Newsletter 4/12/2023 Term 4 Week 10

Second Sunday of Advent

From the Principal

Dear parents and carers,

We are on the home stretch for the school year and we are looking forward to the opportunity to celebrate a great year of learning and fun in these final two weeks. 

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Move Up Day

Tuesday the 12th December is our Move Up Day.

Children will spend the day in their new class with their 2024 teacher and class mates on this day.

Class lists for 2024 will be available before this day.

Peace Poster Presentation

Our local peace prize winners were entered in the Geelong and District competition this term. At our assembly this week, Halle Barake will be presented with 2nd prize for the wonderful poster she has created. Congratulations Halle.

Foundation Excursion

Today our Foundation students went for a walk down the street to the Library for story time. It was a beautiful day for a walk, a play and a treat.

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Grade 6 Excursion

On Monday the 11th December the Grade 6 students will be going to Port Campbell on their excursion for an open water swim led by the surf lifesaving club of Port Campbell. A BBQ lunch will be supplied and on the way home they will go to the Timboon Ice Creamery. Students will need to wear their sports uniform on this day and bring their bathers, wetsuit and towel.

A PAM permission has been sent and if you have not complteted this for your child can you please complete it at your earliest convenience.

The Week Ahead

WELLBEING

F-2 Swimming Program

Don't forget the Foundation to Grade 2 swimming program will start this week. It will run for four sessions and the dates of each of these sessions are as follows:
Wednesday 6th December
Friday 8th December
Wednesday 13th December
Friday 15th December 
On these days each grade will participate in a 30 minute lesson.

Children will swim between 9:30am - 12:30pm. 
We request that parents consider the following points in order to make their child’s time at the pool as enjoyable and productive as possible. 
*Appropriate swimming attire e.g. bathers, rash vest, board shorts (avoid thick shorts & t-shirts). 
*Goggles that fit comfortably & do not allow water in (strongly recommended for all students). 
* A dry towel. 
* Spare underwear. 
*All clothing & towels clearly labeled with the student's name. 
* Students are encouraged to bring a pair of thongs to school in their bag to wear to and from the pool.

Please find following a parent note and schedule from Matt Harkin.

If you have not done your permission consent on PAM this needs to be done as soon as possible.

Canteen Last Day

The last day for the Canteen for 2023 is Tuesday the 12th December.

Please make sure your child has lunch and snacks for the remainder of that week.

Graduation and Celebration

Our Grade 6 graduation is being held at St Patrick's Church on Wednesday Dec 13.  Children will come along with their parents for the evening to start at 6.00pm, and finishing by 7.30pm.  

Our Graduation class of 2023 have chosen to offer an opportunity to gather as a group to celebrate the end of their primary school lives,  after our graduation ceremony on the 13th of December. Natalie Roberts has booked the court yard at the back of the Hampden Hotel and pizzas will be able to be purchased for a shared dinner. Could you please RSVP to Natalie on 0417035474 with your availability.

Grade 5 Leadership Day

On Monday the 11th December the Grade 5's will partipate in their Leadership Day. On this day the Leaders for 2024 will be announced.

For this day we ask that your child wear their sports uniform please.

St Patrick's Colouring Comp

The students have started the St Patrick's colouring competition during their art lessons.

Please note that your child may bring their's home to complete. If this is the case they are due back to school by Tuesday the 12th December.

Light Up Camperdown

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CULTURE

Final School Mass

Our final school Mass will be at 11.30 on Thursday 14th December.

What is Advent and why is it important?

The First Sunday of Advent was yesterday marking the beginning of the Church’s Liturgical Year. The word “Advent” derives from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming.” In this case, it refers to the coming birth of Jesus Christ at Christmas and the return of Christ during the second coming.

In the Catholic Church, the Advent season reminds us about the importance of Christ in our lives, prepares us to celebrate Christ’s birth at Christmas, and refers to his second coming at a future time. Catholics consider all three comings when they celebrate Advent. Traditionally, Catholics will focus more on prayer and an element of fasting through the period. Priests will wear purple vestments during this time, and it is traditional to have an Advent wreath as well.

The four candles

The Advent wreath consists of 4 candles which are arranged in a circular pattern, surrounded by evergreen branches. Each candle corresponds to the four respective Sundays through Advent. Three of the candles will be purple and the other one will be pink. The purple candles represent penitence, while the pink candle refers to the third Sunday of Advent, which is known as Gaudete Sunday. This is meant to encourage participants to continue praying as Advent is soon to reach its conclusion.

Advent – week by week

Each week during Advent has a specific meaning and relevance.

In the first week, Catholics will light the first candle. This signifies hope as it is commonly known as the “Prophet’s candle” and signals that Jesus is coming.

On the second Sunday, a candle is lit to celebrate faith. This is based on the everlasting love of God, and it is also commonly referred to as the “Bethlehem” candle. This reminds everyone that Mary and Joseph undertook the journey to Bethlehem.

On the third Sunday of Advent, it is traditional to celebrate Joy with the “Shepherds” candle. This third Sunday is also called Gaudete Sunday, and a literal translation here is to “rejoice.” It is a Sunday to remember Mary as the mother of Jesus.

On the fourth Sunday, the candle symbolises peace and is known as the “Angels” candle. The simple message here from the angels is “peace on earth and goodwill towards men.”

Even though Advent has a special meaning in the Catholic Church, it can be celebrated by everyone regardless of your religious beliefs. After all, this time of year can be particularly busy – the Advent celebration may help you to slow down and take a moment to ponder what is important in life. As times have been so difficult recently it has been easy to lose sight of the more important things. Why not use Advent to have everyone in the family remember to slow down, be more grateful and think of others?

 Kind regards,  Mr. S. 😃

Parish Bulletin

LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

Help Needed

To prepare for the commencement of the building program, we are asking for parents to help move the contents of the Art House to room 4 inside the school next Tuesday the 12th of December, beginning at 10am. If you are able to help pack and carry our resources, please contact the school office.

SAC Membership for 2024

After seeking nominations for our new SAC positions we were inundated with people who wished to generously contribute their time and energy to the school in this way. We thank them and we are excited to announce the three new council members are Katie Mahony (Sambell), Andre Martin and Ashley Couch. We hope their time on the School Advisory Council is a rewarding one.

Parents and Friends Office Bearers

Our P&F conducted their AGM last Wednesday evening and elected the new executive for 2024. The new chair is Belinda Doolan, the Deputy Chair is Ruth Barber and the secretary is Anna Bourke. We thank them for taking on this important leadership role for our school community.

Bunnings BBQ

The P&F have locked in a date to host the BBQ fundraiser at Bunnings in Warrnambool. The date set aside for this is Saturday, 17th of February 2024.

The sausage sizzle will run from 9am - 4pm.

If you could spare an hour or two  on this day and volunteer some time please contact the office.

Schoolzine App

We have noticed on our records that quite a few parents have not subscribed to the SZApp.

The Schoolzine App is a vital way that we communicate with our parents.

If you do not have the app on your phone could you please ensure you download it as soon as convenient.

It will ask you for a passcode which is 2561.

Attached below are the instructions on how to download the app.

Known Dates for Term 4

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Container Deposit Scheme

We have registered our school for the container deposit scheme that has now commenced in Victoria. The nearest deposit machines are located at Cobden, Timboon, Terang & Warrnambool.

How to claim your refund at a CDS VIC Return Point;

Charity Donation
You can donate some of your 10c refund directly to St Patrick’s School.
You can donate via:
 -the CDS Vic West app
– select your preferred “Charity” as your active payout
– scan your app barcode at the machine
– insert your 10c drink containers and select “Transfer” directly on the screen of the machine when finished. 100% of the donated refund will be transferred to the donation partner you selected within the next 5 to 12 days.

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the following students who celebrate their birthday this week.

Evie M, Halle B,  Patrick H, Florence P, Ayaan P, Sebastian M &  Rueben V

Community Events

Shoe Repairs - Camperdown

For all your shoe repairs call Mick on 0434 936 886!

Cobden New Years Eve

Free Golf Coaching Clinics - Cobden

Light Up Camperdown

Christmas Carols - Camperdown