Our PB4L/SEL focus for Week 7 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

Our PB4L focus for next week (Week 8) is Waste Management
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:

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.

We would very much appreciate you 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 in the last two weeks 53 students were given
Citizenship, Merit or Library Awards whilst there were only 16 incidents of Inappropriate
behaviour recorded.

Kind regards
Mr Gavan Hoctor
AssistantPrincipal

Elijah’s Baptism!
We are delighted to share some wonderful news from our school community. One of our Year 5 students will soon be celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism! Elijah will be baptised on Sunday September 7 at 9am in our Parish Church.

Baptism is a very special moment in the life of a Catholic, as it marks the beginning of their journey of faith and belonging to the Church community. We congratulate Elijah and his family on this important step and assure them of our prayers and support during this joyful time.

May God’s blessings be with Elijah as they prepare for this sacred celebration.

Signs of Hope on the Edge:
Serving People Living in
Homelessness and Mental Ill-Health
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

Social Justice Statement 2025-26

Homeless Jesus – sculpture by Ontario based Timothy Schmalz

Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?’

And the king will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25: 37-40

We have all experienced it. As we walk along a city street we can see in the distance a homeless person sitting on the edge of our path. Our heartbeat increases, we are suddenly anxious, we quickly plan a detour….or not.
We are good people, we feel empathy, compassion.
We decide to keep our path, our anxiety increases, why?
As we pass, what do we do?
What do we say?

Do we give them money or even better, go and buy them a warm drink or a small meal? I have no time, I'm running late. Maybe they are drug affected.
Better to look the other way, or even better, I'll check my phone as I walk past.
I'm a good person, but what do I do?
What would you do if, as you approached the homeless person on the street, you received a text from God saying this person was Jesus?

What would you feel, think, say and do?
Social Justice Sunday in 2025 will be observed on 31 August 2025. This annual event, a tradition in the Australian Catholic Church since 1940, is when the Catholic Bishops release a statement addressing a key social justice issue. This year’s statement focuses on the experiences of people living with homelessness and mental ill-health.

“The people on the edges have much to teach us. In their difficulties, they know the suffering Christ. We need to let ourselves be evangelised by them. The new evangelisation is an invitation
to put them at the centre of the Church’s pilgrim way. We are called to find Christ in them, to lend our voice to their causes, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to speak for them and to embrace the mysterious wisdom which God wishes to share with us through them.

Pope Francis.
Evangelii Gaudium, No. 198

“This year’s Social Justice Statement calls us to follow the example of Jesus, who always noticed, listened to, and cared for those on the edge of society. Just as Jesus healed the blind man Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52), we are called to see and respond to the needs of our sisters and brothers living in hardship.”

Points to Ponder
In this year of Jubilee, how will we be people of hope for the homeless and those with mental ill- health? What does hope look like for those who need our compassion?
How can we notice, know and serve our homeless in our communities?
How do we love our neighbour as ourselves when our neighbour is homeless or with mental ill- health?
If a home is a place of refuge, safety, nourishment and growth, how can we be a ‘home’ to others in our community?

Kind regards
Mr Sam Mattas
Religious Education Coordinator

Wishing all the students celebrating birthdays all the very best wishes.

Archie Cieplucha - Year 2

Samuel Lentern - Year 1

Alessandro Varela De Sousa - Year 6

Franklin Tasevski - Kinder

Elsie Harris - Year 1

Ruby Potter - Year 1

Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 Excursion to Shoalhaven Zoo

On Tuesday, our Kinder, Year 1 and Year 2 students enjoyed a very exciting excursion to Shoalhaven Zoo. The children had the opportunity to see and learn about a wide range of animals, from lions and meerkats to python snakes and crocodiles. A highlight of the day was getting up close with some of the farmyard animals and learning interesting facts from the zookeeper.

It was a wonderful day of fun, discovery and learning outside the classroom. Thank you to the teachers and staff who made this special experience possible.
Please see below some of the recounts written by Maya, Mikai, Dylan and Luani.

Kindergarten have been learning about Living Things. They wrote some Information Reports about farm animals. Here are a few.

Kinder Information Reports

Kinder Information Reports 12.59 MB

Kind regards
Miss Casey Figueira
Kindergarten Teacher