From the Principal

On this day in 1918 Nelson Mandela was born. On 10th May 1994 he became the first democratically-elected President of multi-racial South Africa. In his inaugural speech as South African President, Nelson Mandela said: “Our biggest fear is not that we are inadequate; our biggest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves: ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous.’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your ‘playing small’ doesn’t serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just within some of us - it is within everyone! And as we let our own light shine, we consciously give to other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”

Dear families,

Welcome to the third term, and a somewhat cool start to our second semester! Over the next ten weeks, we will have many opportunities to enjoy being with each other and growing together with some great learning along the way.

We’ve also had a positive start to the third term with the kick-off to our learning around science with our planetarium incursion. There's lots to look forward to, including an upcoming junior team excursion to Science Works.

I would like to remind everyone that all students need to rug up for the cold winter weather this term. Winter school uniform can include a coat, gloves, hat, and scarf for outside play to help keep warm so that everyone can enjoy the fresh air whenever possible. If your children suffer colds or any other winter bugs, please keep them at home where they have the best chance to recover quickly, as we are not able to supervise individual children inside during break times.

As we enter into the second half of the school year, I look forward to catching up with everyone to hear the holiday news. I encourage families to extend our school concept of Influence throughout semester two into discussions at home. For example, you may like to talk about how we can positively influence our friends by being kind, how we can influence our learning by practicing new skills, or how we can influence our environment by recycling and conserving energy.

I am sure that in the weeks ahead we will all continue to work together to build on the community of St. Patrick’s that we all know and love so much.

Our Grade 1/2 students were making the most of some wet weather play this week!

Important Dates

Please take note of the term calendar that has been included with today’s newsletter. While this is not an exhaustive list of dates for the term, it does contain all dates that we know about at this time.

Presentation of SRC and Environmental Captain Badges for Semester 2

At the conclusion of Whole School Prayer next week (Friday 26th July) we will be presenting badges to our semester 2 captains.

2024 NAPLAN Results

The 2024 Grade 3 & Grade 5 NAPLAN results are available for collection from reception until the end of the school day on Friday 19th July. Any uncollected results will be mailed.

Please note that a copy of the individual results sheets are not retained by the school. It is recommended to keep the results in a safe place as they're often requested as part of the secondary enrolment application process.

A message from the City of Ballarat

"Please note that the City of Ballarat will be undertaking regular patrols to ensure parking compliance. Any breaches observed, will be enforced. This is to help ensure the safety of students and staff and the broader school community. We implore all road users to ensure that they adhere to the law to maintain the ongoing safety of everyone involved."

3-Way Chats

Next week we are looking forward to offering 3-Way Chats to celebrate learning achievements throughout semester 1 and to co-design goals and learning experiences as a team for the second semester. A few years ago the School Advisory Council composed the below protocols for the 3-Way Chats that are quality guidelines for what we aim to achieve through this interview model.

Aims of the Three Way chats

That students will articulate their learning goals with support from classroom teacher and parents
That communal understandings about individual learning needs will be established between student, parents and classroom teacher
That attention will focus on goal setting as a means for improving learning, behaviour and/or social interactions
That the student will be affirmed in their ability to articulate and desire to improve their learning, social interactions and/or behaviour
That the principles of twenty first century learning are fostered among students

Protocols for Three Way Chats

Families will be responsible for booking their Three Way Chats
Once a booking has been made, a commitment to attend the Three Way Chat will be presumed
In the event of unforeseen circumstances, an alternative meeting time may be arranged at a mutually convenient time
10 minutes will be strictly adhered to for each Three Way Chat
No Three Way Chat will be permitted to go over time
Failure to book a Three Way Chat will be understood to mean that a meeting is not sought by the family and this will not be followed up by the school or classroom teacher

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.

Beanies

Our students have been absolutely loving the new beanies...the first batch sold out so quickly!!! I'm pleased to inform you that our next shipment has arrived and the small and large sizes are both available for purchase for $15 at reception.

SchoolTV

This week on SchoolTV you will find additional resources available to gain greater insight into Neurodiversity.

"Neurodiversity in children and adolescents is a concept celebrating the natural variation in how young minds work. It acknowledges that neurological differences, such as ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and giftedness, are not disabilities but unique aspects of human cognition. Embracing neurodiversity fosters acceptance, empathy, and inclusivity in society. Parents play a pivotal role in supporting their neurodiverse child by understanding their specific needs, advocating for appropriate educational accommodations, and seeking professional guidance when necessary. By appreciating and nurturing their child's strengths, parents can help them thrive and unlock their full potential, leading to a more compassionate and understanding future for all."

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)

Wishing you a positive term 3, with learning opportunities aplenty!

Kind regards,

Ben Shields