24th October 2025

From the Principals Desk - Stacey Mullin

Returning Term 4

Thank you all for the love and support you have shown over the sudden loss of my dad. Our staff have been especially busy keeping everything going at school and I am eternally grateful for the extra work that has come from everyone. A huge thank you to Ms Taranto, who stepped into my shoes and my exec team of Mr Temesvary and Mrs King.

As my family continues to grieve, there will be times that I will be unavailable as I support my mum, my children, my brother, and sister, while taking time for myself. I ask for your understanding and patience.

Much love Stacey

Aussie BUSH and CANBERRA Complete

All our senior students have had an amazing time at camp and in Canberra. I can only expect they will sleep a lot over the weekend – the teachers especially. While being away from home is a big step for all students, our staff being away from their own families and children overnight has the same impact. Thank you to our teachers for the time they have given to camp and Canberra.

Yr5 Great Aussie Bush Camp 2025

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Yr6 Canberra 2025

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Classes 2026

Our school is beginning the complex process of organising class structures for 2026. Our staff spend many hours looking at structures and student needs when creating classes. They use their professional judgement and personal knowledge of your children based on academics, social and emotional wellbeing, classroom engagement and dynamics to create the classes. In order to ensure that the needs of students are met, parents are also invited to forward information that you believe should be considered in regard to the formation of classes for next year. Parents are asked to forward considerations to the class teacher and me, via email or in writing by Friday 31st October to ensure your child’s needs have been accounted for. Please note that consideration for placement with specific teachers and or students are unable to be considered due to the size and complexity of our school.

Staffing News 2026

I am both sad and excited to let you know that Susan Campbell has accepted a permanent position at St Patrick's Wallsend beginning in 2026. Susan has been a long-standing member of staff at St Paul's, providing leadership in early years learning as Lead Teacher and taking on the Primary Coordinator role for 2 years. She has been a wonderful mentor for any new staff (including myself) and student teachers who have worked in her classroom. Susan has a special gift for connecting with all children and families through her love and compassion. She will be greatly missed but we know that God has other things in mind for our Susan and we wish her every happiness. We will plan a formal farewell for Susan closer to the end of the year.

Are you moving????????

We have had word from a few families that they are in the process of moving. Please update your details on COMPASS as soon as possible. If you are planning for your child not to be at St Paul’s in 2026, please contact the office.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

During the holidays I met a large group of ex-students from St Paul’s as the graduating Year 6 class of 1993. They had lost a class member and decided on a reunion get together and asked to see the school and the changes since leaving. They had also planted a time capsule that unfortunately we have not yet been able to locate. It was a wonderful afternoon of laughs and listening to how proud they are to have been at St Paul’s and the effect their teachers had in their lives.

Basketball

This week I had the pleasure of taking 2 teams to the basketball tournament in Maitland. Both the girls and boys were fantastic sports and gelled cohesively as teams. While they made the grand finals very convincingly for their division, the pressure was too much and both teams were defeated. I was especially impressed with the development of their game after I had attended with them last year. A huge thank you to the parents who were there to support and coach the teams – basketball is not in my wheelhouse. A very special mention to Mandy Shipard who spent the day scoring for us –which is highly technical and a focused skill that I cannot do.

Basketball

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Parents and Friends Update.

As 2025 draws to a close our Parents and Friends committee will be moving a motion to dissolve the committee and reform as Family and Community Engagement (FACE). There will be more information coming. The group will be spending the fundraising money on basketball jerseys that can also be worn for netball, new signage for our values – LEARN, LOVE and SERVE and updating artworks around the school. I want to thank this group for their high energy in supporting our school with stalls, raffles, discos and in many other ways.

Calendar Dates - Week

Student Awards Week - 10 & Week 1 Term 4

Assistant Principal - Mrs Sharna Taranto

PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning)

Each fortnight we focus as a whole school, on one specific positive behaviour. During our Monday morning assembly our Year 6 leaders introduce the positive behaviour focus and share examples with the school.

Students who are observed to be following our behaviour focuses receive a PB4L/ ‘Gotcha’ tokens. These tokens are placed in our grade ‘letterboxes’.

At the conclusion of each term, the tokens are tallied. The students from the winning grade receive a special reward.

The Term 3 winning grade is: Year 1!

Congratulations to these students! Their reward will be a visit from the ice-cream van!

Student BYOD Devices important message: Windows 10 is reaching end of life

Action is required for students with BYOD Windows 10 devices as Windows 10 will soon no longer be supported by Microsoft.

To ensure your student device security you should upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible.

Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on 14 October 2025, meaning it will no longer receive critical security updates.

To stay protected and ensure optimal performance, it is strongly recommended that all students with BYOD Windows 10 devices follow Microsoft’s instructions and upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible. There is no charge for this upgrade.

• We ask that all families with Student Windows 10 computers complete this process before 15 October 2025 so that students do not experience disruptions to their learning.
• Most newer devices will support Windows 11.
• If the device is too old, you may need to consider an alternative supported device (where possible).
• If you need assistance or have questions about upgrading, please reach out to the IT support team in our school.

Why this matters:

• Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 from 15 October 2025.
• Upgrading to Windows 11 ensures your child’s device remains secure and supported.
• Student Work Protection: Staying current helps safeguard assignments, projects, and personal data.

Ways to install Windows 11 - Microsoft Support

Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ - Microsoft Support

Read our FAQs for more support:

How do I check what version of Windows am I running?

• Select Start > Settings > System, then select About. You then see Edition, Version, and OS Build information.

What if my device can’t upgrade?

If a Student’s BYOD laptop is running Windows 10 and can’t be upgraded to Windows 11 (usually due to older hardware), Microsoft is offering a free security update program to help keep the device safe for one more year.

The Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is designed to keep your current Windows 10 PC protected after support ends, helping you stay secure during the transition.

How to Join Microsoft’s ESU Program

Microsoft has made it easy to enrol directly from the laptop:

• On eligible computers, a setup wizard will appear in Settings > Windows Update.
• There are three ways to enrol:

1. Free – Sync your settings to the cloud using Windows Backup. You must be logged in as administrator and with a Microsoft account.
2. Free – Use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
3. Paid – Buy a one-year license for $30 USD (families cover this cost).

Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10 | Microsoft Learn

Religious Coordinator - Mr Robert Temesvary

WELCOME TO TERM 4 

Welcome back everyone to Term 4. I pray you had a restful holiday. Looking forward we have a very busy term ahead!  

SOCKTOBER MISSION DAY

Another successful mission day complete! Mini Vinnies managed to raise over $400 for the Socktober Foundation. This year the funds went to supporting children in Zambia to have access to education and basic human needs. Thank you to the wonderful Mini Vinnies team who ran the activities.

SACRAMENTS OF INITIATION 2026

The sacramental team is currently in discussions to finalise the dates for Sacraments of Initiation 2026. Keep an eye out for a post on Compass (and here) once we know for sure. I can say the meetings will be around early December.

An introduction to Catholicism

The Catholic Council of Schools Parents NSW/ACT has developed a guide, ‘Our Catholic Faith.’ This guide is intended for parents and carers and is an introduction to Catholicism, with easy-to-understand explanations of Catholic beliefs and traditions. We will be using this in our enrolment packs, but as this is a ‘new’ resource, I am sharing this with our existing school community for you to access if you wish!

GOSPEL REFLECTION

THIRTIETH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR C

Luke 18:9-14

Those who humble themselves will be exalted.

Library News - Katrina Howard

Borrowing Days for Term 4 will stay the same as Term 3

Odd Weeks 

Monday Year 6 & 3W 

Tuesday Kinder & Year 1 

Even Weeks 

Monday Year 4 

Tuesday Kinder & Year 2 

Wednesday Year 5 & 3M 

Thank you for continuing to support your children to remember their library bags and library books on the correct days. It is great to see borrowing percentages continuing to be high across most classes. We endeavor at St Paul’s to promote free choice reading for pleasure and enjoyment.

Library Borrowing Cup 

Congratulations to 5W and KM on winning the Library Cup for week 10 term 4 and week 1 term 3. The cup is presented to the class who has the highest percentage of borrowers for the week. 

Overdue Notices

Final overdue notices have been sent out this week for overdue books from Term 3. If books are not found and returned, please pay the overdue fee on Qkr! Please contact the library if you feel this book has been returned already.  

Book Club  

Book Club catalogues for issue 7 have been sent home this week. Please have all orders in by Monday 3rd of November. Orders can be placed online via the Scholastic Website then by clicking on the LOOP parent portal. Thank you to all those families that order through Book Club as all orders ensure the school receives reward points to buy books and resources for our school.

Please don’t hesitate to contact the library staff for any issues or enquiries via email at Katrina.howard@mn.ctholic.edu.au   penny.sneddon@mn.catholic.edu.au

Primary Coordinator & Gifted Educatior Mentor - Mrs Amanda King

Safeguarding at St Paul’s

At St Paul’s, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. We are committed to creating a school where all students feel safe, respected, and cared for.

Safeguarding means making sure our students are protected from harm and know there are trusted adults they can talk to if they ever feel worried or unsafe.

How Parents Can Support Safeguarding at Home

Families play an important role in helping children understand how to stay safe and speak up when something doesn’t feel right. Here are a few ways parents can help:

• Talk regularly: Have open, calm conversations about safety and feelings. Let your child know they can talk to you about anything, even if it feels hard.
• Identify trusted adults: Help your child name three to five trusted people they can talk to if they ever feel unsafe.
• Use everyday examples: Talk about safe and unsafe situations when watching TV, reading, or at the park.
• Encourage body confidence: Teach children that their body belongs to them and it’s okay to say no if something makes them uncomfortable.
• Set healthy boundaries online: Talk about staying safe on the internet, using privacy settings, and asking for help if something online doesn’t feel right.
• Model respectful relationships: Show your child what kindness, respect, and trust look like in everyday interactions.

By working together, we can help every child feel safe, valued, and heard both at school and at home.

Sport - Jess Stefanish-Smith & Melinda Walls

Kinder to Year 3 had a touch-y start to the term with our Touch NSW football clinic. Thank you to Mrs Walls for re-scheduling our clinics after the rain in Term 3.  

We have another term, jam packed full of sport!  

 Basketball 

Thank you to all parents who expressed their child’s interest via the form in Term 3. We had an overwhelming response and such limited places for the tournament team. It was a difficult selection and we empathise with students who unfortunately missed out. It is quite exciting to know how popular basketball is within our school community and we will explore further opportunities.  

We had a girls and boys team represent St Paul’s at the Basketball NSW tournament on Tuesday. These passionate basketballers came together and displayed some amazing talent. Thank you for your sportsmanship throughout the day.  

Many thanks to Mrs Mullin and Mrs Shipard who attended alongside the students. It was an early start to the day and we appreciate your efforts in providing this opportunity to our students.  

 Hockey Gala Day 

There is still time to register for the Hockey “come and try day”. Students do not need to be currently playing. Part of this day is to learn the rules and skills of hockey. Students will need to purchase a mouth guard in order to participate. All other equipment is supplied.  

 Swimming Carnival 

2026 Swimming Carnival – Early Notice  

We will be holding our 2026 Swimming Carnival on Thursday 4 December at East Maitland Pool. SAVE THE DATE! Students will be attending from years 2 – 6 with activities for all students to be included in the day. We will be seeking parental/guardian assistance for the day with timing and other roles with the infant's activities for smooth running. If this is something you will be able to assist with, please make sure you have registered your Working with Children Check details with the school through the office. 

Nominations for events will be opening in Week 4! 

NSW State Athletics – Ivy McMahon 

On Wednesday 22 October Ivy (Year 6) competed in the Senior Girls Discus and Shot Put events in Canberra. Ivy finished 6th in the state with a throw of 28.3 meters, which is an amazing result. Well done Ivy! Everyone at St Paul's is very proud of you.

Swap it 

Do you have a fussy eater at home? Try this SWAP IT tip. For more fussy eating ideas visit: 

www.swapit.net.au/fussyeating