Principal's Message
Intentions considered before prayer
I am currently in my 38th year of teaching and moved to St Paul’s in January 2021 after a long stint at St Stanislaus’ College Bathurst, a wonderful Vincentian school for secondary day and boarding young men. At Stannies the staff would gather at 8.45am for prayer. The prayer life at St Paul’s is very similar, where wonderful staff lead prayer often being very open about their own faith and family. A different aspect of prayer at St Paul’s is the opportunity for those present in the prayer venue to seek intentions from everyone about any matter that should be considered prior to the prayer. This happens in every prayer in the College that I attend; staff prayer, executive meetings, curriculum meetings, pastoral care meetings, WHS meetings, data committee meetings, school parent forum meetings, etc.
The opportunity for someone to speak publicly about an intention to pray for is very powerful and special. I was reminded by this beautiful action on the weekend when our much loved teacher Mrs Erica Browning was confirmed into the Catholic church at All Saints Catholic Church, Kempsey. Erica showed tremendous courage and fortitude to overcome a significant medical issue last year, the staff would present Erica as a special person to be present in our prayers and we would often pray the Hail Mary as her favourite prayer. These special moments sum for me the great camaraderie and love there is within the staff community at St Paul’s, and it was a lovely experience to attend All Saint's Catholic Church on Sunday especially as Erica’s confirmation name “Mary” was shared with the parish community.
Staffing News - Term 3 2025
One of the aspects of a busy school is the dynamic nature of staffing. I would like to announce to you that two wonderful staff are taking extended leave from the College. Mrs Krystal Brady has been a superb Leader of Pastoral Care in 2025, she has brought fresh leadership and ideas to a range of staff groups and shown special care to so many of our students. Krystal will take leave throughout the rest of 2025.
Mr Graham Bramley will be taking leave during Term 4 2025 and throughout 2026. Graham is an outstanding educator with a sustained track record of excellence in developing first class resources and opportunities for our students. I would like to sincerely thank Krystal and Graham for their wonderful service for our College and wish them the very best during their leave period. I would also like to announce that Ms Meg Ryan has been appointed Acting Leader of Pastoral Care for the remainder of 2025. Meg has been a fantastic Year 12 Coordinator and brings impressive experiences in pastoral care from the Government, Independent and Catholic school sectors. St Paul’s is very fortunate to have such an experienced and impressive person leading our pastoral care initiatives within the College.
Year 11 and 12
Big things are happening with St Paul's Year 11 and 12 cohort. Year 12 students have just completed their HSC Trial examinations which is their final assessment period after 13 years of schooling. This period is always a stressful event for many students, however we have benefitted from tremendous support from our wonderful Year 12 cohort. We are looking forward to the final four weeks of College life with Year 12 and look forward to celebrating their achievements in Week 10 with the Reflection Day, Graduation Mass and Year 12 Major Award Ceremony.
Year 11 students have completed a retreat this week, which was a very uplifting experience for me to share some time with these wonderful students. During our time together we discussed potential leadership opportunities and I am looking forward to receiving many applications for potential leadership. The 2026 School Leaders will be announced at the conclusion of the Year 12 Graduation Mass on Wednesday 24 September.
Staff Carparks
There has been occasions recently where families have picked up and drop off students within the school staff car parks. I would ask that this practice does not continue, those car parks are designated for staff and with over 100 staff in a restricted space there is no facility for student drop off or pick up in these areas.
Kind regards
Mr Geoff Melville BRurScEd, MEd, GCertRE
Principal