Dear Parents, Caregivers and Community Members,
During Catholic Education Week in South Australia, our theme “Shine With Open Hearts” celebrates faith, learning, and our inclusive school community at St Patrick’s School.
We will be hosting an Open Morning with a School Tour on Thursday 21st at 9:30am. You are warmly invited to attend, and we encourage you to share this opportunity with others in our community who may be interested in learning more about our school.
On Wednesday, our Whole School and Parish Mass will celebrate Pentecost, which is the 50th day after Easter and marks the birthday of the Church. This is a special time for us to reflect not only on the beginnings of the Church, but also on the many gifts the Lord has bestowed on our community. We give thanks for the Spirit that guides us in our faith, strengthens our relationships, and inspires us to continue to grow together in love and service.
This term, we are hoping to establish a volunteer garden program to support and maintain our newly opened Garden of Harmony. We invite families to contribute one hour a week, working alongside our students and sharing in the experience of learning how to plant, care for, and harvest food using sustainable practices.
Our school will provide training, Catholic Safety Clearances, and all necessary gardening equipment to support volunteers in this role.
We look forward to welcoming you into our garden and growing together as a community.
Warm regards
Catherine
Every Day Counts at St Patrick's
At St Patrick’s, we understand that there are times when getting to school on time can be challenging. However, frequent lateness or early departures can have a significant impact on a child’s learning and wellbeing. Arriving late can mean missing important morning routines, valuable learning time, and opportunities to connect with classmates.
Building strong attendance habits is a shared responsibility between home and school. By working together, we can help children develop a sense of commitment, responsibility, and pride in being present and ready to learn each day.
Establishing a calm and organised morning routine can make all the difference. Preparing the night before: laying out uniforms, packing school bags, and planning breakfast - helps reduce stress and supports a positive start to the day.
Thank you for your ongoing support in ensuring every child at St Patrick’s is set up for success - every day matters.
Celebrating the Special Women in Our Lives
On Friday morning of week 2, St Patrick’s welcomed many special women from our community to our “Special Women in Our Lives” Breakfast celebration.
Families gathered together in the school gym to enjoy a light breakfast and spend time connecting as a school community. Following the breakfast, students and families participated in a beautiful liturgy led by our Year 2 students, reflecting on the love, care, and guidance that special women bring into our lives.
Our Reception to Year 2 students also shared a song bringing great joy and energy to the celebration.
It was wonderful to see so many families attend and celebrate together. The morning highlighted the strong sense of faith, community, and belonging that exists within St Patrick’s School.
Warmly,
Rachael De Tullio
APRIM
We are delighted to share that Huong Nguyen, was recently nominated for a CESA Award for Education Support. For over 20 years, Huong has been a cherished member of the St Patrick’s community, serving as an ESO in our Library and co-facilitator of Playgroup.
Huong is often the first welcoming presence for newly arrived students and their families, offering gentle guidance, language translation support, and a reassuring presence that helps them settle confidently into school life. Her deep commitment to student wellbeing is evident in the way she continually seeks new resources, responds to student interests, and creates a welcoming, engaging space in our school’s Library—particularly during break times, where she offers activities that foster belonging, curiosity, and joy.
Huong also plays a vital role in shaping our school’s cultural identity, leading celebrations such as Harmony Day and the Moon Festival. Through dance, storytelling, and shared traditions, Huong builds bridges, strengthens unity, and enriches our faith-filled community.
Congratulations, Huong—your contribution is deeply valued.
Pentecost Celebration
This Wednesday, we gathered as a whole school community to celebrate Pentecost, with our Year 5/6 class hosting a beautiful Mass alongside Father Olek.
Pentecost reminds us of the moment the Holy Spirit filled the disciples with courage and strength, sending them out to live as Jesus taught. It is a celebration of faith, unity and the presence of God among us.
At St Patrick’s, this message connects strongly to our school values. We are called to be respectful in how we treat others and care for creation, responsible in our actions and choices, and resilient as we continue to grow and learn, even when things are challenging.
As a community, we are reminded that living these values each day—whether in our classrooms, playgrounds or caring for our Garden of Harmony—is how we continue the work of the Spirit in our school.
Catholic Education Week is officially here and being celebrated across our 101 Catholic schools (18-24 May)! This week is all about bringing together students, staff, families and communities to celebrate the high-quality teaching and learning taking place every day within Catholic education.
Throughout the week, schools across the state will showcase the excellence that makes Catholic education unique, while highlighting the achievements of students and the incredible dedication of teachers, leaders, staff and volunteers.
This year’s celebrations are once again centred around the uplifting theme #ShineWithOpenHearts, inspired by the 2026 Archdiocesan Synod and its invitation to journey together in the spirit of synodality.
From classrooms and playgrounds to parish communities and school events, Catholic Education Week is an opportunity for school communities to reflect on the many ways they shine with open hearts every day.
Whether it is helping others, embracing learning, showing kindness and respect, or leading with compassion, schools are encouraged to share the moments that make their communities special through the 2026 Catholic Education Week campaign.
As part of the celebrations, specially designed corflutes will once again appear across schools, inviting students, staff and families to write inspiring messages about what makes Catholic education shine within their community.
The week also coincides with the much-loved Catholic Education Awards, taking place on Thursday, 21 May at the Hilton Adelaide. The awards recognise the outstanding teachers, leaders, staff, programs and volunteers making a meaningful difference in Catholic schools across the state.
To support this year’s celebrations, the Catholic Identity & Mission team at Catholic Education South Australia (CESA) has also developed a dedicated Prayer Resource featuring scripture, song and learning opportunities connected to the #ShineWithOpenHearts theme.
From today, stories and celebrations from schools across South Australia will be shared on the Catholic Education South Australia Facebook page, showcasing the strong sense of community that define Catholic education.
Schools, families and communities are encouraged to follow along and celebrate the many moments helping Catholic education shine across South Australia this week: https://www.facebook.com/CatholicEducationSA/
Port Sapsasa Track and Field Team Thursday 3rd September 2026
SA Athletics Stadium, Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Drive Mile End Mile End
CONGRATULATIONS to the following students in the SAPSASA Port District Athletics Team to compete at the State Metro SAPSASA Athletics Championships on
Thursday 3rd September:
Awollo (11yo) - 100m, 200m & Relay
Atheing (11yo) - Long Jump & Relay
St Patrick's have an under 9 and under 11 soccer team, we play at St Clair every Saturday!
9th May: U9's WON 2:1 and Under 11's WON 3:2
16th May: U9's were Defeated 2:3 and Under 11's WON 3:2
We still have places available for mid?year enrolments! If you know families or friends who are looking for a caring, supportive school where children feel confident and ready to learn, please feel free to share this with your networks. Word of mouth plays a special role in helping our school community grow.
We also offer the Little Paddy’s Transition Program, a wonderful way for younger learners to begin their journey with us.
Guests are welcome to book a school tour and discover all that St Patrick’s has to offer.
Principal’s Tour registrations can be made by completing the form below or by contacting us during office hours.
OPEN - MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
8.30am - 10am
Please ensure your child is wearing the correct uniform.
We also have a range of second-hand uniforms for sale for $5 per item. See the front office.
There are lots of wonderful ways to get involved at St Patrick’s! Our volunteers support a range of activities across the school, including:
Our volunteers play an important role in strengthening our school community and helping keep our school a vibrant, well?supported place. We especially love welcoming new parents, whether you can help regularly or just now and then, every little bit makes a difference.
If you’re interested in getting involved, please pop into the front office, call 8303 4500, or email info@stpatsmp.catholic.edu.au. We’d love to hear from you!
We offer direct debit, BPay, EFTPOS and direct deductions from Centrelink to cater to the changing financial needs of our families at St Patrick’s School. When the direct debit payment option is selected your school fee payment is calculated over the full school year right up until the 31st of December 2026. This means smaller payments are required, making this method the most affordable way to budget for your commitment. Please come into the office or ring me on (08) 8303 4500 if one of these options would better suit your financial requirements.
School Card is applied for online. If you haven’t already applied for this year, please arrange as soon as possible as the cut-off date is early November. Instructions on how to do this are available at the front office.
School Card must be applied for each year.
If at any time you are having trouble meeting your school fee commitment, or have any queries, please contact me on 83034500 to discuss this matter.
Our school fees will remain unchanged for 2026.
Kind Regards
Dan Guo (Finance Officer)
BOOKINGS can be made when you register on the Website.
Hours of Operation
Before School - 7AM - 8.30AM
After School - 3.10PM (2.30PM Tues) - 6PM
We offer breakfast for the children in the morning and fresh fruit and second snack after school. Kids will enjoy sports, art and crafts,
For all Enquiries and Bookings - Please go to the website or call Ph 0447 141 518
Keep up to date with the latest news from our Parish.
The Croydon Park Parish Newsletter is available in English, Vietnamese, and Italian available for download. Click the link below to read now.
