From the Principal
“Whoever welcomes a migrant welcomes Christ.
Let us pray that migrants fleeing from war or hunger, forced to undertake journeys fraught with danger and violence, may find welcome and new living opportunities".
Pope Francis’s prayer intention for June 2024
Dear families,
As the first semester draws to a close, we take pride in the incredible learning journey our school community has undertaken. This semester has been marked by our engagement with the Deep Learning framework and concept-based learning around the concept "Story: Everything in Existence has a Story."
Highlights of the semester include preparing for and celebrating the Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Communion, enriching excursions linked to classroom learning, and a fantastic Grade 5/6 camp at Queenscliff.
Additionally, we are excited to begin welcoming our new 2025 Foundation students and their families into our community. We look forward to integrating them into our vibrant and supportive school environment. Many have already been joining in for Story Time.
Thank you for your continued support in making our school a place of exceptional learning and growth.
Celebration of Learning Morning
You are warmly invited to our Celebration of Learning Morning on Monday, 24th June, from 9:00 to 11:00am. This special event will be a wonderful opportunity for you to witness the incredible creativity and hard work of our students as they showcase their work centered around our semester one concept of 'Story.'
From captivating timelines to cultural projects our students have explored and expressed the theme of 'Story' in diverse and imaginative ways across all grade levels. This is a chance for you to see firsthand the amazing progress they have made and to celebrate their achievements.
St Patrick's Beanies
The beanies have arrived and we're all excited! There are two sizes available (kids and adults) available at admin for $15. (Cash or bank transfer)
Parents and Friends
Our next meetings are scheduled for Monday 29th July:
- 9am at school
- 7pm at The Western Hotel
There will be further information to come regarding the following events, but please note the below dates:
- Thursday 15th August - Disco (date before a school closure day)
- Thursday 29th August - Father's Day Breakfast
- Friday 30th August - Father's Day Stall
- Friday 25th October - 100 Year Celebratory Cocktail Party
- Thursday 5th December - Carols on the Turf
Any help or support for the events is always appreciated - if you're keen to be a part of the organisation for any of the above, please let us know.
SchoolTV
This week on SchoolTV you will find additional resources available to support discussions with your child around current topics that are prevalent in the media. This fortnight, I encourage you to have a look at the topics around Cyberbullying and Social Media & Digital Reputation.
"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)
This is our final newsletter for the semester. Thank you for your ongoing support and dedication to the St Patrick's School community. Our final day for term is Friday 28th June with a finish time of 2:30pm.
Kind regards,
Ben Shields