Term 1, Week 3, 2023 School Newsletter.
News from the Principal
Dear Families,
We had our first Foundation orientation day this week and the new children were so excited to meet their new class mates. All of the children settled in extremely well and we can't wait for them to join our school community in 2023. A special thanks to Lorraine Tudor and Cathryn Ruthen for their delicious catering on our orientation morning.
The end of the school year is fast approaching and staff and students are busy preparing for end of year activities. Although we are sad to see our Year 6 students moving on, we are excited for all of the new opportunities they will experience as they begin their secondary school journey.
The Year 6 Graduents will be celebrated next week, by sharing a Dinner, with staff, family and friends. At this time we will reflect on their time at St Patrick's, Gordon.
We invite all families to join with us on Thursday 16th December for our end of year Mass at St. Patrick's church, Gordon at 2 pm. Mass will see us present our end of year Awards and the Year 6 students will received their Graduation certificates. At this Mass, all Year 5 students will receive their leadership badges and their 2023 Year 6 school shirts.
Our wonderful Japanese teacher, Denise Buttler, will also be recognised for the years spent teaching our children about the culture and language of Japan. Denise is retiring from St Patrick's to spend more time with her family. We welcome Kirrily Urquhart into our school community as our new Japanese teacher for 2023. Kirrily has already spent time in class with the children and she is very much looking forward to teaching them next year.
All children attended the Regent Cinema yesterday for an end of year excursion. The movie was DC Superpets and we all enjoyed it very much.
Please take note of all the dates below to keep abreast of this very busy and social time of year.
School reports will be sent home in the last week of school, commencing Monday 5th December.
I hope you all get to enjoy some reasonable weather on the weekend and I thank you all for your continued support. I look forward to seeing a number of you at the Parents and Friends fundraising event at the Wallace Hotel on Saturday evening.
Paul McDowell.
Weekend Parish Mass Times
A Cemetery Mass will be held at the Gordon Cemetery this coming Sunday, 27 November. The Mass commences at 11am. Limited seating available.
If the weather forecast is for inclement weather, Mass will be held at St Patrick’s Church, Gordon. The Mass at Ballan will be celebrated at 8.45am on that day.
Term Four Dates
Gordon Shop Hot school lunches available every Thursday for the rest of the term.
Friday 25th November - School Assembly at 3 pm. All welcome.
Saturday 26th November - Parents and Friends Auction at the Wallace Hotel.
Monday, November 28th - Foundation 2023 Transition Morning.
Tuesday - November 29th -Year 7 Orientation Day (Damascus).
Thursday 1st December - Year 6 Families - Graduation Dinner at the Wallace Hotel @ 6 pm.
Monday December 5 Whole School Transition Morning for 2023 classes .9:00 – 11:00am
Wednesday 7th December - Senior Class excursion to Adventure Park
Friday 9th December - House Cross Country competition - school hours. All families welcome to attend. Approximate 1:30 start time.
Monday 12th December - Playgroup Christmas Party.
Wednesday 14th December - Christmas lunch for staff and students.
Thursday 15th December - End of Year Mass at 2 pm at St Patrick's Church, Gordon.
Friday 16th December - School concludes at 1:15 pm for the 2022 school year.
2023 DATES
- Monday 30th January - All students return to school 8:50 am school start. (Please note new starting time for the 2023 school year).
- Friday 3rd February - School Assemby at 3 pm. All families are invited to join with us.
- Monday 6th February - Playgroup recommences for the 2023 year - 9:15 am start. All families and community members welcome.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care is key to our strong sense of community across the School. There are many threads to the programme – both formal and informal – and all have the intention of addressing the well-being of each student at their individual point of need.
Vivian Lunt is the Pastoral Care Worker at our school. She is a qualified and a very professional and caring Pastoral Care Worker employed at our school every Thursday.
Vivian works with individual children on request, small groups and parents and families as required. All interactions remain strictly confidential.
If any family would like to access this service, either for themselves personally or their child, please contact the school office to arrange an appointment with Vivian.