Dear Parents and Carers,

In recent days and weeks we have welcomed several new students at St Patrick's. Welcome to Sophie in Year 3, Julianne in Year 3, Asmin in Year 5 and Araz in Year 1. On Monday we welcome another new student, Mary, into senior primary! 

This week we have published on COMPASS a letter from the outgoing Chair of the Community Council, Donna Salway urging you to consider expressing interest in a role on the next Community Council. The Expression of Interest form was also attached.

Thank you for your consideration of this engagement with our school community. If you would like a paper copy of the EOI please email the office and we will send one home.

Some of the positive outcomes of you participating in the life of the school can include

Improved Academic Performance as you more readily know about your child's participation, engagement, progress and achievement.

Enhanced Communication and Collaboration between yourself and your children's teachers and school staff.

Increased Motivation and Confidence for your child/ren as they see how much you value school.

Stronger Sense of Community as you fully participate with other parents and share in the common goal of supporting student growth and development. 

You contribute to Positivity in our School Environment and support our culture of learning and community.

Thank you for working together with us for great learning for your children and all St Patrick's children.

Blessings

Jo

Parent & Community Engagement 

We value the participation of parents and carers in our learning community. There are many opportunities to get involved in the daily life of the school, and planned opportunities for engagement with children's learning and progress.

We value the engagement of parents/carers and families with their child’s learning. Parent and family engagement in learning is the capacity of families in partnership with schools, to support student learning and achievement. This is achieved by promoting interactions with our school that nurture positive attitudes towards learning and build student wellbeing and confidence.  When parents are engaged with their child's learning this leads to raising student achievement levels and improved student well-being.

The ways in which you can participate and engage are:

• As a volunteer at school
• As a volunteer for the Community Council & Subcommittees
• As a visitor
• Engaging with learning

70's & 80's Disco 

Thank you to the Fundraising Committee and the parent volunteers for such a successful disco last week! 

Here are a few highlights from students:

I loved all the colourful hairspray - Logan

I enjoyed the loud music - Lincoln 

I had fun playing and dancing with friends - Hamish

The most shared highlight was the fairy floss! 

Religious Education

Chapel Mass, Week 6 - Friday 9:15am, 5/6 Yellow (Families Welcome)

On Tuesday the 15^{th of} August, we celebrated the Feast of the Assumption Mass. This is an important day for us as a Catholic school and it was a wonderful opportunity for our students to learn about the Assumption of Mary. The Assumption signals the end of Mary’s earthly life and marks her return to heaven to be reunited with Jesus. Our Mass was facilitated by our Year 3/4 students, who did a wonderful job of being reverent throughout, understanding the significance of this day.

This prayer from Pope Paul VI is a beautiful homage to Mary on the feast of the Assumption: 

“O Immaculate Mary, Assumed into heaven, you who are most blessed in the vision of God: of God the Father who exalted you among all creatures, of God the Son who willed that you bear Him as your Son and that you should be His Mother, of God the Holy Spirit who accomplished the human conception of the Savior in you. O Mary, most pure O Mary, most sweet and beautiful O Mary, strong and thoughtful woman O Mary, poor and sorrowful O Mary, virgin and mother woman very human like Eve, more than Eve. You are near to God by your grace and by your privileges in your mysteries in your mission, in your glory. O Mary, assumed into the glory of Christ in the complete and transfigured perfection of our human nature. O Mary, gate of heaven mirror of divine light ark of the Covenant between God and mankind, let our souls fly after you let them fly long your radiant path, transported by a hope that the world does not contain eternal beatitude. Comfort us from heaven, O merciful Mother, and guide us along your ways of purity and hope till the day of that blessed meeting with you and with your divine Son our Savior, Jesus.

Amen!”

Saint Paul VI

In our 1/2 classes, students are learning the Parable of the Prodigal Son. They have been demonstrating their understanding through writing, using techniques from our whole school writing program ‘The Writing Revolution’ .

Celebrate CBCA Book Week 2023 next Friday the 25th

Come dressed as your favourite story book character ready for the parade in the hall at 9am, Parents & Carers welcome!

Bring the book if you can!

Looking forward to seeing everyone in costumes to share the joy and love of reading. 

Sleep

It is easy to underestimate the importance of sleep. Yet, getting a good night’s sleep lays a good foundation for growth, learning, development, behaviour, mood, health and day-to-day functioning. 

How much sleep do young people actually need each night?

The amount of sleep we need changes. Everyone is different, but as a rough guide, young people need the following amounts of sleep every night:

• ages 3 to 5: 10 to 13 hours
• ages 6 to 13: 9 to 11 hours
• ages 14 to 17: 8 to 10 hours

Not having enough sleep or getting poor quality sleep can affect how children and teenagers learn as well as having a significant impact on their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

How can we help young people to get the sleep they need?

• Create a sleep schedule: Making sure that young people go to bed at a time which will allow them to get the amount of sleep they need. It helps if you can stick to the same bedtime at wake-up times. Though it can be tempting to try and ‘catch up’ on missed sleep at the weekend, it is recommended to stick to the same schedule every day.
• Create and stick to a bedtime routine: Following the same routine every day can be helpful in telling our brain that it is time to get ready for sleep. Your routine could include: a bath or shower, changing into comfy pyjamas, brushing teeth, reading a book or spending quiet time in the bedroom before turning out lights and going to sleep.
• Help with winding down: Busy people need some time to relax before bed. Consider playing soft music, reading together or using an app such as Smiling Mind to practice some quiet mindfulness before bed.
• Make sure the bedroom is set up for sleep: Ensuring bedrooms are dark and quiet is a signal to our brain that it is time for sleep. However, if your child or teenager is anxious or afraid at night, use a night light.
• Avoid stimulants: Making sure to avoid tea, coffee, chocolate and sports drinks, especially in the afternoon.
• Turn off technology: Turning off computers, tablets and television at least 1 hour before bedtime should help to improve quality of sleep.

Thanks for reading - Sam, School Counsellor