Newsletter 11/03/2025: Term 1, Week 8

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Today, we’re celebrating a very special day – St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

As we wear our green and enjoy the fun activities ahead, let’s remember the spirit of St. Patrick – a symbol of kindness, courage, and bringing people together. Whether it’s through sharing a smile, helping a friend, or showing gratitude, we can all carry a bit of St. Patrick’s goodness with us today and every day.

A big thank you to our wonderful students, staff, and families for making St. Patrick’s Day such a bright and joyful occasion at St. Patrick’s Primary. Let’s enjoy the celebrations, have some fun, and spread a little bit of luck and happiness wherever we go! 🌈

May the luck of the Irish be with you all this week. I look forward to seeing many of you Friday evening at the St Patrick's Community Picnic.

ATTENTION: ATHLETICS DAY TOMORROW. - This Tuesday 18th

The big day is almost here – tomorrow is our Athletics Carnival! It’s time to show off your speed, strength, and school spirit! Whether you’re running, jumping, or cheering on your friends, this is a day to remember!

A Big Shoutout to All Four Houses:

• Fatima – Get ready to light up the track with your energy and enthusiasm!
• Nazareth – Let’s show everyone what team spirit and determination look like!
• Lourdes – We know you’ve got the skills to bring home some victories!
• Mercy – Let’s race to the finish line to bring victory both in the pool and the track!

Remember, it’s not just about winning (though we know you all want to!). It’s about participation, teamwork, and having fun. Every step you take, every high jump, and every cheer counts towards the success of your house.

So, put on your best sports gear, bring your excitement, and get ready to cheer for your teammates. Whether you’re competing or supporting, tomorrow is all about giving your best and celebrating our school community. The house with the most enthusiasm, effort, and support will be the true winner!

Let the Games Begin! 🌟

Have an enjoyable week.

Kind regards,

Darren Lloyd

CELEBRATE ST. PATICK WITH IRISH BLESSINGS

PROJECT COMPASSION:

The Catholic view of friendship emphasises love, selflessness, and seeing Christ in others. True friendship reflects God’s love, fostering mutual support, honesty, and a shared commitment to virtue. Jesus demonstrated the highest form of friendship by loving unconditionally, forgiving freely, and laying down his life for others (John 15:13). He showed friendship through acts of service, compassion, and inclusion, such as dining with sinners, comforting the sorrowful, and washing his disciples' feet. From Jesus, we learn that authentic friendship is rooted in love, sacrifice, and a desire to help one another grow closer to God.

During this Lenten Season, we can follow Jesus' example and be a compassionate and inclusive friend, one who takes great joy from raising others up and helping to make a difference in the lives of others.

Easter Raffle

Our Easter raffle will be held on the last day of Term 1 - Friday the 4th April.

We ask parents to supply one Easter item/egg per child. These can be brought into the office now.

The children should have received their raffle books last week. If you require additional books, please contact the office. Please write on both sides of the tickets & return them to school along with the money. ($1 per ticket = $20 per book).

The Easter raffle is one of our major fundraisers for the year and is a highlight for the children!

Athletics Carnival

Our annual Athletics Carnival is tomorrow Tuesday the 18th of March.

Families are invited to come along and support their children.

The Lions Club will be there cooking a BBQ. There will also be a coffee van in attendance.

Grade 3-6 Camp Information Meeting

Wednesday 19th March, 5 pm in the Library.

We invite all parents of Grade 3-6 students to attend our upcoming Camp Information Meeting. This session will provide important details about the upcoming 2025 school camps, including:

• Camp locations, dates, and activities
• Packing lists and what to bring
• How to help your child prepare for camp
• Health, safety, and supervision measures
• Communication during camp

There will also be an opportunity to ask questions and address any concerns. We highly encourage all parents to attend to ensure your child is well-prepared for this exciting experience!

St Patrick's Day Celebrations

This Friday the 21st of March we will celebrate St Patrick's Day.

Children should come dressed in green.

Students will attend Mass at 9.30am, then participate in activities.

There will be a Green Faces in the Big Room starting at 1.45pm. Parents are more than welcome to attend.

Grade 5 Portsea Camp

The Grade 5 Camp is on next week from Wednesday the 26th March until Friday the 28th March.

Grade 5 parents have received information regarding the camp via PAM.

Please make sure that you complete and sign the 2 forms sent home last week and return to your classroom teacher or the office ASAP.

MRC Taster Day

Our Grade 6 students will participate in the Mercy Regional College Taster Day next Friday the 28th of March.

Details of this day were sent home with the Grade 6's last week. 

A PAM permission will be given to parents of the Grade 6's in the coming days.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CULTURE

Parish Bulletin

LEARNING AND TEACHING

School Closure Days

These are our known Closure Days, which will mean that students are not required to attend school on these days.

• April 22nd (ReLATE)
• April 23rd (Positive Behaviour)
• April 24th (DOBCEL)
  
• July 4th (ReLATE)
• September 19th (Structured Literacy)

The first week of term two contains two public holidays - Easter Monday and ANZAC Day (Friday). With the support of our governing body, DOBCEL, Tuesday 22nd April, Wednesday 23rd April and Thursday 24th April will be student free days. St. Patrick’s staff will be participating in collaborative professional learning days with St. Colman's Mortlake, St Mary’s Ararat and St Thomas’ Terang as well as all schools in the Southern Zone of the Diocese of Ballarat. The focus for these professional learning days will include ReLATE and  Strengthening our Universal practices in School Wide Positive Behaviours

This creates a three week break, inclusive of Easter, for our students at the end of Term 1.

I understand that this extended time off can require careful planning for families. I am hopeful that by providing you with advanced notice, you will have ample time to make any necessary arrangements, whether it be coordinating childcare, planning family activities, or simply enjoying some time together. TheirCare is open for bookings on these school closure days. We note that although TheirCare is open for late bookings they have in the past not ran on the day if there are no bookings for the school closure day. 

I appreciate your understanding and support as we work to ensure the best possible educational environment for our students. As always, please get in touch if you would like to chat about this further.

WELLBEING

LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

New Research Highlights Lifelong Benefits of Catholic Schooling

It would seem that the benefits of educating your child in a Catholic school can now be backed by data. A new study using data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey shows that people who attended Catholic schools tend to have better outcomes in employment, health, and overall life satisfaction.

The study highlights that Catholic schooling provides both personal and community benefits. On average, alumni from Catholic schools are more likely to have jobs and earn higher wages than those who attended government schools, with wage differences ranging from 4% to 11%. They're also more likely to work in public-serving industries and donate to charity. Plus, attending a Catholic school seems to positively impact personal health and life satisfaction.

You might already know about these benefits, but others in the community might not. Feel free to share these findings with anyone who is deciding where to send their child to school. It could help them make an informed decision about the best place for their child's education. A copy of the full report is available on the DOBCEL website (link below), and you can also watch a video featuring lead researcher for the report, Mr. Andrew Wade.

School Hat Reminder

This is a friendly reminder to send your child with their named school hat to school during Term 1 as the weather is warm and the children are not allowed outside without one.

Zooper Dooper Sales

Throughout Term 1 the Student Representative Council will be selling Zooper Doopers to raise money for the school.

These will only be sold at second lunch.

The cost will be 50 cents each.

Upcoming Events

Some important dates for your calendar for Term 1.

Tuesday 18/03                       Athletics Carnival 

Friday 21/03                          St Patrick's Day Celebration

Wed-Fri 26/3-28/3             Grade 5 Portsea Camp

Wednesday 26/03               MRC Open Day

Friday 28/03                         MRC Taster Day

Tuesday 01/04                      District Athletics

Thursday 03/04                   Cross Country

Friday 04/04                         Last Day of Term - early finish 2.15pm

Important Parking Reminder

Dear Parents and Carers,

Please adhere to the safety road signage and road marking around our schools during drop off and pick up times. The designated YELLOW drop off and pick up bays are not a parking zone. Drivers are not to leave their cars and enter the school whilst parked in the yellow zones.

We love school visitors, please park in the proper parking bays before coming into the school.

Noone's Uniform

Noone's now have stock of the soft-shelled jacket for purchase. You can pop into the uniform shop to try on.

Pre orders of the jacket will be going out this week.

Shorts are still on back order; the uniform shop are hoping that they will be here by the end of this week.

The shop is located in the Mercy Regional College building.

In Term 1 the uniform shop is open on the following days -

Monday 12.00pm - 4.00pm, Tuesday 8.00am - 12.00pm & Thursday 8.00am - 12.00pm

Canteen

The canteen will continue to be closed on a Monday this year.

The canteen will be open to students every Friday at first lunch.

We still strongly encourage parents & students to order lunch through the Spriggy app, however students will also be permitted to purchase extra snacks using cash each Friday during their break.

Please download the Spriggy App and make your orders through there. Please make sure that you choose the right classroom for your child/ren.

The menu for 2025 is below.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

ANZAC DAY

Friday the 25th of April is ANZAC Day. St Pat's are supporting veterans in need by offering ANZAC Appeal merchandise to children who wish to purchase it. Most badges, pens, wristbands etc. range from $2 to 10. The SRC students are going into the classrooms to sell these and they are also available to purchase from the office.

Thank you for your support. 

Birthdays

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

Lenny B & Jett H

Mercy Regional College Open Day

RSL ANZAC Day Colouring Competition

RSL Australia is running a National Colouring Competition for primary school children in the lead up to ANZAC Day. Entries are judged for Victoria with the winner being entered into the National competition. If your child wishes to participate in this colouring competition, please print the image with the form on the back and fill out the details, including the parent permission section. Colourings that don't have parent permission for this competition will be displayed at the RSL Hall in Camperdown on ANZAC Day. Please hand in entries to Tracy Hickey or the school office by Tuesday 25th of March (this allows entries to reach Melbourne by the deadline date). 

TheirCare

Theircare has now commenced at St Patrick's School and it's not too late to enrol.

We are excited to announce that we have now partnered with an independent Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) provider called TheirCare.

TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity through play-based programs.

For further information, visit www.theircare.com.au or call our support office on 1300 072 410

Community Events

Camperdown Magpies Junior Football

Cobden Development Netball

Cobden Night Netball

Cobden FNC - Juniors

Corangamite Hockey Club

Junior Footy

Theircare

Hook In 2 Hockey

Corangamite Shire - Planning Survey

Beaufort Car & Truck Show

Thank you to the sponsors of our raffle!