Newsletter Thursday 15th September 2022

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.

Good afternoon Parents/carers and guardians,

Welcome to the final week of Term 3! Let us take a moment to reflect on the term we have had.

We have celebrated Father’s Day, Book Week-with a magical parade, our Grade 2 and 3 students went swimming for 2 weeks, footy dress up day and hot food, gymnastics lessons, Lightning Prem, Inter-School sports, Grade 5 camp to Sovereign Hill, Popcorn Wednesday’s, mass with our Parishioners and finally the Sacrament of Confirmation was celebrated.

An enormous thank you to the staff of St Patrick’s for their work this term. Staff have dealt with sickness either for themselves or within their own families, a shortage of staff at school, illness amongst the students and yet day after day, I see the staff coming through for one another. Doing extra yard duties, assisting casual relief teachers and of course the continued education and support of our students. I am filled with pride every time I take a new family through our school and introduce them to the staff and students. I ask for feedback from the students about why families should send their students here; and their answers include, because of the great education we get, we learn about respect, safety and co-operation, we make firm friendships here, the teachers care. Of course, this is absolute music to my ears!

Thanks also to our Parents and Friends committee for their dedication to our school when organising and creating fun activities for all. You are amazing!

I would like to finish my newsletter this term with a poem written by one of our grade 4 students. He has produced a piece of writing that all adults should take notice of. Our children’s voices need to be heard…

Peace is what we don't have enough of right now in this world.

War every day, people have to flee from their home,

but even the countries that start war somewhere inside deep down there’s love.

 We just have so much hate we don't notice the love they have.

 They try to stop but people don't hold back, they don't stop,

 there's a choice between love and hate,

you either pull apart your love and your country or stop and create peace and teach those who stay and fight what's better,

 Peace is something we need more of in this world.

Mason     

Please take the time to be with each other these holidays and to just be…be in the moment and really be with each other. Put the phones down, turn off the radio, turn off the television, invite peace and love and Jesus into your hearts.

Take care and God Bless

Meg

Reminder: Today is the last day of school for the term.

School resumes on Tuesday the 4^th October.

Today we saw our students’ true colours shine through-literally as they embraced the school dress up day. How wonderful to see them proclaim each of their footy teams as the best and to enjoy a pie and sausage roll to go with it. The simple things really are the best.

Building Update

I had another site meeting yesterday and pleased to report that the E Block is well on track to be completed mid-November. The B Block will then begin their renovation. I have attached some photos of the E block as of yesterday.

School Toilets-Important

Just a reminder that NO adults-parents/carers or guardians are to be using the school toilets. This has enormous implications on child safety and any adults caught going into the toilet will be spoken to. Please do not put staff in this difficult position. Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Christmas Concert

I am pleased to announce that St Patrick’s will be bringing the Christmas Concert back. This will be held on Thursday the 1^st December and each grade will be performing. There will be more information to come so please keep the date free.

School Uniform Reminders

I would like to remind families please about the importance of wearing our school uniform with pride. I have noticed in the last few weeks that some students are not wearing the correct items and therefore this brings down the presentation of how we present as a school. If your child does not have the correct uniform to wear for a particular day, they must have a note to explain this and this note is to be handed to the teacher. I will be asking staff to follow up if there are still issues.

Thank you for your understanding in this matter.

Child Safe Standards

On July 1^st, 2022, the Victorian Government has announced new Child Safe Standards. The eleven new standards will replace the original 7 and the principles underlying them. Each week in the newsletter, I will be placing a new standard in for parents, carers and guardians to look over. Please note that this is also a major focus for us at St Patrick’s and other DOSCEL schools.

What will be different?

Although similar to Victoria’s current Child Safe Standards, key changes include new requirements:

• to involve families and communities in organisations’ efforts to keep children and young people safe
• for a greater focus on safety for Aboriginal children and young people
• to manage the risk of child abuse in online environments
• in relation to governance, systems and processes to keep children and young people safe.

In complying with Child Safe Standard 9 an organisation must, at a minimum, ensure:

9.1    Staff and volunteers identify and mitigate risks in the online and physical environments without compromising a child’s right to privacy, access to information, social connections and learning opportunities.

9.2    The online environment is used in accordance with the organisation’s Code of Conduct and Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy and practices.

9.3    Risk management plans consider risks posed by organisational setting, activities and the physical environment.

9.4    Organisations that contract facilities and services from third parties have procurement policies that ensure the safety of children and young people.

SunSmart policy

We have been a SunSmart school for over 15 years now and are proud of the message we continue to reinforce and model effective sun smart behaviours. Our policy states:

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can’t be seen or felt. Whatever the weather, it’s important for people of all skin types to use sun protection whenever UV levels are three or higher.

Too much of the sun’s UV can cause sunburn, skin and eye damage and skin cancer. UV damage accumulated during childhood and adolescence is strongly associated with an increased risk of skin cancer in later life.

By teaching sensible sun protection habits from an early age and implementing sun protection measures, schools can play a significant role in reducing skin cancer risk.

Working closely with SunSmart Victoria and The Cancer Council, St Patrick’s will be requiring all students and staff to wear an appropriate hat from the 1^st of August until the 30^th of April.

TERM 3 School Closure Day-Last day of term Friday the 16^th September.

On this day, the staff of St Patrick’s will be participating in a RE Professional Development day that is focused on the Inquiry approach to Religion. What this means for our students is when teachers are preparing Religious Education lessons for the students, the scripture that is used, is chosen carefully in order to ensure that the messages coming through, are relevant to the issues facing our children in this modern world. It is about discussing how Jesus approached His life and His interactions with others and how we can apply this to our own lives and learn from the situation.

No Right Turn Sign-The Avenue carpark

For those parents using The Avenue car park for drop off and pick up, you will notice a new NO RIGHT TURN sign at the exit of the carpark. This means that traffic exiting The Avenue car park MUST TURN LEFT. Please ensure you are doing the right thing. You are role models for your children and disobeying road rules is not a message that should be relayed to them.

Preteens Youth Group Grades 4, 5 and 6 students-DIVINE-FAITH FORMATION PROGRAMME FOR CHILDREN

St Patrick’s and St Clare’s along with the Parish is setting up the Pre-teens youth group. See the flyer below for the dates and contact numbers if you are interested. This is an excellent opportunity to get to know new people and to have time to discuss your faith whilst having fun and sharing some food and soft drinks. SEE FLYER BELOW.

Notifying the School of an Absence-IMPORTANT

Due to the increase in students not being at school, the office is taking several hours each day to chase up each absent student. I ask all parents to either use PAM or to contact the office directly to let them know that your child/ren will not be at school that day. We have a legal responsibility to know where the students are every day.

Parents please also note, that you are not able to talk to the teachers directly when ringing through to the school office. The teachers are in with the students and therefore staff cannot attend to phone calls from parents. If you wish to pass on a message to a teacher, please email them or ring the school office and ask the office staff to pass on the message to the teacher. Thank you.

4 GD had a go at writing their own psalms about places in Nature.

These were some of the results:

The whistle of silence was a quiet song,

The taste of the dewdrops falling like peace

I saw a bunch of trees, faded with light 

In between air

You also smell damp green moss everywhere

No one can help that

I felt the air between my thumbs, it’s calming me down like a soothing song.

Rainforests are lush, growing, flourishing places.

Nearly every animal lives in any rainforest

Lots of plants flourish and flowers bloom

Palm trees grow

Animals live freely

Jade green plants,

The animals are as bright as the sun

Beautiful animal prints fill the rainforest

Birds colours fill the sky 

Ground animals dig good holes and land animals run freely.

God made you to smell the air, taste the fruits and see the stars,

I can see colourful stars and planets.

Water flowing from the waterfall. 

Smell of flower, feeling wet green grass. 

Sight of tall beautiful trees.  Hearing birds quacking. 

What a wonderful world, I say!

I see dark green leaves waving beautifully

In space it smells like nothing

And feels like nothing

And sounds like silence

In a forest you see very tall trees covered in vines,

Hear birds squawking and leaves rustling,

Smell flowers and a soap like smell

Relaxing feeling like you are sleeping.

The ocean look shimmery blue,

Sounds like the whooshing wind

Feels wet and damp and tastes like salt

Smells like fresh seaweed just washed up on shore

The green forest 

I’d see the blooms

Smells so warm

Too cold and shiny (as Mia would say)

World so full of wonder, so to say

Like this for a hundred billion, trillion years

A song our teacher showed us and I remember a part that said

“And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.”

In the forest when you’re in the forest and you see things flower

Don’t you think to yourself

“Let me snatch it for myself”

But then you think “why ruin it?”

Think about it.

The world.

The big white clouds in the beautiful blue sky

I can see the sun shining bright light

The sound of flowing wind

I feel the wind swooshing and blowing on my hair

I smell fresh, clean air

TERM DATES

The small gate in the church car park, near the prep portables, will remain locked until further notice for saftety reasons. 

It is not safe for children to cross the carpark to use this entry point, nor is it safe to drop them off further back in the carline.

Thanks for your understanding in this matter.

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. 

Have you set up 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 new 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. 

Pakenham Upper Toomuc Cricket club are looking to start our first female cricket team in some time.

Its a great little Family club. Just up the hill at Packenham upper,

Season starts a week after the holidays,

Woolworths Junior Blasters (kids aged 5-7) is back at Yabbieland
Starting Wednesday October 19th, 8 x 1 hour sessions will run through to Wednesday December 7th

Each Junior Blasters Starter Pack includes
          - T-shirt with your name on it
          - Bucket hat in your choice of Big Bash team colour
          - Personalised plastic bat
          - Rubber ball

Sign up for our Junior Blasters program here: https://play.cricket.com.au/.../2238cd53-8ad8-eb11-a7ad...
Safe and inclusive for kids of all abilities
To ensure the safety of all participants, we use plastic bats and a rubber ball.
Activities use softer balls of different sizes, as well as blind cricket balls, so kids can participate and develop at their own pace.
We provide an environment focusing on kids abilities.
Each session includes skills activities and a game of backyard cricket
          - Welcome/Warm-Up (5 mins)
          - Activities & Games (30 mins)
          - Backyard Cricket (20 mins)
          - Closing and pack up (5 mins)

Get involved and enjoy some quality time with your child

The Junior Blasters program is designed for parents to get involved and spend some quality time with their child learning some simple cricket skills. Your involvement in the program has a huge impact on your child's enjoyment, skill progression and achievement.

The Blast Crew is a great first step for first time cricket parents to get involved and have some fun with your child and provide a great experience.

         Proud Sponsor of Community Cricket           

We are a community based, not for profit, sporting club based in Berwick and are looking for players across all age groups it would be greatly appreciated if you could include the below notice in your upcoming newsletter for our Softball Clubs registration day. 

Berwick Braves Softball club caters for players aged from 5 to 96 both Male and Female in a fun, friendly, family oriented environment and we would love to get more of your school community involved.

SOFTBALL FUN FOR ALL AGES

Berwick Braves Softball Club – Registration / Training/ Come & TryDay

Saturday the 17th of September 2022 from 11am – 1.00pm

Sweeney Reserve – Cnr Melzac Drive & Dempster Way Berwick

Berwick Braves Softball club caters for players aged from 5 to 96 both

Male and Female in a fun, friendly, family oriented environment

No Experience Necessary – EVERYONE WELCOME to come down and try.

Contact:  Tania Hoare  0412 544 580 / tania@tankweld.com.au

or find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Berwick.Braves

Berwick Braves Softball Club Inc.