Deputy Principals Mrs Diakrousis & Mr Speranza
St. Patrick's School
Dear Families,
We hope you have all enjoyed a wonderful third week of Term 4!
We have been off to a sizzling start in the Kingston Biketober Challenge, and we are porud to announce that St. Patrick's is currently 4th on the leaderboard! We have one week to go, so it's not too late to start a new healthy travel habit.
This week, we came together as a school community to celebrate our Beginning of Term Mass. Thank you to the families who joined us for this special occasion. Our students demonstrated great reverence and respect throughout the celebration, making it a beautiful way to begin our final term together.
Our Prep students enjoyed an exciting excursion to the Frankston Arts Centre to see The Pevan & Sarah Show. It was a wonderful opportunity for our youngest learners to experience a live performance filled with music, laughter and learning.
Our Year 6 students reached a special milestone this week as they had their official graduation photographs taken. It is hard to believe that their primary school journey is drawing to a close! This is one of the many memorable moments they will experience this term as they prepare for the next exciting chapter of their lives.
Looking ahead to next week, we are excited to welcome videographers from Whinck, on behalf of PSW, on Tuesday 27th October. They will be visiting our school to capture footage of students participating in classroom learning, outdoor activities and everyday school experiences for a promotional video. Families of students selected to participate have received permission forms.
Also, next Friday 30th October we will be celebrating World Teacher's Day around Australia. This year's theme is 'Shine a Light on Teachers'. There will be a special assembly on this day, where our SRC Leaders (who have been assisted by the Social Justice Leaders) will make special mention about each of our wonderful staff members. All families are invited to join us.
Warm regards,
Joelle Diakrousis, Deputy Principal / Learning Diversity Leader
Anthony Speranza, Deputy Principal / Learning & Teaching Leader
Child Safety Awareness for September- Child Safety Standard 9
Please see the Child Safety page for further information
Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide
A helpful reminder for all of us is the Cancer Council’s “Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, and Slide” slogan. This easy-to-remember message encourages children to Slip on a shirt, Slop on sunscreen, Slap on a hat, Seek shade, and Slide on sunglasses whenever they’re outside. Practicing these sun safety steps helps build lifelong habits that protect skin health.
Further advice is also attached below:
Stationery Lists 2027
Attached are the 2027 Student Stationery Lists for Prep to Year 6.
All items listed can be purchased from your preferred retailer, such as Officeworks, Big W, Kmart or any other stationery supplier.
If you already have any of the listed items at home that are in good condition, free from writing or graffiti, and suitable for use throughout the duration of the school year, there is no need to purchase them again.
We kindly ask that all stationery items are:
Clearly labelled with your child’s name.
Clean, free from graffiti and in good working condition.
Brought to school on Thursday 28th January 2027, the first day of Term 1.
City of Kingston Biketober Challenge!
This Term, our school is taking part in the City of Kingston Biketober Challenge across Weeks 2, 3, and 4!
We are joining forces as one whole school community to see how many active travel trips we can log together. Active travel includes walking, riding, scooting, or taking public transport.
The benefits of active travel include:
A healthy body and mind: Starting the day with physical activity boosts mood, increases energy, and helps students arrive at school focused and ready to learn.
Safer and quieter streets: Every active trip means one less car at the school gate, reducing traffic congestion and improving safety around our school zone.
Environmental impact: Choosing active travel cuts down on local emissions, helping build a cleaner, greener community.
Remember: "Part of the Way is OK"! If you live too far away to travel actively for the entire distance, you can still participate! Consider driving part of the way, parking a few blocks from school, and walking, riding, or scooting the rest. Every step, pedal, and push adds to our combined total.
Seasons for Growth 2026
At times in life, children experience change or loss that can feel confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to manage on their own. To support students during these times, we will once again be offering the Seasons for Growth program at school this year.
What is Seasons for Growth?
Seasons for Growth is a small-group program designed to support children who have experienced significant change or loss, such as the death of a loved one, family separation, friendship changes, moving house, or other important life transitions.
The program:
Helps children understand that change and loss are a normal part of life
Provides a safe space to share experiences (if they choose)
Builds emotional literacy and coping skills
Encourages resilience and connectedness
Sessions will be facilitated by Mrs Diakrousis and will run in small groups during school hours.
Students who participated last year are welcome to continue the program and will build on their previous learning. New students will begin the program from the first session, which introduces the core concepts and foundations of the program.
Please contact Mrs Diakrousis (jdiakrousis@spmentone.catholic.edu.au) for further details.
Resilience Groups - also known as Bounceback!
This term, Mrs Diakrousis will also be starting the Resilience Groups for select students in Years 1–5. The Resilience Group (also known as the Bounce Back! Group) is designed to support students who may benefit from additional social and emotional skills to help them better manage challenges and build confidence.
An email was shared with all families from Year 1-5 to provide an overview of the program.
The lessons will take place once a fortnight from 2:00pm, ensuring that core learning areas are not interrupted.
Through small group sessions, students will learn strategies related to:
the Zones of Regulation (understanding and managing emotions)
managing worries and big emotions
building positive friendships and social skills
developing confidence and independence
problem-solving and coping with setbacks
The lessons are based on evidence-informed approaches to social and emotional learning and are delivered in a supportive, safe environment where students can share and practise new skills.
If you are interested in your child participating, please email Joelle Diakrousis (jdiakrousis@spmentone.catholic.edu.au).
Random Acts of Kindness
We are delighted to celebrate the following students for their exceptional kindness and compassion. Whether through a small gesture or an intentional act of support, you have made our school a more inclusive and welcoming place. Thank you for living our values and serving as such inspiring role models for your peers. Keep up the wonderful work!
Garce T. (5MH), Milla N. (5MH), Alyssa A. (5MH), Shaina M. (5MH) and Bella R. (5MH) and Camilla J. (3EL) For being wonderful helpers with costumes in the prop closet. Thank you for your help.