Message From Our Principal

The feeling around school during our first two weeks of 2024 has been a lovely fusion of calm and excitement. It was great to hear the holiday stories from the students and to see how much everyone has grown, the teeth they have lost, their new haircuts, new pets and the exciting adventures that occurred during the break.

On the return to school, all the children were met with engaging, comfortable and vibrant learning spaces to help them quickly feel at home and ready for a new year of learning. Thank you to all staff who have spent lots of time prior to school returning to ensure the learning spaces were inviting and ready for the children’s return.

I would like to welcome everyone back to St Patrick’s Primary School for what promises to be an exciting and rewarding new school year. This year we welcome 8 new Foundation students starting their schooling life with us. For those who are joining us; new students, new families and new teachers, we look forward to getting to know you better and welcoming you fully into this special place of learning, growing and partnering together. 

There is something about being part of this small community that can’t really be described until it has been felt, but it is both a joy and a privilege to be part of St Patrick’s community. 

This year we welcome the following new staff to our school community:

Inroducing Geenah Loughran: Geenah comes to us with 18 years teaching experience, in schools including Preston North East Primary School, Orrvale Primary School in Shepparton and St Mel’s Primary School Shepparton. During the last 14 years Geenah has been employed at St Mary’s Mooroopna. During her time at St Mary’s she has taught all grade levels, been the School Positive Behaviour Intervention Supports (PBIS) Leader and a year level leader. Geenah is really excited about joining our St Patrick’s community. She looks forward to building strong relationships with students, families and collegues.

Introducing Rachael Currey: Rachael is a local woman who lives in Tongala and she is the mother of 3 children. She is super excited about joining the St Patrick’s community in a new capacity. During the application process Rachael stated: “I have always felt a deep sense of purpose and passion for the Primary education system, this fuels my enthusiasm and commitment to excel and make meaningful impact in this role.”

Introducing Monica Tucker: Monica is also a local woman who lives in Tongala and is the mother of 3 children. She is also super excited about joining the St Patrick’s community. During the application process Monica stated: “I am looking to start to build my career and follow my passion of helping others succeed and flourish.”

The Grade 6 students at St Patrick’s Primary School are celebrating an exciting year ahead! With one more year of primary school to go, these Grade 6 students are showing great leadership skills for the younger students of the school and a determination to continue to learn in preparation for Year 7. To celebrate the Grade 6 leaders, they received their specialised Grade 6 t-shirts.

This year we have an exciting buddy program happening at St Patrick’s. The Grade 5-6 students are developing their leadership skills through this program. 

Our staff, students and families  were excited to get the 2024 school year underway, especially due to the newly renovated portable and surrounding gardens. A special thanks to Bourke Builders and the team at Heads Up Irrigation & Landscape  for all of their hard work preparing these spaces for the 2024 school year. We are really lucky to have such amazing education facilities in Tongala. 

Thank you to all of the families who attended our Welcome BBQ on Monday. It was wonderful to see so many families in the school yard. We are definitely a very social bunch, which was obvious in the interactions and overall buzz within the group. 

Yesterday we gathered for our Beginning Year Mass. It was filled with families gathering in joyful celebration and the students voices rising in harmonious song. This time marks a moment of reflection and renewal, where communities come together to embrace the promise of a fresh start. As hymns fill the air, resonating with hope and gratitude, there's a sense of unity and purpose that permeates the congregation. These gatherings serve as a reminder of the importance of faith, family, and community in navigating the journey ahead, and set the tone for the year with a spirit of joy and anticipation.

During Mass we had the opportunity to meet our new Priest: Father Uday. We also presented our Grade 6 students with their leadership badges.

This is a great way to fundraise for our school whilst also caring for our environment.

Money raised will go towards the purchase of a Gaga Pit.

CSEF (Camp, Sports, Excursion Fund)

Please find attached the information sheet and application form to apply for CSEF (Camp, Sports, Excursion Fund).

If you applied for CSEF last year, you do not need to complete an application form this year unless there has been a change in your family circumstances.

If you are a new family, your circumstances have changed, or new siblings have commenced this year, please complete the attached form with a copy of your Health Care Card.

You can also get a hard copy of the form from the office.

If you have any questions regarding this form please contact Teresa in the office.

MINI PADDY'S

We are excited to have Mini Paddy's back up and running for 2024:

PSG MEETINGS & LEARNING CONVERSATIONS

The teachers have begun preparing for their PSG meetings and Learning Conversations in a couple of weeks time. This is a great opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher and discuss how your child has settled into the new year. It is also a chance to work together to establish specific learning goals for your child. There will be an email in the coming week regarding booking a meeting time. For those families having a Parent Support Group (PSG) meeting please reply to the email that Emma will send next week.

These learning goals and the strategies that will be used to achieve them will be recorded on PAM/SIMON Everywhere. This in turn means that families will be able to access this information about their child using PAM or the SIMON Everywhere App. We will notify you when you are able to see your child’s goals.