St Patrick's Primary School Swansea eNewsletter

Message from the Principal

Loving God,
As we begin this new term, we thank You for the gift of a fresh start.
Guide our hearts and minds in the weeks ahead.
Fill our classrooms with joy, curiosity, and respect.
May our words be encouraging, our actions be thoughtful,
and our intentions always reflect Your love.
Bless our students, staff, and families with patience, perseverance, and peace.
We place this term into Your hands with trust and hope.
Amen.

Dear Families

Welcome back to Term 3! We hope the holiday break offered everyone a chance to rest, reconnect, and recharge. As we begin this new term together, we look forward to all the learning, growing, and shared experiences ahead. Let’s continue to walk in kindness, lead with compassion, and strive to be our best selves in all we do.

Lucy Harvey
Principal

A warm welcome to our new families

We are delighted to welcome four new families who have joined our school community this term. Starting at a new school is a big step, and we want you to know that you are now part of a supportive, caring, and vibrant community.

A special welcome to the Kolotas Family - Stephanie, George, Remi (Year 2) and Pippy (Year 4); the Mearns Family – Jamie, Jordan, Kai (Year 2) and Noah (Year 4); Conway Family – Rachael and Myah (Year 4); and the Thomas Family – Anna, Clayton and Charlotte (Year 5).

We are so pleased to have you with us and look forward to seeing you grow, learn, and thrive at St Patrick’s.

A warm welcome to our new staff

We are also very delighted to welcome additional Learning Support staff to St Patrick’s. Joining us are Mrs Elke Hoube, Mrs Daina Lackey and Mrs Annie Warner. Elke, Daina and Annie will provide additional support for some of our students.

This term we also have two student teachers from the University of Newcastle completing their internship. Miss Grace Maloney and Miss Lily Bartlett will join Year 1 and 5 respectfully as they complete their teacher training.

Congratulations Ms Wakely – It’s a boy!

We are thrilled to share the wonderful news of the safe arrival of baby Luca!
Wishing Emma and Marc and their beautiful family a lifetime of love, laughter, and precious memories together. Welcome to the world, little Luca!

The wheels on the bus go round and round!

We are thrilled to share that our new school bus service has been a fantastic success! The introduction of this service has already made a noticeable difference to our school community, easing the burden on families and helping students arrive at school safely and on time.

The feedback from parents and students has been overwhelmingly positive, and we’re seeing increased uptake each day, on average 40 students of a morning. With the growing developments in Catherine Hill Bay and Murray’s Beach, the need for safe and reliable transport options has never been greater—and we’re proud to be meeting that need.

A special thank you to Lisa Tierney, Chief Operating Officer, who not only endorsed and supported our request but also prioritised the need for our school community. Her leadership and commitment helped drive this initiative forward. We also extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to Aleck Schoevers, Growth and Development Manager, for collecting and presenting the data that clearly demonstrated the demand for the service. Aleck also worked tirelessly sourcing the charter and mapping the route. Thank you to the Tim Bowd and his team from Marketing and Communication for the bus wrap design and all the media coverage. And lastly, thank you to the Governance and Legal team and to Finance for their endorsement and support. St Pat’s community thanks you all!

P&F Support - Outdoor seating and Soccer Goals

Over the holidays our new outdoor seating was installed, and it looks fantastic. We would like to thank the P&F for their financial donation to purchase the seating and a new set of Soccer goals.

Plumbing

Plumbing work was also undertaken during the holidays to replace the downpipes and redirect the water to alleviate excess water on the field and under the building during heavy rain. We are waiting for the replacement grills to complete the work.

NAIDOC

On Wednesday, students and staff from our 3 parish schools came together at St Francis Xavier, Belmont, for a very special NAIDOC Celebration Day. This shared event was a wonderful opportunity to honour and reflect on the rich history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Throughout the day, students engaged in a variety of cultural activities, storytelling, music, and dance, deepening their understanding of the theme “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”. The celebration was a vibrant reminder of the importance of connection, community, and building cultural understanding.

A heartfelt thank you to the Danielle Shaw ATSI Teacher Belmont for her spectacular organisation of the day and to St Francis Xavier for hosting. Thank you to Liz Walker for preparing our students to celebrate our NAIDOC events in a spirit of respect and unity, providing a meaningful and memorable experience for our students.

Aspire

Today, I had the pleasure of joining Years 4, 5 and 6 at the CIVIC theatre for the ASPIRE production of ‘The Rise of the BOZZ”, a celebration of performing arts that brought together talented students from across our diocese.

A special congratulations to Imogen Walker in Year 6, whose performance lit up the stage. Her dedication, talent, and hard work truly shone through—earning well-deserved applause and recognition from her fellow St Patrick’s peers. Bravo, Immy!

ASPIRE is more than just a production—it’s a platform for young performers to grow, connect, and inspire. We are thrilled to see our students thriving in such creative spaces. We look forward to celebrating more of our students joining ASPIRE in the future.

St Mary's Year 7 2026 - Student Orientation Day

School Photos- Monday 25^th August

MSP School Photo Ordering is Ready!

Compass is now set up and ready for parents to order online, please see below correspondence that was sent to all compass users last week.

A reminder email will be sent out before photo day and another one after photo day.

Please also note that family ordering cuts off at midnight the day before photo day and no family orders can be placed online after this time

Week 3

Week 4

Message from RE Coordinator

Sacramental Program

The Parish Sacramental Program commenced last night and will continue into November. We have four families who have begun this journey to participating in the sacraments of confession, confirmation and first holy communion. We wish these students our prayers and guidance over the coming months.

Parish Children’s Liturgy of the Word – All Are Welcome!

JOIN US at St Francis Xavier Church Belmont for a special Children’s Liturgy of the Word during 9:00AM Mass on Sunday, 17 August. This child-centred liturgy offers a friendly, safe, and engaging space where children can hear and reflect on the Gospel in a way that speaks to their hearts. All children are warmly invited to participate – come and share in the joy of faith made simple and meaningful for our youngest parishioners. Stay after Mass for a relaxed morning tea – a great chance to connect with fellow families and parishioners!

Mr Daniel Lockwood
RE Coordinator

Diverse Learners Team News

High Potential & Gifted Education

One of the focuses in classrooms over the first few weeks of this term has been public speaking. Each class has been learning how to plan and deliver clear, confident speeches on a range of engaging topics. Students have practised speaking with expression, using palm cards effectively, and keeping to a set timeframe. We are proud of all their efforts, and the top speakers from each stage we be selected in the coming weeks to represent our school at the upcoming Lakes Region public speaking competition, where they will have the opportunity to share their ideas with a wider audience.

Here are some simple ways parents can help their child build their public speaking confidence:

Encourage your child to read aloud daily with expression and clarity.
Play games like “1 or 2-Minute Talk” where your child speaks on a random topic for one or two minutes.
Record them practising a speech and watch it together to discuss strengths and areas to improve.
Help your child brainstorm speech topics they are passionate about and discuss key points together.
Remind them to speak slowly, make eye contact, and enjoy the experience!

Your support at home can make a big difference in building your child’s confidence and communication skills.

Mrs Cathy Curk
Gifted Education Mentor

Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education

On Wednesday our school participated in a wonderful NAIDOC celebration at St Francis Xavier, Belmont. The day was an immersion full of engaging and meaningful workshops which gave us an even deeper insight into our First Nations peoples' history and culture.

Our day began with some of our Aboriginal students joining proud Worimi man, Mauri, to do a traditional dance as part of our NAIDOC Morning Ceremony. Our students were painted with ochre and proudly represented their culture and schools in this moving presentation.

Throughout the day our students rotated through a variety of workshops which were run by local indigenous presenters. The activities included traditional dance interwoven with hip-hop, bush tucker tasting where our students were invited to taste cooked emu egg, molding Coolamons with clay, connecting with message sticks and learning about Aboriginal culture through digital music.

It was a wonderful cultural experience for our students who displayed excellent participation and behaviour throughout the day.

On Tuesday, some of our Year 5 and 6 students helped to unpack the history and meaning of NAIDOC for our younger students.

In 1938, a group of Aboriginal people held a protest in Sydney on Australia Day. It was called the Day of Mourning. They wanted people to understand the unfair treatment of Aboriginal people after 150 years of British rule.

It began as just one day in 1957; a group called the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) was formed. They chose the first Sunday in July as a special day to celebrate Aboriginal culture and history.

It became a whole week in 1991, and the name changed to NAIDOC to include Torres Strait Islander peoples too.

Thank you to the following students for shedding light on these important events in our Nation's history: Sophie, Eloise, Billie, Indie, Khloe, Beth, Sara, Evie, Willow, Emelia, Scarlett, Ryker, Will and Cooper, Seb, Xavier, Archer and Matteo.

Mrs Liz Walker
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education Teacher

SchoolTV: Sibling Relationships

Sibling relationships play a powerful role in shaping a child's social and emotional development. For parents and caregivers, understanding the dynamics between siblings is key to promoting harmony at home and fostering resilience. These relationships can be a source of lifelong friendship and support, but they can also be marked by rivalry and conflict if not guided positively. Encouraging young people to value each other's differences, communicate openly and resolve disputes respectfully, helps build strong sibling bonds. By creating a nurturing environment that avoids comparisons and recognises individual strengths, adults can help siblings grow into compassionate, cooperative and emotionally intelligent individuals.

Full SchoolTV Article

Year 3 News

It’s been a busy and exciting commencement to the start of term for Year 3, filled with rich learning experiences and new challenges!

In English, we’ve been focusing on public speaking, learning how to speak confidently and clearly in front of an audience. Students have been practising using expression, eye contact, and gestures to engage their listeners. We are also enjoying reading the novel Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda. This text is sparking deep discussions around courage, self-belief and problem-solving, as we explore the adventures of Rowan and his journey to save his village.

In Mathematics, we have been exploring mapping and probability. Students have been developing their understanding of direction, grid references, and reading and creating simple maps. In probability, we’ve had lots of fun using chance language such as “likely”, “unlikely”, and “impossible” as we make predictions and test outcomes using games and experiments.

Our Religious Education lessons this term will centre around the Sacrament of Reconciliation. We are learning about forgiveness, making right choices, and how we can reflect on our actions in light of Jesus’ teachings. Students are growing in their understanding of God’s loving mercy and the importance of saying sorry and making peace.

In Geography, we’ve been discovering significant places in Australia. We’re exploring both natural and human-made landmarks, and discussing why these places are important to individuals, communities, and our nation.

A highlight already this term was our excursion to St Francis Xaiver School Belmont for NAIDOC Week, where we engaged in meaningful learning about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. Students participated in storytelling, art, and cultural activities that deepened their understanding and appreciation of First Nations histories and contributions. It was a valuable experience that connected closely with our Geography learning and our school's commitment to reconciliation. Thank you to Mrs Liz Walker for organising this experience for us.

Mr Daniel Lockwood and Mrs Mary Grace Tisdell
Year 3 Teachers

Library News

Preparations have begun for our Book Week celebrations. The shortlisted books are displayed, and we have begun reading them during library lessons. The library is slowly transforming into an adventure world with maps, globes and passports.

Sport News

Athletics

Congratulations to our St Pat’s Students who qualified for Diocesan Athletics: Daisy Barringer, Evie Buchanan, Florence de Champlain, Ruby Hansen, Emily Hill, Charlie Hill, Scarlett Jones, Egan Joyce, Nixon Kirkwood, Jude Mulder, Lucas Nicoll, Jaymie Tisdell, Vincent Walker, Layla Watkins.

We wish them the very best of luck at next week’s carnival.

Netball NSW Cup

Next week our St Pat’s Senior Competitive Netball Team will compete against other Hunter schools at the first round of the Netball NSW Cup. We will be cheering on Sophie Dunn, Casey Batchelor Imogen Walker, Lucy Layton, Lilah Ward, Florence de Champlain, Emily Hill and Charlie Hill as they run, shoot and pass their way through the day. Good luck girls!

I’d like to offer a huge thank you to our St Pat’s Mum and Super Coach, Kirstie Fuller, for her dedication in training the team each week to prepare them for the competition.

Touch Football Gala Days

Stage 2 and 3 are looking forward to attending Touch Football Gala Days over the next two weeks. The days are focused on fun and participation and are a valuable learning opportunity for all. Please refer to the Compass event for details.