Newsletter Thursday 23rd 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 5 students off to their camp at Kryal Castle. From all reports, they are having a great time and some were so excited, they woke up at 4am this morning! I believe there will be some tired little faces when they arrive home tomorrow.

Last weekend, we celebrated Confirmation with our Year 6s from both Parish schools. Altogether we had 85 students confirmed at the two masses held on Saturday. Bishop Greg was there to bless the candidates and his Homily reflected just how much in touch he is with the needs of today’s society.

Bishop Greg created a sense of calm and welcome to all those who approached him. I would also like to thank Fr Janeesh and Fr Paul who were also key in supporting and preparing our children.

A huge thanks to Mrs Noleen Chalmers and to Belinda Couch and David Daly for preparing the students so well for this occasion. The whole day moved seamlessly.

As Term 3, comes closer to an end, I am already making plans for 2024. If you know that your child/ren will NOT be returning to St Patricks next year, can you please let me know at your earliest convenience. Similarly, if you have a child that will be in Foundation next year, please ensure that the enrolment paperwork is filled out so we can begin to send out all the information needed for transition.

Take care and God Bless,

Meg

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:

This Friday the 25th August there will be no assembly. This is due to a school camp and our District Athletics that are occurring on the same day.

We will also have no assembly on the 15th September as we will be having our footy parade instead, all families are invited to join in as it will begin at 2:15pm !

Reminders for Term 3

Dates for Term 4

TERM DATES

PUPIL FREE DAYS:

These 3 Pupil Free 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.

Yesterday we had our Father's Day stall, this ran very smoothly thansk to our dedicated P&F team! Thank you to everyone who donated to our raffle as well!!

Our winners for the raffle are:

3rd - Dawn 1AF

2nd - Abby 1AF

1st - Ruth 2NB

 

On 4th of September we will be celebrating Father's day with a few before school activities. All families are invited to come down and join us this morning.

We will also have a coffee van on site !

Due to the multiple camps and excursion we have postponed Book Week to the 4th September.

Our book week parade will be on Thursday 7th September.

Scholastic!

If you are wanting to make a purchase through Scholastic this needs to be done today!

Confirmation

Reconciliation - UPDATED

Even though we have pushed back our book week parade we are still celebrating book week! Kelly Wilson is a new member of staff who went around to our year levels reading books and talking with our students about her books!

Last week we used balancing scales to measure the mass of objects

Yesterday our Year 5 students headed off to Kryal Castle. They have enjoyed their first day of activities and a pizza night for dinner. Today they start with more activities at Kryal Castle before heading off to spend the afternoon at Sovereign Hill where they will also be watching the Aura Night Show.

Here are a few photos from their camp so far:

This month on SchoolTV - Respectful Relationships 

Fostering a nurturing environment of respectful relationships within your family holds the key to not only harmonious living, but also improved academic outcomes for your children. As parents and caregivers, embracing the art of teaching children about respect at a young age sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy interactions and empathetic understanding. It will help cultivate a positive environment where communication flourishes, conflicts are resolved constructively, and bonds are fortified.

Teaching children to respect themselves and others will open up avenues for both personal growth and academic achievement. Fostering an environment where respect is not just a word, but a practiced behaviour, will empower young people with essential life skills. Effective communication, active listening, and the art of compromise, will provide your child with a solid foundation that will transcend family interactions and help them collaborate effectively with peers, teachers and the broader community.

Equipping children with an understanding of healthy versus unhealthy relationships is an important aspect of their development. It will guide them to make informed choices, foster positive connections, and set boundaries that contribute to their emotional wellbeing. Understanding the nuances between healthy and unhealthy relationships provides children with the essential tools to navigate their social world, build self-esteem, and cultivate meaningful relationships.

In this edition of SchoolTV, learn how to empower young people in healthy interactions to embrace differences and forge connections that honour their self-worth. We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this month’s edition, and we always welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to this month's edition https://stppakenham.catholic.schooltv.me/newsletter/respectful-relationships

In celebration of the Women's World Cup we are encourgaing our students to be active everyday this month with these fun soccer challenges!

Have you logged into your PAM account yet! 

We have been using 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 and any relevant medical details for your child.  

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.