Newsletter 132- May 2nd 2024
Prayer of the Week:
Lord,
Blessed are you, God of all creation.
Through your goodness we have received all the gifts we enjoy. As we mark the 150th anniversary of our Diocese of Ballarat, we give thanks for the blessings bestowed upon us.
We recognise the communities who have lived on this land from ancient times.
We honour the Aboriginal peoples, here for tens of thousands of years.
We honour those who came from overseas and settled here before our diocese began.
Yet our anniversary shines a special light on our years as the Diocese of Ballarat, a community of communities from the Murray to the sea.
We remember those who have gone before us, those who laid the foundations of our parish and school communities and our social services and health care.
We acknowledge the strengths and weaknesses of our history.
We celebrate the achievements and we ask pardon for the failures to live our Christian faith to the full.
May this anniversary year be a season of renewal for our diocese. Inspired by the Gospel and nourished by the Eucharist, may we follow the example of Jesus and the guidance of your Holy Spirit.
May we reach out in humble service, welcoming all and caring for all creation. May we grow in love day by day.
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Mary, Mother of Perpetual Help. Pray for us.
Saint Patrick. Pray for us
Saint Mary MacKillop. Pray for us.
Principals Report:
Dear St Patrick’s community,
Catholic Education Week
Catholic Education Week is an annual opportunity for Catholic schools in the Diocese of Ballarat to celebrate their distinctive ethos and mission with their school and wider communities.
In 2024, 52 primary schools and 11 secondary Colleges educate more than 18,500 students and employ over 2,500 teachers and staff across the diocese from Mildura in the north, Portland in the south, and west to Edenhope and Nhill.
Catholic Education Week takes on special significance this year as our community of schools recognises the 150th Anniversary of the formation of the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat with the theme:
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:12)
We look forward to celebrating tomorrow (Friday 3rd May) with St Mary’s of Ararat and Marian College.
Enrolment Tours
On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of welcoming 2025 Foundation families to our school. It was truly wonderful to accompany Milla and Riley on tours of the school and engage in conversations with the families. Alongside Maryanne, it was amazing for us to showcase our exceptional students and programs. Attached to this newsletter, you'll find a timeline outlining the enrollment process.
We received valuable feedback from a family who already has a student with us. They expressed that they were unaware of many of the aspects Milla and Riley highlighted during the tour, remarking, "So much has changed in two years." I extend an invitation to all our existing families: if at any point you would like to explore our school and witness firsthand what learning looks like for your child, please don't hesitate to reach out and take a tour with me.
Visit of leading Education specialists
On Wednesday, we are thrilled to welcome Pasi Sahlberg and Dave Runge to our school as they visit to learn more about us. Pasi and Dave are supporting DOBCEL, the company that owns St Pats, in developing an overarching strategic plan that will serve as the guiding umbrella for our in-school five-year strategic plan.
Here's an excerpt from the weekly bulletin by DOBCEL Executive Director Tom Sexton that was shared with our staff:
“We are extremely excited to begin work alongside world-renowned Finnish educator Professor Pasi Sahlberg and CEO of Future Schools Australia Dave Runge, who will advise, guide and co-design with us a strategic plan to shape the direction for our system of schools over the next five years. As part of this work, Pasi and Dave will engage with a range of school communities, Principals, diocesan leadership staff, and the DOBCEL Board over the first half of this year. I am sure you will agree that the opportunity to work alongside education leaders of the caliber and experience of Pasi and Dave over an extended period is a significant one.”
We look forward to having Pasi and Dave in our school.
National Walk to School Safely Day
Walk Safely to School Day will be celebrated on Friday the 10th of May. It aims to improve the environment and our daily exercise routines.
Walking to school is the perfect way to start the day by getting some exercise and fresh air, ready to start school with a clear mind.
We will meet at the town library at 8.15 am to walk down to school. We will depart the library at 8.20 am. Normal yard duty supervision will be at school at 8.20 am for bus travelers and those not able to walk to school that day.
With Kind Blessings,
Bettina
From the Office:
Wellbeing:
Eventide Visits - Connecting with our elderly
After the success of our Term 1 visits to Eventide through the DASH project, we are thrilled to announce that our connection with the elderly will continue this term. On Monday afternoon, I had the pleasure of meeting with Dee at Eventide, and together we planned out the term and activities for each class.
Last term, our Grades 3-6 students filled out a survey, and it’s wonderful that Eventide has taken their suggestions on board. It seems the nerf guns were a hit and will definitely stay, alongside some new and exciting activities such as pouring paint, mini golf, and a range of fantastic board games. We even discussed the possibility of karaoke, thanks to the brilliant suggestion from Zarli! While we're not yet certain if karaoke will be feasible, we're exploring all options. It's truly wonderful to see our students' voices being heard and valued.
Our planned visits for this term are as follows:
- Middle B: April 29th (students had a great time on Monday)
- Senior M: May 7th
- Senior H: May 14th
- Foundation: May 21st
- Grade 1: May 28th
- Grade 2: June 4th
- Middle C: June 10th
Would you like to come with us?
We've observed a profound effect on our students (and teachers) from these visits, making a significantly positive impact on all involved. As a school, we're keen to involve our school community further. If you have a Working With Children’s Card, please take a moment to review the above dates and let your child's teacher or myself know if you can accompany us.
Let's continue spreading joy and fostering connections within our community.
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 2:50pm in the school hall. Students are dismissed from the hall on this day. We invite all our community to come along.
This week our assembly will be hosted by the MiniVinnies team in celebration of Catholic Education Week.
Week 3: MiniVinnies- 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 4
Wednesday 8th May, 2024. Mrs Bettina Bird Principals Meeting.
Thursday 9th May, 2024. Miss Kerrie Ryan
Professional Learning:
This week we welcomed back Shane Crawford from edu point professional learning.
Shane has been working closely with us over the past eighteen months building our teaching capacity to ensure that we are delivering high
Our areas of focus are:
- Developing a consistency and confidence in using Learning Intentions and Success Criteria in all learning areas
- Articulate a clear picture of the types of feedback practices our school aspires to have
- Make our Learning superpowers “live and breath”in all aspects of our school life
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
New faces - Casual Relief Teachers (CRT).
You may have seen a couple of new teaching faces in our classrooms. We are extremely fortunate to have secured some wonderful Casual Relief Teachers (CRT) to work with us at St Patrick’s. CRT’s step in to ensure that our students' learning continues when the classroom teacher is not in their classroom. CRT’s are crucial in ensuring that the pace of our students' education is not interrupted and that our classrooms are covered with quality teachers when the classroom teacher is absent from the classroom.
It is extremely challenging at the moment to find qualified teachers for CRT work, so we are very grateful for the following teachers who will be helping us this year. We welcome back Mrs Jenny Rathgaber and Mrs Kate Harney who will also be supporting us this year.
New faces are: Mrs Bea Greenhaigh and Mrs Casey Baxter who are helping us over the course of the term as we have numerous teachers out with professional development and long service.
We are extremely fortunate to have high quality CRT’s that bring St Patrick’s their knowledge, skills and experiences from other schools which enriches both our teachers and students' experiences.
Combined school fundraiser - Pomonal Bushfires
Thank you to the tireless efforts of our P&F for organizing our Swimming sports bbq and our Mini Vinnies group for selling zooper doopers. St Patrick’s contributed to $1062.55.
Thank you also to Thomas Cook Foods, Pyrenees Premium Cuts and Woolworths who kindly donated products to sell.
Students of the week:
Aynsley Logan - For the wonderful way you are listening to teachers and following instructions. Keep up the fabulous effort!
Judd Savage - For being such a positive and happy member of the class and for making fabulous progress with your sounds and letters. Keep up the great efforts!
Valeria Di Pietro - For the wonderful growth you made in your maths learning for Modules 1-3. Congratulations on doubling your score from your Pre to Post Quarterly Test. Keep working hard!
Chevy Haynes - For the wonderful reading you have been doing. You are reading with accuracy and fluency. Great work!
Ace Rowe - For challenging himself this week and saying 'I can do this' about his learning! Very proud of you Ace, keep it up!
Alfie Freeland - For always striving to do his best work being so self-motivated towards his learning, you should feel very proud of all you achieve Alfie!
Mac Bibby - For gently encouraging the participation of students and residents in activities during our visit to Eventide. Well done Mac!
Prithvi Renjith - For demonstrating helpfulness and kindness during our recent visit to Eventide.
Curtis Calantog - For using your risk-taker Learner Superpower in maths while working out addition problems.
Tamieka Austin - For being a resilient and self-motivated learner in maths learning this week while learning about subtraction algorithms this week. You are a superstar!
Mackenzie Farrell - For showing persistence and perseverance during Maths lessons by overcoming difficulties. Great determination Mackenzie!
Mia Bailey - For being a self-motivated and determined learner during our 'discussion writing'. I loved the way you looked for some feedback on how you could improve Mia! Well done!
Marli Willis - For being a self-motivated learner in all subject areas. Your ability to take on new challenges is amazing, keep working hard Marli!
Thomas Truong - For the amazing result you achieved in your Stepping Stones quarterly test. You always strive to achieve the goals you set for your learning.
Living in Faith:
Catholic Education Week - 29th April, 2024 to 3rd May, 2024
The text Communities: Remember, Revitalise, Hope reflects various aspects of the anniversary. The word “Community” highlights the fact that a diocese is essentially a community drawn together by Christ, a large community made up of many local communities. 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.
An Ongoing Story
During Catholic Education Week we recall the story of Catholic Schooling that has been taking place since 1849 in the region we know as The Diocese of Ballarat. This has been a collaborative project from the very beginning. Lay people, Clergy and Religious Orders have worked tirelessly, establishing what we have today. The Diocese of Ballarat, since its inception in 1874 has placed an immense importance on Catholic Schools. From 1875-1884 the Diocese spent £67,291 (equivalent of $113,566,50 in 2023) on education alone and by 1904 had 11 boarding schools, 13 secondary schools for both girls and boys, and 60 primary schools in 35 parishes. An extraordinary achievement!
Did you know St Patrick’s Primary school Stawell was established by Fr Barrett in 1851, in a calico tent during the Gold Rush era. That makes us 173 years old. From that day in 1851 till present we continue to be a community educating for service in faith, hope and love, celebrating Catholic beliefs, values, practices and traditions. We strive everyday to provide our students with learning opportunities and a nurturing environment that develops the whole person.
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 10:15am in the school hall. 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 the celebration mass at 10:00 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. “Believe in the whisperings of God to your own heart” Saint Mary MacKillop
Congratulations to this weeks award recipient: Eleanor Erwin
For looking out for others needs before her own.
Thank you for your kindness.
Parents and Friends News:
Next Thursday 9th May our P&F committee will hold a Mothers/Special Persons Stall. Gifts will range from $1-$10 and can be purchased in class groups during school hours.
If you can, please send some cash with your child/ren to purchase a special gift for their Mum/Grandma/Nan/Special Person and raise some funds for our school.
Kate Field
President
Birthdays:
Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday this week:
Evie G, Max and Hunter
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.