St Patrick's School Camperdown eNewsletter

From the Principal

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

Thank you to all the St Patrick's family members who were able to visit today for the Mother's Day Afternoon Tea. The afternoon was a well attended event with many family members taking a moment to listen to guest speaker Eve Drew about essential self care reminders when caring for others. The classrooms were a buzz with visitors chatting and completing Mother's Day activities together. Congratulations to Carley Hickey, winner of today's Mother's Day Raffle. Many Photos are displayed in the newsletter.

Please meet Mr Brown from Brown's Confectionary Company and Mrs. Jones from Jones' Emporium. ( Image) These two fine members of the Sovereign Hill community were seeking apprentices from the St Alipius Diggings School recently. "Congratulations to Miss Stella and Master Aaron who were acknowledged for their fine penmanship, presentation, by only speaking when spoken to and outstanding manners." In the 1850's school a child's life looked very different to today. Please read on more about the Year 4 students' camp experience in the newsletter.

Our School Parents and Friends Committee has been busy planning some exciting events and projects. Upcoming events will include the School Disco on Friday 13th June which will require voluntary parent support and the holidays Cinema Movie Night in Warrnambool on Wednesday 9th July. If you are able to help at either of these school events, it would be gratefully received. Please make contact with the office.

Darren Lloyd

Prayer.

On Sunday, we gave thanks for the incredible mums, grandmothers, aunties, step-mums, carers and all the amazing women who support, love and guide us. Whether by birth, choice, or heart, these special people help shape who we are with their patience, strength and kindness.

We also remember those who may be missing their mum or a special someone this Mother’s Day, and hold them gently in our thoughts.

To all those with a mother’s heart; thank you for everything you do.

The Catholic Church made history recently with the election of Pope Leo XIV, the first-ever American-born pope. Formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost from Chicago, Pope Leo greeted tens of thousands from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, calling for peace and honouring the legacy of Pope Francis.
Pope Leo is 69 years old and brings a wealth of global experience. He spent many years as a missionary in South America, is a dual citizen of the United States and Peru and has led an important Vatican office that oversees bishop appointments. Many believe he will continue the reforming spirit of Pope Francis while bringing new energy to the role.
This is an exciting and hopeful time for the Church. Having a pope with such a global perspective may help the Church become more inclusive, compassionate and responsive to the challenges faced by people around the world today.
Let us keep Pope Leo XIV in our prayers as he begins his leadership journey.

Pupil Free Days Update

These are our known Closure Days, which will mean that students are not required to attend school on these days.

June 6th was reserved for school review. This school closure day is officially cancelled.

Remaining school Closure Days are:

Friday July 4th (ReLATE)
Friday September 19th (Structured Literacy)

Influenza A

We have a number of confirmed cases of Influenza A across our school.

Please monitor your children for symptoms and keep them at home if needed.

Pavers

All families should have received a Paver Pamphlet.

If you wish to order a paver for the entrance of our school, forms are due back by Friday, the 23rd of May.

A copy of the order form is attached.

Paver_Order_Form_2025.pdf

Cross Country

The district level of Cross Country was held last Tuesday the 6th of May at the Noorat Recreation Reserve.

Well done to the 48 students that ran.

Congratulations to the students who will progress to the next level in Warrnambool this Friday. If your child has made the next level, you will receive a PAM permission in the coming days to complete.

Grade 4 Sovereign Hill Camp

Last week our Year 4 students embarked on an unforgettable journey—stepping back in time to the 1850s as part of the Sovereign Hill School's immersive 2 Day Experience. This unique program transported our students into the heart of the Victorian goldfields, where they became not just observers of history, but active participants as living museum exhibits.

Fully costumed in period attire, students attended historic St Alipius Diggings School. Under the stern and watchful eyes of their ‘Ma’am’ —authentic 1850s mistresses—they followed strict classroom routines, recited lessons, and abided by the behavioural expectations of the era.

This immersive experience allowed our students to explore the social structure and norms of colonial Australia. They discovered what life was truly like for a child on the goldfields—hard work, discipline, and resilience were all part of their school day. As costumed participants, they also became living exhibits in the Sovereign Hill Outdoor Museum, engaging with visitors and contributing to the atmosphere of historical authenticity.

Beyond the classroom, students explored life on the diggings, gaining behind-the-scenes access to Sovereign Hill’s businesses and interacting with the stories of miners, shopkeepers, and townspeople. These rich, hands-on experiences provided valuable insight into the challenges and triumphs of 19th-century life.

We are incredibly proud of the way our students embraced this opportunity with curiosity, enthusiasm, and respect. The Sovereign Hill 2 Day Experience not only deepened their understanding of Australian history but also strengthened their empathy, cooperation, and independence.

These are some of our students writing about the experience.

Grade 4 Camp to Sovereign Hill by Lyla Brebner and Stella Evans.

On the 8th of May, which was the first day of camp, the Grade 4’s went on camp to Sovereign Hill. When we got there we stepped back in time and got dressed like they did in 1854.

We were invited into this little cottage to get dressed next to our school.

Afterwards, we got dressed and went to the St. Alipius Digging school for 3 hours. At school we met Mr Brown who made lollies and Miss Jones who made dresses. During school we went to panning for gold which was so much fun.

After school we went to two mines, both were underground. One was 100 feet and the other was 20 feet down. It was really fun! We met back at St Alipius Digging school and went back to the little cottage to get changed, then we went to the place where we were going to stay the night. When we got there we got changed into clothes for the AURA light show. It was so cool. First we started inside with two shows then went on a bus to another two shows. At the last show the doors opened to the streets of Sovereign Hill. It took about one hour but it was worth it.

Day two of Grade 4 camp was on the 9th of May. When we got up we had showers and then walked down to the New York Bakery. For breakfast we had toast, cereal, fruit and yogurt. After breakfeast we all walked down to the little cottage to get dressed and went back to St. Alipius Digging school for 2 hours. During school we went to watch gold bars be made. When we got back to school we had to listen because the Superintendent could walk in at any moment. When the Superintendent got there she was looking judgey. Then school finished and we had free time for ages. We Had a choice to go to the candle shop, black smith, lolly shop, Post office, gold panning, and Hope Bakery. Then we got sorted so we could go on the bus to go home.

Day one by Willa Pope

When we arrived at school on Thursday it was still dark. Everyone was covered in jackets and jumpers.We said goodbye to our parents and loaded our luggage onto the bus on our way to ballarat. Some people got on in Lismore so we had the option to go to the toilet. When we were on the bus we put a movie on.

When we arrived to camp we left our luggage in the bus and waited at the gate there were a few other schools waiting to.a couple minutes later 3 of what we called “Mams” appeared we left last and walked into this room.She explained how to put our uniforms on, after they shut this door one side for boys other girls we got changed in to our uniforms.The girls wore these white pants,a dress,a pinafore and a jacket,the boys wore a shirt tucked into there pants and a jacket. We left the room and went to the school we were in st alipius digging. Mam explained all the jobs and what to do and then we had morning tea. And then went back to work a couple minutes later we heard something. It was the guns we went and watched them; they were loud!

Once we arrived back at school a lady walked in the girls and boys split up the girls did sewing and the boys did rope tying.Then it was lunch time we had packed lunch then we did some reading and writing after mam said that our mama and papa would be expecting us home we went and got changed out of our uniform and walked to the bus to get our luggage. We stayed at the Canadian Gully. We went into the common room and found our rooms. We put on warm clothes and headed to dinner. I sat at a table with Emmy,Willow,Olivia Stella,Ruby and Vivian.

After dinner we went and waited with the other schools for the Aura show. We got handed these 3D glasses and watched a clip after we got on these vehicles to the next one. It was about how people were made. The last one went for a while and it was about the gold rush and we nearly fell asleep. We went back to the vehicles to get ready for bed but everyone was running up and down the corridors.This camp was so fun!

Year 4 Sovereign Hill camp

NSS 2025 will be held on Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 12pm (AEST). Our school will be participating.

The book this year is The Truck Cat written by Debroah Frenkel and Illustrated by Danny Snell.

St Patrick's Open Day - 27th May

LEARNING AND TEACHING

T2W4_Week_Ahead_Newsletter.pdf

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CULTURE

T2W4_CSC_Newsletter.pdf

Parish Bulletin

Camperdown_Fourth_Sunday_of_Easter_2025.pdf

WELLBEING

Wellbeing_News_Week_4_1_.pdf

LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

Uniform Updates

Our School Advisory Council (SAC) is beginning work on updating our uniform policy to provide clear and consistent guidelines for families regarding uniform expectations.

As we move into Term 2, we would like to clarify the following:

Students may wear either the summer or winter uniform throughout the year.
Shorts and dresses are permitted in Terms 2 and 3.
During 2025, students may wear the old uniform, the new uniform, or a combination of both.
Grade 6 students are permitted to wear their Year 6 shirts on Fridays, excursions, camps, representative days, and Grade 6 hats during Terms 1 and 4, or whenever hats are required.
All students must wear either the maroon broad-brimmed hat or bucket hat when outdoors during Terms 1 and 4, and at other times during Terms 2 and 3 when UV levels are above 3.
Socks must be plain white or navy, with no logos or branding.
Shoes must be all black school or running shoes, with no coloured panels or laces.
In 2025 students are permitted to wear coloured runners on their PE day.

We appreciate your support in helping maintain high standards for our school uniform.

Upcoming Events

Some important dates for your calendar for Term 2 & Term 3.

Friday 16/05 Division Cross Country - Warrnambool

Monday 26/05 Regional Cross Country

Tuesday 27/05 St Patrick's School Open Day

Friday 30/05 Sacrament of Confirmation

Friday 13/6 School Disco 6pm-8pm

Thursday 3/7 Last Day of term

Friday 4/7 School Closure Day - Staff PD

Wednesday 9/7 Movie night in Warrnambool

Important Parking Reminder

Dear Parents and Carers,

Please adhere to the safety road signage and road marking around our schools during drop off and pick up times. The designated YELLOW drop off and pick up bays are not a parking zone. Drivers are not to leave their cars and enter the school whilst parked in the yellow zones.

We love school visitors, please park in the proper parking bays before coming into the school.

Noone's Uniform

Noone's now have stock of all our new uniform for purchase. You can pop into the uniform shop to try on.

The shop is located in the Mercy Regional College building.

In Term 2 the uniform shop is open on the following days -

Monday 12.00pm - 4.00pm & Thursday 8.00am - 12.00pm

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Mother's Day Afternoon Celebration

Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week.

Thomas D

TheirCare

Theircare has commenced at St Patrick's School and it's not too late to enroll.

We are excited to announce that we have now partnered with an independent Outside of School Hours Care (OSHC) provider called TheirCare.

TheirCare provides a stimulating and safe environment for all children. During sessions, children develop life-skills, friendships, confidence, and creativity through play-based programs.

For further information, visit www.theircare.com.au or call our support office on 1300 072 410

How to Enrol Information Flyer

Program_Information_Flyer_St_Patrick_s_PS_Camperdown.pdf