Classroom News

Foundation: Mrs Mclay

Grandparents Mass 

Last Thursday, we gathered as a school community to celebrate our Grandparents and Special People Mass – a heartfelt occasion to honour the love, wisdom, and support of those who hold a special place in our lives. A big well done to Lucy, who did a wonderful job with the reading, and to Oscar, who reverently brought forward the offerings to Father during the Mass. Afterwards, families enjoyed a relaxed BBQ lunch and the chance to mingle, share stories, and connect. It was a beautiful day of reflection, gratitude, and community spirit. Thank you to everyone who helped make it so special! 

Book Week 

What a fantastic week we had celebrating Book Week! The excitement was contagious as students took part in rotations across classrooms, exploring the top-rated stories through fun and creative activities. The highlight was, of course, our Book Week Parade – full of colour, imagination, and brilliant costumes! From classic characters to modern favourites, everyone looked amazing and brought the magic of books to life. Thanks to all the families for your support and creativity – it was a week to remember! 

Inquiry 

This term in Inquiry, we’ve been exploring our school rules and values, focusing on Learning, Kindness, and Respect. Students have been thinking deeply about what this looks like in different parts of our school using the behaviour matrix — including the classrooms, yard, and toilets. Through drawings, discussions, and even acting out scenarios, students have shown great insight into how we can all contribute to a safe, respectful, and positive school environment. It’s been wonderful to see these values in action every day! 

Religion 

In Religion, we’ve been learning about the Bible as our special book that teaches us about God’s love and how we can live like Jesus. We explored the Parable of the Mustard Seed, discovering how something small can grow into something great – just like our faith and kindness. We’ve also been learning how Jesus is a good friend to everyone, and how we can follow His example by being kind, forgiving, and caring to others every day. 

Foundation- Grade 1: Miss Emmett

This fortnight, the Grade F/1 students wanted to share with you their favourite thing about St Pat's:  

Harriet: Doing fun Art and Religion because we colour 

GD: Learning 

Vanessa: Playing with my friends 

Bily: Seeing all my friends 

William: Playing football 

Blake: Playing in the sandpit 

Lara: The teachers because they help us 

Isabelle: Going to assemblies and Art 

Jack: When we go to Sport 

Lacey: It’s a really good school and lots of nice people 

Harlow T: Making friends and being with my friends 

Huxi: Seeing my friends 

Joe: Going to Sport 

Grade 2: Miss Wooden

In Grade 2, our class is learning about the exciting world of shapes! This term, students are exploring how to create new shapes by combining familiar ones. Through hands-on activities and engaging projects, they are discovering that a triangle and a square can come together to form a house or that circles and rectangles can create fun animals. This creative approach not only enhances their understanding of geometry but also sparks their imagination. It was great to see the amazing shapes made as they learn to think outside the box!

I’m thrilled to be back with the class and share the wonderful learning experiences from my trip to Lake Mungo! It feels great to see everyone's smiling faces and the excitement when talking about the trip.  I love how much respect everyone has shown while sharing and exploring our ideas and culture. The students have been very respectful when handling the sand from Lake Mungo as a symbol of the journey.

Grade 3: Mrs Stock

In Week 4, our 3–6 students travelled to P–12 for the Wranga Sports Day. This was a big hit, with all students getting involved and enjoying the day. A special congratulations to those who received ribbons—this was a fantastic achievement, especially with around 100 students competing in each age group!

We have also been busy preparing for our upcoming class Liturgy on Thursday 29th of August. The students have written some thoughtful and creative acrostic poems about the special men in their lives, which they are excited to share.

A few weeks ago, Addie brought her puppies in to show the class. They were a big hit—super cute and very cuddly!

Last week, we welcomed many visitors to our Grandparents Mass. The beautiful weather made it even more enjoyable, with families gathering afterwards for a BBQ and time together.

We also celebrated Book Week, and what a fun day it was! The students looked amazing in their costumes and loved participating in the book rotations with other classes.

Grade 4: Miss Dove & Mrs McKiernan

Over the past two weeks, our Grade 4 students have been working hard and having lots of fun in the classroom! Highlights have included participating in the Waranga Sports, celebrating Book Week and coming together for Grandparents’ Mass. 

We have just commenced our new text ‘Storm Boy’ by Colin Thiele. It is a heartwarming Australian story about a young boy who lives on the South Australian coast with his father. He rescues and cares for three orphaned pelicans, forming a special bond with one he names Mr Percival. The story explores friendship, love for nature, and the challenges of growing up. Throughout this text study, students will build their speaking and listening skills by expanding their vocabulary, sharing ideas, and learning to recognise the difference between opinions, facts and feelings. In reading, student will engage with a variety of texts, exploring storylines, characters, and literary devices, while developing strategies to understand both literal and hidden meanings. In writing, students will create structured texts for different purposes, expanding their vocabulary while using grammar, punctuation, and paragraphing to clearly communicate their ideas. 

In Math, students are about to explore location and navigation using map grid systems. They will practise giving and following directions on a grid map, drawing their own maps using grids and applying similar skills using spreadsheet grid systems. These activities are helping students develop their spatial awareness and problem-solving skills in fun, hands-on ways with the highlight sure to be playing ‘Battleships’ in the coming days. 

Our new unit ‘Creation, For Praise’ in Religious Education is based on the themes of Creation and Stewardship. Last week, our students had a wonderful opportunity to explore the beauty and wonder of God’s creation using their five senses. Through interactive sensory stations for sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, they were invited to pause, notice, and appreciate the richness of the world around them. 

The class also enjoyed a reading of Where the Forest Meets the Sea by Jeannie Baker, which encouraged students to reflect on moments when they have felt awe in nature. They then shared and recorded their experiences on a class “Senses and Creation” wall chart, which will continue to grow as they explore more of God’s creation throughout the unit. 

Grade 5-6: Miss Rasmussen

The Grade 5/6 students have returned from an unforgettable three-day city camp packed with learning, laughter and incredible experiences that pushed them out of their comfort zones and into the heart of Melbourne life.

Day 1 saw the students arrive safely in the big smoke, where they kicked off their camp with a powerful session learning about The Big Issue. Students gained insight into homelessness and how the magazine empowers individuals to earn a living and take steps toward stability and independence. From there, it was off to the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground for a behind-the-scenes tour. Students stood on the hallowed turf, explored the changerooms, visited a corporate box and discovered the Australian cricket team’s game day room, all while soaking up the rich sporting history of the ground.

With some energy still to burn, they took part in a Game On session, where students had the opportunity to participate in a range of fun and interactive sports and team challenges. This was a great way to let off steam, work together and enjoy some friendly competition. Afterwards, they refuelled with a tasty burger dinner and then hit the water at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, where students tackled the inflatable obstacle course and made the most of the wave pool. They even navigated Melbourne’s public transport like pros.

Day 2 was another action-packed adventure. The morning began with a puppet workshop, where students got hands-on creating and performing with their own puppets. The group then headed to the Shrine of Remembrance for a moment of reflection, followed by a visit to the vibrant Queen Victoria Market. And as we’ve come to learn, you never quite know what (or who) you’ll find at the market… the group even ran into one of St Patrick’s much-loved former staff members!

In the afternoon, the students took a walking tour through Melbourne’s famous street art laneways, marvelled at the creativity around every corner, then enjoyed yummy souvlakis for dinner before heading sky-high to the 88th floor of the Eureka Skydeck. With its stunning city views and the exhilarating Edge experience, it was a night to remember.

Day 3 brought one last challenge: Rock Climbing at Hardrock. With views of the city skyline as their backdrop, students pushed themselves to reach new heights, trying different routes and supporting each other along the way. It was a fantastic final activity to wrap up what had been an incredible camp experience.

From the staff’s perspective, these students were an absolute credit to themselves, to St Patrick’s and to each other. Their positive attitude, teamwork and willingness to engage made the entire experience enjoyable for everyone involved. In fact, countless members of the public and staff at various venues went out of their way to comment on how respectful, engaged and well-mannered our students were. They were true ambassadors for our school. We are so proud of each and every one of them. They made this camp one to remember.