JANUARY 30, 2025 NEWSLETTER

CHILD SAFETY STATEMENT

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Carers,

2025 has begun smoothly and there is a very settled atmosphere in the school!

Welcome back to our returning students, families and staff!! We look forward to the creative energy you bring to our school community. Your achievements and contributions continue to inspire and support us. 

A heartfelt welcome to our new students, staff and families! We are thrilled to have you as part of St Patrick's School community and I hope that you enjoy it here as much as I do. As you settle in, please know that you have a community of supportive teachers, staff and fellow students ready to welcome and support you. 

One of the characteristics that defines our school is the way parents contribute to it's vibrant and welcoming community culture. I encourage parents to consider how they are going to volunteer their time throughout the year to help our Parents and Friends group to raise much needed funds for our school or to simply enhance family connections.  

Communication is key to a successful partnership between the school and our families. Throughout the year, we will keep you informed about important events, school updates, and opportunities for involvement through regular newsletters, our school Facebook and Instagram sites and the Seesaw app.

This week we are well on the way with our Learning to Learn program and assessment tasks in the classrooms.  These activities assist to set up our collaborative learning expectations and provide the teachers with timely insights into each child's learning abilities, interests and needs. A form will be sent home for parents to complete to tell us some insights into their children's interests and aspirations.  

This term we have our Athletic Sports for Years 1-6 on Wednesday February 26 at the Port Fairy Showgrounds.  Families are welcome to join us as spectators on the day.  A coffee van will be there to keep us going with our dose of caffeine. 

Our First Parents & Friends meeting for 2025 will be held next Wednesday February 7 at 3.45pm to map put the year's events. If you have previously been responsible for an event or have nominated yourself to support an event this year, please try to attend the meeting.  New comers are very welcome!

Olga Lyons 

SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS - 2025

Term 1  - Friday April 4 - RE PD (To be confirmed)

Term 2  - Tuesday April 22 - Collaboration

                Wednesday April 23 - Maths Curriculum

                Thursday April 24 - DOBCEL Strategic Plan

                Tuesday June 10 - Wellbeing PD

                Thursday 19 & Friday 20 September - RE PD

Term 3  - Monday July 21 - Structured Literacy PD

Final Day for Students in Term 4 - Thursday December 18

BEGINNING SCHOOL PRAYER

2025 CLASS GROUPS

Our Foundation Class will be featured in next week's newsletter!

CONDOLENCES

Condolences to Charlie, Hannah, Otto & Claude Carrucan on the passing of Charlie's father during the holidays.

NEW STAFF

We welcome the following staff members to our school.

OPENING SCHOOL MASS & COMMISSIONING

Our Opening School Mass will be held at St. Patrick's Church at 12.30pm on Friday February 14th.  Families are welcome to join us as we commission our school leaders and celebrate the beginning of the school year. 

Leaders to be commissioned...

CATHOLICCARE

We are very happy to continue our partnership with CatholicCare. Private counselling referrals are available from the school office on request. Students who have previously worked with CatholicCare will continue unless otherwise advised by parents.  

SUSTAINABILITY NEWS

As a 5 star Resource Smart sustainable school we pledge to reduce our impact on this earth and incorporate sustainable practices into our every day living. Please click on the link to view our sustainability non-negotiables which we have shared with our children and wider school community. Every change helps us make a difference. 

SCHOOL, WORKING BEES & P & F PARENT HELPERS WANTED

Each year we involve parents in 2 working bees to help keep our school community functioning and looking it's best.

Our first working bee in Saturday February 8th starting at 9.00am until 12.00pm.  

The main task will be to move and clean out the chook pen. There will be general weeding and gardening tasks as well. 

We also are looking for helpers around the school and for the P & F.

PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK TO FILL OUT THE FORM IF YOU ARE ABLE TO ASSIST

FROM THE OFFICE - JANINE & SHAE

Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund

CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. The annual CSEF amount per student is $125 for primary school students. Families that have applied for CSEF funding last year do not need to reapply. New families will need to fill in the application form and provide a copy of their current Health Care Card. Forms can be collected from the school office or downloaded from the link below.

DOBCEL Family Fee Assistance Scheme

The Family Fee Assistance Scheme operates across all DOBCEL Catholic Primary Schools. Families who qualify for the scheme will pay $520 ($10 per week) for Primary School Tuition Fees.  Tuition fee discounts are available to holders of a means tested Health Care Card, Pension Card or Veterans Card and must be eligible for the education maintenance allowance.  Eligible families can present their cards to the office and complete an application form.  Forms and information can be downloaded from the link below. If circumstances change at any time the office need to be informed. 

Conveyance Allowance

To be eligible for conveyance allowance you must be travelling more than 4.8km to school or a bus. If you would like more information or a Conveyance Form, please contact the office.

Absences from school

In line with Catholic Education Office requirements, parents will now be contacted on the day if their child is absent from school and we have not received any communication regarding this. We would ask that parents notify us of their child’s absence as early as possible on the day (or earlier if the absence is planned). Our preferred method of notification is through PAM (Parent Access Module) or by ringing the office after 8.30am. Text message are sent to parents if notification of absence has not been received by 10am.

Canteen

The P & F's first canteen day for Term 1 is Friday February 7. All orders are to be done with CDFpay.

All canteen helpers must complete a Food Handling Module. Details have been sent to these parents.

SCHOOL DATES - 2025

SchoolTV WELLBEING PLATFORM

Because parenting doesn’t come with a set of instructions, SchoolTV is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.

Below is a URL link to our St. Patrick's SchoolTV platform. 

SCHOOLZINE

Schoolzine is the platform that St Patrick's uses for our Newsletter, Sporting Schools Form and lots more. There are links on the Home Page to PAM, Latest Newsletter, School Calendar, eForms, Call Us, Website, Policies and Procedures, CDfpay, Newsletter Archive, Facebook Link, Child Safety and Canteen Menu.

To download Schoolzine click on the link below. The passcode to get access to this App is 8137

SPORTING SCHOOLS

Sporting Schools will commence next week, Tuesday February 4th. The program will run for 7 weeks, with the final session being on Thursday March 20. The program days for Term 1 are Tuesday and Thursdays 3.20pm-4.30pm.  You must register your child via the Schoolzine App. See details earlier in the newsletter regarding the App. Millie Kenna and Ben Kelly will be running the program.

Please only register your child/children the day of or the night before the session they will be attending. Cut off is 12pm. The form will not be live until Monday February 3.

Days are subject to change depending on the availability of Millie Kenna.

COMMUNITY NEWS