Dear Parents and Carers

It is wonderful to be back at St Pat's and to be reliving the Holy Land Pilgrimage through sharing with the children at school. I highly recommend this experience to everyone, we walked in the footsteps of Jesus from the place of his birth, the place of the crucifixion and resurrection. We prayed, we paused, we reflected, we journeyed, we learned (and we un-learned too!). We also had some delightful fun, like the swim in the Dead Sea and in the Sea of Gallilee and the fast drive in the back of the 4WDs in the desert of Wadi Rum.  

This photo, where we begin to see The Treasury at Petra, is symbolic of the pilgrimage, so many wonderful places, spaces and experiences that unfolded each day. If you have been to Petra you will know just how utterly breathless coming across The Treasury is after walking a long way through the siq (the pathway through the cliffs).

I thank Mrs Grant, in her absence, for her leadership in the first two weeks of term, and Mrs Ferris for her role as AP (acting). Please be informed that Mrs Sheahan is on leave, and remains on personal leave until the end of Term 2. Mrs Ferris remains acting in the Assistant Principal role, we thank her for her leadership and for continuing to ensure consistency of the teaching and learning program for her senior class.

At St Pat's we focus on the attributes of learners and community contribution through the lens of our three school pillars; Look into Thinking; Look Ahead to the Future, and Look After Each Other. 

Look After Each Other is the Yellow Pillar, which shapes our view to our relationship with God and one another. Each child is unique and is learning how to live and learn in a class and school community at their rate and we are hope filled and optimistic that every child can be a Yellow Pillar Kid. Under the  Yellow Pillar we work to grow the attributes 

* friendliness eg 'friendy first' behaviours

* welcome

* respect 

* empathy

* thinking of others before self

* inclusivity, eg invitation of all to play, or be in a learning group

* self-confidence

It was such a happy occasion this morning in the hall for the Mother's Day Breakfast, followed by the beautiful liturgy led by K-2 students in the Church. Thank you to all who came! A special thank you to the St Patrick's Mens Group for once again manning the kitchen.

Wishing a very Happy Mother's Day to all the mums and mother figures in our school community for this Sunday (and every day).

Blessings

Jo