Dear Parents/Caregivers,
The last two weeks have been extremely busy with many important school events.
Harmony Week was once again an important focus for our St Patrick’s community. We began the week with prayer, thanking God for our diverse and special community and finished the week with a vibrant and colourful parade on Friday, Morning Tea and African Drumming workshops for students run by Tony Hole. We were pleased that many families joined us on Friday and helped our school celebrate by wearing traditional, or orange themed, clothing. Special thanks to Huyen Kemp and our Parents and Friends Committee for providing morning tea for the visiting adults. Also, to Jacky and Maria for the orange treats they organised for our students. The theme of Everyone Belongs was highlighted throughout the week in classes and as a whole school.
Last week, all parents were asked to make a time to meet with their child’s teacher(s) for Parent/Student/Teacher Conversations. Strong parent-teacher partnerships are developed and sustained through effective communication. There is much evidence stating that supportive discussions between parent, student and teachers concerning school-related matters have a strong positive relationship to academic achievement. Parental expectations also impact students' aspirations, resulting in higher academic achievement. I thank all the parents who made time to attend these conversations. If you were unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher and make alternative arrangements. Parents can make an appointment at any time throughout the year to discuss their child’s progress.
We finished the week off with our school Sport’s Day. The students came to school very excited donning their house colours and ready to go. The weather was a little unpredictable at first so our opening ceremony was held in the school hall. The weather then improved, and we were able to hold the remainder of the events outside as planned. Once again, it was pleasing to see so many parents come throughout the day to support their child(ren). A special thank you must be extended to Ms Nicole Johnson, our PE teacher who prepared students for their events during their Term 1 specialist lessons and to all the staff who came to school early to set up the equipment for the day. We would like to again thank our Huyen, Katherine and our Parents and Friends Committee for organising the Sports Day Raffle. The raffle was well supported by our families and the proceeds from the raffle will go towards buying play equipment for the students to enjoy at recess and lunch. The raffle winners were:
Tyson B, Tanaz, Zayn & Alan
I have noticed an increase in the number of toys that are being brought from home, in particular Bey Blades. We ask that you support the school and not allow your children to bring toys from home as at times, this leads to conflict amongst children, especially if the toys are lost or broken. For some children, the toys are also a distraction to their learning.
Our new decodable readers have been sorted and students have been tested to determine their starting point. Students in the Junior Primary will be issued with readers before the holidays. Please remember that these are not levelled readers. Students will be assigned readers to practice phonemes (letter sounds) that they have been learning in class. They will only be issued with 2 readers per week as the purpose of these readers is to have lots of practice of the sounds so that they become automatic in their memory. Students are able and are encouraged to borrow other books from the school library to take home and share with their parents. More detailed information about this will be posted on skoolbag and SeeSaw later this week.
This week is Holy Week, a very important week where Christians remember with sorrow all the events leading up to the crucifixion of Jesus. The students are being provided with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the events of Holy Week from the time Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday to his crucifixion on Good Friday. Easter Sunday is the most important day in the Christian calendar. On Easter Sunday morning the sadness is turned to joy as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. Class teachers have been preparing rich and engaging Holy Week learning experiences for their students that reinforce the most important week of the Catholic Faith.
Please note that school finishes on Friday 14th April at 12:30pm. OSHC is available for working parents.
Term 2 begins on Monday 1st May. Please note that:
Reception to Year 4 students will have swimming lessons form Tuesday 2nd May – Friday 5th May. Notices will go home this week and will need to be returned before the end of the term. We will be looking for volunteers to help.
Year 5-6 will be attending Camp at Wirraway Homestead from Wednesday 3rd May to Friday 5th May. Notices have been sent home several weeks ago and need to be returned with payment before the end of the term.
In all things love
Barbara Ahern and Anne Marie Platten
The Leadership Team
