2025, Term 1, Week 5 Newsletter

The Child Safety Officer at St Patrick's is Shona Louden. slouden@spkoroit.catholic.edu.au

Acknowledgement of Country

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to week 5!

Upcoming Learning Walk Tomorrow

Tuesday, 25th at 9:45 AM

I invite you to join our upcoming Learning Walk tomorrow (Tuesday 25th) at 9:45 AM. This time, the focus will be on the Core Knowledge component of our literacy block, where students engage with real-world concepts to expand their understanding and language.

Please register via the QR code. I encourage anyone who is free to come along—whether it’s your first Learning Walk or you’ve attended before, each one offers a new focus and fresh insights. Don’t miss this opportunity to see our students in action!

2026 Enrolments

Yes, it seems early but Enrolments for 2026 are Open!  To assist with our forecasting for 2026, we ask that current school families with students entering Foundation in 2026 complete an enrolment application at their earliest convenience.

Forms are available from the Office.

Kind regards,

Tegan McDonald 

Principal

This week we are sharing what SWPBS looks like at St Pat's when we are in the Sports Shed.

Reflection

Love Your Enemy (Luke 6:27–38)

In Luke 6:27–38, Jesus calls us to love not just those who are kind to us, but even those who are not. This can feel challenging, especially when we experience hurt or conflict. However, Jesus reminds us that true love goes beyond simple kindness—it is generous, forgiving, and unconditional. When we choose to respond to negativity with compassion, we reflect God’s love and help build a world of peace, respect, and understanding.

At school, work or at home, in our friendships, families and daily interactions, we are invited to practise this love by showing patience, empathy, and kindness, even when it is difficult. May we strive to see others as God sees them and be guided by love in all that we do.

Loving God,
You teach us to love not only our friends but also those who challenge us. Help us to show kindness and forgiveness, even when it is difficult. Give us the strength to be patient, the courage to be generous, and the wisdom to see others through Your eyes.

May our school and community be a place of peace, respect, and compassion, where we support one another with open hearts. Guide us to follow Jesus' example, choosing love in every moment.

Amen.

School Closure Dates

Student Medical Profiles

Thanks to parents of new Foundation Students who have already navigated the system and created a Medical Profile for their child.  A request has now been issued in PAM for parents to create a profile for all students without a current profile.

The beginning of the year is a timely reminder for parents to review the medical profile for all existing students.

Please follow the instructions below to update a medical profile for each of your children by:

1. Click on link to PAM (found on our webpage or SZapp)
2. Click on student (if more than 1 child, this will need to be done individually)
3. Click on Medical Profile (drop down list)
4. Check all questions and select Edit Details for updates to be made.
5. Once you get to the end of the questions please confirm by clicking on the Green “Update Details” Box found at the bottom right of screen.

As a parent/guardian you are able to access your child/rens medical profile on PAM at any time to update as needed.

If your child has asthma, please ensure the school has a copy of their current Asthma Action Plan.

If you have any queries or require your PAM login details, please do not hesitate to get in contact with the office. 

NAPLAN

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:

Wednesday March 12th, 9.30am - Writing
Thursday March 13th, 9.30am - Reading
Thursday March 13th, 12.00noon - Conventions of Language
Friday March 14th, 9.00am - Numeracy

Further information is also available in the flyer linked below.

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

Kind Regards,
Tegan McDonald
Principal
St Patrick's Primary School, Koroit.

Working With Children Check

Parent volunteers at school do require a current Working With Children Check (WWCC). 

Application can be done through the Service Victoria App and is free of charge for a Volunteer Card. 

When adding St Patrick's as a volunteer organisation, use the email address principal@spkoroit.catholic.edu.au when prompted for an email address for the organisation.

When you receive  your WWCC, please bring it to the office so we can keep a copy on file. Thank you.

The Season of Lent

Next Wednesday, the Church season of Lent commences with Ash Wednesday.

School will have a Liturgy with distribution of Ashes on the day.  The time is yet to be set and will be confirmed on ClassDojo.  Family members are welcome to join us.

We will also be celebrating Shrove Tuesday (Tuesday 4th March) with pancakes (GF Option available).  If your child is not allowed pancakes, please let the classroom teacher know.

Reconciliation

On Tuesday night, students from all Catholic primary schools in the Star of the Sea Parish gathered at St Joseph's Church to begin their preparation for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

We look forward to coming together again on Monday, 24th March, at Emmanuel College for a formation day led by Maria Forde. This will take place during school hours and will be supported by the school.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation for St Patrick’s Koroit students will be celebrated at St Pius X on Thursday, 3rd April, at 6pm.

Students are also welcome to participate in celebrations at other churches. If you plan to do so, please inform Kayla O’Connor - Religious Education & Sacramental Leader.

• Tuesday, 1st April, 6pm – St Joseph's Church
• Wednesday, 2nd April, 5:30pm – St Patrick's Church, Port Fairy
• Wednesday, 2nd April, 7pm – OLHC Church

Folk Festival BBQ

Thanks to everyone for their support in volunteering to fill a shift at the Folk Festival BBQ. Our positions are now filled. We appreciate your support.

The option of helping by donation of items is still available for the sparkling mineral water varieties - please see the signup sheet for details.

Please drop off any donations to the school by Wednesday 26th February.

Folk Festival BBQ Donation Items Sign Up

***This is a great option for time poor parents or family demands that can't commit to the volunteer hours to be able to contribute to their volunteer levy.***

Emily & Celeste
Folk Festival Co-ordinators 

The Wellbeing Barometer - 2025

The Wellbeing Barometer survey has become an essential resource for schools, providing valuable insights into youth mental health and wellbeing. By capturing community concerns and understanding the nature of these challenges, schools are better positioned to support families, foster meaningful conversations, and strengthen relationships.

As part of an ongoing longitudinal study, this survey plays a pivotal role in tailoring support for students and their families. It offers a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over a 12 month period. By participating in this survey, your school can identify areas of strength, uncover potential concerns, and pinpoint opportunities for early intervention. The survey's findings enable a deeper understanding of young people's lives, supporting a more tailored approach to improving mental and emotional wellbeing.

Parents and caregivers are encouraged to complete either one or both surveys below, depending on the age of your son or daughter and the school they attend. We encourage you to complete one survey for each child. There is no limit to how many times you can complete the survey. This will enable you to provide more accurate responses based on individual children.

Please remember, all responses remain anonymous and should reflect observations made over the last 12 months. Survey results are only reported on an aggregated basis. Click on the appropriate survey to start.

Mental Health in Primary Schools

This year St. Patrick's is taking part in the Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) initiative that is being rolled out across Victoria.  The leader of MHiPS is called the MHWL (Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader).  At St. Patrick's this will be Shona Louden.  The MHWL works 2 days per week, creating a safe school space for all.

The role is not a counselling role or a clinical role working 1:1 with children.

The role involves a whole school approach to improve :
1. Staff Wellbeing
2. Whole Class Support
3. Small Group Interventions
4. Family Engagement
The jigsaw image below outlines the role of the MHWL.

Wellbeing - CASEA Program

St Patrick's Koroit is fortunate to have been selected to participate in the CASEA program in Term 2.  This is a fantastic opportunity for our students.

CASEA = CAMHS and Schools Early Action, CAMHS = Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

School Photos

Our School Photo day is next Tuesday 4th March -  bring your smile!

Students are to wear summer uniform for photographs.

The code for ordering is on the flyer below. Further information is available via the link below. 

A catch up day for any students away sick is Friday 7th March.

Traffic Management - School Drop Off and Pick Up

Could all parents please encourage their children to cross the road at the safest points at school drop off and pick up times. 

Anzac Ave - cross at the flags at the corner.
Queen St - cross at the corner or in front of reception where there are no cars parked.

We know parking is at a premium at these busy times - parents are welcome to use the parking spaces at the Church where no on street parking is available.

STOP, LOOK, LISTEN and THINK: 

STOP one step back from the kerb, or shoulder of the road if there is no footpath. 
LOOK in all directions for approaching traffic. 
LISTEN in all directions for approaching traffic.
THINK about whether it is safe to cross the road – when the road is clear or all traffic has stopped. When crossing, walk straight across the road. Keep LOOKING and LISTENING for traffic while crossing.

~ Kidsafe Victoria (www.kidsafevic.com.au/road-safety/pedestrian-safety)

Easter Egg-stravaganza

You may have heard the exciting news! We are hosting an Easter Egg-stravaganza on Thursday March 27th from 2-4pm. This is an opportunity for us to showcase our wonderful school community to the local kinder families and to encourage families to consider us in their search for a school.

Parents & Friends

Opportunities for 2025

As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to invite new faces to get involved with one or more of our fabulous Parents and Friends subcommittees (see image below). Our P&F operates with an executive model, with coordinators for each of our key fundraising events: Port Fairy Folk Festival BBQ, Koroit Irish Festival, Picnic in the Paddock, and Student Engagement.

In addition to these subcommittees, we also run an amazing catering group all year round that provides delicious home cooked food and baked goods for events hosted by St Pat’s. This group not only provides our school community with yummy food, they also contribute significant fundraising for our school!

This setup allows families to volunteer at various events throughout the year without the need to commit to regular meetings. You can simply lend a hand when it suits you! Whether it’s helping with a specific event or activity like organising the disco, a family picnic, or milkshake day, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved.

The coordinators will meet with the principal and the principal’s delegate periodically to plan and review activities, but there’s no ongoing time commitment for volunteers—just jump in where and when you can.

We’d love to see more families join in and help make our school events successful and fun! If you would like any further information, please contact either myself or Todd Noble on todd.james.noble@gmail.com.

Tegan

Easter Raffle

Drawn at the Easter Egg-stravaganza!  Tickets have been sent home.  You can utilise both sides of the tickets.

Thanks for your support.

Canteen & Cake Raffle

The Canteen & Cake Raffle are coordinated by our P&F.

Canteen operates at lunchtime on Wednesday and Friday.  Wednesday is sales of  icy-poles and snacks and Friday includes distribution of lunch orders. 

Click here to sign up for the Term 1 Canteen Roster

Cake Raffle is just something for fun! Students can purchase tickets in the classroom on Friday mornings for 20cents and the raffle is drawn by a student from the family who has supplied the cake.  "Cake" is a general term - the prize does not have to be home made and you can choose to bring whatever you like biscuits, slice or chocolates.

Click here to sign up for the Cake Raffle Roster

You will receive a reminder email from the Volunteer Sign Up platform a couple of days prior to your duty and once we have some people signed up, the roster will be published in the newsletter.

Assembly Roster

Assembly is held in the hall at 2.45pm Fridays. Parents, siblings, grandparents and friends are welcome to attend.  Any changes to assembly times will be notified by ClassDojo.

Student awards are presented at assembly and published in the newsletter the following week. If your child is receiving an award, we do try to notify you beforehand.

Hats

In line with SunSmart requirements, students are required to wear hats outside during recess and lunch.  Please ensure your child brings their hat to school each day.  

If you do require a new hat, they can be purchased through CDF Pay.  

Lost Property & Second Hand Uniform

We've cleared out some long term items from the Lost Property but we don't want to refill it - please remember to label your uniform items so your uniforms don't end up here!

Second Hand Uniform

Please speak to Becc Sanderson 0423 956 556 if you wish to purchase or donate some preloved items of uniform.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday Noah Lane who has celebrated his birthday this week.  We hope you had a fantastic time celebrating with family and friends!

Star of the Sea - Parish Bulletin

Sports Polo Shirts

The School Sports Polo shirts are purchased through the school via CDF Pay.

There has been an increase in the price of sports shirts to $50 - this is cost price from our supplier.

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

Community News

Moyne Shire Council is running a free film screening of Rising Up – specifically for youth about plastic pollution and taking action on climate.

 Rising Up - Trailer on Vimeo

Link to book: https://events.humanitix.com/rise-up-film-screening-and-panel-discussion