2025 Term 1 Week 6

Vision & Mission Statement

Principal's Report

As we begin the sacred season of Lent, we take this time to reflect on our journey of faith, renewal, and community. 

On Tuesday we marked Shrove Tuesday as a school. We embraced the tradition of enjoying some pancakes but not before learning about the significance of Shrove Tuesday as we move into this new season of the Liturgical Year. The assembly was filled with energy, and I truly enjoyed engaging the children in reflecting on what this time of year means for us.

On Wednesday we marked Ash Wednesday, the day we begin the solemn journey of Lent, marked by prayer, fasting, and acts of kindness. Again, at assembly we got our brains thinking about what this means. Some things we learnt included: 

• Lent is 40 days because Jesus spent 40 days wandering in the desert.  

• 40 is a significant number in the Bible – it represents challenge, testing and trial. We learnt it appears (depending on the source) around 146-150 times! 

• Lent is a time of challenge for us as we reflect on our own choices and make choices to put others first.  

• The Liturgical colour for Lent is Purple. We got a hint from the many teachers who wore a touch of Purple to school on Wednesday. We changed the sacred space cloths around our school to purple.  

• We all have Project compassion boxes in our classrooms. This Lent we are going to see if we can give some spare coins to people who are less fortunate than us.  

In classes or grades all students participated in an Ash Wednesday Liturgy and received Ashes on their foreheads.

I encourage you to talk about the Lenten season with your children and journey this time together as a family.   

As adults, during these 40 days, let us embrace the call to self-examination with humility and honesty. Let us acknowledge our shortcomings and mistakes and seek forgiveness and reconciliation. But let us also celebrate our strengths, successes, and the many blessings surrounding us. Lent also allows us to restore and repair relationships that matter to us. 

This Lent, Lord, help me leave behind the distractions of my daily life and make this a time of spiritual retreat, of letting go all that holds me back from taking the risk of drawing closer to you, allowing your Spirit to lead me, and speak to my heart. 

Forty days, or four, or forty minutes or four! Whatever I can manage! The time spent is not the key, I know, but my willingness to look into my frailty, and then to trust in You and to seek your will for me. 

Amen. 

All staff will be working with Marc Hattam from the DIAL team at Catholic Schools. Marc will be providing us with Professional Development around the effective use of IT (laptops, I-Pads) and skills for students. This PD will give teachers the tool to create engaging teaching and learning activities to develop digital literacy skills with our students.  

Enjoy a long weekend with your children 😊 See you on Tuesday.  

Today was Miss Vassel’s last day with us until later in this year, as she begins maternity leave. The blessing of her little baby boy is getting very close. We wish you every blessing at this special time Miss Vassel, and eagerly await some exciting news!

2026 Kindergarten Enrolments are now OPEN!

It is important that applications for enrolment are made within the enrolment period as the Diocesan enrolment prioritisation structure may result in places filling and late enrolments being unsuccessful.

If you have any family or friends wishing to seek enrolment at St Patrick’s for next year, for Kindergarten or any other grade, please make them aware enrolments are open and they can enrol online now. If anyone has difficulty with online enrolment they can pop into the office or alternatively call the school on 49903152 for assistance.

Enrolments close FRIDAY 23rd MAY 2025.

Year 6 parents please note the enrolment period is the same for Year 7 at St Joseph’s College Lochinvar. I have heard that there are many enrolment applications already submitted for Year 7. Please ensure you apply for enrolment ASAP so your application is in prior to the closing date. I know the College would appreciate all the applications for students from feeder primary schools to be in soon so they are able to determine how many other places they may have available.

Religious Education News

Join Caritas Australia's Project Compassion in 2025

This Lent, Caritas Australia's Project Compassion invites you to Unite Against Poverty and take action to make a lasting difference.

Join us for Project Compassion in 2025 by encouraging your child to make a donation in their class Project Compassion boxes.

Project Compassion Stories

Click  here to read about the impact that your support achieves. Inspiring stories of strength, resilience and change, that are made possible with your support and generosity.

Shrove Tuesday

On Tuesday, the whole school enjoyed the annual ‘Pancake Day’ with a pancake treat!

Kindies enjoyed their pancakes and also made nature pancakes in Successful Foundations.

In classes, the students learnt about the origins of Shrove Tuesday and that it signifies the last day before the beginning of Lent on Ash Wednesday.

Some facts about Shrove Tuesday

• Shrove Tuesdayis a Christian festival celebrated in many countries across the globe. It falls on the Tuesday before the beginning of Lent – a period of around six weeks leading up to Easter. During Lent, Christians give up luxuries to remember when Jesus went into the desert for 40 days to fast and pray.

• The exact date of Shrove Tuesday changes from year to year. But one thing stays the same — it’s always 47 days before Easter Sunday. And yes, you guessed it, it’s always on a Tuesday!

• The name comes from the old word ‘shriving’, which means to listen to someone’s sins and forgive them. In Anglo-Saxon England, Christians would go to church on Shrove Tuesday to confess their sins and clean their soul. In other words, they would be ‘shriven’.

• In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and Canada, Shrove Tuesday has another name… Pancake Day! Traditionally during Lent, Christians would give up rich, tasty foods such as butter, eggs, sugar and fat (some Christians continue to do so, in fact). Shrove Tuesday was the last chance to eat them – and what better way to do so than with a delicious pancake!

Ash Wednesday

Liturgy Dates

RE in the Classroom

In Year 1 Gold, we have been focusing on the concept of relationships. It has helped us to make connections with our response to God’s love and sharing of God’s love through the ways we live. We have reflected on our experience of friendship and family, and the Christian way of relating to others.

We are also examining the season of Lent as a time to help others as part of being in relationship with God and others, especially the poor and those in need. We received ashes on our foreheads and participated in a special prayer service as part of our observance of Ash Wednesday marking the beginning of the Lenten season.

Thank you, Miss Larsen and Year 1 Gold for sharing your learning with us.

NAPLAN 2025 - Parent & Carer Information

Each year the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is sat by students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Students will participate in tests for writing, reading, conventions of language (spelling, grammar and punctuation) and numeracy.

NAPLAN 2025 will take place from Wednesday 12 March to Monday 24 March.

NAPLAN is just one part of our school’s learning assessment program. The tests assess literacy and numeracy skills your child is already learning at school, so the best preparation is their everyday classroom learning. Our school will also undertake activities to help students become familiar with the types of questions and tools available in the online tests.

Year 3 students will be using school devices.  Year 5 students will be using their own BYOD laptops.  Please ensure BYOD laptops are fully charged and the students have headphones for the tests.  (The library does have a limited number of headphones available for use).

The public demonstration site (https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site) is available for you to see the format of the online tests.

Further information about NAPLAN is available on the NESA website and the NAP website. If you have any questions about NAPLAN, please contact your child’s teacher.

St Patrick's Day Walk-A-Thon

Our Walkathon will be held on our Feast Day – St Patrick’s Day Monday 17^th March.  

We are asking students to collect sponsors for their efforts on this day. This money is used to directly benefit our students in 2025 and we truly appreciate every donation.

Information notes and Sponsorship forms were sent home with all students last week.  Copies of these notes have also been uploaded to COMPASS and can be found in "notifications".  Students are to bring all their money raised to the school office by Friday 14^th March please.

Permission for this event is covered by the Local Area Permissions event on COMPASS.  This has been sent to all families. Please access COMPASS ASAP and give permission for that event. This will mean your child has permission to participate in the Walkathon and play at Bridges Hill Park.

Awards

WEEK 5

Class Captains

Merit Awards

WEEK 6

Class Captains

MERIT AWARDS   

  PRINCIPAL PB4L AWARDS  - RESPECT  

PB4L

The Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) Framework is a Catholic Schools Office (CSO) initiative for implementation within our school communities to help create inclusive, vibrant and positive learning environments in which all students are supported to reach their full potential.

Positive Behaviours for Learning (PB4L) is an evidenced-based, organisational framework for behaviour support to enhance respectful relationships and engagement of students in their learning. 

Here at St. Patrick’s our PB4L is based around our five Catholic Values that underpin everything we do at our school – Respect, Kindness, Compassion, Forgiveness and Justice.

Our Week 7 and 8 PB4L Focus has been;

Use kind words, use manners and follow instructions.

Our focus for the next two weeks (Weeks 9 and 10) will be;

Respect the school environment & put rubbish in the bin

St Patrick's School Canteen

Our canteen is open Wednesday, Thursday & Friday each week.

Volunteers are needed each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday to assist. If you can volunteer in our canteen, please contact the school office or email admin@cessnock.catholic.edu.au with your availability. Thank you!

The canteen uses an online ordering system Quickcliq.  Please use the link below to set up a Quickcliq account if you have not done so already.

Also a reminder if you are a current Quickcliq user - please remember to update your child's class and teacher details on Quickcliq at the beginning of each school year.

Year 3 Gold

Year 3 has had a busy start to the Year. We have enjoyed our Maths lessons, focusing on place value, addition and subtraction strategies, and our current focus on measurement. In English, we are concluding our Fantastic Mr Fox narrative unit. During Religion, we have been reviewing the Gospel stories about Jesus and participating in Shrove Tuesday Activities and the Ash Wednesday Liturgy.

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Year 3 - Emerald

In Year 3 Emerald we have been conducting experiments about the different uses of heat. We have melted ice and watched how to cook and make an undergrown oven. Last week we cooked popcorn in the staffroom, looking at the kernel and then the end product.

Outside religion lessions!

Year 3 Emerald & Gold Sports Day

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Year 4 - Emerald & Gold

What an exciting term it has been in Year 4! The students have been working incredibly hard across all subjects, showing enthusiasm, perseverance, and a true love for learning. It has been wonderful to see the maturity of students and their willingness to take ownership with their learning.

In English, we explored narrative writing, focusing on crafting imaginative stories with detailed descriptions and well-structured plots. Students loved sharing their creative pieces and celebrating each other’s writing achievements.

In Maths, we tackled addition and subtraction and problem-solving strategies, building confidence in applying skills to real-world scenarios. The hands-on activities and group challenges helped students collaborate and deepen their understanding.

In Religion, we have been focussing on ways that Christians are called to share their gifts as part of the call to discipleship. Students have explored how Christian discipleship is the call to be a follower of Jesus Christ. They are learning about Jesus' mission and ministry and exploring ways in which Jesus' teachings and actions continue to guide the life of the Church community today.

Students will now learn about Lent as a time to renew commitment to the mission of Jesus. This module concludes with a focus on Easter as a time of service and sacrifice.  

We’re incredibly proud of Year 4’s dedication and positive attitude toward their learning. As we look ahead to the next term, we can’t wait for more opportunities to learn, grow, and have fun together!

As part of our PB4L initiative we explored our five school values that our PB4L is based on. In groups we decided to create posters to display in the room based on our school values of kindness, respect, forgiveness, compassion and justice.

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Thank you to all families for your ongoing support.

The Year 4 Team

Year 5 Emerald

Year 5 Gold

Year 5 Gold Kicking Off the Year with Excitement and Learning 

Year 5 Gold has had an amazing start to the year, diving into a range of engaging and fun activities across all subjects. In Science, the students explored the principles of motion and force while designing and launching their own stomp rockets—an absolute blast! 

In Maths, they’ve been mastering place value, laying a strong foundation for their mathematical skills. Meanwhile, in English, the class has been captivated by the thought-provoking novel The Wild Robot, sparking insightful discussions and creative ideas. 

Religion lessons have been meaningful, with students reflecting on the teachings of Jesus and exploring how they can apply these lessons in their own lives. 

As part of the school’s PB4L program, the students have been busy creating posters about the five school values: respect, compassion, justice, kindness, and forgiveness. The classroom is full of positivity and collaboration, as seen in the accompanying pictures of their work and friendships. 

Year 6 Emerald

Year 6 Emerald have enjoyed getting to know the new PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) Framework and how our 5 school values can be incorporated into all aspects of school life at St Patrick’s. They have all made a wonderful start to the year and have been very good role models for their Kindergarten buddies. The students came up with some very clever ideas to demonstrate positive behaviours at school and embed PB4L daily. We are looking forward to a fabulous and exciting 2025!

Year 6 Gold

Year 6 Gold have settled well into the new school year for 2025. The children have enjoyed getting to know each other and working on the different curriculum areas. One favourite lesson has been physical education / sport on a Friday. Year 6 are learning about and playing a variety of net and court games during Term 1. Recently, the class were learning how to play "Pickleball." Lots of fun was had with new pickleball nets and paddles. The school now has two pickleball sets and hopefully will add to the collection in the future. Pickleball is a fast growing net and court game becoming quite popular all over Australia.

Aboriginal Education

Year 6 students have been reading Blueback with Mr. McKenzie in the library. They explored a Dreaming story about the blue groper from Western Australia. As part of their project, the students are creating string and foil sculptures of native animals, including the blue groper.

Our Year 6 student, Levi, led a yarning circle in small groups with Kindergarten students. He began by acknowledging the country, then introduced the concept of the talking stick. Levi also shared his Aboriginal heritage and told a Dreaming story about the Rainbow Serpent, which his mother had shared with him as a child.

High Potential & Gifted Education

Please see below an opportunity for our enthusiastic poetry writers amongst us. Click on the links for more information.

2025 Dorothea Mackellar Poetry AwardsKey dates
• Entries opened on Saturday 1 March 2025.
• Submissions close Monday 30 June 2025.
• Winners announced at 10am on Friday 5 September 2025.

For more information on the competition and how to enter CLICK HERE.

The optional theme for 2025 is “All the Beautiful Things”.

https://dorothea.com.au/Home - Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards

A post from Admin User on Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards provided by: https://dorothea.com.au

Would love to see some entries.

Shayne Coxon (Gifted Education Mentor)

Creative Arts Corner

Choir Visit

On Wednesday March 5^th St Patrick's Choir was invited to be a part of Northern Coalfields Community Care Association Limited Fun Fest Community Day. Mrs Massey and I escorted approximately 50 students.  We had a lovely morning singing for the community. It was so lovely to see so many familiar faces in the audience smiling away at us. The NCCA loved us so much that they have invited us back to be part of future events and we can't wait.
Next week I will provide an opportunity for other students to join the choir and be part of the fun too.
Thank you for your continued support.

VoiceWorx

VoiceWorx is an amazing opportunity provided by ASPIRE. It is suitable for our students who love to sing and further their development with professional coaches and like-minded students. Please see the flyer for all the information. Our student Ruby Dunn was part of this opportunity last year and had a blast.

Thanks

Shayne Coxon (Creative Arts Coordinator)

Library News

Kindergarten in the Library

This week, our new kindergarten children borrowed from the library for the very first time. Mrs Massey, Mrs Durham, and Mr. McKenzie were very impressed with the way they conducted themselves by selecting their books and lining up at the borrowing counter. Some children said they forgot their library bags, but we let them borrow anyway. Borrowing will now be a weekly activity on a Tuesday, but if your child is away this day, we can always accommodate them at other times, if they wanted to renew their loans. Just a gentle reminder, parents, to put their library bags in their school bags on a Tuesday.

Library Borrowing

Library borrowing takes place during library lessons.  Below is the timetable for library lessons:

• Monday: Years 4 & 1
• Tuesday: Years 5 & Kindergarten
• Wednesday: No library lessons
• Thursday: Year 6 & Year 2
• Friday: Year 3

Please remember to send a library bag in, especially for our infant children.

Thank you for helping our children learn to read.  

Premier's Reading Challenge

The Premier's Reading Challenge opened last week, so students and parents can now start to upload books. Our kindergarten children and new students are enrolled and have been issued new login details. I will begin to distribute the new login details to parents and carers on behalf of your students in the next week. If, however, you can't wait, please drop me an email and I'll reply to your request promptly. Similarly, if you are a parent/carer of students who are experienced campaigners and have misplaced your login details, please drop me a line: michael.mckenzie@mn.catholic.edu.au

Happy Reading!

Sora

Sora is an online platform that provides e-books, audiobooks, magazines, and comics for students to read online. It is endorsed by the CSO and is available for all students in the diocese. A Sora app is available to download from the Play Store for iPads and tablets. You will need the following details to install the app. Code: cenetauACEN MemberYour child's login details that they would use at school (Ensure you have clicked the Maitland/Newcastle Diocese)

You can get help at this address to learn more about this useful resource:  https://soraapp.com

Here is a help link: https://help.soraapp.com/en-us/home.htm

Gardening Club

The Gardening Club has been buzzing along quietly this term with a focus on repotting our current pot plants. It's amazing what a top up with a quality potting mix can do for a plant's health. Of course, there are the usual things like watering and weeding but these are a given. Our fundraising at Return and Earn has paid for all our gardening requirements and I am pleased to report that our tally for recycling is almost 58 000. A big thank you to all our students and staff who take the time to put their empty drink containers in our recycling bins. Not only are we fundraising, but we are also reducing our landfill. If you put your drink containers in your yellow bin, please consider bringing them into school instead. We would be happy to accept them as every 10 cents counts.

LEGO Club

St. Patrick's children were invited to the library at recess on Thursday to take part in Lego Club. About 40 children turned up, so the response was great. The children were organised into pairs or trios and were given a Lego set that included Harry Potter scenes, flowers, cars, and a boat. In their little groups, the children proceeded to construct their Lego sets following the instructions carefully. It was not expected they would finish their projects in one session, so they were given a resealable bag each to put their unfinished work in until next week. The children obviously enjoyed themselves and are looking forward to next Thursday when we meet again. As they complete their projects, we will include photographs of the children with their completed works.

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School Fees

School Fee Statements for 2025 have now been emailed to families.  Please review your balances and commence weekly, fortnightly or monthly payments with fees to be finalised by 30/11/2025.  For families who have opted to pay fees anually, these fees are to be paid in full by 30/06/2025.  Please call the Office on 4990 3152 or email admin@cessnock.catholic.edu.au to discuss if needed.

Below is the full fee schedule for 2025.  

Health Care Card and Pension Card Holders / Family Discount on Tuition Fee

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle offer a lower tuition fee to ‘means tested’ low income families such as Health Care and Pension Card holders. This rate is 50% of the Diocesan Tuition Fee full rate for each child.

If you are a fee payer and hold a current Australian Government Health Care Card/Pension card you may be entitled to a discount on your school fees.  Please complete the "Concession Application" form attached below and email the completed form and a copy of your Health Care/Pension card (front and back) to admin@cessnock.catholic.edu.au

In 2025, the family discount on full rate diocesan tuition fees are:

• 1 child family 0% - full rate to be applied
• 2 child family 15% - each child
• 3 child family 25% - each child
• 4+ child family 50% - each child

Good for Kids, Good for Life

School TV

A Special Report: Social Media & Comparison Culture

Young people today are growing up in a world where exposure to other people's lives is constant. Through social media and other platforms, they are regularly presented with curated highlights - from flawless holiday photos and academic milestones to the latest fashion trends and fitness achievements. This continuous stream of idealised content fuels what is known as comparison culture, where self-worth is often measured by how someone stacks up against others.

For children and adolescents, who are still figuring out who they are, this culture can be particularly damaging. Constantly comparing their appearance, achievements, or social standing to friends, influencers, and even strangers can lead to unrealistic expectations and a skewed sense of self-worth. This relentless need to measure up can contribute to feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, and anxiety - undermining both confidence and emotional wellbeing.

It's vital that parents and caregivers understand how deeply comparison culture can influence a child's self-perception and sense of value. Left unchecked, it can foster perfectionism and a dependence on external validation, where a 'like' or comment becomes the measure of their worth.

The good news is, families have a powerful role to play in helping young people navigate these challenges. This Special Report will help you empower your child to build the resilience and confidence needed to navigate today's comparison-driven world and embrace their own unique path.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://cessnock.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-social-media-comparison-culture-au

Community Notices