The light is at the end of the tunnel!

Before my arrival at St Patrick's, discussions and actions had already begun to raise funds for new playground equipment. Despite facing numerous challenges and obstacles, work has finally started on Stage 3 of our drainage works with the removal of most of the trees on the embarkment of the bottom side of the top playground. This stage involves the installation of a ninja course, slide, climbing nets, and other play equipment at the lower end of the top playground and on the slope. Regrettably, both staff and students will be unable to access the top playground during this period. However, I am confident that we can all manage this inconvenience until the project is finished.

Once the playground construction is finished, it is imperative to organise a dedicated inauguration ceremony for the newly installed playground equipment. This event will provide an exclusive chance for the P and F members, along with the rest of the school community who contributed to this project, to experience the thrill of going down the slide, swinging through the course, and conquering the climbing nets before the students can officially test the equipment. It would be wise to inform Mrs. Burton about this plan so that she can begin preparing herself for the activities ahead!

Also, I extend my gratitude to all the parents who joined us for the Parent Information Night on Tuesday. It was a pleasure to reconnect after the Christmas break and also to share our goals for the year ahead, along with the numerous events that will take place at different times throughout the year. The teachers provided insights into the homework structure for each class, which will officially begin next week.

Furthermore, numerous valuable recommendations were put forth by all stakeholders regarding the enhancement of St Patrick's. Soon, the majority of these suggestions will be implemented. Next week, we will be recommencing the weekly "Wearing Uniform with Pride Award", acknowledging the students who make that extra effort to ensure that they are wearing their uniform in the correct manner.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Amy and Dave Clark for their exceptional culinary skills in preparing the barbecue. Their efforts are truly valued and highly appreciated.

Moving on, I look forward to reuniting with everyone upon my arrival back in Walcha next week.

Swimming Carnival - Friday 16th February

During the morning session of the swimming carnival, I must confess that I had some doubts about whether the event would continue due to the misty rain. The clouds seemed to indicate that the rain would intensify. However, I was proven completely wrong! Friday turned out to be a marvelous day, especially after 11am. We were fortunate to have beautiful weather. Throughout my teaching career, I have organised and participated in numerous school swimming carnivals, both big and small. I must admit that our carnival was one of the finest I have ever been a part of, surpassing even last year's event, which I believed would be hard to top. Congratulations to everyone involved! I would like to express my gratitude to the children, staff, parents, and families for making Friday such a fantastic day. Well done to the children for their outstanding participation and effort. Our St Patrick's Swimming Carnival serves as evidence that we value the abilities of all children and strive to include and provide opportunities for everyone to participate.

Furthermore, we would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations to Angus and Josie for their outstanding victories in our highly anticipated "Dash For Cash Races". We would also like to give a special mention to Jessica Patterson-Kane, who demonstrated exceptional talent by breaking the previous record for the 11-year-old Girls 50m Backstroke event with an impressive time of 50.88. It is worth noting that the previous record was held by Tempe Macarthur Onslow, who achieved a time of 53.97 in 2018.

Below is a list of our 2024 Swimming Champions and Runner Ups. Congratulations on your achievements.

Juvenile Boy Runner Up	Reid Withers
Juvenile Boy Champion	Campbell Laurie
Juvenile Girl Runner Up	Ella Waters
Juvenile Girl Champion	Edwina Lisle
Junior Boy Runner Up	Will Lisle
Junior Boy Champion	Benji Provost
Junior Girl Runner Up	Airlee Tate
Junior Girl Champion	Josie Wauch
11yr Boy Runner Up	Digby Clark
11yr Boy Champion	Tom Lisle
11yr Girl Runner Up	Grace Fletcher
11yr Girl Champions	Jessica Patterson-Kane and Grace Smith
Senior Boy Runner Up	Henry Blomfield
Senior Boy Champion	Angus Fletcher
Senior Girl Runner Up	Emily Zorgdrager
Senior Girl Champion	Lilah Tate

Finally, I would like to extend my congratulations once again to the Red team for their well-deserved victory. Undoubtedly, the Blue team will be strategising their comeback for our upcoming house challenge.

I would also like to express my gratitude to the P & F for providing lunch at the carnival. Additionally, a heartfelt thank you goes out to all the parent helpers who generously assisted on the day. Your support is greatly valued and acknowledged.

School Fees for 2024

There will be a modification in the school fees structure for the 2024 academic year. This year an excursion levy will be included in the fees. However, now families will have the option to pay off the levy in installments over the year. Families will not be required to pay for excursions organised by the school, unless they are associated with a Diocesan or Polding sporting event. To facilitate the payment of school fees, Compass, BPay, and Eftpos options will be available at the office.

Kindergarten Parent Best Start Interviews

A letter was sent home to all of our Kindergarten families with a report of their child's Best Start Assessment results recently. Ms Wilson will be sending home an invitation for Kindergarten parents to attend a Best Start Interview for their child. Please respond with your preferences and Mrs Pittman will confirm your interview time.

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)

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing will take place in Weeks 7, 8 and 9 (Wednesday 13th March- 25th March) of this term. Students in Years 3 and 5 will sit tests for Writing 13th March, Reading & Language Conventions 14th March and Numeracy 19th March. Please refrain from making appointments during school time on these tests days. It is important that your child is available on the day unless they are unwell. In the case of illness students will be able to sit the test on Thursday 21st March until Monday 25th March.

Further information for parents and carers can be found here:

https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/parent-carer-support

I encourage all parents of students in Years 3 and 5 to explore the Public Demonstration Site with your child (click on button below). Here you will find sample questions for each of the areas assessed.

https://www.nap.edu.au/online-assessment/public-demonstration-site

Click below to see a short video showing how to navigate the Public Demonstration Site.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ElaxjY7xKzPkl4QijbH_YPs9IRtkr8FU/view

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

News From Years 5-6!