At St Paul's, we are a Catholic school community that respects the dignity of all and strives to provide a quality learning environment focused on the life of Jesus. Drawing on the rich Dominican charism of our school’s founders, we aim to live out our vision statement by being; Chirst centered, welcoming and inclusive, respectful of each person dignity and committed to growth in faith, learning and wellbeing.

The core values of our school came after a period of discernment from the community who articulated that these values are the essence of who we are and what we want our students to exemplify: 

• Respect

• Determination

• Kindness

• Community

• Spirituality

We are a Catholic faith community where students celebrate the sacraments, liturgy and prayer. The celebration of the Eucharist is the heart of the prayer life of our school.

Students participate in whole school Masses ad liturgies to celebrate special feast days and the liturgical seasons of the Church. One class goes to Mass each Thursday during term time on a roster basis. Reconciliation is offered after these Masses for those students who have made their first reconciliation.

We work closely with our parish priest to ensure our children experience an authentic Catholic community, centred on the person of Jesus. The parish priest is a welcome visitor at our school.

As a faith community, we also value faith in action and aim to make a difference in the lives of others through all that we do. Our school community believes that, as people of faith, we have a responsibility to reach out and try to make our world more just and kind just as Jesus asks of us. Initiatives such as our student Mini Vinnies group, our stewardship and environmental efforts, and other community involvement and outreach, are aimed at teaching our children that we can all make a difference.

Our St Paul's school community is involved in a range of initiatives that empower our students to support the ongoing care of creation through:

• Being a part of the Laudato Si Action Platform

• Student Environmental Committee

• Curriculum integration of environmental awareness and sustainability

• Participation in environmental action and awareness initiatives (‘Green Days’) – including Clean Up Australia Day, Earth Hour, Earth Day, World Environment Day, Tree Day and National Recycling Week

• Outdoor learning spaces

• Adventure playground

• Vegetable, herb and fruit gardens

• Chicken coop

• A waste management system that includes recycling

• Tidy Tuesdays – promoting waste-free lunches

• Eco-friendly infrastructure – including solar panels

• Dedicated staff environmental committee and staff environmental coordinator

• Staff professional development on the care of creation to support student and school environmental learning and action

• Celebration of the ‘World Day of Prayer of the Care of Creation’ and the ‘Season of Creation’

• Earned Environmental Education Grants to further our environmental projects

• Award-winning participation in the annual Moss Vale show for our fruit and vegetable garden produce

• Active members of the Wollongong Environment Network. 

Our school also has a School Environment Management Plan (SEMP) which identifies and plans for our key environmental actions and projects. These include:

• Purchasing bins that clearly differentiate rubbish from recyclables.

• Exploring further ways to reduce the school’s environmental footprint.

Participation in weekend Mass is also actively encouraged. View the Parish Mass Times here.
 

For more information, visit the St Paul's Parish website