Happy Easter and Enjoy the Long Weekend!

It is quite alarming to witness the rapid pace at which this year is progressing. We are swiftly approaching the midpoint of Autumn, and coinciding with the distribution of this newsletter to our families, staff, and supporters, we will commence the extended weekend dedicated to commemorating the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

Our entire team would like to extend our warmest wishes to our families for a rejuvenating short break. May the joy and happiness of Easter bring abundant blessings to your hearts.

Easter Hat Parade Round-Up

The Easter Hat Parade at St Patrick's Primary is a time-honored tradition that many of our students look forward to each year.

It's a time to celebrate the holiday and show off your creativity by designing and wearing a unique and festive hat.

This year's Easter Hat Parade was no exception, with the children from the preschool as well as all of our students joining in the fun. From elaborate and intricate designs to simple yet charming hats, there was no shortage of creativity on display.

Everyone enjoyed the event, with many of our students proudly wearing hats they had crafted themselves. Some of the hats featured bunnies, eggs, and other Easter-themed designs, while others were more abstract and artistic. I wish I had some of their imagination and talent!

Congratulations to all the preschoolers and our students who participated in today's Easter Hat Parade. Every one of you should take pride in your remarkable creations and artistic talent. I will be asking all of you for some tips for my Easter Hat next year.

Principal for the Day Raffle Winner

Benji, who won the 'Principal for the Day' raffle this morning, deserves congratulations. In the near future, Benji will receive a special principal's tie, blazer, and access to my office. Throughout the day, Benji will assist me with various duties. It will be intriguing to see what Benji decides for the school rules. I extend my gratitude to the senior members of the school's Mini Vinnies organisation for dedicating their time to selling the tickets during lunchtime. The raffle generated a total of $62.50, which will be contributed to Project Compassion.

P & F Easter Egg Raffle Results

Thank you to everyone for the Easter Raffle donations & purchasing the tickets. We had 84 prizes! Congratulations to the winners. The P & F Easter Raffles made a total of $1314. Thank you.


1. John Smolders	2. Henry King	3. Josie Wauch
4. Oscar Young	5. Lissie Blomfield	6. Shane Zorgdrager
7. Grant Robinson	8. Imogen Macbeth	9. John Smolders
10. Reid Withers	11. Claire Williams	12. Isabelle King
13. Heidi Hoy	14. Charlotte Curtis	15. Indie Powell
16. Ben Marchant	17. Shane Zorgdrager	18. Margaret (Curtis)
19. Kate Hoy	20. Airlee Tate	21. Henry King
22. Rebee Wark	23. Braxton Latham	24. Ella Waters
25. Bella Norton	26. Laurie Family	27. Riley Curtis
28. Josie Wauch	29. Ella Waters	30. Jacki Fletcher
31. Mackenzie Gollan	32. Ellody Hoy	33. Mila Tate
34. Angus Laurie	35. Nate Powell	36. Nadine Powell
37. Carol Dunn	38. PK Family	39. Cathy Lisle
40. Peter Grills	41. Lorraine Walshe	42. Oscar Young
43. Harry McMaugh	44. Libby Withers	45.Denise Van Server
46. Claire Williams	47. Amanda Latham	48. Anna Blomfield
49.Rebee Wark	50. Conrad Staff	51. Bella Norton
52. Oscar Young	53. Nina Blomfield	54. Riley Curtis
55. Haidee Marchant	56. Jessica Cameron	57. Lorraine Walshe
58. Ella Haberman	59. Jess PK	60. Tom McMaugh
61. Josie Wauch	62. Laurie Family	63. Davey Family
64. Kimmie Cameron	65. Di Green	66. Amanda Latham
67. Henry King	68. Ellody Hoy	69. Emily Zorgdrager
70. Libby Withers	71. Elyce Laurie	72. Donna Harrison
73. Heather Scott	74. Jodie Boyd	75.Laurie Family
76. John Smolders	77. Archer Clark	78. Haidee Marchant
79. Warwick Fletcher	80 Harper Partridge	81. Imogen Macbeth
82. Sue Partridge	83. Leroy Robertson	84. Bella Norton

OPEN MORNING for 2025 Kindergarten Students - 14th May 9:30am-11am

Our open morning will be held on Thursday May 14th from 9:30am - 11am.

The Open Morning in 2025 provides parents with the chance to discover what St Patrick's School can offer their children. Parents can engage with the faculty, take a tour of the campus, and partake in a morning tea. Transition students are also welcome to participate in activities with the current Kindergarten class.

Should you be aware of individuals with a child preparing to begin school in the upcoming year, or individuals interested in exploring our school and its offerings, we kindly request that you extend an invitation to them for our Open Morning.

LET'S GET READY FOR KINDERGARTEN 2025

Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten 2025.

Our school open morning for Kindergarten will be Thursday 14th May 2024.

Please contact the school for an enrolment package - 67772328 or email

spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Northern NSW Da Vinci Decathlon at TAS

St Patrick's Primary School is once again participating in the Northern NSW Da Vinci Decathlon at The Armidale School in Armidale on Thursday 4th April. Students from Years 5 and 6 will be representing our school. Due to an abundance of eligible students, we are faced with the challenge of having too many for one team and not enough for two teams. Consequently, we have a reserve list in place in case any team members withdraw.

The Decathlon is a prestigious academic event organised among schools, aiming to engage and inspire students across 10 diverse disciplines, including Mathematics, English, Science, Code Breaking, Engineering Challenge, Ideation, Creative Producer, Art and Poetry, Cartography, and Legacy. As the supervisor of the team, I will be overseeing their participation on the day. We extend our heartfelt wishes for the success of our team.

High Country Long Lunch

Premier's Reading Challenge

Exciting news this year as St Patrick's students will again be participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge. We urge all students to take part.

Your child's login details will be sent home shortly. You and your child will then be required to log in, provide the child's information, so they can record their books online.

Many of the PRC books can be found in our school library, where we will encourage students to borrow them during library time. Additionally, we are introducing all students to "SORA" - an app tailored to the contemporary student reading experience. This app enables students to explore and enjoy ebooks and audiobooks from their school, for both recreational and assigned reading purposes. It also includes the PRC books. We aim to have this process completed for students very soon!

The Winner of 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' Award Is.......

Congratulations to Harrison for being awarded the prestigious 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' award this week. It becomes more difficult to choose a deserving recipient for this honour as time goes on Harrison, your dedication to wearing both your school and sports uniform with pride is truly admirable. Great job!

TERMS 1 and 2 PUPIL FREE DAYS

The student's last term day will be Thursday 11th April.

The first two days of Term 2 (Monday 29th April and Tuesday 30th April), will be Pupil Free Days. Students will return to school on Wednesday 1st May. I do apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause.

2024 Staff Development Days (PD Days)

All schools within the diocese have been granted a total of eight staff development days for this year. These designated days aim to improve the teaching capabilities of the staff, with a specific focus on the curriculum. Additionally, they provide an opportunity for the staff to implement the new teaching syllabus for the upcoming year. So far, we have already utilised two of the allocated staff development days. To minimise any inconveniences caused to our families who need to arrange care on days when the school is closed, I have scheduled the remaining six PD Days to occur either on the last few days or the first few days of each term. Below are the dates when the remaining six staff development days will take place.

Friday 12th April (Last day of Term 1)

Monday 29th and Tuesday 30th April (First two days of Term 2)

Monday 22nd July (First day of Term 3)

Monday 14th October (First day of Term 4)

Friday 20th December (Last day of Term 4)

Contacting Your Child's Teacher

Teachers welcome contact from parents, if you need to talk with staff please either contact the class teacher by phoning the school – 67772328 or email the school at spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au.

Classroom Gallery

What has been happening in the Year 5-6 classroom?

Here are some highlights from the Army Band/Megaband Workshop yesterday at NECOM

Easter Hat Parade