Newsletter 131- April 26th 2024
Prayer of the Week:
Lord,
God of love and liberty, we bring our thanks this day for the peace and security we enjoy, which was won for us through the courage and devotion of those who gave their lives in time of war.
We pray that their labour and sacrifice may not be in vain, but that their spirit may live on in us and in generations to come.
That the liberty, truth and justice which they sought to preserve may be seen and known in all the nations upon earth.
We pray in the name of the one who gave his life for the sake of the world,
Jesus Christ our Lord.
Amen
Principals Report:
Dear St Patrick’s community
As we reflect on the solemnity of ANZAC Day, it is important for us as a school community to remember and honor the sacrifices made by those who have served our nation. This Friday morning, we will gather for a special school prayer to commemorate ANZAC Day and to pay tribute to the brave men and women who have served in defense of our freedoms. I want to express my gratitude to our school leaders for their reverence and respect shown at the Memorial service yesterday. Your leadership sets a powerful example for our entire school community.
In other news, I am pleased to inform you that our school now has two grant applications for the renovation of our art and science portables. One application is currently under appraisal at the state level, and we anticipate hearing a response in the coming months. The second application, submitted at the federal level, will be announced at the end of the year. These renovations are an integral part of our master plan to transform the portables into a Foundation area that will enhance the educational experience for our students. I can not express enough gratitude to Chris (previous Principal) and Maryanne for the work they did on the school Master Plan that enables us to put in such applications. Maryanne did the State application the week before I started and this work enables us to very easily apply for others as they become available.
As we look ahead, I invite families who are interested in enrolling their children in Foundation for the 2025 school year to join us for enrolment tours on Tuesday as part of our Catholic Education Week celebrations. It is an excellent opportunity to experience firsthand the welcoming and nurturing environment our school provides. I am excited that next Friday, our school will come together with St. Mary's of Ararat and Marian College to acknowledge Catholic Education Week and commemorate the 150-year anniversary of the Ballarat Diocese. It promises to be a memorable occasion as we celebrate our shared faith and the rich history of Catholic education in our community.
Wishing you all a lovely weekend filled with joy, reflection, and gratitude.
With Kind Blessings,
Bettina
Wellbeing:
Maggie Dent, Commonly known as the 'queen of common sense', has become one of Australia's favourite parenting authors and educators. Recently she shared this article written by David Morris; So much common sense in this piece - discomfort as a child is sometimes a teachable moment.
*Copied from David Morris on Twitter
8 FIGHTS WORTH PICKING WITH YOUR KIDS:
Parenting is hard. Parents have to choose their battles. Here are 8 fights worth picking with your kids:
The Reading Fight:
Make your kids read. Because reading is tied to everything from cognitive development to the ability to focus. Make your kids read now.
The Outside Fight:
Make your kids go outside. The natural world teaches us things. Plus, outside there's sunshine, fresh air, and exercise waiting for them. Most importantly, nature is full of things in short supply in our world: Discovery, wonder, peace, joy.
The Work Fight:
Make your kids work. I’m saddened by how many parents don’t require their kids to lift a finger at home. There are priceless life principles you can only learn with a mop in your hand. Let sweat be their teacher.
The Meal Fight:
Make your kids eat as a family. Our lives are a blur of incessant activity. Meals together are a physical pause to recover a truth so easily sacrificed at the altar of busyness. Nothing's more important than family.
The Boredom Fight:
Make your kids live with boredom. Don't show a DVD on each car ride. Kids need unscheduled time. And, odd as it sounds, boredom is a skill. It's hard as a parent to deal with the assault of boredom complaints. But if you give in and fill up their time with external stimuli, you'll raise an activity addict. Make them learn how to be.
The "Me First" Fight:
Make your kids go last. Not every time for everything. But enough to remember that the world doesn't revolve around them. Take the smallest piece. Give up the remote. Do someone else's chores. Get their least favorite choice. They won't like it, but they need it.
The Awkward Conversation Fight:
Make your kids have uncomfortable conversations with you. Sex, dating, body image, values...Your kids will roll their eyes and resist. You will stumble and stutter. They need and want your perspective, lessons learned, and wisdom.
The Limitation Fight:
Learning to live within limits is a valuable life skill. In fact, many adult problems arise from an inability to accept them. Screen time limits, dietary limits, activity limits, and schedule limits are all good.
As a parent, you have to pick your battles. They're not easy, but they're worth the fight.
You can find Maggie Dent on; Facebook (Maggie Dent) or Instagram - Maggie Dent (@maggiedentauthor)
Fiona Harney
SAVE THE DATE:
Mothers day/ special persons day celebrations
When: Friday 10th May 2024
Where: Multipurpose Hall
Time: 12:30pm sharp
More details to come.
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 2: Senior H
Week 3: Ms Comitti - Catholic Education Week
Week 4: Foundation
Week 5: NO ASSEMBLY - Athletic Sports
Week 6: Middle B
Week 7: Junior R
Week 8: Senior M
Week 9: Middle C
Week 10: Junior FB
Week 11: Foundation
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 3. - Friday 3rd April Mrs Bettina Bird REAP course
Senior H:
What have you enjoyed so far this year,2024;
Ally -I enjoyed camp so far this year and I enjoyed doing Art.
Archie C- I enjoyed camp this year because we did some fun activities. I also enjoyed sports because you get to do fun things.
Archie Mac - I really enjoyed swimming at camp and doing the diving board and playing rugby in the pool. At school I’ve had so much fun with kids' news.
Bill- I’ve enjoyed going to camp. I loved that when we went to Eventide the older people were so nice. My favourite subject was maths and writing. I've enjoyed maths because Mr Maloney is such a good teacher.
Charlie - I loved ANZAC day drawing, camp and visiting Eventide. I really enjoyed learning algorithms.
Chloe - I liked camp and learning Auslan. I really enjoyed maths.
Eleanor - Some of the amazing and fun things we have done include: Camp, Eventide visits, swimming carnival, learning about my classmates, cross country and learning Auslan. We are reading the most amazing book for class novel. I'm really enjoying reading it.
P.S. Senior H is so much fun !!!!!!!!!!
Emily - I enjoyed camp swimming and hanging out with friends and cross country and the Eventide! I also really enjoyed maths, art and the novel Two Wolves!
Henry - My favourite thing at school is camp, the swimming carnival, Eventide visits, cross country and Math decimal fractions.
Jackson - I enjoy Maths and that I got 25/25 in my post test.
Jayde - I enjoyed camp and the swimming carnival. I also liked going to the Eventide. I really enjoyed doing kids news during reading.
Jett - I have enjoyed Maths, Auslan and camp. I have enjoyed learning about Auslan.
Kobe - My favourite thing this year so far was the camp.
Luke - This year I have enjoyed kids news because it has fun activities and up to date news.
Mackenzie - I liked camp, Auslan and the swimming carnival. I love maths and sport.
Maddox - I enjoy Maths and Kids news at school.
Marnie - I have liked Camp this year especially the Queen Victoria Market. And I’ve enjoyed writing.
Maya - I loved camp this year. I also like doing Auslan and maths a little.
Mia - I have loved camp this year. It was so much fun getting to experience all the different things Melbourne has to offer. I have also really enjoyed Kids News this year.
Nate - I loved going to camp.
Riley - I liked Auslan and getting to see my friends, having an amazing teacher, and also learning about ANZAC day. I also enjoyed learning maths.
Zarli - I enjoyed going to the Eventides and camp and the amazing camp experience wouldn't have been possible without the amazing teachers and helpers. I’ve also enjoyed writing and Auslan.
ANZAC Day
Some consider ANZAC Day the fabric of our society. It is a time for the community to come together to remember and recognise the sacrifice and service of many commemorating the Australian and New Zealand forces landing at Gallipoli in 1915. The ANZAC legend for many can often be described as tough, brave, fair, hard working and looking after your mates or something that defines us today, or that it is something we should remember, celebrate and aspire to.
On Wednesday we gathered as a whole school in the hall for prayer for an ANZAC prayer.
Thank You to our School Captains and Vice Captains who represented St Patricks so well at the ANZAC day service. Thanks to their families for ensuring our school leaders were able to be present.
Students of the week:
Charlie Terwisscha Van Scheltinga - For listening and participating very well during our Initial Lit lessons. Congratulation on knowing so many sounds and letters!
Billie Carlsen - For being able to identify sounds and letters very well. Keep up the fantastic reading and writing work Billie!
Nasar Werry - For your enthusiasm and commitment to learning Auslan. Keep up the amazing self-motivation and hard work!
Imogen Nelson - For showing kindness and care in our classroom. Thank you for always offering to help others!
Marley Carlsen - For using his risk-taker superpower and writing a very creative narrative this week. Such a delightful story Marley, well done!
Nathalia Abraham - For always trying hard and using her learning time wisely, Keep up the wonderful work Nathalia!
Lexie Bailey - For using your self motivated learner super power to strive towards achieving your goals, especially during Writing and Maths lessons. Keep it up Lexie!
Boston McGaffin - For your enthusiasm and dedication to our school sustainability area and assisting others to care for it and maintain it. Great job Boston!
Daniella Parkin Alamo - For using your curious learner superpower while we have been learning about ANZAC Day this week. Great work Daniella!
Nathaniel Abraham - For being a risk-taker and accepting a challenge in Maths while learning about subtraction algorithms. Keep it up Nathaniel!
Jackson Notting - For your self-motivation and willingness to coach others during Maths. In doing so you a displaying your strong Mathematical understanding! Well done Jacko.
Bill Lasslett - For displaying great initiative in his learning and for giving every learning opportunity 100% effort. Keep working hard Bill!
Milla Woolley - For being a risk-taker by using Auslan to welcome our language teacher to our online chat. You are an amazing leader within our school.
Beverly Parkin Alamo - For your willingness to offer your knowledge and opinions when we were discussing ANZAC Day this week. Your ability to stimulate discussions within the classroom is amazing.
Living in Faith:
Catholic Education Week - 29th April, 2024 to 3rd May, 2024
Catholic Education Week is an annual opportunity for the 63 Catholic schools across the Diocese of Ballarat to celebrate their achievements celebrate their distinctive ethos and mission within our school and wider community.
This year our Diocese is celebrating its 150th Anniversary of formation. There are 54 catholic schools in our Diocese, more than 18,500 students and a staff of over 2,500 across our diocese. Our Diocese spans from Mildura down to Portland and across to Edenhope and Nhill.
Please find following an exert from Bishop Pauls letter to our Diocese on the occasion of our 150th Anniversary.
Our Scripture for Catholic Education Week 2024 is “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer” (Rom 12:12). When we celebrate a birthday, we often reflect on the years that have passed, as well as wishing the person happiness in the present and blessings for the time ahead. Celebrating the anniversary of a diocese is something like that. A community anniversary provides an occasion to reflect on the past, affirm people in the present and look hopefully to the future. We can see these elements in the themes for the 150th anniversary of our Diocese of Ballarat.
The word “Community” highlights the fact that a diocese is essentially a community drawn together by Christ. The word “Remember” refers to the history of the diocese. In this remembering, we acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of that history, celebrating the achievements and recognising the failures to live our Christian faith to the full. The word “Revitalise” calls us to invest ourselves in bringing new life to the community today. The word “Hope” encourages us to look forward to the future with confidence in God. Bishop Paul Bird
On Friday 3rd May we will celebrate Catholic Education Week as a community of Catholic schools. Our Foundation to Grade 3 students will host Foundation - Grade Two students from St Mary’s Ararat. They will begin the day with a liturgy which all are welcome to attend at 10:30am in the school hall. We are in the process of planning a variety of activities for the day. Meanwhile our Grade 4-6 students will travel to Marian College, Ararat and join with St Mary’s Grade 3-6 students and Marian College Year 7 students. Parents are welcome to join celebrate mass at 10:00am in the Marian College gymnasium.
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. “God is good and has brought light and help when all was very dark” Saint Mary MacKillop
Congratulations to this weeks award recipient: Amelia O'Callaghan
For assisting one of her classmates to get back to class when the music was going.
Thank you for your kindness.
Birthdays:
Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday this week:
Elektra and Madilyn
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
Please find below the link for the March 2024 edition of
“Our Diocesan Community”
This Magazine is a way to share the good news stories of our schools, parishes and agencies across the diocese.
https://www.ballarat.catholic.
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.