School Newsletter - Term 3 Week 3- 2025

News from the Principal

Dear Families,

Last week, we had the absolute pleasure of taking our Foundation, Year 1, and Year 2 students on an exciting excursion to the Melbourne Museum—and what a day it was! The students were buzzing with enthusiasm from the moment we boarded the bus. Once at the museum, they were immersed in an incredible world of discovery, exploration, and hands-on learning.

Highlights of the day included the Dinosaur Walk, where students stood in awe beneath towering skeletons and learned about prehistoric creatures that once roamed the Earth. The Bugs Alive! exhibition was another crowd favourite. With live insects, detailed displays, and interactive activities, the students explored the fascinating world of mini beasts and their important roles in our environment.

It was wonderful to see our young learners asking thoughtful questions, making connections to their classroom learning, and sharing their excitement with teachers and peers. A huge thank you to our staff and parent helpers who supported this memorable day—we couldn’t have done it without you!

And today we were joined by some elderly citizens, who all happened to be the same age - 100 Years Old. It is  an absolute highlight of Foundation and the first year of school. We are immensely proud of our little wonders and many thanks to Mr. Tom, Miss Chloe and Miss Sian for their amazing efforts today. As a treat, our Year One students spent the day with Mr. Lamb and our senior students. Many thanks to Mr. Lamb and Miss Amanda for making their day special.

Looking ahead, August is shaping up to be a busy and exciting month at our school:

• Trivia Night – TOMORROW!
  Our school’s annual Trivia Night will be held Saturday, 9th August from 6:30pm–late at the Bungaree Recreation Reserve. It’s sure to be a fun-filled evening of friendly competition, laughter, and community spirit.  We hope to see you there!

• Whole School Photos - August 13th including all 2025 Sports Teams
• Book Week – August 18th -22nd
• This year’s theme is “Book an Adventure” and we can’t wait to celebrate the joy of books with a week full of activities. Our much-loved Book Week Dress-Up Parade will take place on Monday 18th August. The parade will commence at 9.15am

• Year 3-6 Camp – August 25th - 27th
  Our middle and senior students will soon be heading off on their camp adventure! It's a wonderful opportunity for them to build independence, develop teamwork, and make lifelong memories. Details are on SIMON for families.

• Bunnings BBQ Fundraiser – Sunday 31st August
  We’ll be running a sausage sizzle at Bunnings Ballarat to raise funds for our school. If you’re available to volunteer on the day, even for an hour, we’d love your help. This is always a fantastic opportunity to connect with the wider community and support our school programs. Our wonderful P&F team will be in touch shortly with more information. 

In staffing updates, Miss Fiona will be taking Long Service Leave (LSL) across Weeks 5-6 with Mr. Lamb taking LSL in weeks 7-9, returning at the beginning of Term Four. We will have Miss Sam with Fiona's class and Mrs Susan Harley with Mr. Lamb's class during these well earned breaks for Fiona and Jamie.

Finally, I will be attending the National Catholic Education Conference from Monday 18th - Friday, 22nd August in Cairns, Queensland. During my absence I will be in contact with school but please direct any queries to the office and Jamie and Fiona will respond to your inquiry.

We are so proud of how our students are engaging in all the learning and community experiences offered to them. Thank you for your ongoing support in making all these events possible.

Warm regards,
Paul McDowell
Principal

100 Days of Learning

100 Days of Fun

Bugs Alive!

Foundation, Grade 1 & Grade 2 Excursion to the Melbourne Museum

Our Foundation, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students recently enjoyed an exciting and educational day out at the Melbourne Museum. The excursion was filled with curiosity, wonder, and hands-on learning as students explored two captivating exhibitions: Bugs Alive! and Dinosaur Walk.

In the Bugs Alive! exhibition, students came face to face with all sorts of creepy crawlies—from beetles and stick insects to spiders and giant snails! They discovered the fascinating world of insects and learned about their life cycles, habitats, and the important role they play in our environment.

The adventure continued with the Dinosaur Walk, where students were amazed by life-sized skeletons and replicas of prehistoric creatures. There were many wide eyes and excited whispers as children stood beneath the towering Mamenchisaurus and examined the sharp teeth of a Tarbosaurus. The exhibition brought the prehistoric past to life and sparked many questions about how dinosaurs lived, what they ate, and how we know so much about creatures that lived millions of years ago.

Our students then went on to experience the misty air and damp earth of the Forest Walk. They had the opportunity to walk beneath tall trees and hear the birdsong of the forest's local inhabitants. 

Along the way they looked for the Forest Gallery's animal residents from native fish and spiny crayfish in the creek, to tiny wrens that flit among the bushes. Somewhere up above was  a Tawny Frogmouth. 

Throughout the day, students demonstrated curiosity, respect, and a keen interest in learning. It was a wonderful opportunity to extend classroom learning and bring science and history to life in a real-world setting.

A big thank you to all staff and parent helpers who made this day possible!

Inspiring Project by one of St. Patrick's Wonderful Students

Tommy Low, one of our Year Two students has been working on a social justice project, and we thought we’d share it with the wider school community.

It’s called The Good Sock Project. With a bit of help from his wonderful mum Cassie, Tommy designed several sock patterns and this family had them manufactured. For every pair sold, they donate a warm pair to someone in need. It’s been a lovely way to give back and also teach Tommy about kindness and helping others. Please look at the socks via the weblink and if you wish, please support Tommy's fantastic initiative:
https://thegoodsockproject.bigcartel.com

Please view Tommy's project in his own words below. Fantastic work Tommy.

Wellbeing @ St. Patrick's

Miss Jacinta is on staff every Tuesday to support students and families with a range of issues around wellbeing and offering support and strategies. Peaceful Kids is a program around relationship and friendship which is currently running. If  you wish to speak with Jacinta you may contact her through the office each Tuesday or by emailing Paul and he will pass on your details for a call from Jacinta.

A reminder that  School TV on our school website  is a wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting:  https://spgordon.catholic.schooltv.me/

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.

pmcdowell@spgordon.catholic.edu.au

Out of Hours School Care 

We have wonderful staff in Lisa, Chloe and  Jess ably  supported by Emily and staff  from YMCA at our school. Students are treated with respect and are engaged in fun and varied activities Before and After School.

The strength of the program relies on families using the service so I encourage families to sign up and continue to use.

Children must be enrolled to attend the program - whether ongoing or casual

TO ENROL PLEASE USE THE ATTACHED LINK:

https://prodadmin.myxplor.com/enrollment_v2/centre/4MxeRH0TsTorIGPLx24356Sh0A

Sadly, the number of children in out of home care are increasing while the number of foster carers are decreasing. This often results in very young children residing in residential care, or moving regularly from home to home.

If you or anyone you know may be interested in this worthwhile cause please reach out to CAFS. 

St John Defibrillators – Ready to help you save lives

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the leading causes of death in Australia.

Defibrillators have the power to change this, with the potential to save thousands of lives if they are located within 1-2 minutes of where people work, live and spend their leisure time.

Having a defibrillator means you can step in with the tools to save a life before paramedics arrive – every minute counts. Research shows survival rates of up to 70% can be achieved if an AED is on hand.

We have a defibrillator located in the front foyer of St Patrick's Primary School - this is a lifesaving tool for our community.

Health Update For All Families: Winter Ashtma Plans

Dear Parents,

As part of our commitment to ensuring the ongoing safety and well-being at all students at St. Patrick’s, we are reaching out to inquire about any  asthma or allergy plans that may be in place for your child as we enter Winter that school is not aware of. We start to see children being prescribed for Winter asthma or a puffer just in case.

Your child’s health and safety are our top priorities and your cooperation in providing this information is greatly appreciated.

If your child has been diagnosed with asthma or allergies (also seasonal), we kindly request that you inform us of any existing plans or protocols that should be followed while they are at school. This information will help us better understand your child’s needs and enable us to respond appropriately in case of health related situations.

Due to policy updates we will no longer be able to store or administer medications such as Panadol, Nurofen, pharmacy only medications (including zyrtec & claratyne) or other non-prescribed medications at school. 

As a result of this policy; medications will only be allowed on school property with a document signed by your doctor. This could include an action plan, letter or treatment plan. 

We thank you in advance for your support keeping all of our children safe.

Thank you for your attention to this matter, and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns.

Playgroup

Join Us for Playgroup!

Playgroup is a fun, welcoming time for children, parents, families, and the wider community to come together for play, connection, and social time. It’s a great chance for children to explore and build friendships, while adults enjoy a warm drink and friendly conversation.

Playgroup runs every Monday from 9:00am to 10:30am in the school hall. The space is cozy and inviting—heaters keep it warm and comfortable, and tea and coffee are available to help everyone feel right at home.

Each session finishes with a special story time led by our Foundation teacher and students—a calm and engaging way to end the morning and encourage a love of books.

All families are welcome, whether you’re new to our school or a familiar face. Come along and be part of this relaxed and friendly group—we’d love to see you there!

If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to contact the school office on 5368 9495.

School Term Dates

Gordon Parish Mass

Music lessons

We are now taking bookings for 2025 music lessons.  If you would like any information please contact Tim on 0450 904 464 and he can discuss with you. 

We acknowledge that St Patrick's Primary School is on Wadawurrung Country.

We would like to acknowledge and extend our appreciation for the Wadawurrung People, the Traditional Owners of the land that we are standing on today.

Today, we pay our respects to leaders and Elders past, present and future for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and the hopes of all Wadawurrung Peoples.

We express our gratitude in the sharing of this land, our sorrow for the personal, spiritual and cultural costs of that sharing and our hope that we may walk forward together in harmony and in the spirit of healing.