Term 1 - Week 4
Message from the Principal
Dear Parents and Carers
Welcome to the Term 1 Week 4 newsletter.
Last Friday we gathered as a community to celebrate the beginning of the school year. 2025 is a special year for the Church. It is a Holy Year, a Jubilee Year. A Jubilee year is a time to come together with kindness, share hope, be fair, and happily serve God while living in peace with everyone around us. The theme for the Jubilee Year is Pilgrims of Hope. This theme has significant meaning and relevance to the St Patrick’s community. In 1977, the principal at St Patrick’s, Sister Ellen Shanahan developed our current school motto, “Grow in Hope”. To grow in hope means trusting in God’s plan, striving to become better individuals, and facing challenges with faith and perseverance. It encourages students to develop spiritually, academically, and morally while spreading kindness and hope in the St Patrick’s community and beyond. Our motto reminds us that with faith, patience, and love, we can grow into the people God calls us to be.
Hope is like a bright light that guides us, even on days that feel cloudy or hard. It reminds us that God is always with us, loving us and giving us strength to face any challenge. We pray, that throughout this Jubilee Year, we will continue to grow into a strong and vibrant community, at one with each other and our environment.
Have a wonderful week!
Lucy Harvey
Principal
Parent Teacher Engagement
Thriving schools are built on positive relationships and partnerships between and among members of its community. When home and school, work side by side, collaboratively supporting the needs of our students, we achieve great things. I am proud to say that St Patrick’s is a thriving school community. Within the first 4 weeks of this year, our staff have engaged with parents during the start of year information evening as well as through parent teacher conferences. A massive thank you to all those who attended these engagement opportunities.
2026 Enrolments
The enrolment period for 2026 is now open. Please help us get the word out there what a wonderful school St Pat’s is! We have 3 open days planned (please see flyer).
Year 7 2026 - St Mary's Catholic College, Gateshead
Please find information below regarding the enrolment timeline for Year 7 2026.
Upcoming Dates
Week 5
Week 6
Message from RE Coordinator
Opening School Liturgy
Last Friday, we gathered as a Catholic community to acknowledge the beginning of the school year. Part of our liturgy involved each class receiving their class candle that they will keep as a reminder that each child needs to let their lights shine and share the talents and gifts that God gave them with everyone they meet.
We would like to congratulate the Year 6 students that also received their leadership badges as they were commissioned as student leaders at St Patrick’s. These students pledged in front of the school community their commitment to serving the school to the best of their abilities. We wish these students all the best in their roles this year.
Mr Daniel Lockwood
RE Coordinator
2025 Diocesan Launch of the Jubilee Year - Sunday 2 March
As I mentioned in the previous newsletter and if you were able to attend our Opening School Year Liturgy last week you would have heard that Pope Francis has made 2025 a Jubilee Year of Hope. To celebrate the Jubilee Year, Bishop Michael has organised a Diocesan pilgrimage walk from Nobby’s Beach (Sunday 2nd March 2025, 8am) to Sacred Heart Cathedral, culminating in Mass (10am) and a Festival (11am) in the Cathedral precinct grounds. This festival is for all members of the Diocese and you are encouraged to participate in this event. As a school, we have been asked to walk with our school banner and participate in this event. This is a wonderful opportunity to show pride and represent our school in such a significant event. All corners of our Diocese will be represented as we mark Pope Francis’ theme -Pilgrims of Hope.
If you are able to attend and would like to walk in the pilgrimage we ask that you complete the form: https://forms.office.com/r/70DjQwVakp
Lent / Ash Wednesday
On Wednesday 5th March we will be celebrating the beginning of the Season of Lent with Ash Wednesday. Please join the school community in liturgy to begin our sacred journey through Lent as we prepare for Holy Week and the Resurrection of Jesus at Easter. Our liturgy will be held in the Church at 9.30am.
Message from Assistant Principal
NAPLAN
All students in Years 3 and 5 will sit NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) tests during Weeks 7 and 8 of this term. The test window is open from 12th to 21st March to allow students who may be absent on a test day to catch-up when they return to school. There are 4 tests – Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language, and Numeracy. Students will complete all tests online except for the Year 3 Writing test which will be completed on paper.
NAPLAN is just one part of our school learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school.
In preparation for NAPLAN, our school will undertake activities to help students become familiar with the format and functionality of the online tests. These activities are not an assessment of student ability and will not be marked. Excessive preparation for NAPLAN is not required nor recommended.
The public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site) is available to see the types of questions, tools and functions used in the NAPLAN tests.
Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website (https://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/k-10/understanding-the-curriculum/naplan/parent-information).
If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact me by phone or email janine.schneider@mn.catholic.edu.au.
Upcoming Parent and Carer Webinars
Please see below a list of parent and carer information webinars, offered by reputable providers over the coming weeks. These webinars are free to attend and may assist parents and carers in supporting the learning and wellbeing of their child. For more information relating to these webinars, please click on the host and registration links provided below.
In addition, parents and carers can access School TV at any time via our school’s website, by typing ‘School TV’ in the search function (there, you will find short videos, fact sheets and special reports on a variety of topics including Cyber Safety, Mental Health, Positive Parenting, School Survival, Diversity and Inclusion and Health Bodies).
School Bus Safety
Bus Safety Week: 17-23 February 2025
This Bus Safety Week, Newcastle Transport are highlighting the importance of being bus aware.
Mrs Janine Schneider
Assistant Principal
Message from Diverse Learners Team
High Potential and Gifted Education
This term, we have an extension group getting to grips with Ethics. Ethical Understanding is one of ACARA’s (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority) General Capabilities.
“Through fostering the development of ‘personal values and attributes such as honesty, resilience, empathy and respect for others’, and the capacity to act with ethical integrity, students should build a strong personal and socially oriented ethical outlook that helps them to manage context, conflict and uncertainty, and to develop an awareness of the influence that their values and behaviour have on others.” From < https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/ethical-understanding/
We will explore a few ethical concepts using children's picture books such as Room on our Rock and The Storm Whale, and then look at how these values are represented in the novel Storm Boy (which Year 6 are studying this term).
Learning Support - Just Like You
We will be welcoming Variety – the Children’s Charity’s free disability inclusion program, Just Like You to deliver their workshops to our students in Years 1-6. Delivered by a facilitator, the program’s fun and interactive workshops educate students on the acceptance and inclusion of people living with a disability. The program helps them learn that people with a disability are the same as everyone else – they are “Just Like You!”
Our school has proudly joined Variety in its commitment to ensuring our students are engaged to reflect on their own roles and actions as citizens in their school and community. The Just Like You program proved to be an engaging and beneficial experience for the students in Year 5 last year and was thoroughly enjoyed by all. So much so, that we thought the whole school would benefit from the age appropriate workshops. For more information on the program we encourage you to visit www.justlikeyou.org.au.
Library News
Book Club
Book Club orders need to be placed online via LOOP by Friday 21/2. If you haven’t seen the current catalogue, you can flick through a digital copy.
Library Lovers Day
We celebrated Library Lovers Day (February 14th) all week by discussing why we love libraries at the start of our lessons. Using data from last year, students were able to see exactly how much they love their school library and what books they enjoyed the most.
Year 5 News
News from the Students of Year 5.....
Year 5 have had a great start to the year and have had many highlights so far. We have welcomed 2 new class members and are excited to be in a new classroom with new furniture. We are enjoying using our own devices for learning. We have been very interested in learning about our school history, Catholic culture and identity including St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the Sisters of St Joseph and St Patrick. We are very excited to be buddies for the kindergarten students and are enjoying completing our artworks about our inner and outer selves. We are looking forward to a wonderful year in Year 5.
Congratulations on an amazing start to 2025 Year 5!
Mrs Cheryl Ogden
Year 5 Teacher
Sport News
Regional Swimming Carnival
Congratulations to our team of swimmers; Bonnie Anderson, Eloise Ayshford, Daisy Barringer, Zantar Beisler, William Bevan, Neve Bowmaker, Sara Corbett, Sawyer Davidson, Matteo Dawson Angeli, Sophie Dunn, Khloe Hansen, Charlie Hill, Emily Hill, Archer Hoogwerf, Billie Joyce, Giselle Maddox, Mylah McDonell, Evelyn Moldrich, Jude Mulder, Toby Thornton, Imogen Walker, Vincent Walker and Lilah Ward, who attended the Lakes Region Swimming Carnival last Monday. Students enjoyed a day of sun, competition and camaraderie supported by many parents and Mrs Walker as Team Manager. St Patrick’s achieved several heat places and every student gave 100% in the water. We are very proud of you all!
Cross Country
Save the date, Monday 7th April, for our School Cross Country at Chapman Oval, Swansea. We will be asking for volunteers to be course marshals on the day. If you haven’t yet completed your volunteer registration please see the link here.
Weekend Sports Star
Jude Mulder achieved first place in the 1100m walk at the Regional Athletics Championship. His impressive result secured him a qualifying position to compete at the NSW State Carnival. Congratulations Jude!
Congratulations to Vinnie Walker on his big weekend of sport. Vinnie played in the Lake Macquarie Dolphins rep team in the OzTag State Cup in Penrith, in incredibly hot conditions, and backed it up by running the 800m event at the Regional Athletics Carnival achieving 4th place. What an all-rounder!
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
Office News
2025 Fee Information
2025 School Fees have been processed. Parents will start to see fee items appearing via their Compass School Fees tile. Once the billed items are generated, applicable discounts will be actioned over the balance of the month (eg Health Care Card discounts for those parents that have provided a valid current HCC).
Parents are able to commence making fee payments at any time. At the beginning of March, parents will be emailed a copy of their annual fee account and are asked to commence payments as per the preferred frequency (weekly, fortnightly or monthly) prior to 31st March and then continue on that frequency to erode the fees over the course of each month and be finalised to a $0 balance by 30th November 2025. In April, any family that has not yet commenced fee payments will be deemed in arrears of the March component of the account.
If you have any queries please contact the office to discuss.
Applications for school travel passes through Transport NSW
The School Student Transport Scheme (SSTS) gives eligible school students free or subsidised travel between home and school on NSW public transport, including trains, buses, ferries and light rail.
Depending on where students are travelling, they may receive a free school travel pass, a School Opal card, or both.
Please visit Transport NSW in the link below, to learn about eligibility criteria and apply for a travel pass which will help support transport options for our school community.
https://transportnsw.info/school-travel-apply
Other useful links and resources can be found here.
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 email the office at admin@swansea.catholic.edu.au to enquire.
Rachelle McKenzie
Senior School Officer
P&F update
St Pat’s Family Bingo Night!
Back by popular request - with a musical twist! Join us for a fun filled night with friends for a night of Musical Bingo, Raffles & Games for all ages!
When: Friday March 14th, from 6pm. 6:30pm start.
Where: Belmont Golf & Bowls
Time: Arrive by 6:15pm for the first game to start at 6:30pm sharp!
Tickets: $12 per person and strictly limited!! Available on Qkr now! Entry includes your bingo cards.
Extra Games, Daubers, Raffle Tickets & Snacks will be available to buy at the door with cash or card.
Raffle tickets are only available to people attending on the night. You need to be there to win and let me tell you, we already have some incredible prizes coming in!! If you are part of a business or organisation who may like to support this event with a donation we can give away as prizes, please get in touch with our P&F committee. All money raised will go towards our fundraising initiatives for the entire school to benefit from this year & in years to come.
Belmont Golf & Bowls club invites everyone attending to come for dinner. Reservations can be made by calling the club. A courtesy bus is also available to book or the club is easily accessible by bike along the Fernleigh track.
This event is for both adults & children to attend. All children must be supervised by an adult.
