From the Principal

Dear families,

As August 8 draws near, our school community is invited to reflect on the legacy of Saint Mary MacKillop - Australia’s first canonised saint and an influential figure in Catholic education. Mary’s vision and dedication continue to shape the values and mission of our Catholic schools today, reminding us of the transformative power of compassion and inclusion.

Throughout her life, Mary MacKillop worked tirelessly to ensure that education was available to everyone, especially the poor and those living in rural areas. She co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1866, and through this ministry, established schools, orphanages, and charitable institutions across Australia. Among her many achievements were the founding of the first Josephite school in Penola, South Australia, and the opening of dozens more in communities that otherwise had little access to education.

Mary’s unwavering belief that every child deserves a fair opportunity to learn inspires educators, students, and families alike. As this special date approaches, may we be moved by her example - committed to “never see a need without doing something about it” - and strive to create a welcoming, supportive environment for all in our school community.

IMPORTANT: Term 3 Events

Please see the Term 3 Events page for information on upcoming schoolwide events.

This page contains information about:

Disco
Book Week and Book Fair
School Concert - Tickets now on sale

3-Way Chats

Thank you to all families who have taken part in our 3-Way Chats. These meetings play a vital role in strengthening the partnership between home and school to support student growth.

While reports and interviews are important formal elements of our school processes, we strongly value ongoing communication. We are always open to continuing conversations that help us best support your child’s learning and wellbeing at St Patrick’s.

A digital technologies update

As you may have seen in recent media coverage, the Australian Government is preparing to implement new restrictions that will ban access to social media platforms for children under the age of 16. While the exact timing and details of this legislation are still to be finalised, it is expected that enforcement mechanisms—such as strengthened age verification protocols—will be rolled out in the near future.

At St Patrick’s, our students do not access social media as part of their learning. However, we understand that these changes will affect many of our families—whether directly through students in our upper years, or indirectly through older siblings at home. This is a significant shift in how children interact online, and we recognise the conversations, questions, and potential challenges it may bring.

We want to reassure you that cyber safety continues to be a strong focus within our school environment. As educators and parents alike, we share a common goal: to help children develop safe, respectful and responsible behaviours in their use of technology. This includes building an understanding of digital citizenship, managing screen time, and learning to critically evaluate online content and interactions.

A recent cyber safety measure implemented at St Patrick's

One of the key systems we use to support cyber safety is the recent implementation of Linewize, an advanced digital safety and wellbeing platform that provides strong oversight of internet usage within the school setting. Linewize operates in the background on all school devices and networks, ensuring a secure and age-appropriate digital environment for our learners.

For our students in Grades 3–6, where digital learning tools are increasingly embedded in daily practice, Linewize offers several important safeguards:

Filtered browsing, which blocks inappropriate or unsafe content (beyond just Firewall protection).
Real-time monitoring, allowing us to track digital activity during learning time and intervene when necessary (i.e. searches that may flag self-harm concerns etc).
Application controls, which ensure that only approved educational tools are accessible in the classroom.
Behavioural insights, which help identify patterns in device use that may signal wellbeing concerns, distraction, or off-task behaviours.

Our teachers will also be equipped with classroom tools in the near future that allow them to view student screens, push out resources, and lock devices when needed to refocus attention. These features ensure technology remains a meaningful part of learning - one that supports creativity, collaboration, and curiosity, without compromising safety or wellbeing.

We know that parenting in the digital age is a constantly evolving challenge, and we are committed to walking alongside you in this space. As the social media landscape shifts, we will continue to update you on any changes that affect the school environment, and will offer resources and support to help navigate these conversations at home. One of the great resources is SchoolTV - this week you will see the CyberSafety topic below. Whilst this looks like a static item on the newsletter, it is updated fortnightly with great resources.

SchoolTV

This week on SchoolTV you will find a focus topic on CyberSafety.

Many of today’s parents grew up in a world devoid of technologies and often have little knowledge on how best to assist and guide their children. In today’s digital world, 90 percent of a child’s socialisation occurs online. As the range of social media platforms grows, so too does the opportunity for bullying and stalking. Often parents have no idea their child is a victim and kids are unlikely to report it for fear of losing access to their technology, which to them, is the equivalent of "social death”.

Teens are often unaware that their words, and or photos, can sometimes find their way to an unexpected audience with undesirable consequences. The key is not to fear technology, but to embrace it. In this series, parents can learn how to keep their children safe from online predators.

Click on the link below to access a wealth of videos, articles, and resources on the aforementioned topics.

All Editions | St Patrick's School - Ballarat (schooltv.me)

Kind regards,

Ben Shields