From the Deputy Principal

Student Progress Reports

Student Progress Reports will be available on Friday of Week 8 (June 24th). As with previous years, these will be available only through the St Paul App/Parent Portal. At present the App is undergoing some maintenance and we will have this updated prior to reports being available. The parent portal is available through the school website.

For families of Receptions students, information about accessing the App and portal will be sent home soon. If you have any questions about accessing this information, please contact a member of the admin team.

Accessible Parking Space for People with a Disability

There is an accessible parking space for people with a disability. If you do not have a disability please do not park here.

School Camps 

This week we have our Year 4 children attending their 3 day/2 night camp at Mylor. Later this term our Year 5 children will also be heading away for their camp. School camps have many benefits in providing outdoor education to students and it gives them the opportunity to develop a number of skills including:

1. Social skills- many of the activities your child will be involved in require team work which will allow them to strengthen friendships and connect with new peers.
2. Independence- a school camp allows children the practice making decisions without parents and teachers guiding every move.
3. Use their imagination- when children take a break from TV, iPads and the internet they rediscover their creative powers and engage in the real world.
4. New experiences- children will be given the opportunity to take part in activities they may not have encountered before.

Camp is a great way to develop all of these skills, however, often the thought of sleeping away from home can cause anxiety for children and their parents. Some common worries include:

What happens if they can’t sleep?

What happens if they don’t like the food?

What will happen if they don’t like the activities and get homesick?

Although these concerns are certainly valid, it is important to help children feel positive about the experience. They will very quickly pick up on any anxiety you may have and will emulate these feelings. Some ways to help your child if they are worried about camp are:

• Discuss the activities they will participate in and relate them (if possible) to your own experience.
• Visit the website of the camp and look at photos to help familiarise your child with the area.
• Organise for your child to have a sleepover at a friend’s house.

A school camp is one of the most exciting experiences a child can have. Use these tips to help your child prepare and remember to communicate with your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding your child’s camp.

Jason Fay | Deputy Principal