DECEMBER 5, 2024 NEWSLETTER

CHILD SAFETY STATEMENT

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Carers,

Our basketball courts are finally refurbished and the children are really enjoying playing on them.  A huge thank you to all of our families, past and present, and community organisations who have generously donated to fund raisers to make this project happen.  

It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce that Tristan Fay will be leaving to take a Deputy Principal position at St. Alipius, East Ballarat.  Tristan has been instrumental in leading the Structured Literacy approach to teaching literacy, the F-2 Sounds Write phonics program and the Spelling Mastery, which we will introduce to years 3-6 in 2025. I want to thank him for all his collegiality and the support he has given our staff and school community. I wish he and his fiancé Amy all the best. 

Eliza Dwyer is taking 12 months leave to travel in 2025.  Eliza will be sadly missed, particularly in her Religious Education Leadership and Mini Vinnies roles.  Michelle Malone has been appointed to the RE Leadership role for 2025.  

Jess Lambert is retiring from her Learning Support Officer role to travel and work as a Casual Relief Teacher as needed.  We have employed Kaitlyn Lane to replace Jess.  Kaitlyn is in her 4th year at Deakin University. 

Tom Sell is now a qualified teacher and will be teaching at Grasmere Primary School.  We know Mr Sell will make a fabulous teacher and we wish him well. 

We had the 2024 School Advisory Council AGM on Tuesday evening.  I want to thank the Council members for their interest and participation in discussions through out the year.  Thank you to Jo Mackenzie who is completing her 2 times on the SAC. We are seeking expressions of interest to join the council in 2025.  Please email me if you'd like to apply.  

The Mini Vinnies Team are conducting a TOY DRIVE. Please send new or used (in excellent condition) toys that we can give to St Vincent de Paul to gift to children for Christmas.  

Olga Lyons

Advent has a two-fold purpose:
It is the time when the Church longs for the coming of the Lord. In this longing the Church looks in two directions, so to speak.
• Reflecting on the Lord’s first coming as a child born to Mary in Bethlehem
• Looking forward to his second coming as Son of Man at the end of time.
Advent can be overwhelmed by the attraction of Christmas. Let’s give some space to the Season of Advent.  It’s our spiritual preparation time during which we ready ourselves for the feast of Christmas and the Christmas Season.

FROM THE RE LEADER - ELIZA DWYER

SCHOOL FEES

A reminder that school fees are to be finalised by the end of November.  Please contact Shae Smith to organise a periodic payment plan if your account cannot be settled in full.  The 2025 fee structure will be sent home in a letter in coming weeks. 

2025 Fees - Please fill in our electronic form indicating how you will be paying your fees in 2025. https://form.jotform.com/232320248117850  

VOLUNTEERS FOR COMMITTEE POSITIONS

Fundraising is an important part of belonging to a school community.  The funds are used to compliment the acquisition of resources and to support activities that directly benefit your children. 

The introduction of Time in Lieu for teachers and the escalating cost of buses/fuel has had a huge impact on the cost of excursions and camps.  If the actual cost of teacher replacements and buses were passed onto parents, many parents would not be in a position to send their children on camps.  We value the benefit of camps and want these unique experiences to continue at St Patrick's. Fundraising is the only way we can subsidise these activities moving forward.

Of course, fundraising doesn't just happen!  Committees and events need key people to drive them.  The parents who have generously been instrumental in doing these roles in the past now have their children in the senior classes and will soon be leaving our school. We need parents from the junior classes to consider how they can make a major contribution to the school, while these parents are still here to mentor them.

Our previous calls for suitable volunteers to step forward have not been successful.  Therefore, we are offering a considerable discount from school fees for parents who are willing and able to take on the following roles. A role description of these roles will be available by emailing the principals - principal@spportfairy.catholic.edu.au

1. Parents and Friends President

2. Folk Festival Committee President

3. Folk Festival BBQ Site Manager

If there are a couple of parents who would like to share a role, the discount will be split between them. 

ART NEWS - A TERM OF CREATIVITY & ACHIEVEMENT!

It has been an incredibly exciting and creative term in the Art Room, and we are thrilled to share some wonderful news with you all! Our students have once again impressed the community with their exceptional talent, receiving glowing compliments for their artwork entered into the Port Fairy Show. We are so proud of every student who participated, and a huge congratulations to those who received a prize for their pieces. Your hard work and dedication truly shone through!

In addition to this fantastic achievement, we are excited to announce that 20 art pieces from our talented students have been selected for the Lions Art Show, which will be on display over the summer. This is an amazing opportunity for our students to showcase their work to a wider audience, and we encourage everyone to head along to see the incredible creations from our local artists. The Lions Art Show is a must-visit event this summer!

In the Art Room, the festive spirit is alive and well, with creativity in full bloom. Our Middle Years students have been busy crafting the most delightful Nutcracker figures, inspired by the famous Christmas story. These whimsical creations are a true testament to their imagination and skill. Meanwhile, our Senior students have been exploring the concept of positive and negative space in their artwork. One of their favourite tasks involved creating shoes inspired by chocolate and lollies – a fun and delicious theme! A special shout-out goes to Leah Murtichson, who took this task to the next level by transforming her drawing into an actual pair of shoes based on her design. Leah, you’ve truly brought your vision to life!

But that’s not all – many of our students are also working on a giant Christmas tree that will be displayed on the Green over the summer. This is a collaborative project that combines creativity, teamwork, and festive cheer, and we can’t wait for everyone to see the final result.

What a term it has been! The Art Room has been buzzing with energy, and we are so proud of the incredible talent, hard work, and passion our students continue to show.

Happy Holidays from the Art Room Team!

COURT REFURBISHMENT

WEEK 8 AWARDS

CDFPAY NEWS - NEW APP IN 2025!!!

CALLING ALL LIBRARY BOOKS

CHRISTMAS CAROLS

SCHOOL DATES - 2024

COMMUNITY NEWS

Carols by the Bluestone

PFCS are hosting Carols by the Bluestone on Friday, December 6th, from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM. The event will feature food vendors on-site, and all you need to do is bring a picnic rug and enjoy the Christmas carols performed by Mick Ferguson, PFCS classes, the PFCS & St Patrick’s choir groups, and other local artists.

For more information, visit our Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/share/ATRSxuv1ihz6JX2P/. Be sure to click "Going" as we’ll be posting regular updates there.

CAVE HILL CREEK - SUMMER CAMPS

We’re thrilled to announce that registrations for Summer Camp 2025 are now open! Your child may be familiar with our school programs, but the adventure and excitement does not stop there. Our Cave Hill Creek Summer Camp program offers more than twelve exciting activities – including archery, raft building and we’ve added a thrilling new vertical challenge.

Summer Camp is the perfect opportunity to kick those post school camp blues by bringing along a friend or sibling and exploring everything Cave Hill Creek has to offer!

Our program, designed for children aged 8-14, is filled with activities they already love, plus some exciting new additions!

Camp Dates for 2025:

• Camp #31: Monday, January 6 – Friday, January 10
• Camp #32: Monday, January 13 – Friday, January 17
• Camp #33: Monday, January 20 – Friday, January 24

Pricing:

• Single child: $1,099
• 2nd sibling: $879
• 3rd+ sibling: $769

We’re also introducing a new program for teens aged 14-15! Our Summer Camp-Out program offers an exciting opportunity for teens to challenge themselves with new adventures like hiking, exploring, and expanding their outdoor skills.

Summer Camp-Out Dates:

• Monday, January 13 – Friday, January 17, 2025 (Spots are filling fast!)
• Pricing: $1,549 per participant

 We’d love to see your students return to Cave Hill Creek for another thrilling adventure. To reserve a spot, click here.