Our journey in 6TA so far…

Paul- My journey in 6TA has been interesting and different because we are learning new things with a new class and teacher.

I have also been improving my math and spelling. At first, it was awkward because I didn’t know my teacher that well, but now I know her better, and she is very humorous.

Ava. S- My journey in 6TA so far. I love that this year has been fun, and we are learning fun and cool things. I like having all my friends in my class, but I have a good mindset for this year. Also, I have improved my maths and reading. My classmates are funny and kind. I really hope that this year will be the best because it's my last year in primary school.   

Alexandra - My journey in 6TA so far has been good. I think this year has been kind of busy, but I don’t mind at all because it’s kind of fun. This year I’ve improved my maths, although I feel I can also improve my reading. I like being in a class with all my friends since it’s the last year of primary school. In the classroom, my classmates are very loud, sometimes in a good way, which makes the teacher laugh or frustrates her. I hope the rest of year 6 will be great until the last day of school.

Ziva- My journey so far in 6TA has been good. I love knowing everyone in my class, so working with them is nice. They are mostly loud, but our teacher matches our energy! I can work on my behavior because I talk a lot and would like to focus more on work. This year is hard and busy with all our tasks, but I can’t complain because it’s Year 6. I hope this year will be the greatest one for me since it’s my last year with my friends and teachers! 

Charlotte- My journey in 6TA so far has been fascinating. I would love to improve my English and behavior outside and inside of school. I might go to Lakeside in terms 3-4 or not at all. I like my friends here, and I’ll be sad to be leaving. My classmates are all unique in their own way. They could behave better, but overall, they’ve been good. I hope this year will go smoothly and we’ll have a fun time.

Paul- My journey in 6TA has been interesting and different because we are learning new things with a new class and teacher.

I have also been improving my math and spelling. At first, it was awkward because I didn’t know my teacher that well, but now I know her better, and she is very humorous.

Ava. S- My journey in 6TA so far. I love that this year has been fun, and we are learning fun and cool things. I like having all my friends in my class, but I have a good mindset for this year. Also, I have improved my maths and reading. My classmates are funny and kind. I really hope that this year will be the best because it's my last year in primary school.   

Alexandra - My journey in 6TA so far has been good. I think this year has been kind of busy, but I don’t mind at all because it’s kind of fun. This year I’ve improved my maths, although I feel I can also improve my reading. I like being in a class with all my friends since it’s the last year of primary school. In the classroom, my classmates are very loud, sometimes in a good way, which makes the teacher laugh or frustrates her. I hope the rest of year 6 will be great until the last day of school.

Ziva- My journey so far in 6TA has been good. I love knowing everyone in my class, so working with them is nice. They are mostly loud, but our teacher matches our energy! I can work on my behavior because I talk a lot and would like to focus more on work. This year is hard and busy with all our tasks, but I can’t complain because it’s Year 6. I hope this year will be the greatest one for me since it’s my last year with my friends and teachers! 

Charlotte- My journey in 6TA so far has been fascinating. I would love to improve my English and behavior outside and inside of school. I might go to Lakeside in terms 3-4 or not at all. I like my friends here, and I’ll be sad to be leaving. My classmates are all unique in their own way. They could behave better, but overall, they’ve been good. I hope this year will go smoothly and we’ll have a fun time.

Mansimrat—My journey in 6TA has been different from all the other years because I had all my friends. It's going like lightning. Writing has been the hardest subject for me, but other than that, I have been having a lot of fun in the last year of primary school.

Quan- My journey in 6TA so far is enjoyable, and I have a lot of activities in school and a lot of sports in the school. It’s so much fun being in this school, I have so many friends who are friendly and respectful to others.

Arya—My journey in 6TA has been enjoyable and funny because of Balin’s joke book. I've been really busy working on different subjects, especially math. 

Balin—My year six journey has been great because my class is funny. We get a game nearly every day.. It's been hard with math, but besides that, it has been very fun and crazy in my 6TA journey.

Nyalueth—I'm trying new things like math, spelling, and writing. The most exciting thing is when I go to the year six camp and graduation, which will be the best graduation. I’m trying my best to get good at reading and spelling, and my goal is to help people with their work. 

Noah- Our journey in 6TA so far has been very busy, from Mrs Andrew being sick to having to be split, other than all that, I have improved in math because I've found math has been more fun and interesting than before. So far I've found out that my class, including Mrs Blackwood and Mrs Andrews, are hilarious and loves to joke. Mrs Blackwood and Mrs Andrew are making our last year of primary the best year yet. That's my opinion on our journey so far. The end ………..

Ben, I feel that our journey in 6TA so far has been fun. I have been cooperating with more people than last year. Everyone is being prepared for high school. I think I have improved my learning and had a great time doing it. Out of all the year levels I have been in, this year will be the best.

Kabir—Firstly, there have been some very minor complications with me, but I keep learning from them, which is good. There are complications with the class, but we make up for it very well, which is why I don’t worry about it too much. In the past four years, I think I’ve been the most intelligent and competent I’ve ever been by a considerable margin, and I owe it all to my teacher, who is very bold and encouraging.   

Sherine—My journey in 6TA has been incredible because I have all my friends with me, and I would like to improve my writing and math skills. The Catholic social teaching poster was my favourite, and they turned out really well. Oh, we are doing an assembly about Catholic Education Week, and everyone is working hard for this assembly, so yeah, that's my journey so far.

Ava.C- My journey so far in 6TA has been fantastic. I’m so happy to be in this class because I'm with my friends and I have definitely improved in my Writing and Maths. This class is the best and it is 100% preparing me for the High school.

Scott - My journey so far has been good. I’m happy in 6TA even though the work is a bit harder.  The good thing is that I’m learning each day.  I enjoy being in a grade with my friends.  We learn lots and we have fun as a class.

Nelson - My journey so far in 6TA has been full of surprises. There's lots of things happening and it’s been busy. I’m enjoying my new class with some old friends and I have also made new friends.  It’s good being in 6TA 

Sebit - My journey in 6TA so far has been good but a bit hard.  There’s lots of new things to learn and  I’m trying each day.  I enjoy playing football and soccer with some of the grade 6 students at recess and lunch. 

Catholic Schools in the Diocese of Sale will celebrate Catholic Education Week from Friday 16 May – Friday 23 May 2025. This year’s theme is Pilgrims of Hope to coincide with the Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025.

Catholic Education Week is a highlight of the year for our diocese, as schools and parish communities come together to celebrate our Catholic identity and unique mission. 

•  A Diocesan Mass to celebrate Catholic Education Week will be held on Wednesday 21 May at 11am at St Francis Xavier College, 4 Beaconsfield Avenue, Beaconsfield.
•  A celebration of student learning in primary and secondary schools will take place at the conclusion of Mass.

About the Jubilee Year 2025 - Pilgrims of Hope 

Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Hope in 2025. 

A Jubilee is a special year of grace and conversion, involving prayer, pilgrimage and sacramental repentance, held every 25 years, or during other years as called for by the Pope. Through a series of concrete rituals, acts and commitments, the goal of a Jubilee year is to inspire and encourage holiness of life among the faithful and therefore to strengthen the Church’s witness to God’s loving mercy in and for the world.

The word “jubilee” is derived from the Hebrew word jobel, which means “ram’s horn”; since it was precisely that horn which was used as a trumpet, whose sound indicated to everybody the beginning of the jubilee year.  The book of Leviticus, in the code of holiness, is the source which tells us of the significance of the jubilee year, a year of liberation “par excellence,” which is at the end of seven weeks of years, the fiftieth year.  

Year Level Camp/ Fun Day Dates:

TERM DATES 2025

2025 PUPIL FREE AND TIME IN LIEU DAYS:

The 3 Time in Lieu days ensure that we can manage our commitment for all staff to continue to provide activities such as school camps for our students.
Please note, these dates are separate from our 8 Staff Professional Development days. Those 8 days are for our staff professional learning which will focus on Religious Education, Learning and Teaching and Student Wellbeing.

On Monday 12th of May, Grade 1 students participated in a minibeast incursion hosted by Labcoat Learning. Students engaged in a hands-on minibeast incursion where they explored butterflies, stick insects and other creepy crawlies. They interacted with butterflies where they fed honey and observed crickets through magnifying glasses. It was a fantastic experience for our students and they enjoyed every minute of it.

Please enjoy some artwork from our talented St Patricks Artists!

Ariya 5SA

Ethan 5SM

Amelie 5SM

Sang FKG

Chloe FKG

On Tuesday, our school was thrilled to host a vibrant cooking session with members of the Hakha Chin community, featuring a special guest, Kham from the Southern Migrant and Refugee Centre (SMRC). Families came together to learn how to make healthy sandwiches, as well as how to prepare a nutritious lunchbox—an initiative that supports our 2025 goal of promoting healthy eating and lunchbox habits. A heartfelt thank you to our Hakha Chin families and to Kham for sharing their time, knowledge, and enthusiasm. We look forward to more cooking sessions that bring our community together through food and learning.

This past week the Scholastic brochures were handed out in class. All orders are made online via Book Club LOOP. Please follow the link below to make your purchase.

All purchases must be made before Thursday 15th May. 

https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/

We use PAM as our main form of communication.  All emails, Student Attendance, Sick Bay notes, School Reports, commonly used forms, excursion/camp permission notes and Family Learning conversations, will all be communicated via PAM.  

Access PAM via this link   Link to PAM 

PAM - Parent Access Module

PAM (Parent Access Module) is our Parent to School communication platform.   PAM will provide real time access to keep parents updated with their children’s progress, important dates and messages. Relevant resources – calendar events, student reports, parent notified absences, absence data and sick bay notes will all be accessed via PAM.

Parents will be able to easily book Parent Teacher interviews through PAM, and access teacher email addresses. 

PAM accounts are linked via your email address that we have in our systems. 

If you have recently changed your email,  please call or email us on office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

Click on the 'forget password' link to set your password and then verify your email address.  (Email addresses must be verified for PAM to work properly).  Once your email is verified, your email can be used as the username for your account.

Once you have successfully logged in, you can save PAM to your homescreen on your device.

If you have any issues or need help with PAM please contact the school via email, office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

PAM Instructions

Parent Notified Absences via PAM

Once you have PAM set up and saved to your home screen you can easily send in Parent Notified absences.   Please use this platform going forward as this automatically syncs with the class roll.   This will fix the issues of receiving SMS notifications even though you had already notified the school. 

Please remember to update your Contact Details, Media Consent Details and any relevant Medical Details for your child if they change.  

Most medical profiles have now been updated. Please remember to keep them up to date and upload any asthma/allergy plans that may be relevant.

To update any contact details please contact the school office. 

SiMON Everywhere is an app our school uses to acces PAM and CDF Pay. We will be sending reminders through this app, as such please download and sign in. There is a guide below for your reference. If you are having any issues please contact Megan McMenamin in the school office mmcmenamin@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

School Fee Statements have been emailed out to most families.   Please check your junk/spam folder if you haven't received it.   As in previous years, all Fees are charged at the start of the year with the expectation that they will be paid by the end of the school year.   This can be done as one payment or instalments, via Direct Debit, Bpay, EFTPOS or cash.   You can find Direct Debit forms in the Knowledge bank section of PAM, or ask at the school office.   If paying by BPay please use the code on your statement to ensure the payment comes off your fees.   

2025 SCHOOL SAVINGS BONUS (SSB)

The School Savings Bonus is a State Government initiative designed to assist
families with cost-of-living pressures. Under this funding, each eligible student is
entitled to a $400 bonus for application towards activity levies and uniform purchases
from approved supplier. Within our school, all CSEF applicants are eligible to receive
this funding. All families who have a Centrelink Health Care Card and have not
applied for CSEF in the past are encouraged to contact the school office and initiate
an application this year. Please refer to the below link for more information:

https://www.vic.gov.au/receiving-school-saving-bonus#non-government-school-
information

Health Care Card and School Savings Bonus

For those families who have an eligible Health Care Card your fees are still being processed with the concession rate to be applied.   If you haven't filled in a CSEF (Camps, Sports, Excursion Funding) form please download the attached form or pick one up from the school office.   This needs to be done as soon as possible so we can receive the funding and apply your concession.   This year it will also affect the allocation of the School Saving Bonus ($400) that the government announced last year.   So the sooner these forms are in the better. 

First Holy Communion

“This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” Lk. 22:19

 "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many,”

Mark 14:22-25

Key Dates

Bookings for your preferred time and link will be shared in the coming weeks.

                               

BE SEALED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly from heaven there came a sound like the rush of a violent wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability. (Act 2:1-5)

 

For students in Grade 6 and have received the sacrament of First holy communion

Key Dates

Enrolment packs to be collected from the Parish	Tuesday 13th May 2025 – 1.00pm – 2.00 pm Friday, 16th May 2025, 1.00 pm – 2.00 pm Tuesday 20th May 2025 – 6.30 pm – 7.30pm Choice of enrolment dates and times: A fee of $20 will be paid on the day.
Commitment mass	14th & 15th June all weekend Masses Saturday- 6 pm, Sunday -9:00 and 10:30
Parent Workshop	Thursday 21st August 2025, at 7.00 pm
PARENT WORKSHOP (ONLY PARENTS) IT IS AN EXPECTATION THAT ALL PARENTS OF CHILDREN RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION WILL ATTEND ON THIS NIGHT
Blessing mass	23rd and 24th of August, all weekend Masses Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 9:00 am and 10:30 am.
Reflection Day at school	Tuesday 26th August. Time TBC
Celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation	Saturday 30th August,3 pm and 6 pm

 

Bookings for your preferred time and link will be shared in the coming weeks.

 

For more information please contact:

Mary Tresa Andrews

mandrews@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

Religious Education Leader, St Patrick’s Primary School.

St Patrick’s Primary School will now use a NEW form of CDFpay that is different to the one that we have used in the past. The NEW CDFpay is powered by Flexischools and is an App based system. This is a way of collecting money for any Fundraising, Events and paying for school lunchtime treats like Popcorn for your students. 

Parents and Guardians will need to download the App and register. Instructions on how to register are as follows:

How to register for a CDFpay account

1.    Search ‘CDFpay’ on the App Store (Apple) or Google Play store, download the app, then click ‘Sign up now’ or enter the following link in your web browser:

Look for this App Logo and Download

2.    Enter and confirm your email address, then click ‘Sign up’.

3.    Check your email inbox and follow the prompts to complete your account registration (check junk/spam if lost).

Have questions? Visit https://flexischools.zendesk.com/hc/en-au/ for detailed FAQs or chat to the Flexischools Digital Assistant. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please complete the online Contact Form and Flexischools will get back to you directly. 

When you are set up on the App. you will be able to select the Event, Fundraiser or item to purchase for your student. The school will be notified when the payment is made. 

School Fees will continued to be paid via the Direct Debit arrangement, BPay or via Card in the school office.