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Dear Parents and Carers,
On Monday we welcomed eleven visitors to St Patrick's, they were members of the Catholic Education Commission. During their 2.5 hour visit they took a site walk, they enjoyed classroom visits, and they had conversations with a group of junior students followed by a conversation with middle and senior primary students. The visit culminated with morning tea with the staff where we shared further about our school and answered their many questions. The feedback on the day was very positive. The commissioners were impressed with the students both in class and in the 2 conversations in the library. They were impressed with the amazing rigour in learning, seeing Direct Instruction lessons across the whole school. They also complimented us on the neat and tidy presentation of the school as a whole, noting of course it is an old school with many old buildings and facilities. We were proud to share our wonderful school with the commissioners.
This week 2 representatives from each year level Year 3-6 represented St Patrick's at the Southern Region Public Speaking competition. This level of competition is held online. We are so proud of these 8 students. We thank Mrs Lightly and Mr Forbes for supporting them as they presented.
From Mr Forbes 'On Wednesday and Friday our public speaking finalists from 3/4 and 5/6 competed in the Southern Region Public Speaking Competition. Allira, Remmi, Thomas, Gwen, Jayden, Sofia, Zoe and Rowan gave excellent speeches in a strong field of speakers from Pambula, Bombala, Batemans Bay, Cooma, and Moruya. Although these students didn’t place in the next round of finals, the judges remarked that the level of skill and ability the speakers showed has markedly improved and that some of the results came to a 0.5 difference! We congratulate all our finalists on a job well done.
Yesterday we were so proud of the many St Patrick's students who represented our school at the Southern Region Athletics Carnival, held here in Bega. The reports from Mrs Harnett and Mrs Grant were so positive about the engagement, participation and sportsmanship of our students as they strived for their personal best. Well done St Pat's athletes!
Thank you Mrs Harnett for the organisation of the carnival. Thank you to Mrs Collins for organising the canteen. A special thank you to all the parents who baked, helped or came to be the cheer squad on the day!
Today I am in Canberra at the Archdiocesan Key Leaders Day. This is an annual event when Principals, Religious Education Coordinators and Parish Priests from across the diocese gather together for learning and discernment. The theme this year is 'Catholic Leadership in the Public Square.' The Keynote presenters are Greg Sheridan and Jacinta Collins. It is an important and valuable day.
Have a lovely weekend.
Blessings,
Jo
Supporting Your Child in the Social Media Age
In today’s digital world, social media is a significant part of our children’s lives. While it offers many benefits, it also presents challenges. Here are some tips to help you support your child in navigating social media safely and positively:
1. Open Communication
Encourage your child to talk about their online experiences. Ask them about the apps they use and the people they interact with. This helps build trust and ensures they feel comfortable coming to you with any concerns.
2. Set Boundaries
Establish clear rules about social media use, such as time limits and appropriate content. Make sure your child understands the importance of balancing screen time with other activities like homework, outdoor play, and family time.
3. Educate About Privacy
Teach your child about the importance of privacy settings and the risks of sharing personal information online. Help them understand that once something is posted, it can be difficult to remove.
4. Model Good Behaviour
Children often mimic their parents’ behaviour. Show them how to use social media responsibly by being mindful of your own online habits. Demonstrate kindness and respect in your interactions.
5. Stay Informed
Keep up-to-date with the latest social media trends and apps. This will help you understand the platforms your child is using and the potential risks involved.
6. Encourage Critical Thinking
Help your child develop critical thinking skills by discussing the content they see online. Encourage them to question the reliability of sources and to think before they post or share anything.
By staying engaged and proactive, you can help your child navigate the social media landscape safely and positively. Together, we can ensure that our children enjoy the benefits of social media while minimizing the risks.
Making Most of Family Time
Quality family time is so important especially in this digital age. Here is an interesting article you may like to read: https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/connecting-communicating/connecting/enjoying-time
Here are some conversation starters for after school:
Dates for your calendar
Week 4 Chapel Mass, 5/6G- 9:15am (Families welcome but limited seating available due to size of chapel)
Tuesday 20th August- First Holy Communion Retreat (Please return notes to school)
Sunday 25th August- First Holy Communion
Friday 30th August- Father's Day celebration
The Sudsy Challenge is on again! We're not changing our clothes for three days to help change the lives of people experiencing homelessness. This August, we'll be taking on The Sudsy Challenge to raise funds and awareness for Orange Sky - an organisation providing access to free laundry, warm showers and genuine conversation.
We will be holding our St Pat's Sudsy Challenge from August 28th-30th. Orange Sky now has childrens sized shirts available for when you reach your first fundraising milestone.
If you would like to join the ‘St Pat’s Sudsy Challengers’ please click on the link below and sign up https://www.thesudsychallenge.com.au/join/stpatssudsychallengers
As well as the many places our children received, we also managed to have 2 age champions from our St Pat's kids. Archie Sly was named 11year Boys Champion and Arly Schrader was named Senior Girl Champion. Congratulations to these two students as it’s a big effort to win at this level. Well done to all competitors.
A big thank you to all parents, grandparents etc who helped out in any way from cooking to setting up and selling. Thank you to Mrs Collins for ensuring the canteen fed all of our competitors and families.
A special thanks to Jodie Clifton Collins and Aaron Koellner. These two packed and unpacked from early morning and were there again at pack up time. The day would not happen without these wonderful volunteers.
Term 3 school fees have been emailed to families, thank you to the families who have paid their Term 3 school fees.
Term 3 fees are due 16 August 2024, except for those with approved payment plans in place.
Please contact the Office Manager, Cathy Smith on cathy.smith@cg.catholic.edu.au, if you would like to set up a weekly, fortnightly or monthly payment plan for your school fees.
If at any time your family is experiencing financial hardship, or if your family is in need of other support, please contact the school to organise an appointment for a confidential meeting with our Principal, Jo Scott-Pegum to discuss how the school can help support your family. Please remember that if we don’t know your circumstances, we are not in a position to provide assistance. Applications for fee concessions are managed by the Principal in a confidential and sensitive manner.