Term 3 - Week 8

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the Week 8 newsletter. Our newsletter is going out today due to the pupil free day last Friday.

Last Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday I had the privilege of travelling to Canberra with our Stage 3 students, Mrs Ogden and Mr Lockwood. We had a very busy three days visiting Questacon, Australian Institute of Sport, The Royal Mint, Regatta Point, Parliament House, the Electoral Education Centre and the Australian War Memorial. We are very proud of the students and the choices they made as they represented St Pat’s in our Nations Capital. I would like to personally thank Mrs Ogden and Mr Lockwood for their willingness to accompany the students, taking on the extra responsibility and for giving up family time to be away to provide our students with this great experience. I hope Stage 3 slept well Thursday night, I certainly did!

During Week 7, Mrs Browne and I had the pleasure of meeting 21 of our new Kinder families for 2024. We had the opportunity of getting to know a little bit about our new students as the first step in their transition program to St Pat’s. We look forward to next term as we continue our Kinder transition with fortnightly visits.

Only 5 more sleeps to our Spring Fair! Excitement is building and this week will be incredibly busy as final preparations are underway. The Spring Fair committee has even organised perfect weather for the day. Please come along on Saturday to support our wonderful community!

Lucy Harvey
Principal

Welcome

Our St Pat’s community continues to grow. We warmly welcome the Fox family- Jane, Jacob and Elijah (Kinder) and the Cramp family - Lucy, Ryan and Leni (Year 3). Thank you for choosing St Pat’s!  

Father’s Day

Thank you to Leisha Fitzgibbon and her band of helpers (Jess, Natalie, Lesley, Samantha) for a well organised Father’s Day Stall. I hope all the dads and grandads enjoyed their gifts.

A big thank you to all those who attended the Father’s Day breakfast and liturgy. Thank you to the Moncrieff family for the very generous donation of eggs and to the staff for preparing, cooking, serving and cleaning up. I am very grateful to the staff who always go above and beyond.

Disco & Parent Engagement Evening

A reminder that our next Family Engagement Night will be held NEXT TUESDAY 19^th September. Students will be able to attend the school disco in the hall from 5:30 – 7pm. Parents are invited to attend an information session in the library from 5:45pm which introduces mindfulness, mindfulness meditation and the Smiling Mind Primary Classroom Curriculum. Our last Parent Engagement session was very well attended and we hope you will stay to continue our wellbeing partnership between home and school.

Term 3 Week 9

Term 3 Week 10

Message from RE Coordinator

Father’s Day

Thank you to all the fathers, grandfathers and significant male-figures that were able to join us last Friday for breakfast and our liturgy.  There were many egg and bacon rolls consumed and luckily no injuries from soccer and basketball.  Thank you to the Year 1 students and Mrs Stewart for preparing our liturgy.  It was amazing to see so many fathers fill our church and be there for the students of St Patrick’s.

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Year 6 Religious Literacy Test

Last Monday our Year 6 students participated in the Year 6 Religious Literacy test.  Each year, Year 6 students from across the Maitland-Newcastle Diocese participate in the Religious Literacy Test.  This test assists our school in planning for the teaching of Religious Education and helps identify areas that the school is succeeding and areas for development.  The test is a measure of student achievement of the whole RE curriculum from Kinder to Year 6.  The test consists of multiple choice and short answer responses. 

Mr Daniel Lockwood
RE Coordinator

Message from Assistant Principal

New 3-6 Syllabus – Mathematics and English

Last week all St Pat’s Primary 3-6 teachers took part in a professional learning course on the new 3-6 Mathematics syllabus to be implemented in 2024. Through the study of mathematics, students develop essential concepts and skills and apply them to deepen their understanding of the world. In Mathematics 3–6, students:

• Build on essential numeracy skills from Mathematics K-2 and further develop their mathematical fluency.
• Apply known number facts to build number patterns.
• Develop an understanding of the structure of number and apply it to decimals.
• Learn to choose and use efficient additive and multiplicative strategies.
• Develop an understanding of fractions as a relationship and their connection to division and measurement.
• Develop their algebraic, spatial, and statistical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• Apply their knowledge and understanding in practical situations and make informed decisions.

In the coming weeks professional learning on the new 3-6 English syllabus will be undertaken. We will be working collaboratively to develop new scope and sequences and programs for these subjects which reflect the changes in the new curriculum.

Mrs Janine Schneider
Assistant Principal

Save the Date

From the Diverse Learners Team

Learning Support & Gifted Education – Fun with puzzles

From jigsaw puzzles and mazes to word games and logic puzzles, we have had lots of puzzles out in the Learning Centre these past weeks for students to challenge themselves with.

However, there are other health and well-being benefits to doing puzzles ...

• They improve short-term memory

Working on a puzzle reinforces connections between brain cells, improves mental speed and is an effective way to improve short-term memory.

• They enhance your mood

Puzzles increase the production of dopamine, a chemical that regulates mood, memory, and concentration. Dopamine is released with every success as we solve the puzzle.

• They make it easier to unwind

Although it is tempting to unwind by watching the television or by reading on a tablet, the body should avoid screen time before bed. Puzzles provide a much better opportunity to relax, making it easier to fall asleep and properly switch off.

• They improve visual and spatial reasoning

You need to look at individual parts of a jigsaw puzzle, or available spaces in a crossword puzzle and figure out how to fit the pieces or words into their space. If done regularly, this will improve your visual and spatial reasoning skills.

• They offer stress relief

By doing a jigsaw puzzle, you are getting the same benefits as if you meditated. The stress of everyday life disappears and is replaced by a sense of peace and tranquillity that lowers your blood pressure and heart rate.

• They sharpen your logic and reasoning

Puzzles are intended to exercise your brain. Crossword puzzles, riddles, word searches and logic problems can all activate different parts of your brain, helping you to hone your critical and analytical thinking skills.

Why not try a puzzle with your family and see the benefits for yourself?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education – Leading the school’s garden project

We have exciting plans at St Patrick’s to connect with nature, learn how to grow plants to eat and learn all about indigenous bush tucker and other ways we can use and care for plants.

• Step 1 is underway – our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are working to establish our new raised veggie beds. They brainstormed tasty things to grow and on Wednesday worked hard with Melissa and Mrs Turner to fill the beds with soil and mulch. We found lots of good bugs and worms and learned how they will break down the soil and create nutrients to help our plants thrive. Next week we will sow some seeds and get watering! These students will lead and educate all other interested students in how to care for these gardens.
• Step 2 – next term we are planning a visit to Bahtabah Local Aboriginal Land Council to be inspired by their native bush tucker gardens and gather ideas to bring back to St Patrick’s.
• Step 3 – we will add some indigenous edible plants to our garden beds (and maybe even a food forest!) to increase all our students’ knowledge and connection to this place and understanding of how it can feed and nurture us if we nurture and care for it.

DIO Public Speaking

Congratulations to Imogen Walker who participated in the Diocesan Public Speaking last week in Singleton.  A future politician on our hands! Well done Imogen we are very proud of you!

Mrs Simes
Learning Support Teacher

Wellbeing News

National Child Protection Week is a campaign held annually across Australia to raise awareness of child abuse prevention. This year’s campaign will be held between 3-9 September. This year, the theme is ‘Where we start matters’. Where we start in terms of the values instilled in us from birth, the resources available to us, our securities and opportunities make a significant difference in our life outcomes. Where we start in terms of our education, family supports, community interaction also play a significant role in our personal and social outcomes. St Patrick’s is participating in the Decorate Your Gate competition to show that we are making a powerful statement that child protection is a top priority. The prize this year is $4,000 for our school community. Should we win this amazing prize, we would like to spend the money on advancing resources to further support the wellbeing of our students.

Please see our submission below:

Where we start matters! St Patrick’s Primary, Swansea related this message to the Parable of the Sower (Matt 13:1-23). Just as seed planted in good soil, when nourished and cared for grows into a healthy crop, so too do children need a nurturing start to life to grow into the best versions of themselves. The flowers represent the growth of a child throughout their primary years when they are supported to develop in a safe, loving, and healthy environment. Every student in our school used their handprint to create the flower petals, symbolising their connection to each other and their world. The soil and fingerprints of the grass represent all members of our community who contribute to instilling values and providing the necessary resources and opportunities for every child to have the start they need to flourish.

eSafety Webinars

The following eSafety webinars are being provided free through the eSafety Commissioner. To register please visit https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/webinars

Getting the most out of gaming-12 Sep 7:30pm to 8:15pm; 19 Oct 12:30pm to 1:15pm

This 45-minute webinar provides families with strategies for supporting children and young people to have safe, positive experiences when playing games online. It is designed for parents and carers of children aged 7 to 14. It will cover:  

• when gaming can be beneficial and strategies to promote better in-game experiences
• how to keep children safe online – using safety and privacy settings in games and platforms

• strategies to promote more balanced gaming and how to create smoother transitions from game-play to other activities
• the key online risks and where to find help for things like bullying and harassment in games. 

Getting started with social media: TikTok, YouTube, Instagram-21 Nov 12:30pm-1:00pm

This 30-minute webinar is designed for parents and carers of young people in primary school. It includes practical tech tips, conversation starters and digital parenting advice. It will cover:

• creating a positive digital identity
• privacy and sharing online
• managing what you see online
• good practices in group chats
• help-seeking.

Mrs Fiona Walker
Wellbeing Support Teacher

Kinder News

Throughout Term 3, Kindergarten have been exploring living things and our local environment through the lens of Mathematics, Literacy, Visual arts, Science and Geography.

Kindergarten delved into books about local wildlife such as Jeremy (about a rescued Kookaburra) and Possum in the House, before building their knowledge of position, measurement and number to create an art installation that was a forest home for displaced native animals. To their forest they added their skillful Kookaburra and Echidna sculptures. A visit from Hunter Wildlife Rescue helped students understand how to care for injured wildlife.

Using their carefully engineered binoculars, Kindergarten took a closer look at our school’s location and the beautiful banks of Black Ned’s Bay. They discovered that St Patrick’s is surrounded by many bodies of water including their favourite beaches. This, of course, led to sandcastles! Kinder explored concepts in 2D shape, 3D object, volume and capacity and paired this knowledge with sand sculpture inspiration to make their very own sandcastle designs which they have published as a book.

To conclude a busy term of learning about animals and environments, Kindergarten will visit the Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre this week. They are very excited!

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Mrs Claire Browne
Kindergarten Teacher

Sport News

Regional Netball Gala Day

Stage 2 were blessed with a beautiful sunny day to participate in the Lakes Region Mixed Netball Gala Day on Thursday 7^th of September.  They won some and lost some, but most importantly they had a lot of fun keeping active! Congratulations Stage 2!

Pathways Sport

Summer Sport Trials- Tennis and Basketball 

If you have a child currently in Years 4 or 5 (years 5 or 6 in 2024) who you would like to nominate for Tennis or Basketball Regional Trials (early Term 4) please email claire.browne@mn.catholic.edu.au your child's name, school grade, current sporting club, level of sport played, position played and representative experience by Friday 15/9. 

As these sports are pathways sports for PSSA, students are strictly required to be highly experienced and talented players (preferably at representative level). There are several other team sport opportunities for the broader student group throughout the year.

Please note, nomination does not mean automatic selection for Regional Trials, a school trial will be run if necessary.

Catholic Schools NSW offers many sporting pathway opportunities for talented athletes. If your child is an aspiring athlete, you might like to familiarise yourself with the CSNSW Sport web page here: https://csnsw.sport/ 

Sport information specific to our Diocese can be found on the Maitland Newcastle Diocese tile on the CSNSW Sport page https://csnsw.sport/maitland-newcastle/primary/home 

Any registrations on these pages must first be approved. 

Weekend Sports Star

Congratulations to Sawyer Davidson who earned his grey belt at Jiu jitsu at Apex Jiu jitsu in Swansea. 
Sawyer has been training hard several times a week, listening well to his instructor and keeping up his chores at home to earn this stripe. Great effort Sawyer!

If your child is a Weekend Sports Star or extra curricular activity, please email details and a photo to claire.browne@mn.catholic.edu.au so we can celebrate their success in our next newsletter.

Mrs Claire Browne
Sports Coordinator

P&F

Cake Stall

Hi All, this afternoon - the eldest student from each family will be sent home with an empty cake box ready to go in a ziplock bag with a little instruction note.If you are able to contribute to our cake stall for the St Patrick's Spring Fair we ask that you fill the box with baked or bought sweet treats and return to the office or canteen THIS Friday before lunch so our committee can sort all the goodies for our cake stall on Saturday morning! We also ask that you fill in the note included in the box so we know if you’re items have any special dietary info we need to label on them.Thankyou to everyone who has contributed to our Spring Fair! We look forward to celebrating with you all in the sunshine on Saturday!

Raffle

Who wants to win something exhilerating!? Our P&F Committee are excited to give some lucky person the chance to win a Matt Hall Racing Joy Flight gift voucher worth $489!Tickets are $10 each and are on sale now via Qkr! to everyone in our school community. …See more

Canteen

Uniforms

The uniform shop is open on each Monday during the school term from 2.00pm - 3.00pm.

Orders can be placed on the QKR app. The cut-off for orders is 12pm on Monday.

Leisha and Natalie can be contacted via email at stpatricksuniformshop1@gmail.com to answer any questions or to make alternate fitting arrangements.

Thank you 
Leisha & Natalie

Office News

For those that have settled their fees in full we thank you for your ongoing support. For families whose fees are in arrears, we request prompt payment. Please continue to make your nominated payments to be fully finalised by the 30th November 2023.

Our preferred method of payment is either BPay or direct debit. For Fee Payers wishing to establish a new Direct Debit, or adjust their existing direct debit, please complete the form on the Catholic Development Fund website www.CDFmn.com.au.

For those families experiencing financial hardship, or wishing to discuss other payment arrangements, please contact the school office to arrange an appointment with the Principal.

Schools will now commence the school fee management process if there has been no contact with school office or no initial payment received.

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

We have many events still planned for the remainder of the year.  Please get in early and register so you won't be dissappointed in missing out.

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 email the office at admin@swansea.catholic.edu.au to enquire.

Community Notices