Newsletter 157- November 21st 2024
Prayer of the Week:
Dear God,
Thank You for this day!
Thank You for the birds and the animals, the flowers and the trees, the lakes, and the sun that rises and sets over them each day.
Thank You for creating everything we see!
Thank You for the life we live, and for making each person different.
Thank You Jesus
Amen
Principal's Report:
Dear St Patrick’s community,
This week has been an exciting one for our school community, filled with opportunities for learning, growth, and fun beyond the classroom!
Our Junior students made a splash in their swimming sessions, building confidence and essential water safety skills. The energy and enthusiasm they brought to each lesson were a joy to see, and we’re proud of their efforts and progress.
The Year 3/4 camp is well under-way with a wonderful adventure for our middle primary students. From team-building activities to exploring nature, they embraced the opportunity to step out of their comfort zones, strengthen friendships, and make lasting memories. A heartfelt thank-you to the staff and parent helpers- Luke and David.
Meanwhile, our Year 5/6 students enjoyed their visit to Marian College on Wednesday. This trip allowed them another glimpse of the opportunities that await in their secondary years.
These experiences are an integral part of our commitment to providing well-rounded education for all students. Seeing the joy, determination, and growth in our students this week has been a true highlight.
Thank you for your continued support in helping these events come to life.
As Lillie finishes up at the end of this week to begin her Family Leave, we wish her all the best for this exciting new chapter. We hope this special time is filled with love, happiness, and cherished memories with her growing family. On behalf of the entire school community, we extend our warmest wishes to Lill and Will.
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.
Wellbeing:
Cyberbullying - Michael Carr-Gregg
Most people have never heard of Keeley Houghton. The 18 year old from Malvern, in Worcestershire has however gone down in history, as the first person in Britain ever to be jailed for bullying on a social networking site on the 21st August 2009.
The Court heard that Keeley posted a death threat online saying she would kill Emily Moore, whom she had bullied for four years since they were at school together. On her personal page, Houghton wrote of her victim: 'Keeley is going to murder the *****. She is an actress. What a ******* liberty. Emily ****head Moore.'
In addition to being sentenced to three months in a young offenders' institution after pleading guilty to harassment, Keeley was also given a restraining order banning her from contacting Emily in person, via the internet or in any other manner for five years. While her case made headlines around the world, (Click here to see the article) the reality is that in Australia today, research by UNSW's Social Policy Research Centre found one in five young Australians aged eight to 17 experiences cyberbullying each year. The research shows that cyberbullying is most prominent in children aged between 10 and 15 years, with prevalence decreasing for 16-17 year-olds. The estimated number of children and young people who were victims of cyberbullying each year was 463,000, with around 365,000 in the 10-15 age group.
Cyber bullying is a way of delivering a type of bullying using information and communication technology to support deliberate repeated and hostile behaviour by an individual or group that is intended to harm other people. This type of repeated harassment involving death threats, such as in the Keeley Houghton case, insult or humiliation – all if which occur through electronic mediums such as emails, mobile phone social networking sites, instant messaging programs. chat rooms, websites and online games.
Who does this?
It usually occurs between people who are known to each other - such as students at school, members of the sporting club or someone from the same social clique or a friend of a friend, It is usually someone that the target knows. As the renowned cyber bullying expert Susan Maclean writes: "… cyber bullies do not normally drop from cyberspace and attach themselves to your child." (Sexts, Texts and Selfies 2014).
What is the difference between cyberbullying and trolling?
Many parents will remember the case of Charlotte Dawson who received a torrent of abuse on Twitter in 2012, the 46-year-old TV presenter was admitted to hospital after she was targeted by a stream of abusive death threats on Twitter, including taunts to "stick your head in a toaster'' and "kill yourself''.
In such cases, where an individual is attacked online by large number of different people - this is referred to as 'trolling'. In such cases, there is often no direct connection between the parties other than desire to abuse the intended target. The actions of a troll are almost always intentionally provocative and harassing.
What makes cyberbullying different from the face-to-face variety ?
Cyber bullying is pervasive in nature, incessant, ongoing and often can occur on a 24/7 basis. Using technology the bully can follow the victim home and into their house. It often occurs with a perception of anonymity such as with an account in a fake name or a blocked number. A source of frustration for many is that in many cases it is clear who is behind the attacks but it is often difficult to prove.
As with any form of bullying, cyber bullying is psychologically damaging and has short, medium and long-term effects. It Is often more difficult for parents to identify and subsequently act upon. as it is much more difficult to identify mental anguish than a bruise on the arm. Cyber bullying can also be a very public humiliation as peers often see what is written or posted and once a message or comment is posted online even if the perpetrator deletes it – it is almost impossible to remove all traces of the message. Students who are targeted, will often reread the comment over and over which further causes distress.
What to do if my child is being bullied?
If your child discloses that they are in fact being bullied online - your response is critical. It is important to stay calm and not be angry remembering that your child is the victim and it is someone else who is the perpetrator. Never threaten to take technology away from them because of what someone else has done. Research has found that this is one of the biggest obstacles to young people informing adult caregivers about issues online.
Some studies have shown that students would rather put up with the abuse than lose their online access.
Step one is to tell them that you are proud of them four coming to see you, Step two is to save and store the content by taking a screenshot and cutting and pasting it to a Word document. Thirdly, instruct your child to block and delete the bully from all contact lists explaining that they have a right to be in control of all their accounts and if people behave in a way that is not respectful towards them they should be ignored.
Next, instruct your child not to respond to nasty emails, chats, text messages or any other comments as this is precisely what the bully wants - so the best strategy is to ignore them. All social networking sites have a method for reporting abuse. Get your child to use the report abuse button and let the site know the nature and extent of the problems they are having. Accounts can be deleted and warnings sent when users disobey the rules of the site. If the site does not respond. parents now have the option of contacting the office of the esafety children's commissioner.
All schools have a legal responsibility to ensure that students can learn in a safe environment and many have an acceptable use policy that all students have signed, laying out the school's expectations with respect to online behaviour whether at school or at home.
Any violation of this acceptable use policy must be passed on to the School. It's important that they know what is going on so they can help and support your child and monitor any issues that may spill into the playground or classroom.
Finally, if despite everything that has been done, the cyber bullying is still ongoing then the act should be reported to the police. Each state and territory have laws that prohibit online pulling, stalking and threatening behaviour. Remember no student has to put up with this behaviour.
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
Mrs Lillie Marshman
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 7: Junior B
Week 8: Middle B
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 8-
29/11/23 Mrs Bettina Bird Principal Meeting
Junior B:
As the end of the school year is approaching, we are continuing to work hard and enjoy the final weeks of the year.
Last Friday, we all enjoyed our end of year excursion to watch a performance on ‘The Gruffalo’ in Horsham. It was a wonderful opportunity to travel by bus to Horsham, enjoy the beautiful playground at the Horsham Botanical Gardens, eat some delicious treats from Conways bakery and then have the pleasure of watching a live performance. It was a very engaging, fun and colourful show. Sincere thanks to all who made it possible.
This week we are very much enjoying participating in our annual swimming program. It is with great excitement and anticipation that we travel to the pool each day to join in our swimming lessons. The warm weather has allowed us to be lucky enough to swim in the outdoor pool as well and enjoy the cool water and warm sun on our backs.
We are all taking part in many assessments at the moment in preparation for the end of year reports. It is wonderful to see the progress that many children have made in the different subjects, and in particular literacy and numeracy. The children should all be very proud of their efforts.
In Religion, we are beginning to learn about Advent being a special time to prepare to welcome Jesus into our hearts at Christmas time. We look forward to discussing further how we can be ready and what we can do to be the best people we can be before the birth of Jesus.
Since the beginning of the term, we have been learning about writing a narrative. The children have been very motivated and excited about writing their own stories. We have been working very hard on writing sizzling starts, complications, resolutions and exciting endings. There will be much delight when we bring them home to share with our families.
As part of our Maths program, we have been learning about money, being able to identify coins needed to purchase something and then being able to calculate change from buying something with a $2 coin or less. We encourage all children to experience going to a shop to purchase something and having the opportunity to then think about the coins required and the amount of change that they will receive. It’s an essential life skill that we all need!
On Tuesday, we had the pleasure of working with Jane, our Auslan instructor who came into the classroom to work with us. We were delighted to see how impressed she was with the many signs we have learnt this year. We encourage all children to use some of these signs at home and hope that parents have been able to learn some too.
Special thanks to all parents and children for your continued commitment to our home reading program. Some children have read for an incredible amount of nights this year. It is hoped that all children will continue this fabulous habit during the fast approaching school holidays. It is an excellent way to relax, learn and improve your reading skills.
Congratulations and thank you to all children and parents for a wonderful year in Year 2!
Mrs Celine Bush
Students of the Week:
Ada Baulch - For the incredible work you continue to do throughout all areas of learning. I’m proud of your constant determination and self-motivation.
Zeke Sheen - For the self-motivation you’ve been showing towards improving your writing and sentence structure. Keep up the great work Zeke!
Mackenzie Stevenson - For the great results in your Dibels assessments. The growth you have made in your letter sound recognition and fluency is outstanding. Keep up the hard work!
Evelyn Christie - For always showing kindness towards your classmates. You ‘fill our buckets’ each day with the way you care and include others. Thank you!
Henry Tyler - For showing an incredible amount of self-motivation, risk taking and perseverance to complete your number line work. I was so impressed with how well you independently completed this task. Well done!
Charlie Matthews - For the determination and wonderful work ethic you have shown to work towards completing your Stepping Stones book and ongoing practice books. Congratulations and thank you!
Marnie Currie - For your impressive end of year reading assessments, as well as your love for reading which is often displayed in the classroom. Well done Marnie!
Kobe Power - For your constant curiosity in all topics and for your love of learning. Keep it up Kobe!
Ethan Prydderch - For the amazing job you did on your Remembrance Day poem. Well done Ethan!
Harper Bibby - For the resilience you show in Maths when things get challenging. Keep working hard Harper.
End of Year Celebrations:
When: Thursday 12th December, 2024.
Where: St Patrick's Primary School Oval
Time: 6:30pm
Catering: TBA
BYO: chairs/picnic blanket
Carols: Each classroom will present a Christmas Carol throughout the evening
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:
Good luck Mrs Marshman:
This week we say not goodbye but au revoir (until we meet again) to Mrs Lillie Marshman. We pray for Lillie and Wil as they prepare for the birth of their baby. We look forward to welcoming back Lillie in Term 3, 2025.
May all the blessings of our Lord touch your life always.
May He send His little angels to protect you on your way.
May sunshine and moonbeams dance over your head
As you quietly slumber in your bed.
May good luck be with you wherever you go.
And your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow.
- Author Unknown
Do you or 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
Fundraising:
From this Friday (11th October) 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.
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 not be afraid. Love one another, bear with one another, and let charity guide you in all your life.” Saint Mary MacKillop
Congratulations to this weeks award recipient: Ada Baulch
For the compassion and kindness you show towards your peers each and everyday. Your small gestures of kindness never go unnoticed.
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:
Alfie & Charli
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.