Term 1 - Week 1
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome staff, students and parents to the 2024 school year! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and holiday. I certainly felt very relaxed and managed to read a few books, not to mention some Netflix binging!
Yesterday, we very warmly welcomed 3 new families to the St Pat’s community: The Brettle family - Vanessa, John, Grayson (Year 2), Willow (Year 4) and Avery (Kinder), the Robbins family – Shana, Dan and Evie (Year 3), and the McDonell family – Kim, Shaun and Mylah (Year 4). Thank you for choosing St Pat’s! We are very excited to be welcoming our new Kinders on Monday.
St Patrick’s also extends a warm welcome to Miss Chloe Murray who joins our staff team this year. Chloe will be teaching Year 4. Please take the opportunity to say hello to Chloe and welcome her to St Pat’s.
The first two weeks of the term have been set up to allow the students and the teachers to build a foundation of positive relationships as a class. This is an opportunity for getting to know each other, establishing expectations for the year, setting personal and class goals as well as establishing ways to support and care for one another. It’s a great time to get excited about the year ahead.
Yesterday, we were very fortunate to have a smoking ceremony to open our new school year. Aunty Louise, our Aboriginal Elder and Education Officer from the Catholic Schools Office, led us in a cleansing of our space in readiness for the year ahead. Aunty Louise encouraged those present – staff, students and families, to let go of any worries or hurt and to open our hearts and minds to building positive relationships and care of one another and the environment. It was truly a beautiful way to start the year.
Newsletters will be sent out fortnightly on even weeks of the school term. This newsletter is a brief update before next week's newsletter.
My aspiration for 2024 is to continue to work closely with our families to support the students in our care to provide a safe and supportive environment for learning and wellbeing.
I look forward to working in partnership with you throughout 2024!
Lucy Harvey
Principal
Parent Information Session
This year we are inviting parents to attend an information evening with their child’s class teacher on THURSDAY 8th February. The purpose of this evening is for parents and teachers to make a connection and establish a relationship for the academic school year. During this evening your child’s teacher will present pertinent information about the learning to be covered as well as outline how their classroom operates with routines and expectations. This is also a wonderful opportunity for you to ask questions on how best to support your child’s learning and wellbeing. With 114 families in the school, we have tried our hardest to schedule times that allow your attendance at multiple classes. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible for everyone so you may wish to have 2 adults attend. The session times will be:
6:00-6:30pm - Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4
6:30-7:00pm - Kinder, Year 5, Year 6
The sessions will be held in your child’s classroom. If child care will prevent you from attending, I am happy to supervise students during this time.
Student Information Questionnaire
A questionnaire will be sent home Monday for you to share relevant information about your child with their class teacher. This questionnaire will assist the teaching staff, in collaboration with you, to best support your child this year. The questionnaire will also help form part of the Parent / Teacher interviews to be held in Week 3 for Years 1-6 (Kinder to be held later in the term). By inviting you to attend interviews early in the year, we are hoping to set specific goals to support each child socially, emotionally and academically. Interviews will be available to book via Compass next week. A newsfeed will be sent home advising you that they are open.
Parent / Teacher Interviews Term 1
To be held throughout Week 3. Further information regarding days and times will be available next week.
Opening School Liturgy
We look forward to investing our Year 6 students into their Leadership roles next Friday 9th February at 9:30am in the Church. All are most welcome to attend.
Assemblies – ODD WEEKS
Assemblies occur Fridays of odd weeks during the school term in the hall starting at 2:20pm. Our first assembly will be Friday 16th February. In this assembly we will present the 2024 swimming certificates and age championship medals.
Advance Notice – Inservice Day
A pupil free day is planned for THURSDAY 28th MARCH. The focus of this day for staff will be on how to build greater numeracy competencies through vocabulary. This pupil free day is followed by the Easter long weekend.
Watches and Phones
It is extremely important that both parents and students are aware that mobile phones and watches that allow messaging are not permitted at school. If a student requires a phone to communicate with parents during travel to and from school, it must not be used during school hours. The mobile phones must be handed in to the school office on arrival and may be collected at dismissal time. Any watch that has the ability to phone / message must be set to school mode and cannot be used to contact parents. If you need to relay a message to your child, please call or email Admin. Contact through mobile phones or watches is not permitted.
Asthma and Anaphylaxis Plans
It is a requirement that all students marked as having asthma and/or anaphylaxis have their plans updated each calendar year. The Asthma and/or Allergy plan needs to be signed by a GP/Specialist.
If your child has Asthma or an Allergy requiring an Anaphylaxis plan; please send in the updated signed ASCIA plan into the school office along with your child’s medication.
An individual plan needs to be on file and labelled medication given to St Pat’s for each individual student requiring medication.
Bus Passes
If you require an Opal card for school bus travel visit transportnsw.info/school-students and then Mrs McKenzie can approve the pass.
2024 Fee Information
Statements will be emailed to the email address nominated by you for all correspondence. Fee statements are issued the first week of each month. If you do not to receive an email, please contact the office.
Up to date fee account information is available on Compass. This information will not be available until school fees are processed for the year.
Health Care Card or Pensioner Card
This provides a rebate of 50% off your tuition fees, less any family discount applied. Please complete the attached Health Care Card Forms and return to the office along with a copy of your card.
Fee Assistance
The school will assist families experiencing financial difficulties. We encourage you to contact the office as soon as possible to discuss.
Payment Options
Your nominated deduction amount must commence no later than 31st March 2024 and you account must be finalised in full by 30th November 2024. Please contact the office if you would like assistance with calculating your weekly, fortnightly or monthly deduction amount.
Biller Code and Reference Number can be found on your fee statement.
Payments can be made via EFTPOS. If you are paying by credit card you can make payments through Compass or over the phone. You are welcome to pay directly at the school office between 8am and 3.30pm Monday to Friday during school terms.
Direct Debit options are also available, please complete the direct debit request form link here.
Please remember to complete the 2024 Fee Settlement Option Event in Compass.
Compass
If you have recently relocated or changed your mobile phone number please update in Compass or by emailing information to the office.
QKR
Please update your child’s homegroup in the profiles tab so that their correct class is on any order you place for them.
Upcoming Dates
