PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Dear Parents and Carers,
Last Tuesday night I had the prilveldge of being commissioned and blessed, with four other principals by Bishop Brian alongside Mr Peter Hill. A number of priests concelebrated the Mass along with Bishop Brian including Fr Mark, which highlighted the working relationship between schools and parishes. Our school captains Joey and Leena accompanied me on the night to represent our school, and did so with distinction. The cathedral in Wollongong was full to overflowing on the night and the evening was followed by supper in the school hall.
A long standing tradition in the Diocese of Wollongong is that newly commissioned principals are presented with a framed copy of the parable of The Mustard Seed from Matthew's Gospel. It stands a reminder for the responsibility we bear in bringing our students into encounter with God. I feel blessed and privledged to be leading the wonderful school community of St Patrick's.
Vision, Mission & Values
Our Vision: A quality Catholic learning community strong in faith learning and wellbeing
As disciples of Christ:
*Our Mission is to LIVE - We live by following the example and teachings of Jesus
*Our Mission is to LOVE - As Christ taught us, we love God, our neighbour, in ourselves and all of creation
*Our Mission it to LEARN - We learn from and about the past, we do our very best in the present, to prepare for our future
Our Values
*Hope
*Inclusivity
*Compassion
*Environmental Stewardship
The school's vision, mission and values guide us in a way of living each and everyday at school. It sets us apart as a Catholic school community, distinct from other good but secular schools. Additionally it provides us all with something to strive for, reminding us we are discples of Christ carrying out God's mission. Revising our school vision, mission and values helps us to ensure we are on the right path in all that we say and do.
Annual Improvement Goal 2024
Through the use of high quality assessment in mathematics students are appropriately challenged and engaged in their learning.
I wanted to provide an update in regards to our school annual improvement goal. In the coming weeks our teachers will be released to work with a knowledgeable other from the Catholic Education Office in Wollongong who specialises in mathematics. This work will centre around teacher's deep diving into the new curriculum to revise their working scope and sequences as teachers continue to refine assessment experiences as part of the teaching and learning cycle.
CEDoW have recently been running professional learning in the areas of the Mathematics and English curriculum and a number of our staff have attended, bringing back with them the learning they have undertaken, and sharing this with our staff, taking into account our school context.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN begins next week for students in Years 3 and 5. We wish our students all the best as they undertake their national testing. Please ensure your children are well rested the night before, and have a good breakfast in the morning. Year 3 and 5 students require their headphones or earbuds, and Year 5 are reminded to bring their iPad to school fully charged.
Mitchell Elks
Principal