Dear Parents

It has been so lovely to welcome all our students back to school this week.  We have certainly missed them and we are excited for a new school year and opportunities to support your child in their learning journey.

Next Wednesday evening at 5.30pm will hold Parent Information Sessions.  These will be held in the classrooms and you are all invited to attend.  Teachers will go through some reminders and share individual class expectations, such as homework and class reward systems.

I want to thank and acknowledge you all for the high standard of uniforms that the students have returned to school in.  They are looking sharp!  Thank you also to all the parents who have bought the new school hat and bag.  We will have a two year phase in period before these become compulsory.  It was also lovely to see so many girls opting for the blouse and skort option.  At this stage there is no plan to make this compulsory.  Girls can wear either the summer dress or the blouse and skort.

2023 Staffing

Principal - Ms Gabi Tobin

Assistant Principal - Mr Gavan Hoctor

Religious Education Coordinator - Mr Sam Mattas

Kindergarten - Miss Casey Figueria

Year 1 - Mrs Oliva Cudina 

Year 2 - Mrs Gina Papadopoulos/ Mrs Jean Barnes

Year 3 - Miss Jessica Dowsett

Year 4 - Mr Sam Mattas/ Mrs Alison Madaschi

Year 5 - Mr Tom Mindzas

Year 6 - Miss Bruna Doro/ Mrs Caroline Hockey

Reading Recovery - Mrs Alison Madaschi

Release Teachers - Miss Glen-Marie Philips/ Miss Georgah Elchaar

Diverse Learning Support Teacher - Mrs Julie Beuman

Learning Support Teacher - Mrs Kim Crotty

Senior School Support Officer - Miss Debbie Casey 

School Support Officers: Mrs Katina Plataniotis, Mrs Tracy Carey, Mrs Kylie Kodaxis, Mrs Sharon Kapsimallis, Mrs Mariam Marmar, Mr Jayden Allen 

School Counsellor: TBC

Pastoral Support Worker: Ms Deb Brighton

Office News

Mrs Joanne Carroll is currently on leave.  During this time Mrs Katina Plataniotis will be Acting Senior School Support Officer on Mondays and will work in the office from 1.30pm Tuesday - Friday.  We are also removing the perspex from the window at the front office.  This was installed as part of our COVID smart measures.  We will however, have this window closed to ensure privacy is maintained during phone calls and when attending to students.  Please be assured that we will open the window and attend to you at the front counter as soon as we can.

P & F Meeting

The first P & F meeting will be held next Tuesday 7 February at 6.30pm in the library.  The P & F meeting once per term and this is a wonderful way for parents to meet one another and support our wonderful school.  We would love to see you there!

Student Leave 

Just a reminder that all leave during the school year requires principal approval.  If you are planning on taking a family holiday during the school year please contact the office to get an extended leave form.

Student Injuries 

If your child suffers an injury that may impact their day at school (in the classroom and on the playground), they must receive a clearance from a doctor prior to returning to school.  The certificate just needs to state what they can and can’t due (e.g. no sport for 2 weeks).

Fee Concessions

If you would like to make an application for a fee concession this year, please contact the office to arrange the paperwork required to be sent to you and to book a meeting time with myself.

Student Information

If there has been any change of information in relation to your child, please contact the office as soon as possible.  This could include change in emergency contacts, change of address, email or phone number, or updated medical information. In order to assist our teachers get to know your child’s learning needs this year, we are asking you to complete a short survey.  It would be greatly appreciated if this could be done by Friday 3 February.

Parent teacher interviews will be held at the end of Term 1, however please be aware that you can make contact with the office at any time to make an appointment to talk to your child’s teacher.  The partnership between home and school is essential for your child to thrive in their learning.  At any time you have concerns or require clarification on any matter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Class Sport Days

All students will wear their sports uniform on Fridays. In addition to Fridays each class will wear their sports uniform on the following days:

Kindergarten: Thursday

Year 1: Tuesday

Year 2: Wednesday

Year 3: Tuesday

Year 4: Tuesday

Year 5: Tuesday

Year 6: Tuesday

Congratulations 

Congratulations to Mrs Cudina and her husband Jack, who were married in the school holidays.  We wish Olivia and Jack all the very best in their lives as husband and wife.

Welcome

Welcome to our new students - Archie (Year 1), Henry (Year 3) and Jakob (Year 5).

We will also welcome new students Rosemary (Year 1), Andrew (Year 3) and James (Year 4) on Monday. We are so happy to have you be a part of our school community!  

We are so happy to have you be a part of our school community!

             

Exciting News?

If your family has any exciting news, such as the birth of a baby, that you would like to share with the school community, please email a photo and a short blurb to info@sppkdow.catholic.edu.au and we will include in the newsletter.

Ms Gabi Tobin - Principal

Our PB4L focus for the Week 3 of Term 1 will be Lining Up for Assembly.  

There are two slightly different presentations to suit the respective grades of the students.
Lining up for Assembly Under the Covered Area (Years K-2)
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:

Expected behaviours
1. Prompt response to music
2. Please walk but please don’t talk on the way to the covered area
3. Be in your line before the music finishes
4. Do ‘the 5’ from the moment you sit down
5. Wait silently to be dismissed
6. Walk but please don’t talk when moving to class

Lining up for Assembly Under the Covered Area (Years K-2)
Examples of behaviours that negatively impact on respectful, responsible, and safe
behaviour when Lining Up for Assembly to be taught include:

Unacceptable Behaviour
1. Continuing to play after the music begins
2. Talking on the way to the covered area
3. Going to the toilet/bubbler after the music begins
3. Running, pushing and/or shoving
4. Looking around, talking or moving about
5. Ignoring teacher directions

Lining up for Assembly (Years 3-6)
In the explicit teaching lessons, the expected behaviours taught will be:
Expected behaviours
1. Respond to the music promptly.
2. Please walk but please don’t talk on the way to your assembly area
3. Be in your line before the music finishes
3. Please have eyes looking, ears listening, lips zipped and bodies still while standing in
    line
4. Walk but please don’t talk when moving into class

Lining up for Assembly (Years 3-6)
Examples of behaviours that negatively impact on respectful, responsible, and safe
behaviour when Lining Up for Assembly to be taught include:

Unacceptable Behaviour
1. Continuing to play after the music begins
2. Talking on the way to your assembly area
3. Going to the toilet/bubbler after the music begins
3. Running, pushing and/or shoving
4. Looking around, talking or moving about
5. Ignoring teacher directions

Our PB4L focus for Week 4 is a Student Pledge to act respectfully, responsibly and safely to prevent bullying.

The pledge and the signatures will be publicly displayed in the Breakout Space

The pledge reads:
We, the students of St Patrick’s School, pledge to work together to prevent bullying by
acting respectfully, responsibly and safely.
In signing this pledge we agree to:
1. treat people kindly, the way we would like to be treated
2. include people whenever and wherever possible  
3. keep our hands, feet and all our body parts to ourselves and keep objects to ourselves
4. look after the property of other people and the school 
5. keep mean and nasty words to ourselves
6. be respectful, responsible and safe online 

We would very much appreciate your discussing these weekly PB4L 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.

Mr Gavan Hoctor - Assistant Principal

REC Update – W2 – T1

Sacramental Programs 2023

Please see below the Sacramental Program schedule for 2023. Please note these dates are subject to change. Should you have any enquiries about the Sacramental Program please contact the Parish Office by phone on 42741192 or via email at portkembla@dow.org.au

Spiritual Reflection
Please see below a spiritual reflection as shared with all staff of the Catholic Diocese of
Wollongong:

The Beatitudes… A Call to Action

The gospel passage we were commissioned with this week is the well-known Beatitudes. In Matthew’s gospel, it is placed early in Jesus’ public ministry outlining the qualities God desires for us to embrace, the way we are blessed. These are:
 1. wisdom (poor in spirit)
 2. empathy (those who mourn)
 3. humility (the meek)
 4. justice (those who hunger for righteousness)
 5. mercy (the merciful)
 6. service (the pure in heart)
 7.peace (the peacemakers)
 8.courage (those who are persecuted for righteousness)

We acknowledge that as people who live in hope and relationship with God, we strive to reach these ideals both for ourselves and for all people. There is an inherent co-mission in this discourse - how will each of us respond to our neighbour so that the reign of God is realised through our presence and actions?

Where am I called to be wise and courageous?
What spiritual practices do I embrace to grow in wisdom?
How am I empathetic and merciful to those I encounter?
Where do I hear and see the cries for justice and peace?
How does my humility allow me to serve and respond?
When you next pray in the words that Jesus gave us, commit yourself to help construct a society where the beatitudes are realised:
‘Your Kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.’

All the best,
Mr Sam Mattas