2025, Term 1, Week 6 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 6!

This Wednesday, March 5, marks the beginning of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Lent is a special time for many Christians, including Catholics, as it encourages reflection, kindness, and making positive changes. It leads up to Easter and is often observed through prayer, giving to others, and personal growth.

While Lent is a Catholic tradition, many faiths and cultures have times of reflection, fasting, or renewal—such as Ramadan in Islam, Yom Kippur in Judaism, or even New Year’s resolutions in many traditions. No matter what we believe, this can be a great opportunity for everyone to think about how we can be kinder, grateful, inclusive and help those in need.

At school, we will be reflecting on how we can all show love, respect, and kindness in our daily lives. Families are welcome to join us in conversations about making small, positive changes during this time.

School Uniform Reminder – Ahead of School Photos

With school photos coming up, this is a timely reminder about our uniform expectations. We appreciate your support in ensuring all students wear their uniform correctly and with pride.

• Shoes and Socks – Students should wear black socks and black shoes, except on Wednesdays or designated sporting days.
• Hair Accessories – Headbands, clips, and other hair accessories should be in school colours (green, white, or black) to maintain a neat and uniform appearance. This does not mean hair ties as these can be blonde.
• Jewellery & Makeup – Jewellery should be minimal and appropriate, with only small stud or sleeper earrings permitted. Makeup is not part of our school uniform and should not be worn.

Ensuring students are in the correct uniform will help them look their best for school photos. If you have any questions, please reach out. Thanks for your support!

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. Thanks to those who have already collected and returned their forms.  We are excited about our prospective numbers for next year!

Kind regards,

Tegan McDonald 

Principal

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

Reflection

Loving God,

We enter this season of Lent, a time of reflection inspired by Jesus’ 40 days in the desert.

In our busy, connected world, help us pause—whether from screens, rush, or routine—to find quiet and meaning.

Guide us to share what we have, caring for each other and our earth.

May this journey, marked by ashes for some, lead us all toward hope, renewal, and a brighter tomorrow.

We ask this in the spirit of love and unity, through Christ who shows us the way.

Amen.

Congratulations!

A huge congratulations to "Miss Hamilton" and "Mr Brady" on being conferred their degrees at the Deakin Graduation ceremony last week. 

Well done Meg and Seamus - we have great confidence that you will be wonderful teachers!

School Closure Dates

Please note that the first of our school closure dates is next Tuesday, 11th March (following the Monday Public Holiday).

Colliers Traffic Survey

Please note that on Wednesday 5th March during school pick up, there will be staff from Colliers, a Traffic Engineering Consulting firm, doing a traffic count along Queen St.  This has been contracted by the Moyne Shire.  

School Sports - Tuesday 18th February

Our School Athletics sports are fast approaching.

These events are always busy days and we appreciate any parent help we can get.

If you are able to assist with running an event on the day or help with transporting equipment or setting up, could you please get in touch with me via ClassDojo or email hswarbrick@spkoroit.catholic.edu.au.  This year, volunteering 2 hours of your time at the School Sports can be claimed on your volunteer levy.

Helen Swarbrick
Sports Co-ordinator

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

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

School will have a Liturgy with distribution of Ashes on the day.  The liturgy will be held in the Church at 9.15am.  All welcome.

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.

Folk Festival BBQ

Thanks to everyone for their support! We look forward to seeing our BBQ volunteers over the weekend in Port Fairy.  If you have not yet collected your volunteer pack, they are available from the office.

Thanks,

Emily & Celeste
Folk Festival Co-ordinators 

NCCD Parent Information

Over the coming weeks at St Patrick's classroom teachers are holding Program Support (PSG) Meetings for students who are a part of the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD) count in August of each year. If your child is a part of these meetings I will have contacted you via email or phone. 

I have attached a parent information sheet below for you to read about this process. 

Bridget Van Den Broek,
Learning Diversity Leader

Lions Eye Health Program

The Lions Eye Health Program is offering Free Vision Screening for children in Foundation, Grade 3 and Grade 6.

This information and a permission form has been sent home today - please return the permission form by Monday 17th March.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 children in Australia have undetected vision problems. Over 80% of what children learn is processed through their eyes, so untreated eye conditions can affect a child’s learning ability, development and self-esteem.

This vision screening program can help identify any children who may require further eye examination by an optometrist.

Members of the Lions club have been specifically trained to perform 4 vision screening assessments including:

1. Visual Acuity - using a Lea 3m -15 line Symbol Chart
2. Colour Vision - using a Quick 6 - Basic Colour Screening Book
3. Depth Perception - using a Stereo Fly Screening Tool
4. Spot Vision Screener – A state of the art portable machine designed to screen for Myopia (near sightedness), Hyperopia (far sightedness), Astigmatism (blurred vision), Anisometropia (unequal refractive power), Strabismus (eye misalignment) and Anisocoria (unequal pupil size).

The individual screening takes just a few minutes to perform. There is no physical contact made with the child and no eye drops are administered. Individual reports will be sent to parent/ guardians. If your child is already under the care of an optometrist, they are welcome to participate in the screening activities but will not receive any results.

*Please note: This is a screening only. We do not diagnose any vision issues. If a potential vision problem is detected, this will be written on the child’s result sheet and you will be encouraged to seek a further eye assessment with an eye health professional.

For more information please visit our website https://lehp.org.au 

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 TOMORROW - 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.

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

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 or have ideas of opportunities we can take advantage of, 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.

Student Awards

Congratulations to the recipients of the Student Awards, presented at assembly last week:

Room 1

Arlo McElgunn: Arlo, your enthusiasm for learning is truly inspiring! It's wonderful to see you always trying your best and confidently sharing your knowledge with your peers. Keep up the fantastic work – you are a superstar! 

Grayson Lenehan: For an amazing start to Foundation!  You have settled into school routines with ease, and it’s wonderful to see you so happy and engaged. Keep up the fantastic work – you are a superstar! 

Room 2

Harlow Thomas: You are a great example of following classroom expectations and always try your best in your schoolwork. You work hard and make smart choices every day. Keep up the awesome work Harlow, and keep being a great helper and learner!

Chad Collins: You are kind and caring towards others. Chad you have shown empathy and set a great example for your classmates. Keep up the wonderful work, you are a super star!

Room 4

Oscar McElgunn: For your outstanding and consistent effort during our literacy block. Oscar, you are always engaging in our classroom norms, following instructions and setting an example for your peers. Thank you for being a role model and self motivated student in Room 4!

George Sinnott: For your amazing start at St Pats! You are a kind and inclusive classmate that is always looking out for others, especially those that need support. Thank you for being a wonderful asset to our classroom.

Room 6

Hudson Smits

Fraser Gleeson

Teddy Porter

Tadgh Duus

Harry Sinnott

Room 7

Harry Lilley - Congratulations Harry! You have been consistently working hard on all of your classwork and have improved so much in your handwriting in particular. Harry, you always show your readiness for learning and are not afraid to ask for help when needed and are always willing to help your classmates. Your kindness and positive attitude sets a wonderful example in our classroom. Keep up the excellent work Harry!

Savannah Wood - Congratulations Savannah! Your positive, bubbly energy lights up the classroom. You are always eager to help others and show a deep passion for all areas of learning. Your enthusiasm and willingness to support your peers make her a wonderful asset to our class. Keep up the awesome work Savannah!

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 Mr Varley, Summa Lindrea and Henry Courtot who have celebrated birthdays 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