Message From Our Principal

Welcome Back

Welcome back to term 4! It has been lovely to see lots of smiling, happy children back at school over the last two weeks. The sounds coming from the learning spaces and around the playground brings joy to all of us. It’s been so good to watch the children return back to school routines, reconnect with their friends and teachers and resume school life again. 

I'd like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the specialist staff for their outstanding contributions to the Specialist Showcase. Their hard work, dedication, and expertise were instrumental in making the event a resounding success. It's clear that their collective effort played a crucial role in showcasing the incredible talents and knowledge of our students through the work they completed in our specialists programs. Thank you also to all of the parents and grandparents who attended the showcase, your presence made this an unforgettable experience.

During the holidays the gardeners removed the chook yard in preparation for our new portable classrooms. Our chickens have been rehomed until we rebuild their new home. 

CES School Engagement Survey

At the beginning of term all families received an email from Teresa Bugoss and it was titled ‘CES School Engagement Survey 2023’.

Your perspective and feedback are crucial to helping us make informed decisions that will enhance the educational experience for your child and all students at CES. This survey covers various aspects of our school, including curriculum, communication, and overall engagement. Your responses will guide us in making improvements and ensuring we meet the needs and expectations of our students and families.

We understand that your time is valuable, and we genuinely appreciate your commitment to the St Patrick’s community.

Thank you to the 40% of families who have already completed the survey and thank you in advance to the families who will complete it. 

If you encounter any technical issues or have questions about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact me.

World Teacher's Day

On Thursday the 5th of October we celebrated World Teacher's Day'. To celebrate we asked parents what they think about the teachers at St Patrick's:

I would like to thank all of the families that contributed to this acknowledgement and celebration of our staff.

We are honoured to be part of Blake’s 21 Acts of Random Kindness!!

From Alison:

Hello all!

Those of you familiar with my fb will know that October is Down Syndrome awareness month and this year Team Blake are back in action with another 21 Your Way challenge.

For those of you who are new each year we fundraise for DS vic by either participating in an actual physical walk event or since covid we have completed online challenges.

Previously in 2020 we did 21 dedications from family and friends that were turned into a book and visited 21 playgrounds during 2021. We attempted to complete another 21 playgrounds last year however the local floods put an end to the challenge midway.

This year we will complete 21 acts of kindness. Blake’s amazing school (St Patrick’s Tongala) are going to allow us to randomly select names from a hat and bless 20 students to give a block of chocolate to and 1 teacher to give a bunch of flowers to!

All funds raised go to Down Syndrome victoria who are a nonprofit organisation and it enables their staff to support people with Down syndrome through advocating for positive change and engaging with the community, implementing innovative programs focused on creating an inclusive future for all.

Stay tuned as we will update with photos and tallies along the way!

#mycause

Here is the fundraising link:   https://www.mycause.com.au/p/323442/team-blake

To date these are our winners:

Sun Protection 

Our students have been doing a super job wearing their school hats when they are outside. At St Patrick’s students are expected to wear a hat during all outdoor activities during Term 4 and Term 1 in accordance with the school's Sun Protection Policy. Children will remain under the verandah if they are not wearing their hat during break times.

Fundraising