OCTOBER 17, 2024 NEWSLETTER

CHILD SAFETY STATEMENT

FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Dear Parents and Carers,

With only one week to go before our 175th Anniversary weekend I encourage anyone wanting to attend the School Tours and Official Ceremony - Wine and Cheese events on Saturday to register asap.

All families are invited to the Anniversary Mass in the school hall on Sunday at 10.30am.  A number of students will be singing in the choir.  

We still need more families to volunteer to provide food for the morning tea after the mass and to help with setting up before mass and cleaning up after.  

Monday October 28 is Grandparent's Day, which follows straight after our Anniversary weekend.  The children will be invited to dress up in olden day clothes, will play olden day games with their grandparents/special friends and enjoy a sausage sizzle with them as well. Have you let us know if your child has a grandparent or special friend coming?

Congratulations to the athletes who competed in the Western Region Athletic Championships.  We are very proud of what you have all achieved.  Goodluck to Lilly Roberts and Will Versace as they go on to the Victorian Competition. 

We have a working bee scheduled for this Saturday October 19 at 9.00am to spruce our school grounds up before the Anniversary weekend. Please contact the office if you are available to come along. 

Olga Lyons

VALE SR MAUREEN

It is with deep sadness that we say a final farewell to our much loved and valued Sr Maureen Stone.  Sr Maureen has volunteered at St Patrick's school for many years, giving her time to processing and covering books in the library.  There were very few books that she couldn't revive with her magic mending skills.

She was so supportive of St Patrick's school and just loved being here without asking for anything in return. 

She officially retired at the beginning of this year and died peacefully early Saturday morning. Our school and the church communities will miss her gentleness and friendship.  She truly did the work of God's hands here on earth. 

FROM THE RE LEADER - ELIZA DWYER

ASSEMBLY & AWARDS

This week's assembly will be led by the Yr 2 students. Assembly is this Friday October 18 at 2.40pm in the hall.

Students who will received awards this week are:

• Foundation - Whole Class
• Year 1 - Millie Leddin & Brax Shiells
• Year 2 - Ikoro Sakate & Jai Coxall
• Year 3 - Otto Carrucan & Ayla Gramss
• Year 4 - Ines Murphy, George Moutsos, Nelly Parkinson & Sully Hayes
• Year 5 - James Sproal & Ethan Gramss
• Year 6 - Claudia Williams & Annika Fitzsimmons

GREATER WESTERN REGION PRIMARY TRACK AND FIELD RESULTS

St Patrick’s were represented at last week’s School Sport Victoria, Greater Western Region (GWR) Athletics Finals in Ballarat.  Congratulations to the following students on representing yourselves and St Patrick’s Primary School so well.  Thank you to our Mums and Dads for transporting and supporting our students on the day.

Conor Sheehan: Conor competed in the 10 year old boys 80 meters hurdles and finished 8th overall.  A top 10 finish for Conor in this region is an outstanding result.

Occy Hayes: Occy competed in two events. The 12/13 year old 1500m and the 800m.  In the 1500m Occy beat his personal best time by 4 seconds to finish 4th.  In the 800m, Occy beat his personal best time by 2 seconds to again finish 4th.  Two top 5 finishes is a very impressive result.  

Sully Hayes: Sully competed in three events. The 10 year old 1500m, 800m and 100m.  Sully beat his personal best time by 7 seconds to finish with a bronze medal in the 1500m.  He came 5th in his 800m, and in his 100m Sully finished in 13th position.  A bronze medal, a top 5 finish and a top 15 finish.  A very productive day for Sully Hayes.

Alex Harris: Alex competed in the 11 year old 200m.  Alex beat his qualifying time by half a second to finish in 3rd place and win himself a bronze medal for the day.  A top 3 finish in the region is a wonderful result for Alex.

Will Versace: Will competed in the 11 year old 800m and 1500m.  Will finished 7th in the 800m, and continued the medal haul for St Patrick’s with an outstanding silver medal in the 1500m.  Will will now advance to the School Sport Victoria State Athletic Finals.

Lilly Roberts: Lilly competed in the 10 year old discus throw and was beaten by no other soul.  Gold for Lily!  In the Warrnambool and District qualifying event Lily threw 14.44m to qualify for the regional finals.  Lily obliterated this with a personal best of 20.03m.  She will now advance to the School Sport Victoria State Athletic Finals.

SPRING MUSIC FESTIVAL CHOIR

On Sunday 13th October we were very fortunate to be once again involved in the closing gala performance of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival. Our children rehearsed for over 40 hours in their after school time to learn the piece, ‘Pluto’ composed by Stefan Cassomenos and written, in part, by the children themselves.

The work ‘Pluto’ was an additional piece written to reflect the emotional journey of the reclassified dwarf planet. While it was large enough to have become spherical, it was not big enough to exert its orbital dominance and clear the neighbourhood surrounding its orbit.

Our children were once again so privileged to have voice coaching from the magnificent Dermot Tutty. Dermot is well renowned across Australia as one of the most prestigious vocal coaches, we are so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him. 

Congratulations to our children, Aurora Down, Ayla Gramss, Inala Hayes, Rebecca Mahony, Gracie Robinson, Kolo Sakate, Poppy Robinson, Sadie Taylor, Marley van den berg and Heidi Wagg who performed at the Reardon Theatre on Sunday.

CLASS NEWS - YEAR 4

AUSSIE BIRD COUNT

It is the Aussie Backyard Bird Count this week!  

The students have been contributing to this nationwide Citizen Science project by identifying and counting the birds in the school grounds.  

If you would like to participate in this important project at home, go to the website: https://aussiebirdcount.org.au/ for information. Spend 20 minutes counting the birds in your back garden and submit your count to the website. You can do as many counts as you like throughout the week!

Happy bird watching!

175 SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY

 St Patrick's Primary School is celebrating 175 years!

We're hosting a special anniversary event to mark this significant milestone - join us for a trip down memory lane! 

Whether you're a past student, teacher or a first-time visitor, this event is open to everyone. All tickets are free and program details are provided at the link below. Come along to all or as many of the sessions as you like. 

Please RSVP and grab your FREE tickets at: https://spportfairy175.eventbrite.com.au
or phone: 03 5568 1371 (during school hours)

 Help us celebrate this momentous occasion and create more lasting memories.

#stpatricksprimaryschool
#celebrating175years

St Patrick's Student Art Competition - 175th Anniversary

St Pat's is holding an Art Competition to coincide with our 175th Anniversary. If you think your child would be interested in participating in this competition, click on the link below for more information.

OLDEN DAY DRESS UP

To celebrate our 175th Anniversary and Grandparents Day on Monday October 28, the children are invited to dress up in Olden Day Clothing. 

Vests, aprons, bonnets, long dresses, short pants and braces will be all the go in the playground that day. 

$400 SCHOOL SAVINGS BONUS

Not all students are eligible to receive the School Saving Bonus in Catholic Schools. 

Non-government school students who will be in Foundation through to Year 12 in 2025, and who are receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF), are eligible for the School Saving Bonus.

Parents and carers do not need to apply, with the School Saving Bonus being paid to non-government schools for eligible students from late November 2024. 

The $400 School Saving Bonus is available for each child in the family attending the school. That means an eligible family with three school-aged children will receive a total of $1,200. Importantly, the School Saving Bonus is available in addition to the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund.

Additional SSB payments will be made to schools in 2025, for eligible students new to the school in 2025, after schools submit the required information to the Department of Education.

Parents of eligible students are encouraged to discuss their needs with their school prior to the SSB being distributed. SSB payments are to be managed in consultation with the eligible student’s family.

Unused money from the SSB can be transferred to a sibling at the same school if one child finishes school.

The SSB cannot be combined across different schools, and cannot be transferred between government and non-government schools.

PARENT NEWSLETTER - THE RIGHT TO DISCONECT

Incredible as it seems, Australians are depending on legislation to enforce their right to electronically disconnect outside of work hours. In an education sector context, the new law presents some unique challenges as schools are now required to carefully evaluate and adjust out-of-work-hours for teachers. On the one hand, schools have legitimate operational needs that may require teachers to work outside of normal school hours, such as supervising school camps, sports activities, and extra-curricular programs. On the other hand, teachers should be allowed to have a private life as well and not be "permanently on call", but disconnect from work demands during their personal time. How can we manage this delicate balance?

SCHOOL DATES - 2024

SCHOOL TV - THE COST OF LIVING

"As our role as parents is to help our children make sense of the world around them in a way that makes them feel reassured, it may be prudent to talk to your children about financial matters in an informative and empowering way."

Dr Emma Woodward

Click on the link below to read more and complete a survey. 

COLOUR RUN FUNDRAISER - NOVEMBER 8

The Colour Run will be the last major fundraiser for the year. The money raised will go towards new surfaces for our courts.  All donations are directly assigned to a student. The students that raise the most money will be awarded prizes, more information to come regarding this.  Students can start fundraising now, to donate just click on the link or use the QR!

Click here to donate

Donations Wanted!!

Keeping in line with our school's sustainability practices we are looking for any old pool noodles that families may have lying around to reuse for the Colour Run. If you could please bring them in as soon as possible the Hands on Learning team will get to work creating some exciting obstacles for our upcoming run.

2025 JAPANESE STUDENT TRIP INFORMATION MEETING

There will be an Japan trip information meeting on Thursday 31st October 5.30pm - 6.30pm at St. Joseph's Primary School, 70 Botanic Rd, Warrnambool  (enter via reception) 
The aim of this meeting is to present information regarding the proposed Japan Trip for students in September 2025. (Year 6 students and the possibility of Year 5 students - TBC) We are currently gathering details about pricing and will have more information regarding this at the meeting. 

HOST A JAPANESE STUDENT

THUNDERSTORM ASTHMA

Thunderstorm Asthma – be prepared this pollen season

What is Thunderstorm Asthma?

Thunderstorm asthma is a serious and potentially life-threatening phenomenon that can occur during specific weather conditions. It is common throughout all parts of Victoria, particularly during spring when thunderstorms coincide with high levels of pollen in the air.

This combination can trigger severe asthma symptoms, even in people who have not previously experienced asthma or allergies.

Epidemic thunderstorm asthma events are uncommon and don't occur every year. In south-east Australia they can happen during grass pollen season from October through December.

What Causes Thunderstorm Asthma?

During a thunderstorm, pollen grains can be swept up into the clouds, where they break into smaller particles due to moisture. These tiny particles then get blown down by the winds and spread across a wide area. Because they are so small, they can be easily inhaled, reaching deep into the lungs and triggering asthma symptoms such as wheezing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness.

CONCUSSION - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

LIBRARY SHELVING

Thank you to the parents who have volunteered to assist in shelving borrowed books in our Library. You have been rostered on for a week but we only expect you to come in for a short time and later in the week is best.

Week of: 14/10/2024 - Myra Murrihy

Week of: 21/10/2024 - Donna Parsons

Week of: 28/10/2024 - Scott Elliott

SPORTING SCHOOLS

Sporting Schools days for Term 4 are Tuesdays and Thursdays.

To sign your child up for Sporting Schools use the Schoolzine App eForms.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Please have the Colouring competition back to the Warrnambool Show Grounds by October 23^rd.