You have run the race well… good and faithful servant!

Throughout the past week, our screens and social media feeds have been filled with messages of love, support and gratitude for Queen Elizabeth II and her family. From touching photos of Her Majesty with Prince Philip, to memories of Her Majesty with her corgis and beloved horses, the messages have been one of gratitude for service.

Last Monday, students in Kindy – Year 6 enjoyed a show aligned with award-winning Book Week (Children’s Book Council of Australia) books adapted to live performances.

Students in Kindy – Year 2 enjoyed an adaptation of the book, Stellarphant by James Foley. Here is a bit more about the story Stellarphant:
Heroes come in all shapes, sizes and species. Stella wants to be an astronaut. There is only one problem: Stella is an elephant. Every time she applies to Space Command, they come up with a new reason she can’t join. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Stella is determined to reach for the stars. Does she have the right stuff?

Stellarphant explored fixed v growth mindset and the themes of courage, perception, happiness, resilience, problem-solving, determination and goal setting.

Our Year 3-6 students watched a performance of The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel by Nicki Greenberg.

For as long as she can remember, Pepper Stark has wanted one thing: to join her father, the Captain, aboard the magnificent RMS Aquitania on a voyage to New York. She has never been allowed to set foot on her father’s ship – until now. From the decadent food to the star-studded passenger list, travelling First Class on Aquitania is every bit as glamorous as Pepper had imagined. And most dazzling of all is American stage sensation Perdita West, wearing the world-famous Saffron Diamond around her neck. When the priceless jewel disappears mid-voyage, Pepper unexpectedly finds herself entangled in the crime. With the Captain’s reputation at stake, Pepper and her new friends set out to solve the mystery. But finding a missing diamond isn’t so easy on Aquitania, where everyone has something to hide…

The Detectives Guide to Ocean Travel explored the themes of developing new friendships, problem-solving, empathy, dreams and aspirations.

We thank Meerkat Productions for visiting our school and putting on such an enjoyable show for our students.

Prep students were invited to bring in a zip lock bag with 100 of the same thing inside it. We had lollies, sticks, puzzle pieces, buttons, popsticks, pom poms, 100ml of water, seeds, rice and cereal just to name a few. This helps the students identify that 100 doesn’t always look the same!

What a busy, fast paced Term 3 for Arts@St Paul’s! We have welcomed Kathryn, Jack and Zara to our amazing tutoring team this term. Term 3 also saw us hold our Busking Day with over 30 participants. The students performed a variety of acts including dancing, singing, rapping, piano, violin and guitar. Their confidence and passion was so lovely to watch.

The tutors and students have been busy preparing for next term’s Twilight Music Recitals and are excited to show you what they have been learning. Next term, we will also have our instrument try out day for all students. They will be able to come and try a variety of different instruments and have a chat to the tutors. If you are interested in your student learning an instrument next year, please pop in to the office and we can give you an enrolment pack.

On a special note, we would like to congratulate Scarlet Y in Year 6 on achieving Honours in Practice of Music (Piano comprehensive) Grade One from the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). This is such an amazing achievement and we wish Scarlet all the best with her musical future.

Lastly, thank you to all the tutors, students and parents for helping us this year with the Arts@St Paul’s program. We hope you have a relaxing term break and are looking forward to Term 4.

Who’s Who in the Zoo at St Paul’s?!

Please CLICK on the image to see the video.

Romans 15:13
“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

Explanation and Commentary of Romans 15:13

Joy, peace, and hope are three marks of a Christian, and this verse shows the way in which they are intermingled. Joy, peace, and hope all come from God, by the power of his Holy Spirit. Paul writes this verse as a blessing and a prayer over his readers, including today’s believer.

How can God fill his child with joy and peace, and what is the part played by the Christian? It is to trust in him. Much of the church was enduring persecution in the day the epistle was penned. The hope, joy, and peace were readily available to those who continued to “trust in him.” Today, there is still persecution, and even where there is not, the believer is still harassed by satan and endures the kingdom of darkness until the return of Christ. How are they to endure? By trusting in God.

In Romans 15, Paul holds side-by-side commands and blessings. For instance, he commands the church to “bear with the failings of the weak,” (Ro 15:1) and also speaks a blessing: “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Ro 15:5-6). He commands a certain “attitude of mind” while praying that God would give it to them. This all comes from the power of God.