Translate

Newsletter 16/09/2024 Term 3 Week 10

Prayer

From the Principal

Dear parents and carers,

It is with a very heavy heart that I am leaving the St Patrick's school community. In my brief time here I have formed strong relationships with many parents, staff and students. I have experienced a sense of belonging and friendship from everyone in our school and hope that I have been able to contribute to, what has always been a wonderful place to learn and play. Unfortunately, for me there is great sadness at leaving before many new projects and changes have been fully implemented. I wish the school every blessing for the rest of this year with Ben and for the challenge of finding someone to lead you in the future.

School Closure Days

We have two school closure days for professional development left for this year. We have moved the first of these from earlier this term to Monday 7th of October which is the first day of Term 4. Term 4 will begin on Tuesday the 8th of October.

Our final day is still on Monday the 4th of November, which is the day before the Melbourne Cup public holiday. Please ensure that these days are in your calendar.

TheirCare will be offering all day care on these days for families experiencing difficulty finding carers for their children.

Early Finish Friday

This Friday the 20th of September is the last day of term 3 and school will finish at 2:15pm. The bus schedule will be moved one hour earlier.

Assembly will be at 12.30pm.

No Canteen on Friday

Please note the canteen will be closed this Friday the 20th of September for the last day of school.

Please make sure you pack lunch, fruit and snacks for your children on this day!

Footy Colours Day

This Friday the 20th of September for the last day of term we will be having a Footy Colours Day.

Please send your child to school in their favourite team colours!

5/6 Fun Day

The date for the 5/6 Fun Day is this Thursday the 19th of September. It will take place between 11:30am-1:00pm.

The group activities range from sports games and stalls to obstacle courses.

St Patrick’s students, staff and MRC students will have an opportunity to pay a small fee to play these games or purchase goods.

Students are asked to bring no more than $10 for the day.

There will be a cake stall on the day where children can purchase baked goods.

Whooping Cough

The incidence of Whooping cough cases is continuing to increase across Victoria, particularly among school-aged children.

Whooping cough is a very contagious infection, mostly spread through coughing or sneezing.

Symptoms include:

blocked or runny nose
tiredness
mild fever
severe bouts of coughing, often followed by a ‘whooping’ sound on breathing.

Whooping cough can lead to life-threatening infections in babies.

If your child is unwell, they should not attend school. Please see a doctor if you or your child develops whooping cough symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment will help reduce the spread of the infection.

Students diagnosed with whooping cough must not attend school

If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, they must not attend school for 21 days after the onset of the cough, or until they have received 5 days of antibiotic treatment.

You must notify the school if your child is diagnosed with whooping cough.

To further reduce the spread of infection to your child and the school community, the Public Health and Wellbeing Regulations 2019 require that some students who were in the same classroom as a student diagnosed with whooping cough should not attend school.

Your child should not attend school for 14 days after they were last exposed to a person diagnosed with whooping cough, or until they have taken 5 days of a course of antibiotic treatment if they are:

aged less than 7 years; and
not fully vaccinated with 3 doses of whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine.

This exclusion is required by law – refer to the School exclusion table for primary schools and children’s services.

If your child is diagnosed with whooping cough, please contact the school to let us know.

Your support in keeping our students safe and well is greatly appreciated.

For more information about whooping cough, refer to Whooping cough on the Better Health Channel.

Vaccination is the best way to reduce the risk of whooping cough. The Department of Health recommends staying up to date with immunisations, including booster doses. A free booster dose of the pertussis vaccine is covered under the national immunisation program for students aged 12 to 13. If you are unsure about your child’s vaccination status for whooping cough, please discuss with an immunisation provider, such as your doctor.

National Parent Survey

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) is running a parent survey in partnership with the University of New England on Student Wellbeing and Learning and are seeking your perspective as parents/carers of children who attend a Catholic School in Australia.

You are invited to share your views on existing and emerging affirmations and/or challenges in relation to your child/children’s wellbeing and learning.

The survey is anonymous, confidential, and completely voluntary.

For more information about the study and to participate go here.

Thank you for your support.

School Fees

Just a reminder that we are three quarters of the way through the school year!! Our governing body is looking at our fee collection and will be asking questions about any fees that haven't either been paid, have a payment plan or signed paperwork, very soon. It is a requirement by DOBCEL that all school fees are paid by the end of the year. If you haven't set up a payment plan yet or signed paperwork stating how you intend to pay, please contact the office ASAP.
If you need any assistance or have any questions please contact Debbie, thank you.

LEARNING AND TEACHING

Spelling Championships

Week 4 of the Spelling Championships was held last Monday.

Congratulations to the following students who achieved 35/35.

Grace B, Emma B, Maisie C, Step F, Stella H, Mali M, Edie M, Lucy K, Liam P

& Ike V.

The final is on this Wednesday in the Big Room. Good luck to the students that have made it into the final.

The Week Ahead

TERM_3_WEEK_10.1_The_Week_Ahead_and_Students_of_the_Week_.pdf

Wellbeing

Wellbeing_News_Term_3_Week_10.pdf

Emergency Evacuation Drill

Last Friday the staff and students participated in an Emergency Evacuation Drill. This is a regular process to ensure that we are ready in the event of an internal or external emergency situation. The children responded well to the drill and teachers had an opportunity to reflect on their role in maintaining a safe environment during a critical event.

Parish Bulletin

24th_SUNDAY_ORDINARY_TIME_YEAR_B_15_09_2024.pdf

CATHOLIC SCHOOL CULTURE

T3W10_RE_Newsletter.pdf

LEADERSHIP AND STEWARDSHIP

Uniform

After a long and thorough process, our new school uniform has been established and Noones have been awarded the contract to produce and sell these. Production has commenced and we hope to have these available for sale early in 4th term. Thank you for your persistence with this process but I am satisfied that due diligence has been done.
Our SAC have worked diligently on this for over 12 months and I am confident that it has covered every consideration to arrive at the final outcome. A special thanks goes to the sub-committee members Nina Pasque, Hollie Theodore and Nicole Foster who have done the hours of leg work to present to the SAC.

Penny Smith Visit

Last Friday we were very lucky to have Penny Smith visit our school.

Penny is a bronze medalist in shooting from the Paris Olympics.

The children were excited to have Penny here and asked her some great questions!

We thank Penny for her time at our school.

Known Dates

Below is a list of known dates at this stage for the rest of this year.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

TheirCare

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

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.pdf

Program_Information_Flyer_St_Patrick_s_PS_Camperdown.pdf

Community Events

Ritchies Loyalty Card

Birthdays

Happy Birthday to the following students who will celebrate their birthday this week and over the school holidays.

Aidan G, Sam S, Billie-Violet M, Liam B, Scout C, Jackson J, Ellie R-W, Amelia M, Theo C, Eliza N, Clea S, Lincoln R, Peggy G & Nash K.

Camperdown Show

Camperdown_Show_Poster.pdf

Little Athletics

The Otway Biofest

Protecting Children

Protecting children from sexual abuse online

Feeling overwhelmed by the online world your child is growing up in? You’re not alone. Whether your child is starting to explore the internet or is already a tech-savvy teen, it’s natural to worry about who they’re connecting with online and whether they’re safe. Just like you wouldn’t let your child dive into a pool without first teaching them how to swim, it’s important to teach them about online safety before they’re in too deep.

Today, we’re highlighting our new resources specifically designed to help address the growing concern of child sexual abuse online. Here’s some steps you can take to protect your child:

Understand the risks – Start by getting informed. Learn about the potential dangers and how to talk to your child about them in a way that’s age-appropriate.
Use our new resources – We know this topic can be difficult to navigate, so we’ve developed new resources to help. Our tools guide you through key actions, like discussing who your child connects with online and staying aware of how they use their devices. You’ll find practical tips, videos and conversation starters to make these conversations easier.

Go to the new resources