18th July, 2017. St Patrick s School Newsletter We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature - trees, flowers, grass- grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence... We need silence to be able to touch souls. Mother Teresa Dear Families and children, welcome to Term Three at St Patrick s Primary School! I trust you all enjoyed your holidays and managed some rest and relaxation in preparation for another busy term. The year is certainly flying! I cannot believe that we are entering our second semester of 2017! This term will be another exciting term as we launch into our Swim and Gym sessions beginning this coming Friday 21 st July. The swim and gym sessions will take place over a five week period at the YMCA. Our students will be bussed to and from the Ballarat each Friday to participate in the program. Please note that due to the School Closure Day on the 18 th August, the last week for the program will now be Friday 25 th August. Grandparents Mass and Morning Tea - Next Wednesday, 26th of July, we are celebrating Grandparents day and all the amazing things that they do for us. Grandparents are invited to share in morning classes until 9:40am, before heading over to the church to celebrate Mass. Grandparents are then invited back to school for a morning tea. The Wolf and Peter - On the last day of term two, our students travelled to Melbourne to the Arts Centre to see a performance of The Wolf and Peter. The production by Dublin performers, Cois Ceim Dance, used dance and music to tell the story of Peter and The Wolf through the eyes of the wolf. News from the Principal The story began when Peter opened the gate and stepped out into the big, green meadow. Peter danced to tell the story! In the meadow, Peter met a bird, a duck and a cat. They played together in the trees. Each character had their own music. Then the wolf came The story captured the imagination of students and staff alike. It was a fabulous performance, which was enjoyed by all. A very fitting way to end Term Two! Our thanks goes to all staff who attended the day with the students. Also, special thanks to Julie for her organization of the day from applying for a grant to attend the performance, to the logistics of buses and consent forms. Thanks Julie! Have a fabulous week everyone. Bambi Afford
News from the Rooms Year F/1/2 I hope everyone had a lovely holiday and a well earned rest. This term promises to be a busy and exciting term! On Friday we will begin swimming and gym. I would highly recommend packing two sandwiches on Friday, so that children can eat a sandwich before leaving and one when they get back. Please ensure all clothes are clearly labelled. A parent helpers sheet is outside the junior classroom. If you are able to start helping next week, that would be greatly appreciated. This term we welcome Miss B, who is a 4th year ACU student. She will be spending the next two weeks with us and then will return in week 5, until the end of the term. Show and Tell: For show and tell on Friday can children please bring in a piece of art. This could be a picture, something that they made etc. Be creative! Junior Dress Up for the 100th Day of School - Tuesday 25th of July. The hundredth day of school is coming up and we have lots of fun activities planned for the day. We would like to invite the students to dress up like they are 100 years old. Get creative with glasses, hair and outfits. It's lots of fun. Next Wednesday 26th of July we are celebrating Grandparents day and all the amazing things that they do for us. Grandparents are invited to share in morning classes until 9:40am, before heading over to the church to celebrate Mass. Grandparents are then invited back to school for a morning tea. Please let Alyce know by Wednesday,19th July, if you are able to assist in a reading at mass. Can children please bring a labelled photo of their grandparents, so we can scan and return them to you. It would be appreciated if you could bring these photos to school in the next couple of days. Thank you. Multi-Sports Program - Wednesday's (3:40-4:40) Starting 26th July Kick, Dribble and Spike your way into our famous Kelly Sports Multi-Sports program. This term we are running a 9 week program where we aim to introduce the kid's to the wonderful world of sports whilst improving their Fundamental Motor Skills. Kelly Sports will be covering the following sports in Term 3: Soccer, Football, Volleyball, Basketball and Crazy Games! Our sessions focus on fun, enjoyment and maximum participation. So get a group of friends together and come and experience what Kelly Sports is all about!! Cost: $108 for the 9 week program Enrol: www.kellysports.com.au
Swim and Gym 5 Week Program for all students will begin this Friday, 21st July. Due to Professional Development Day on Friday 18th August, (no swim/gym on this date) the Swim/Gym program will now run until the 25th August. Our students will be transported by a Gold Bus coach, to and from the program. Wednesday 26th July - Grandparents Day at St Patrick s School Tuesday 25th July - Junior Dress up day SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS DUE BACK 26th July, 2017. Wednesday 26th July - Kelly Sports to begin 3:40-4:40 pm. FRIDAY 18th AUGUST - School closure day for Professional Development Day Monday 28th August - Royal South Street Competition Choir performance. Father's Day Breakfast: On Friday 1st of September we will be holding a very special father's day breakfast to celebrate all the wonderful things our Dad's do for us. Breakfast will be from 8am and will be followed by a liturgy at 9am. We are looking forward to celebrating our amazing Dad's with you all. Our school has been asked to support the Winter Appeal for St Vincent de Paul. The need is growing and we would appreciate if families could bring along non perishable food items. Through our efforts, St Vincent de Paul is able to assist many families who are experiencing difficulties in their lives. Thank you to those families who have already donated non perishable food items. Your generosity is appreciated. FOUNDATION CLASS STUDENTS - Please return school nursing questionnaire by Friday 4th August. Damascus College Enrolment Information Evening Damascus College warmly invites all families to attend our upcoming Information Evening. The Information Evening will include a tour of the College, activities for students and an information session for parents. INFORMATION EVENING: Wednesday 6th September at 5pm Please arrive at 4.45pm for registration STUDENTS OF ALL AGES ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND
Reportable Conduct Scheme Victorian Government Reportable Conduct Scheme from 1 July 2017, the Victorian Government has legislated for the introduction of a Reportable Conduct Scheme (RCS) to improve oversight of how organisations respond to allegations of child abuse and child-related misconduct by employees and volunteers. The RCS seeks to ensure that organisations providing services for children and young people prioritise their safety and wellbeing. It forms part of the broader child safety framework and complements initiatives already in place in all schools. Our school is now implementing the RCS. Under the Reportable Conduct Scheme, there are five types of reportable conduct which a school must report in relation to staff, volunteers and contractors: sexual offences committed against, with or in the presence of a child sexual misconduct committed against, with or in the presence of a child physical violence against, with or in the presence of a child any behaviour that causes significant emotional or psychological harm to a child significant neglect of a child. More information about the RCS is available at the website of the Commission for Children and Young People, which is the organisation responsible for overseeing the Scheme: https:// ccyp.vic.gov.au/reportable-conduct-scheme/about-the-reportable-conductscheme/. At St. Patrick s School, if you have a concern about the conduct of any adult who works or volunteers in our school, please report this to the Principal as soon as possible. If you have a concern about the conduct of the Principal, the protocol is to report such concerns to the Director of Catholic Education for the Diocese of Ballarat. Bulldogs Read Program Very exciting news check out the new website www.bulldogsread.com.au Here you will find the completed reviews and a place to submit them. Also check out the photos and video. This means that you no longer use the old website.way to class. Weekend Mass Times Clarkes Hill Saturday 6.30 pm, Bungaree Sunday 8.45 am, Ballan Sunday 10.30 am Don t forget School Banking day is every Wednesday. Please hand your Dollarmites deposit wallet into the school office. Did you know that the CommBank School Banking Reward Card is now available online? Simply visit commbank.com.au/schoolbanking to download and print. To redeem a reward, please place your Rewards Card coupon along with your 10 Dollarmites tokens in your Dollarmites deposit wallet next time you make a School Banking deposit and your child will receive a reward. A big thank you to our School Banking volunteer parent, Kellee Frazer, who is vital in helping teach students the importance of saving regularly.