St Patrick's Day Celebrations

On Monday, I witnessed an extraordinary display of various shades of green as the students and staff came together to honour the school's patron saint, St Patrick. It was a day filled with excitement and energy, as the students engaged in a multitude of activities. These included attending a special liturgy, indulging in a wide array of green-themed delicacies, constructing a coin trail in the shape of a shamrock, and embarking on a quest to find the elusive leprechaun. Additionally, the students actively participated in a range of physical activities. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Liah, Airlee, Mila, Campbell and Ryan for successfully locating the missing leprechauns, as well as Airlee again who found that elusive golf ball. Finally, well done to Eve, Bella, Josie and Lilah for their outstanding achievements in the various colouring in competitions that were held.

The day proved to be highly successful, with a remarkable sum of over $150 raised. This monetary contribution will be allocated towards the Project Compassion Appeal. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the parents who generously provided the green treats, which were undeniably a hit. Additionally, we commend our dedicated Mini Vinnies members for their diligent efforts behind the scenes, ensuring the day's triumph. Congratulations to all involved!

Big Day Next Thursday!

Next Thursday at St Patrick's Primary School is going to be a busy day with multiple events scheduled. Since it is the last day of Lent, the students will be involved in a Stations of the Cross Liturgy during the morning session. Following this, we will have our annual Easter Hat Parade starting at 11.30am. This year, we are delighted to have the children from the Walcha Preschool joining us as special guests. Once the parade concludes, we will draw the P and F Easter Raffle and announce the winner of the 'Principal for the Day Raffle. Our new director, Regina Menz, will also be visiting the students and staff throughout the day. It is certainly not a calm lead-up to Good Friday!

OPEN MORNING for 2025 Kindergarten Students - 14th May 9:30am-11am

Our open morning will be held on Thursday May 14th from 9:30am - 11am.

The Open Morning in 2025 provides parents with the chance to discover what St Patrick's School can offer their children. Parents can engage with the faculty, take a tour of the campus, and partake in a morning tea. Transition students are also welcome to participate in activities with the current Kindergarten class.

Should you be aware of individuals with a child preparing to begin school in the upcoming year, or individuals interested in exploring our school and its offerings, we kindly request that you extend an invitation to them for our Open Morning.

LET'S GET READY FOR KINDERGARTEN 2025

Enrolments are now open for Kindergarten 2025.

Our school open morning for Kindergarten will be Thursday 14th May 2024.

Please contact the school for an enrolment package - 67772328 or email

spwadmin@arm.catholic.edu.au

Northern NSW Da Vinci Decathlon at TAS

St Patrick's Primary School is once again participating in the Northern NSW Da Vinci Decathlon at The Armidale School in Armidale on Thursday 4th April. Students from Years 5 and 6 will be representing our school. Due to an abundance of eligible students, we are faced with the challenge of having too many for one team and not enough for two teams. Consequently, we have a reserve list in place in case any team members withdraw.

The Decathlon is a prestigious academic event organised among schools, aiming to engage and inspire students across 10 diverse disciplines, including Mathematics, English, Science, Code Breaking, Engineering Challenge, Ideation, Creative Producer, Art and Poetry, Cartography, and Legacy. As the supervisor of the team, I will be overseeing their participation on the day. We extend our heartfelt wishes for the success of our team.

High Country Long Lunch

https://www.trybooking.com/COZIM

Ticket sales close tomorrow, Friday 22nd March 2024 @ 5pm

Premier's Reading Challenge

Exciting news this year as St Patrick's students will again be participating in the Premier's Reading Challenge. We urge all students to take part.

Your child's login details will be sent home shortly. You and your child will then be required to log in, provide the child's information, so they can record their books online.

Many of the PRC books can be found in our school library, where we will encourage students to borrow them during library time. Additionally, we are introducing all students to "SORA" - an app tailored to the contemporary student reading experience. This app enables students to explore and enjoy ebooks and audiobooks from their school, for both recreational and assigned reading purposes. It also includes the PRC books. We aim to have this process completed for students very soon!

The Winner of 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' Award Is.......

Congratulations are in order for Emily, the recipient of this week's prestigious 'Wearing Uniform With Pride' award. As the weeks go by, selecting the deserving individual for this honor becomes increasingly challenging. Emi, your unwavering commitment to proudly donning both your school and sports uniform is truly commendable. Well done!

NAPLAN

Today, all the catch-up sessions for the NAPLAN Assessments have been finished. Once more, we extend our congratulations to all the students who participated in these assessments during the past two weeks, and to our parents for adjusting their schedules to guarantee that the students could take part in NAPLAN without any disruptions. Your cooperation is greatly valued. The school will receive the students' results in the middle of Term 2

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)

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

More highlights from St Patrick's Day!