Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

St. Patrick's Festival!

Keep the 15th March free in your calendars as we celebrate all things St. Patrick!  Our amazing P & F are finalising the plans for our St Patrick's Day Festival.  

All children and adults are invited to dress up in St. Patrick's Day themed clothes on the day! 

We have many fun rides (Giant Super Slide, Aerial Bungee, Adrenaline Rush, Jurassic Adventure & the Music Trip) craft activities, face painting, animal petting zoo, disco with DJ Daidone, food stalls and more!  

This is certainly an afternoon/evening not to be missed!  As there will be children present, it is a strictly no alcohol event for everyone.

Check out our P & F page for more information.  

The booking link for everything is listed below:

https://www.trybooking.com/eventlist/stpats

NAPLAN information for Year 3 & Year 5

Please see below important information regarding the 2024 NAPLAN testing program at St. Patricks School.

The timetable for NAPLAN testing will be as follows:

Wednesday 13th March

9:00am - Year 5 Writing

12:00pm - Year 3 Writing

12:00pm - Year 5 Reading

Thursday 14th March

9:00am - Year 3 Reading

12:00pm - Year 5 Conventions of Language

12:00pm - Year 3 Conventions of Language

Friday 15th March

9:00am - Year 3 Numeracy

9:00am - Year 5 Numeracy

Monday 18th March &  Monday 25th March

Any catch up session required for absent students

If you would like to view the practice tests yourself, you can access them via the following link HERE.  

Additional information regardind NAPLAN can be found in the document linked below.

Sibling - Prep 2025 Enrolments and Open Days

Can I please remind all Families who will have a Prep Student in 2025 to submit their enrolment paperwork ASAP. Sibling enrolment interviews will occur at the end of Term 1.

Please check our enrolment timeline below.

The second of our official 'Open Days' will be held next week on Tuesday 12th March. 

Our final  'Open Day' is scheduled for Tuesday 26th March or by appointment.  

As per our enrolment policy, current families will have priority enrolment, followed by baptised catholics in our boundries and then baptised catholics outside our boundries, if we have availablity, we can then accept other enrolments.  We are currently expecting to have 3 Prep classes for 2025 of around 23-24 students per class.    

Year 6 Canberra Camp

Our Year 6 Campers have had an amazing week in Canberra this week and are due to return to school at 4pm on Friday (Probably closer to 4:30pm but I will update parents in the afternoon on the correct ETA).  A huge thanks to the staff who looked after our children so well - Mrs Liz Lamb, Mr Brodie Ross, Mr Matt Hale, Miss Joanna Sison and Mrs Karen Beyrooti. We are so blessed to have such amazing staff at St. Patrick's School. 

Students from our school recently undertook an education tour of the national capital. Students were given the opportunity to participate in a variety of educational programs with a focus on Australia’s history, culture, heritage, and democracy.

The Australian Government recognises the importance of all young Australians being able to visit the national capital as part of their Civics and Citizenship education. To assist families in meeting the cost of the excursion the Australian Government is contributing funding to our school in the amount of $45 per student under the Parliament and Civics Education Rebate program towards those costs. The rebate is paid directly to the school upon completion of the excursion.

Local level crossing work update

Please see below a message from Southern Program Alliance - Parkdale Level Crossing Removal Project

As you are aware, structures works are currently being conducted in the Warrigal Road precinct of the Parkdale Level Crossing Removal project.

We previously communicated about these works and pedestrian rail crossing changes, however they did not end up occurring on those specified dates. These works are to recommence tomorrow.

As part of these works, Warrigal Road south pedestrian rail crossing will be closed between 7am and 5pm Tuesday 5 March – Thursday 7 March and 7am and 2pm Friday 8 March.

The Cremona/Rogers Street and Parkers Road pedestrian rail crossings remain open for use.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have regarding the above information.

Jessica Horan

Community and Trader Team

Parkdale Level Crossing Removal Project – Southern Program Alliance

Please reply to contact@levelcrossings.vic.gov.au with any queries, or contact us on 1800 105 105 if you would like to speak to a member of the project team or would like more information about the project.

Staffing News

I write to inform you all that Ms Jennifer Smith (Learning and Teaching Leader & Literacy Leader) has resigned her position at St. Patrick's school effective 22nd April, 2024 after her period of Long Service Leave concludes.

I wish Ms Smith all the best after her many years of dedicated service to the St. Patrick's School Community and I wish her well in her future endeavours.

I will update the community on the staffing for Term 2 once it has been finalized in the next week or so.

Labour Day Public Holiday

Don't forget next Monday 11th March is the Labour Day public holiday, St. Patrick's school will be closed on this day.

God Bless

Pat Berlingeri

Principal