WELCOME BACK!

Welcome back to Term 2. I hope all of you have had a great break, a happy Easter, as well as having the opportunity to spend the time with your loved ones. Looking at the school calendar, Term 2 looks like it is going to be very busy indeed with a number of items that various members of our school community will be involved with in the very near future.

As you may have been aware of from late last term was that a freak accident had occurred in the Year 1-2 classroom which resulted in the large majority of the room being flooded! Unfortunately due to the damage that has been done to the flooring, some of the shelving and various other items, we are still waiting for the official insurance claim to be processed. This means that for the first half of the term (hopefully), the Year 1-2 class will now be basing themselves in the library until we get official approval from various experts that the classroom will be safe to use once again.

On a positive note, I would like to congratulate Shaun Zorgdrager who won the 'Principal for the Day' raffle that was drawn on the last day of Term 1. Well done Shaun. In the very near future, Shaun will be provided with a special principal's tie, blazer as well as access to my office in which he will be assisting myself with various duties throughout the day. It will be interesting to see what Shaun comes up with when he is given the opportunity to designate the school rules for the day. I would like to thanks our senior members of the school's Mini Vinnies organisation for giving up their time in selling the tickets during lunch time. Overall the raffle made $85 and this money will be going towards Project Compassion.

I would formally like to welcome Hamish (Year 5), Digby (Year 3) and Archer (Kindergarten) Clark who joined the St Patrick's Learning Community this week. The boys have made a great start and I know that they will enjoy their time here at St Patrick's.

As you may have heard in the media recently is that a large percentage of teachers in the public education sector will be striking this upcoming Wednesday. This means a large number of schools will be providing minimal supervision and/or having to close it's doors on this day. Please note, the strike will not be affecting St Patrick's in any way and we will be operating as normal.

It is lovely to see the children in their Winter Uniforms yesterday. Please remember ties are expected to be worn and all black school shoes. If your child is out of uniform for a particular reason, could you please send in a note to their classroom teacher or email Mrs Pittman.

ANZAC DAY MARCH

I was very proud of our students who attended the ANZAC Day March on Monday. The children represented our school with pride and respect. They remember those who have served to defend Australia and those men and women who have given their lives to defend the freedom that we all enjoy in this country today.

Thank you parents for your support in ensuring your child/children are fully dressed in their correct uniform each day. Our uniform standard is a very important aspect of our school brand. It teaches the children to show pride, understand that standards are important in their lives, as well as respecting the community they belong to. Each of us play an important part in our SCHOOL BRAND.

GOOD LUCK - Annie & Frankie

Annie and Frankie will be attending the Polding Winter Trials for Girls Hockey and Football in Bathurst tomorrow. We wish the girls the very best of luck and we know that they will be great ambassadors for our school.

Pioneer Cottage Excursion for Years 3-6

The Walcha Historical Society are celebrating their 60th Anniversary and the students in Years 3-6 have been invited to take part in this celebration by participating in a series of events the society has organised on Wednesday 4th May. Event consent notice went out to families via COMPASS App. Can you please ensure the necessary details are completed by Tuesday 3rd May.

Reminder - 5/6 Canberra Excursion 2nd Instalment

The second instalment for the 5/6 Canberra excursion is due this week 30th April 2022. For those families paying via Compass Pay payment plan, please ensure you have sufficient funds in your bank account for debit on the 30th April.

An itinerary and medical forms will be sent home later this term.

P&F Meeting

The next P&F meeting will be held on Tuesday 10th May at 6pm in the library. All parents and friends are welcome to attend.

Pie & Lamington Drive

Thank you Trina Fletcher and Aimee Norton for organising the Pie & Lamington Drive. Please see the P & F Page in the newsletter for more details.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN testing will take place in Week 3 & 4 of this term. Students in Year 3 & 5 will sit tests for Writing 10th May, Reading & Language Conventions 12th May and Numeracy 17th May. 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 the Wednesday 18th May.

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

School Assembly

With everything that is happening on Fridays in the first three weeks of this term, we have put our assemblies on hold. Hopefully, we will be able to have our next school assembly on Friday in Week 5.

Jelly Bean Cup