Newsletter 174- September 11th 2025
Prayer of the Week:
A Prayer for R U OK? Day
Loving God,
On this R U OK? Day, we pray for those who are struggling, feeling excluded, or overwhelmed.
Help us to notice, to ask with care, and to listen with open hearts.
Grant us patience and wisdom, so we may be a source of comfort and hope.
Bless this initiative, reminding us of the power of compassion and connection.
May we build communities where everyone feels valued, supported, and never alone.
Amen.
From the Principal’s Desk:
I would like to congratulate all of our students who competed in the Divisional Athletics last week. Their effort, determination, and responsible representation of St Patrick’s made us very proud. Thank you also to the staff and families who supported them on the day.
We are also very excited for our school concert performances today, tonight, and tomorrow night. This is always a highlight of the year, and I know our students are eager to share their talents with you. I look forward to seeing our community come together to celebrate the hard work, creativity, and joy that have gone into preparing this special event.
Looking Ahead to Next Week
We’re wrapping up the term with lots of colour and fun! Next Thursday is our Oodie, Hoodie, Footy Day – a chance for everyone to rug up, show their team colours, and celebrate together. Friday is a student-free day, so Thursday will be our students’ last day of term. Just a reminder that we’ll still finish at the normal time of 3:10pm, as state schools continue until Friday. We can’t wait to see all the oodies, hoodies, and footy jumpers on parade!
Bettina
Wellbeing:
Wellbeing in Our School
This term we continue to follow the Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRR) program. Alongside this, teachers are engaging students in:
- Weekly SWPBS lessons (School Wide Positive Behaviour Support), and
- A Friday afternoon wellbeing session such as Circle Time.
This week, our focus has been on “What is Mental Health?”. Together, we explored the Children’s Wellbeing Continuum – a simple tool that helps students recognise and name how they are feeling.
The Continuum has four key points:
- Good 😊 – feeling positive and engaged
- Coping 🙂 – managing everyday ups and downs
- Struggling 😕 – starting to find things difficult, needing support
- Overwhelmed 😟 – feeling unable to cope, needing extra help
We’ve also talked about how it’s normal to feel different things in different situations. For example, sometimes we might feel green (good) when we are with our friends, but yellow (coping) when faced with a tricky writing task or something new to learn.
By using this shared language, students are learning that:
- Everyone’s feelings change over time
- It’s okay to move between different points on the Continuum
- Talking about how we feel can help us find the right support
This learning is helping our students build emotional awareness and understand that mental health is about how we think, feel, and connect with others – not just about problems or illness.
👉 Families can support these conversations at home by watching these short video and using the Continuum at home:
- https://www.mhips.org.au/news/2023/children-s-wellbeing-continuum/
- Words Matter: Getting the Language of Child Mental Health Right – AIFS Webinar
💛 R U OK? Day
Understanding the growing challenges related to mental health among young people is an important consideration. Anxiety, depression, and self-harm are all causes for concern. Factors such as academic pressure, social media, family dynamics, and societal expectations contribute to these issues.
It is therefore crucial for parents and caregivers to take action early, remove the stigma around discussing mental health, and provide accessible support to promote children’s wellbeing.
R U OK?Day is a national initiative that focuses on preventing suicide by encouraging meaningful personal connections and equipping informal support networks to recognise the signs of distress. We encourage all families to take part, emphasising the value of genuine human relationships and reminding everyone to ask the important question: “Are you OK?”
At St Patrick’s, engaging in R U OK?Day activities goes beyond the classroom; it is part of our commitment to the overall development of our students. By talking openly about mental health, we create safe spaces where students feel understood, valued, and supported.
As parents and caregivers, you can contribute by:
- Fostering open conversations at home
- Normalising a wide range of feelings
- Breaking down mental health stigmas
Participating in R U OK?Day promotes compassion and demonstrates our dedication to the wellbeing of the entire school community. Together, we can truly make a difference.
📌More information can be found at: https://spstawell.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-r-u-ok-day
Lauren Broadbent
Mental Health and Wellbeing Leader
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- NO ASSEMBLY
Week 9- No Assembly - Awards will be presented Week 1 Term 4
Term 4 Assembly Roster - Class Presentation roster will be confirmed and communicated next week
Week 1-
Week 2-
Week 3-
Week 4- World Teacher's Day Celebration
Week 5-
Week 6- Combined 3/4 Camp Assembly
Week 7-
Week 8-
Week 9- End of Year/ Commendation Badge Presentation
Week 10- P&F Christmas Raffle Draw
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 2 Week 9-
Senior M:
Well here we are, Week 7 already and as a class we are looking forward to some Spring sunshine. It has been wonderful to observe the students' growth both in their learning and in their maturity this term.
In Reading time, students continue to explore a range of texts, using the knowledge that they gain to improve both their literal and inferential comprehension skills. Recently, we have been looking at how authors use descriptive language to paint a picture for the reader. In reading we have also been reading our class novel ‘Boy Overboard’, a narrative which follows the journey of Bibi and Jamal and their parents who are fleeing government persecution in Afghanistan to seek a fresh start in Australia. At the moment, Jamal and Bibi have been separated from their parents who are feared drowned at sea and are being held on Christmas Island as their request for refugee status from the Australian Government.
In the Writing block, we have been looking at how we can use our senses to complete a descriptive piece about from an image they selected as a stimulus. They have been encouraged to use language which will take the reader to the place they are writing about. I can’t wait to read what the students produce.
In Grade 5 Maths, students have just completed a sequence of lessons exploring the volume of 3D shapes, while the Year 6’s have just completed lessons looking at common fractions and mixed numerals and are now working on converting between different units of measurement.
In Religion, we have spent a fair bit of time looking at Pope Francis’ Encylical letter titled ‘Laudato Si - Care For Our Common Home’ and what role we can play in actively responding to his invitation to be global citizens who ensure the world is healthy for future generations to enjoy. Students responded with a side by side illustration comparing what the world would look like if we care for it and if we don’t care for it.
Finally, in Wellbeing, we have been teasing out the topic of the importance of using appropriate words when interacting with others. Students discussed how while using offensive words towards our friends may not appear to be hurtful on the outside, they can actually be causing much damage to a person’s feelings on the inside.
Foundation:
At the end of last term we celebrated 100 days of school.
The Foundation students and teachers had a fabulous time celebrating their 100th day of school. Everyone looked amazing in olden-day clothes or as 100-year-olds. Thank you to all the families in your support making the day so special. Our classroom was transformed with desks in rows and we imagine our whiteboard was a chalkboard to set the scene. Students practiced their handwriting, counted collections of 100 objects, made thaumatropes and completed a special writing task. We also enjoyed a yummy shared recess. It was a fun and memorable way to reflect on how far we’ve come in our first 100 days of learning.
In InitiaLit, we’ve been busy building our reading and writing skills! This term we have started exploring digraphs – two letters that work together to make one sound, such as ck, sh, ff, and ll.
We’ve also been learning about narratives, with a focus on fairy tales. We discovered that fairy tales usually have a clear beginning, a problem, and a happy ending. Students had fun changing the problem or ending in familiar stories and even writing their own fairy tales!
It’s been a fun and creative term of learning.
In Maths, we’ve been learning more about numbers, focusing on addition and subtraction. The children have been practising how to add by putting two groups together and counting how many altogether. They’ve enjoyed using hands-on materials, games, and stories to help them understand.
This term in Religion, we are learning about Bible stories and the special symbols in them. We have been making our own Bible and recreating the stories using the special symbols.
Students of the Week:
Week 7:
Lewis Allan - For showing persistence and care in your colouring. You are working hard to add thoughtful detail by using different colours and staying inside the lines.
Lexi Mifsud - For showing kindness to your classmates and offering help when they need it.
Harrison Allan - For the fabulous progress you have made in the MiniLit program. Congratulations on knowing so many sounds and words. Keep up the wonderful efforts!
Aynsley Logan - For being a responsible and respectful member of the class. Congratulations on the way you are learning to listen to instructions and follow them. Keep it up!
Hariklia Kloufetos - For always being an enthusiastic and positive contributor to classroom discussions. I always look forward to what you have to say. Well done Klia!
Evie Gready - For your enthusiasm and active participation in your learning this week, especially in Maths. Keep up the great work Evie!
Alfie Freeland - For your amazing 'WORDLE' skills! The whole class is in awe of you! Well done!
Marianne Duxson - For accepting and applying feedback given to you to on your explanation piece about how mushrooms grow. Well Done Marianne
Alivia Rolph - For accepting challenges during your recent maths lessons. We are very proud of you. Keep it up!
Jordan - For the great results on your recent MAI maths assessment. Well done!
Maya Goodes - For the excellent effort and great sportsmanship you displayed at Divisional Sports! What a star you are!
Kora Allen - For the dedication and commitment you are putting into writing - even in your free time. I can’t wait to read all about Hermes when you are finished!
Jack Wadge - For the excellent results you achieved at Wednesday's Divisional Athletics. Well done Jack!
Ella Tyler - For your willingness to attempt Maths tasks independently during class. Your hard work over the past 2 years is really paying off Ella.
Week 8: No Awards
Divisional Athletics:
On Wednesday, the Divisional Athletics Carnival took place at North Park. Although it was on the cooler side, we were lucky to also have patches of sunshine throughout the day. Nineteen students from St. Patrick’s represented our school in a wide variety of track and field events. Each student not only performed admirably in their event but also displayed great sportsmanship qualities while participating. We also had a group of five Grade 6 students (Lilah, Eleanor, Zarli, Awuom and Ethan) who helped out our P&F in the canteen.
I would like to say a big thank-you to ladies from our wonderful P&F who provided the canteen on the day, Miss Warren for looking after our students and all the parents, grandparents and friends who supported our students throughout the day.
From the students who competed on the day (Allira, Mia, Maya, Adi, Bill, Jack D, Charles, Luke, Tanner, Jack W, Fletcher T, Henry C, Sophie, Lilly H, Lexie, Edie, Marianne, Ruby and Isaac), Allira, Mia, Adi, Tanner, Marianne and Edie have qualified for the Regional Athletics Carnival in Ballarat later this year,
Leon Moloney
Sport Co-ordinator
Living in Faith:
Today we acknowledge R U OK? Day, which reminds us to check in on the people around us and care for their wellbeing. Pope Francis, in Laudato Si’, calls us to care for our common home—not only the earth, but also the people we share it with.
Looking after our world and looking after each other go hand in hand. Just as we take care of the environment with respect and kindness, we are also called to care for those who may be feeling sad, worried, or alone. Asking someone “Are you OK?”, listening to them, and showing kindness are simple but powerful ways to live our faith.
As families, we are invited to talk together about how we can notice the needs of others and bring hope to those who might be struggling. In this way, we share God’s love and build a community where everyone feels valued and supported.
If you or someone you know is finding things difficult, please remember that help is always available. You can contact Lifeline (13 11 14) for 24/7 crisis support, Beyond Blue (1300 22 4636) for help with anxiety and depression, or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800) for young people aged 5–25. Parents and carers can also reach out to Parentline Victoria (13 22 89) for guidance and support, and young people can connect with Headspace through www.headspace.org.au.
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 Neighbourhood 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 344 324 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
FUNDRAISING:
Each Friday our MiniVinnies group will be selling Zooper Doopers for $1.00 each. This is a 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.
“We have much to be thankful for” Saint Mary MacKillop
Ethel
For always greeting others with warmth and respect, and going out of your way to help those around you.
Thank you for your Kindness.
Birthdays:
Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday in the last fortnight:
Kaison, Lilly H, Judd and Jack Du
Parents and Friends:
I’d like to send a huge thank you to everyone who helped out at our Black Ranges Athletics Sports Canteen – your time and energy make these days possible.
I also hope all our dads loved their Father’s Day gifts on Sunday – it’s always a pleasure to be able to spoil you a little.
As always, I’m so grateful to our P&F committee for the countless hours they put into planning, organising and running our events. Your hard work really does keep our school community thriving.
Looking ahead to Term 4, we’ve got some exciting things coming up:
School Disco – Friday 10th October
Black Ranges Cricket Canteen – Tuesday 21st October, we'll be calling out for some helpers early in Term 4.
Annual Christmas Raffle – Tickets are already on sale at the concerts this week!
Thank you again for your ongoing support, it means so much to me personally, and to our whole school.
President,
Kate Field
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 July 2025 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:
Term 3
Term 4
Please not Junior Swimming will also happen in Term 4. Weeks and Days will be confirmed at a later date.
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.