Dear Parent, Guardians and Carers,

This week at St Patrick’s we have recognised the ‘Bullying No Way – National Week of Action’. The theme for 2024 is ‘Everyone Belongs’. Bullying No Way Week is Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative and connects schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying. Purple is the new hero colour representing Bullying No Way and all the students were invited to wear purple to school today.

Bullying is a term that is often used by parents to describe a student’s behaviour towards their child. St Patrick’s takes bullying very seriously and seeks to support all students that feel like they don’t belong. Bullying is when people (students) repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. The key words in this definition are ‘repeatedly’ and ‘intentionally’ and therefore bullying does not relate to isolated incidents. At times, some students may do or say unkind things to another student, which unfortunately is a part of children growing up. This, however, is not bullying. At St Patrick’s we help our students to understand what bullying is as opposed to someone just not being nice and provide them with strategies to support them in managing these situations. The safety and wellbeing of all our students is a key priority and one that we will continue to have a strong focus on in the future.

Mary MacKillop Awards

On the 8^th of August we celebrated the Feast of Saint Mary MacKillop. Mary MacKillop is Australia’s first and only saint. At the age of 24 she dedicated her life to God and took on the name “Mary of the Cross”. She founded Australia’s first religious order: the Sisters of St Joseph. Mary opened a school in a disused stable and her vision was to provide an education for underprivileged children. Mary was committed to serving the poor and supporting the needy, which took her to rural areas, all over Australia.

One quote that Mary MacKillop is recognised for is “Never see a need without doing something about it.” Our Principal Awards this week recognise students that, like Mary MacKillop, always do things to help others. Our Mary MacKillop Award winners for 2024 are:

Foundation – Revie Shingles

Year 1 – Luisa Jackson

Year 2 – Max Martin

Year 3/4A – Clare Boyd

Year 3/4B – Elise Rowley

Year 5 – Riley Bartlett

Year 6 – Paygen Bates

Specialist Classes – Adele Scicluna

2025 Attendance – Students not returning

Preparations are well under way for 2025 and our student numbers will increase again. We have a number of children currently on the waiting list and seeking a position at St Patrick’s. If your child is not returning to St Patrick’s in 2025 for any reason, can you please contact the office on 51 456463 or via email to principal@stpstratford.catholic.edu.au as soon as possible.

Staff News

Alyce Tait, our Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiPS) and Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support (WSAPBS) Leader is expecting her third child in September. She celebrated her last day at St Patrick’s yesterday and will be on maternity leave until she is ready to return to St Patrick’s. We wish Alyce, Reggie, Oscar and Murphy all the best with the new addition to their family.

 

Kind regards,

Joel