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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. Mass and Liturgy Religious education at St Patrick’s is not confined to Religious Education classes. Christ is at the centre of all of our endeavours. As a learning community joined together in faith we aim to bear witness to Christ’s vision and values in all aspects of school life. In doing so, we extend our formal religious education to include class mass at church and whole school liturgies. Class Mass at Church Classroom teachers prepare liturgical celebrations with their students. Students have an opportunity to celebrate the Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist through attending class mass. Every class prepares for and attends at least once per semester. Mass is held in the St Patrick’s Church at 9am on weekdays. Families and members of the Parish and school community are always welcome to attend these celebrations. Whole School Liturgies Whole School Masses are celebrated during the year. Special Liturgies are celebrated in accordance with the Liturgical Calendar and the school community is welcome to attend. Places of worship are the Parish church, stadium and court yard.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Classroom Subjects St Patrick's Primary School breaks up the Victorian Curriculum into subjects taught both in the classroom and in specialised environments within the school. The information provided here is with respect to those subjects taught in the classroom. Literacy Our literacy program reflects the various elements of the Victorian Curriculum which includes reading and viewing, writing and spelling and speaking and listening. Each class studies English for 10 hours a week. For more information on the Literacy program, click here . Mathematics Mathematics is taught under the 3 strands outlined in the Victorian Curriculum - Number and Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics and Probability. Students study Mathematics for 5 hours per week in every level of the school. For more information on the Maths program, click here . Integrated Inquiry The inquiry process develops skills for lifelong learning in areas such as history, environment, science and citizenship. Each class studies Inquiry for two hours a week. For more information on the Inquiry program, click here . Religion The Religious Education Curriculum attends to the spiritual development of each person to appreciating the value of Catholic faith. Each class studies RE for 2 hours per week. For more information on the RE program, click here . Social & Emotional SEL assists students in relationships, decision-making, learning how to handle challenging situations and develop leadership skills across the curriculum to nurture their wellbeing and assist their learning. Each class studies SEL for at least 45 minutes a week. For more information on the SEL program, click here . Technologies Whilst technolgoies is not a separate subject within the curriculum, it is incorporated across all parts of the curriculum. For more information on the Technologies program, click here .

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School Policies Our school policies at St Patrick's Primary School are designed to provide uniformity and consistency in decisions and actions across the community. They are written documents that outline the required process or procedure within the school. Policy development is generally overseen by the Principal, as well as the executive team and leadership team and they regularly seek community views, develop policies and oversee program implementation for the school. School policies are generally reviewed on a four-year cycle to ensure their continuing relevance. Care, Safety and Welfare Administration of Medication Policy Anaphylaxis Management Policy - Emergency Response to Anaphylactic Reaction Attendance Policy for MACS Schools Bullying Prevention Policy Closed Circuit Television Policy Duty of Care Policy for MACS Schools Excursions, Camps and Travel Policy MACS Schools - Camps Procedures MACS Schools - School Excursion Procedures First Aid Policy Head Lice Policy ICT Acceptable Usage Policy Medical Management Policy Pastoral Care Policy for MACS Schools Student Behaviour Policy Supervision Procedures Child Safety Policies Child Safety Code of Conduct Child Safety and Wellbeing Policy Child Safety and Wellbeing Record Keeping Policy Engaging Families in Child Safety Policy PROTECT: Identifying and Responding to Child Abuse - Reporting Obligations Policy - PROTECT Procedure - Informing staff of reporting obligations - PROTECT Procedure - Police or DHHS Child Protection interviews at school - PROTECT Procedure - Responding to all forms of child abuse - PROTECT Procedure - Responding to offences under the Crimes Act 1958 (Vic) - PROTECT Procedure - Responding to Police and Child Protection requests for further information - PROTECT Procedure - Responding to student sexual offending Reportable Conduct Policy Complaints and complex issues Complaints Handling Policy - Complaints Handling Procedures School Community Safety Order Scheme Internal Review Process School Community Safety Order Review Form Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Policy Employment Occupational Health and Safety Policy Enrolment of students Concessional Fees Policy Concessional Fee Program - Procedures MACS Primary Schools Enrolment Policy - Enrolment Agreement - Enrolment Procedures for MACS Schools - Enrolment Form - Parent/Guardian/Carer Code of Conduct - Student Code of Conduct Privacy Policy and Procedures Student Acceleration and Retention Policy Finance Concessional Fee Policy Credit Reporting Policy Debtor Management and Recovery Procedures Governance Democratic Principles Statement Governance Statement MACS Code of Conduct for School Advisory Councils School Advisory Council Manual: For all MACS Schools School Advisory Councils Terms of Reference School Philosophy Statement Working Together in Mission Suspension, Negotiated Transfer and explusion of students Explusion of Students Policy Negotiated Transfer of Students Policy Suspension of Students Policy Other Communications Policy School Uniform Policy Therapy Animal Policy

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Request a Prospectus Considering St Patrick's for your child? Request a prospectus to receive an electronic and/or hard copy prospectus. The booklet provides a lot of detailed information about the school to assist you in your school selection. Enrolment Criteria and Process Transition to Prep

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Instrumental Music Program St Patrick's provides great support to our students that wish to develop their music interests and talents. The school has three rooms dedicated to private drums, guitar and piano lessons. Specialist instrumental music lessons can be arranged directly with the teachers and can be conducted during the school day, or before/after school. Drums Drumming at St Patrick's Primary School is run by professional musician and drummer Corey Mills, who delivers a well-structured and informative program for the young minds of today. Students of all ages can immerse themselves in tailored private weekly lessons. These range from 30 minutes to one-hour lessons during or after school hours as requested. Drummers of varying skills and abilities can cover topics starting with the fundamentals of drumming and music, including theory and reading. Private drum lessons with Corey Mills also provide the opportunity for students to join the St Patrick's “Drum Squad” with rehearsals running once a week at lunch time. The program is fully funded by the school in order to provide an opportunity for all involved to work in a team environment and the chance to play at events such as full school assemblies and liturgical occasions such as ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day. Students get the chance to advance their skills by working with ensemble groups and working on solo performance pieces thus providing a pathway to becoming a better musician and a more confident individual. Furthering opportunities for senior students enrolled in private drum lessons, St Patrick's Primary School is now offering a fully funded grade 6 band program as a direct pathway into Assumption College and the My-Map course structure where Corey also teaches drums and is a leading facilitator of the ensemble program. Enrol today and begin your drumming journey! Guitar Individual or Group Lessons available. Teacher Edward Mountain offers an engaging and interactive approach to learning guitar. Students will build well rounded set of skills on the instrument including Technique, Theory, and a wide list of songs to play. Once confident, students may also have the opportunity to perform as part of the St Patricks Soiree Program, where they get to perform a song to showcase what they have learnt on their musical journey thus far. Piano At Saint Patrick’s Primary School we offer a pedagogically informed piano program that will inspire and motivate young individuals in the art of pianism. Our piano faculty is run by our well-educated tutors, Barbara Smith, Fleur Smith, Joseph Zielinski and Ethan Wynne. Throughout their studies, young pianists will have the opportunity to learn from a large range of genres and repertoire, understand the fundamentals of music theory and grow in their technical ability at the piano. Piano lessons are typically 30 minutes on a weekly basis but can be expanded to 45 minutes or 60 minutes based on the student’s needs. Students will also have the opportunity to advance through the AMEB piano repertoire, allowing the student to steadily progress through these grades that will develop their understanding of music and skills at the piano. This can lead to the student deciding to sit a piano exam that is nationally recognised. These grades progress from early beginner to advanced. Piano students will also be a part of the school Soiree that is held annually, allowing students to showcase what they have been working on with their teacher. This also provides the chance for students to play in duets with their classmates, allowing them to have a new and fun experience. Singing Hey! I am Isabelle Zoch, I am a soul, pop, jazz and RnB vocalist and songwriter from Pyalong and I am nearing the end of my music degree at the Australian College of the Arts. I love all music; I love playing with other musicians and most of all I love sharing the beauty of singing and song with other people. I am so thrilled to be part of the music team at St Patrick's Kilmore as a specialist vocal teacher offering private lessons to all of the wonderful students that are simply curious or completely ecstatic about singing. In my lessons you can expect to have a LOAD of fun, doing lots of singing with me, learning new songs, cool and quirky vocal techniques and warmups, how to put on a fabulous performance and some fun music theory skills along the way. There will be lots of laughs, encouragements and a lot of singing to be had, so if you think this is something you or your child would love or even just curious about, then please don’t hesitate to get in touch and start your singing journey with me today. School Band Program The Senior Band Program is on offer at St Patricks Primary School as part of our co-curricular program. Learning how to play in a band builds confidence, resilience, perseverance and is a lot of fun! Adding your new skill sets to a group setting like band can be one of the greatest experiences a student can have. From learning complex rhythms, melodies, chord progressions, playing with backing tracks, performing and opening many events St Patricks has on offer, the band program is a guaranteed way to energise the body, mind and spirit of those involved. Senior band offers a team bonding environment, where students will meet like-minded individuals to create, collaborate and further themselves on not only their chosen instrument but as tomorrow’s industry thought leaders too. It is expected that all students involved in Senior Band sign up for at least two terms of private instrumental tuition. Private instrumental tuition will provide students with the knowledge and power of what is expected to be part of an elite program and ready their minds for performances and much more. If you would like any more information on private instrumental tuition or the Senior Band Program, please make contact with our Music Co-Ordinator Corey Mills (corey.mills@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au).

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Principal's Welcome Welcome to St Patrick’s Primary Kilmore, a coeducational primary school situated 65km north of Melbourne’s CBD. St Patrick's is a member school of Marist Schools Australia and governed by Melbourne Archidiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS). As principal, I can say it is a privilege to work alongside and serve the community of St Patrick’s Primary in Kilmore. Our school has a rich history and the parish, which was established in 1849, has shown a commitment to provide Catholic education to the families in the district for well over 120 years. St Patrick’s in an invitational community that is driven by the mission of the church. The school provides a safe, caring and supportive learning environment that is centred on the child. Situated alongside Assumption College, a college established by the Marist brothers in 1894, the two schools are committed to providing a space where students have the opportunity to thrive and to realise their potential. Like most schools, St Patrick’s is a busy, productive and inspiring place to be. The school highly values Family School Partnerships where home and school actively work together to engage our families in a shared conversation about learning. The vision for our staff as professionals is outlined in the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (A.I.T.S.L) standards and we believe in a culture of constant feedback and improvement. The AITSL standards can be found here . If you are new to our community I extend a warm welcome and thank you for trusting your child to our care. To our existing families I thank you for your generous support and ongoing understanding. I do not tire in reminding myself and our community “That it takes a village to raise a child”. Michael Bourne, Principal

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. Student Leadership At St Patrick's leadership is about motivating, influencing and directing people to work together to achieve goals in accordance with the school's values and beliefs. It is important for students to experience school leadership opportunities in order to learn how to build relationships, define their identity and achieve tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills. St Patrick's Primary School is very proud of our student leaders. These students are ambassadors who embody our school values and motto. The school offers both formal and informal leadership opportunities to our students. We hope that all of our students would think of themselves as leaders through modelling appropriate behaviour to others, helping students that need assistance, and generally exhibiting traits that walk "In the Footsteps of the Lord". However, we also have formal leadership positions, and our Year 6 students have the most significant roles to place in these positions, including School Captains, House Captains and other student leaders. School Captains School Captains are the most significant student leaders in the school. They take an active role in all aspects of the school community and work with others to achieve the best possible outcomes. They are approachable, reliable and trustworthy, and their duties involve communication with staff and students, public speaking at assemblies, school events and other community events. School Captains are positive role models for all students with regards to behaviour and presentation. House Captains A House Captains' role is to encourage all students to participate in House activities. They coordinate House events, such as the Houes points system, House lunches, and leading their respective houses in various whole-school events such as the athletics carnival. House captains are approachable and reliable and demonstrate enthusiasm for their House, thereby encouraging students to get involved in a range of school activities. Student Leaders Student leadership is open to any student in Year 6. Outside of School and House Captains, there are a range of other leadership roles, such as for ICT, Media, French, Science, Art, Library, Academic and more. The leadership group is elected from the Year 5 students during their time in Term 4. Students nominate for two leadership positions and then prepare and present a speech that is given to the Year 5 students, as well as the Year 5 staff and members of the leadership team. Students and staff vote for their preferred candidates and the ultimate decision rests with the School Principal and Deputy Principal.

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. 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. 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 .