Newsletter 137- June 6th 2024
Prayer of the Week:
Thank you God for sun and rain
That makes all things grow.
Thank you for the farmers
That work to reap and sow.
Thank you for the mums and dads and all
That makes us lovely food.
Thank you God for everything
Amen.
Principals Report:
Dear St Patrick’s community,
As the cold winter months approach, we recognize the importance of providing a warm and welcoming space for young families to come together, socialise, and build positive experiences. We are excited to announce our upcoming playgroup and school familiarisation program designed to support community engagement and facilitate smoother school transitions for children. The first session will be Thursday, 27th June from 9:00 am to 10:30 am in the Hall.
Join us for a morning filled with fun and learning. Lillie will be leading a special literacy session for the children, making it an enriching experience for those up to school starting age, including children not planning to attend our school. While the kids are engaged in their activities, parents and carers are invited to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee and connect with other community members.
We pride ourselves on fostering a strong community spirit and providing safe spaces for children to learn and grow.
We are thrilled that we will continue this initiative through Term 3 with additional playgroup sessions on:
- Thursday, 8th August: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
- Thursday, 22nd August: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
- Thursday, 5th September: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
- Thursday, 19th September: 9:00 am - 10:30 am
To help us ensure we cater adequately, please contact the office to register your interest. We look forward to seeing you there and building a stronger, more connected community together.
With Kind Blessings,
Bettina
From the Office:
Wellbeing:
There is a time for everyone where you face one of life’s many challenges, be it small or large. Some people get help, find solutions or like Neil Daniher become a leader, use your mind to continue going forward. Learn, always keep asking questions and be the best that you can be. Pease watch the link:
Cheryl Duxson
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.
Week 8: Junior R
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 9 - NIL
Junior R:
It is hard to believe it is Week 8 already! The term has certainly flown by. With a lot of assessment taking place over the last couple of weeks, I am so proud of what the Grade One students have achieved so far this year.
In InitiaLit we have been revising our learning. We have been practicing new digraphs as well as continuing to learn about verbs, nouns, adjectives and compound words. Our tricky words this week are two, three and four.
In Writing, we have been writing narratives and on Tuesday we completed a cold write work sample in our assessment books. We then started our work on the book Gold that Mrs Fraser gave to us. For this we have been defining the words toppled, advice, weary, heaves and queue and putting them into sentences. We read and discussed the book and are working on turning fragments into sentences.
In Maths, we have been learning about subtraction. We know it is important to put the total first when writing a subtraction number fact. We have also been learning to tell time on the hour. We know it is o’clock when the minute hand is pointing to the 12.
We are loving Auslan in Grade One and it is great to see everyone using it as much as they can. Some signs we have learned this week are; Can I go to the toilet? Sit in a circle, stand in a circle, cross your legs, recess, lunch, yes, no. We certainly are getting a few signs under our belt. We especially love the game PacMan where we get to tag people and sign ‘Sorry, you’re out!’.
We have almost finished our learning about the history of Stawell in Inquiry. In the last week of school we have the Stawell Gold Mine coming to visit us and talk about the changes in mining over the years. We are very much looking forward to this.
In Religion, we have been learning a variety of things on the topic Participation. We read the book The Invisible Boy, and talked about how important it is to include others. We then moved on to learning about Baptism and Confirmation, our Sacraments of Initiation.We learned the meaning of the Our Father prayer and made iMovies with the Grade Two’s. We will finish the term by sharing our gifts and talents and how we can use these to show love to others.
In Wellbeing, we have been learning about courage and bravery. This links with our Superpowers and we have been using these to try new and more challenging tasks.
We have been working very hard this term however at the same time are showing signs that we are just about ready for a break!
Kerrie Ryan
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
Re: Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)
Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about support provided to students with disabilities. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).
Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:
- year of schooling
- category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
- level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.
This information assists schools to:
- formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
- consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
- develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.
The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disabilities.
The NCCD will have no direct impact on students and your students will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).
Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).
If you have any questions about the NCCD, please do not hesitate in contacting me at school on 53582493 or via email kryan@spstawell.catholic.edu.au
Kind regards
Kerrie Ryan
Learning Diversity Leader
Sustainability:
Big things have been coming out of our garden.
Over the last few weeks students have been busy harvesting the produce from the school veggie garden. All of the hard work digging, weeding, planting and watering has paid off with some very large pumpkins, potatoes and zucchinis. Our largest pumpkin weighed in at 13kg and over 1m in circumference. Our largest zucchini is 67cm in length.
Some of the produce has been cut and distributed to families. For those who missed out, there will be another round of give-aways in the future.Thanks to all of the students who have helped in the garden over the Semester
Mrs Cox Hayward
Students of the Week:
Indiana Schumann - For the wonderful self- motivation you are showing when you are completing your Initial Lit work. You know so many sounds and tricky words, well done!
Zeke Sheen - For the fantastic work you have been doing to learn your tricky words and illustrate your work. I love the pride you have shown in your presentation. Congratulations!
George Darker - For accurately reading o’clock times on analogue and digital clocks. Well done on getting all your questions correct!
Kaison Portelli - For the effort and concentration you are putting into your reading. Well done on reading like you are talking. Keep it up!
Saviero Di Petro - for being a wonderful contributor to whole group discussions and always sharing his opinions and ideas with confidence. We all enjoy your ideas so much Saviero!
Hunter Weavell - for showing self-motivation towards his learning and pushing himself to achieve his best work this week, well done Hunter!
Kayde Werry - For your detailed and excellent presentation of your information report on velociraptors. Well done Kayde!
Tahlia Darker - For being a self-motivated learner and making positive learning choices in class. Keep it up!
Arli Werry - For demonstrating your self-motivated learning superpower during your MacqLit sessions. You are a superstar, keep it up!
Tanner Freeland - For demonstrating great resilience in completing all testing and using your risk taker superpower to accept the challenges we set before you. Thank you for being a great role model for our class!
Charlie Sullivan - For being a self-motivated learner and contributing well to class discussions during maths.
Riley Carlsen - For your excellent contributions across all areas of your learning. Keep it up!
Lexi Murphy - For your willingness to seek out feedback from the teacher in order to take your writing pieces to another level. Well done Lexi!
Ethan Prydderch - For working hard in Maths this week to master the concept of how to find the perimeter of rectangles. Keep working hard Ethan!
Living in Faith:
Winter food appeal
As the winter season approaches, we are reminded of the importance of community support and solidarity. Many families in our community struggle to provide enough food during the colder months, and your generosity can make a significant difference.
Our Mini Vinnies group is organising a non-perishable food appeal for those in our community who are in need. If you are able we would appreciate any donations of non-perishable food. Each classroom will have a tub where donations can be put. These donations will be collected by a member of our St Vincent de Paul society from our parish and will be donated to the Stawell Cottage for local distribution.
Let's come together to make this winter a little warmer for everyone in our community. Thank you for your generosity!
If you would like your child/children to receive their Sacraments of Reconciliation (usually happens in Grade 2), Eucharist and Confirmation (usually happens in grade 3) please let me know. We will be having a meeting early in Term 3 to discuss these.
What are the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist and Confirmation?
The Sacrament of Reconciliation in the past has also previously been called Confession. The Sacrament of Reconciliation is one of two sacraments of healing in the Catholic tradition (the other being the Anointing of the Sick). Reconciliation celebrates God’s love and mercy towards us. It is about acknowledging and naming those times when we know we have done wrong, and then making peace and restoring the relationships with those who have been affected by our poor choices.
Students learn about the Sacrament of the Eucharist (Communion). Those children who are baptised Catholics and have received the Sacrament of Penance, are prepared to receive this sacrament for the first time in Year 3. During this sacrament, the children receive the blessed sacrament, the host. After their first Eucharist, a person may go to receive the blessed sacrament, any time they go to Mass.
The Sacrament of Confirmation. Those children who are baptised Catholics, and who have received the Sacraments of Penance and Eucharist, are prepared to receive this sacrament in Year 3. This is the final sacrament of initiation. During this sacrament, the students are asked to renew the baptismal promises that were made for them by their parents and god-parents at baptism, and they are anointed with the oil of chrism. They select a sponsor to stand with them on the day and to support them on their faith journey.
Maryanne Comitti
Do you or someone that you know need some help?
If you need help with groceries and shopping vouchers go to -
The Cottage 20 Sloane St Stawell. Open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays between 10:30am and 12:30pm.
In out of hours emergencies ring 0408 038 949.
If you need help with fresh fruit and vegetables go to -
Stawell Neighborhood House 42 Sloane St. Open Mondays – Fridays 9am -5pm.
If you need help other than groceries and food, contact –
Stawell St Vincent de Paul Society – 0437 344 323 and leave a message. They will contact you within 24 hours.
Mary Rita Thomas
Sec. and Public Officer, Stawell Inter Church Council (welfare Cottage)
President, Stawell conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society
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
Congratulations to this weeks award recipient: Kora Allen
For assisting a student during a race and finishing the race alongside them.
Thank you for your kindness.
Parents and Friends:
We have some exciting news at the P&F. Late last week we were informed that St Pat’s were one of 25 lucky winners of a $2000 grant, courtesy of the CRT Primary Schools Program. This money will be donated to the school for purchasing much needed educational resources.
It is also with great pleasure we can announce that the some of the money raised from last year has been spent. A couple of those items we have made possible to purchase are movement/fidget stools, a school mobile phone, which will be invaluable on excursions and camps and a second backpack first aid kit, again, a fantastic asset for sports days and other times the staff and students are off site.
Thank you again for all of your support in raising these funds.
Kate Field, P and F President
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.