WHAT'S ON - TERM 3
27th August - PHOTO MOP - UP DAY 11.30AM
3rd September - Fathers Day Stall (Recess)
4th September - Fathers Day Stall (Recess)
26th September- Last day of Term 12.30pm Finish & Casual Day
TERM 4
13th October - Pupil Free Day
14th October - School Resumes
24th October - School Disco 6.30pm - 8.00pm
Dear Parents/Caregivers
As I prepare to farewell my role as Principal of St Patrick’s School, I do so with a heart full of gratitude. It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve this remarkable community, and I feel deeply honoured to have been part of the St Patrick’s family which has brought me immense joy and inspiration.
From my very first day, I was welcomed with warmth, generosity, and a spirit of togetherness that defines our school. St Patrick’s is a small school with a big heart, and that heart beats in every student, every staff member, and every family who contributes to the life of our school.
What makes St Patrick’s truly unique is its diversity. Our differences have made us stronger, more compassionate, taught us empathy, and created a rich and vibrant learning environment. I’ve learned so much from this community, and I leave with a deep appreciation for the many voices, cultures, and stories that make our school community, and I will carry those lessons with me always.
Over the years, I’ve had the joy of building meaningful relationships with each family. Working in close partnership with you to support our students has been one of the greatest joys of my career. Together, we’ve celebrated achievements, navigated challenges, and nurtured the growth of every child in our care. These connections have enriched my life in ways I’ll never forget.
St Patrick’s will always hold a special place in my heart. I am deeply grateful for the memories, the lessons, and the love I’ve experienced here. While it’s hard to say goodbye, I know that the spirit of this school will stay with me wherever I go. I leave with immense pride in all we’ve accomplished together, and with love for a community that will always feel like home.
I will miss you all—students, families, and staff—more than words can express. Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey.
Wishing God's blessings upon each of you.
Barbara Ahern
Book Week
Last Friday, it was wonderful to see so many students and staff dressed up in celebration of Book Week! This annual event plays a key role in promoting literacy and fostering a love of reading. It gives children the opportunity to discover new books, participate in creative activities, and deepen their appreciation for literature. This year’s theme was “Book an Adventure!”, inspiring everyone to explore exciting new stories.
LLL Survey
Thank you to all the parents who completed the LLL survey. The results of this anonymous survey will be compiled and shared with the school. These insights are essential in shaping the Annual Improvement Plan for the coming year.
Catholic Schools Music Festival
Our choir will be performing on Monday, 22 September as part of the Catholic Schools Music Festival. Parents of choir students are reminded to purchase tickets online. This week, our students joined others at Mercedes College for their first rehearsal as a massed choir—an exciting step toward their upcoming performance!
Farewell and Thank You to Christine Lavender
We extend our deepest gratitude to Christine Lavender, who will be retiring on 12 September 2025. For over 14 years, Christine has been a steadfast support to the families of St Patrick’s, offering compassion, dedication, and care that have left a lasting impact on our community.
As Christine embarks on a new chapter, we wish her every blessing and joy in the journey ahead. Her presence will be greatly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire.
Last Friday night, 3 of our students from the Sacramental program received the Sacrament of Confirmation. Monsignor Minh Tam led the ceremony at St Margaret Mary’s Church where 21 children from the program received the sacrament. The remainder of the children will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation this coming Friday.
Congratulations to Gerard, Alyssa and Jenny Mae.
A big thank you to Fr Olek who spent time training students from year 4, 5 and 6 in Altar Serving. Fr Olek worked with the students over 3 sessions. Some of the children had experience serving and others were new to the role. Fr Olek taught them about the different parts of the Holy Mass as well as the role the altar servers play. We look forward to them serving at Masses this year and in the future.
We extend our sincere thanks to our wonderful community for your generous support of the Mary MacKillop Mission Markets. Together, we raised over $1,000—an incredible contribution that will be deeply appreciated by those who benefit from this donation.
Season of Creation - September 1, 2025. Pope Francis promoted the Season of Creation as an annual, worldwide ecumenical celebration for Christians from September 1 to October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. This month-long period serves as a time for Christians to pray, reflect, and take action to care for the environment, emphasising ecological conversion, simpler lifestyles, and advocacy for climate justice. The theme for 2025 is PEACE WITH CREATION.
At St Patrick’s School, we nurture in our students a deep appreciation for God’s creation and the shared responsibility we all hold in helping it flourish. We invite families to engage in meaningful conversations about how we can care for the environment and embrace sustainable practices in everyday life. Every thoughtful choice, no matter how small, contributes to a healthier, more vibrant world.
I would like to extend my heartfelt wishes to Barbara as she enters a well-deserved retirement—may it be filled with rest, good health, and safety. After 45 years of unwavering dedication to Catholic Education South Australia, Barbara has truly earned this next chapter. Her steadfast commitment to ensuring access to high-quality Catholic education has been a defining feature of her leadership.
It has been a privilege to work alongside Barbara and to learn from her wisdom and example. Her presence will be deeply missed. I offer my prayers and ask God’s blessing upon her as she embarks on the journey ahead.
Have a lovely week.
Anne-Marie Platten
APRIM
In Term 3, we launched a new lunchtime initiative called the ‘Chill Zone’—a welcoming space designed for students who enjoy a quieter play environment or who may benefit from more structured social opportunities.
The Chill Zone offers a variety of calm, engaging activities such as craft, board games, Lego construction, drawing, colouring, and jigsaw puzzles, among others. It provides a gentle and inclusive setting where students can connect, create, and unwind together.
The program has quickly become a popular choice, with many students participating and demonstrating respectful, positive interactions throughout. It’s been heartening to see the way students have embraced this space, fostering a sense of belonging and wellbeing during playtime.
We are getting closer to our students receiving the sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist.
Ceremonies will take place on Friday August 22 and 29. First Communions will follow on the weekend of August 30/31 and September 13.
Please keep Mma, Amanda, Brea, Gerard, Jenny Mae, Duyen and Alyssa in your prayers as they prepare for this special time in their spiritual life’s journey.
1/2 LJ - Science
This term in Science, 1/2JS have been diving into the world of Physical Sciences! We have been learning all about forces, including push and pull, how sounds are made, what causes vibrations, and how different forces can be strong or gentle. To put our learning into action, we used recycled materials to design and build objects that move or make sound. Our creative inventions included guitars, shakers, robots, tanks, and even a cat! It’s been a fun and hands-on way to explore how science works in the world around us.
DUE TO ENTERTAINMENT CANCELLATION THE DISCO HAS NOW BEEN POSTPONED TO
FRIDAY 24th OCTOBER 2025
6.30PM - 8.00PM
Changes have been made on the QKR APP and are available to purchase.
For all tickets already purchased - New Tickets will be issued
St Patrick’s School are blessed to have Kick Start for Kids Program providing us with breakfast foods each week.
Thanks to our Year 6 leaders who volunteer their time to serve breakfast and thanks to Ms Hartley for organising.
Remember breakfast will be available each Wednesday and Friday morning from 8.30am to 8.50am.
Examples of Nude Food
Nude Food includes a wide array of options, as long as there is no extra packaging.
This could include:
OPEN - MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
PLEASE ORDER ON QKR APP before 9AM
OPEN - MONDAY, THURSDAY & FRIDAY
8.30am - 10am
NOTE: Due to increased pricing, we have raised the price of our Trackpants from $40 to $45.
Thankyou
AVAILABLE - Wednesday & Fridays
From 9.30AM - 11.30AM
Closed on School Holidays
Playgroup, family fun for families with children under 5 years
Playgroup SA has partnered with the Office for the Early Years (Department of Education) to provide free development checks for children aged 12 months to 4 years. The checks provide an opportunity to monitor your child’s development, identify any concerns and celebrate milestones. A development check helps to monitor whether a child is meeting the milestones for their age (such as dressing or talking). Please note this is not a health check.
Please contact Chau Tran 8303 4500 if you would like further information or would like to book in child development check.
An important role of Volunteer is to promote strong links between the parents and the school but also strong links between families, where members of families really feel that they belong to the school.
An active parent group also ensures the school is well resourced and the grounds are always well maintained.
We are welcoming new parents to come along and Volunteer at the School and join the Parents and Friends Group. Any amount of time is helpful.
Please enquire at the front desk or call on 8303 4500
A friendly reminder to those families, who do not have a direct debit set up, that Term 2 fees were due the last day of Term 2 which was the 4/7/25.
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 2024. 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 83034500 if one of these options would better suit your financial requirements.
School Card 2025 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.
Christine Lavender
Finance Officer
Hi Everyone
Welcome, If you require our services, please register on www.campaustralia.com.au and follow the link.
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
Thankyou Michele
