2024, Term 1, Week 7 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,

Today, our school was alive with excitement as we celebrated St. Patrick's Day, a significant occasion for our school community.

Students, staff and our school community came together to honour our patron saint, St. Patrick. Decked out in shades of green, our school radiated with energy and enthusiasm.

We began the day in our Church where a special mass was held. Prayers were offered in gratitude for St. Patrick's guidance and protection. Students reflected on the significance of faith, kindness, and spreading love – all principles embodied by our beloved patron saint.

Throughout the day, various activities and events took place, each one highlighting the values and teachings of St. Patrick. Students engaged in lessons about Irish culture, learned about the life of St. Patrick, and participated in creative arts and crafts. 

The day ended with our very own ‘Green Faces’ where laughter filled the air as students, parents and staff enjoyed different acts! 

St. Patrick's Day was a day filled with joy, learning, and celebration. We are grateful for the opportunity to come together as a school community to honor our patron saint and to deepen our understanding of his teachings.

Thank you to all who contributed to making this day a memorable and meaningful experience for everyone involved. A special shoutout to Miss Rhiannon Lumsden for her exceptional dedication and tireless efforts in orchestrating the entire day's festivities, ensuring it was a remarkable and joy-filled occasion for our entire school community and to Virginia Martin for her exceptional baking and cake decorating skills! Keep an eye out on ClassDojo for some photos tonight.

May the spirit of St. Patrick continue to inspire us all as we journey forward together.

A huge thank you this week to parents, staff, grandparents, former students and the extended school community who, with the community of St Pat's Port Fairy, sweltered on the BBQ last weekend at our annual fundraiser at the Port Fairy Folk Festial.  This is always a great fundraiser and we appreciate your support - particularly in the extreme weather.  Thanks to Mick and Celesete Lane for leading our team with support from Tammy Langdon.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Kind regards,

Tegan McDonald 

Principal

Fourth Week of Lent

(Week beginning Monday 11 March)

Memory is 26 years old and lives in rural Malawi. As the eldest child in a low-income farming family, Memory had to take on many household chores and farming activities to support her parents. They struggled to pay for Memory’s school fees and school supplies, and Memory often had to walk to school barefooted.  

With the support of Caritas Australia and its partner the Catholic Development Commission in Malawi (CADECOM), Memory was able to enrol at a technical college where she learnt technical skills in carpentry. She undertook a three-year carpentry course, with CADECOM supporting part of her tuition and boarding fees. 

Memory became the first female carpenter from her village. Today, she works as a carpenter at one of Malawi’s largest hydroelectric power stations. With the income from her job, she can provide financial support to her family and inspire other young women in her community so that they may have the opportunity to succeed in a male-dominated industry. 

Please donate to Project Compassion.

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow, for all future generations. 

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes, online by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413.

Photo: Tim Lam/Caritas Australia

Pupil Free Day - Friday 22nd March

A reminder that next Friday is a Pupil Free Day while staff undertake professional learning.

Religious Education Update

NAPLAN 2024

NAPLAN  testing for Year 3 and Year 5 students is upon us again. The schedule is set as follows and teachers would really appreciate it if participating students are at school at these times:

March 13 (Wednesday) @ 11:30 am - Writing

March 18 (Monday) @ 9:00 am - Reading

March 19 (Tuesday) @ 9:00 am - Conventions of Language

March 20 (Wednesday) @ 11:30 - Maths

It is important that parents/carers understand the purpose of the NAPLAN tests and a hardcopy of the below information brochure has been sent home with participating students this afternoon. Further information is also available at 

https://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/assessment/f-10assessment/naplan/Pages/parents/index.aspx

Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s classroom teacher or the principal if you have any questions.

School Athletics Sports - Thursday 21st March

School Athletic Sports are coming up on 21st March - Mrs Swarbrick is seeking parent helpers, in particular to run the field events.  The field events will run between 10.15am-12.30pm approximately. If there are enough volunteers, parents will be able to share these roles so they will still have the opportunity to see their children at some of the other events.

If you are able to help, please email Helen - hswarbrick@spkoroit.catholic.edu.au

Feel free to nominate your preferred event - Long Jump, Triple Jump, Vortex Throw, High Jump, Shuttle Relay, Sack Race, Shot Put or Fox Tail throw.

Eggs for Sale

We have a surplus of eggs from the Folk Festival BBQ - available for $5/doz from the office.

Start of Year Administrative Items

There are still a number of families yet to complete the administrative items mentioned in our bulletin from 8th February (https://spkoroit.schoolzineplus.com/_admin/cms/newsletter/128).

The CyberSafety Agreement, Code of Conduct and information regarding the use of the Church will all pop up as a reminder to attend to when you login to PAM.  It would be appreciated if you could please attend to these as soon as possible.

Parents & Friends

Folk Festival

A huge THANK YOU to all our volunteers who battled the heat in the BBQ tent over the long weekend.  Although the weather impacted demand for burgers, we are still thrilled with the sales.  Final profits yet to be calculated.

Please return aprons and t-shirts via the office.  Thanks.

Easter Raffle 

Tickets for the annual Easter Raffle went home last week! This will be drawn at the Easter Liturgy on the last day of Term.

Koroit Irish Festival

The Irish Festival will be upon us early in Term 2.  This year we again have our famous Baked Spuds and the toastie van which was introduced in 2023. We have made the tough decision to remove the delicious Irish Stew from the menu and cease our sales at the Theatre on the Saturday evening.  While the stew was always well received, extending our sales into the evening was demanding for our volunteers who already work a very long day.  The Irish Festival is a wonderful event for our town and we want to relieve some pressure on our families so that they can enjoy it too.

Many thanks to Andrew McMahon of McMahon's Family Catering who have done a fantastic job in cooking the stew over the last few years.

Thanks also to the Committee of the Irish Festival who continue to support us and lots of other community groups.

Please see the attached Volunteer Sign Up sheet for the Festival - these shift are on the Saturday at the Festival either in the Food Truck cooking Toasties or on the Spud Production & Sales line.

If you require any further information, please contact Kate - 0408 399 144. Thanks.

Irish Festival Volunteer Sign Up link:  volunteersignup.org/TKAAE

Social Justice - Room 7

Room 7 have been putting together fundraising ideas for Caritas Australia (Project Compassion) as a part of their Social Justice studies:

Hello families,
There are a couple of Caritas fundraisers coming up before the end of school, organised by the Year 5/6 students.

On Monday 18th/ Tuesday 19th there will be a special lunch time canteen. Students are selling cupcakes, slices and lolly bags. Cupcakes will be $2, slices and lolly bags will be $1.

There is a guess the lolly competition and a colouring competition. All entries $1.

On the last day of school there is a dress up day 'Wear a touch of Easter', gold coin donation and a lunch time musical chairs comp- 50c entry.

All money will be donated to Caritas Project Compassion.

Thank you,
Year 5/ 6

Assembly Schedule - Term 1

***Please note that Student Awards will only be published in the newsletter and presented on weeks where there is assembly.

Casserole Bank

The St Pat's community has a wonderful tradition of the "Casserole Bank" where families come together to provide a meal or snacks/lunchbox items for families within our school who are in need of support (for example, a new arrival, family illness or bereavement).

This year, the Casserole Bank will be coordinated through the school office.  If you are aware of a family requiring support, please contact the office.

If you are willing to help out during the year, please register your name details on the google form below & we will reach out when the need arises.  The more volunteers we have, the fewer times people will be called upon to help out.

Canteen & Cake Raffle Rosters

Thanks to those who have already signed up for the Canteen & Cake Raffle Rosters. We now have a new Canteen Sign Up Sheet available for Term 2.  We appreciate everyone's help with Canteen - without your assistance, it could not run.

Canteen Sign Up Sheet - volunteersignup.org/BCXRE

Cake Raffle Sign Up Sheet - volunteersignup.org/PTFPM

CANTEEN ROSTER

Virginia Martin co-ordinates the canteen, arranging for the stocking of snack items and is happy to take questions from prospective volunteers  - 0419 883 657.

CAKE RAFFLE ROSTER (Term 2)

If you have any questions about the Cake Raffle, please contact Kate Dobson 0408 399 144.

Star of the Sea Parish Bulletin

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to Sam Wood, Indiana Cuomo, Will Lane and Roy Wright who celebrate their birthdays this week.  We hope you all have a great time celebrating with family and friends.

Mothers who Pray for their Children

'Mothers Who Pray for Their Children’ will hold their first Australian conference, in Melbourne, at the Catholic Leadership Centre.

Immerse yourself in a day, beginning with adoration and Holy Mass. Join for enlightening talks from local, interstate, and international speakers. Listen to the uplifting melodies of acclaimed Catholic musicians, and explore stalls showcasing the richness of our Catholic community, all while embracing the conference’s central theme—‘Walking the Path of Holiness.’

Mothers, grandmother‘s, Godmothers and spiritual mother's, come and secure your place for an enriching day of spiritual growth and community connection!

https://www.motherswhoprayfortheirchildren.com/

Directwear Uniform

School Uniform is available from Directwear www.directwear.com.au  

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

Contact details for Direct wear are:

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

Theircare Newsletter

Dates to Remember

Please refer to the public calendar on the school website for the most up to date calendar items.

https://www.spkoroit.catholic.edu.au/news-events

Save the Date!

Community News