Newsletter 08/03/2021 Term 1 Week 7

From the Principal

Prayer

Swimming Sports

Our swimming sports were completed last Friday. Many thanks to everyone for ensuring that this happened.

Congratulations to Lourdes House for their win on the day- a wonderful effort from the team

1st Lourdes 6.94  -   2nd Fatima 6.45  -  3rd Nazareth 6.27  -  4th Mercy 6.1

Thanks to all the parents who came along to support this day and to the staff,

especially Mr K for all their help & organisation. 

Swimming

Easter Raffle

Our Easter raffle is less than  a month away and is one of the highlights of first term

 Easter eggs can now be donated into the office.

Parents are expected to donate an Easter egg/rabbit/chocolate item per child they have at the school (Eg 2 children 2 items) to put towards making the Easter raffle prizes.

On the last day of term Thursday April 1st  we draw the winners.

20 Raffle tickets will be coming home this week for you to sell. Please sell both sides of the tickets & return them to school along with the money ($1 per ticket = $20)

Many thanks in advance for supporting this great fundraiser.

PS: We are also looking for cane or Easter baskets to make up Easter prizes, so if you have any your donation would be appreciated.

New Newsletter & School App

We have now changed to our e-newsletter online.

Hopefully families are finding it easy to navigate. 

Follow the instructions below and down load the App -SZapp

There is also a link to our Parent Access Module (PAM) on the app.

Community Meal

Last week's comminity meal with Mr Sinnott's class was a great success. I have recieved a lot of feedback from both the organisers and some of the people present, how impressed the were with both the food and the children who helped set  up & serve.

Another way we are putting church social teaching into action in our community. 

Catholic School Culture

• Fr Neville is back to having a normal load at church (200 max) so families are most welcome to attend.
• Fr Neville will be away next Sunday- Wednesday. 

Third Week of Lent 

We are now in the third week of Lent with the Project Compassion story of Oliva, a 22-year-old
woman from Tanzania. She did not have the opportunity to go to school and was embarrassed that
she was unable to read, write or count. As an adult, her business was losing money because she
couldn’t add up her money and give the right change to customers. 
Then Oliva enrolled in Caritas Australia’s literacy and numeracy classes. She also set up a home
classroom to teach her neighbours, for free, because they were too shy to attend larger classes. 
Oliva has now graduated, attendance at her classes are growing, her kiosk is thriving and she is
helping her children with their homework. She aims to become a pastor and run for leadership in the next local election - to help her community to ‘Be More.’ 
Approximately 260 million children don’t have the chance to go to school (un.org)
Watch a short film about Oliva’s story here.
 “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au

Reconciliation

Please keep the following children in your prayers as they prepare to make the Sacrament of
Reconciliation on Thursday evening; Alexis Barake, Halle Barake, Millie Bourke, Theo
Cheeseman, Matthew Cridland, Isabelle Gordon, Jayden Kleinhenz, Lucy Kleinhenz, Max
Lucas, Abby Mulholland, Liam Pascoe & Wally Rees.
Brodie Burkett & Tommy Fox will complete their Sacrament of Reconciliation next week.

Mini Vinnies 

We have eight grade 4 children who have volunteered for Mini Vinnies this year. These
children are always thinking of others and want to help people in need and make a difference
in our world. They are looking forward to gathering donations for the winter appeal and also
doing a food drive in term 2. They will be presented with their badges at assembly on Friday
and share their intentions for this year with the rest of the school. They are Meg Nolan, Daisy
Bennett, Daisy Courtney, Madison Lucas, Ava Lafferty, William Ryan, Jake Lenssen & Olive
Wills.

COVID

In order to ensure the health and safety of all community members, we ask that all families adhere to the following guidelines;

Testing- Symptomatic (Feeling unwell) or Asymptomatic

If a member of a family is recommended by their doctor to have COVID 19 testing, this person is asked to self isolate until the results are known. Any children/siblings of this family are requested not to attend school unless the results of the testing are known. At best we will restrict the spread of possible contact with the virus if the test is positive. At worst we will have cost some children a few days at home if the test proves to be negative. This is a duty of care for all at school. If your child is ill or is feeling unwell, they must not attend school. They must remain home and seek medical advice. Any unwell children WILL be sent home. We will temperature check any child we feel is unwell.

Sick Children at School

Every student that presents to the sick bay with cold or flu like symptoms will have their temperature taken and as we are operating on a zero tolerance, they will be sent home.

Visitors to St. Patricks

At this stage parents, volunteers, or community groups can come on a limited basis onto the school premises or grounds. This includes Catholic education staff to work with our teaching groups, and other allied health staff (speech, OT etc) working with students. Parents and guardians are asked to maximise the use of phone (5593 1962) and email communication with the school or directly to their child’s teacher.

Anyone coming in for longer than 15 minutes will need to sign in at the office. 

Cleaning & Hygiene

To support the health and wellbeing of students and staff, the school will continue an enhanced cleaning routine and will encourage frequent handwashing by staff and students. Hand sanitizer will be located in high traffic/high touch areas and the classrooms.

Physical distancing

A range of measures will be in place to enable staff to do this. Our advice is that social distancing is still very difficult to manage between students and that while we will still be endeavouring to do this when we can, the reality is that there will be times when this will not be able to occur.

Drop Off & Pick Up Arrangements

Drop Off- Parents are welcome to drop off at the normal time from 8.30am onwards. All children will need to enter the school via Dimora Ave. Pick Up- Children being picked up by parents or walking home will continue to do so at 3.15. Children being collected from the church will leave school at 3.05 for F-2 children and 3.15 for grades 3-6. 

Bus Travel

Please also remind your children who travel on school buses of the importance of:

•       practicing good hygiene, including using hand sanitiser
•       maintaining physical distance from others where they can
•       wearing a face mask (secondary students)
•       obeying all instructions from bus drivers

Schools must follow the health advice set out in the Operations Guide.

 Reinforcing COVID Safe behaviours, such as staying at home and getting tested when unwell, physical distancing and wearing masks

• Creating COVID Safe spaces, including ensuring ventilation and regular cleaning
• Promoting COVID Safe activities, such as limiting visitors to schools, and reducing mixing between groups.
• Responding to coronavirus (COVID-19) risk.

Students of the Week

Birthdays

From St Patrick's 

To the following students that celebrate their birthdays this week

8th March 

Stella Hinds 

11th March

Harry Atkins 

Wally Rees

12th March

Sarah Bridges 

13th March

Harry Jenkins

St Patrick's School Vision & Mission Statement

School Community

Community Events