Newsletter 157- November 28th 2024
Prayer of the Week:
This weekend marks the first Sunday of Advent. Advent is the beginning of the Catholic Church’s Year. It is a time of promise, expectation and participation as we prepare for the great celebration of the birth of Jesus.
Advent is the time we wait in joyful hope for God to be born in our hearts. The season of Advent recognises the coming of Jesus, the Son of God in a special way. God’s Son became one of us and one with us, to share our human experience fully and completely.
The use of the wreath and candles during Advent are a longstanding Catholic tradition that was originally adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages. The wreath itself, which is made of various evergreens, signifies continuous life. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolises the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life we find in Christ.
The four candles represent the four weeks of Advent, and one candle is lit each Sunday. Three of the candles are purple because the colour violet is a liturgical colour that signifies a time of prayer, penance, and sacrifice.
The first week of advent we light the first candle which symbolizes Hope. Let us awaken from our slumber! Let us try to ask ourselves: am I aware of what I am living, am I alert, am I awake? Do I try to recognize God’s presence in daily situations, or am I distracted and a little overwhelmed by things?
- Pope Francis, Angelus 27 November 2022
Blessing:
We are looking for God in our world.
May we see what God wants us to see.
We are looking for God in our lives.
May we be who God wants us to be.
And may God our Shepherd, Protector, Awakener, and Holy Spirit, bless us through these Advent days.
Amen
Principal's Report:
Dear St Patrick’s community,
This week has brought its share of challenges with interruptions to staffing and changes to routines, yet our school community has handled it with remarkable grace. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our students and families for their understanding and adaptability during these disruptions. The students have shown positivity and resilience in embracing instruction from different staff members, which speaks volumes about their character. A huge thank you also goes to our incredible staff for their flexibility and dedication, ensuring that learning has continued seamlessly amidst end-of-year testing, report preparation, and the many other demands they have faced. Your collective efforts truly reflect the strength of our community.
This week I completed interviews for student leadership positions for 2025. I am excited to introduce our student leadership team who will play an essential role in shaping our school community in 2025. Congratulations to the following students on their appointments:
School Captains: Mia and Jack
Vice-Captains: Harper, Beverly, and Vibeesh
Sports Captains:
- MacKillop: Lilah (Captain), Maya (Vice-Captain)
- Barrett: Bill and Archie
- Joseph: Luke and Adi (Captains), Charles and Allira (Vice-Captains)
Sustainability Leaders: Marnie and Awuom
Buddy Leaders: Eleanor, Augus, Zarli, Ethan, Charli, and Nate
Technology Leader: Thomas
Social Justice Leader: Ella
We are confident this wonderful group of students will inspire and lead our school with enthusiasm, dedication, and integrity. Congratulations once again to all!
Kind blessings,
Bettina
From the Office:
Dear Parents and Guardians,
2025 School Fees have now been finalised and are attached for your information.
The School continues to endeavour to keep fee increases to a minimum whilst aligning with DOBCEL and CPI recommendations. We are pleased to be able to keep our 'Per Student' items unchanged in 2025, however our 'Per Family' and Camp costs have increased as follows;
- Capital and Tuition Levy increased by a total of $40 per family, from $1,320.00 to $1,360.00 in 2025.
- Camp fee increased from $350.00 to $375.00 per student (Grades 3-6) in 2025.
The School continues to seek cost saving opportunities for our families such as bulk purchasing of student devices through DOBCEL and subsidised sport and affordable camp and extracurricular activities, however these increases are reflective of increasing costs for providers and associated expenses.
We will communicate with families early in Term 1 regarding fee assistance available to eligible concession card holders, and as always, encourage anyone experiencing financial difficulty to reach out at any time for a confidential discussion around available support.
In the meantime, please take this opportunity to review your school fee account and payment arrangements with next years' fees in mind. Families with additional children commencing in 2025 are encouraged to consider increasing their payments now if possible, in order to minimise the instalments payable throughout next year. Anyone wishing to commence or amend a fortnightly direct debit payment plan is asked to please contact me in the office as soon as possible.
Thank you to all of our families for your ongoing support.
Anna Wadge
Business Manager
The Opening the Doors Foundation provides grants to families to assist with the extra costs incurred in the schooling of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander primary or secondary school students. The 2025 Grant Round is now open, with a closing date of 14 March 2025. For students to commence the 2025 school year with the necessary items, the ideal time to apply is now or before the start of Term 1.
Please note that due to a substantial increase in applications, the Foundation’s Trustees have had to modify the eligibility criteria. The updated criteria and guidelines are outlined on both the Opening the Doors Foundation website and the Opening the Doors Foundation Application.
Teaching and Learning:
School Assemblies: Our assemblies happen each Friday afternoon starting at 2:45pm in the school hall. Students are dismissed from the hall on this day. We invite all our community to come along.
Week 8: 3/4 Combined
Week 9: Junior R & Junior B Week 10: Grade 6 Week 11:
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.
Term 4 Week 9- NIL
3/4 Camp:
Kayde- Camp was very fun and adventurous. There were lots of fun activities and lots of delicious food. My favourite activity was the hike even though it was so tiring to walk up, we saw a stumpy tail lizard on the way and the view was very high and splendid. My favourite food was hash browns they were delicious and they were identical to chicken schnitzel. Also it was very, very, very hot at Grampians Retreat that we quit halfway through Frisbee golf and we also saw another stumpy tail near a tree and when we got back Curtis, me and Ollie went in front of the fan to get blown by the fresh air in the cabin. Sleeping was a challenge because sleeping with new people is challenging so it took a long time before anyone could go to sleep. We met lots of kind people at Grampians Retreat like Sam, Kerryn, Wayne, Harrison, Debbie, Lyndal and Bev. Every activity was different in its own way like hut building, flying fox, archery and bush art. We took showers on camp so our parents didn’t think that we were very stinky. One funny moment happened when I pretended to be Curtis’s mum and pretended to give him a cuddle and kiss. It was so funny! One activity I liked was Hut building when we had to work together and build a hut out of sticks. The other huts built by other schools were really cool and the 502 school’s were the coolest out of the stick huts. Everyone had cool stick huts and everyone's stick hut was stable. Debbie got an air blower and blew air at our stick hut which the air acted as wind and then she did the same thing except with water which acted as rain. All the huts survived and when we got on the way home I was grateful because it was very tiring and I would like to come back again.
Ollie- When I got on the bus, I was already too excited. As we drove through the rough mountains I could see amazing views. As we arrived we were greeted by Kerryn and Wayne. They are very friendly. We all first went on a bushwalk up the Piccaninny. When we walked, we stumbled into a stumpy. Once we got to the top we saw Mt. Abrupt. When we got home we all built our own hut. We were all split into our future groups. Ours was first to be tested and our house passed. They tested the huts by blowing rain and air over our homes. After building the hut, my separate group went to the ninja rope course. We had to have guards that protected us from the ground in case we would fall. After that we went on kitchen duty. It is where you help the kitchen helpers that make all of the food. They really deserve it because they served hash browns and scrambled eggs during breakfast time. Later that night, we went down to the campfire and had jumbo marshmallows. We also got to hold a huntsman spider. It was so scary (except for me!)! As it got darker, we went on a hut to spell out words using reflectors. My group found different types of animal names. I almost guessed them all on the third letter of each animal! On the next day we started a scavenger hunt and our team came second. On that same day we did archery and the flying fox and later we watched Minions the Rise of Gru. We had lollies as we watched. Then we went to sleep and woke up the next day. We did bush art and then left on the bus.
Sophie- Camp was amazing, fun and crazy. I loved the fact that there was such yummy food and great activities. My favourite activity was the flying fox and archery because I got three on the target and I got one of the arrows touching the balloon. I was the closest in my group. My favourite food was the hash browns and the jelly slice was so amazingly good. The cabins were so spacious and we all loved who we were with. I was with Marianne, Edie, Alivia and Aaliyah. Some of us were just so excited to know who was in the cabin. The staff there were so friendly. The camp was the best three days and two nights of my life. I loved camp so much.
Akech- Camp was Amazing. I really loved bush art because the instructor was so fun and I loved when she mixed her stories with our imaginations. The bush walk was so adventurous, seeing stumpy tails. At the campfire the huntsman spider was super scary and lots of people were being risk takers and let the huntsman go on them, of course I didn't let it on me. In the huts building, Debbie the instructor was blowing a leaf blower at us then with water. The food was amazing. I really loved the lemon slice. Camp was really Fun!
Tanner- Camp was very fun and thrilling. There were a very big variety of adrenaline pumping activities. In my opinion the hike piccaninny was my favourite activity because the hike up was very good and it was a good way to start off camp. We also had delicious food that consisted of spaghetti, hash brown, toast, wraps, slices and fruit. I also held a very big huntsman spider. And we also had a campfire with scrumtious jumbo marshmallow. After the fire we went for a night walk with reflectors that would spell out a word. Camp was so fun and thrilling.
Marianne- Camp was very adventurous and fun we had lots of fun we did Flying fox, Ninja rope, Frisbee golf, night walk hiking. hut building and we found lots of stumpy tails and we had a movie night walk we watched minions the Rise of Gru the food was amazing like wraps, rolls, spaghetti, pavlova, jelly slice and lemon slice and I had every one who I put in my cabin which was Edie, Sophie, Aaliyah and Alivia. We had so much fun in the cabin. It was very fun. We hiked up MT Piccaninny we loved the view from the mountain we hiked it was the funnest time ever at the campfire some people held a Huntsman then we went on a reflection walk with our torch there was a blue track and a red track I did the blue track. Dunkeld Food people did duty group. It was the funnest time ever.
Ruby- Camp was really good and we did lots of fun things. I really liked the food. It was really good. We had to go on a hike up the mountain and everyone was very tired at the end. That night we had a campfire and we all had one marshmallow and the next night we had a movie Rise of Gru. Some food that we had is slice spaghetti, Pavlova and toast. At night the beds were really comfortable. I really liked my cabin. We were very hot because we had to do a lot of walking. On the hike we saw a stumpy. When we were doing the activities we had some fruit like banana, apple, orange, strawberry, watermelon, kawaii and some water. We also had some wraps with carrot lettuce cheese cucumber and ham.
Lexie- Our 3/4 camp was fabulous with different but fun activities like flying fox, archery, ninja ropes course, bush arts, Frisbee golf and hut building my brown favourite activity was flying fox and don’t even start about the food, it was so delicious we had hash brown, eggs, toast, cereal that was just breakfast now time for lunch we had some fresh wraps then bacon and egg rolls can’t forget about dinner which was spaghetti and cheesy garlic bread and the second night we had a BBQ with salad and vegetables. Dessert was yummy and we had chocolate pudding with ice-cream and Pavlova with cream, strawberries and a sauce. Morning tea was usually fruit, water and some yummy slice like jelly slice, lemon slice or hedgehog. Camp was amazing
Lucas- Camp was so good. We got to do the flying fox. It was exciting. I also did Frisbee golf and ninja ropes. We watched Minions on the last day. We also walked up a mountain. We all slept in cabins. I had Tanner, Jack W, Fletcher J and Oscar in my cabin. We also had a BBQ. It was a really great camp!
Mac- On camp there was heaps of activities and one of the activities was the best out of all of them and that activity was the flying fox because it was at the end of our camp that is why it is so good. The food there was so good. On our first day of camp at the eventing we had a bonfire and that was so awesome. Also on our first day our first activity was hut building and that was good because there was water going to get spayed on us and we had to fit our whole team in our hut and our teaches then when it was time to get sprayed with water everyone was trying to hide so they did not get wet. When the water was going to spray us I was going to get some water in my mouth because I was so thirsty. When it was time to go to have some food everyone was rushing because they were so hungry and the chefs’ names were Sam, Bev and the owner’s name was Wayne. The person who was teaching archery and flying fox his name was Harrison. Then when it was time to go back to school nearly everyone was sleeping on the bus because they had a big camp and they were so tired after all these activities. In the flying fox there was a tree that had a big hole in in and it looked like a cave.
Students of the Week:
Flynn Gladman - For your wonderful growth in your reading fluency. You should be very proud of yourself.
Aynsley Logan - For the way you are engaging in our classroom activities. Keep up the great work Aynsley.
Chizaram Ezeobi - For the self-motivation you have been putting into your writing. You should be very proud of your hard work and thank you for bringing in and sharing stories you have written at home. You are a superstar!
Elektra McGaffin - For your self-motivation and willingness to take on challenges in your learning. Congratulations on all your hard work!
Evie Field - For working so hard to complete your Stepping Stones book and ongoing practice books. Congratulations also on the great result you achieved in the Year 3 PAT Maths test. Well done Evie!
Ted Tyler - For a perfect score in our recent reading comprehension assessment 'Storm on Craggy Hill' 20/20. Congratulations Ted, you should be so proud of yourself!
Fletcher Jones - For the resilience and risk taking you displayed while on the Grade 3/4 camp. We are extremely proud of you!
Lilly Hine - For your well written and humorous haiku about The Three Little Pigs. Well done Lilly!
Fletcher Thomas - For the leadership you demonstrated throughout the activities on the Grade 3/4 camp. You were an asset to the other students in your group. Well done Fletch!
Tanner Freeland - For the hard work you have been putting into completing your Maths assessments and for achieving a strong result in your Year 5 PAT Maths test. Congratulations Tanner, keep it up!
Mia Bailey - For constantly showing resilience and self-motivation in all learning activities. Your end of year results reflect the hard work you have done! Well done Mia!
Riley Carslen - For being such a positive, hard working and kind class member! You have shone as our School Captain and you are a great role model for the rest of our school! Well done Riley!
Andrew Papadopoulos - For your amazing assessment results in your end of year Reading assessments. Well done Andy!
Mahli Willis - For always trying your best across all subject areas. Keep striving to reach your goals Mahli!
End of Year Celebrations:
When: Thursday 12th December, 2024.
Where: St Patrick's Primary School Oval
Time: 6:30pm
Catering: Lions Club BBQ
BYO: chairs/picnic blanket
Carols: Each classroom will present a Christmas Carol throughout the evening and some of the instrumental students will also perform.
Our end of your celebration is where we can come together to celebrate our end of year and Grade 6 Graduation. It will be an evening to celebrate learning, strive for personal excellence and celebrate our achievements. It will also be a chance to say goodbye to our Grade 6 students and families that will be leaving at the end of 2024.
We hope you can join us in celebrating a terrific year of learning and teaching and growing together as a community of learners.
End of year Grade 6 Graduation liturgy: Thursday 12th December, 2024 5:30pm
Our Grade Six liturgy will be held in the school hall. Details to be advised.
Living in Faith:
Sustainable Christmas
With only a few weeks till Christmas most have begun our preparations. In Pope Francis’ encyclical
Laudato Si’ published in 2015, Pope Francis invites us to choose a different lifestyle in a world where “the market tends to promote extreme consumerism in an effort to sell its products” (No. 203).
Pope Francis calls us to move towards “more sustainable lifestyles”. There are ways to live a sustainable Christmas in harmony with our common home.
Below are a few ideas to consider for a more sustainable Christmas:
Cards
- Have you heard about “plantable” cards? They can double as a card and a gift!
- Reuse old Christmas cards to create your own unique ones.
Gifts
- Consider the packaging when purchasing gifts and food. Look for items with as little packaging and plastic as possible.
- Shop in local stores.
- Give a potted Christmas tree as a gift. The receiver can grow it and even plant it later on.
- Opt for fabric products that are certified to be eco-friendly and toxin-free.
- Buy toys or gifts that have the least amount of plastic, and do not use batteries.
- Use your creative talents to make a gift or vouchers for services you will provide.
- Offer an experience like concert tickets, a hot air balloon trip or a spa day.
Gift wrapping
Instead of paper, wrap gifts in reusable materials like fabric or recyclable ones like recycled wrapping paper or brown paper (especially for large packages), children’s artwork or newspaper.
- Make gift bags and tags made from old newspapers, cloth or other strong recycled material.
- Raffia, string or twine are eco-friendly replacements for colourful plastic ribbons.
Reuse shipping materials when sending packages and avoid purchasing bubble wrap.
After Christmas
- Recycle as much as you can! Collectively, we can make a huge difference in the world we live in—let’s make it a joyous time for Mother Nature as well.
- Decide how to save your potted Christmas tree.
- Think about any unwanted presents. Return them, regift them, or give them to charity rather than letting them collect dust or tossing them into the trash. Remember that one person’s trash is another’s treasure!
Fundraising:
Each Friday till the end of the year our MiniVinnies group will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1.00each.
The money raised will go towards St Vincent de Paul Sponsor a student program.
As always we thank our St Patrick’s community for your support.
Do you know someone who is doing it tough?
Please ask them to come to The Cottage 20 Sloane St Stawell. We are open Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 10:30am and 12:30pm. For out of hours emergencies ring 0408038949. If anyone needs help at Christmas, please come to the Cottage in November to put their name down. Christmas distribution will be on Tuesday 17th December.”
Thanks,
Mary Rita Thomas
Secretary Stawell Inter Church Council
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: Ruby
For seeing a Foundation student that was lonely and helping them find someone to play with.
Thank you for your kindness.
Parents & Friends:
Raffle donations are still welcome, please drop them off to the office. Your generosity is much appreciated.
Birthdays:
Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday this week:
Delilah
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 November 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.