29 July 2021

Newsletter Articles

Newsletter: Term 3, Week1 2021

FROM THE PRINCIPAL’S DESK

Dear Parents, caregivers and friends,

Thank you once again for your patience, your cooperation and your support of St Patrick’s as we implement the required changes to our day-to-day practices, and sadly, cancel upcoming planned events.

It is repeatedly said that the heart of our school is the strength of our community, and we are all feeling the impact of disconnection. As I write this, my concern is about the wellbeing of our families, students and staff. How are you going? Really.

Amid overwhelming media coverage, concerns for the health and wellbeing of family and friends, potential financial impacts and the threat posed by the sometimes-selfish actions of others, I know that our wellbeing and sense of control can take a bit of a knock.

Remember that although you may feel alone, you are not. Please reach out for support or allow us to connect you to services if things get a bit overwhelming.

The poster resource below may be useful if your children are experiencing some anxiety… by separating what we can control from what we cannot.

It is during times of crisis and turmoil we are reminded that people deal with things differently. At all times may our decisions and actions consider others as well as our ourselves. One of our Catholic Social Teaching principles is ‘Common Good’ where we are called to work together to improve the wellbeing of people in our society and the wider world. Our own needs should be balanced with the needs of those who are disadvantaged (in the current setting those who are unwell, medically vulnerable, disadvantaged in terms of access to health care/vaccination/resources/wealth). May our ability to live out the sentiments in the prayer below be at the core of our interactions and work during this time.

Gracious and loving God,

Give wisdom and strength to all those in our community and around the world, who are responding to the coronavirus – health professionals, government officials, aged care providers, school leaders. May those in our community who are feeling anxious, find peace and reassurance. May our schools be places of compassion, attentive to those who are impacted by the coronavirus. May we be communities of empathy, love and care, in all we face.

Through Christ, our Lord, Amen

CALENDAR EVENTS

BOOKWEEK will proceed in a modified format

WHEN? Term 3 Week 7 (23rd – 27th August)
THEME: Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds

WHAT’S PLANNED?

• Illustrator visit to St Patrick’s - Liz Anelli coming to talk to all students
• Tuesday/Wed/Thurs- Author ZOOMS
• Bake a Book- Staff contributions only. Students will judge entries.
• Art competition for students- Details to follow
• Book Fair with ONLINE ORDERING

Grandparent’s Day, including Dress Up Day unique to the theme (Friday 27th August) has been CANCELLED due to restricted access to our site for external visitors. We apologise for the disappointment this may cause.

CLAIM THE DATE- MISSION DAY

Friday 10th September

RE NEWS

MJR

In Week 3 our focus will be on ‘being a grinner and a winner, not a moaner and a groaner’. We are trying to show this in our response to lots of different issues at school. Sometimes it is really hard to remember to have a positive approach when things go wrong but if we keep trying we get better and better at it and soon it is part of the way we approach challenges.

In Week 4 we move on to Teamwork. That means helping each other and not just helping ourselves. When we work in a team we include other people and we get better results because we share our ideas and talents. A team is always stronger than one person can be.

Samantha and Max (MJR team leaders)

MJR AND THE LINKS TO BEHAVIOUR MANAGEMENT

St Patrick’s student wellbeing and behaviour management approaches are based on the foundation of School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (PBS). This approach is well-researched and has been shown to support and enhance the schools in which it is implemented.

A key aim of PBS is to create a positive school community with consistent expectations in all areas of school life. From the classrooms and pods to the hall and the library, from the entry gates to the playground, on the bus and during assemblies, PBS helps our students understand what is expected of them and provides motivation to comply with those expectations. At St Patrick’s the Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) program is modelled on a pastoral framework, which clearly articulates expectations for behaviour and learning under the headings “I am Safe”, “I am respectful” and “I am a learner”.

Our framework also captures the identified behaviour patterns and management strategies for students who are not meeting behavioural expectations.

It is important to recognise that at St Patrick’s our PBS links with our intention to Make Jesus Real. During Term 3 our primary focus is on Relationships. Students are encouraged and supported to;

• Be a grinner and a winner, not a moaner and a groaner
• Build teamwork skills
• Be a diffuser, not an escalator
• Build positive and supportive friendships

The latter part of the term is dedicated to Resilience, Responsibility and Forgiveness.

REWARDING POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS

Shamrock Awards are used by all staff members to encourage and reward appropriate and positive behaviours. It is advisable to ‘catch’ children making good decisions and following the rules, using the teachings of PBS-

• I am safe
• I am respectful
• I am a learner

Children ‘post’ their shamrocks in the perspex box (located under the COLA), which corresponds with their Sport House. These are collated by the Library Assistants and then returned to class teachers. A 3-star Award is issued by each teacher at the end of each term.

CURRICULUM NEWS

PARENT SURVEYS DUE FRIDAY 30TH JULY- PLEASE TAKE PART

THE LEARNING BAR TELL THEM FROM ME SURVEYS- OPENING 23 AUGUST 2021

Parents will be asked to contribute to a Diocesan wide process of data collection. Last year the Diocese commenced a journey in partnership with The Learning Bar to create a data rich environment to better inform our system and school improvement agenda.

The survey will open from 23 August until 14 October 2021.

CLASSROOM NEWS

BEANIES FOR BRAIN CANCER DAY FRIDAY 30TH JULY

Date: Friday 30th July (Week 3)

Aim of the day: To raise money for brain cancer research. There is no cure for brain cancer as yet so all the money raised will go towards the Mark Hughes Foundation to help Scientists try to find a cure.

Details about the day:

• Students to wear normal full school sports uniform (not an out of uniform day)
• Students can wear a beanie of any colour and style. It doesn’t have to be a Mark Hughes Foundation beanie.
• It would be appreciated if students can bring in a gold coin donation. All money raised will be donated to the Mark Hughes Brain Cancer Foundation.

YEAR 5 OLYMPICS DAY

ABORIGINAL EDUCATIONAL NEWS

WOOLWORTHS GRANT

KREATIVE KOALAS PROGRAM

St Patrick’s School has signed up to be part of this program in 2021. The program aims to inspire young people to investigate and reflect on global sustainability issues and act at a local level.

The focus areas we chose were Life on the Land and Sustainable Cities and Communities. In particular, we are looking at the bird population at the school which is growing quickly as the Lochinvar area gets bigger and bigger – and investigating how our choices about caring for the environment impact not only people but the local wildlife.

Joining the program came about through discussions with the Aboriginal Education Committee about the NAIDOC theme for 2021 – Heal Country. The project leadership is now a real group effort with the AEC, the Stewards of Creation, the Green Team and Years 4 and 5 working on tasks which will inform our project. OOSH are also incorporating activities around the themes to build awareness.

The Green Team took part in a survey of the types and amount of school litter we have – and then contributed to a discussion of the patterns and behaviours they observe. After a follow up meeting with Tahlia and Lily, the leaders of the Stewards of Creation team, we are discussing raising money for a compost bin, building bird houses and rethinking the number and types of bins we have and the signage we put on them. We are also working to build the awareness of the whole school community about the amazing array of birds we share our school with and the choices we can make to protect their homes.

Details of Kreative Koalas and a wonderful gallery of past participants can be found at the link below:

Watch upcoming newsletters for more information about our project.

ORGANISATION & MANAGEMENT

SCHOOL FEE REMINDER

Now is time to check that you are keeping up with your financial responsibility to St Patrick’s regarding school fees. If you entered into a flexible payment plan, you must ensure that you are meeting expectations and remain on track.

REMINDER: DISMISSAL PROCEDURE IN THE AFTERNOON

Each afternoon all children line up according to the mode of transport being used for their journey home. Messages are relayed over the microphone.

A teacher supervises bus lines until the children are safely seated on buses, dismissed from the walker’s line, or collected from the Parent Pick-up points (Hall gate, Cemetery gate or St Nicholas gate).

Children are dismissed according to a staggered schedule to help manage congestion in the area. Students being collected from Hall Gate, Cemetery Gate and the St Nicholas Early Learning Centre Gate are required to wait until a number of school buses have departed to avoid congestion at the local intersections.

Parents are reminded that they are to walk up to the dismissal gates in the afternoon to collect their children to ensure that children are being collected by the nominated parent or carer.

If using the hall gate, please ensure you park according to car park protocols (reverse parking) and correctly use the entry/exit points. PLEASE HOLD THE HAND OF YOUR CHILD/REN AND BE AWARE OF OTHER TRAFFIC USERS. If delaying your departure due to the obvious traffic congestion, you are asked to closely monitor your children’s safety whilst in the carpark or roadways and KEEP THEM CLOSE. Children should not be running, climbing and playing in the area.

Of concern, this week teachers and parents have reported “near misses” relating to children being given permission by parents to exit the vehicle before the car is legally parked and without adequate supervision.

No child is to be collected from the entry gates to the COLA as this is the main bus collection point.

Parents are also reminded that physical distancing is encouraged.

ATTENDANCE- WHAT ARE MY LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES?

Education in New South Wales is compulsory for all children between the ages of six years and below the minimum school leaving age. The Education Act 1990 requires that parents ensure their children of compulsory school age are enrolled at, and regularly attend school, or are registered with the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards for homeschooling. Once enrolled, children are required to attend school each day it is open for students.

The importance of arriving on time

Establishing good habits early on makes a positive difference to the lives of children.

Arriving at school and class on time:

• Ensures that students do not miss out on important learning activities scheduled early in the day
• Helps students learn the importance of punctuality and routine
• Give students time to greet their friends before class
• Reduces classroom disruption.

Lateness is recorded as a partial absence and must be explained by parents.

What if my child has to be away from school?

On occasion, your child may need to be absent from school. Justified reasons for student absences may include:

• being sick, or having an infectious disease
• having an unavoidable medical appointment
• being required to attend a recognised religious holiday
• exceptional or urgent family circumstance (e.g. attending a funeral)

Targeting Late Arrivals

The school day commences at 8.50am. Some parents make a habit of running a few minutes late (or more), and for many this pattern is routinely repeated over the course of the week. This is considered a “Late Arrival” recorded in the class roll as required by the government legislation.

It is essential that children arrive on time as “Learning Every Day Counts.” Parents are urged to ensure their children are at school on time to protect valuable learning time. Repeated lateness is an issue for teachers and the students in the class because it:

• Interrupts the flow of the class and lesson
• Doesn’t allow for settling time before school and a chance for the child to talk to their friends or establish and nurture core friendships
• Is noticed by other children
• May lead to your child feeling anxious or confused all day! He/She will have missed out on vital instructions, information and bits of news at the start of the day
• Creates a bad habit that is hard to break
• poor training in the life skill of punctuality and common courtesy

DID YOU KNOW?

Arriving 5 minutes late each day:

• 5 days a week = 25 minutes lost learning time a week
• 41 weeks a year = 16 hours and 15 minutes lost learning time a year
• 7 years in our school = 113 hours and 45 minutes learning time lost

Lost minutes mean lost learning. Being late 15 minutes every day is the same as missing 2 whole weeks of school over a full academic year. A few minutes here and there shouldn’t matter but every minute counts and regular lost time all adds up.

If your child arrives late, you are required to sign your child in at the office. It is unacceptable to drop children off without providing supervision to the office and signing them in.

ANAPHYLACTIC STUDENT AWARENESS

St Patrick’s Primary has several students who have severe allergic reaction to nuts and other allergens. This reaction is called Anaphylaxis. It is a severe, rapidly progressive allergic reaction that is potentially life threatening and requires urgent treatment.

As a preventative measure could we please ask you to consider the students in our school who are at risk of anaphylaxis by:

• Avoid sending food to school which has nuts or nut products in
• Teach your child to respect children who have food allergies
• Teach your child not to share food, drink, food utensils or containers with anyone
• Encourage your child to wash their hands before and after eating
• Ask your child to get help immediately if their allergic schoolmate gets sick

LOST PROPERTY

Please ensure that every item belonging to your child is identified with a name-tag. Every effort is made to return lost/found articles to the children. Items not claimed at the end of the school term are either donated to the clothing pool or disposed of.

SPORT NEWS

SOCCER GALA DAY- Wednesday 1st September

Soccer training officially began last week and we had such a great turnout for both Stage 2 (years 3 and 4) and Stage 3 (years 5 and 6) students. Due to the volume of students that have put their hand up, we have slightly altered the training times. Year 3 will meet on Thursday at second lunch, straight away, with their: boots, shinpads and sports uniform. Year 4 will meet on Friday at second lunch, straight away, with their: boots, shinpads and sports uniform. Stage 3 students will do training during class time on Friday afternoon and will be required to bring their boots and shin pads on Friday.

The Gala Day is currently still going ahead on Wednesday 1st September at Lake Macquarie. St Patrick’s have currently been allocated 2x Stage 2 teams and 2 x Stage 3 teams. Students will be picked in each team primarily based upon attendance to training each week. Understandably, it will be acceptable to miss training if students are absent or unable to train that week due to an injury. If there are still too many students competing for positions, then students in year 4 or year 6 will take precedence as it is their last year in that age group. By Monday the 9th we will release the proposed teams of students at school.

GYMNASTICS SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR TERM 3

TO COMMENCE WEEK 6 FOR KINDER - YEAR 6

COMMUNITY NEWS

PARISH OFFICE NOTICE

GOOD FOR KIDS NEWSLETTER

PARENTING PAGE