Message From Our Principal

As we finish Week 8 of Term 3, there’s a renewed sense of energy in the air with the amazing arrival of spring. The warmer days and blooming flowers have brought a fresh vibrancy to the school, and it’s a perfect reminder of growth and new beginnings. This term has been filled with exciting events and learning opportunities, and with just a few weeks left, there’s still so much more to look forward to. Let’s embrace this wonderful season and continue working together to make the rest of the term just as bright and inspiring as the springtime around us!

I would like to remind families that students cannot be dropped off at school before 8:30am, as we do not have teachers on duty prior to this time. With the arrival of spring and the warmer mornings, we have noticed an increase in students arriving earlier than 8:30am. For the safety and supervision of all students, we kindly ask for your cooperation in ensuring they are not dropped off before this time. Thank you for your ongoing support and understanding.

Sacramental Children:

This Sunday at 8:30am, we are proud to celebrate a significant milestone for Ryder, Francis, and Archer as they receive the Sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist at St Augustine’s Church in Kyabram. These sacraments mark a deepening of their faith journey, as they are blessed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and fully welcomed into the Eucharistic community. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to them and their families on this special occasion and pray that this day brings them lasting joy, grace, and spiritual growth. May they continue to walk in faith with love and guidance from God.

Learning Support Staff Appreciation Week:

We are incredibly grateful for the dedication and hard work of our Learning Support Officers: Emma, Abby, Dani, Rach, and Mon. Their unwavering support and commitment to our students make a profound difference in the learning environment each day. Whether it's offering one-on-one assistance, helping students overcome challenges, or simply being a caring presence, they are an invaluable part of our community. Their patience, compassion, and enthusiasm uplift both students and staff, and we are truly fortunate to have them as part of our team. We cannot thank them enough for the positive impact they bring to our school.

Marvellour Men Breakfast:

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to all the men who attended the 'Marvellous Men' breakfast. Your presence made the event truly special, and we deeply appreciate the time you took to join us in celebrating the important role that fathers, grandfathers, and male role models play in our community. The morning was filled with great conversation, connection, and shared experiences that strengthened the bond between families and the school. We are grateful for your ongoing support and look forward to many more wonderful moments together.

Raffle winner was......

School Rugby Tops:

The new school rugby tops, now available from Hip Pocket, are an exciting addition to the school’s uniform collection. Designed for both style and durability, these tops offer a modern look while providing comfort for students. The tops come in school colours, allowing students to wear them with pride during sports events or as part of their everyday uniform. 

Book Week:

Book Week was truly a magical experience, filled with excitement, creativity, and a shared love for reading. The parade was a vibrant showcase of imagination, as students from all year levels came dressed as their favourite book characters, bringing the pages of beloved stories to life. The atmosphere was electric, with colourful costumes and joyous faces making it a memorable event for everyone.

The multi-age activities were another highlight. These activities not only fostered a sense of community across different year levels, but they also encouraged collaboration, creativity, and teamwork. Seeing older students mentor younger ones, and everyone working together on engaging tasks, was a beautiful reminder of the power of shared experiences in learning. The diversity of activities allowed everyone to find something they could enjoy and excel in.

The incursion was the icing on the cake. The live performance captivated the students’ attention and deepened their appreciation for the world of books. The interactive elements made it even more special, as students were able to engage directly with the material, making the experience both fun and educational.

Overall, Book Week was a celebration of imagination, learning, and the joy of reading. It reminded us all of the importance of books in our lives and the ways they can bring people together. The memories created during these celebrations will surely stay with the students for a long time.

Australian School Library Day

On the 21st of August was Australian School Library Day. To celebrate our amazing library and our wonderful Librarian Alex we gifted her with a certificate and a St Pat’s scarf.

Alex volunteers her time to keep our library looking super tidy, filling it with new release books and encouraging us all to maintain a love of reading. Thanks so much Alex!

Age Group Champion:

Congratulation to Zac! He was awarded 12/13 Age Champion of the Waranga District sports. This acknowledgement happened in a Zoom presentation and we were all so excited!

Footy Colour Days:

This year we have partnered with Mel Sauders from AFL Goulburn Murray to implement a 'Wear your footy colours day'. On this day students are encouraged to wear the colours of their footy team and they will be involved in some mini-footy based games.

Can Collecting:

New exciting community partnership with KCLC:

Tank you to everyone who has been sending their cans in.

The team would just like to remind everyone to ensure that cans are fully emptied before bringing them in. It would be great if families can leave cans emptied and upside down to drain them properly before they send them in.

Arts On Show:

Our Senior students have been working hard preparing for their performance  in the Sandhurst Arts on Show. Parents are invited to attend this event and we have no dou=btthat you will be super impressed by your child's performance.

We are so lucky to have lots of amazing resources and sports equipment at St Pats for your children to play with during snack and lunch however, we could always use more to fill up the yard basket. 

If you have any old sports equipment you don't have space/need for at your house we are holding a sports equipment drive where you can drop it off to us and the Sports and Health leaders will determine its condition and put it out in our sports tub for Lunch and Snack time use. 

There is no pressure to contribute and please do not buy anything to donate- this is not the aim of this drive. Anything you have spare is great and we would be so appreciative if you could bring anything in. For example a lot of our tennis balls have grown legs and have run away so we are always looking for tennis balls to use in the yard. 

Send in your donated sports equipment and our Sports and Health Leaders will rename it, rehome it and relove it!. 

STEPTEMBER:

This week the Sports and Health Leaders are implementing 'STEPTEMBER'.

Steptember is an initiative that runs for all of September to raise awareness for Individuals who have Cerebral Palsy. We are using it also as an initiative to encourage each other to stay fit and healthy by making sure we're hitting our daily step count. 

What does this look like in your class?  Each day a different class wears a pedometer. By the end of the day the sports and health leaders will take it back and note down how many steps the class has taken for the day. We will do this every day until the end of September. 

Once September is finished we will calculate the final tally and the class with the most steps walked in a month wins a prize! 

What teachers can you do to support this: 

- Encourage your students to stand up and be active during brain breaks

- Check in the step count after each break and celebrate the students success with being active

- Complete activities that are normally sedentary with a different approach