Dear Families,

Last Friday, our staff joined colleagues from St Thomas More Primary School for a School Closure Day focused on strengthening how we support student wellbeing, social-emotional learning and positive behaviour across both school communities.

Working alongside Sarah from One Red Apple, we explored the significant role that strong relationships, clear expectations and consistent approaches play in helping students thrive. Research continues to show that children learn best when they feel known, valued and supported, and when they experience predictable routines and expectations throughout their school day.

It was a valuable opportunity to learn and reflect alongside the staff of St Thomas More, reinforcing our shared commitment to creating positive learning environments where every child can succeed. As a school, we remain focused on building strong relationships with students and maintaining a consistent approach to learning, wellbeing and behaviour. By working together as staff and in partnership with families, we can continue to create a school community where students feel safe, connected and confident, and are supported to flourish academically, socially and emotionally.

First Eucharist Celebration

Over the past couple of weekends a number of our Grade 4 students celebrated the Sacrament of First Eucharist at St Patrick’s Cathedral. This special occasion marked an important step in their faith journey as they received Holy Communion for the first time and were welcomed more fully into the life of the Church.

The celebration was the culmination of weeks of preparation at both school and home, supported by families, staff and our parish community. Through this sacrament, our students encountered Christ in a new and meaningful way.

We were delighted by the reverence, maturity and enthusiasm shown by our students throughout the Mass. It was also wonderful to see so many families gathered together in prayer and celebration, sharing in this significant milestone.

We congratulate all of the students who received their First Eucharist and thank their families for the support and encouragement they have provided throughout this important stage of their faith journey.

Sacrament of Confirmation

We are now preparing for the next Sacrament in our students’ faith journey: Confirmation. This special Sacrament is open to all students in Grade 3 and above who have been baptised. To begin the process, please register your interest by completing this form.

An information session for parents will be held on Thursday, July 23rd at 9:00am at St Patrick's Primary, and we encourage all families to attend. Alternatively, parents can join the Parish Information Session in the Glowrey Room at St Patrick’s Cathedral at 5:30pm on Thursday, July 23rd.

We look forward to supporting ours students as they prepare to receive this important Sacrament.

Payment Display Notice: New Security Feature

Important Information for Online Payments

Across Australia, major Banks are implementing ‘Confirmation of Payee’ – a new security system that displays the legal account holder name to help prevent payment fraud.

When you make payments to any parish, school or Catholic entity that has an account with CDF, your statement and payment screen will now display the legal name for the CDF account rather than the name of the parish or school.

This legal name is: ‘Archdiocese of Melbourne Catholic Development Fund’.

What this means for you?

While your specific parish, school, or entity name may not appear on the payment page, you can still use the familiar name (e.g., a parish name) when making payments.

Rest assured, this is to be expected, and your payment will reach the correct destination.

Following the Diocese of Ballarat CDF merger, Ballarat client accounts are now included under the new legal name ‘Archdiocese of Melbourne Catholic Development Fund’ with our banking partner.

This is a normal security feature, and your payment is still legitimate and secure.

Run Club

Despite the wet and wintry conditions last week, 32 dedicated runners turned up for Run Club. Together, they completed an impressive 354 laps of the turf - equivalent to approximately 46 kilometres. Well done to everyone involved!

This morning, participation grew even further, with 42 runners taking part and completing a remarkable 541 laps.

After just three Run Club sessions, our students have collectively covered more than 150 kilometres. An outstanding effort by all runners! 🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️👏

Our current leader board for most distance covered is:

Jack G. - 7.9km
Jack S. - 7km
Ned - 6.8km

I'd also like to throw in a special thank you to the Knowles family (owners of Country Roasts) for their generous support of our Mother's Day Breakfast. Their donation of eggs and bacon helped make our Mother's Day Breakfast such a memorable community event, while their ongoing support of Run Club continues to encourage healthy, active lifestyles for our students. We are incredibly grateful for their generosity and commitment to supporting the St Patrick's community.

Celebration of Learning

Following on from Assessment and Reporting it makes sense to bring our upcoming Celebration of Learning to your attention. All families are invited to a special opportunity to experience the rich and engaging learning taking place across our school.

On Friday 26th June, between 9:00am and 10:00am, classrooms will be open for families to visit and explore a range of student work, projects and learning experiences.

The Celebration of Learning is designed to give students the opportunity to share their growth, reflect on their achievements, and take pride in their efforts. It also provides families with valuable insight into classroom learning and the ways students are thinking, creating and collaborating.

Early Finish on the Last Day of Term

Families are advised that students will finish school at 1:40pm on Friday 26 June, the final day of Term 2.

While further reminders will be provided closer to the date, we wanted to give families plenty of notice so that arrangements can be made for student collection. For families requiring care on the afternoon, Extend After School Care will be available from 1:40pm, with bookings able to be made directly through Extend.

SchoolTV

This week on SchoolTV you will find a focus topic on Positive Parenting.

"The mental health of today’s young people is at an all-time low. Depression, anxiety and self-harm are sadly on the rise. Unfortunately, there are more risk factors than protective factors, facing young people growing up. To parent effectively, it is simply not enough to avoid the obvious dangers like abuse, neglect and overindulgence. Parents therefore, need to arm themselves with practical skills, knowledge and strategies when it comes to raising children. Numerous studies suggest that the best-adjusted children are reared by parents who find a way to combine warmth and sensitivity with clear behavioural expectations."

All Editions | St Patrick's School - Ballarat (schooltv.me)

Kind regards,

Ben Shields

UPDATED School Calendar Term 2