Newsletter 126 - March 7th 2024

Prayer of the Week:

Dear Lord,

Your commandment of love is so simple and so challenging.
Help me to let go of my pride,to be humble in my penance.
I want only to live the way you ask me to love,to love the way you ask me to live.
I ask this through your son, Jesus,who stands at my side today and always.

 Amen

Principals Report:

Dear St Patrick’s community

This year marks the 150th anniversary of the Diocese of Ballarat, to which our school belongs as a part of DOBCEL and as part of the parish of Paul VI.  The scripture verse for this anniversary comes from Romans 12:12

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."

Our school was gifted a candle to commemorate this anniversary, and it is on display in our front office area. Three words are prominent on the candle: remember, revitalise and hope. This year we remember both the strengths and the weaknesses of the history of the Ballarat Diocese, we invest in our work to revitalise our community, and we hope for a better future.

This week we continue our Lenten journey in preparation for the celebration of the great Easter mystery. Lent is not a time for doing special things just for the sake of it. If our Lenten practices do not help us understand God’s word more clearly and to live according to that word more generously, then they are not useful. 

Lent has many traditions.  We notice the colour purple in our church and on our prayer tables.  There is also the absence of the “Alleluia,” we will not sing or hear it again until Easter when we will rejoice in the resurrection of Jesus.

During Lent we endeavour to become more prayerful, to make our lives simpler and to share what we have with those who are in need.

Some upcoming items of note are: 

Parent Teacher Interviews are being held on Wednesday, March 20th- please note the date change from what has previously been advertised. Bookings can be made via PAM on the SimonEverywhere App. Parent Teacher Interviews provide a great opportunity to discuss your child’s progress and development. Countless studies have shown that a family’s engagement has a direct positive impact on a child’s learning success. When families are engaged in their children’s school lives, students have the home support they need to develop a lifelong love of learning.

Some have enquired about a message that occurs after booking- it may suggest that there are no interviews available to book for [student name]. This is a message appearing after clicking on the specific time that you want. When that occurs, the booking does go through so rest assured the booking will be there on the teacher’s end. 

We have an upcoming community event- Friday 22nd March we will celebrate Harmony Day. This is a real highlight of the school year. The students will learn some cultural dances during the day which they will then share with families during our shared picnic.

School Advisory Council 

The Annual General Meeting and first regular meeting of the School Advisory Council (SAC) will be held on Wednesday 27th March at 6 pm in the school. If you would like to join the SAC please contact me via email - principal@spstawell.catholic.edu.au. 

Enjoy the long weekend. 

With Kind Blessings, 

Bettina

Wellbeing:

Teaching and Learning:

School Assemblies:  Our assemblies happen each Friday afternoon starting at 2:45pm in the school hall.   Please note change of time due to school now finishing at 3:10pm.  Students are dismissed from the hall on this day.  We invite all our community to come along.  Whole school community invited to attend.                                                                                            

Week 6: Middle B

Week 7: Junior FB                                                                                                      

Week 8: Middle C                               

Week 9: Stations of the cross Thur 28th March 1:45pm

Professional Development:  At St Patrick’s Primary School we are committed to Professional Development of our team.  At various times staff members will be working off site or online which may result in classroom teachers being out of the classroom.

Week 7:      Wed 13th    Mrs Bird   Compliance workshop 

Middle B: 

Middle B have had a fantastic start to the term and have been very engaged in their learning over the past six weeks. It has been wonderful to see the dedication the students have had towards learning and the atmosphere in the classroom has been one of positivity, collaboration, fun and laughter.

Here are what some of the students have to say about their learning and time in Middle B so far:

Aaliyah -  I am proud of my narrative because of the wonderful sentences and math.

Alivia - I am proud of my narrative because of my ideas. Blowing bubbles was fun during break.

Boston - We are learning about time in Maths. And in writing we are doing narratives and I like doing my narrative. I liked my time/narrative in math and writing. I also enjoyed doing bubbles during brain brain time.

Emila - I am proud of my Rhetorical questions because I learnt how to use it in a narrative.

Henry - I am proud of my story l made because l wrote a better story after Miss Bonney gave me feedback.

Jack - I am proud of my narrative because I have enjoyed writing and being creative.

Lenny - I am proud of my narrative because I got a lot of words in it and I was away.

Lilly - I am proud of the touch type because I have been learning  to get my hands on the right keys.   

Mason - I am proud of  my touch type because I can put my fingers on the right keys.

Peter - l am proud of my narrative because of my writing. I have learnt algorithms in math.

Sophie - I am proud of the narrative I wrote because I put figurative language in my narrative. I’m also proud of the math because I’m not so good at time. I have also been improving in my reading. We also got to do some skipping for brain break.

Tahlia - I am proud of my narrative because I love writing stories and I am also proud of my maths.

Willow - I am proud of my narrative and I also like my maths

Learning Dispositions:  St Patrick’s Primary School Learning Super powers St Patrick's Learner Superpowers  please click for further details. 

These are qualities  that successful learners use in their everyday life, self - motivated, curious, resilient, collaborative, risk-taker. We have been focussing on these qualities throughout the term and will continue to reinforce and apply these skills in the classroom and in everyday life. 

We are committed to ensuring that our whole school community has an understanding of what each super power means.  This week we will unpack our Resilient learning superpower.     

At St Patrick’s we promote resilience through various means, including implementing social-emotional learning programs, fostering a positive and inclusive school culture, providing mental health support services, teaching coping skills, and offering opportunities for students to develop leadership and problem-solving abilities. By prioritizing resilience,  we aim to equip students with the skills and mindset they need to navigate the challenges of academic life and beyond.

Visible learning:   Learning Intentions & Success Criteria. 

Learning intentions describe what learners are expected to know, understand, and be able to do by the end of a learning period or unit. They are specific, measurable, and provide a clear focus and direction for educators and learners. Learning intentions are typically written in a clear, simple language based on the curriculum or learning objectives. Setting clear learning intentions, educators can ensure that learners are on track and provide the support and guidance they need to achieve their learning goals.

Success Criteria are an essential aspect of the learning process. They are the standards used to evaluate whether learners have achieved the learning intention and to what extent. These criteria define the expected outcomes of the learning process and provide a clear understanding of what learners need to accomplish or demonstrate in their learning. Educators can help learners evaluate their progress and take ownership of their learning journey by providing clear and measurable success criteria.  (edu point professional learning 2024) 

At St Patrick’s we are continually striving to ensure consistency in learning across all year levels and classes. Striving for the greatest positive impact as we work towards the virtue of excellence and at least a full year’s growth for every student every year.  Each lesson that students enter into will have explicit learning intentions and success criteria. 

What do our learners think about Learning Intentions and Success Criteria?

“They help us know what we’re trying to achieve.” Emilia MB

"It helps with our learning and makes us understand more.” Alivia  MB

"It tells us what we need to achieve.”   Sophie  MB

"It gives us a boost.”Lenny MB

Naplan

Grade Three and Five children will be sitting the NAPLAN testing in mid  March. 
Previous years NAPLAN had been in May, however the NAPLAN schedule has now been brought forward. 

NAPLAN is a nationwide measure through which parents, teachers, schools, education authorities, governments and the broader community can determine whether or not young Australians are developing the literacy and numeracy skills that provide the critical foundation for other learning and for their productive and rewarding participation in the community.

NAPLAN results allow parents/carers and educators to see how students are progressing in literacy and numeracy over time – individually, as part of their school community, and against national standards. The tests provide an important contribution to monitoring and evaluating the performance of schools and school systems in these fundamental capabilities. They also provide schools, states and territories with information about how education approaches are working, the areas to be prioritised for improvement, and those schools requiring support in the teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy. The results can assist teachers by providing additional information to support their professional judgment about students’ levels of literacy and numeracy attainment and progress.

NAPLAN tests are one aspect of each school’s assessment and reporting process and do not replace the extensive, ongoing assessments made by teachers about each student’s performance. Each teacher will have the best insight into their students’ educational progress.

Our Year 3 and 5 students will participate in the following NAPLAN assessment focusing on:
• Reading                 • Writing                  • Spelling
• Grammar and Punctuation               • Numeracy 

Maryanne Comitti   Teaching & Learning Leader 

Just a reminder that all children will have a chance to view and purchase good quaility books from $5 - $30 at this years Book Fair 'Catch the Reading Bug'. Located in the school library during next week. Please see further details in the note sent home with the eldest child today.

Students of the week:

Living in Faith:

This year we will be celebrating our Harmony Day on Friday 22nd March, 2024.  

Harmony Day is a day where we celebrate our cultural diversity, it is about inclusiveness, respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. 

We are thrilled to announce that footsteps, a Melbourne based school dance program will once again be visiting St Patrick’s.  

“Footsteps specialises in curriculum, age-based movement programs for Foundation to Year 12 students. We deliver engaging and relevant dance and drama programs which have been developed around the Australian National Curriculum. Our programs develop students’ social skills, confidence, fitness levels, creativity, expressive skills and coordination, ensuring we provide a safe, positive and stimulating environment for all students.”  https://footstepsdancecompany.com.au/

In the footsteps dance sessions children will explore this idea of belonging through dance.   Students will work with the footsteps dance instructor at an allocated time during the school day to learn their dance.  Students and our St Patrick’s Community are then invited to come together for an evening celebration which will commence at approximately 5:00 pm.  Details regarding catering to follow.  

A detailed timetable will be sent out closer to the date. If anyone has any queries or would like to become involved in our Harmony Day activities please contact me. 

Maryanne Comitti, Religious Education Leader

During Lent, Christians are asked to focus on ‘Almsgiving’, which simply means donating money or goods to those in need. In every classroom, in the office area and each family will have been sent home a Project Compassion money box from Caritas that we have made available for monetary donations. We encourage students to think of those in need and donate when and if they can. An example of being kind and generous can be when a child donates their money and goes without buying a treat such as a lunch order or an ice-cream that’s Almsgiving

Thankyou for your support.   

A quote from Pope Francis:

"Love and charity, are service, helping others, serving others. There are many people who spend their lives in this way, in the service of others. When you forget yourself and think of others, this is love! "

Each Friday till the end of Term 1 our MiniVinnies group will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1.00 each St Vincent de Paul Sponsor a student program. As always we thank our St Patrick’s community for your support. 

Mary MacKillop Award:

Mary MacKillop lived a life dedicated to her faith and serving the needs of others. Wherever and however she could, Mary MacKillop did everything possible to improve the lives of others. This award acknowledges the thoughtful actions of the students at St Patrick’s to help others. “Do all you can to assist and love one another.”Saint Mary MacKillop

Birthdays:

Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday  this week: 

Valeria, Boston, Marley, Evelyn, Juliet and Vibeesh.

Parents and Friends news:

A shout out to our wonderful committed Parents and Friends.  It’s a big term for our P&F with Swimming Sports, Easter raffle, International Women's Day and Harmony Day activities that they are coordinating.  

At St Patrick’s we have been extremely fortunate to have had the wonderful support of our Parents & Friends and wider community over many years.  This has helped and continues to  help make St Patrick’s a wonderful community to be a part of. 

What does a  Parents & Friends Association (PFA) do in a Catholic school?

In a catholic school the aim of a Parents & Friends Association are
-to promote the cause of true Christian education by bringing parents, friends, students and teaching staff of the school into fruitful co-operation
-to promote social contact among parents
-plan and organise functions associated with the social life of the school community 
-inform the school community of PFA activities 
-to raise funds
-to provide material assistance in equipping and maintaining the school, when deemed necessary by the Principal

Diocesan/Parish news:

Mass Times: 
Ararat Sunday 8.30am 
Stawell Sunday 10.30am
Lake Bolac 1st, 3rd, 5th Sundays 6.30pm Vigil Sat 
Landsborough 2nd, 4th Sundays 12.30pm
Glenthompson (Hamilton Parish) 2nd, 4th Sundays 8.30am

Around Our Community:

Please follow us on instagram; stpatsstawell

Upcoming Events:

Our Vision and Mission:

Vision Statement: St Patrick's School is a community which reflects and celebrates Christ as its centre point:  By honoring our story we value our whole community.  By coming together our vision is for a loving, just, compassionate and tolerant world.     Mission Statement:  In the tradition of St Patrick, we are committed to: Promoting and celebrating a love of God, self and community.  Recognizing and enhancing the talents and uniqueness of each person through our vision of Prayer, Care and Learning.  PRAYER We nurture and grow our relationship with God as members of a faith community.  CARE We foster recognition of difference, compassion for others and the strength to act on our beliefs. LEARNING We develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills essential to reaching our full potential as life- long learners.