Message From Our Principal

It was lovely to hear the buzz of excitement and see the look of pride on the faces of our students, as they walked their parents around our renovated classrooms last Friday. The Grade 5-6 class and F-1 class have been throughly enjoying learning in their new classrooms.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank our teachers who have been working really hard on the students Term 4 learning goals, Individual Learning Plans and the students Semester 2 reports. This is a really busy time of the year for teachers and our teachers at St Pat's continue to go above and beyond for our students, families and each other! As the Principal, I am extremely proud of the level of commitment of our staff. Families can now access their students Term  4 Learning Goals on PAM/ SIMON Everywhere. If you have any questions regarding these learning goals please speak to your child's classroom teacher.

Friday is Remembrance Day. This is an important time to gather in silence, and reflect on the sacrifices made for our wonderful, free country. As a school community we will stop, remember and pray for, not only those brave men and women who died or were wounded in conflict but for peace in our lives and our country. As a whole school we will walk down to the RSL hall and take part in the Tongala Remembrance Day service. Ruby Heald will be reading a poem during this service, two of our senior students will also lay a wreath on behalf of St Patrick's Primary School. Families are most welcome to join us and the service begins at approximately 10:50am. 

The uniform working party, led by Katie Rasmussen and Rachael Fitzallen, have been working hard on finalising elements of our new school uniform. They have finalised the following pieces:

Our uniform provider is Hip Pocket in Echuca (173 Pakenham Street) and they already have the above stock available for purchase. 

These are some photos of our new uniform:

Our community has done an amazing job to create two fantastic hampers to support the Rochester community. Moving forward we thought that it would be lovely to collect Christmas presents for the children of Rochester to support those families that will need support at Christmas time. These gifts could include toys, board games, sports equipment etc. So we are asking that if your family wishes to contribute they can place a gift under the Rochester Christmas Tree in our school foyer. During the last week of school we will deliver these gifts to Rochester.

Sun Protection:

Our students have been doing a super job wearing their school hats when they are outside. At St Patrick’s students are expected to wear a hat during all outdoor activities during Term 4 and Term 1 in accordance with the school's Sun Protection Policy. Children will remain under the verandah if they are not wearing their hat during break times.

Grade 6 Graduation this year will look a little different than it has in the past. On Monday the 12th of December, at 6:30pm, Grade 6 students and their families will be invited to a Graduation Dinner at Hurley's Hotel. During this dinner the graduating students will present their individual slideshows. 

On Tuesday the 13th of December at 1pm we will have our Grade 6 Awards Ceremony followed by our End Of Year Mass at 2pm. This will conclude with the Grade 6 guard of honour, as they leave St Pat’s for their final day of primary school. 

Campaspe Young Citizen of the Year Awards - nominations now open

Nominations for the 2023 Australia Day awards are now open and close on Friday 2nd December, 2022.

The Shire of Campaspe are seeking nominations for Citizen of the Year, Young Citizen of the Year and Community Group of the Year. 

St Augustine's College invite families to submit nominations for any of these awards, but particularly encourage recommendations for Campaspe Young Citizen of the Year:

• Campaspe Young Citizen of the Year Awards
  • There are five Young Citizen of the Year Awards (one for each Council ward), in addition to an overall shire-wide Young Citizen of the Year Award Winner
  • Nominations can be made at: https://www.campaspe.vic.gov.au/Our-council/Now-open/Australia-Day-Awards
  • Please promote this amongst schools, businesses, community groups, families and friends so that we can recognise and celebrate the achievements of our young citizens  

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for the Young Citizen of the Year Award, nominees must:

• Be an Australian citizen;
• Be a resident of Campaspe Shire Council;
• Be 25 years of age or younger on 1 January of the year the award is given;
• Not have received the same award previously;
• Not be a current sitting Campaspe Shire Councillor, nor have been in the past two years;
• Not be nominated by a staff member or Councillor of Campaspe Shire;
• Not to be nominated by a member of the selection panel; and
• All applications must have a supporting referee.

Selection criteria

When considering nominations for this award, the selection panel shall have regard to the following criteria:

• Has made an outstanding contribution to the community;
• Has been an inspiration/role model to the community;
• Has shown achievements in community activities, academic, sporting, personal, cultural, environmental and/or social responsibility; and
• Has demonstrated a commitment to enhancing the welfare and wellbeing of the community, which has benefits to others. 

Protect Yourself From Mosquito-borne Disease 

(a note from Catholic Education Sandhurst)

The floods in Victoria pose an increase in mosquito breeding. Mosquitoes can carry a number of diseases that could make people very ill and, in severe cases, even cause death. It is anticipated that mosquito populations will increase significantly, and the levels will remain elevated through most of the summer. Mosquitoes do not breed in initial flood waters, they breed in warm stagnant water after flood water recedes. Mosquitoes can transmit a range of viruses. These viruses include RossRiver Fever, Barmah Forest Fever, Murray Valley Encephalitis; and Japanese Encephalitis Virus. 

Simple precautions help protect your community against mosquitoes and the diseases they may carry, including:

The most effective and simplest control is to avoid mosquito bites.

• Mosquitoes are most active around dusk and dawn, but can be active at other times, particularly in shady places.

• When mosquitoes are prevalent, seek shelter in an area protected with insect screens if possible.

• As much as possible try to wear long and loose-fitting clothes, avoid dark colours (they are more attractive to mosquitoes).

• Avoid perfumes and colognes (they attract mosquitoes). Use a repellent if in a mosquito prone area - one containing Picaridin or DEET 15-20% is best.