Principal's Message
Pope John Paul II Feast Day
This Wednesday 22 October was an important day in the Catholic church calendar as the Feast of Pope John Paul II was celebrated. Pope John Paul II was the first ever Slavic pope elected, and at 58-years-old, he was the youngest pope in over a century. During his twenty-six-year pontificate, he visited over 129 countries, which included seven visits to the United States. He died on April 2, 2005, and he was the third-longest-serving pope in history, after Pius IX and St Peter. Fr James spoke at the Willawarrin Mass held on Wednesday of the far reaching impact of St John Paul II's reign as Pope, especially his profound guidance and encouragement to Catholic religious and his consistent theme of the role of God’s people being stewards of his creation. Pope John Paul II emphasised the responsible care of creation for future generations and the idea that human dominion is not absolute but a trust from God. He highlighted that humanity's role is to serve creation, not to exploit it, and that the earth requires faithful stewardship from everyone to continue to provide for us.
St Paul's Studies of Religion HSC candidates were faced with the following essay question in their HSC final this Monday (which constitutes 40% of the final mark) "What is chosen to be upheld in ethical decisions is shaped by resources such as sacred texts or lived experience and how they help adherents navigate the world today. With reference to the stimulus, analyse how ethical teachings of Christianity guide adherents to navigate the world today by referring to environmental ethics."
It was with great joy that I knew our students could expertly answer this question, focusing on Christian environmental ethics with specific reference to recent Pope John Paul II and Pope Francis, as well as other Christian theologians illuminating the sacred writings of the Bible.
St Paul's Uniform Transition
- Year 7 2026 and students new to St Paul's during 2026: Students have the choice to wear the new or old uniform items. Families will be able to purchase the new uniform and/or the old uniform from Team Spirit, subject to availability. Please refer to the flyers below for pricing and information for booking uniform appointments with our uniform supplier Team Spirit. Please note that new uniform items are ONLY available in store until such time as the old uniform items are sold out.
- Year 8-12 2026: Families may only purchase the old uniform styles until such time as each old uniform item sells out and it is replaced by the new item. The new uniform items will be available to all families from 2027.
The phasing out of old uniform items will not occur until consultation has been made with Team Spirit and with the school community. Families are assured that the phase out date will be clearly advertised with significant notice so that they can plan accordingly.
Important protocols beginning and ending a lesson for all students
We have enjoyed a strong beginning to Term 4. The attendance data has been strong and our assembly on Wednesday where our community warmly welcomed Senior Constable Steve Jeffrey and Anika and Syke from the Benevolent Society was excellent. We also took the opportunity to congratulate the Under 14 Boys Rugby League State Champions who won the Cochrane Cup in September as well as recognising a number of other outstanding academic and sporting achievements of many students.
I met with the College community in the first week of this Term where we spoke about the non-negotiable aspects of our working in class with staff. The points outlined below are the important basis for our ability to improve as students of the College:
- Wait quietly in two lines outside the classroom with all the necessary equipment.
- Leave bags neatly outside the classroom.
- Enter the room in a quiet and respectful manner when your teacher requests you to do so.
- Greet the teacher respectfully while standing behind your desk.
- Apply yourself with focus and enthusiasm to classroom activities.
- Have a go! Then ask for help from the teacher or co-educator if you need it.
- When the teacher instructs you to do so, stand quietly behind your desk with your chair pushed in and wait for the teacher to dismiss you.
- Students must NOT leave class before the bell rings.
Tremendous achievements by Wilton Townsend and Luana Silk
St Paul's continues to be very proud of so many students at the College achieving great things outside of the classrroom. During the recent holidays, Wilton Townsend competed in the NSW All Schools Athletic Championships where he won the gold medal as State Champion for the 16 years boys 800m event. This run was a personal best, as was his run in the 1500m where he placed fourth. Wilton is now preparing to compete in the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Melbourne in December. Best wishes and congratulations for these outstanding achievements Wilton.
Luana Silk is a wonderful Year 11 student who in a few weeks will be heading to Nepal for the third time to volunteer in helping young women and girls impacted by human trafficking. Luana has seen first hand how a little bit of support can create life changing transformations for these girls and will be organising a bake sale at the College. The sale will be in the undercover area outside of the staff room, at recess on Friday 31 October. Every contribution helps so I am asking students to bring in some cash to buy some treats and join us in building a future where every child and young woman in Nepal has the chance to live a life of dignity, safety, and opportunity. Congratulations Luana for your leadership and compassion for supporting others.
Kind regards
Mr Geoff Melville BRurScEd, MEd, GCertRE
Principal