Thursday 21 September 2017

Week 10, Term 3, 2017

Confirmation
Last night the first of our two Confirmation masses took place with Bishop Peter Elliott and Father Paul.
This was a beautiful occasion for the Year 6 students, their sponsors and families as they were blessed with the strength of the Holy Spirit.
The second Confirmation mass will take place this evening.
Thanks to Mrs Mullan, Mr Hale, Mrs O' Dwyer and Mrs Little who have helped to prepare for the students for receiving this sacrament. Special thanks to Rodney, the Parish Pastoral Associate who has also led the Year 5 choir who sing at both masses.

The  Year 6 display showing the Fruits of the Holy Spirit
Thank you 
I would like to wish you all a safe and happy holiday period. Thanks to all of our staff who have worked hard during the term. We look forward to welcoming you all back to Term 4 on Monday 9th October.

P & F thank you
Thanks to all of our wonderful Parents and Friends who work tirelessly for our school. Special thanks to Janine Moulton who coordinated the recent school disco. Thanks to Cath Righetti and Helen Stubbs who are coordinating the hot dogs for the Footballers and Fairies day tomorrow.


Sunsmart Policy and Summer Uniform

Here is an excerpt from our school policy. Children need to wear their hats with their Summer uniform in Term 4.

2.  Slip on sun protective clothing

  • Sun protective clothing is included in our school uniform / dress code and sports uniform. School clothing is cool, loose-fitting and made of densely woven fabric. Additional sun-protective clothing is a requirement for higher-risk, off-site school activities, such as the Grade 5/6 water program.


3. Slap on a hat

  • All students are required to wear hats that protect their face, neck and ears (legionnaire, broad-brimmed or bucket hat), whenever they are outside. Peak caps and visors are not considered a suitable alternative.

4. Slop on sunscreen

  • Students must provide their own SPF30 (or higher) broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen. This is included on the school’s booklist each year.
  • Sunscreen is applied at least 20 minutes (where possible) before going outdoors and reapplied every two hours.
  • Strategies are in place to remind students to apply sunscreen before going outdoors (e.g. reminder notices, sunscreen monitors, sunscreen buddies).

Break up Reminder
Children will be dismissed at 2.00pm tomorrow and we look forward to seeing everyone back on Monday 9th October refreshed and hopefully over all the cold and flu bugs that have lingered this term.

Love is in the air at St. Patrick's
2017 has been a wonderful year for some of our staff here at St Patrick's.  This year we have seen the engagement of Mr. Jones, Miss Maraschiello and most recently Miss Whitfield.  Congratulations Paul, Lisa and Kim and we look forward to sharing in the all the upcoming wedding excitement.

Keep voting in the  Dreamhome Competition
If you haven't already done so please follow the link and scroll down for the St Patrick' finalist entries.  https://www.marshallwhite.com.au/dreamhome-art-competition/

Catholic Education Today
Here is a link to the online version of the Term 3 edition of Catholic Education Today. This edition features an article on literacy and reading, tips for parents about subject selection in the senior years, a promotion of this year’s Australian Catholic Youth Festival, and the usual features of Educators in Profile and Around the Melbourne Archdiocese.

Report of the Youth Leadership Graduation Night on 12th September 2017

Congratulations to all the students who graduated from the Advanced Presentation Skills Youth Leadership Course on Tuesday 12th September.   All students impressed their teachers and families with a very high standard of Prepared Speeches, Off the Cuff Speeches and evaluations.  Students who delivered Audio Visual presentations handled them in a very mature manner with excellent timing of their slides.

50 students were awarded their certificates of completion. Trophies were awarded to:


6H
6L

Best Speech

Saffy D

Sienna B
Best Off the Cuff Speaker

Charlotte I

Ava H

Best Evaluator

Ella L

Josh C

Most Improved

Chloe A

Olivia T

Special thanks to the Masters of Ceremonies, Chloe Sand Xavier C for their fine efforts. The Off the Cuff Presenters, Tom Q and Larissa G were well prepared with excellent questions and superb control of their respective audiences.

Thank you to all the students who participated in the Entertainment Segments including Abbott and Costello skits “Who’s on First” and “Uncle Herman is Dying”.  Our joke tellers were Wesley L, Max R, Emma S and Gus O.  Everyone was well prepared, well rehearsed and extremely entertaining.

A very big thank you to the teachers who encouraged and supported the students work and helped make the evening a success –Mr Hale, Mrs O’Dwyer and Ms Little.  The Principal, Ms Hawkins and two of the parents (Mrs Bates and Mr Compton) also responded to “Off the Cuff” questions.  Thank you for participating.  Thank you to all the other teachers who gave up their time to watch the grade 6 students perform, it goes to show how dedicated the teachers at St. Pats are.

Thank you so much for a very impressive and memorable evening.  The team efforts of the students and teachers alike were much appreciated. I have enjoyed witnessing an incredible level of camaraderie and support between all the students, and I believe your support and positive comments to each other aided in the increase in confidence and improvement in the standard of work each and every week. I enjoyed being entertained with many interesting stories and I hope all participants enjoyed the whole experience as much as I did.  You certainly did yourselves, your families and your school proud and I look forward to doing it all again with the grade five students.

Sandra de Geest

Advanced Presentation Skills.

COMMUNITY NOTICES


Thursday 14 September 2017

Week 9, Term 3, 2017

Family Mass and Confirmation
This Sunday is our monthly Family Mass at 9am in the St Patrick's Church with Fr Paul. We look forward to celebrating mass together.

Confirmation is a true sacrament instituted by Christ and different from baptism. It is administered by laying-on of hands and anointing with chrism accompanied by prayer. The chrism is blessed by the bishop and the bishop administers the sacrament. Please pray for our Year 6 children who will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation next week. You can read about the saints the children have chosen for their Confirmation names on the informative posters displayed outside the hall.

HUG Thank you
Thank you to everyone for your support on Monday. Our guest speaker and HUG charity organiser Helen was humbled by the amount of craft which was sold. She also complemented the children on their attention during the assembly and their impressive behaviour. Parents were very generous, buying so much and asking to keep the change as a donation. The day brought the best out in everyone.
It's important to know that the money raised and crafts sold will directly impact those people in Uganda and everyone has played a part in that. The only costs that they have is for their website and there is a donor who pays for that. Everyone involved in HUG is a volunteer.

Here is a message from Helen about the funds raised:
Smiling heArts craft -$868, Rosary breads-$242.10, Suubi ladies craft -$1234, Suubi SS - $853, gold coin donation -$190, extra/donations- $60.80 GRAND TOTAL-$3447.90!! Absolutely unbelievable! I can't even begin to express my thanks!!! Please pass on details and huge thanks and hugs to everyone at school,





Year 5 Geography Expo
The Grade 5’s proudly hosted their Geography Exhibition on Tuesday 12th September in the hall. As part of their geography research task, students created projects about a continent and country of their choice. The Grade 5's were dressed in their country’s traditional outfit and displayed a diorama, poster, map and had a box of questions to demonstrate their knowledge!
Thank you to all the classes, teachers and parents who were able to come and see the fantastic work the Grade 5's are completing.






Thank you to our Working Bee families
A big thanks to Danny and the families who supported the working bee on Saturday. Our school grounds are in tip top shape.

Condolences
Our thoughts are with the McAlister family on the passing of Liz's father Raymond Kelly (Angus' (3W) grandfather)  and also with the Brooks family of the passing of Gerald's mother, Mary Brooks (Daniel's (3W) grandmother).

HOOPTIME
Over the past two weeks, Year 6s and Year 4s participated at the HoopTime Basketball Tournaments. Our students all enjoyed the opportunity to play in the competition; from beginners playing in their first ever basketball matches to experienced players who displayed their skills in some very exciting matches. Their efforts and the respectful behaviour they displayed throughout the days is to be congratulated.  A big thank you to to the parents who came along and assisted on the day. Your support is invaluable.

Special mention must go to the Year 4 Girls AllStar team who won all their matches, including the Grand Final and will have the opportunity to compete at the next level.




BEACHSIDE DIVISION ATHLETICS

Following their excellent results at the Dendy Athletics last month, 9 children went on to compete in the Beachside Athletics at Lakeside Stadium last week. The standard was very high and once again, our students represented the school proudly. Congratulations to all the students who participated and to Emma M (Yr4) who came 2nd in the 9/10 Girls Hurdles and will now go on to compete at the Regional Competition…. A huge achievement!

ST PATRICK’S SPORTS DAY

Track works at Duncan Mackinnon have been delayed and therefore, our School Sports Day has been rescheduled for Wednesday 25th October (Week 3 of Term 4)
We will be asking for Parent Helpers (Prep – Yr6) for this event- please save the date!
HOT DOG & FOOTBALL/FAIRY DAY Friday 22 September.
Come dressed up as a footballer/fairy/supporter/umpire or a combination, all for the cost of a gold coin donation to fete preparations.  Hotdogs can also be ordered @$2.50 each. All forms should now have been returned.  NB.  For those children who do not eat hotdogs.. lunch can still be brought from home or lunch orders will still be available too.

UPCOMING DATES TERM 3
Friday 15th September               School Disco
Wed   20th September                Confirmation
Friday 22nd September              Football/Fairy/Hotdog Day
                                                    End of term 3.  Students dismissed @ 2pm
Community Notices



Wednesday 6 September 2017

Week 8, Term 3, 2017

A Prayer for Father's Day
Heavenly Father, you entrusted your Son, Jesus, 
the child of Mary,
 to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers as they care for their families.
Give them strength and wisdom, 
tenderness and patience;
Support them in the work they have to do, 
protecting those who look to them,
 as we look to you for love and salvation,
 through Jesus Christ 
our rock and defender. 
                         Amen.

A special thank you to all parents who helped organise the Father's Day stall and the Year 6 breakfast. Thanks to Laurel & Hearty for catering for the Father's Day breakfast. Thanks to all of the dads and special friends who joined the Year 6's for such a special celebration. We hope all dads enjoyed Father's Day.

Class Mass
Thanks to those families who have dropped off a pack of biscuits for the weekly class masses. It's lovely to see so many parents and grandparents join their children for mass on a Friday morning. This week's class mass is for the Year 2 classes.
Child Safety  
Last Wednesday, I attended a workshop at the Catholic Leadership Centre around the Child Safe Standards. I have written a summary of my learning to share with you. You can learn more at this link. I hope this helps to explain the significance of the many changes we have had to make to the way we run things at St Pat's. Ultimately we have the safety and well being of every child at the heart of our decision making. I would like to set up a Child Safety Committee. If you are a parent who is particularly interested in joining the group, please let me know either in person or by email principal@spmurrumbeena.catholic.edu.au
Read this link to find out what Child Safety has to do with Swiss cheese!
National Child Protection Week
This week is National Child Protection Week National Child Protection Week (NCPW) invites all Australians to play their part to promote the safety and wellbeing of children and young people. In 2017, NCPW is being held from 3–9 September. Now in its 27th year, NCPW is coordinated across Australia by the National Association for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN). 
The week represents an effort to engage and educate all Australians to understand they have a part to play in keeping children and young people safe from violence, abuse and neglect. It supports and encourages the safety and wellbeing of Australian children and families through awards, events, programs and resources. This year, NAPCAN encourages everyone to build on Protecting Children is Everyone’s Business: Play Your Part by focusing on the theme Stronger Communities, Safer Children. This theme emphasises the importance and value of connected communities in keeping children and young people safe and well.

Restorative Practice Slideshow
Many of you attended the Restorative Practice evening to learn and understand how to support the school through a unified approach to resolving concerns. You can read more at this link.
The slides from the evening are now available on the parent section of the principal's blog. You can access them at this link.
Angela Yates our Student Wellbeing leader and I attended an advanced Restorative Practice Day for teachers and leaders last week. The important message was that schools are established for teaching and learning. Restorative Practices complement effective teaching and learning pedagogy.



HUG charity fundraiser





































Staff Profile 

Angela Yates

I have been a member of the teaching staff at St Patrick’s Primary School for 6 years.

I have two roles at St Patrick’s- Foundation teacher Monday to Wednesday and Student Wellbeing Leader Thursdays. I consider teaching children in their first year of school both a blessing and an honour.
As a Student Wellbeing leader I support the staff in taking proactive measures in order to create learning environments in which all students are included and feel safe and supported.  I am responsible for facilitating Student Wellbeing Core Team meetings, SRC, overseeing Restorative Practices and embedding our School Wide Positive Behaviours policy. The SWB Core team is comprised of representatives from each grade level and specialist staff and the Student Diversity Leader. The SWB Core team share their collective experience and expertise to support students and teachers. The SRC (Student Representative Council) is an opportunity for student voice. Student voice allows children to engage, participate, lead and learn.


Just a reminder to return forms and money for the disco next Friday 15th September and if possible, to put your name down to help on the rosters outside the office.




UPCOMING DATES TERM 3
Friday 15th September               School Disco
Wed   20th September                Confirmation
Friday 22nd September              End of term 3.  Students dismissed @ 2pm

Community Notices