To the St Pat’s School Community

Welcome to 2021. We are really looking forward to a great year of learning and community and we are especially looking forward to seeing your children on Monday 1^st February and hearing about their lovely restful, relaxing and fun holiday!

For new Kinder families, welcome! We are really looking forward to the children starting at ‘big school.’ The kindergarten students commence full-time with all other students.

For the families of all our new students in Year 1-6, welcome! We are looking forward to your children quickly becoming St Pat’s kids!

What’s new:

The new toilet block has commenced! After a good long wait the building project is finally happening thanks to JAMROC constructions. This will mean that in Term 1 the junior playground is out of action and the Belmore gate entrance will sometimes be inaccessible. Thank you for managing around this with us. We are really looking forward to the new facilities and repurposing the old boys toilet block into a maintenance store. We have plans for the K-2 play time and play space that we will trial in week 1 and fully implement for the term.

COVID-19 restrictions ease (at present). We will be able to welcome parents back on site more frequently – with the standard social distancing and signing in and sanitising now part of the regular routine. At some events there will be capped numbers based on space, this will include whole school masses and other whole school events. We will work hard to find ways for as many parents to be able to attend school events.

We all know that in the Covid-19 environment that change can occur rapidly. We will keep you up to date via Skoolbag.

We will notify parents who wish to volunteer in our school of a Volunteer Induction session that needs to be completed before volunteers can actively participate in school.

Canberra Trip we are hopeful that our Year 5&6 students will be heading to the National Capital for their 3 day Canberra Excursion on 30^th March – 1^st April. More information will come out next week.

Journey of Hope program we have booked the Journey of Hope Program in Term 1 for our Year 5/6’s run by the Save the Children organisation. It is a program to help students understand the experiences of trauma through the bushfires and other life events. We may be able to offer the program to other year levels during the year.

BehaveAbility - Ian Luscombe we look forward to growing our school connection with Ian and BehaveAbility and seeing Ian at St Pat’s in March during which time there will be a parent information session. Ian is helping refine school procedures and practices to help all students grow their personal responsibility and behaviours for learning and engagement.

Staffing:

New Leadership and Teaching Staff we welcome Mrs Val Sheahan to the Assistant Principal role for 2021, Mrs Stephanie Noack to the teacher librarian and one day teaching 45B role, and Mrs Renee Lightly to STEM teaching and one day teaching in 12B role. Welcome back Mrs Harnett!!

Canteen Manager we welcome Leayra Thornton to the position of Canteen Manager, and again thank Mrs Kylie Hotson for her work in this role in recent years.

Office Administration we thank Mrs Hotson for fulfilling a part time role in the school office as enrolment secretary and other administration work and wish her well in her 2021 endeavours. We look forward to finalising recruitment processes for the new part time office administration role for 2021.

Blessings on the last weekend of the holiday break.

Jo