Newsletter 97- June 8th 2023

Prayer of the Week:

The Trinity Prayer       God For Us, we call You Father,
God Alongside Us, we call You Jesus,
God Within Us, we call You Holy Spirit.
You are the Eternal Mystery
That enables, enfolds, and enlivens all things,
Even us and even me.
Every name falls short of your Goodness and Greatness.
We can only see who You are in what is.
We ask for such perfect seeing.
As it was in the beginning, it is now, and ever shall be.  Amen.

Trinity Sunday is a special day in the Christian calendar when we celebrate the idea of the Holy Trinity. The Holy Trinity is the belief that God is one God but exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. Explaining the concept of the Trinity to kids can be done in a simple and relatable way:

Imagine you have a piece of ice. It can be cold and hard. Then you let it melt and become water. Water is different from ice, but it's still the same substance. Finally, you let the water evaporate and become steam. Steam is different from water and ice, but it's still made of the same thing. Just like the ice, water, and steam are all forms of H2O, the Holy Trinity is like three different forms of God.

God the Father is like the creator and the one who takes care of everything. He is like the one who made the ice, the water, and the steam.

God the Son, Jesus, is like the person who came to earth and lived as a human being. He taught people about God's love and showed us how to live in a loving way. Jesus is like the water that can quench our thirst and give us life.

God the Holy Spirit is like the invisible force that helps us and guides us. The Holy Spirit is like the steam that can warm us and give us energy. It's always with us, even if we can't see it.

So, when we talk about the Holy Trinity, we are talking about God being three-in-one—God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit. They are all connected, just like the ice, water, and steam are all connected.

Principal's Report:

Welcome

As we head towards the end of Term Two, teachers are undertaking a range of assessments to monitor student progress. Assessment is an ongoing aspect of the learning cycle at St Patrick’s and the end of semester assessments are just one part of that cycle. Each and every day our teachers are monitoring student progress to inform the next learning steps. 

Communication between home and school is also an ongoing process at St Patrick’s and twice a year families are provided with a formal student report which highlights student achievement and growth. Semester One reports will be available both in hard copy and electronically on Friday June 16th. 

The school will also hold Parent Teacher Interviews on Tuesday June 20th. Bookings can be made via PAM on the SIMON Everyone App or by calling the school office. The interviews can be held in person, at school or by phone. Parent Teacher Interviews provide an important opportunity for families to discuss their child’s progress with their classroom teacher. If you are unable to attend on that date please contact your child’s teacher to arrange an alternative time. 

New Principal Consultation Session 

As I will be finishing in my role as Principal in July, the Diocese of Ballarat Catholic Education Limited (DOBCEL) is beginning the process of recruiting a new Principal for St Patrick’s Stawell. As part of the recruitment process, staff from DOBCEL will conduct a series of consultations with students, staff and families to get input into what the school is looking for in a new Principal. 

The family session will be held on Tuesday, June 13th at 2:30pm in the hall. All families are welcome to attend the session. Those who are unable to attend on the day can complete a survey which will be shared shortly. 

Helpers wanted 

Unfortunately, the weather God’s have not been smiling on the annual Winter Sports Carnival. Due to heavy rains, the carnival which sees senior students from around the region compete in Football, Netball and Soccer have been postponed twice. The new date for the carnival is Thursday June 15th. 

The two postponements has made it very difficult for our wonderful Parents and Friends who are running the canteen at both North Park and Central Park for the day. If you are able to help out in the canteen on the day even just for an hour please contact a member of the P&F, the school office or via the form that went home today with the eldest child from each family.

 With Faith in Our Future 

Chris McAloon 

A word from the office:

ClassDojo in App purchases and upgrades

Dear Parents and guardians,

I have received some queries regarding the additional features available within ClassDojo.
Please note that you are not required to subscribe to or pay for any additional features or upgrades
that might appear as pop-ups or be offered within the ClassDojo app or website.

If you do receive an invitation to subscribe to an upgraded versions of ClassDojo (such as ClassDojo
Plus which includes Rewards and Home Points), you can decline via the ‘x’ button or close out of the app or website.

All ClassDojo features utilized by the school (Stories and Messages etc) are completely free of charge to our families. The school does not utilise, monitor or endorse any of the additional features that require payment and is not responsible for any costs incurred should you choose to subscribe.

As with all apps, as the operating software on your smart phone is updated, you will occasionally be required to download the latest version of ClassDojo via the App Store - this process does not
involve any costs.

If you have subscribed to a paid version such as ClassDojo Plus and wish to cancel, go to:
https://classdojo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/14785041088013-How-to-Cancel-your-ClassDojo-Plus-Subscription#web
To apply for a refund, go to;
https://classdojo.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/14783950412813-Can-I-Get-a-Refund-for-My-ClassDojo-Plus-Subscription-#web

Kind regards,  Anna Wadge  Business Manager

Wellbeing:

Host Jo Stanley and Psychotherapist and Director of Wellbeing for Kids, Georgina Manning discuss what Mindful parenting looks like and the benefits for both the parent and the child. 

Forget the Housework and Just Have Fun

* Given the coughs and colds at this time of year if possible can you please provide a box of tissues for your childs classroom. Thank you

St Patricks Vision and Mission Statement for Review:

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.

Teaching and Learning:

Senior Dash program:

On Tuesday 6th of June 2023, Cindy O’sullivan returned to our school to award the community project winners for DASH with a certificate of appreciation towards our school community and $2000 to make the project happen. Followed by a scrumptious lunch.

At the end of term one both Senior M and Senior H classes presented their ideas at assembly for the community to vote on. Both classes had to vote for a group from the opposite class to win and people in the crowd had a chance to vote too. Thanks to Cindy everyone did a great job presenting and knowing exactly what to say. 

What is DASH:

Dash is an organisation that comes up with ideas to help the community while being Active, healthy, dynamic and safe but, you know what's cool? The organisation teaches us about helping people but the children get to come up with the ideas! This gives children a responsibility and to help with their communication while working with others. 

The winners:

...Finally I will share the winners! There was one winner from each class and everyone was so excited to find out who, when we knew she was coming in. From Senior M the winners were Lolah, Riley, Ethan, Liam and Mackenzie who had the brilliant idea of having a buddy from the Eventides to visit, talk to and make things for them. Senior H’s winners were Maddison, Akuol and Molly with another amazing idea to have a mental health tool box in each classroom with things to fidget within it for when children aren't feeling the best or just need to have a break. These are some of the best ideas to help our school community and I can't wait for them to be put in place.

Laila Gready   Communication leader

Parent Teacher Interviews

Please note due to multiple reasons we have needed to change the date of Parent Teacher Interviews from Wednesday 21st June, 2023 to Tuesday 20th June, 2023.  Interviews will start from 3:30pm. Please book in on your PAM/Simon account.

Parent-teacher interviews provide an excellent opportunity for parents and teachers to come together and discuss a student's progress, strengths, areas for improvement, and any concerns. These meetings foster open communication and collaboration to support the child's educational journey. 

Living in Faith:

World Environment Day Monday 5th June, 2023.  What do we teach at St Patrick’s about the environment? 

Through Catholic Social Teachings at St Patrick’s we teach that the earth and all life on it are part of God's creation. We are called to respect this gift. We are responsible for taking care of the world we live in and for sharing all the wonders and resources the earth gives us. Our changing environment prompts us to stop and think about how we live on our planet.

World Environment Day is an important event for kids to learn about and understand the environment. It's a day when people all around the world come together to think about how we can take care of our planet and make it a better place for everyone, including plants, animals, and humans. 

Every action, no matter how small, can make a difference. World Environment Day is a reminder that we all have a responsibility to protect and preserve our planet. By understanding the importance of the environment and taking positive actions, kids can contribute to a greener and more sustainable world.

Please follow us on instagram; stpatsstawell

Parents and Friends News:

Winter sports -Change of date again - Thursday June 15th, 2023 -  all teams will be needed to run this event as we will be co-ordinating canteens at both North and Central Parks.  

Birthdays:

Congratulations to these students who celebrated their birthday  this week:  Savannah Farrell, Scarlett Rickard and Oliver Prockter                                            

Parish Bulletin:

Around Our Community:

Upcoming Events:

Acknowledgement of Country:

We acknowledge the Djab Wurrung and Jardwadjali people as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land.  We pay respect to Elders past, present and emerging. We thank them for sharing their cultures, spiritualities and ways of living with the land in this place we all now call home.