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Dear Parent, Guardians and Carers,
Welcome to the start of the 2025 school year. I hope that you all had a great Christmas and New Year and that you were able to spend some quality time together as a family. It has been great seeing all the students and catching up with them and discussing their adventures over the break.
This year we have welcomed 26 new Foundation students to St Patrick’s and 9 students across other year levels. It is a privilege that they have chosen St Patrick’s as the school for their child/ren and we look forward to a long and successful association with these children and their families.
This year we have also welcomed some new staff members to St Patrick’s. I would like to welcome Annie Bristow (Year 5/6 Teacher and Library Teacher), Amy Wallace, Tanya Murphy, Candice Morris and Jo De Lazzer (ESO’s) to St Patrick’s. We are grateful for having such high-quality new staff members at St Patrick’s in 2025.
Parent, Guardian and Carer – School Relationships Code of Conduct
At St Patrick’s Primary School Stratford, we are committed to nurturing respectful relationships and active partnerships with you as parents. We believe that our students’ learning journeys are enriched through positive and reciprocal home and school relationships.
As parents, you act as one of the most influential role models in your child’s life. We therefore seek your support in promoting and upholding the core values of the school community and its culture of respectful relationships.
Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support - School Wide Expectations
At St Patrick’s we implement the Whole School Approach to Positive Behaviour Support (WSAPBS). The WSAPBS provides the framework to create environments that are predictable and known, providing safe learning spaces for the staff and students at St Patrick’s.
SAFE, RESPECTFUL & RESPONSIBLE
Safe, Respectful and Responsible are our three School-Wide Expectations. ALL staff, students and parents at St Patrick’s are expected to live out our school wide expectations through their practices and behaviours. This includes:
Staff to Staff, Staff to Student, Staff to Parent
Student to Student, Student to Staff, Student to Parent
Parent to Parent, Parent to Staff, Parent to Student
We expect that all staff, students and parents are safe, respectful and responsible always.
Complaint Handling
St Patrick’s is always happy to discuss with parents, guardians, carers and community members any concerns that they may have. Concerns in the first instance should be directed to your child’s teacher. Where possible, your child’s teacher will work with you to ensure that your concerns are appropriately addressed. Before school is a very busy time for teachers, with many students and parents in the room, therefore making it a challenging time to discuss your concerns. If you are needing to speak with your child’s teacher, please contact them via Dojo or email or the school office to arrange a suitable time to meet.
Where concerns cannot be resolved in this way, parents, guardians, carers or community members may wish to speak to the Principal or Deputy Principal.
Parent Communication
The staff of St Patrick’s understands the importance of parent communication to support your child with their learning and their experience at school. Parents can communicate with school staff via Dojo, email or by contacting the school office. All St Patrick’s staff have been instructed to respond to parent communication during the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. If staff receive communication from parents outside these times, they will respond at their earliest convenience. In the busyness of the school day, teachers are often unable to check Dojo or emails, if an important message needs to be given to your child, please contact the school office.
2025 Pupil Free Days and School Closure Days
In 2025, St Patrick’s will have 8 pupil free days and 2 school closure days. The pupil free days provide opportunities for the staff of St Patrick’s to undertake professional development focused on the school’s improvement agenda, whilst the school closure days allow for the acquittal and banking of Time in Lieu (TIL) accrued through after school activities. Our 2025 pupil free and school closure days are:
- Tuesday, 28th January
- Wednesday, 29th January
- Friday, 7th March
- Term 1 or 2 date – TBC
- Term 1 or 2 date - TBC
- Friday, 6th June
- Monday, 18th August
- Monday, 3rd November
- Thursday, 18th December
- Friday, 19th December
Drop Off and Pick-up
With enrolments continuing to grow at St Patrick’s, drop-off and pick-up times are becoming increasingly busy. Can I please ask that you are all being safe and following the road rules and road signs appropriately. I understand that you are all busy, however taking a few extra seconds/minutes to drive at or below the speed limit; park in a designated zone; and encourage your child to cross the road at the school crossing, will help to ensure everyone’s safety. Children are very vulnerable to what they see, so please model these appropriate behaviours.
PSG Meetings and Parent/Teacher Interviews
Parent/Teacher Interviews are scheduled for Tuesday 4th March and Thursday 6th March. Term 1 Parent/Teacher Interviews are a great opportunity for parents to share information about their child with teachers, whilst teachers will also be able to provide some initial feedback on how your child has started the year. Parent/Teacher Interviews are open and ready for parents to book via PAM.
We have a couple of job share classrooms this year. To avoid double booking, can those children in 5/6C, please book an interview with Meg Greenway and those in Year 2 book an interview with Amy Armstrong.
PSG Meetings, which are longer meetings held for students with additional needs, are scheduled for Tuesday 11th February and Thursday 13th February. Those students that require a PSG Meeting need to book in for an interview with Sarah Boag.
Those children requiring a PSG do not need to book a Parent/Teacher Interview as well. The termly PSG's replace the Parent/Teacher Interviews.
Please login into PAM to book Parent Teacher Interviews and PSG meetings.
First Communion Program
First Communion is open to those students in Year 4 or above that have been Bapised in the Catholic Church and have made their First Reconciliation. Please find below the key dates for the Sacrament of First Communion
- Wednesday 12th February at 6pm - Parent only workshop
- Saturday 15th (5:30pm)/Sunday 16th February (9:30am) - Commitment Mass
- Wednesday 19th March at 6pm - Reconciliation for First Communion
- Wednesday 26th March at 6pm - Parent/Child Workshop
- Saturday 29th March at 5:30pm - First Communion Mass
All meetings/workshops will be held in the Cathedral in Sale. Enrolment forms are available from the Parish Office.
Parent Information Night and Welcome BBQ
A Parent Information Night and Welcome BBQ is being planned for Thursday 20th February from 5:00pm – 7:00pm. Please put this date in your calendar. More information will be shared with families soon.
I’m eager for another fabulous year at St Patrick’s and look forward to seeing you all soon if I haven’t already done so.
Kind regards,
Joel Brayshaw
Principal
KEEP UP TO DATE WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING AT
ST PATRICK'S BY CHECKING OUR CALENDAR ON OUR WEBSITE.
Go to: www.stpstratford.catholic.edu.au
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Friday 7th February |
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Tuesday 11th February |
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| Friday 14th February |
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| Tuesday 18th February |
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| Wednesday 19th February |
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| Thursday 20th February |
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| Friday 21st February |
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| Monday 24th February |
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| Tuesday 25th February |
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| Wednesday 26th February |
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| Thursday 27th February |
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| Friday 28th February |
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| Tuesday 4th March |
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| Thursday 6th March |
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| Friday 7th March |
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| Monday 10th March |
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| Tuesday 11th March |
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| Thursday 13th March |
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| Tuesday 18th March |
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| Friday 21st March |
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| Tuesday 25th March |
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| Wednesday 2nd April |
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| Friday 4th April |
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| Tuesday 22nd April |
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| Friday 2nd May |
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At St Patrick’s we have a standard of uniform of which the members of our school community can be justifiably proud. It is an expectation of parents and students that the correct uniform is worn.
Jewellery is not permitted except for small sleepers and studs. (No dangly earrings are excepted). Extreme hair styles and hair colouring is not permitted. Long hair must be tied back off the face in school band colours.
The general practice of wearing uniforms during the year will be as follows:
Terms 1 & 4 Summer uniform * hats compulsory
Terms 2 & 3 Winter uniform
UNIFORM.
BOYS’ SUMMER:
School jumper (bottle green with white logo)
Black leather school shoes or boots
Grey socks- above ankle
Grey shorts
White shirt - short sleeved
School hat – bottle green with logo
BOY'S SPORTS: Bottle green shorts
School sport shirt
St Patrick’s Green Fleece Jumper
Sneakers – no skate or fashion shoes
White socks- above ankle
Hair ties – school colours only
GIRLS’ SUMMER: Green check summer school dress or Grey shorts & White shirt - short sleeved.
School jumper (bottle green with white logo)
Black leather school shoes / T-bar school shoes or leather lace up shoes
White socks- above ankle
School hat.
Hair ties – school colours only
GIRL'S SPORTS: Bottle green pleated netball skirt and bottle green sports knickers
or bottle green shorts/skorts - No Bike shorts permitted
St Patrick’s Green Fleece Jumper
School sport shirt
White socks – no labels or brand names
Sneakers - not skate or fashion shoes
Hair ties – school colours only
The Soft-shell jacket is permitted to be worn to and from school during inclement weather and over the woollen school jumper or fleece sports jumper.
Uniform can be purchased at JSM Embroidery & Workwear – 71-73 Mcarthur St, Sale.
The supervision of students by staff (teachers) is a legal requirement.
Students are supervised by teachers beginning at 8.30am.
Students arriving by bike, car or walking are asked not to arrive before 8.30am.
Thank-you for your co-operation.
A school is not permitted to give any medication to a student unless the school has received authority from a Doctor to administer the medication to a child. This includes medication that does not require a prescription such as Panadol, cough syrup, claratyne and hay fever medication.
Any medication required by your child needs to be handed to his/her teacher or the front office with a signed Medication Administration form. These forms are available from the office and school website. (www.stpstratford.catholic.edu.au)
PARENT ACCESS MODULE
PAM is an innovative parent-controlled electronic medical form for our school. It’s an electronic version of the paper-based forms we previously completed for excursions and camps. It provides parents with the opportunity to update medical information promptly and accurately while providing the school with instant access to the emergency information provided by you. We use PAM in the best interests of the children, whilst also reducing the burden on parents to fill out the same information on multiple forms throughout the year.
Parents can use a PC, laptop, tablet or smartphone to enter details including:
- Student absence - entered via ‘Parent Notified Absences’.
- Medical checklist, including asthma, allergies, seizures, diabetes
- Notes and other care instructions from parents
- Parent teacher interviews
- Student reports
St Patrick’s Primary School uses PAM as a tool to send parents’ permission forms and notifications.
Please note, that it is the responsibility of parents to ensure their child’s medical and contact details are up to date and complete. In the event of an emergency, school staff will rely on the information provided via PAM.
We recommend that you add the PAM website (pam.stpstratford.catholic.edu.au) to the home screen on your mobile device, which will then be displayed as an App.
EVERYDAY COUNTS
Going to school every day is crucial for a child’s success at school. Attendance habits can be set early, from the first year of schooling and followed through primary and secondary education. Regular absence does impact on a child’s learning and relationships; therefore, St Patrick’s promotes the importance of consistent attendance.
ABSENCES
Parents are required to notify the school of any absence, which may occur during the school year. The preferred method for notifying your child’s absence is via the PAM. Notification of the absence is a legal requirement and also a courtesy.
At 9.30am, any unexplained absence will result in an SMS message being sent to the parents/guardians. If no response has been received by 10am, the office will ring parents first, then emergency contacts to confirm the reason for the absence.
LATE ARRIVALS
All children arriving after the school gates are closed must be signed in by a parent at the front office. Children cannot sign themselves in.
EXTENDED ABSENCES
Extended absences (more than a week) should be communicated directly to the principal.
EARLY DEPARTURES
Please sign the Student Sign in/out Register in the administrative office if you intend taking your child/ren from school during the day. Please notify the Principal or class teacher if your child/ren are to be collected by someone other than yourself or the usual minder.
School Fee Invoices will be emailed to all families in the coming weeks. Please keep any eye out in your junk email as well.
Here a some reminders in regards to school fees:
Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF)
The Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund helps ensure that no student will miss out on the opportunity to join their classmates for important educational and inclusive activities.
How to apply: New applicants will be required to complete a new CSEF Application form. Please contact the school office if you require a CSEF Form.
Primary School Concessional Fee for Centrelink Concession Card (CCC) Holders
Families who hold an eligible means-tested CCC (such as an eligible health care card or pensioner concession card) are eligible for a school fee concession.
Please contact the school office if you require a Concessional Fee Application Form.
There is a range of payment options at St. Patrick’s, however, the preferred method of payment for families is by direct debit, either monthly or fortnightly.
The option for payment in full at the commencement of the year is available. The due date for full payment is due 28th March 2025.
If paying termly instalments: Full total of school fees and levies divided by 3.
1st Instalment due: Friday 25th April 2025
2nd Instalment due: Friday 25th July 2025
3rd and Final Instalment due: Friday 24th October 2025.
The key thing to remember when it comes to meeting payment commitments is to keep the school informed if anything changes. If at any time you have a concern about school fees and levies, please contact me to discuss the issue.
In STEM students have been enthusiastic and creative in their first week.
In the junior classes, students have explored many hands on activities, including magnetic tile marble run, jigsaws, construction, and crafts. These have been geared for students to problem solve, work with others, share resources and interact with others.
In Grades 3/4 we have begun designing our own dream pool. Students will follow the design process and even get to test their pool with water.
In Grade 5/6 students will begin designing their own bridge. This Bridge will be tested with weights to see who's is the strongest and why.
I really look forward to showing families the wonderful designs and creations the students make in the classroom.
Alli Bigham
Happy Birthday to these students who celebrated their birthdays recently and in the coming weeks:
Posy Reeves - 2nd February
Hayden Pattison - 3rd February
Charlie Gartung - 4th February
Zac Moore - 4th February
Jemma Pattison - 8th February
Indie Craddock - 12th February
Addie Buckland - 14th February
Jaxon Clohesy- 14th February
Have a great day!!