Dear Families,

This week, schools across the Ballarat Diocese are celebrating Catholic Education Week. The theme for 2026 is: “Peace be with you all” from Romans 15:33. Catholic Education Week provides an opportunity to celebrate our shared faith, values and mission within Catholic education.

As part of our celebrations, students and staff from our four parish schools came together last Monday for a range of combined activities and experiences. Students connected with peers from across our parish schools through prayer, shared learning and fun interactive activities that strengthened relationships and celebrated our Catholic identity.

Foundation students visited our school, Grades 1 & 2 attended St Columba’s Primary School, Grades 3 & 4 visited Siena Catholic Primary School and Grades 5 & 6 gathered at St Thomas More Catholic Primary School.

We thank all staff and students involved in making the day such a positive and meaningful celebration of Catholic Education Week.

Sports Equipment

Over the past week, we have trialled the introduction of soft sports equipment on the turf during break times. As with any change, we acknowledge that some students have found the adjustment frustrating, particularly those who enjoy playing with the traditional sports equipment previously available.

At the same time, we have observed some very positive outcomes. There has been a significant increase in the turf being used as a shared space by students across Foundation to Year 6, making the area far more inclusive and accessible for a wider range of students and activities. It has been pleasing to see more students confidently joining in games and using the space together.

Importantly, the primary reason for introducing the softer equipment was the increasing number of head knocks and injuries directly related to the use of heavier sports equipment on the turf. This concern has been consistently raised by both staff and parents, and it became clear that a change was necessary to better support student safety.

Encouragingly, with the introduction of the soft sports equipment, there has been a significant reduction in injuries this week. Many families may have already noticed this through a reduction in sick bay notifications coming home.

We will continue to review the trial and test a range of alternate sports equipment to find the right balance between enjoyment, engagement, inclusion and safety for all students.

Run Club

This morning, we proudly launched the inaugural St Patrick’s Run Club, with an incredible 31 students participating before school. Collectively, our runners covered an impressive 34 kilometres in just 15 minutes.

Run Club will take place each Thursday morning from 8:20am–8:35am and provides students with a positive opportunity to build fitness, challenge themselves and start the school day in an active and connected way.

A very big thank you to Justin and Naomi Knowles for leading this wonderful initiative and supporting our students so enthusiastically this morning. We look forward to seeing Run Club continue to grow across the term.

School Closure Day - Friday 5th June

Please note that Friday 5th June will be a School Closure Day.

On this day, our staff team will be collaborating with the team from St Thomas More for a professional learning day facilitated by One Red Apple. The focus of the professional development is to support teacher wellbeing and professional confidence through clear, consistent and practical approaches to classroom management and student engagement.

This important work aims to strengthen shared practice across our schools, foster positive learning environments and support strong outcomes for both staff and students.

Assessment and Reporting

Assessment and Reporting continue to play an important role in supporting student learning across the school. Throughout this stage of the term, students are participating in a variety of assessment tasks and learning checks designed to help teachers monitor progress, understanding and growth in all curriculum areas.

These assessment opportunities provide valuable insight into each child’s achievements, strengths and areas where further support or extension may be beneficial. They also assist teachers in planning future learning experiences that best meet the needs of individual students.

Semester reports offer families a snapshot of their child’s learning and development, highlighting the knowledge, skills and understandings demonstrated throughout the semester. Taking time to read through and discuss the report together can be a meaningful way to acknowledge successes, encourage reflection and continue building a strong partnership between home and school in supporting each child’s educational journey.

Reports will be available via PAM on the evening of Wednesday 24th June. 3-Way Chats are scheduled for Monday 20th & Tuesday 21st July (Term 2, Week 2). Bookings will be available at the conclusion of this term.

Celebration of Learning

Following on from Assessment and Reporting it makes sense to bring our upcoming Celebration of Learning to your attention. All families are invited to a special opportunity to experience the rich and engaging learning taking place across our school.

On Friday 26th June, between 9:00am and 10:00am, classrooms will be open for families to visit and explore a range of student work, projects and learning experiences.

The Celebration of Learning is designed to give students the opportunity to share their growth, reflect on their achievements, and take pride in their efforts. It also provides families with valuable insight into classroom learning and the ways students are thinking, creating and collaborating.

Navigating Technology Together

At St Pat's, we see digital wellbeing as a partnership. We are committed to teaching students about respectful online behaviour, critical thinking and personal safety in digital spaces. At the same time, the most powerful influence comes from consistent messages between school and home.

An important part of this shared understanding is recognising that most social media platforms set a minimum age of 13 for account holders. This is not an arbitrary guideline; it reflects international privacy and safety standards designed to protect children. As such, primary school-aged children should not be accessing or using social media platforms independently.

While it can be tempting to view early access as a way for children to stay connected, these platforms are designed for older users and can expose younger children to content and interactions they are not yet ready to manage.

We encourage families to engage in open, ongoing conversations with their children about their online experiences - what they are seeing, who they are connecting with and how it makes them feel. Simple, regular check-ins can make a significant difference.

Some helpful considerations for families might include:

Understanding the age expectations of different platforms
Thinking carefully about the timing of introducing social media
Exploring privacy settings and parental controls together
Establishing shared family expectations around device use
Modelling balanced and mindful technology habits

By working together and maintaining consistent expectations, we can support our children to develop safe, positive and age-appropriate digital habits.

SchoolTV

This week on SchoolTV you will find a focus topic on Dealing with Disappointment.

"Disappointment is a natural part of life that young people will encounter as they navigate through different experiences. It can result from unmet expectations, setbacks, or shattered dreams. However, learning to manage disappointment is crucial for building resilience and personal growth. Young people have a lot of choice regarding how they hey think and respond to disappointment.

Disappointment can be a tricky emotion to deal with at any age. It's important to understand that disappointment is a normal emotion and plays a vital role in a young person's emotional, intellectual, and social development. Instead of trying to shield children from disappointment, we can support them in learning how to cope with it, as it equips them with the skills for future challenges. Helping children develop healthy strategies for managing disappointment will contribute to their long-term happiness and success. It's like a practice lap on the course to adulthood."

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

Kind regards,

Ben Shields

Parent Information

After School Care

Our Diocesan Community Publication - April 2026