Dear Families,

It has been such a busy but productive week at St Patrick’s.

Our Year 1 students enjoyed a session with the Responsible Pet Ownership group and had the opportunity to meet Radar, a Murray River Golden Retriever. The Responsible Pet Ownership program helps educate students about the responsibilities of owning a pet, ensuring the well-being of animals and promoting safe, respectful practices within the community. The program covers topics such as pet care, health, behaviour, and legal responsibilities, as well as the importance of choosing the right pet to match a family’s lifestyle and capacity to care for it.

Our Athletics Team has also been training twice a week in preparation for upcoming events. A big thank you to Mr Edwards and the staff who have dedicated their mornings to supporting our students in developing their skills in track and field.

In addition, Sue Pain visited this week to teach our students about Protective Behaviours. These valuable sessions empower children to understand body safety and help them develop strategies to keep themselves safe.

We are so grateful for the dedication of our wonderful staff who make these learning opportunities possible.

Finally, just a reminder that Monday 25th August will be a School Closure Day as staff prepare for our upcoming School Review.

Warm Regards, Deputy Principals: Joelle Diakrousis and Anthony Speranza

Try Booking Link for Father's Day Morning

We warmly invite all dads, grandfathers, and special father figures to join us for our Father’s Day Morning. This is a wonderful opportunity to spend time together and celebrate the important role fathers and father figures play in our school community.

September 2nd at 7.45am and Mass at 9.15am (optional)

To assist with planning, please book your place via the link below:

TryBooking – Father’s Day Morning

Regional Girls Hockey Tournament

A huge congratulations to Mr Edwards, Miss Leila and our Year 6 Girls’ Hockey Team for finishing as Runners Up at the Regional Girls’ Hockey Tournament!

This outstanding achievement is a reflection of the team’s hard work, commitment, and wonderful teamwork on the day of competition. The girls displayed exceptional sportsmanship, determination, and skill on the field, proudly representing St Patrick’s.

We are so proud of the effort, spirit, and dedication shown by our Year 6 girls – what a marvellous effort from such a talented and committed group!

Art Show Parent Helpers

Mrs Brown is seeking parent helpers for the upcoming Art Show (Tuesday 9th September- Thursday 11th September). There are still a number of preparations to be completed, and any assistance from parents between Tuesday and Friday would be greatly appreciated. Your support will help make the Art Show a success and a wonderful showcase of our students’ amazing artistic talents.

Labelling of uniform

As the colder weather sets in, we’re noticing an increasing number of jumpers and jackets being misplaced or left around the school. To help us return lost items promptly and ensure no child is left cold during the day, we kindly ask families to clearly label all uniform items, especially outerwear.

A quick check to ensure your child’s name is on their jumper or jacket makes a big difference!

Smart Watches at School

We kindly remind families that smart watches are not permitted at school. These devices can be a distraction to learning and may pose privacy concerns. If a student is wearing a smart watch, they will be asked to remove it and store it in their bag for the duration of the school day. We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a focused and respectful learning environment for all students.

Resilience Groups Year 3 & 4 (Formerly Bounceback)

Mrs Diakrousis has resumed her small group Resilience sessions. At this stage, the groups will be offered to Year 3 and 4 students only.

These sessions will explore a range of strategies designed to support the development of resilience through small group activities and discussion. Our second focus will be on Resilience —Building Inner Strength.

During the sessions, students will:

Recognise thoughts and feelings during challenges.
Learn calming and coping strategies to bounce back.
Develop positive self-talk skills to stay strong and motivated

The program will run as an eight-week block, with sessions held once a fortnight in the afternoon.

We look forward to supporting our students as they continue to grow in confidence and emotional wellbeing.

Seasons for Growth – Grief and Loss Support Program

We would like to let families know that Mrs Diakrousis will resume the Seasons for Growth program this term. Seasons for Growth is a small-group program designed to support children who have experienced significant change, loss, or grief—such as the death of a loved one, family separation, or other major life changes.

The program helps students explore their feelings in a safe and supportive environment through age-appropriate discussions, stories, creative activities, and personal reflection. It aims to build emotional resilience and equip students with strategies to cope with change.

The program will be available for students from Prep to Year 6, and groups will be organised by level: Junior (Prep–Year 2), Middle (Years 3–4), and Senior (Years 5–6).

If you feel your child would benefit from being part of this program, please contact Mrs Diakrousis at jdiakrousis@spmentone.catholic.edu.au.

The program will begin in Week 4, Term 3

Random Acts of Kindness

We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to the following students for their outstanding display of kindness and compassion towards others. Your willingness to support, encourage, and uplift those around you has set a wonderful example for our entire school community. It’s incredibly inspiring to see students across different year levels go out of their way to make others feel valued, included, and respected.

Your acts of kindness—whether through small gestures or significant efforts—are powerful reminders of the positive impact we can all have. Thank you for embodying the values that make our school a welcoming and caring place for everyone. Keep up the amazing work!

Week 5

Olivia H. (1JM) For keeping St Patrick's clean, tidy and beautiful.

Ethan H. and Audrey H. (3FH) For always making good choices and being kind to others.

Starry J. and Catherine J. (4AE) For assisting a staff member on the playground.

Nicholas K. (4AE) Assisting a student who had fallen over and assiting her.

Super Kindness Award

Clara P. (6LS) and Zahara V. (5SB) For showing outstanding compassion and care towards a fellow student who was injured. Clara and Zahara’s quick thinking and calm assistance made a difficult situation much easier for the student.

MACSEYE - Out of Hours Care