Newsletter Thursday 22nd August

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.

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.

Dear Parents, Carers and Guardians,

The Gospel this week talks about the drastic impact of Jesus' teaching on the crowd: most walk away. When confronted with spiritual needs and a spiritual message, most people will turn it down. What society wants is spectacle, material things, and a political saviour. This lesson can help you strengthen and remain true to your commitment to follow Jesus Christ, even when others may not choose to follow Him. We make the decision that we are going to trust in what we believe and what is in our hearts and not to follow the crowd. It is important to stand up for what you believe rather than go with the majority as a way of complying with others. Be the one who dares to believe and to stand outside of the majority!

Tomorrow, we look forward to our Book Week dress up day! We have some very excited students and teachers, who are looking forward to transform into a character from another time or place. This year's theme is, Reading Is Magic and the featured artist is Australian illustrator and author Jess Racklyeft who illustrated 2022 CBCA Picture Book of the Year Iceberg (written by Claire Saxby).

All parents are welcome to come and view the Book Parade which begins at 9.10 am in the Stadium.

After this, all students will be participating in a range of different activities up until lunchtime. All the activities are based around reading and literacy in general and focus on what makes Reading Magic!

Take care and God Bless,

Meg

During this term, I will start to plan for 2025 and will soon be looking at staffing for the following year. If you have a reasonable request for your child/ren in regard to classroom placement, this MUST be put into writing and be emailed to principal@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au. The closing date for this will be Friday 6^th September. Any requests coming to me after this date may not be considered.

Once again, these requests are never guaranteed and ultimately, the final placement of the students rests with me as principal.

Kind Regards,

Meg Escalante

Amity competed in the 12km Devils Bend Trail run in the Under 17 division and placed 1st! 

Our AFL dress up day will be on Thursday 19th September. Students are invited to wear their favourite team jersey on this day. 

Our P&F have also organised hot food for this day. Log onto CDF Pay if you would like to place an order for your child/ren. There are meat pies, sausage rolls and vegetarian pasties all at $5 each. These orders must be submitted by Monday 2nd September to ensure the bakery has enough time to organise our order.

https://stppakenham.cdfpay.org.au

Please contact Alex Taylor in the school office if you need any assistance accessing your CDF Pay account.

No Assembly Friday 23^rd August or Friday 30^th August

Next assembly is 2SM on Friday 6^th September

We are experiencing a high volume of students (and staff) with cough and flu symptoms. Please ensure you keep your children home from school if they present with a nasty cough, runny nose or fever. We are continuing to rely on habits developed throughout the Covid lockdown and use the hand sanitiser every day before and after eating, entering the classroom and after the toilets.

Department of Health Warning for parents and families.

Increasing Pertussis (Whooping Cough) Cases

MAIN POINTS

• The Department of Health, Victoria has issued a health alert, Increasing pertussis (whooping cough) cases in Victoria.

• The key messages are:

o cases of pertussis are increasing in Victoria, mostly affecting children aged 10-12 years

o pertussis is a highly contagious respiratory illness known for causing a cough and can lead to life threatening infections in babies

o symptoms of pertussis may be very similar to other respiratory infections, especially in the early stages, meaning diagnosis by a doctor as soon as possible is important.

For contacts of diagnosed cases:

o The exclusion requirement only applies to contacts who meet all three (3) of the below

criteria:

- aged less than 7 years;

- in the same class as the student with the diagnosed case; and

- have not received three (3) effective doses of pertussis vaccine.

• Students meeting these criteria should be excluded for 14 days after the last exposure to the infectious case, or until they have taken five (5) days of a course of effective antibiotic treatment.

From Monday 2nd of September students will be required to wear their school hats during lunch and recess.  Our school policy is Not Hat No Play will be enforced from Wednesday 4th September.

Unfortunately, I must report that last week, there was an incident in our school carpark, The Avenue, where one of our parents has hit the NO RIGHT TURN sign, driven in to the school carpark, parked, collected their child and then driven off. It is very sad to think that a member of our parent community would not come to the office or make some form of communication to us about this incident.

I understand that accidents happen. However, the option NOT to report it, is indeed very disappointing. At St Patrick’s, we work hard to ensure our students enact the values of Respect, Safety, Cooperation, Resilience and Courage every single day. I would like to thank the parents who came forward to report to us the details of the incident. We also have footage of this recorded by our CCTV cameras. If anyone else has any other details, please contact the school office on office@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au or 5943 9000.

Thank you for your cooperation.

SPECIAL REPORT: Healthy Study Habits

In today's world, where distractions are abundant and the pressure to excel is high, guiding children to develop healthy study habits is more important than ever. As students aspire to achieve academic success, the cornerstone of that achievement lies not just in their intelligence or drive, but in the study habits they cultivate.

It's essential for students to recognise that good study habits aren't merely about spending extra hours hitting the books. It's more about quality over quantity and having a more balanced approach. Emphasising the value of a routine is essential. Consistent study times establish a sense of structure and discipline, turning studying into a natural part of their daily routine rather than a burdensome task.

Additionally, how students approach their study sessions is equally important. Taking regular breaks is a crucial part of this process in maintaining focus and preventing burnout.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes sufficient sleep, a balanced diet, and consistent physical activity are indispensable elements that will significantly impact your child's ability to study effectively. Fostering these healthy habits is one of the most valuable gifts we can offer children, paving the way for a lifetime of learning and achievement.

This Special Report will help you support your young person as they embark on studying for exams.

Here is the link to your Special Report https://stppakenham.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-healthy-study-habits-au

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. 

SiMON Everywhere is an app our school uses to acces PAM and CDF Pay. We will be sending reminders through this app, as such please download and sign in. There is a guide below for your reference. If you are having any issues please contact Alex Taylor in the school office ataylor@stppakenham.catholic.edu.au

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.