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God our Father, you made the family a community of love. Bless our fathers as they follow your Son, Jesus. Let their faith, hope, and love shine in our families, and show us the way to you. Strengthen our fathers as they serve our families and communities.
Amen
Dear Parents
Book Week
It was wonderful to celebrate another fantastic Book Week with you all. Thank you so much to all the effort that went into the costumes this year - so many creative ideas! Thank you too to all those who were able to join us on the day, especially our younger siblings who also dressed up and joined in the fun!
Thank you also to Mrs Carey, Mrs Plataniotis and the staff for their enthusiasm and hard work that went into the celebrations.
The full album of photos from the day can be found here:
Father’s Day Assembly
Thank you to our wonderful P&F for organising once again for us our Father’s Day Stall next Friday. We also look forward to sharing with you all a special Father’s Day Assembly at 2pm in the Parish Hall. The presentation will be shared with you all after the day for those who are unable to be there in person. We will also present the Week 7 merit awards at this time.
We hope the assembly will finish as close to dismissal as possible, however, in the event we finish earlier, you are welcome to collect your children at the conclusion of the assembly. If you wish to do this, we kindly ask that you complete the following form to assist with a smooth dismissal process.
Managing Big Emotions
I would strongly encourage all those able to attend a one hour session on managing big emotions in children. This will be held here at St Patricks and led by CatholicCare professionals. The invitation has been extended to other schools, so if you have a friend who may be interested, they are more than welcome, we just ask that you register via the following link:
From Monday 4 September students may wear either Summer or Winter Uniforms. We ask that they wear one or the other, not a combination of the two.
Year 3 Class Assembly
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:
1. Putting my food waste in the compost bin
2. Putting paper, cardboard, and hard plastics in the recycling bin
3.Putting foil, plastic bags, and Gladwrap in the rubbish bin
4. Taking uneaten food home in my lunchbox
Examples of behaviours that negatively impact on Respectful, Responsible and Safe Waste Management to be taught include:
Unacceptable behaviours
1. Throwing food scraps in the rubbish or the recycling bin.
2.Leaving my rubbish in the classroom, the breakout space or on the playground.
3. Throwing uneaten food away.
Our PB4L/SEL focus for Week 8 will be:
Be an Upstander (when you feel it is safe to do so)
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:
Take action by:
1. Refusing to join in the disrespectful behaviour.
2. Speaking out. Say,“Stop treating him/her like that.”
or “Stop calling him/her that name.”
or “I’m going to tell a teacher right now.”
3. Inviting the person being hurt to join your group.
4. Being a friend to the person who is being hurt by standing next to them; saying,
“don’t listen to them. It’s not true.”
5. Cheering them up with a compliment
We would very much appreciate your discussing these weekly focuses with your children and reviewing the expected and non-acceptable behaviours in our endeavour to see that St Patrick’s is a more respectful, responsible, and safe learning community for all.
PB4L Data
It is with pride that I inform you that over the last two weeks 57 students were given Citizenship, Merit, Library or Uniform Awards or Playground Affirmation Awards whilst there were only 2 incidents of Inappropriate behaviour recorded.
Term 3 PARENT TEACHER STUDENT CONFERENCES
You will soon be alerted via COMPASS of our upcoming Parent/Teacher/Student
Conferences. The Term 3 conferences are invitational and your attendance at these is
optional. Should you wish to have a conference with a teacher these will be conducted either in person or by telephone call. In the COMPASS notification will be information of how to book a meeting time with your child(s) teacher(s).
Mr Gavan Hoctor - Assistant Principal
We recently received wonderful news that one of our students in Year 3 was recently Baptised at St Therese, West Wollongong. Congratulations to Ebony Rogers, our school’s newest Baptised Catholic member! We are so glad that you have made this most blessed sacrament of initiation. May your journey as a young Catholic person be a joyous one, guided by the Holy Spirit. You are in all of our prayers Ebony!
On Monday of this week Year 4 spent the day working and learning in the Living Classroom. The late winter sun was shining brightly which set the tone for an amazing day. With the help of Ms Brighton, the children harvested a fairly ridiculous amount of winter produce, including a few heads of cabbages, a few lettuces, and literally several kilograms of silver beet, rainbow chard and celery, hundreds of bananas and dozens of mandarins. Outside of this, the children fed the fruit trees, where they placed down layers of manure, comfrey, lucerne and straw. This will ensure the fruit trees are happy and healthy and producing an abundance of fruit.
St Maximilian Kolbe: A Lesson in Humanity
Please find below a spiritual reflection on the Feast of St Maximillian Kolbe.
In August the Church celebrates the Feast of St Maximilian Kolbe on the 14th and recognises United Nations World Humanitarian Day on the 19th. The interconnectedness of these days invites us to reflect on their significance.
World Humanitarian Day is a reminder of the countless individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving others, often at great personal sacrifice. One such individual whose legacy continues to inspire is St Maximilian Kolbe, a living example of selflessness, compassion and humanity.
St Maximilian Kolbe's story is testament to the extraordinary power of human empathy and courage. In the midst of the horrors of the Holocaust, Kolbe, a Catholic priest, demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the principles of compassion and solidarity. His ultimate act of sacrifice, offering his own life to save a fellow prisoner in Auschwitz during World War II, stands as a shining example of the heights of human kindness even in the face of unimaginable cruelty. St Maximilian Kolbe's actions exemplify the essence of World Humanitarian Day. This day honours not only the individuals who have dedicated their lives to humanitarian causes but also the spirit of empathy and unity that drives them. It's a day to reflect on the potential within each of us to make a positive impact on those around us.
In a world where conflict and suffering persist, the story of St Maximilian Kolbe resonates deeply. His selfless act underscores the idea that compassion knows no bounds and that even in the darkest moments, humanity has the capacity to shine brilliantly. His willingness to trade his own life for that of a stranger reflects a level of empathy that transcends personal safety and reflects a profound understanding of the inherent value of every life. World Humanitarian Day calls us to reflect on our own role as Catholics. It prompts us to consider how we can contribute to alleviating suffering and promoting human dignity in our own communities and beyond. The legacy of St Maximilian Kolbe invites us to examine our own capacity for sacrifice and selflessness. While not all of us may be faced with the same life-or-death choices, we can all strive to embody the same spirit of compassion in our daily lives.
In commemoration of World Humanitarian Day, let us honour the memory of St Maximilian Kolbe who reminds us of the power of compassion, kindness and upholding dignity of the human person. Let us reaffirm our commitment to being people of hope and empathy. May we recognise that every small act of kindness contributes to a more humane and just world. In reflection…
How do I embody empathy and compassion in my daily interactions with others?
“A single act of love makes the soul return to life.” - St Maximilian Kolbe
All the best,
Mr Sam Mattas
Religious Education Coordinator
The “NSW Police Legacy Child Safety Handbook” is a comprehensive and free resource to assist parents, carers as well as teachers on a range of topics essential to child safety.
The updated digital edition (link below) includes important content updates from: NSW Rural Fire, NSW Ministry of Health, NSW Police Force, Fire and Rescue NSW, Transport NSW, State Emergency Services, NSW Department of Family & Community Services, eSafety Commissioner and NSW Office of the Children's Guardian.
Together with their partners NSW Police Legacy has been producing the Child Safety
Handbook for over 10 years. The Handbook aims to raise awareness about risks to children and steps that can be taken to protect and keep them safe.
The Handbook has the support of the NSW Government and of the NSW Governor, Her Excellency the Honuorable Margaret Beazley AC KC, Patron of NSW Police Legacy. The intent is for all primary school students in NSW aged from 5 to 7 years old to receive a digital copy of the Handbook. All costs associated with the production of the Handbook have been met entirely through sponsorship, and as such will be at no cost to parents/carers.
