Term 3 Week 6
- From the Principal
- Wet Weather Play
- Upcoming Events
- ? Dental Health Van Visit - September 9th
- Father's Day Breakfast
- Book Week
- School Musical
- Athletics Sports in Donald
- School Camps 2025
- *Stars of the Week *
- Wright Direction - Wellbeing News
- School TV - R U OK? DAY
- Our Diocesan Community
- Dates for 2025
- Community Notices
- Child Safe Standards
From the Principal
Dear Families,
It’s hard to believe we are already halfway through Term 3 – and what a busy and exciting few weeks we have ahead at St Patrick’s!
🌟 Athletics Carnival
A big well done to all of our students who represented St Patrick’s at the Athletics in Donald last Friday. Your effort, sportsmanship, and team spirit were outstanding, and we are very proud of you.
👨👧👦 Father’s Day Breakfast
We are looking forward to welcoming dads, grandfathers, and special father figures to our Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday September 5 from 7:30am – 9:00am. This is always a special occasion for our school community.
🎭 School Musical
Excitement is building as students prepare for our School Musical on Thursday, September 18. Rehearsals are going well, and we can’t wait to share this wonderful showcase of talent and creativity with you all.
If you know you won't be at school on September 18th can you please let myself or the office know.
📅 School Closure Day
Please remember that Friday, September 19 is a School Closure Day.
🦷 Dental Health Van
The Australian Dental Health Van will be visiting on Tuesday, September 9. Families who haven’t yet filled in the consent forms can still do so online.
♻️ Cans & Bottles Collection
Thank you to everyone supporting our 10c cans and bottles collection. All funds raised go towards new sports equipment and educational resources for our students.
It is such a joy to see our students thriving in so many different areas – from sport, to the arts, to learning about wellbeing and respect in our classrooms. Thank you for the wonderful support you continue to show our school.
Warm regards,
Trinity
“As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.
St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School is committed to the safety and well-being of all students.”
Wet Weather Play
Rain, Rain, and Indoor Play
What a wet week it has been! With so much rain about, our students have shown wonderful resilience and flexibility by adapting to indoor playtimes. Rather than letting the weather dampen their spirits, they have embraced board games, craft activities, and group games inside. It has been heartening to see how well they cooperate, share, and include one another during these times.
Adding to the fun, Mr Clohesy also joined in with the activities, much to the delight of the students!
His involvement brought lots of laughter and created a special sense of connection between staff and students.
Despite the grey skies outside, our school has been filled with energy and positivity this week.
Upcoming Events
WHAT'S ON THIS TERM
Friday August 29th -
# Coates Hostel Visit - Prep/1
Wednesday September 3rd -
# Black Ranges Athletics
Friday September 5th -
# Father's Day Breakfast
# Skipping Demonstration by Ararat West PS @ 1.30pm
# Coates Hostel Visit
Monday September 8th -
# Dental Van Visits This Week (Date TBC)
Wednesday September 10th -
# Parent Teacher Interviews Day 1
Thursday September 11th -
# Parent Teacher Interviews Day 2
# R U OK Day
Friday September 12th -
# Footy Colours Day
# Coates Hostel Visit Grade 2
Wednesday September 17th -
# School Musical Dress Rehearsal
Thursday September 18th -
# SCHOOL MUSICAL PERFORMANCES
# LAST DAY OF TERM 3
Friday September 19th -
# SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY for STAFF PD
🦷 Dental Health Van Visit - September 9th
The Australian Dental Health Van will be visiting St Patrick’s Primary School on Tuesday, September 9.
If you haven’t yet completed the consent forms, it’s not too late! Forms can still be filled out online at:
👉 https://form.jotform.com/252017351029852
This is a great opportunity to support the dental health and wellbeing of our students.
Father's Day Breakfast
We invite all dads, grandfathers, and special father figures to join us for our Father’s Day Breakfast on:
📅 Friday, September 5
⏰ 7:30am – 9:00am
📍 St Patrick’s Primary School
This is a wonderful opportunity to come together as a school community to celebrate and thank the special men in our students’ lives. We look forward to sharing a delicious breakfast and a fun start to the day!
Book Week
St Patrick’s Primary School came alive with colour and creativity as we celebrated Book Week 2025 with a fun-filled day. This year’s theme, "Book an Adventure!" came to life through colour, creativity, and a shared love of storytelling. 
Students arrived in an amazing array of book character costumes and proudly paraded them in front of the school community. The excitement continued with a range of rotational activities, where students engaged in storytelling, craft, games, and more – all inspired by this year’s short listed books!We can’t forget the hilarious teacher performance of ‘Giraffes Can’t Dance’, which had students laughing, clapping, and dancing along. 
Thank you to all the students, staff, and families for making the day such a wonderful celebration of reading!
To see more of the fantastic costumes from the day click here:
https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1286492109938690&set=pcb.1286492503271984
Book Week Dress Up Day 2025
School Musical
🎭 Get Ready... Oliver With a Twist Is Almost Here!
Excitement is in the air! Our school musical, Oliver With a Twist, is nearly ready to hit the stage—and we can't wait to share it with you!
Our amazing students have been working so hard, learning lines, singing songs, and practicing their dance moves. The story is full of fun, adventure, and a few surprises too—it's a twist on the classic Oliver Twist, and it’s packed with energy, laughs, and lots of heart.
From colorful costumes to catchy tunes, this is a show the whole family will enjoy. You’ll be cheering, laughing, and maybe even singing along!
🗓 Save the Date: Thursday September 18th
Location: St Arnaud Town Hall
Time: 12pm matinee show & 6pm evening show
🎟 Gold coin donation
Let’s give a big round of applause to all our brilliant performers, backstage helpers, and teachers who are making this show extra special. We’re so proud of everyone involved.
See you there for a twist you won’t forget!
Athletics Sports in Donald
🏃♀️🏆 Donald Athletic Sports – What a Day! 🏆🏃♂️
What a fantastic day we had at the Donald Athletic Sports!
Our students gave it their all on the track and field, showing amazing effort, great sportsmanship, and team spirit throughout the day. From sprints to relays, long jump to shot put—every event was packed with energy and excitement!
We’re so proud to share that we came second overall in the Senior Division—a huge achievement against some tough competition. Even more exciting, we brought home the shield in the Junior Division! 🥇🎉
A big congratulations to all our athletes—you represented our school with pride and gave it everything you had. Thank you to the staff, families, and supporters who came along and cheered us on. And of course, a special shout-out to those students who pushed themselves, tried something new, or helped others throughout the day. You’re all champions in our eyes!
A special congratulations to those students that achieved a 3 in every event - Sarah, Xavier, Ned, Emily, Maddie, Harry, Mason, Milla and Eadie.
Go team St. Pat's!
School Camps 2025
We’re thrilled to share that our upcoming school camps for Grades 5 & 6 and Grades 3 & 4 are just around the corner!
The Grade 5 & 6 Camp Packs will be sent home this Friday, August 29th. Please make sure you read the contents and complete the permission and medical forms. These forms need to be returned to school by Friday September 5th to confirm numbers.
Grades 5 & 6 will venture down to PGL Campaspe at Tylden, near the Macedon Ranges, from Tuesday October 14th to Friday October 17th.
Grades 3 & 4 will head north to the Billabong Ranch at Echuca from Wednesday December 3rd to Friday December 5th.
These camps are a fantastic opportunity for students to build friendships, develop independence, and take part in a range of fun and educational activities outside the classroom.
Each camp has been carefully planned to ensure a safe, engaging, and memorable experience for all students.
We’re looking forward to exciting adventures and can’t wait to share more with you shortly!
*Stars of the Week *
Week 5
Week 6
Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars.”
— Norman Vincent Peale
Wright Direction - Wellbeing News
Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR)
Dear Families,
This term I have been working with students on the 4 R’s – Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR). Each year level has been exploring important topics that help us build skills in understanding ourselves, respecting others, and strengthening our community.
Prep – Year 2
Topic 1: Emotional Literacy – We have been learning about different emotions, what causes these emotions, how to recognise them, and how to name them.
Years 3 & 4
Topic 1: Emotional Literacy – We have been looking at what emotions look like, what might trigger them, and how to name both positive and negative emotions we feel during the school day.
Topic 2: Personal and Cultural Strengths – Students have been identifying their own strengths and learning about showing respect for others and for our Country.
Years 5 & 6
Topic 1: Emotional Literacy – Students have been recognising positive, negative, and mixed emotions, and developing a deeper understanding of how these affect us.
Topic 2: Personal and Cultural Strengths – We have been learning about respecting rights, culture, and heritage, and the importance of valuing these in ourselves and others.
It has been wonderful to see the students engaging thoughtfully in these discussions and activities. I am very proud of the way they are growing in their understanding of themselves and the respectful relationships they are building with one another.
Warm regards,
Mrs Wright
School TV - R U OK? DAY
SPECIAL REPORT: R U OK? DAY
The rise of mental health concerns among young people, including anxiety, depression, and self-harm, is a pressing issue amplified by factors such as academic stress, social media, family dynamics and societal expectations. It is therefore crucial to prioritise early intervention, de-stigmatise mental health discussions, and provide accessible and effective support to address these concerns and promote the wellbeing of young people.
This year R U OK? Day falls on Thursday 11 September, an annual National Day of Action and a reminder that every day is the day to check in with your friends, family and colleagues.
R U OK? contributes to suicide prevention year round by urging people to invest time in personal relationships and empowering informal support networks to identify signs of distress. Families are encouraged to engage in this initiative, emphasising the importance of authentic human connections and reminding everyone to ask the essential question, "Are you OK?"
Parents, caregivers and schools all play a vital role in shaping young lives. Participating in R U OK? Day goes beyond classrooms, showcasing a commitment to holistic student development. By initiating conversations about mental health, schools create safe spaces, where children feel valued, understood, and supported. Parents can help by fostering an open dialogue, normalising emotions, identifying support systems, teaching active listening and addressing any stigmas relating to mental health.
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Our Diocesan Community
Please find below the link for the July 2025 edition of “Our Diocesan Community”.
Dates for 2025
Community Notices
St Arnaud Show Pavilion Schedule 2025
Child Safe Standards
Child Safe Standard 7
Child Safe Standard 7:
At St Patrick’s, the safety and wellbeing of every child is our highest priority. As part of the Victorian Child Safe Standards, we are committed to ensuring that our processes for handling complaints and concerns are always child-focused.
What does this mean for our school community?
Children and families know who they can talk to if they have a concern.
Concerns are taken seriously, acted on quickly, and followed up respectfully.
Our processes are easy to understand and accessible to all, including children from diverse backgrounds.
Students are encouraged and supported to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.
We aim to create a safe, caring and supportive environment where students feel confident that their voices are heard and valued.
If you or your child ever have a concern, please reach out to your child’s teacher or contact the school office to be guided through our Complaints Process. Together, we can ensure St Patrick’s remains a safe and welcoming place for all.
If you have any concerns or questions related to child safety, our Child Safety Officer, Trinity Johns, is available to support students, families, and staff.
At St. Pat’s, every child belongs.
"St Patrick's Primary School respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land,
the Dja Dja Wurrung people, who are represented by the Dja Dja Wurrung Clans Aboriginal
Corporation, pays respect to the ongoing living cultures of first Peoples."