Dear Parents and Carers,

Introducing the Catholic Education Catalyst Professional Learning Program for Teachers:

At St Patrick’s Primary School we are committed to Catalyst and as part of the Catholic Education Canberra & Goulburn Archdiocese we have adopted two bold goals:

1. Every student is a competent reader.
2. High Impact Teaching Practice is visible in every classroom.

To reach these goals, in 2021 we will be investing in our teachers to enhance our teaching and curriculum.  This will entail our teachers taking part in a world class professional learning program called Catalyst that is informed by the latest research into how best children learn.

The program will support our dedicated teachers to transform student lives through learning by providing

• Professional learning in exemplary High Impact Teaching Practice, and how to apply it in the classroom.
• Best practice literacy instruction.
• Professional learning aligned to the curriculum.
• Online library of evidence-based learning resources aligned to the curriculum.
• Enhanced knowledge of formative assessment, use of data and intervention through professional learning.

Our teachers will undertake a series of online units over 2021 and beyond, and will continue with in-classroom coaching and mentoring. 

If you have any questions about how Catalyst will be implemented at our school, please get in touch with us as the new year commences and we will share with you the scope of the program.

For more information on Catalyst including resources relating to the foundational research that underpins the program, visit catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au.

Student Leadership:

This week one of my greatest joys has been listening to and speaking with our aspiring school captains and sport captains. We are so proud of the Year 5 students who prepared and presented their speeches to the Year 3-6 student body, and / or the Sport House groups, and more importantly we want our students to be proud of themselves.

Each of the students showed great courage to present with confidence their ideas about student leadership in our school for 2021. Mrs Ferris interviewed all of the nominees with me and it was great to hear the recount of their school journey and contributions to date as well as their hopes and dreams for their Year 6 year. At the end of each interview I asked each student to consider what they would do and say if they were successful, and also what they would do and say if they were unsuccessful. Every student acknowledged the happiness they would experience if successful, and every student had a thoughtful response regarding being unsuccessful noting that their Year 6 year would be a year of leadership with or without a captain badge.

We look forward to announcing the leaders at next week’s final school assembly. We will video the announcement and make it available to all families.

Behaviour and Engagement:

We are happy to see a steady increase by the day toward our hope of 100% of students demonstrating the expected St Pat’s Kids behaviours all day, every day. We are working diligently to focus on the high impact strategies that Ian presented to us, and we are using his ‘script’ (see at end of newsletter) when directing students to our expectations. This change in language has had a reasonably swift result. You may be interested to use the script at home when giving instructions to your children. The 95%, who embrace the expected attributes of students at our school, have readily and easily adjusted and responded, I thank them for continuing to model and support their peers to be successful. Our morning assemblies are giving voice to the wonderful St Pat’s kids attributes that are being displayed every day.  

From Ian

Hello all.

Mr Scott Pegum asked if I would introduce myself to the St Patrick’s community as I will be a familiar face there in 2021. I started up my business, BehaveAbility, about 5 years ago, after I left my Principal’s job of 15 years at Redbank School in Sydney. Redbank is a joint Health and Education Department facility for the treatment of children from preschool-school to year 12 who have significant behavioural or emotional difficulties. I work in schools across Australia. Schools engage me to review their behaviour management procedures and student welfare policies and give practical advice to teachers on how they can best support children in their classes who might be having behavioural or emotional difficulties.

I started my work at St Patrick’s school a couple of weeks ago and will continue next year.

In Term 1 I will run a parent workshop for anyone who is interested in attending. Details will be available early next year. I hope you can make it.

Thank you to the wonderful staff and lovely children who made me feel so welcome. All the best. Ian

We look forward to the last days of term being happy and successful for all.

Blessings,

Jo

Thank you to all the families who have donated to the Vinnies Christmas Hampers. Today Danni from St Vincent De Paul collected the hampers for distribution.

Christmas Eve Mass

Families are invited to attend our outdoor Christmas Mass on 24th December. Carols start at 6:30pm followed by Mass at 7pm.

Children can come dressed as Shepherds or Angels.

Christmas Mass Times 2020

Christmas Eve

Bega:             6:30pm Carols - Flats

                     7:00pm Family Vigil

Candelo:        7pm (Fr Rex) Christmas Day

Tathra:           7:45am - Headland Bemboka 9.30am

Today marks the day that every student at St Pats has now experienced the Empowered Program with the focus this year being on how we relate to each other.  Every student has had a buddy who, over the 10 week program, they have gotten to know.  Some students enjoyed having a buddy and were accommodating and other students were quite shy and found it challenging.  This week the theme is CELEBRATE where your child is invited to sit in the middle of the room to receive compliments from you their parents.  Based on a ritual performed in an African village the theory behind it goes something like this;

“In this African village when someone breaks the village rules they are taken in the middle of the village and for 3 days the village people create a circle around this person and gives them compliments.  The reason behind this ritual is that when people break the laws it is because they have forgotten WHO THEY ARE.  This ceremony helps to remind them.”

Hopefully all Empowered students will come home this afternoon with a smile in their heart and on their faces.

Thankyou to all of the Club leaders this term;

Art and Craft Group – Alice, Maya, Sophie and Nate

Disney Club – Abbie and Mahala

Bayblade Club – Aiden Green and Archie

Basketball/Volley ball Club – Sonia, Georgina, Lincoln and Falyn

The junior playground has been so peace filled these last two weeks as our new Peer Mediators have been roaming around introducing themselves and helping mediate where altercations have occurred. Helping the younger students come up with their own solutions gives the Peer Mediators skills that they can use in their own lives too.  Don’t be surprised if your child sits you both down as parents and starts practising their mediation techniques at home.  Congratulations to the following grade 5 students Isobel, Lincoln, Joshua, Tyrell, Amelie, Ivy, Oliver and Caitlyn who have been trained as Peer Mediators.

  

  

The uniform shop closes for the Christmas holiday period on Wednesday 16 December 2020 at 1.30pm and will reopen on Thursday 28 January 2021 at 9.30am.

Holiday Trading

The uniform shop is open during the holiday period on the following days:

Thursday 28 January 2021

9.30am - 1.30pm

Friday 29 January 2021

9.30am - 1.30pm

If you would like to come in on these days, please contact us at stpats.uniform@gmail.com to make an appointment.  

Term 1 2021

The uniform shop will reopen as per normal on Tuesday 2 February 2021 at 9.00am. We are open every Tuesday during term from 9.00am - 10.00am.

QKR Store

Should you need to place an order over the holiday period QKR orders can be made 24/7 and any order received will be filled when we return from 28 January 2021.

Second Hand Uniform

Please take the opportunity to have a rummage around your cupboards these holidays and see if you have any items that can be donated. We have many new and existing families who need access to second hand uniforms and the proceeds go back into Community Council projects. We ask that you make sure they are uniform brands ie: LW Reid, Midford and Eagle and in a condition that is presentable.

We have the following items on the lost and found trolley (as pictured) which need to be cleared out before the end of term. If your child owns one of these items please encourage them to collect the item from the lost and found trolley before Tuesday next week.

The uniform committee works hard to locate the owner of all found uniform items and you can help us by clearly labelling each item individually with your child’s name.

    

  

Office News

IMPORTANT:

If you have children enrolled at both St Patrick’s Primary School, Bega and Lumen Christi Catholic College Pambula in 2021 you need to complete the Preparation for 2021 School Fees form.

Please email office.bega@cg.catholic.edu.au if you require a copy of the form or alternatively you can access the form off skoolbag notices. 

St Patrick’s families who have an elder sibling in a Systemic Secondary School, Lumen Christi Catholic College, Pambula receive a 50% discount applied to the CEO Tuition Fee to the eldest Primary child.

The school office requires you to complete the Preparation for 2021 School Fees form to ensure you are invoiced the correct amount of school fees for 2021.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS:

Cathy and Kylie would like to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and a relaxing and enjoyable break. We look forward to seeing you all again in 2021.

As it is the end of the year the canteen has limited supply on some of the stock.