Message From Our Principal

Mrs Jackie Stockdale

It’s hard to believe how quickly the term is moving, with classrooms buzzing with learning, rehearsals underway for our school production, and a variety of events bringing our community together. The energy and enthusiasm from both students and staff have been inspiring, and it’s been wonderful to see everyone embracing the opportunities and challenges of the term. As we head into the second half of the term, let’s continue to support one another, celebrate our successes, and keep our focus on the learning and growth of every child.

 

I would like to extend a warm thank you to the parents who joined us to observe our MiniLit and MacqLit sessions recently. It was wonderful to share with you the strategies and activities we use to support students in developing their literacy skills. Your interest and involvement play an important role in reinforcing learning at home, and we greatly appreciate the time you took to see these programs in action.

 

Jared Cooney Horvath Parent Sessions

I would like to remind our school community that, as part of our partnership with world-renowned educational neuroscientist Dr Jared Cooney Horvath, he has created a special video series for parents and carers. These presentations aim to deepen understanding of how children learn and provide practical strategies to support them in their education. We are delighted to share these three engaging and informative recordings with our families, as we continue working together to help every student reach their full potential. The dates are as follows: 

Recording 

Presentation Mode 

Date and Time 

Recording 1 Stress, Tech and Sleep 

Onsite 

Friday 15th August 9:00am-10:00am or 

Friday 15th August 2:15pm-3:15pm 

Recording 2  

Surviving Study – Understanding the three keys to learning and memory 

Onsite 

Friday 29th August 9:00am-10:00am or 

Friday 29th August 1:45pm-2:45pm 

Recording 3   Brain Development – Why we act like we do 

Onsite and shared online 

Friday 12th September 9:00am-9:45am or 

Friday 12th September 2:00pm-2:45pm 

Excitement is building as we count down to our School Production in Week 9! Students have been busy learning their lines, practising dances, and fine-tuning their performances. Costumes, props, and sets are starting to come together, and the buzz around the school is growing each day. It’s wonderful to see the creativity, teamwork, and enthusiasm of our students shining as they prepare to bring this special event to life on stage. We can’t wait to share their hard work and talent with our school community!

We are excited to announce two wonderful fundraising opportunities to support our school community. Our Father’s Day Raffle is now underway, with fantastic prizes up for grabs just in time to spoil the dads and special men in our lives. Ticket bookets have been sent home and tickets are available online, and the raffle will be drawn at our Father’s Day Breakfast. In addition, we are offering Family Name Pavers—a lasting way to leave your mark at St Patrick’s. For a small cost, your family name will be engraved on a paver and placed in a special area of our school grounds for years to come. Both initiatives are a great way to show your support while contributing to projects that benefit our students.

This week we celebrated 100 days of Magnify with a day full of fun, connection, and creativity. Students enjoyed delicious cupcakes, posed for keepsake photos in our themed photo booth, and tested their observation skills in an exciting scavenger hunt. The celebrations also included a photo challenge, encouraging students to capture the word Magnify in the most creative way. It was a wonderful way to come together as a community and celebrate the journey so far.

This year, our school has begun implementing Magnify Sandhurst—a learning and teaching approach designed to ensure every student, every teacher, every school is supported to thrive. Grounded in the science of learning, Magnify focuses on a consistent, knowledge-rich curriculum, clear and predictable routines, and strong foundations in literacy and numeracy. Teachers are supported through professional learning and coaching, while classrooms are structured to be calm, purposeful spaces where all students can engage and succeed. Magnify is about maximising learning time, building skills step-by-step, and creating the best conditions for every learner to shine.

https://www.ceosand.catholic.edu.au/learning/magnify-sandhurst 

 

Our Foundation students recently celebrated a special milestone – their first 100 days of school! The day was filled with excitement, learning, and plenty of smiles as students took part in activities themed around the number 100. From creating colourful crowns to counting collections of 100 objects, the celebrations highlighted just how much our youngest learners have grown in confidence, skills, and friendships since starting school. Congratulations to our Foundation students on reaching this wonderful achievement!