Thank you to the many volunteers who help with the running of our Parish. Our Parish Groups are listed below with a brief description. If you'd like to be involved in or would like assistance from any of the Parish Groups, please contact the Presbytery.

St Vincent de Paul
The Society is a lay Catholic organisation, the main work of the Society is to visit people in their homes to provide support, friendship and material assistance. We have a very active conference at St Paul's; they meet in the parish centre on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm for about an hour. Members have wonderful support from parishioners to continue the work. New members to help with this great work are always welcome.

Catechist Group
Teaches Scripture in three local state primary schools in Winston Hills.

Liturgy Group
Meets as advised in bulletin.

Music/Choir
Co-ordinates music and singing for weekend Masses.

Leisure Group
Social Group for over 50’s. Meets alternative Wednesdays for outings and meetings.

Readers/Commentators
As per roster for Masses each weekend.

Acolytes/Ministers of Communion/Altar Servers
As per roster for Masses each weekend.

Children’s Liturgy Group
Children 4-6 years old meet during the Sunday 9:30am Mass during School Terms. The Children’s Liturgy is not run during school holidays.

Sacramental Programmes
Arranges preparation of children for 1st Reconciliation, First Eucharist and Confirmation as required.

Parents & Friends Association
Advisory Body of parents at St Paul's School.

Knights of the Southern Cross
Meets 1st Tuesday every month at 33 Aberdeen Rd, Winston Hills.

The Council exists to advise and assist the Parish Priest in matters relating to the Pastoral life of the parish. It provides a voice to the concerns and needs of the parish community. Parishioners are invited to raise their concerns, questions or ideas at any time by emailing the Council directly on council@stpaultheapostleparish.org.

The Parish Pastoral Council meets on the first Monday of each month, except January.

The Children's Liturgy Group is organised for children between the ages of 4-7 each Sunday at the 9.30a.m. Mass during school terms. Each Sunday there are lessons prepared for the children and these lessons relate to the Readings of the day but at the child's level. Father has purchased some new and lovely resources for the Leaders to use. The programmes for each term are prepared in advance. Children leave Mass at the beginning to attend the Children's Liturgy and return to Mass after the Homily and in time for the Offertory.

The Sacramental Programme involves the organisation for the conference of the sacraments each year:

• First Reconciliation
• Confirmation
• First Communion

Further details are published in the monthly parish magazine The Note Book.

For further details, please contact our parish sacramental co-ordinator Sandra Sheehan at the Presbytery on (02) 9639 6516 (Mondays and Wednesdays)

Finance Committee
This groups meets quarterly and aids Father in making financial decisions for the Parish.

Music
The St Paul's organists performs regularly at the Sunday 9:30am service, and at the Easter and Christmas services.

Piety Stall
There is a large assortment of religious books and artefacts available at the stall, which is open after each Mass on Sundays.

Lending Library
A large selection of books and cassettes of a religious nature are available to borrow.

St Vincent de Paul Society
The Society is a lay Catholic organisation, the main work of the Society is to visit people in their homes to provide support, friendship and material assistance. We have a very active conference at St Paul's; they meet in the parish centre on the second and fourth Wednesday of the month at 7pm for about an hour. Members have wonderful support from parishioners to continue the work. New members to help with this great work are always welcome.

Solo Parent Services (Division of CatholicCare Social Services)
Solo Parent Services particular focus is with those who are grieving the loss of their spouse or partner following separation, divorce or death. We recognise that these people who are grieving also face particular challenges associated with adapting to a new identity.

The role of Grief counselling is to accompany and assist people to come to a point of being able to reinvest their emotional and physical energy back into life and living.

Solo Parent Services offer individual counselling, support groups, psycho-educational programs and seminars which are conducted in a safe and supportive environment. These services are offered separately for those in the process of a separation and divorce or grieving the death of their spouse or partner. Our groups and services are currently offered from our offices at Parramatta and Blacktown, or Parish based in the Western Suburbs where required.

For more information contact Rita Chater on 8822 2222 or email: soloparentservices@ccss.org.au

A message from the principal

St Paul the Apostle Primary School, Winston Hills is a welcoming Catholic community, valuing our unique partnership of family, school and parish; providing opportunities for individual growth and striving for excellence in teaching and learning. Our vision is to 'reach new heights through a community celebrating faith, life and learning'.

The motto of St Paul the Apostle Primary is: ‘Victory Through Faith.’

The commitment and contribution of the Holy Faith Sisters to the faith development of the school community has been, and still is, significant. The pastoral leadership provided by the sisters has ensured that our school motto is truly reflective of the school philosophy and spirit. The community spirit in the school is very evident and parents are welcomed and valued members of our school community. The quality of education provided is a high priority and the school leadership team and staff endeavour to do this in an environment which values the dignity and giftedness of every student and teacher.

The school’s academic record continues to improve as evidenced by our results in NAPLAN – National Assessment Program in Literacy and Numeracy. In 2015 our Year 3 students were above the state average in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation and numeracy. In 2015 our Year 5 students were above the state average in Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar & Punctuation.

The school is fortunate in having a very committed Parents and Friends Association (P&F) who work in partnership with the school staff. The P&F Association provides a positive link between the school and parent body and helps build the strong community spirit of Saint Paul the Apostle Primary School. These strong links complement the academic learning to help the children grow into well-rounded people. As the first teachers of their children, parents play a vital role in the children’s learning and are welcome visitors as they assist in literacy and numeracy activities, creative and practical arts and a variety of sporting activities.

Religious Education is an integral component of all curriculum areas and our sacramental program is parish based and family centered. We are fortunate in having the parish church located in close proximity to the school.

You are always welcome to come and visit our learning spaces to see what excellence in education looks like today. All enquiries regarding the school can be made by phoning the school office on 9639 2555 between the hours of 8.00am to 4.00pm.

Yours sincerely,

Marian Bell
Principal

www.stpawinstonhills.catholic.edu.au