2023, Term 4, Week 1 Newsletter

Acknowledgement of Country

St. Patrick's School acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, the Koroitch-gundidj people of the Maar Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. 

Principal's Message

Dear parents and carers,

Welcome back to Term 4! We hope that everyone has enjoyed a restful break and is recharged and ready to go. It has been great to see students and staff returning energized from the school holidays ready and ‘hitting the ground running’. 

2024 Trainee

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Arwen Bounds as our Trainee for 2024.  Arwen is completing Year 12  at Warrnambool College this year.  We look forward to her joining the St Patrick's team in 2024.  Congratulations Arwen!

Melbourne Cup visit

Today we had a very special visit from members of Koroit Lions and the Victorian Racing Club who came to speak with us and bring THE 2023 Melbourne Cup to our school!

We thank Jim Madden and Robert Peake from the Koroit Lions for their coordination of the visit and special thanks to past pupil Des Gleeson VRC Ambassador, Dr. Andrew Lemon, Chief Historian VRC, Simon aka “Cupman” and Alice and Jessie from the VRC for their support to make it a great experience for the students. It was very exciting. 

School Disco 

Tonight is our much anticipated Disco in the School Hall from 5pm - 7pm. Entry is free and slushies, sausages and popcorn will all be available for purchase ($1 each), cash sales.

Please sign students in and out at the door facing Queen St.

Special thanks to school parent Jess Morris for her coordination of the event. Let’s get ready to boogie!

School Hats

School hats are required any time your child is outside this term. Please make sure their hat is here at school. Hats can be purchased for $17.95 through CDF Pay. 

Dad's Social Night

Please note the change of date for the Dad's Social Night to Friday 27th October. 

Nick Murrell

Principal

Star of the Sea South West Coast - Employment Opportunities

Please find below an ad for the Parish Secretary and Admin positions. 

Our Parish Secretary for the past 13 years, Leanne McElgunn, has advised of her intending retirement on Friday 24th November.

This position will need to be filled and the Parish seeks interest from either experienced and/or qualified individuals.  Interested individuals may call into the Parish office at St. Joseph’s Warrnambool to collect a role description or call 5562 2231 for further information.

This is a role of about 32 hours per week  (9.00am - 4.00pm) with award wages but this could be negotiable.

There is also a part-time administrative position as well. The work load has increased for our administrative staff due to our larger Parish. The latter position would be a 0.4 or 0.5 position.

Fr John Fitzgerald

For further details, please contact the Parish Office on (03) 5562 2231.

Crazy Sock Day - 13th October - Catholic Missions Sock it to Poverty

Traditionally, our Crazy Sock Day at St Pat's has been a fundraiser for the Catholic Missions.  This year, our Social Justice Team did such a wonderful job with their cake and lolly stall fundraisers for the Missions in Term 3, that the Crazy Sock Day is just about being something fun to add a bit of colour to our day at school and think about those whose life is less colourful than ours.

Students are invited to add some colourful/crazy/odd socks to their uniform next Friday, 13th October.

2023 Bushfire Season

As we enter the 2023 Bushfire Season, we remind families about potential school closure in the event of a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (FDR) day.

Fire danger ratings and warnings are used in Victoria to provide clear direction on the safest options for preserving life.

Schools and children’s services listed on the Department of Education and Training Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) will be closed when a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating (FDR) Day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district. Our school has been identified as being one of those at high grassfire risk and is listed on the BARR.

• Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four to seven days’ notice of a potential Catastrophic FDR Day closure via SZApp. A Catastrophic FDR day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure. Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Catastrophic FDR Day, we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day.
• Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child. It is also important to note that:
• No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic FDR Day.
• School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic FDR Day is determined by the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.
• Depending on which Bureau of Meteorology district is impacted, bus route cancellations may affect our school.

**A Catastrophic FDR Day is not the same as a Total Fire Ban Day.

On these Catastrophic FDR Days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home or in the care of older children.

• For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the CFA advise that when Catastrophic FDR Days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic FDR Day.
• As part of preparing our school for potential hazards such as fire, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan.
  

Further information on preparing a Bushfire Survival Plan for your family can be found at https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/.

School Fees/Volunteer Levy

Current Statements have been sent home this week.  If you have assisted with an event but are yet to claim a deduction to your Volunteer Levy, please see the office to complete a form.  Volunteer Levy deductions for 2023 must be recieved by the last week in Novemeber.

For those with. outstanding account balances, we would appreciate if you could please make arrangements at your earliest convenience.  If you are having difficulty with your account, do not hesitate to speak confidentially with me to discuss payment options.

Nick Murrell

Uniform Sale

A $10 sale on uniform stock held at school continues through CDFPay (excludes School Bags, Hats and Sports Polos).

Swimming Program

A reminder that our swimming program continues on Thursdays until the end of November, with the exception of Thursday November 2nd.

To maximise our allocated pool time, all students should come to school with their bathers under their uniform.

The following information about the school swimming program has been provided by Belfast Aquatics:

The school swimming program follows the Victorian Water Safety Certificate which is the government guidelines for school swimming.  There is a very strong focus on water safety for these lessons and provides the students with simulated experiences of all water locations such as beach, rivers, lakes as well as the pool.

In contrast, the normal learn to swim program at Belfast Aquatics follows Swim and Survive - a Lifesaving Victoria swim program. This focuses a lot more on swimming strokes and techniques.

Student Awards

Room 1

Schnoor Kaur for her outstanding dedication and respect in the classroom. You have settled into Term 4 wonderfully and have shown great listening skills as well as giving your best efforts this week. Keep up the great work!

Hunter Noble for his incredible growth mindset this week. Hunter has shown dedication, motivation, resilience and has applied himself with his best efforts.What a great start to Term 4 Hunter, keep up the excellent work!

Room 2

Tyrone - for settling back into the classroom routine after his amazing holiday and demonstrating determination in his learning. Welcome back, Tyrone!

Nora - for being so responsible and focussed on her learning during the week, and also for being a super helper while Ms Griffin has been away. Thanks so much, Nora!

Room 4

Tayla Milward for welcoming me into the classroom this week and being a fantastic helper. 

Harry Atwell for listening and working independently and for actively seeking help when needed.

Room 5

Will Foster for being resilient. Will has worked hard to become a regular member of our classroom again and we are all very happy to have him back with us.

Harvey Porter for being a helpful member of our classroom. Harvey, we appreciate the help that you give to students around you, and you still manage to get your own work done.

Room 7

Grace McMahon - You always go above and beyond with your work and set a great example for your peers. Congratulations Grace - keep it up!

Elise Mahony - It is wonderful to see your confidence grow when you back yourself.  Keep taking chances - you often have the answers!

Canteen Roster

Please see below for the current version of the Canteen Roster.

Cake Raffle - Term 3

Thanks to those who put their hand up for the cake raffle roster so far this year.  

If you would like to go on the list in Term 4, please let me know.

Thanks,

Kate

0408 399 144

Term 4 Assembly Roster

Parents & Friends

Picnic in the Paddock

Tent Pegs needed - Hay Bale art PIP

We are asking families to donate any old tent pegs they may have lying around to assist with this year's Picnic in the Paddock. The pegs will be used to help with the Hay Bale art. 

Directwear Uniform

As stock runs out at school Directwear will start supplying the items, they will be available to buy on their website at www.directwear.com.au  

Uniforms can be collected from the Directwear home address in Warrnambool or posted to you.

Items now available on the website are:

Short Sleeve Polos - sizes 8 & 10    $28.95

Black Sports Shorts -sizes 6, 8 & 14   $32.50

Grey Pants - sizes 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14 & 16   $54.50

Black Trackpants  - sizes 6, 8, 10, 12   $40.00

Black Skorts - sizes 8 & 10 $32.50

School Dress - All sizes $38.95

Contact details for Direct wear are:

email info@directwear.com.au or phone Dion Jansz: 0412 654 406

Star of the Sea Parish Bulletin

MacKillop Family Services

Could you make a difference to a young life?
Could this be what you are looking for?
Foster carers come from all walks of life. They can be working, not working or
retired; married or single; in same-sex relationships; and can own or rent their
home. The most essential criteria are that they care, can provide a safe and
nurturing home, and have room in their home to support a vulnerable child or
sibling group.
If you would like to know more call MacKillop Family Services on 1300 791 677,
visit www.mackillop.org.au/fostercare or ring Alana in our Warrnambool office on
5500 2000.

Dates to Remember

REMINDERS

October

9th - Geelong Cats Healthy Heros visit to school (G3/4)

13th - Crazy Sock Day

16th - Musica Viva @ Port Fairy

20th - School Closure Day

24th - Junior Regional Hooptime (3/4 Girls)

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