Principal's Report

Dear Parents and Carers,

I would like to wish all of our Orthodox families a very happy Easter this weekend. I hope you all have a very special time with your family celebrating the Resurrection of Christ. 

Mother's Day Activities

Next week we will be holding our annual Mother's Day morning on Tuesday 7th May.  

The hall will be open from 7:45am for a sweet treat for families (provided at no cost from our amazing P & F), as well as to socialise and take photos.  Please note that this is not breakfast.  Please ensure you and your children have breakfast before attending school on this day.  A coffee van will be available from 7:45am as well as instant coffee and tea in the hall.  

The classrooms will be open from 8am for Mums and children to visit.  At 8:45am the bell will ring as scheduled and we will prepare to gather for our special Mother's Day Mass.  Classes will be seated by 9am in the church for a 9:15am start. Parents are most welcome to sit with their children in the church.  Older siblings are invited to sit with their younger siblings if parents are attending.

On Thursday 9th of May the P & F are running our annual Mother's Day stall in the school hall.  All classes will be able to access the Mother's Day stall before recess.  Please remember to bring up to $10 per child and a carry bag for items purchased.

ANZAC Day

My sincere thanks to the many families who joined me on Thursday morning at the Mentone RSL ANZAC march.  It was a special occasion where our school was extremely well represented.  A special thanks to the Year 6 students who assisted in laying the wreath and book on behalf of our community.

School Winter Uniforms

We have had a successful transition into the cooler months now and all St. Patrick's Students are expected to be in their full winter uniforms, including correct long sleeve white shirt (tucked in) and school tie.  Correct school shoes are also mandatory each day.

SRC Meeting

We had an excellent SRC meeting earlier this week and we are all set to begin our repair work on the school creek this Friday with Danny.  I am very excited to be working with all of our SRC students and I will provide some photo updates in our next newsletter.  Please remember to bring gloves and to wear suitable shoes for this activity.

Level Crossing Removal update

Please see the attached notice regarding upcoming scheduled work on the Warrigal Rd level crossing removal.

St Pat’s Family Maths Night

My thanks to Mr Matt Hale our School Math's Leader for an informative Family Maths night last night.  Thanks also to the St. Patrick's Staff for their attendance.  It was so good to see our families engaged in Numeracy learning and teaching across the school.  

AEDC Data Collection

From May 2024, our school, along with thousands of others across the country, will participate in the Australian Early Development Census (AEDC).

The AEDC is a teacher-completed census (similar to a questionnaire) which provides a comprehensive picture of how children have developed by the time they start their first year of full-time school.

The AEDC is an Australian Government Initiative and is completed nationally every three years.

Children don’t miss any class time while the AEDC is completed, and parents/carers don’t need to supply schools with any new information.

The data collected through the AEDC is used by schools, communities and governments to better understand children and families’ needs, and identify the services, resources and support they need.

AEDC data is reported at a school, community, state/territory and national level. AEDC results for individual children are not reported and the AEDC is not used as an individual diagnostic tool.

Some teachers have found that completing the AEDC made them more aware of the needs of individual children and their class, and that the data was useful for planning for transitions to Year 1 and developing programs.

Participation in the AEDC is voluntary, however the AEDC relies on all schools with children in their first year of full-time school participating in the collection. 

Parents/carers don’t need to take any action unless they choose not to include their children in the census.

To find out more about the AEDC and how it is being used to help children and families visit: www.aedc.gov.au.

If you have any questions, you can contact Mr Berlingeri on principal@spmentone.catholic.edu.au

Staffing Updates

This week we officially say farewell to Ms Jennifer Smith as a community and we wish her all the best in the next chapter of her teaching career.  We also say farewell to Mrs Lisa O’Connor (LSO) who will be leaving us after 7 years of work in our community. We also wish Lisa all the best at her new school.

I would like to warmly welcome 3 new LSO Staff who will be joining us this term - Christabel Vaz, Amelie Foster and Nathan Mayberry.  I am looking forward to working with them this year.

Farewell and Thankyou - From Ms Smith

I arrived in 2015 knowing very little about the students, staff or families of St Patrick’s. You all made me feel very welcomed and now I leave almost 10 years later with so many amazing memories, great friends and absolute admiration for all who make St Patrick’s the great success that it is.  I have loved every day working with you all.  

Of course the standout memories will have to include the magnificent productions, sports carnivals, St Patrick day celebrations, fetes, Italian days, footy colours days and all the other great things that are embedded into the life of St Patrick's to bring joy and a sense of belonging to all. 

I have been very fortunate to have been able to work with the Year Six Leaders over the years especially the Social Justice Team and Mini-Vinnies.  

I’ve loved sharing jokes with you and wearing my Carlton Cape to assemblies on Mondays.  Although I think my fondest memory will be of all you lovely students with your smiling faces skipping in and out of school each and every day.

I now move on to a new adventure but will always hold a special spot in my heart for all of you. You have helped me become a better teacher and for that I will always be eternally grateful.

Jennifer Smith

God Bless

Pat Berlingeri

Principal