Newsletter Thursday 31st August, 2023

We the staff of St Patrick’s acknowledge the traditional owners, the Kulin nations, of the land on which we learn and play.

We pay respects to the Aboriginal Elders, past and present, who are our teachers.

We thank them for taking care of children and country for countless generations.

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,

This week we sent our Year 4 students off to camp to Philip Island. Last night, they visited the very popular Penguin Parade and were thrilled to see these amazing creatures in their natural habitat. We continue to pray that they have a safe and happy rest of the week. They will return tomorrow at approximately 3pm.

No doubt, it will have been heard throughout our parent community about the unfortunate incident last Friday with our Year 5 students returning home from their camp to Kryal Castle. Their bus in which they were travelling, broke down in the Burnley Tunnel during peak hour and another bus had to be arranged to get the students and teachers back to St Patrick’s and a separate bus to escort their luggage. I would like to acknowledge Ms Sarah McGill, Mr Paul Beswick and Mrs Nadine King for their outstanding job in keeping the 31 students safe and calm. All 3 staff had been through rigorous training to practise for such a situation, and they followed all protocols right to the end.

Our students are also to be commended on their role in remaining calm and optimistic during this tricky time. They happily sang songs, shared jokes and looked after one another. Well done!

I would also like to thank the bus company Ventura, whose drivers were outstanding in also looking after our students and making the necessary arrangements to get our children home.

Thank you also to the parents of these students for your patience and understanding. We were humbled with offers of coffee and parents helping us unload and store luggage on the Friday afternoon. God Bless our incredible community spirit here at St Patrick’s.

I also received an email from a family who were staying at Kryal Castle during the same time our Year 5s were there. They wanted to let me know how wonderful and respectful our students were and in no way did they intrude on their family holiday! What an incredible email to receive and one that makes me so proud of my students and staff.

Take care and God Bless,

Meg

Church Building Project

Once again, St Patrick’s will enter another building project, however this time it will be our Church undergoing these renovations. This will commence at the beginning of September and there will be some changes to the way the Church car park is to be used by parents dropping off and picking up students each day. I ask all parents to use patience and remain calm as we navigate some alternative arrangements during the renovations. All changes will be clearly marked and staff will be available to help parents in the first few days of the changes. The main focus will always be the safety of our students and irresponsible behaviour and dangerous driving will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Thank you for your understanding in this matter. More information will be given as we get closer to the time. Please continue to check updates on PAM and the newsletter.

2024 Planning

Planning has begun for the new school year. If you have a specific parent request for your child for the 2024 school year, this needs to be in writing to the Principal by Friday the 13^th October at the very latest. I ask parents to be respectful when making these requests and to understand that no requests will be guaranteed. The process of creating classes is extremely complex, and the final decision rests with the principal. The students and their needs are what will be considered first and foremost.

If your child/ren will NOT be returning to St Patrick’s in 2024, please contact the office on office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au at your earliest convenience.

Girls school uniforms and make up

Please ensure that the girls Winter uniforms are of an appropriate length. Dresses need to be just above the knees. Students will be spoken to if the uniform is deemed to be inappropriate for school. And NO make-up is to be worn. If the girls wish to wear something on their lips, it MUST be a clear gloss and not coloured. It will be confiscated if found and returned at the end of the day.

Just a reminder that school shoes need to be worn and not runners please. We have a second-hand uniform shop that is available to all families if they need. This is open on Thursday afternoons or by appointment. Please contact the office.

Assembly Changes:

We will not be having assembly on Friday 15th September as we have replaced it with a whole school Footy Parade. All families are invited to come along and join in. It will begin at 2:15pm.

Therapy Dog visit

This year we employed a tutor teacher, Kelly Wilson. Kelly also has a Therapy Dog, Zahli, that she will be introducing to the students at St Patrick’s. All the students will get a visit from her next week and Kelly will present to the students the special protocols and rules around therapy dogs and how they are used. The Therapy dog is a highly trained animal and will always be with Kelly and under her instructions. You can find more information below about Zahli.

If you or your child has any concerns around this, including allergies related to animals, please let your child/ren’s classroom teacher know.

Reminders for Term 3

Dates for Term 4