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St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Parents at School There is strong evidence that parent engagement is associated with improvements in academic outcomes for students of all ages. It is for that reason that St Patrick's welcomes and encourages parents to be involved in the school program wherever possible Options for helping at school St Patrick's offers many options to parents, carers and indeed grandparents, who wish to help at the school and those options are not limited to within the classroom. Whilst many parents choose to help in the classroom, there are many other avenues to help in a way that is suitable and comfortable for you. Helping in the classroom - contact your classroom teacher, or go to your class page to work out when it might suit you to help in the classroom. This type of help can include reading with your child, working with small groups, changing readers with children, or just generally providing a helping hand. Parents are not expected to fulfil the role of "teacher" and any help that you can provide is absolutely welcome. Helping in specialist classes - do you have a particular interest in art, or sport, or have skills in the performing arts field like dancing, singing or playing an instrument, or maybe you can speak French? Then why not consider helping out in one of those specialist classes? Parents have a wealth of knowledge that can really be influential in a child's education and St Patrick's welcome the opportunity for parents to come to class, either as a one-off or on a regular basis, to get involved in these classes. Assisting with class excursions - every year, each class level will be involved with incursions, excursions and camps. Excursions and camps are reliant on parent participation. St Patrick's appreciate that these can be big commitments for parents and we do everything we can to make this as easy as possible for you to participate. Canteen helper - our school canteen operates Tuesday to Friday and parent helpers are an important element in ensuring that we have a canteen service for our students. Parents can contact the canteen manager, Helena Putnik, ****** to find out more about helping in the canteen. More information about the canteen can be found here . Parents and Friends events - the Parents and Friends conduct many events during the year, such as Mothers and Fathers Day breakfasts and gift stalls, a biennial fete/fair, and other events throughout the year. If you have a particular interest, or can only help out once or twice a year, these events are great opportunities for you to be involved at school. More information about the Parents and Friends can be found here . For more information about getting involved at school, information from the Department of Education can be found here . Working with Children's Checks Government regulations require that anyone that attends the school that has more than incidental contact with students must have a current and valid Working With Children's Check. If you do not hold a current Working With Children's Check, you must go online, complete the application form and then attend an Australia Post outlet to finalise the application. It will then be processed and you will be notified of the outcome. The website for applications can be found here .

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Parents and Friends Committee The Parents and Friends Committee is a volunteer group of families that meet each month to discuss activities for the school and organise social and fundraising events for both within the school and the broader community. The P&F conduct various social activities such as Mother's and Father's Day breakfasts, disco and movie nights, Mother's Day luncheon and the new families barbeque. The fundraising activities are conducted to raise money for internal purposes such as major equipment purchases like the synthetic turf and new playground equipment, as well as for external purposes such as Caritas (international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church in Australia), St Vincent's De Paul and other community and relief organisations. The P&F committee is made up of a president, vice president, secretary, assistant secretary, treasurer and assistant treasurer, along with general committee members. General committee members can be involved in the committee as much or as little as they wish. Some choose to only attend a few meetings a year and simply provide feedback, whereas others choose to take the lead and run specific events, and others will simply help out on an ad hoc basis for individual events. There is no need for specific skills or abilities, it is more important that you bring your own life skills and experience as a family member at the school. Being on the P&F committee is a great way to establish new friendships within the school community and to also show your children that you too have a commitment to the school. The current P&F committee executive are: Chairperson: Bridgette Fatches Secretary: Natasha Biddick Treasurer: Deb Amodio The P&F can be contacted by email at stpatskilmorepandf@gmail.com

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Anti-bullying Bullying is a global problem that is not confined to schools. It is something that people of all ages, with all backgrounds, and in any social, educational or workplace environment may witness, be subjected to, or participate in, at any time in life. What is bullying? The national definition of bullying for Australian schools was developed by the Safe and Supportive School Communities Working Group . This national group includes all state, territory and federal education departments, as well as national Catholic and independent schooling representatives. The definition of bullying has been developed as part of the National Safe Schools Framework and can be found on the Australian Government's Student Wellbeing Hub. Bullying is an ongoing misuse of power in relationships through repeated verbal, physical and/or social behaviour that causes physical and/or psychological harm. It can involve an individual or a group misusing their power over one or more persons. Bullying can happen in person or online, and it can be obvious (overt) or hidden (covert). Bullying of any form or for any reason can have long-term effects on those involved, including bystanders. Single incidents and conflict or fights between equals, whether in person or online, are not defined as bullying. What is NOT bullying? Behaviours that do not constitute bullying include: mutual arguments and disagreements (where there is no power imbalance ) not liking someone or a single act of social rejection one-off acts of meanness or spite isolated incidents of aggression, intimidation or violence. However, these conflicts still need to be addressed and resolved. Types of bullying. There are three types of bullying behaviour: Verbal bullying which includes name calling or insulting someone about physical characteristics such as their weight or height, or other attributes including race, sexuality, culture, or religion Physical bullying which includes hitting or otherwise hurting someone, shoving or intimidating another person, or damaging or stealing their belongings Social bullying which includes consistently excluding another person or sharing information or images that will have a harmful effect on the other person. If any of these behaviours occur only once, or are part of a conflict between equals (no matter how inappropriate) they are not bullying. The behaviours alone don't define bullying. Verbal, physical and social bullying can occur in person or online, directly or indirectly, overtly or covertly. Setting – in person and online Bullying can happen in person or online settings. Online bullying is sometimes called cyberbullying. Verbal, physical and social bullying can happen in person . Verbal and social bullying can happen online , as can threats of physical bullying. Specific features of online settings create additional concern for students, parents and carers, and teachers. For example, bullying someone online can potentially have an enormous audience. Research shows that children who are bullied online are often also bullied in person. This means that effectively dealing with online bullying means looking at other situations as well. Means – direct and indirect Bullying can be by direct or indirect means. Direct bullying occurs between the people involved, whereas indirect actions involve others, for example passing on insults or spreading rumours. Indirect bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships and self-esteem. Visibility – overt and covert Bullying can be easy to see, called overt, or hidden from those not directly involved, called covert. Overt bullying involves physical actions such as punching or kicking or observable verbal actions such as name-calling and insulting. Overt, direct, physical bullying is a common depiction of bullying. (This is sometimes called 'traditional bullying'). But overt physical bullying may not be the most common type of bullying. Covert bullying can be almost impossible for people outside the interpersonal interaction to identify. Covert bullying can include repeatedly using hand gestures and weird or threatening looks, whispering, excluding or turning your back on a person, restricting where a person can sit and who they can talk with. Covert social or verbal bullying can be subtle and even sometimes denied by a person who claims they were joking or 'just having fun'. Some bullying is both covert and indirect, such as subtle social bullying, usually intentionally hidden, and very hard for others to see. This type of bullying is often unacknowledged at school, and can include spreading rumours, threatening, blackmailing, stealing friends, breaking secrets, gossiping and criticising clothes and personalities. Indirect covert bullying mostly inflicts harm by damaging another's social reputation, peer relationships and self-esteem, that is, through psychological harm rather than physical harm. Harm – physical and psychological Bullying has the potential to cause harm (although not all unwanted actions necessarily cause harm). The physical harm caused by some types of bullying is well recognised. More recently, research has confirmed that short and long term psychological harm can result from bullying. This includes the harm to a person's social standing or reducing a person's willingness to socialise through bullying (particularly covert social bullying). In fact, just the fear of bullying happening can create distress and harm. The ongoing nature of bullying can lead to the person being bullied feeling powerless and unable to stop it from happening. The effects of bullying, particularly on the mental health and wellbeing of those involved, including bystanders, can continue even after the situation is resolved. Roles in bullying The roles within bullying are: as the person being bullied as the person bullying someone else as a person who witnesses bullying happening or knows about someone being bullied. A student who is bullied in one context may do the bullying in another, and a student who sees bullying in one context may be bullied in another, as individual students may take on different roles in bullying on different days, in different circumstances or with different peers. Being bullied Bullying is not a harmless part of growing up. The most obvious and immediate effect is reducing students' participation, learning and enjoyment of school. Other impacts include physical health complaints and fatigue, mental health impacts such as depression and anxiety, and social implications including self-doubt and reluctance to participate in group activities. Many students who are bullied online are also bullied in person. Just as bullying in person can cause harm, being bullied online can lead to social, psychological and educational issues. Some research into the impacts later in life has suggested that online bullying leads to more significant negative impacts, but research asking students directly what they think at the time found the majority considered bullying in person to be more harmful. The most significant negative impacts have been reported in students who have been subject to direct and relational forms of bullying. Bullying can create high levels of social anxiety and a sense of loss of dignity and 'agency'. Agency is the sense of control a person has over what happens to them and their life, and their ability to make choices. Feeling powerless and unable to stop the bullying can lead to lasting harm. Feelings of anxiety, fear and distress about being excluded and being treated with contempt can continue away from the school setting for students who experience bullying in person or online. Bullying others The impact for students who bully others depends on whether the bullying is short-term or persists over years. Some students engage in bullying for a short time only and then stop either because they realise it is inappropriate or the school supports them to learn more appropriate behaviour . A small group of students continue to bully others over many years. Students who persistently bully others have been found to have later issues in mental health and educational outcomes, as well as showing criminal and anti-social behaviour . These outcomes do not necessarily mean their bullying behaviour results in the later outcomes and the criminal behaviour. It is possible something else in the child's attributes, environment or experience contributes to both. However, these later outcomes suggest that persistent bullying is an important warning sign of ongoing problems. Schools and parents/carers need to support those who bully others to learn more appropriate ways to get on with others and deal with conflict and social challenges. Being a bystander Students who see bullying happening can also experience negative impacts. Many students who are bystanders to bullying feel distress and anxiety about seeing something they consider to be wrong. Students can also feel distress about not knowing what to do. Students may be concerned about their own safety or potential loss of social status. They may be afraid of being bullied themselves if they say something. Students who see bullying happening to others may also doubt whether they are generally safe at school. Research shows that frequent bullying and reports by students of feeling unsafe at school are closely linked. Feeling unsafe can have a negative impact on learning and participating for all students. Some researchers suggest that bystanders are key to stopping bullying, but these students are also part of the peer group and there may well be issues for them if they speak up. Students weigh up a number of factors to decide if they should intervene, including their relationship with those involved, the apparent seriousness and impact, whether they think someone else should intervene, and their opinion of the person being bullied. More information The information provided here has come from the "Bullying, No Way!" website. For more information on bullying, please head to their website, which can be found here . St Patrick's Positive Relationships Policy can be found here , and our Cyber Safety Policy can be found here . St Patrick's have also run a number of forums on bullying and cyber safety and they can be found here: BULLYING CYBERSAFETY

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Science Science provides students with opportunities to investigate, predict, experiment, observe and become aware of things in our world. Science is a Specialist subject for all of our students. Each week, classes participate in one hour of Science in our newly renovated Science room. Students will have the opportunity to explore the ever changing world around them in many ways through our hands-on Science Program. Biology, Chemistry, Physical Sciences and Earth and Space are all on the calendar ready to spark our students’ curiosity.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School Facilities St Patrick's prides itself on the beautiful facilities that it provides to its students. Despite having such great facilities on offer to the students, the school is continuously striving to update and improve these resources to ensure that the students have the necessary spaces and resources to maximise their learning outcomes. Art Room The school has a dedicated art room which is used as part of the school's specialist class program. In addition to all of the usual equipment for painting, printing, modelling, textiles and construction, St Patrick's is one of few schools in the area that also have a kiln to allow the school to offer clay modelling as well. Stadium Health and physical education is a core component of the curriculum and the school has a very well-equipped indoor sports stadium. The facilities include a full-sized basketball/netball court, stadium seating along one side with a performance stage on the other side. There are also office and classroom spaces, as well as the canteen to one end of the building. Library The school has a very well-resourced library which is accessible to all students on a number of occasions during a school week. In addition to the usual book borrowing and changing of weekly readers, the library also maintains a store of laptops for student use. The library space is also used during recess and lunchtime for various specialist programs and extra-curricular clubs. More information about some of the school programs can be found here and extra-curricular clubs here . Science The school values science as part of the Victorian curriculum. The specialist science room is resourced with a variety of equipment such as microscopes, environmental and other equipment, and has a large open space floor plan to allow students to be creative during experiments. Netball Courts The school netball area has three plexipave-surfaced courts, along with two mobile basketball rings. This area is open to students to use during recess and lunchtime, as well as being opened to the senior students before school. The netball courts are also utilised by the St Patrick's Netball Club for games on Saturday mornings during the season, along with training after school during the week. Sports Oval A school day can be long for some students, so the ability to run around at recess and lunchtime is very important. The school oval is a large grassed space for students to engage is ball sports such as football (with padded goal posts at each end) and a soccer goal net. The school oval is irrigated through an onsite bore and sprinkler system to ensure that the surface is well-grassed year-round to make it as safe as possible. Playground Play is a vital element to a student's time at school, not only for the physical activity aspect, but the social interaction and learnings that a student gains as well. The school "adventure playground" provides students with a range of activities including a sandpit, monkey bars, climbing frames, flying foxes and slide. Community Garden The school has a number of garden areas at the school to help teach students about the environment and healthy eating. The school community garden near the netball courts is a great opportunity for students to learn about things like recycling, composting and exactly where our food comes from. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to come and assist with the ongoing work in the community garden. School Canteen The school has a large canteen space that is utilised for providing a school lunch order service four days a week, as well as being used to cater for various activities that take place in the sports stadium such as movie nights, discos and parent forums. For more information about the school canteen service, please go to the canteen webpage here .

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School Canteen St Patrick’s values healthy eating practices for students, staff and the wider school community, and aim to provide an effective canteen service that provides choices of healthy food in a manner that complies with all health regulations and requirements When? St Patrick's provides a school canteen service to its students five days a week , through a lunch order system and over-the-counter sales at recess and lunch. How? Lunch orders are now ordered by parents through the Flexischools app. Parents can create an account for each child and order and pay online. It also makes reordering the same weekly lunch order very simple. Once ordered, if you have a reusable lunch bag (highly recommended to keep food warm), the children places the lunch bag into the lunch order tub. That tub is then delivered to the canteen at the start of each school day. The lunch orders are then fulfilled and returned to the classes in the same lunch order tubs. Menu? The canteen menu is reviewed by the canteen manager each term and a copy of the current canteen menu can be found on the blue button below: Over-the-counter items are not available for purchase through the lunch order system. Lunch bags? Reusable lunch order bags can be purchased from the Parents and Friends Association through the front office for $15.00. The reusable lunch order bags are insulated and come in a range of colours, They have a dedicated space for the name and class details, to help ensure orders go to the right classroom. More information about the lunch bags can be found here . Other information? The school canteen is operated by an independent operator under an access agreement, pursuant to the school's Canteen Policy. A copy of the Canteen Policy can be found here . The canteen is operated in line with the Victorian Department of Education's 'Go for your life’ Healthy Canteen Kit – Food planner guidelines. A copy of the guidelines can be found here . For more information, or to contact the canteen, you can email: canteen@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au Canteen Menu Like the St Patrick's Canteen Facebook page here:

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Communication Communication is a fundamental element of the relationship between the school and their families. St Patrick's ensures that there are as many opportunities for the school to get messages to families, and families to communicate to the school. Some of the more regular methods of communication are shown here. Newsletter The school newsletter is a document that is communicated to families every Thursday via email. Hard copies of the document can be collected at the front office on Fridays. The newsletter provides details on upcoming events, curriciulum, reviews of recent activities, community news, as well as reports from the principal and other curriculum leaders. SIMON Everywhere App SIMON Everywhere is a simple smartphone app where information can be quickly sent to parents. Through push notifications, parents can be informed of urgent information, upcoming events as well as providing reminders. As such we request that ALL parents and carers download the app and have it ready to receive notifications. Through the app, families can also access their Parent Access Module (PAM) to update student medical information, access school reports, report student absences, etc. The SIMON Everywhere app can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play. Facebook Group St Patrick's manages a private Facebook Group for parents and carers only. This Facebook group is the place where photos of students will be posted, as they will not be posted on the main corporate Facebook page. We encourage all parents and carers to join the Facebook group by going to the group and answering the membership questions at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stpatskilmorefamilies (note that membership will not be accepted without all questions being answered). Seesaw App Seesaw gives families an immediate and personalized window into their child’s school day, and makes communication with teachers seamless. Seesaw empowers students to independently document their learning with built-in creative tools, and provides an authentic audience for their work.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Language - French St Patrick's offers the study of French language and cultre to our students. French is a major language spoken across five continents, and the official language in 29 countries. It is also one of six official languages of the United Nations. The French language also aligns St Patrick's with one of the languages taught at Assumption College. Gabby- Alliance Française French Poetry competition finalist, 2021 Students interact with the teacher and their peers using simple language and gestures for exchanges such as greetings, farewells, and for talking about self and family. They participate in group activities through song, rhyme, games and transactions. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the state-wide Alliance Française French Poetry competition. They develop a curiosity for French culture and traditions, and compare cultural differences. The study of a second language contributes to the overall education of students, enhancing communication, cross-cultural understanding, cognitive development, literacy (in both English and French) and general knowledge. Have a look at this video to see what French looks like at St Patrick's:

Excursions, Incursions and Camps Camps, excursions and incursions are an important aspect of the educational program at St Patrick's. These programs offer students the opportunity to expand their learning, life and social skills in an alternative setting or using a different approach. These programs have an academic, interperson or environmental emphasis. Excursions St Patrick's offer excursions to students in all year levels. The excursions are curriculum based and are linked to the learning at the time. Excursions can be both local, like historical town walks, and more further afield such as Bendigo Discovery Centre, Melbourne Zoo, etc. Incursions Incursions are activities presented to students by external presenters within the school. Incursions are also curriculum based and linked to the learning at the time. Incursions may include presentations on animals, history, investigating, etc. Camps St Patrick's Primary School hold school camps each year for students in Years 4, 5 and 6. The camps are used to extend the stduents knowledge in a setting outside of school, and helps to develop skills and confidence in the students. St Patrick's Primary School has a policy on school camps, which can be found here . Grade 4 Our Year 4 students will go on an overnight camp to Camp Weekaway in Benlock (near Lancefield). The students participate in a range of activities over the two days. For more information about Weekaway Camp click here . Grade 5 Our Year 5 students participate in a two-night camp to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. The students participate in a range of activities over the three days to learn about the goldrush of the 1850s. The students also participate in the costume school where the students and teachers dress in 1850s clothes and participate in a day in an 1850s school. For more information about excursions at Sovereign Hill, click here . Grade 6 Our Year 6 students participate in a two-night camp to the Melbourne CBD. The students stay at City CYC and participate in a number of mini excursions throughout the city, including visiting the MCG, The Shrine of Remembrance, St Patrick's Cathedral, a river cruise, the Museum and more.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Hours, dates and calendar Children benefit from routine and understanding what comes next. We believe in communication and ensuring that students and families have all of the information they need to plan that routine. School Hours 8:50am - Morning prayer and roll 9:00am - Sessions 1 and 2 11:00am - Recess 11:30am - Sessions 3 and 4 1:30pm - Lunch 2:10pm - Session 5 3:15pm - Class dismissed 2026 Term Dates Term One - Monday 2 February to Thursday 2 April Term Two - Tuesday 21 April to Friday 26 June Term Three - Monday 13 July to Friday 18 September Term Four - Monday 6 October to Wednesday 16 December All calendar dates can be found in the electronic calendar located in the parent/carer PAM account.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Bus Service The St Patrick's Primary School bus service is provided through Assumption College. All of the relevant information in relation to the bus service can be found on the Assumption College website here . It provides information regarding, locations, fees, code of conduct, bus conveyance allowance, and timetable. All enquiries in relation to the St Patrick's Primary School bus service should be directed to the Assumption College Bus Coordinator Rachel Way on (03) 5783 5000. Parents at School Uniform

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. COVID-19 Management St Patrick's Primary School works closely with Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS) to ensure that the school is doing everything it can during these unprecedented times to provide a safe and secure environment and continue to deliver educational outcomes for our students. As the world continues to grapple with the ever-changing COVID-19 situation, St Patrick's will continue to act in accordance with the guidance of the time and remain flexible and fluid as things evolve. In managing the COVID-19 situation, the school continues with the cleaning schedule of the school and implement the standard social distancing protocols required. Face to face school assemblies and year level liturgies/masses will continue to be reduced in 2022 and all PSG meetings will still be face to face with the option of telephone or video conferencing. Independent music lessons for drums, guitar and piano, as well as vocals, continue to take place onsite with the music teachers. Families who are experiencing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 virus are encouraged to visit the School Fees webpage here , and the Concessional Fee Policy. I wish all St Patrick’s students & families the very best as they continue to adapt to this unusual holiday time. Best wishes Michael Bourne School Principal COVID Safe Plan