Principal's Report
St. Patrick's School
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to the final term of the school year! I hope everyone enjoyed a restful and refreshing break and found some time to relax, recharge and reconnect with family and friends. It is hard to believe we have already reached Term 4 — a term that is always filled with wonderful celebrations, rich learning opportunities and many special moments together as a school community.
We have certainly hit the ground running, with a very busy and exciting term ahead. There is plenty to look forward to, including our Year 6 Graduation, transition programs for our 2027 Preps, Colour Run Day, Christmas concert, end-of-year celebrations and many other events and activities that will make Term 4 a memorable one for our students and families.
Our Colour Run Day is sure to be a highlight, with plenty of colour, laughter and fun planned for our students. To make things even more exciting, we have five brave staff members who have volunteered to be slimed at the end of the event! The five students who raise the highest individual amounts through our Colour Run fundraiser will earn the very special privilege of sliming one of our five staff volunteers. I’m sure this will provide plenty of motivation for our students — and perhaps a little nervous anticipation for our brave staff members, including yours truly!
While the school was a little quieter over the holiday break, there was certainly plenty happening behind the scenes! We have made great progress on a number of projects around our school grounds. Our new front fences are now nearing completion and, I am reliably informed, will be finished tomorrow! The creek clean-up has also been completed, and our beautiful new memorial seating area is now finished. These improvements are wonderful additions to our school and will enhance our grounds and provide spaces for our community to enjoy for years to come.
I have included some photos below so you can see the progress and the finished work.
As always, I would like to thank our wonderful families for your ongoing support, encouragement and partnership. It is through this strong sense of community that we are able to provide such wonderful opportunities for our students and create a school environment in which they can thrive.
Let’s make Term 4 a fantastic finish to another wonderful year at St Patrick’s! I look forward to sharing all the celebrations, achievements and special moments with you along the way.
2027 Planning for Enrolments
As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, we would like to remind families that if your child/children will not be returning to St Patrick’s School in 2027, please notify me by email no later than Friday, 30 October at pberlingeri@spmentone.catholic.edu.au.
Current Year 6 students and families do not need to provide notification, as these students will be completing their primary schooling at the end of 2026.
We are currently planning for approximately 490+ students to commence the 2027 school year. We are pleased to be maintaining three straight classes at each year level, with several year levels already at, or nearing, capacity.
Our governing body, Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS), has indicated that minimum class sizes moving forward should be 25 students per class or more, and we are steadily working towards this number. At the beginning of next year, our 21 classes (3 classes per year level x 7 year levels) will have a collective average of approximately 23.5 students per class.
Importantly, we will not exceed 26 students in any individual class at any year level. This means that while we are working towards the MACS expectation of 25 students per class, we will also maintain a clear upper limit of 26 students per class.
Your early notification is greatly appreciated, as it allows our staff to plan carefully for the year ahead, including the allocation of students to their new classes. It also assists us in responding appropriately to families who are seeking enrolment at St Patrick’s for 2027.
We understand that family circumstances can change, and we appreciate your support in keeping the school informed as early as possible. This information is invaluable in helping us prepare for a smooth and successful start to the 2027 school year.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support and cooperation.
Past Student - Leadership Congratulations
I am delighted to let you know that a former student of St Patrick's, Parker B, has been elected as a College Sport Captain at Star of the Sea College for 2027. This is a wonderful achievement and a reflection of the leadership qualities, commitment and contribution demonstrated throughout her time at Star of the Sea College (and St. Patrick's).
Welcome to New Students
I would like to warmly welcome the following new students to the St. Patrick’s School community for Term 4:
Year 1 – Emilia P
Year 3 – Harper S
We are delighted to have you join our wonderful school community. I wish each of you a smooth transition and every success as you settle into life at St. Patrick’s. May your time here be filled with new friendships, great learning, and many happy memories.
Summer Uniform
From the start of Term 4 all students can begin to wear their School Summer Uniform. The full transition to Summer Uniform will be by Monday 19th October (Week 3, Term 4).
Please note that as we are a sunsmart school, all students are required to wear their school hats from the first day of Term 4 whilst outside. All staff will be enforcing the 'no hat, no play' policy. I also strongly encourage all students to wear sunscreen every day and to reapply sunscreen before going out to lunch.
Kingston Council Parking enforcement
As communicated last term, Kingston City Council’s Parking Enforcement Team will continue conducting school patrols throughout Term 4. The team will be monitoring parking around schools during morning and afternoon peak times to help ensure that road rules are followed and, most importantly, that our students and families remain safe.
Council will be prioritising schools where concerns have been raised by School Crossing Supervisors, members of the public and schools regarding parking and traffic safety.
While Council has provided reminders and warnings throughout the year, parents and carers are reminded that infringement notices may now be issued for observed illegal parking.
Some of the common parking restrictions around schools include:
- No Parking zones, including areas displaying ‘Kiss & Go’ signage, where vehicles may only stop for the permitted time
- 2-minute zones
- 5-minute zones
- 10-minute zones
- 15-minute zones
Although overstaying in these areas may seem minor, it can have a significant flow-on effect, particularly during busy drop-off and pick-up times. When vehicles remain in these spaces longer than permitted, it can contribute to congestion and lead to more dangerous parking behaviours, including:
- Parking in No Stopping zones
- Parking in Bus Zones
- Double parking
- Parking across or too close to school crossings, which can obstruct the visibility of students and crossing supervisors
We would also like to remind families to speak with their children about using school crossings safely.
Last term, there were reports of students riding bicycles outside the designated crossing area when crossing the road and not following the directions of School Crossing Supervisors. This creates a significant safety risk for students and other road users.
Please remind your children that they must use designated crossings, follow the instructions of School Crossing Supervisors and take extra care when crossing roads, whether they are walking, riding or being dropped off at school.
We appreciate everyone’s cooperation in helping to keep our school community safe and ensuring that the areas around our school remain accessible and safe for all.
School Calendar
Please use the following google link to add the school calendar to your own calendar for ease of information exchange. School Google Calendar HERE.
God Bless,
Pat Berlingeri
Principal