Wednesday 30 August 2017

Week 7 Term 3 2017

First Communion Workshops
Our Year 3's are preparing to make their First Communion early next term. This week, the children and their families have workshops to help prepare them to receive this. Here is a prayer for parents to pray for their children making their First Holy Communion.

Lord, give us the wisdom and the courage to help our children as you would

to develop in them a Christ-like love for all people … 


To nurture in them a desire to give and not simply to take … 
to teach them to be doers of Your Holy Word.

 

Guide us in our parental responsibilities strengthen our love as a family
so that we may work together in coming closer to You.
 

May we be the expression of Your love to our children
so that each day will be as today …


Your love received and shared … 
to help us be one in the Body of Christ.


Amen

Father's Day
Thanks to our parents who have organised the Year 6 Father's Day breakfast and the Father's Day staff for this Friday. Please remember to $5 for the Father's Day stall.


Book Week
During Book Week, the children were fortunate to have a special session with visiting writer and playwright, Carmel Hogan. Carmel worked with the children to create their own heroic spiritual journey maps of their imaginations.

HUG….. Help Us Grow
Recently, I had the privilege of being involved with a charity in Uganda called HUG…Help Us Grow. HUG is an Australian-based not-for-profit organisation founded by a Kyabram couple, Helen and Adrian Brown together with Ugandan, Ssemwogerere David almost 10 years ago.
“HUG's aim has always been to create projects in Uganda to empower Ugandans to make a positive difference in their own lives. All projects and programs are established in consultation with local communities and their ownership of the venture is considered essential from the very beginning. We work in partnership with the Ugandans to fulfil ambitions they have to create a sustainable difference. It is not about giving them a hand out, it is about enabling them to pursue projects they would otherwise be unable to achieve. With this in mind, all HUG projects in Uganda, are now being co-ordinated through the Suubi Centre which we have developed in partnership with the local community of Lubanda Village, Lwengo District.”
 The organisation now comprises  a health clinic, a community centre,  a secondary school and it has initiated a range of projects, such as the women’s craft group, the chicken project, the pig project and the coffee project , all of which help support the community in Lubanda. As well as these, a new project was begun in the last year by another board member, Loretta Lilford, called “The Smiling heARTs”.
“The ‘Smiling heARTs’ are children with disabilities, who we believe, have great ability and deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. The art project provides a means whereby the children can express themselves, grow in confidence and truly feel valued. By being part of the classes the children feel not so isolated and they are able to communicate their feelings to the world.”
During my visit with HUG, I was overwhelmed by the welcome from all the people, young and old and how the students embraced the opportunity to learn new skills. I worked with the children in the Smiling heARTs and the secondary school students, creating cards and items made from felt, which the Year 6 children at St Patrick’s had handmade for them prior to my departure. The children were enthusiastic participants, learning new sewing skills and teaching me many of their own skills such as intricate woven wristbands. I have returned to Australia with the completed craft items from the students, which will now be sold and the funds raised will be returned to the community and the children to enable the continuation of the programs, as well as provide financial support to the individuals who created the crafts.
The experience has been a life affecting one. A succinct way to sum it up, was expressed by a friend when she wrote ….”it has made me thankful and mindful. It’s caused me to consciously manifest an attitude of thankfulness and gratefulness.”
On Monday 11th September, Helen Brown one of the HUG founders, will be visiting St Patrick’s to share her experiences of HUG and to give our students an insight into life in Uganda. The presentations will be given in two sittings from 2pm in the school hall. Prep and Year 1 and 2 will participate at 2pm and Year 3,4,5 and 6 students at 2.30pm.
We ask the children to bring a gold coin donation for the opportunity to contribute to the HUG charity.
 We warmly welcome all parents to join us for this presentation which I am sure you will find most interesting.
Following the final presentation, the crafts from the secondary school, Smiling heARTs and the ladies craft group will be on sale for children and parents to purchase. It will be an opportunity to purchase gifts for friends, family and even for Christmas. A price list will be sent home next week.
If you would like to learn more about HUG and read more about the volunteers’ experiences, follow the link below.
http://www.hug.org.au/index.html

Karin Dornbierer (Visual Arts Teacher)











































Upcoming dates -  Term 3

Wednesday 30th August             First Communion Workshop @  6.15pm  3O                     
Friday 1st September                  Yr 6 Father's Day Breakfast & Father's Day Stall
Friday 15th September               School Disco
Friday 22nd September              End of term 3.  Students dismissed @ 2pm

Community Notices



Wednesday 23 August 2017

Week 6 Term 3 2017

Family Mass, Class Masses and First Communion Workshops
Thanks to the many families that attended the mass on Sunday and to the children who participated with enthusiasm.
Fr Paul invites families and friends to attend weekly class masses and stay for a cuppa and a biscuit after mass. Last Friday was the first mass where Year 1 families were officially invited. There was a big turnout. One grandmother dropped into school afterwards and said they appreciated the opportunity to share the mass with their grandchild.
To help with the catering, it was suggested that each family contribute one packet of biscuits for the year. Families whose surnames begin with A to K are asked to kindly drop one pack of biscuits into the office for now.
This Friday is the Year 5 class mass.
First Communion workshops take place on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 6:15pm next week. Please see upcoming dates section for allocated times.


Book Week
Thank you to all of the parents and children who worked hard to create the fantastic costumes to celebrate the beginning of Book Week on Monday.
Out school hall was full to capacity when children, staff and families came together to view costumes. Unfortunately this year, there wasn't enough room for all of the children to safely come up onto the stage but each class had a chance to stand and share their stunning creations.
The Book Week Committee will look at alternative options for sharing costumes for next year.
A special thank you to Bernadette Wood, our teacher librarian, for coordinating this week's activities and events with the support of Kerryn Oliver, Anne Mullan and Catherine Fogarty.

You can view more photos on the St Patrick's Inspiring Leaders of the Future FaceBook Page
Congratulations to Zoe and Josh
Zoe in Year 3 and Josh in Year 6 were both presented with a special award last week in recognition of their artistic school designs. Zoe's design is her representation of our school vision "Engaged and motivated learners always faithful to out loving God". Josh's design is a sketch of our school building. These designs have been used on our new school cards. 

Zoe and Josh's design have been made into school cards.

Restorative Practice Evening
For those of you unable to attend last week, I will be presenting the Restorative Practice slideshow from David Vinegrad, during the POPE meeting on Friday 25th August at 9am in the staffroom.
You can read about the Restorative Practice approach and a very honest reflection about this from one of our school parents Kate Cherfi  at this link.
We welcome parents to come along on Friday morning and learn more about how to help build resilience for our children and families.

Dendy District Athletics
We’re delighted with the efforts of all members of the Athletics team who competed in the Dendy District Athletics Day on Friday 11th August at Lakeside Stadium. Not only did our students put in amazing efforts in the track and field events, but their behaviour, team spirit and support for each other was fantastic. Special thanks go to the parent helpers who assisted with the event- Mary Hogan, Kylie Telfer, Paula Campbell and Gilly Lechte.
Further congratulations go to the following students who will go on to compete at the next level at the Bayside Division Athletics in a few weeks: 
- Emma M (Yr4) in Hurdles and 100m
- Luciana D(Yr4) in 100m and 200m
- Ben M (Yr4) in Long Jump
- Alice M (Yr4) in Triple Jump
- Charlotte H (Yr5) in Long Jump
- Tom G (Yr6) in Hurdles
- Georgia H (Yr6) in 200m and 4x100m Relay
-  Ella L, Olivia T and Chloe A (Yr6) in the 4x100m Relay.  
We wish them luck!!




We had lots of fun at the Athletics. We were in lots of different events such as sprints, hurdles, 1500m, shotput, discus, long jump, triple jump and relay. We were all participating in our events and cheering people on. I hope to see more smiley faces at the next competition.
                                                                        By Emma M (Yr4)

Staff  Leadership Profile
Mrs Kerryn Oliver

This is my second stint at St Patrick's and I feel I've returned to a very special, caring community.
I have two roles - Literacy Leader & Student Diversity Leader as well as enjoying a shared teaching role in year 4.
As Literacy leader, I support the teachers to build their Pedagogy in reaching Reading, Writing, Spelling, and Listening & Speaking.
In my Student Diversity role I liaise with teachers and Learning Support Staff to identify learning goals and oversee intervention and enrichment programs.
My joy is working in the classroom on Fridays and supporting students on a daily basis.  
Aside from my working life, I enjoy spending time with my family, keeping fit and barracking for those mighty Swans!

Year 3 Student Recounts 
“Here’s our stop!” The Grade 3 children went on an excursion to St Patrick’s Cathedral, the MCG and the National Sports Museum. My favourite part was when Jeff showed us around the MCG like where the football players sit before a game. We also got to stand on the field! I had so much fun! - Olivia Crawford 3W

O where to begin? It was the most fascinating excursion ever. We started walking into St Patrick’s Cathedral and my eyes pop out! It is so...I can’t even put it into words - the colours, the light - it was so gorgeous! - Charlotte Aranda 3W

Wow! I just went to the top three landmarks in Australia! They were magnificent! St Patrick’s Cathedral had lots of chapels and so many pews. We looked at the ceiling pointing to God! The MCG was amazing. We went down to the ground and sat on the benches, they were as soft as a pillow. In the rooms we sang the Murrumbeena club song. I had the best Tuesday ever! Fraser Stewart 3O

Buildings! Buildings! Buildings! Firstly we went to St Patrick’s Cathedral. It was so big! We went inside and it was an amazing sight! We saw a High Altar and a New Altar. Under the railings were golden three leaf clovers! At the MCG, we went into the change rooms, the interviewing rooms, the planning rooms, even on the ground! We had such a good time! Leo Cerreto-Dillon 3O

“Wow!” was what I exclaimed when we stepped out of the bus and looked around...it was amazing to be standing in front of the largest church in Australia called St. Patrick’s Cathedral with its stained glass windows and tall spires. On the stained glass there were pictures of Bible stories like the Easter Story. The Cathedral began construction in the 1800s, so it’s very old and big. The Cathedral has heaps of seats and more than 10 people can fit in one pew. By Kayley 3L

“It’s sooo big!” On the MCG excursion we went in the rooms and on the ground. We saw machines that they used to make sure the grass grew all over the ground because only one half of the ground receives natural sunlight. It was such a fun excursion. By Jack 3L

I loved all of our excursion but I especially loved the National Sports Museum. There was so much to see in just under an hour. We got to see the old footy jumpers and some old medals. There was a really cool hologram of Shane Warne and James Hird. We also went to an interactive part of the Museum called GAME ON! We pretended to be playing a game of footy and cricket and had a go at sports like archery.
Best day ever!! By Grace 3L



Condolences
Our prayers are with the Leigh- Lancaster family, on the passing of Zoe's (2T) auntie.

St Patrick's Disco
The format for this year's Disco is a "closed event" due to the new Child Protection Act effective from 01/08/2017.  The disco is a P & F function and is not supervised be school staff hence no child will be permitted to leave the disco and must be signed in and out on the night.  Full details have been included on the red flyer which came home yesterday.





Upcoming dates -  Term 3
Friday 25th August                     9am Restorative Practice slideshow POPE meeting
Tuesday 29th August                  First Communion Workshop @ 6.15pm 3W,  
                                                    7.30pm 3L
Wednesday 30th August             First Communion Workshop @  6.15pm  3O                     
Friday 1st September                  Yr 6 Father's Day Breakfast & Father's Day Stall
Friday 15th September               School Disco
Friday 22nd September              End of term 3.  Students dismissed @ 2pm

Community Notices


Friday 18 August 2017

Week 5, Term 3, 2017

Assumption of Mary
The whole school attended mass on Tuesday to celebrate the Assumption of Mary. We remember to pray to Mary and to follow her example as the first disciple of Jesus, always faithful to our loving God.
We look forward to celebrating Family Mass together at St Patrick's, 9 am this Sunday.

Restorative Practice Parent Evening
Thank you to all of the parents and staff who attended the evening last Thursday. You can read about the Restorative Practice approach and a very honest reflection of the Cherfi family experiences at this link.
For those of you unable to attend, I will be presenting the Restorative Practice slideshow from David Vinegrad, during the POPE meeting on Friday 25th August at 9am in the staffroom.
Parents and staff participating at the Restorative Practice evening
Happy Birthday Fr Paul
Congratulations to Fr Paul who celebrated his birthday on Thursday 17th August. Very special blessings from all of the St Patrick's School Community.


Book Week


Book Week celebrations commence with a Parade on Monday 21 August at 9am in the Hall (no assembly but parents are welcome to come to the parade).

Books allow us to escape this world and go into places where we can experience other countries, cultures and times both real and imaginary. Some examples from the classics are The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in Narnia, Peter Pan and Wendy in Neverland, Gulliver's Travels in the Land of Lilliput, Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest. Children are sharing their ideas for dressing up with inspiration from the excellent books shortlisted for book of the year. For more ideas visit cbca.org.au

During Book Week we will host a visiting writer and playwright who will work with students to create their own heroic spiritual journey map of their imaginations. Students need to bring a pillow and a cozy blankie/throw to their Library session in Book Week. More details of each class group's session time and day to follow.

Salesian College Primary School PartnershipVisit

Today ten Year 7 students came to visit the Year 4 classes.  They delivered three excellent presentations in the fields of Science, P.E. and a general Getting Ready for High School power point.  The students were a credit to themselves and their school as were our students who enjoyed the activities and were very engaged listeners.






Upcoming dates -  Term 3

Monday 21st August                   Bookweek commences with a parade in the hall @ 9am
Tuesday 29th August                  First Communion Workshop @ 6.15pm 3W,  7.30pm 3L
Wednesday 30th August             First Communion Workshop @  6.15pm  3O
Friday 25th August                     9am Restorative Practice slideshow POPE meeting
Friday 1st September                  Yr 6 Father's Day Breakfast & Father's Day Stall

Community Notices


Thursday 10 August 2017

Week 4, Term 3, 2017

Enhancing Catholic School Identity Project (ECSIP)
In 2014, students, staff and parents from St Patrick's school completed ECSIP surveys. These were collated and formed a report with recommendations going forward for the school to enhance our Catholic identity. Next year, we are due to complete a second round of surveys and review the progress since the last report.
Last week, I was sponsored by Catholic Education Melbourne to participate in a masters level paper at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). The paper is focussed on the ECSIP. ECSIP is a research and implementation project between the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria (CECV) and the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. Prof. Dr. Didier Polleyfeyt and the chief scientific researcher Drs. Jan Bouwens have been leading the project since 2006. They came from Belgium to present to us at ACU during our studies last week.
The five days of study working on the paper were very valuable and will enable me to support the great progress that has already been happening in our school since the last ECSIP review.
I wrote a reflection about my experiences on my principal's blog. You can read it at this link. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions around the ECSI Project.


100 Days at school !!
Congratulations to our Prep children who celebrated 100 days at school this week. Thanks to all parents who spent time preparing the wonderful outfits the children wore and to the teachers for planning the fun activities for this special day.


Peer Mediation Training Year 5
Our Year 5's are preparing to be Peer Mediator Leaders in Year 6. So far, the training programme has focussed on active listening, levels of conflict and 'I' statements. The Year 5's came up with a number of expectations about their role as Peer Mediators in relation to our school values of responsibility, respect and resilience.







Book Week


Book Week is fast approaching and this year's theme is Escape to Everywhere. It can be the stimulus for children to dress up as a character for our Book Week celebrations commencing with a Parade on Monday 21 August at 9am in the Hall (no assembly but parents are welcome to come to the parade).

Books allow us to escape this world and go into places where we can experience other countries, cultures and times both real and imaginary. Some examples from the classics are The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe in Narnia, Peter Pan and Wendy in Neverland, Gulliver's Travels in the Land of Lilliput, Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest. Children are sharing their ideas for dressing up with inspiration from the excellent books shortlisted for book of the year. For more ideas visit cbca.org.au

During Book Week we will host a visiting writer and playwright who will work with students to create their own heroic spiritual journey map of their imaginations. Students need to bring a pillow and a cozy blanky/throw to their Library session in Book Week. More details of each class group's session time and day to follow.

Classroom Repairs
Thanks to the efficient work of our school staff and tradespeople, 2T and 4P were both able to move back into their classrooms this week.

SRC Representatives Presentation
SRC badges for Semester 2 reps will be presented to the reps at Assembly on Monday 14th August.


The Wonder of Living Family Enrichment Family Night

"The Wonder of Living Family Enrichment Program" is coming to our school to offer a Family Night on the topic of sexuality education. The Evening is aimed specifically at Yr 4s and 5s and will be held on
Date: Wed 16th of August Time and Session: Yr 4 (Puberty),  6pm –7.15 in the hall  
Yr 5 (Puberty)7.30pm – 8.45 in the hall


Fiesta Loco Night Thank You
Thanks to our our wonderful team of parents who organised the very successful social night fundraiser last weekend.

Fiesta Organisers:
Jo McAuliffe
Samantha Pickering
Pip Compton

Online Auction Coordinators:
Wendy Hawkins
Gabby Parr
Bree Langham

Special Mention:
Dave and Josh Compton
Andrew Pickering
Danny Egan and Joel Saunders
Sam Imbert and Paula Sanders

General Thankyou:
to our families who donated goods and services




Funding Alert Parent Update from Catholic Education Victoria
If you wish to have this emailed to you. Please email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au


Upcoming dates -  Term 3

Friday 11th August                     Dendy District Athletics for Year 4-6 qualifiers
Monday 14th August                  Yr 3 excursion to the National Sports Museum & St. Patrick's                                                                 Cathedral 
Wednesday 16th August             "The Wonder of Living Family Enrichment Night" Year 4@ 6pm
                                                                                                                                       Year 5@7.30pm
Monday 21st August                   Bookweek commences with a parade in the hall @ 9am
Tuesday 29th August                  First Communion Workshop @ 6.15pm 3W,  7.30pm 3L
Wednesday 30th August             First Communion Workshop @  6.15pm  3O
Friday 1st September                  Yr 6 Father's Day Breakfast & Father's Day Stall

Community Notices








Thursday 3 August 2017

Week 3, Term 3, 2017

This week our Year 6s began their preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation with our  Family Workshop on Tuesday night. It was a reflective and informative introduction to the sacrament, and we thank the parents and students who braved the cold, along with Matt Hale, Marg O’Dwyer, Fr Paul and Anne Mullan who facilitated the evening.
Please keep the Confirmation candidates in your prayers.

Flooding update


The repairs to the classrooms of 2T and 4P continue with carpets, ceilings and skirtings being replaced, and painting to be completed. Hopefully all children will be back in their classrooms next week. Once again a huge thank you to the parents who responded so readily to our short-notice school closure. 

Parent Helper's Course
I will be facilitating a 2nd Classroom Parent Helper’s Workshop in Term 3.
I will conduct the session this Monday 7th August @ 9.10
If you are interested you must have a current Working with Children check which is available from the Post Office. Please give that information to Sandra so it can be put on the database.
Regards
Kerryn Oliver
Literacy Leader

Returning to St Patrick's in 2018?

If you have a child in year Prep -2 who will not be returning, or possibly not returning, to St Patrick's next year for any reason, please notify me by Friday 11th August. Thank you. jhawkins@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au


ST PAT’S PLANTING CLUB!

We are excited to share that Planting Club officially started at St Pat’s last Friday at lunch time. With help from Danny Egan and the support from the Grade 6 Environment Leaders, children were able to plant tomato seeds to take home and grow, as well as mint, thyme and basil seeds for our very own garden at school. Any parents who are interested in assisting with Planting Club at lunchtime on Fridays are invited to send Kim Whitfield an email kwhitfield@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au


Planting Club was so much fun and it was so good to get our hands dirty! We planted tomato seeds and were able to take them home to grow. We also planted basil, mint and thyme in trays to grow at school. We think everyone should come and try Planting Club!

By Lila Saunders and Ewan Walters 3W



Restorative Practices Parent Seminar

Urgent reminder to return the slip for this seminar next week.