Term 2 - Week 6

Message from the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome to the Term 2 Week 6 newsletter.

I hope you all have had a good week and are staying healthy amid all the sickness that is going around.

On Monday we had a fantastic day at our annual athletics carnival. The weather was perfect- no rain! St Pius X Windale were very excited to join us again and most grateful for the opportunity to share our carnival. It was wonderful to see such great school spirit and smiles on everyone’s face. The support and encouragement our students gave each other and students from St Pius was beautiful to witness. Watching our Kinders, cheering them on as they crossed the finish line in their first ever school athletics race, is always a highlight. I am very proud of each and every one of our students.

A huge thank you to Mrs Schneider and Mrs Browne for an exceptionally well organised carnival. A great deal of time and effort goes into these days to ensure its smooth running. Thank you to our parent volunteers for your time and assistance and many thanks to the staff for their tireless work leading up to, during and after the carnival. They were all exhausted by the end of the day! Thank you once again to our canteen coordinator, Elise, for running the canteen for the day. With the help of Nicole Batchelor, $1 000 was raised in sales! A tremendous boost to our P&F funds. Certificates will be presented at our next Friday Assembly afternoon on the 14^th June.

During this week, Mrs Browne, Mrs Simes and I had the pleasure of meeting 24 prospective new Kinder families for 2025. We had the opportunity of getting to know a little bit about each child as the first step in their transition to big school. We look forward to sending an offer of enrolment to St Patrick’s for 2025, next Friday.

Have a wonderful long weekend!

Lucy Harvey
Principal

Congratulations

This week we celebrated the arrival of two new family members. Congratulations to Kara, Jacob, Briseis and Mahli Tomasi on the birth of their little son and brother Kelce. Congratulations also to Annabelle, Justin, Sawyer and Brooks Davidson on the birth of their little daughter and sister Lacey Willow. Exciting news for everyone!

Winter Uniform 

All students should be in full winter uniform. Please contact me if you are having difficulties meeting this request.

Sports Uniform

Our school sports day reverts back to Tuesdays from next week. Therefore, students wear their winter sports uniform on Tuesdays.

Reports and Interviews

As the end of the term draws closer, the staff are busy completing assessments and writing Semester 1 reports. The reports will be made accessible to parents on your child’s Compass profile on Friday 28^th June.

During Week 10 this term we will hold 3-way conferences (parents, teachers and students). During these conferences the students will have the opportunity to share their learning goals in Mathematics with you. Bookings will be available soon on Compass.

Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Survey 

By now, all parents should have received an invitation to participate in the Tell Them From Me (TTFM) Partners in Learning survey. As we value the role of parents and carers within our school community, we would greatly appreciate your feedback by completing the online survey. The information you provide will be used to maintain our commitment to working together in partnership to further improve student learning and wellbeing at St Patrick’s. 

The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL below: 

http://tellthemfromme.com/x9r8y  

Wellbeing at St Pat's

As you know, we have been working hard to develop our Learning and Wellbeing Framework. The purpose of such a framework is to provide a clear representation of how we work together to demonstrate our vision and mission as a school community. Today our new sign was installed which is a visual representation of our unique framework.  At the core of our school is our Catholic faith and it's Josephite foundations symbolised by the cross.  Our vision of learning, loving and serving together through Jesus, and our connection to St Patrick as our patron saint, is symbolised by the shamrock.  These core values are carried out through six key pillars: engagement, relationships, health, culture, stewardship and social justice, which reflect our school's mission. With a whole school approach to addressing these key elements, we grow in hope to attain optimal learning and wellbeing in order to flourish now and into the future. 

Week 7

Week 8

Save the Date

From the Diverse Learners Team...

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education – Reconciliation Week

On Thursday last week, we had a beautiful liturgy to celebrate National Reconciliation Week and reflect on the theme “Now More Than Ever”, which emphasises the importance of all Australians continuing to work together towards Reconciliation and a better future for all.

Aunty Louise Campbell spoke of her own experiences as a member of the Stolen Generations and of the importance of education for all children. 

Brody and Brielle captivated us all with their powerful performance of traditional dance, guided by their talented mum, Aliera. 

We also launched the St Patrick’s Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), which is published and available to view on the Reconciliation Australia website. It is a working document and community members are warmly welcomed to contribute. 

Thank you to the parents and community members who were able to attend the liturgy. We loved sharing it with you!

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Gifted Education

Spelling and Maths Bees

Last week, classes from Year 1 to Year 6 were holding their Spelling and Maths Bees to find the class finalists.  For some, this was a time to test our character strengths of resilience and bravery.  It can be difficult to answer a question under pressure, and crushing when you get it wrong, but these are still learning experiences we need to face at some stage.  Everyone is to be congratulated on having a go and managing their disappointment (or elation).

The next round, was the St Pat's stage finals, where the two finalists from each class competed against the others in their stage.  Our stage winners were

Stage 1 - Benjamin Tisdell (spelling and Maths)

Stage 2 - Brody Hicks (spelling) and Lachlan Atkins (Maths)

Stage 3 - Oscar Claydon (spelling and Maths)

These four students will now go on to compete at the Regional Final at Kilaben Bay next week.  Best of luck to our spellers and mathematicians!

CogAT

In the next couple of weeks, students in years 2 and 4 will participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT). This test evaluates students' reasoning abilities in three key areas essential for success in school:

1. Verbal Battery: Assesses students' ability to reason with words and concepts, crucial for reading comprehension, critical thinking, writing, and verbal learning tasks.

1. Quantitative Battery: Measures students' ability to reason with quantitative symbols and concepts, which are vital for problem-solving in mathematics and other disciplines.

1. Nonverbal Battery: Evaluates students' ability to reason with geometric shapes and figures, requiring them to implement strategies for solving novel problems.

These batteries provide a comprehensive view of each student's learned reasoning abilities, identifying both strengths and areas for improvement. CogAT aims to support differentiated practice in education by helping teachers adapt instruction to meet the unique needs and abilities of each student.

It's important to note that CogAT scores are not integrated into report grades or other conventional measures of school achievement. The focus is on tailoring instruction and fostering a supportive, inclusive learning environment based on each child's ability.

If you have any concerns or questions about your child's academic progress or specific educational needs, please schedule a meeting with your child's teacher. They will discuss your child's strengths and areas for growth based on various assessments. Additionally, you can contact our Gifted Education Mentor (GEM) Jo Simes, or Education Officer - Gifted Education, Maree Karaka (maree.karaka@mn.catholic.edu.au) for further assistance.

Thank you for your continued support in ensuring the best educational outcomes for our students.

Mrs Jo Simes 
Learning Support Teacher

Mrs Anne Turner & Mrs Karen Devlin
Aboriginal Education Teacher

Year 5 News

Amazing Authors from Year 5

This term in English and HSIE Year 5 have been studying the text One Small Island to analyse representations of ideas in literature through genre that reflect argument and authority. The students wrote a persuasive text to convince the government that we should protect Macquarie Island and places like it. Have a read of some of their outstanding paragraphs to persuade us all to protect these important places.

Have you heard about the dying Macquarie Island and things that are happening to it? Well, that’s cause us humans have done horrible things and now we need to save it. It has an interesting and important biosphere with things such as plants, animals and mega herbs that need our help or they are going to go extinct or die from starvation and no habitat to live in. The island also has a rich and very interesting background with information about seal's oil and a lot of destruction. And another thing that we need from Macquarie Island is the information it gives us about the ocean and mountain ranges. So that’s why we need to save Macquarie Island. Keep reading for more information on why we should save this beautiful, remote island. Eloise

Macquarie island is filled with interesting history and information that still hasn't been explained. This island has a colossal amount of interesting rocks, animals and plants that could have been there for thousands of years. You could learn so many things from this island so we MUST keep it going!  Jaymie

Macquarie Island was a peaceful island until the seal hunters came and killed hundreds of thousands of seals and penguins for their oils pushing them closer to extinction. They let out rabbits so they could breed, and the hunters could have a reliable source of food. Unfortunately, they became out of control and started to dig to many hills in the land that it started to collapse and crumble causing erosion because they were eating all of the grass and roots for food. The cats that escaped became feral and killed lots of sea birds. Billy

Did you know that in 1810 sealers discovered the island? The discovery of these new seal colonies sent ships hurrying south from Australia and New Zealand. They brought men to hunt seals for their velvet hides. That is absolutely horrible. Isla

Why should Macquarie Island be saved? It is 1,500 kilometers south of Tasmania and halfway to Antarctica, Macquarie Island is a lush and windy wonderland teeming with wildlife, seals, whales and penguins. Some species, such as the royal penguin are found nowhere else on earth. It is our responsibility to ensure their home is protected.  Lucy

Scientific research is vital to Macquarie Island. More people than you think are interested in exploration throughout Macquarie Islands history. It has been proven there is certainly a lot of scientific research such as climate change, oceanography and ecology to be done at this beautiful island named Macquarie Island. Ella 

People introduced the rabbits and mice. The rabbits and mice destroyed all the habitats and their food sources, they basically took over the island so the other animals starved and were cold at night.  The government used baits to remove the rabbits and now the island is free from these animals. The government is helping the island to recover. Indianna

Casey sums up our argument very strongly by writing:

It is essential for the government to protect Macquarie Island and places like it that have rich history, significant biodiversity and an opportunity for scientific research. Imagine what the world would be like without these significant Islands, we wouldn't be able to notice the world around us. Don’t you agree that it is vital we save Macquarie Island and other places like it? 

We hope that we have convinced you to take action to protect these vital environments in our world. Great work Year 5!

Mrs Cheryl Ogden
Year 5 Teacher

Library News

200 Nights and Premier’s Reading Challenge

We hope everyone is making some time to read together or encouraging solo reading.  Don’t forget to log your efforts in your 200 Nights logbook each time you read and then on the Premier’s Reading Challenge website when you finish a book.

Please see Mrs Devlin or Mrs Hale if you need your Premier’s Reading Challenge log in details.

Scholastic Book Club

Catalogues for the next issue will be coming home next week.  Please order online via LOOP.  Can’t wait? You can view a digital catalogue here.
Purchasing through Book Club helps us get new books for our school library so thank you for your support.

Mrs Karen Devlin
Teacher Librarian

Mrs Penelope Hale
Library Assistant

Aspire News

ASPIRE Young Scriptwriters Program

Eloise Ayshford and Imogen Walker from Year 5 have been accepted into the ASPIRE Scriptwriters Program for 2024 and are very excited! 

This program is all about giving gifted creative writers from every school the opportunity to be involved in a program that introduces them to scriptwriting, developing their skills in storytelling and writing character driven work. 

They will attend 4 workshops which culminate in their work being performed at Warner's Bay Theatre at the end of the year. 

The girls will be working with Anna Kerrigan, Artistic Director of ASPIRE. 

Congratulations, Eloise and Imogen on your selection. 

Mrs Liz Walker

Sport News

Athletics Carnival

Congratulations to all the St Patrick’s Students on their wonderful efforts at Monday’s Athletics Carnival. It was wonderful to not only witness great athleticism, but also students supporting and encouraging each other and our friends from St Pius, no matter what place they came.

Thank you to our volunteers, without your help they day cannot go ahead. You are very much appreciated.

Finally, we’re excited to announce our team for the Lakes Region Carnival in Week 10:

Daisy Barringer, Bonnie Anderson, Charlie Hill, Emily Hill, Scarlett Jones, Sophie Dunn, Jaymie Tisdell, Florence De Champlain, Ava McCullough-Hendriks, Sienna Parker, Evie Buchanan, Bethany Newell, Layla Watkins, Ruby Hansen, Chelsea Wilks, Daisy Jones, Khloe Hansen, Indigo Ward, Egan Joyce, Kirkwood Nixon, William Bevan, Kingston Weet, James Stewart, Toby Thornton, Alex Batchelor, Xavier Weet, Vincent Walker, Cooper Brown, William Ruhl, Drew Torzillo, Oscar Claydon, Lucas Nicoll, Brody Hicks, Jude Mulder, Spencer Atkins.

A Compass Event will be sent next week.

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Pathways Sport

Cross Country

On Wednesday, Vincent Walker (Yr 2) braved a cold, early morning to compete in the 2km Polding Cross Country Championships. Vinnie placed 28^th and we applaud him on competing at such a high level, especially as one of our Infants students. Well done Vinnie!

If your child attends a Pathways Sport or Trial, we’d love to see your photos and include them in our next newsletter.

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.  

If your child is a Weekend Sports Star, please email details and a photo to so we can celebrate their success in our next newsletter.  

Mrs Claire Browne
Sport Coordinator

Email: claire.browne@mn.catholic.edu.au 

Office News

If you haven't already commenced weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments as agreed, reminder sms, phone calls and letters will be sent home to these families. Please check your monthly fee statement and process payments as required.

The Diocesan agreement for settlement of school fees requires payments to commence by 31 March and continue with regular instalments each month until fully settled by 30 November each year.  Alternatively, fees can be paid in one payment, due before 30 June.  

Please contact the office if you would like assistance with calculating your weekly, fortnightly, monthly deduction amount. 

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 Community Fund website www.myccf.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.

Please remember to complete the 2024 Fee Settlement Option Event in Compass.

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.

Rachelle McKenzie
Senior School Officer

P&F

Treasurer's Report

St Patrick's Family Bingo Night

Limited Tickets Left..!! for our Family Bingo Night on Saturday, June 22nd from 6pm at Pelican RSL.

Everyone Welcome! Great night out for families, all while raising funds for our beautiful school! 

$10 per person, includes a book of 5 games of bingo. There will also be extra raffles & games on the night! 

Great prizes up for grabs including:

* Newcastle Jets Male & Female game jerseys

* $250 in vouchers for Belmont 16 Footers

* Spring Loaded Entry Passes

& Much More! 

Canteen

Uniforms

Preloved Uniforms

We have some uniform supply delays with our transition to Lowes and we are desperately seeking preloved uniforms in good, clean condition. In particular we are seeking:

* Sports shirt Size 8 & 10

* Girls winter tunics Size 10

All hand me downs welcome. If you have any uniforms no longer being used, please drop them off to the front office so they can be put to good use.

Community Notices