Newsletter 12/02/2024 Term 1 Week 3

Our Prayer

From the Principal

Dear parents and carers,

Yes of course, now that school is back, the hot weather we were promised over the holidays is here with a vengance. At school we will be working with the children on wearing hats, hydration, sunscreen and using the shade in the playground.  Our swimming for the Grade 3 to 6 students will begin next week so they will enjoy the warmth.

Thank you to all the parents who were able to join us for our beginning of the year Mass on Friday. It was a wonderful celebration and our student leaders were delighted with their new badges and the recognition of the community for their leadership roles.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Parent Teacher Chats

Parent Teacher Chats will be held tomorrow Tuesday the 13th, Wednesday the 14th and Tuesday the 20th February from 3.30pm - 4.40pm.

You will need to book a suitable time on PAM with your  child's teacher. These chats are designed for parents and teachers to discuss your child's needs and how they have settled into their new class. These chats will be face-to-face at school.

Please note that due to Foundation parents and students having an interview late last year you will not need to book in for a chat time.

Foundation Parent Information Session

On Thursday the 15th February there will be a Foundation Parent Information Session in the Foundation classroom  (Room 5) at 2.30pm.

Specialist Timetable

The specialist timetable for Term 1 is attached below. Please use this to find which day your child/children have PE classes and need to wear their PE uniform.

3-6 Swimming Program

Our Grade 3-6 Swimming Program will start next Monday the 19th February at the Camperdown Swimming Pool.

Swimming lessons will be on Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday of that week with our Swimming carnival to be held on the Friday 23rd of February. Our Grade 2 children will visit this activity in the afternoon to familiarise themselves for the event for when they will be competing next year and to cheer on their house team. 

Swimming lessons will continue on Monday the 26th and Tuesday the 27th February.

A PAM permission has been sent, please fill this in as soon as possible. The timetable is below for your information.

Young Leaders Day

Our four school captains Rhys, Steph, Vince and Grace will be attending the Young Leaders Day this Friday at the Melbourne Convention And Exhibition Centre. They will enjoy presentations from Australian Memory Champion Anastasia Woolmer, Ninja Warrior Superstar Bryson Klein, Meteorologist and TV Presenter Jane Bunn and former Matildas Captain And Goal Keeper Melissa Barbieri.

Grade 5 Portsea Camp

Our Grade 5 Portsea Camp will be held on Wednesday the 28th,  Thursday the 29th of February & Friday the 1st March.

More information about camp will be sent home soon.

Paddy's Patch

The vegetable garden area is continuing to develop to the point where our STEM classes have been able to plant seedlings in the beds. The children will continue to water, weed and monitor the growth of these plants over the next few months.

The Week Ahead

Wellbeing

Foundation Rest Days

Our foundation students seem to be needing their rest days each Wednesday.  We encourage families to take the opportunity to ensure this is a restful day for their children to avoid the physical demands of beginning school life. Our foundation students will have four more rest days on Wednesday  14th, 21st & 28th of February and the 6th of March.

School Uniform

Our senior students have begun wearing "Crocs" at school and this is causing some concerns for safety and hygiene. We will be asking students not to wear these from now on.

Also, a reminder that the sports uniform includes black basketball shorts, with no logos or pockets.

Thank you for your cooperation.

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CULTURE

Ash Wednesday Mass

On Wednesday the 14th February we will attend an Ash Wednesday Mass at the church at 11am.

All families and friends are invited to attend.

Parish Bulletin

LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

Canteen Closure

There will be no canteen this Thursday 15th of Feb due to staff shortage.  Please send your child to school with snacks and lunch on this day. We apologise for any inconvenience.

Family Assistance Scheme

Family Assistance Scheme ~ are you eligible?

The Family Assistance Scheme introduced by the Catholic Diocese which reduces your Tuition fee to $520 will continue this year. To be eligible you must produce a Commonwealth Health Care Card to the office (which we are required to photocopy) and complete an application form. This needs to be done by Thursday 29th of February at the latest as no late applications are accepted.

If you received this last year, we do not require to see your HCC again, your details will roll over.

Conveyance Allowance

There is funding available for families if you have to travel more than 4.8km to pick-up or drop off students at Contract or College Bus pick-up points. Parents should apply for the reimbursement applicable through the Private Car Conveyance Allowance Application.

Please contact the office if you think you may be eligible.

School fees

Our preferred options for payment of school fees are an upfront payment or for families to set up a direct debit through the school.  Direct debits can be done weekly, fortnightly or monthly.  Please contact the office to arrange this.

School fees are payable by the end of October each year.

School Calendar

To date, we have not fully utilised the school calendar on our Schoolzine program. This year we will be adding all school events to the calendar and this information will appear in four locations. In the side bar of the school newsletter, in the icon at the top of the newsletter when viewed on a computer, on the "School Calendar" tile on the app and in the "News and Events" tab on our school web page.

Building Program

The construction of our new Senior Wing has finally commenced over the school holidays and demolition is now underway. There have been some delays due to documentation and asbestos removal, however the bulldozers will begin tomorrow. The project is estimated at 7 months so we are hoping to have students in the new rooms some time in 4th term.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

P&F Fundraising Events 2024

Easter Raffle Coordinator and helpers needed ASAP!

Term 1 fundraiser is the Easter Raffle. This is now ran by the junior school F-2 (it was ran by Foundation in previous years). This raffle will be held on the last day of Term 1 on Thursday the 28th March.  

Please contact the office on 55 931962  if you may be interested in coordinating or helping with this fundraiser. Thank you. 

Term 3 Fundraiser -  Trivia night - Grade 5 & 6

Grade 3 & 4 fundraiser to be announced after the P&F meeting.

Bunnings BBQ - Help needed from 1pm-4pm!

For the P&F BBQ fundraiser at Bunnings in Warrnambool this Saturday, 17th of February 2024, we still need parents who are able to work from 1pm to 4pm. We will be holding a meeting on Tuesday 13th of February at 7pm to help organise this event. 

The sausage sizzle will run from 9am - 4pm. 

We are still in need of some volunteers from 1pm till 4pm. The morning shifts are all covered.

If you could spare an hour or two  from 1pm until 4pm on this day and volunteer some time please contact the office.

Devices at School

We have asked that all student phones are handed into the office each morning for the saftey of the child, their school mates and the device itself. Another requirement is that smart watches are set to school mode during the day for the same reasons. Thank you for your support.

Container Deposit Scheme

We have registered our school for the container deposit scheme that has now commenced in Victoria. The nearest deposit machines are located at Cobden, Timboon, Terang & Warrnambool.

How to claim your refund at a CDS VIC Return Point;

Charity Donation
You can donate some of your 10c refund directly to St Patrick’s School.
You can donate via:
 -the CDS Vic West app
– select your preferred “Charity” as your active payout
– scan your app barcode at the machine
– insert your 10c drink containers and select “Transfer” directly on the screen of the machine when finished. 100% of the donated refund will be transferred to the donation partner you selected within the next 5 to 12 days.

Birthdays

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

Evelyn G, Damian M-M & Molly G

Community Events

Spriggy Canteen Ordering App

This is the new app to order online from the Mercy canteen. It takes a moment to sign up for the process, however it is quite easy to use. When registering, please search for St Patrick's Primary School, Camperdown and select your child's class.

Noorat to Terang Fun Run and Walk

Parenting 101

March 4 @ St Patricks

Girl Guides 2024