his life for us. On Anzac Day, a text that also inspires us is John 15:13, “No one has greater love than the one who gives their life for their friends”. Let Jesus’ example inspire you this week. Pastor Mike Neldner.