Principal's Newsletter
Newsletter Thursday 7th September, 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.
Luke 5:1-11
They left everything and followed him
Jesus was standing one day by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the crowd pressing round him listening to the word of God, when he caught sight of two boats close to the bank. The fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. He got into one of the boats – it was Simon’s – and asked him to put out a little from the shore. Then he sat down and taught the crowds from the boat.
When he had finished speaking he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water and pay out your nets for a catch.’ ‘Master,’ Simon replied, ‘we worked hard all night long and caught nothing, but if you say so, I will pay out the nets.’ And when they had done this they netted such a huge number of fish that their nets began to tear, so they signalled to their companions in the other boat to come and help them; when these came, they filled the two boats to sinking point.
When Simon Peter saw this he fell at the knees of Jesus saying, ‘Leave me, Lord; I am a sinful man.’ For he and all his companions were completely overcome by the catch they had made; so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were Simon’s partners. But Jesus said to Simon, ‘Do not be afraid; from now on it is men you will catch.’ Then, bringing their boats back to land, they left everything and followed him.
Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,
Today we celebrated our Book Week parade and my what a fabulous feast for the eyes. Thanks to our parents who I am sure have worked tirelessly to get costumes together and I also know that for some, it was a mad dash this morning or last night! Either way, how wonderful that we can come together for occasions like this.
Thanks also to my incredible staff for getting in on the spirit of things and dressing up and enjoying the moment with their students!
Last week, I had the pleasure of being away on the year 4 camp and it was such an amazing and special time. For so many of our students, we take for granted that they have been to a beach or tasted raspberry jam; but as we discovered, this is not the case. How privileged are we as teachers to experience these first-time moments with our students? Our students were enthusiastic, encouraged one another and gave everything a hundred percent! The camp staff commented on how well-mannered our students were and how involved our teachers are. Thanks to Annette Tanner and the year 4 team for the thorough preparation of the camp and all its activities. As a Principal, this makes me so very proud!
Yesterday our year 3 students visited Scienceworks and The Planetarium as part of their unit on exploring how the seasons change. Once again, I had such positive feedback about our children and how well behaved they were! See below for photos and more details about the day.
Take care and God Bless,
Meg
2024 Enrolments
If you have a child beginning at St Patrick’s next year, please come to the office and get an enrolment form. If they are younger siblings beginning at St Patrick’s, you do still need to complete an enrolment form. If you know of any families living in our area and looking for a school, please tell them about us. If they wish to make an appointment to have a tour, they can contact the office on 5943 9000 or email us at office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au
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 13th 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
Footy Day: 15th September
Dates for Term 4
Year 6 Camp: November 28th - 1st December
St Patrick’s Christmas Concert: Thursday 7th December at 5.30pm
Colour Run: Friday the 8th of December
Year 6 Graduation: Wednesday 13th December 6.00pm