Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

It has been a busy yet highly successful Term 2 at St Patrick’s.

Early in the term, our Grade 3 & Grade 5 students participated in NAPLAN, where they completed assessments in Writing, Reading, Language Conventions and Numeracy.  The students approached the assessments positively and did a great job.

In Week 3 of the term, the Grade 6 students performed three Shakespeare shows; one on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the final performance being on Friday night. The students had practiced hard throughout Term 1 and early in Term 2 to prepare, and all of the students did an amazing job and were really pleased with their efforts and what they had achieved. Producer, Darren McCubbin was also thrilled with how the performance came together and that their hard work had paid off.

Catholic Education Week was also a significant event throughout the term. During this period, St Patrick’s had two Open Days. During these Open Days, new and existing families were welcomed into the school for a parent information session and guided tour. The school tours, which were conducted by our Grade 6 students, helped families learn more about St Patrick’s. Many of the parents commented on how well the Grade 6 students did leading the tour. It will be great to welcome many of these new families to St Patrick’s in 2023.

Some of the other key events that happened throughout the term included; interschool cross country events, the Grade 5/6 Winter Sport Competition, the Grade 5/6 Bike Ed Challenge and the Mad About Science Incursion. Events like these provide the students with alternative learning experiences.

Throughout the term there have also been two school closure days, where the teachers have undertaken professional development in the areas of Religious Education and Mathematics. These closure days are an important part in the development of teachers and support us in building the capacity of all teachers to provide expert teacher practices, leading to improved student learning outcomes.

Recently, we have been significantly impacted by illness. We have had a large number of students absent due to being unwell and many staff or their own children have also been affected by illness. It has been a challenge at times to find casual relief teachers, however we have worked hard to ensure that the learning of all students has not been impacted. This may continue to be a challenge throughout the winter months. Please use the holiday period to rest up and ensure that all your children return fit and healthy to approach Term 3.

Student Reports and Parent Teacher Interviews

Student reports were sent out via PAM yesterday. Please take the time to read these reports with your child and discuss with them the great things that they have achieved in their learning and also reflect on the things that they need to continue to develop. Parent/Teacher interviews will be held on Tuesday, 19^th and Thursday, 21^st July. These interviews will be available for parents to book in, early next term.

I would like to thank you all for your support throughout the term. Please enjoy a relaxing holiday period together as a family and I will see you all again next term.

Kind regards,

Joel