Newsletter Thursday 15th February, 2024

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,

Well, another eventful week here at St Patrick’s with the stinking hot weather and then a big, nasty storm that brought down trees and branches. Thankfully we suffered no other damage to school and for that I am grateful. Once again, our staff ensured the safety of our students in delivering them to vehicles and not be too affected by the weather.

This week our Year 2 classes also began their swimming lessons. I had the opportunity to visit yesterday, and it was incredible to watch the students and see how far they have come since they first began.

Next week, we will be holding our Family Learning Conversations (FLCs) for the families of St Patrick’s. You can book your interview time on your PAM account, there are instructions listed within this newsletter. If you have a problem with doing this, please contact the office on 5943 9000 or email office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or pop in to speak with either Cindy or Alex.

These meetings are a terrific opportunity to meet your child/ren’s classroom teachers and to discuss how your child has settled down.

Take care and God Bless,

Meg

Year Level Camp/ Fun Day Dates:

TERM DATES 2024

2024 PUPIL FREE DAYS AND SCHOOL CLOSURE DAYS:

The 4 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.

I would like to bring to parents’ attention the concern I have with students bringing to school particular lollies called, LIL NITRO. These lollies contain CHILLI of the hottest kind and teachers have heard students saying that they are saving up to buy these. Whilst I do not control what happens outside of school hours, I do not wish to see these items brought to school under any circumstances please. We had a sick student who was experiencing some unpleasant side effects after consuming this item. If these items are found, they will be confiscated and returned at the end of the day. Please ensure that you do check your child’s lunchbox each morning before they come to school. I encourage you to help them to choose their own snacks, however it is important that a parent takes the time to look over the lunchboxes to ensure the food is healthy and plentiful.

Thank you for your co-operation in this matter. See image below.

Our Icy Poles Wednesdays are back !!

Please log onto CDF Pay with the link below to order one for your child. Each icy pole is $1.50.

https://stppakenham.cdfpay.org.au

CSEF Applications are now due! 

If you have a current Health Care Card you may be eligable for the school fees concession program. 

The applicant must be one of the following:

1. a parent/carer (of a student attending a registered Government or non-government Victorian primary or secondary school) who is:
   • on the first day of Term 1 (29 January 2024), or the first day of Term 2 (15 April 2024)  a holder of one or more of the eligible financially-means tested cards (Centrelink Health Care Card or a Pensioner Concession Card), or
   • a temporary foster parent

The parent/carer must submit an application to the school by 23 June 2024.

If anyone has any questions or would like to discuss their school fee account, please contact the school office. 

Please download and fill in both forms below if you qualify.

If there are any changes from last year, this includes a new child starting at the school or any child who has now left the school, there is an additional form that needs to be filled out. Please come by the school office to collect it.

Please find the school fee schedule attached. Some school fees have gone out, the rest are following shortly. If you have any questions plese contact CIndy in the school office.

Last week the Scholastic brochures where handed out in class. All orders are made online via Book Club LOOP. Please follow the link below to make your purchase.

All purchases must be made before Thursday 22nd of February. 

https://www.scholastic.com.au/book-club/book-club-parents/

Please see below the library borrowing times for each class:

Our Family Learning Conversations (FLC) are next week. If you have not done so already please log onto PAM to book in a time that suits you best.

To book through PAM you click on 'Parent Teacher Interviews'. Each child will have their own drop down box with the available times and dates for you to book.

NAPLAN testing is for our Year 3 and 5 students only. This will occurs over 5 days as they test for writing, reading, conventions of language and maths. The dates for these test are listed below:

Wednesday 13th March: Writing

Thursday 14th March: Reading

Monday 17th March: Conventions of Language

Tuesday 19th March: Maths

SPECIAL REPORT: The Wellbeing Barometer 2024

The Wellbeing Barometer survey has proven to be an invaluable tool for schools, providing insights into the state of youth mental health and wellbeing. Whilst last year’s results focussed the spotlight on areas of concern, there were also many highlights that demonstrated the resilience and adaptability of students and emphasised the necessity of prevention strategies.

Participating in this year's survey, will assist in identifying areas of strength and concern, as well as pinpointing opportunities for early intervention. Previously gathered information has helped support families as they navigate difficult conversations that enable understanding and foster connections to build relationships.

This survey is part of an ongoing, longitudinal study, with the results being instrumental in tailoring support for students and their families. Participation is strongly encouraged, as it provides a comprehensive view of students' experiences, challenges, and achievements over the past year. Its aim is to capture a comprehensive picture of young people's lives, allowing for a tailored approach to enhance mental and emotional wellbeing.

We encourage you to take a few moments to complete a survey for each of your children. This will help us determine the nature and extent of your concerns and how best to support families in the months ahead. Responses remain anonymous and will only be reported on an aggregated basis. You are asked to base your responses on observations made in the last 12 months.

Acquiring the skills for future independence, taking healthy risks, and giving young people the opportunity to emancipate from parents, are key developmental tasks that are essential if we are to stave off the impact of mental illness in the future. Please reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback. If this raises any concerns for you or your child, please reach out to the school or seek professional medical advice.

Here is the link to your special report https://stppakenham.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-wellbeing-barometer-2024-au

Dear Parents and Carers,

Sacrament of Reconciliation

The Sacrament of Reconciliation, also known as the Sacrament of Penance and Confession, is an important element of Christian life where we encounter God's presence and unconditional love.

The Year 3 students are preparing has been preparing for the Sacrament of Reconciliation at school. You can help your child prepare in many ways such as family prayer and attending Mass regularly.

PARENT WORKSHOP (ONLY PARENTS)

IT IS AN EXPECTATION THAT ALL PARENTS OF CHILDREN RECEIVING THE SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION WILL ATTEND ON THIS NIGHT.

When: Thursday 29th February 

Time: 7:00 pm

Where: St Patrick’s Parish Hall

Speaker: Fr Elio Capra SDB

Students receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation and parents are to attend the Commitment Mass on Saturday 2nd March at St Patrick’s Church, Pakenham.

Any student attending St Patrick’s school who is baptised in the Catholic Church, attending Year 3 onwards can register to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Bookings will open on Monday 19th February at 10:00 am. The link for registration is below:

https://stpatrickspakenham.com.au/reconciliation/

Please feel free to contact Mary Tresa Andrews, Religious Education Leader, via email at mandrews@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au 

KEY DATES

Regards,

Mary Tresa Andrews

Religious Education Leader

St Patrick’s Primary School

Our Foundations students had their first Digi tech class last week where they where programming the Bee Bots to move around the room !

In yesterday's math lessons students in 1AF are learning to count up to 100 and beyond. They learnt how to use tens frames and how to represent a number correctly on a tens frame. 

Our Year 2's began their swimming lessons at Splash's this week! They will continue their swimming lessons throught this week and next week. 

We have an ENORMOUS number of jackets and hats and lunchboxes etc in our lost property box outside the office. I ask please for all parents/carers and guardians to PLEASE NAME THEIR CHILD’S SCHOOL UNIFORMS AND OTHER BELONGINGS. It would be literally hundreds of dollars gone to waste. Please also find below a picture of some jewellery and 5 pairs of glasses that have been handed in to the school office. If these are not collected by the end of the term, they will be discarded.

Have you logged into your PAM account yet! 

We use 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. 

Our second hand uniform shop is located D3 (across from the Discovery Centre). It is open every Tuesday and Thursday in February from 3:00pm - 3:30pm. Any other days of the week are booked by appointment.