Term 4 - Week 4

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to Term 4 Week 4 Newsletter.

What an amazing community day we had last Friday for our combined Book Week and Grandparent’s Day celebrations! It was wonderful to see so many family members join us to help celebrate these two special events. Our Book Week parade kicked off a very busy morning with the students dazzling us with their creative costumes. Our morning tea was a huge success, you can’t beat a scone with jam and cream! St Patrick’s Church was overflowing for our beautiful liturgy in honour of our very special grandparents. It was so lovely to have grandparents participating in the liturgy alongside their grandchild. The day continued with open classrooms, a book fair, lunch and a games afternoon. Grandma’s featherbed was a big hit at lunchtime for some of the students who decided to have a bit of a rest! There were quite a few very tired students (and teachers) by home time. Thank you for helping us celebrate!

These days are very important as a school community, coming together as staff, students, parents and extended family as we continue to build a positive school culture. I would like to thank Mrs Devlin for all her organization with Book Week and to the staff for their continued support in all we do at St Pat’s. A special thanks also to Elise Moncrieff and her pit crew for their tireless work in the canteen.

We look forward to several more opportunities to open our school to our families as we wrap up 2022. Next week we will send home fliers advertising the remaining events.

Have a wonderful weekend

Lucy Harvey 
Principal

Kinder transition

On Thursday we welcomed back our Kinder 2023 cohort for their second transition visit. It was great to see the confidence and ease at which the students came through the gates, eager to see their big buddy and spend the morning with us. Have a look at the photos on Facebook.

Covid / sickness

This week we have had a few cases of Covid reemerge across some classes as well as several students off sick with viruses.

Dancefever

Throughout the year staff, students and parents have highlighted the need for more creative arts opportunities at St Pat’s. As a result of this identified need, we have introduced various lunch club activities including art classes with Miss Wiseman, drumming with Rosco Buchannan, drama and musical theatre run by our Year 4 and 5 leaders.

To provide an opportunity to engage students with the skills of dance led by a teacher who specializes in this area, it was decided to employ Dancefever for Term 4 to undertake instruction. Whilst the skills of dance are part of the Creative Arts and PDHPE syllabus, the feedback received this year was to offer specialist instruction that would culminate in an expo.

Questions have been asked around the cost of Dancefever and school fees. The school fees for 2022 were determined by Mr Green, Mrs Sartori and the Regional Finance Business Partner, at the end of 2021. Therefore, Dancefever was not included in this year’s resource fee as it had not been investigated until Term 2 this year. The success of this program will be evaluated before the end of the year to determine if, moving forward, this program will be absorbed into the resource fee for 2023, the same as the Primarily Active Gymnastics program is at the moment. We look forward to the feedback from staff, students and parents as to the level of engagement experienced by the students.

Soccer Goals and Netball Goal

As I’m sure you have seen and heard, our new larger soccer goals are being enjoyed by the students. We have ordered a netball hoop and are investigating outdoor activities such as tic tac toe, jumbo noughts and crosses and giant snakes and ladders to add to our lunch club activities.

Message from RE Coordinator

All Saints and All Souls Day

November is a special month dedicated to praying for those that are no longer with us.  On Tuesday we celebrated All Saints Day, a day that we remember and pray to all the saints who have gone before us, whether they are officially titled saint of not.  On Wednesday, All Souls Day, we take time to pray for our loved ones who have passed.  November is a profoundly hopeful month where we dedicate time to remembering that Jesus conquered death and we will have new life with him in heaven as saints. 

Sacramental Program

Today the students in the sacramental program completed the Sacrament of Confession.  On Tuesday night they will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation at Saint Francis Xavier's Church, Belmont.  We wish all the students involved the blessings of the Holy Spirit in the preparation for this sacrament.

Grandparents Day

Thank you to all the Grandparents and families that were able to join us at last weeks Grandparents Day.  The church was full and there were plenty of smiles, hugs and kisses as we gathered to praise the significant role that these loved ones play in our lives.  Special thanks to all the staff, especially, Mrs Karen Devlin and Mrs Liz Walker for their assistance in preparing the liturgy on the day

Save the Date

Wellbeing and Pastoral Care

Wellbeing for Parents 

Parents may be interested in the following course being offered through the You’re Kidding Me program by Lake Macquarie Council 

More connection. Less overwhelm  

Parenting through Covid has been tough. Join Mel from Love Parenting as she shares how we can confidently lead our families forward. More Connection. Less Overwhelm. It’s tough what we’ve all just parented through.  Years of our nervous systems being in and out of threat-state trying to keep our family safe, well and resourced through the pandemic has seen every parent everywhere wade deeply fatigued, into significant patches of feeling confused, frustrated to the back teeth, and emotionally stretched so thin they are see-through. 

Be sure to book in and be at this workshop session with Mel from @loveparentingnewcastle. It is going to be a dynamic hour spent picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off and being coached through how to implement three key things that will help us more confidently lead our families out the other side of this wacky time we’ve found ourselves in. 

• Thursday, 10 November 2022 from 10am – 11am 
• Warners Bay Theatre, Lake Street, Warners Bay 
• Presented by Mel from Love Parenting 
• Bookings essential. Register online 

• Wednesday, 23 November 2022 from 10am – 11am 
• Toronto Library 
• Presented by Mel from Love Parenting 
• Bookings essential. Register online 
  
  https://www.lakemac.com.au/Events-directory/Eventbrite/More-connection.-Less-overwhelm 

Year 2 News

This week, Year 2 will farewell Miss Clemenson, our practicuum  student from Newcastle University. We’ve had a lovely four weeks and Year 2 have enjoyed Miss Clemenson’s lessons. Students have been listening to the novel George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl and creating their very own potions. We have also been busy writing and sharing imaginative narratives as well as lots of measuring of volume, capacity and weight in Maths. This week, students made paper sculptures and they look amazing! We are very excited about our excursion to the Australian Reptile Park on Friday.

Mrs Louise Stewart
Year 2 Teacher

Canteen News

We’re in our final term for the year and the new canteen set up has been excitedly received by both families & students.

This term we have introduced a few new summer items onto the menu as well as kept our usual staple favourites. These will continue to change each term depending on season & popularity.

The menu for November is as follows:

4/11 – Lasagne & Garlic Bread

11/11 – Sub Rolls

18/11 – Sushi Week

25/11 – Special Event Menu for Rainbow Run! (Available to order on Qkr from 12/11) We will also have a number of special RAINBOW treats available to buy with cash on the day.

All meal deals are $4 each with the exception of Sushi week which is $5. All drinks are $2 each.

We have extended the ordering cut off to Midday each Thursday this term now, so please ensure you get your orders in by then. Reminders are posted on St Patricks Facebook page each week.

Another big thankyou to the volunteers who generously give their time in the canteen. Last Friday we experienced our biggest day ever, serving well over 200 happy & hungry grandparents & parents morning tea and lunch. It would not have been possible without our amazingly organised helpers, so thank you!

This term we have also welcomed some friendly new faces to help out in the kitchen. We welcome new & old volunteers, whether you have experience or not, so if you have any availability for next year and would like to join us please email stpatscanteen1@gmail.com to be added to the Facebook Group. The more the merrier!

Thanks, Elise & Shae

Rainbow Run 2022

The countdown is on to our first ever Rainbow Run with just over 3 weeks to go until THE MOST COLOURFUL DAY OF THE YEAR!

So far over half the school has registered, so please ensure you do so ASAP if you haven’t yet. Registrations must be in by next Friday November 11^th to allow organisers plenty of time to source supplies and ensure they arrive on time.

Registration costs $10 per student and includes a T-Shirt, Ice block and some other special treats on the day. Register is via Qkr.

We have a number of prizes up for grabs for our highest earning fundraisers. Have you started your fundraising mission yet? We know some students have already raised over $100 each to go towards our new outdoor learning area. If you need more fundraising forms, please see the front office. Make sure you ask all your friends, family and neighbours to sponsor each lap you do!

There will be prizes awarded for the highest fundraiser in the entire school, from each class, the overall highest fundraising class and some other special awards.

A very big THANKYOU to the local businesses and people who have donated prizes and items to go towards our day, being:

• The Rock Caves Beach
• Caves Beach Gelato
• Swansea Surf Shop
• Bishop Collins Accountants
• Allpride Signs & Marketing
• Mischief Kitchen

If you would like to donate a prize or know a business who may donate a small voucher we can gift to our winning students, please email admin@swansea.mn.catholic.edu.au or see Rachelle in the front office.

Lastly, we are lucky to announce that Swansea Fire Brigade has arranged a truck & crew of firefighters to join in on the fun and (lightly) spray the students with their fire hose, so prepare to get wet!

More info regarding the day will be sent out over coming weeks.

Uniforms

Helpers wanted

If you are free any day of the week and can lend a hand in the uniform shop, please contact Leisha Fitzgibbon via email: stpatricksuniformshop1@gmail.com

The uniform shop is open during the School Term each Monday from 2pm - 3pm.

Thank you 
Leisha 

Office News

We remind you that the fee deadline of 30^th November 2022 is soon approaching, and payments should have commenced.  If you are experiencing difficulty in making these payments, please contact our school office as soon as possible.

Year 6 parents, please note that the fee clearance is required for enrolment to St Mary’s.

Thank you to those parents who have commenced paying their school fees.

A new Direct Debit can be established or an amendment to existing direct debit is an option, please complete the form on the Catholic Development Fund website www.CDFmn.com.au.

For those families experiencing financial hardship, please contact the school office for an appointment with the Principal, to arrange a mutually agreed payment plan.

Joint Account Access Form are available, refer to Compass notification in March 2022, complete form and return to cso.sassupport@mn.catholic.edu.au.

An event for the Diocesan Pastoral Contribution has been created, this is a voluntary fee that assists the Diocesan Pastoral Support Programs, you can elect to pay or decline via the Compass Parent Portal

Rachelle McKenzie 
Senior School Officer

Volunteering at St Patrick's

If you would like to register to volunteer at St Patrick's, can you please complete the "Volunteer Registration Form" by clicking on the link here. 

St Patrick's will be notified by the Catholic Schools Office once you are cleared to volunteer.

If you are unsure if you have clearance, please contact the office to enquire.

Safeguarding

Enrolments

Community Notices