St Pat's Shamrock: 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