Term 3 - Week 8
Message from the Principal
Dear Families
Welcome to the Term 3 Week 8 newsletter.
Last week we were blessed to celebrate our wonderful dads, grandads and father figures with a fantastic Father’s Day Breakfast. It was a beautiful morning filled with smiles, laughter, and the simple joy of sharing a delicious breakfast of bacon and egg rolls together.
A very big thank you goes to our amazing staff who were busy from 6:30am preparing, cooking, and serving with big smiles! Your generosity and hard work made the morning such a success, and I am so grateful for the way you always go above and beyond for our families.
Following breakfast, we joined together for a beautiful liturgy led by our Year 1 students, reminding us of the gift of fathers and the important role they play in our lives. The children led our liturgy with such growing confidence; it was a heartwarming reminder of the love and joy our youngest learners bring to our community.
We are so grateful to everyone who joined us, and we hope our dads left feeling appreciated, celebrated, and very well fed!
Lucy Harvey
Principal
Father’s Day Stall
Thank you to our amazing parents for organising and running the Father’s Day Stall for our students. Another great fundraiser for St Pat’s. I hope all the dads loved their gifts. I did notice how popular the toilet paper was!
Farewell
Today we say a sad goodbye to Victoria from Year 2. Vicky and her mum are relocating, and while we’ll miss them dearly, we wish them all the very best in this exciting new chapter.
Vicky has brought such joy to our school community with her boundless enthusiasm and infectious love of life. Her bright spirit and cheerful energy have made a lasting impression on classmates and staff alike.
2026 School Priorities Family Consultation Survey
Today you should have received a newsfeed inviting you to complete a very short survey regarding St Patrick’s expenditure priorities for 2026. You are encouraged to take a few minutes to provide your feedback. SURVEY LINK
Buddy Training
On Monday our Year 4 students officially started their Buddy Training as they get ready to welcome the Kindergarten class of 2026. Think of it as “big buddy bootcamp”, learning how to tie shoelaces without tangling themselves, practising their best “it’s okay” smiles for when someone drops their lunch or misses their mum, and remembering that sometimes being a buddy means walking at Kindy speed.
Of course, there’s a serious side too. Being a buddy is about leadership, being a positive role model, and showing our youngest learners what it means to be part of our school family. Next term, Year 4 will finally meet their little buddies during Kindergarten orientation and transition activities, a special moment they’ve been eagerly preparing for.
A big thank you to Miss Drinkwater for guiding and preparing our Year 4 students so wonderfully for this important role. We can’t wait to see the friendships and fun that will blossom as our Year 4s step into their buddy roles!
Canteen Coordinator Wanted!
A huge thank you to Elizabeth Webb, who is hanging up her apron after 2 years of keeping our canteen running like a dream!
We’re now looking for a friendly volunteer to step into the role of Canteen Coordinator. Full support provided, just bring your enthusiasm!
Interested? Contact Rachelle and join the fun!
Uniform reminder
As we transition into the warmer weather (when it is not raining) it is important to ensure students are wearing the correct summer uniform each day.
Please note that the shoes worn with the summer and winter uniforms are black leather lace-up, elasticised or buckle shoes that are able to be polished. Sport shoes should be predominately white. Please do not be persuaded by your children to purchase anything other than these shoes.
Jewellery and make-up
The wearing of jewellery is limited to:
- 1 pair of earring studs or sleepers - No “dangly” earrings
- 1 ring
- 1 necklace inside the uniform
- 1 watch
- 1 bracelet
If any jewellery is deemed to present a hazard, your child will be asked to remove the item and it will be returned at the end of the day. All care but no responsibility will be taken for the loss of jewellery at the school. Lipstick, lip gloss, blush, mascara, eyeshadow, foundation and all other forms of makeup are not permitted at St Patrick’s. We do encourage application of standard sunscreen.
Sport in Schools
Sport at our school is coordinated by Mrs Browne, who dedicates an incredible amount of time and energy to ensure students have access to a wide range of sporting opportunities. Her role includes organising school sport, gala days (netball, soccer, tag, AFL), pathway sports such as swimming, athletics, and cross country, as well as both summer and winter competitions. She also manages grant applications to support in-school programs.
This year, Mrs Browne has had to reschedule six events due to weather disruptions, adding to an already demanding workload. We kindly ask parents to support the smooth running of these events by completing Compass permissions promptly and encouraging their children to participate.
These sporting events are part of our school program. When students do not attend, it affects not only our internal planning but also the coordination with other schools involved. While we understand that not every student is sport-minded, participation in sport offers many benefits, including:
- Improved physical health and fitness
- Enhanced mental wellbeing and stress relief
- Development of teamwork and leadership skills
- Boosted confidence and resilience
- Opportunities to build friendships and social connections
We encourage all students to get involved and make the most of these valuable experiences.
On behalf of our school community, I sincerely thank Mrs Browne for her ongoing commitment and passion for providing our students with enriching sporting experiences.
Week 9 at a Glance
Week 10 at a Glance
Message from RE Coordinator
Father’s Day
Thank you to all the fathers, grandfathers and significant male-figures that were able to join us last Friday for breakfast and our liturgy. There were many egg and bacon rolls consumed and luckily no injuries from handball and basketball. Thank you to the Year 1 students, Mrs Stewart and Miss Maloney for preparing our liturgy. It was amazing to see so many fathers fill our hall and be there for the students of St Patrick’s. I hope that you were spoilt with gifts from the Father’s Day stall and enjoyed your day last Sunday.
Maitland Newcastle Diocesan KIDS Holiday Program – Tuesday 7 October!
Looking for a joyful day of faith, fun, and friendship for your child these school holidays? The Maitland-Newcastle Diocese invites children aged 6–12 to our MN KIDS Holiday Program on Tuesday 7 October, 9am–3pm at the Diocesan Resource Centre, Newcastle West.
Activities include team games, pilgrim challenges, craft, bible stories, music, and delicious food. Morning tea and lunch provided. Child minding available from 8:30am–4:00pm.
Cost: $10 per child.
To register, click HERE
Register by: Monday 22 September – places are limited!
Mr Daniel Lockwood
Religious Education Coordinator
Message from Assistant Principal
Year 2 Cake Stall Thursday 18th September
Year 2 students have had the opportunity to work with Story Dogs this term, welcoming Boji into our school to listen to our students read. This will continue into Term 4.
Story Dogs is a free program ran by volunteers. Part of participating in the program is the agreement to hold a small event to raise funds for the program.
Year 2 students are very excited to run a cake stall next week on Thursday 18th September.
Items will cost between 20c and 50c. We would greatly appreciate your support in helping us raise these much needed funds for the Story Dogs program, so please send your child along with some loose change on the day.
Student BYOD Devices important message: Windows 10 is reaching end of life
Action is required for students with BYOD Windows 10 devices as Windows 10 will soon no longer be supported by Microsoft.
To ensure your student device security you should upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible.
Microsoft has announced that support for Windows 10 will end on 14 October 2025, meaning it will no longer receive critical security updates.
To stay protected and ensure optimal performance, it is strongly recommended that all students with BYOD Windows 10 devices follow Microsoft’s instructions and upgrade to Windows 11 as soon as possible. There is no charge for this upgrade.
Why this matters:
- Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 from 15 October 2025.
- Upgrading to Windows 11 helps reduce security risks.
- Student Work Protection: Staying current helps safeguard assignments, projects, and personal data.
Ways to install Windows 11 - Microsoft Support
Upgrade to Windows 11: FAQ - Microsoft Support
Read our FAQs for more support:
How do I check what version of Windows am I running?
Select Start > Settings > System, then select About. You then see Edition, Version, and OS Build information.
We encourage all families with Student Windows 10 computers to begin the upgrade process now to avoid last-minute disruptions. If you need assistance or have questions about upgrading, please reach out to the IT support team in our school.
What if my device can’t upgrade?
If a Student’s BYOD laptop is running Windows 10 and can’t be upgraded to Windows 11 (usually due to older hardware), Microsoft is offering a free security update program to help keep the device safe for one more year.
The Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) program is designed to keep your current Windows 10 PC protected after support ends, helping you stay secure during the transition.
How to Join Microsoft’s ESU Program
Microsoft has made it easy to enrol directly from the laptop:
- On eligible computers, a setup wizard will appear in Settings > Windows Update.
- There are three ways to enrol:
- Free – Sync your settings to the cloud using Windows Backup. You must be logged in as administrator and with a Microsoft account.
- Free – Use 1,000 Microsoft Rewards points.
- Paid – Buy a one-year license for $30 USD (families cover this cost).
Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10 | Microsoft Learn
Mrs Janine Schneider
Assistant Principal
Diverse Learners Team News
Learning Support – Teacher’s Aide Appreciation week: 1st - 5th September
On Thursday last week, we had a small act of recognition for our Learning Support Assistants. One week is not enough to appreciate what these people do for our school. The role of a LSA is critical for many students who require further practice with key skills; extra reassurance to boost self-confidence; additional supervision on the playground to ensure a smooth play time; encouragement with eating at the right time; repetition of instructions that might have been missed the first time; intervention to provide catch-up lessons for reading, spelling or maths; creating resources; facilitating lesson breaks; supporting co-regulation; providing observations and feedback - and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! They show such kindness and patience to every student, and a good listening ear for teachers.
Everyone in our amazing team received a ‘Heart Full of Thanks’ poem, which was read aloud by some of our year 6 leaders. They were then presented with a well-deserved ‘serving’ school award and a giant THANK YOU from all the students. We truly appreciate all you do - thanks to Mrs Lackey, Miss Annie, Miss Elke, Mrs Mac, Mr Mac and Mrs K.
High Potential & Gifted Education - Year 6 Debating
This term, our Year 6 students have been developing their debating skills. They have been learning how to build strong arguments, listen carefully to others, and speak with confidence. In the coming weeks, a competition team will be selected to represent our school at the Lakes region debating competition in Term 4, and we are excited to see our students put their skills into action. Once the team of four students is finalised, they will participate in two debating workshops in Week 9 and 10. Mrs Curk will facilitate these two workshops and guide the team by coaching them on the different roles and components of a debate.
Parents can support at home by encouraging children to:
- Discuss current topics or everyday issues at the dinner table.
- Practise explaining their opinions clearly and backing them up with reasons.
- Take turns listening and responding respectfully during family conversations.
- Watch short debate clips online to see how speakers present their arguments.
We are proud of the enthusiasm Year 6 has shown and look forward to our school debating team participating in the Lakes Region competition next term.
Mrs Cathy Curk
Gifted Education Mentor
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education
Indigenous Storytime on the Boardwalk
One of the activities that our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students asked for recently, was story book sharing on our beautiful boardwalk overlooking Black Ned’s Bay.
We gathered some of our Indigenous picture books and had our first session on Monday for the last 15 minutes of the day. Year 4 and Year 1 joined together, the older students taking the lead by asking and answering questions and ‘wonderings’ from their younger reading buddies.
It was wonderful to see how engaged the students were and how nurturing the older students were towards their reading friends.
Our beautiful collection of Indigenous books will be shared between Year 1 and Year 6, Year 5 and Kindergarten, Year 2 and Year 4, and Year 3 every even week on a Monday afternoon.
Parents, grandparents, and carers are welcome to join us on the Boardwalk.
Mrs Liz Walker
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Education Teacher
SchoolTV: Parenting Styles
Kindergarten News
Kindergarten Adventures
Kindergarten have had an adventurous term! We experienced our very first Book Week dress-up, led our first liturgy with our grandparents, and visited the Irukandji Shark and Ray Centre. At Irukandji, we had the exciting opportunity to feed sharks and stingrays. We had to be very calm and patient while waiting for them to come, and we learnt about their environments, features, and lifestyles.
In the classroom, our writing is coming a long way. We are starting to construct sentences and learning about features of different text types, including informative and narrative.
In Maths, we have been exploring numbers, patterns, equal groups and measurements. A highlight this week was measuring the length of our arm spans. Miss Murray and Mrs K had the longest, but one day we’ll catch up! Earlier in the term we enjoyed working on making equal groups, which linked beautifully to our learning about patterns.
It has been a busy term, and even though we’re feeling a little tired, Kindergarten are showing amazing resilience and effort. It’s hard to believe we are already more than halfway through the year!
Miss Chloe Murray
Kindergarten Teacher
Library News
Library Bags
We have recently had books returned with damage from being folded, chocolate milk, water and a sticky pink-with-sprinkles icing. They have all had to be thrown out.
Please make sure you have a library bag for library books to go in. While a waterproof bag is best, any bag will protect our library books at least a little.
Book Fair Orders
Any items that were sold out at the Book Fair and ordered on the day have arrived and been sent home.
200 Nights Reading
We have had our first student to complete the 200 Nights Reading Challenge!
Congratulations Matteo! 🎉
Premier’s Reading Challenge
Now is the time to log your last books for the Premier’s Reading Challenge. If you are unsure how to do this or need help with logging in, please contact Mrs Devlin or Mrs Hale.
Don’t forget to ask your child what books Mrs Devlin or their class teacher has read to them as well.
The challenge finishes on Friday 19th September.
Congratulations to recent PRC finishers:
Elijah F
Mahli T
Bree T
Sport News
Polding Athletics
We wish the best of luck to Florence, Jaymie, Layla, Egan, Jude, Vinnie and Lucas who are competing at Polding Athletics Championships today. It is an outstanding achievement to reach this level of competition, and we are all cheering you on!
Netball NSW Cup
Last Monday, 8 talented netballers represented St Patrick’s at the Netball NSW Cup in Newcastle. Congratulations to Emily, Charlie, Imogen, Lucy, Lilah, Casey, Florence and Sophie for representing with such athleticism, enthusiasm and dedication.
A huge thank you to Kirstie Fuller who volunteered her time and expertise to coach the team over the past few months.
Pathways Sport- Summer Sport Trials
Regional Sport Trials for Summer sports (Cricket, tennis, basketball) are being held in October. Nominations for these trials are open to elite athletes in years 4 and 5 (as the pathway will extend into next year).
If your child is experienced in, and plays these sports at a high level, please complete the google form by Friday week 9 https://forms.office.com/r/XfgfsVQaqv
Successful nominees will be notified by the end of the Term.
Dates and times below:
CRICKET- Gateshead Indoor Centre Fri - Oct 17th 9-11
TENNIS- Lakelands Tennis Courts, Lakelands - Wed Oct 29th 9.30-11.30am
BASKETBALL- St Pauls High, Booragul- Wed Oct 29th either 9-11 or 9.30-11.30 TBC
After School AFL Program
This Term, many students enjoyed an extra curricular AFL program run here at St Patricks. The program was a resounding success with students learning many sporting skills along with collaboration, resilience and persistence and a good dose of fun. Well done to all who participated!
Weekend Sports Stars
Congratulations to our talented gymnast, Sara Corbett, on her results at the recent Gymnastics NSW Championships. We are very proud of your outstanding achievements!
Will and Isaac Bevan have been kicking goals (in more ways than 1!) at a football tournament in Sydney. Will’s team made it to the knockout stages and Isaac’s team won the tournament in their age group. Isaac and Will have been selected for the NEFA full time academy for next year’s season. Congratulations boys!
If your child is a Weekend Sports Star, please email details and a photo to so we can celebrate their success in our next newsletter.
Mrs Claire Browne
Sport Coordinator
Creative Arts Talent
Talented St Patrick’s Drummers
At last Friday’s Assembly, two of our students, Zantar (Year 3) and Evelyn (Year 2) entertained us with some fabulous drum solos. Zantar has been learning drums from Rosco Buchanan and Evelyn’s dad, Cameron, has been teaching her at home. What amazing talent we have at St Patrick’s, and obviously some incredibly talented dads! Thanks, Rosco for playing your beats for us!!!
ASPIRE- Scriptwriters Workshop
Last week, Jaymie, Eloise and Imogen attended their third, full day scriptwriters’ session with Artistic Director of Aspire, Anna Kerrigan.
The girls will be developing their own scripts over the next couple of months and will be learning all the tips and tricks for creating a successful piece of drama. Their plays will be performed in November at the Warners Bay Performing Arts Theatre by a group of high school ASPIRE drama students.
In their last session, the girls participated in lots of writing exercises which focussed on writing stage directions for their scenes.
We are extremely proud of you Imogen, Jaymie and Eloise for striving for excellence in the Arts.
Mrs Liz Walker
Creative Arts Teacher
P&F
P&F Meeting Minutes
Office News
Volunteering at St Patrick's
If you would like to register to volunteer at St Patrick's, can you please complete the "Volunteer Registration Form" by clicking on the link here.
St Patrick's will be notified by the Catholic Schools Office once you are cleared to volunteer.
If you are unsure if you have clearance, please email the office at admin@swansea.catholic.edu.au to enquire.
Rachelle McKenzie
Senior School Officer
Community Notices
