Term 2 Week 10 - 30 June 2023
- Principal's Message
- Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
- Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
- Ministry and Evangelisation
- Curriculum
- St Paul's Feast Day and NAIDOC Week Celebrations
- Kempsey Eisteddfod
- Bell Shakespeare Company
- Student Focus - Junior Rugby League
- Vinnies Winter Appeal
- University Information Evening
- Coastline's Art Hub - Art Exhibition
- Reminder - Term Dates
- Be a Sponsor for St Paul's Major Awards Ceremony
- What is the NCCD?
- NSW Road Safety - Take care around animals on country roads
- Mad Food Science Family Event
- Vinnies Kempsey - Volunteers Needed
- Vinnies Kempsey - Now open on Saturdays
- Newsletter Sponsors
It is pleasing to note that many of our students have not only shown a significant improvement in their academic progress, but also successful involvement in sporting and other community activities along with casual employment involving significant responsibilities. This again illustrates the hardworking nature of many of our students!
Across this week we have taken the opportunity to celebrate our Catholic Schools Week with a series of activities involving St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School and the Parish. We honoured NAIDOC Week early with a ceremony and activities including basket weaving and the eating of bush tucker. We wore beanies to raise awareness of Brain Cancer and had a Pyjama Day to invite interest from our community to bring in warm clothing for the Vinnies Winter Appeal. Our Feast Day and the excellent achievements of our students and staff were celebrated at our Feast Day Mass and Awards Ceremony held in our newly refurbished Edmund Rice Centre. All these events build community and it certainly highlights how special the St Paul’s community is and how it adds value to the lives of our students, the College staff and the local community.
You are reminded that our College will be welcoming the ACER School Review Team in the first week of next Term. They will be here for 3 days and I look forward to them engaging with our College community to offer considered thoughts regarding what we are doing and what we can do more to improve student learning outcomes. The ACER Team are experienced educational leaders who are well placed to provide such information - we are most fortunate to have them work with us.
Many in our community would be aware that Mrs Beth McMillan, Music teacher, Languages teacher (Indonesian and German) and previous Leader of Creative and Performing Arts, has obtained a position in far west NSW working with teachers on accreditation, teacher training and improvement. Beth is a very successful teacher having achieved significant results within the Music space for many years. Many of her students have continued in their Music journey as a result of the interest Beth created in them, with her passionate and creative teaching style. Beth has taken leave from the College for 12 months to do this work and we hope we will see her back with us. The College students, families and staff wish her every success and thank her for all she has done across her many years at St Paul's. The College is coordinating an effective response to cater for the students in her classes. I thank Beth for her assistance in preparing work in support of this process.
We have students who demonstrate enormous capacity – everyday! I would like at this time to highlight the incredible work of Tayla Hiscock (Year 12, 2023) who was awarded the 2023 NSW North Coast Region School-Based Apprentice/Trainee of the year. Tayla was provided the Elsa Dixon Aboriginal School-Based Traineeship, which is a two year program funded by Training Services NSW. The school-based traineeship forms part of the student's HSC. Trainees attend PAID work placement one day per week (100 days over 2 years). Not only did Talya engage with this study, alongside her other HSC subjects, she was also required to regularly travel to and from Coffs Harbour to complete a variety of learning experiences. She needed to be an organised, independent student who was able to prioritize and manage requirements of both TAFE and St Paul’s College. To have done this and be recognised with such an award is incredible and we are enormously proud of her. It again demonstrates what is possible with hard work, commitment and the willingness to expect high standards in all you undertake - well done Tayla!
Our St Pauls' Feast Day was again a resounding success! The many activities administered and implemented by our Year 12 students were outstanding and created significant competition among our various PC groups. I thank all the students for their attendance and our teachers who again stepped up and took part in supervising and in some cases taking part in the multitude of events. I thank our P & F for their donation to our endless supply of fairy floss and popcorn and our local food trucks who fed our community across the day. The significant highlight was indeed our Talent Quest that showcased the skills of many students and staff - incredible!
Again, I thank staff and students for their work across the Semester. I wish you all a wonderful holiday with family and friends. May the break be an enriching one for you all and our students return invigorated and ready for what will be a Semester filled with significant opportunities for all in our community.
Kind regards
Mr David JOHNS B.Ed., Cert. Gifted Ed., Grad. Cert. Adol. Health and Welfare, M.Ed. (Ed Lead), M.Ed. (Theol)
Principal
Reports
We are delighted to be sending out our first round of reports via Compass this afternoon. If you have trouble with reading them on the Compass app - please open in the browser. We will not be issuing paper copies of the reports, however if you have any issues please email the College on kmps@lism.catholic.edu.au and we will assist you on our return to school for Term 3.
Year 12 Updates
I have spoken to Year 12 about “Digging Deep” this school holiday period to ensure they are ready for their upcoming trials in Week 5. This crucial two week period enables the students to rest and recuperate - and STUDY! Please encourage students to set aside time every day to attend to past papers so they are not out of the habit during the break. As of 30 June it will be 103 days until the first HSC exam - a timely reminder that this is a short period for them to really put aside other distractions to study hard.
Year 11 Assessment Feedback
Year 11 have received back many of their assessments from this Term. This is an opportunity for them to review feedback from teachers so they are aware of what they will be doing to improve next Term. I encourage the students to spend time looking at their feedback and speaking to their teachers to ensure they know what their next steps are in each subject.
Year 10 Subject Selection Interviews - for HSC 2024/5
Please don’t forget to book in Subject Selection Interviews for Monday 31 July. You only need to book in with one teacher - however 4 are available. Mrs Tovey, Ms Littlejohn, Mr Hancock and Ms Fullbrook. If you absolutely cannot attend this date - please email me and I will arrange another time for your interview. All students are required to attend an interview with at least one parent or carer. This is a fantastic opportunity to consider future pathways for your children.
Tell Them From Me Feedback
Please reach out if you have any questions about the learning for your students.
Ms Kate Fullbrook - Assistant Principal - Learning and Teaching
Reflecting on a wonderful Catholic Schools Week at St Paul’s
This week, the College celebrated Catholic Schools Week with a number of wonderful events. On Monday our Year 11 cohort joined with Years 5 and 6 from St Joseph's at All Saints Catholic Church, Kempsey with Father James to celebrate Mass together and open Catholic Schools Week. Father James reminded us all of the significant history of Catholic Primary and Secondary education for many decades in Kempsey. K-12 Catholic education is well served in the Macleay Valley by our two beautiful schools. Great thanks to Mrs McGovern and the St Joseph’s staff and students who were so positive during our time together in our church. Later on Monday, a number of St Paul’s students and Mrs Barica Rafton shared their Studies of Religion Dreaming stories with Years 3 and 4 from St Joeys. The range of questions and interest from the St Joseph's students as the stories were told was great fun and very impressive.
There was great spirit and fun at St Paul’s on Wednesday during our Pyjama Day bringing awareness to the culmination of the Vinnies Winter Appeal. On Thursday, a range of these gifts were presented during the St Paul’s Feast Day Mass which was celebrated in the Edmund Rice Centre with Father James. This was a beautiful celebration of the Saints Peter and Paul and their foundational contribution to Christianity. Our College community is blessed to share the life and impact of St Paul on the Christian church, and lots of fun ensued on Friday during the St Paul’s Feast Day celebrations.
St Paul’s life and contributions to Christianity are studied throughout the College culminating as an important aspect of the HSC Studies of Religion extended response. St Paul’s life story and transformation on the road to Damascus is one of the pivotal stories of the Christian tradition; Paul’s early life as a Roman citizen, a Greek speaking Jew, supported his access to important leaders during his latter years advocating for the teachings of Jesus Christ. Paul’s transforming journey in life is often considered at our College, where an advocacy for helping others with kindness and respect is evident in our beautiful grounds every day.
My best wishes to all staff, students and families during the upcoming July break, and also plenty of winter rain for our farmers.
Mr Geoffrey Melville - Assistant Principal - Mission and Wellbeing
As part of the St Paul's Feast Day celebrations, Mass was held in the Edmund Rice Hall, where our community came together in prayer and reflection to honour the remarkable life and teachings of Saint Paul. The atmosphere in the Edmund Rice Hall was permeated with reverence and anticipation as students and staff filled the hall, eager to partake in this special celebration. The hall, adorned with symbols of faith and recognition of our great community.
Led by Father James, the Mass unfolded as a profound expression of faith and devotion. His insightful words invited us to reflect deeply on Saint Paul's life and the lessons we can draw from his unwavering commitment to Christ's message. Fr James resonated with the challenges and triumphs encountered by Saint Paul in his service to God.
The music that filled the hall was nothing short of heavenly, courtesy of our talented choir and musicians. Under the expert direction of Mrs Beth McMillan, the choir filled the hall with hymns that reflected the values of our service to God.
The Mass in the Edmund Rice Hall served as a poignant reminder of the enduring legacy of Saint Paul and the profound impact he continues to have on our community. It was a testament to the unwavering faith and dedication of our students, who actively participated in the Mass as altar readers and servers. Their involvement reflected the vibrant spirit of St Paul's College and their commitment to living out the values espoused by our patron saint.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Fr James, the choir, and all those involved in organising and facilitating this deeply meaningful Mass. Their collective efforts ensured that the Feast Day of Saint Paul was celebrated with utmost reverence, allowing us to deepen our faith and forge stronger connections within our community.
Mr Matthew Mitchell - Leader of Evangelisation
Subject Selection Interviews
All Year 10 students continuing into Year 11 at St Paul's College need to book a Subject Selection Interview time slot on Monday 31 July 2023.
This can be done through the Compass portal. An icon should appear that states "Book a Parent Student Teacher Conference". If you need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Amy Tovey on amy.tovey@lism.catholic.edu.au.
Year 12 Trial Examination Timetable
Trial HSC Examinations are scheduled to commence on Monday 14 August and finish on Friday 25 August. The timetable and further information can be found using the link HERE.
Mrs Amy Tovey - Leader of Curriculum
St Paul’s College honoured NAIDOC Week early with a ceremony and cultural activities for the students, including basket weaving, arts and crafts and tasting bush tucker. The College community celebrated St Paul’s Feast Day with a special Mass and an Awards Ceremony acknowledging the achievements of students and long-term members of staff.
A lot of fun ensued on the last day of Term 2 during the St Paul’s Feast Day celebrations. Students and staff enjoyed a range of activities including a Talent Show, Tarp Volleyball, Sponge Relay and Gumboot Toss and could purchase a delicious lunch from one of the local food trucks.
All these events build community and highlights how special the St Paul’s community is and how it adds value to the lives of our students, the College staff and the local community.
Thank you to our staff, students, P&F Association and local food trucks for making our St Paul's Feast Day celebrations a resounding success!
Congratulations to St Paul's Year 9 and Year 11 Drama students who performed brilliantly at the Kempsey Eisteddfod this week - a testament to their dedication and commitment to their performances. Thanks to Mrs Amanda Jordan for her support and for accompanying the students.
Last week, Year 9 and Year 11 Drama students from St Paul’s College were lucky enough to attend a special visit from The Bell Shakespeare Company. This was an exceptional experience for our students, being able to see one the most renowned travelling theatre companies in all of Australia first hand. Many thanks to Mrs Amanda Jordan for making the most of this experience for our students.
The following was written by Kaitlyn Chadwick, a Year 9 Drama student. It goes to show much students learnt from the experience. We are all looking forward to the next time Bell Shakespeare are in town.
"The Bell Shakespeare Company came to the Bandbox Theatre in Kempsey. A number of students went down to watch them perform some of Shakespeare’s best plays. We watched Romeo and Juliet, followed by Macbeth. In Romeo and Juliet, along with Macbeth, the actors from Bell Shakespeare worked together to transform the stage into different scenes within the plays by using the props and resources they had with them at the time. Those who performed, portrayed their roles exceptionally well, while also utilising the different elements of drama. During their performances, they projected their voices well, used the stage to the best they could, and they had great relationships and chemistry between all the characters across the plays they performed. When watching them, you could tell that a lot of effort and time went into each scene and it was done to the best of their ability. By going to watch The Bell Shakespeare Company perform, the students got a sense of different techniques they could use in their own performances along with other skills that can improve their acting ability. Overall, it was a great day that had many benefits that those who went took a lot away from it."
Kaitlyn Chadwick, Year 9 Drama.
Congratulations to St Paul's Year 8 students, Mitchell Hornick and Bailey Rogan, and to Year 7 students, Ethan Harper, Sam Harper, Oliver Haydon and Eli Cheers for being selected for the Group 2 Junior Rugby League Development Squads.
Best of luck for your upcoming games!
On Thursday 6 July the Country Universities Centre (CUC) Macleay Valley will be hosting a University Information Event. There will be staff from the University of New England and Southern Cross University in attendance presenting a great opportunity to ask questions about subject selections, courses, and more. Tickets are free and light refreshments will be provided. For more information and to reserve your spot click HERE or refer to the flyer below.
Students in Year 11 or 12 who wish to use the CUC space for study will also have the opportunity to sign up for this during the event.
Location: CUC Macleay Valley, 14 Belgrave Street - Shop T17 Kempsey, 2440
Date and Time: Thursday 6 July 2023, 4pm-6:30pm
In the 10 years since 2013 there have been a total of 1,384 crashes with an animal on a country road which have resulted in injury or death. Make sure you know what to do when driving in rural or regional areas, especially around dusk or dawn, to avoid collisions with animals.
Please click on the links for more information and to watch the NSW Road Safety video.
