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Dear Parents and Carers,
Congratulations to Savannah (Year 6) for achieving so well in the Prime Minister's Spelling Bee that she has made it to the state final!! Across Australia there were more than 82,000 student registrations this year - a new record for the Bee. Two hundred students from each reading level in each state and territory have progressed to next week's State and Territory Finals. Well done and good luck Savannah!!
On Tuesday this week we welcomed our CogLearn coach Andrew Pirie back to St Patrick's. It is great to share with Andrew the continued progress and achievement of our students, and importantly the great instructional practices of our teachers. Andrew's visit gives us the opportunity to look at our classrooms and across the school with fresh eyes focussing on sustained good practice in teaching and learning.
High Impact Teachers do these 10 things...
On Wednesday visitors from Catholic Education came to St Patrick's for our school's compliance review. This is a time to cast a critical eye over school policies, procedures and daily planning to ensure we are fully aligned to NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) expectations. It was a great visit, and there was time for a walk around to showcase learning too.
Next week will be a quieter week on the visitor front, and we will be raising money and awareness for people doing it tough, especially the homeless with the Sudsy Challenge on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We hope many students join the challenge (the benefits for you will be less washing for a couple of days, the downsides will be dirtier clothes when you do get to wash them!).
Blessings for a great family weekend.
Jo
Upcoming Dance Concert: Celebrating Creativity and Confidence
We’re thrilled to announce our Annual Dance Concert, a vibrant celebration of our students’ creativity, teamwork, and dedication. This event is a highlight of the school year, offering students a chance to shine on stage and share their hard work with the community.
While many students are excited, it’s also completely normal for some to feel nervous or anxious about performing. Performance anxiety can affect children in different ways—ranging from mild butterflies to more intense worry. As parents and carers, your support can make a big difference.
Here are some throw back photos from our concerts over the years.
Supporting Children with Performance Anxiety
Here are some practical tips to help your child feel more confident and calm leading up to the concert:
1. Normalise Their Feelings
Let your child know that it’s okay to feel nervous. Share your own experiences with stage fright or nerves to help them feel understood.
2. Practice Positive Self-Talk
Encourage phrases like:
- “I’ve practiced and I’m ready.”
- “It’s okay to make mistakes.”
- “I’m proud of myself for trying.”
3. Focus on Effort, Not Perfection
Celebrate the effort they’ve put into rehearsals rather than the outcome. Remind them that the goal is to have fun and express themselves.
4. Create a Calm Routine
On the day of the concert, keep things relaxed. A good night’s sleep, a healthy meal, and some quiet time before the performance can help ease nerves.
5. Use Breathing Techniques
Teach your child simple breathing exercises to calm their body and mind. For example:
Breathe in for 4 counts, hold for 4, and breathe out for 4.
Helpful Resources
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Kids Helpline – www.kidshelpline.com.au
Offers free, confidential support for children and teens. -
Raising Children Network – www.raisingchildren.net.au
Articles and videos on anxiety and emotional wellbeing. -
Smiling Mind App – A free mindfulness app designed for children and families.
Let’s Celebrate Together
We can’t wait to see our students take the stage with courage and joy. Thank you for your ongoing support in helping them grow not just as performers, but as confident individuals.
If you have any concerns or would like to speak with a staff member about your child’s wellbeing, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We’re excited to invite families to our upcoming Dance Concert in Week 10! There will be two performances:
- Matinee – Wednesday 24th September at 12:00pm
- Evening Performance – Thursday 25th September at 6:00pm
To ensure all families have the opportunity to attend, there will be a limit of four tickets per family.
Tickets will go live via CompassTix on Friday at 5:00pm.
Booking links will be shared on Compass on Friday.
Emma Grant
Calendar Dates
Father's Day Breakfast. Compass notes have been sent. Please reply with numbers to help with catering for the day.
Building Strong Foundations: The Power of Daily Reading and Maths Mentals
At the heart of every child’s learning journey lies the steady rhythm of daily practice. Two simple yet powerful habits—daily reading and maths mentals—can make a profound difference in a student’s confidence, comprehension, and overall academic success.
Why Daily Reading Matters: Reading each day nurtures imagination, strengthens vocabulary, and builds fluency. Whether it’s a picture book, a chapter novel, or a non-fiction article, regular reading helps students:
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Develop empathy and critical thinking
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Improve spelling and writing skills
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Discover new interests and perspectives
Even ten minutes a day can spark curiosity and deepen understanding across all learning areas.
The Magic of Maths Mentals: Maths mentals—quick, daily exercises in arithmetic and problem-solving—sharpen number sense and boost recall. These short tasks:
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Reinforce key concepts like addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
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Build speed and accuracy
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Encourage logical thinking and persistence
Like training a muscle, consistent practice helps students feel more confident tackling complex problems in class.
Together, These Habits Create Lifelong Learners. When families support daily reading and maths mentals at home, they’re not just helping with homework, they’re laying the groundwork for resilience, independence, and a love of learning. See below for a range of maths mentals books available to purchase online that would provide opportunities for daily practice.
RIC Publications Maths Mentals
Learning at St Pat's
In Religion 5/6R have been learning how to show gratitude. You can show gratitude by saying 'thank you' or 'I appreciate your help'. In English they are reading and writing summaries of the current story. In Maths they are learning about the Y & X axis in geometry, and also about functions (a rule that takes an input and produces a single unique output) and ratios (comparison of two quantities, indicating how much of one quantity there is for every unit of the other). In Science they are learning about the water cycle and the stages: evaporation, condensation, precipitation and collection. And finally, in History 5/6R have been learning about the First Nations struggles as the British colonies took over. Teliah said that it is fun and interesting to learn about First Nations peoples.
Look out for your copy of Book Club coming home in your child's schoolbag, It's packed with hundreds of books from just $3 to help you on your child's reading journey. Issue 6 orders are due by 10th of September. Did you know that every purchase you make on Book Club earns our school 15% of the order value in Scholastic Rewards? We use these to purchase more books and educational resources for the school. It all helps!
The UV is now above 3. Hats are no longer optional. Please help your child remember their hat.
At St Pat’s our Sunsafe policy is, ‘No hat, play in the shade.’