From the Principal

Dear families,

As we embark on another exciting term filled with learning and growth, I extend a warm welcome to all our students, families and staff. This term we have 6 new students joining us and we wish them all the very best as they commence their learning journey at St Patrick's. 

This term, we will continue our journey through the enchanting world of stories and story-tellers. Stories have an incredible power to ignite imagination, foster empathy, and stimulate creativity. From timeless classics to modern adventures, our students will delve deeper into the magical realms of storytelling, discovering new characters, plot twists, and life lessons along the way. Through literature and experiential learning, we aim to inspire a love for reading and a curiosity for the world around us. 

Our staff team have recently engaged with local historian, Doug Bradby, to learn about the unique stories around our local area. The learning in this area will continue to support and inspire our insights into our school's story over the past hundred years. Apparently, at one point in time, part of the school site we are on today was a dairy....right next to a foundry.....and a working mine.

Mid-term all students will have the experience of engaging with published authors George Ivanoff and Nicky Johnston. 

Winter School Uniform

Now that we've commenced term 2, it is expected that all students are wearing the winter school uniform. Please see the Winter Uniform Information page that outlines appropriate uniform items. Tomorrow (Friday 19th April), there will be a second hand uniform shop open on the deck after school.

Before School Supervision

A reminder that students should not be onsite before 8:30am. At 8:30am each morning, staff supervision commences in the yard. 

If your child needs to be at school prior to this time and no other arrangements can be made, we have before school care available through our service provider, Extend. 

Closure Days - Term 2

There are two scheduled closure days throughout term 2. The dates have been aligned, as best we can, to offer an extended break for your families around public holidays.

Thursday 25th April (next week) is a public holiday for ANZAC day. Friday 26th April is a school closure day to support our continuing work in the School-wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) model at our school, which is an evidence-based whole-school behaviour management approach. Our preliminary work in this area has yielded some great results and positive responses from students. Currently, we're having a schoolwide blitz on catching students being great with particular emphasis on acknowledging inclusivity. 

We also have a closure day scheduled for Friday 7th June.

2025 Foundation Enrolments

Expressions of Interest for 2025 Foundation student enrolments will close on 23rd May. Further details for the process can be found on our website: www.spballarat.catholic.edu.au

SchoolTV 

This week on SchoolTV you will find additional resources available to support discussions with your child around trauma. Over the past weeks there have been many traumatic events generating significant public reactions and media coverage. 

Click on the link below to access a wealth of videos, articles, and resources on the aforementioned topics.

All Editions | St Patrick's School - Ballarat (schooltv.me) 

Wishing you a great term ahead full of engaging learning opportunities! 

Kind regards,

Ben Shields