St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School History St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore is a far cry from the Catholic primary school started sometime in 1848, being school number 358, situated on the highway. There are some unconfirmed reports of there being a boys and girls school as early as 1844. A Brief History St. Patrick's Catholic Parish, centering on the township of Kilmore and the surrounding rural district, is situated approximately 60 kms north of Melbourne, in the State of Victoria, Australia. St. Patrick's was the first inland Catholic parish to be established (1849) in the southern part of what was then the Colony of NSW and is now the State of Victoria, Australia. Earlier parishes in Victoria were Melbourne (1839), Geelong (1842), Portland (1847) and Port Fairy (1849). The parishes of Melbourne, Geelong and Kilmore represent the three oldest parishes in the Archdiocese of Melbourne whilst the parishes of Portland and Port Fairy are the oldest parishes in the Diocese of Ballarat. Early Parish Primary Education in Kilmore St Patrick's Primary School Kilmore is a far cry from the Catholic primary school started sometime in 1848, being school number 358, situated on the highway. There are some unconfirmed reports of there being a boys and girls school as early as 1844. The Vicar General, Dr Geoghegan wrote in an application to the Denominational Schools Board, dated July 3 1848: “There are sufficient Catholic children here (Kilmore) to entitle the teacher to Government aid.” On March 27, 1849, the Bishop wrote: “There is an unaided school at Kilmore….. The average attendance is 30 - 40. The schoolroom is most inadequate and unsuitable…” And so in 1850 school number 358 officially opened, as a boys-only school, with government aid. The girls school, using the same name and number, opened on the opposite side of the highway in 1851. The school inspector Childers visited the schools in 1851 and wrote: “I visited this school in Sydney Street on April 30 accompanied by the clergyman, Rev. C. Clarke …The school is a slab hut with shingled roof, not plastered, no floor. Is in good condition, and was erected in 1848... Schoolroom is 86 x 11. Has glass windows, a fireplace, and two windows. There are 33 boys and 7 girls present." In 1854/55 the bluestone school was built in the church grounds, which was later demolished in 1956, and replaced by the brick school. In 1875 the Mercy Convent opened with Sisters teaching primary levels. Then in 1890 the new Mercy boarding and day school opened. In 1893 the Marists began Assumption College, taking over the boys day school, and then taking boarders in 1901. And more recently... With humble beginnings, there has been a rich history of Catholic education in Kilmore, being initially provided by local parents or community members acting as teachers, then later by the Mercy nuns, Marist brothers and then Parish school teachers. Catholic primary education has had a number of locations including the Parish centre (next to the Church), the now-Kilmore International School when the school was known as St Joseph’s, and the last school site opposite Assumption College from 1968 when it changed its name to St Patrick’s, and now at the current site since 2011. Today, our Parish Priest is religious head of our school, governed by Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS). Our school is a beautiful and very well-resourced school that comprises approximately 600 students in 23 classes, with over 80 teaching and non-teaching staff members.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. First Aid St Patrick's Primary School values students' safety and as such employ a first aid officer during school hours, being 8:30 to 3:30pm, who present to the first aid office/sick bay. Our First Aid Officer holds certificates in First Aid (Level 2), CPR, Anaphylaxis, Asthma management, as well as participating in ongoing professional development in areas such as diabetes, haemophilia and epilepsy, but should students attend with a specific health need, additional training will be provided. For all first aid queries, provision of documentation, etc, please email: firstaid@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au Asthma For students that suffer from Asthma, the school requires an Asthma Management Plan to be completed by the student's medical practitioner and returned to school by the start of Term 1 via the SIMON Everywhere and the Parent Access Module (PAM) or in hard copy to the office. Copies of the Asthma Management Plan document can be found here . Anaphylaxis For students that suffer from anaphylaxis, the school requires an Anaphylaxis Management Plan to be completed by the student's medical practitioner and returned to school by the start of Term 1 via the SIMON Everywhere and the Parent Access Module (PAM) or in hard copy to the office. Copies of the Anaphylaxis Management Plan document can be found here . Some of the risk management strategies we ask all families to remember are; No food is to be shared at school. When celebrating a birthday, food cannot be shared or handed out. Alternatively children may like to bring some stickers, stamps or pencils to share. Although the school does not ban any particular foods, we do ask all parents to be mindful of other students allergies when packing lunchboxes, particularly if there is a child with an allergy in the same class.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. School Fees Assistance The Catholic Church's preferential option for the poor obligates Catholic schools to ensure that no baptised student is denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay (MACS website). We provide a number of ways for families to obtain assistance where there is an issue with payment of fees. As part of your school search, cost can be a significant factor, but at St Patrick's be believe that the most influential factor in choosing a school should be whether it is the “right fit” for the student. St Patrick's focuses on ensuring that students thrive by meeting their academic, social and emotional needs. As a result we are a school that embraces students from all types of backgrounds. We do this by embodying our Catholic value of ensuring baptised students are not denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay. As such, St Patrick's ensures that cost is not a barrier to joining our school community. We encourage any family that is facing a financial challenge to contact us early to have a discussion. We understand that these conversations can be uncomfortable but we treat all information with the strictest confidence, with the least number of people involved as possible, and do whatever we can to assist families in need. This assistance can be in the form of Government assistance, concessional fees, payment plans and hardship fee-assistance. We encourage families to reach out to our Finance Officer, Debbie Amodio, as early as possible via email (finance@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au ) or call on (03) 5782 1579 (option 2). Conveyance Allowance The State Government has a Conveyance Allowance program that provides families with financial support with the cost of transporting children to school in regional areas. If your family lives more than 4.8km from St Patrick's and our school is your closest Catholic primary school, then you may be eligible for this program. The assistance is paid to the school against school fees for car travel and paid to Assumption College against bus fees for bus travel. Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) The CSEF provides eligible families with a payment towards school fees to offset the cost of camps and excursions. If the parents/carers/guardians of a student hold a Health Card Card, Aged Pension Card, DVA Gold Card, etc, then we encourage those families to apply for the CSEF to help reduce school fees. The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) Application Form can be found here . Concessional Fees Late in 2021, St Patrick's head office, MACS, released a Concessional Fee Policy, which provides reduced fees for: families of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent; families with Health Care or DVA Cards; or those families facing severe financial hardship If you believe that you may be eligible for a concessional fee, please contact Debbie Amodio (finance@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au ) to request the documentation to apply for the concessional fee. The concessional fee must be paid by direct debit and the concessional fee is not retrospective, and any existing debt stands in full. The concessional fee does not apply to camp fees and the sacramental levy, and these fees and levies are to be paid in addition to your concessional fee. If you do not apply for the CSEF for the current school year, then you will not be eligible for the Concessional Fee support. Please ensure that if you are eligible, that you apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out. The Concessional Fee Program Procedure can be found here . The Concessional Fee Application Form 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. 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. Volunteer and Contractor Induction St Patrick's Primary School takes its commitment to student safety very seriously. St Patrick's has a number of policies and documents relating to our obligations to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our students and to ensure that the people onsite at the school during a school day are appropriately checked. The Victorian Government recently introduced new Child Safe Standards along with Ministerial Order No 870, which set out the minimum requirements for schools in relation to child safety. Child Safe Standard 4 and Clause 10 of Ministerial Order No 870 relates to staff screening, selection, supervision, training and other human resources practises that reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing personnel, including employees, volunteers and contractors. Volunteers St Patrick's parents, carers and indeed other family members, who wish to help at the school can do so in many ways. All volunteers must hold a current and valid Working With Children's Check and have completed an annual induction with the school to ensure that they are aware of the current State laws and requirements with respect to working with children. Contractors St Patrick's engages various contractors from time to time, either on a one-off, casual or regular basis. Those contractors fulfill various roles at the school and may or may not come into direct contact with our students during their time on site. All contractors are subject to the same laws and requirements as a volunteer, and must hold a current and valid Working With Children's Check. They must have also completed an induction with the school to ensure that you are aware of the current State laws and requirements with respect to working with children as well as OH&S and other compliance issues. Induction In order to fulfill the obligations under the State law, we require every volunteer and contractor of St Patrick's Primary School to complete an annual induction as required under the Child Safe laws. The induction process is now completed on the iPads in the front office the first time a person signs in. On the anniversary of the induction you will be emailed to complete an update. In order to complete the induction, you will need to provide your Working With Children's Check. 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. 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. Contact Us Success! Message received. Send For all enquiries, please call our main reception between 8.15am - 4:00pm: (03) 5782 1579 1 Conway Street, Kilmore, VIC, 3764 Tel: (03) 5782 1579 Email: principal@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au In the event of an emergency, please call the school mobile: 0448 523 995. St Patrick Volunteer and Contractor Induction

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Physical Education Sport, recreation and play are essential attributes in the physical and social development of our students at St. Patrick’s. Sport also helps to define culture and our PE program includes interschool Summer and Winter Sport Carnivals. Not only does sport develop specific physical skills, it also improves health, fitness, develop social skills, friendships, team work and fair play. At St. Patrick’s Primary School, Physical Education is an important part of the curriculum. Students participate and enjoy a one hour lesson each week of Physical Education (PE) and our aim is to provide ALL students with: Physical activities that encourage maximum participation, are inclusive and fun and cater for all student’s needs. Various challenging activities to engage, maintain interest and increase student enjoyment in physical activity. To develop students Fundamental Motor Skills (FMS) and sporting skills so they can participate confidently in a wide range of physical activities and sport. We are a 'Sporting School' at St Patrick's and each year we provide opportunities for our students to enjoy a range of different sports, delivered by specialist coaches. Click here to find out how this initiative benefits our children. At the end of each year, St. Patrick’s holds its own sports carnival where the focus is on participation and having fun. Students compete for their house, Chisholm, McAuley, Morrison or O’Rourke, earning points throughout the day. Inter-School Sporting Carnivals The Interschool Sport program runs separately to the Physical Education program for students in Grades Three to Six. It incorporates swimming, cross-country and athletics carnivals. It is a voluntary program, where students who wish to participate, are required to trial for different events. Students who are successful in gaining a place in these teams, participate firstly at the Mitchell District level against other local primary schools. From the District level, students who achieve a first or second placing go on to compete at the Whittlesea Division level and from here they may be successful to compete at the Northern Metropolitan Region level. More information about this can be seen below as part of School Sports Victoria. In addition to these carnivals, all Grade Six students participate in Interschool Summer and Winter Sports. These sports include basketball, softball, rounders and modified cricket for the summer and netball, AFL, soccer and tee-ball for the winter carnivals. School Sport Victoria St. Patrick’s has a long and proud history of students from Year 3 to 6 competing in School Sport Victoria (SSV) events. Trials are held at school and students are selected for the District Team based upon their commitment, respect and skill in their chosen sport. If successful at District events students will get the opportunity to compete at Division, Regional and State Championships. The ‘Mitchell District’ competitions are: Swimming, Cross Country and Athletics. NB: Students can also compete at a National level and would have to attend a trial for their respective sport, which is organised through School Sport Victoria (SSV). Parents and Carers, please click here https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/ for further information on the nomination process and selection for state teams. Participation in School Sport Victoria events are an extremely important part of a child's learning here at St Patrick's Primary School. Have you got a sporting achievement that you are proud of! You can print off your Participation Certificate, by selecting the relevant button and typing in your details. This can be accessed in the School Sports Victoria website link: https://www.ssv.vic.edu.au/Pages/ParticipationCertificates.aspx 2025 Program Pathways to Excellence - Victorian All Schools Track & Field and Cross-Country Championships St. Pat’s students that are interested in representing Victoria in Track & Field and Cross Country at a national level will need to compete in Athletics Victoria (AV) organised events to qualify. Parents and carers please click on the following link for further information: http://athsvic.org.au/events/competitions/avcompetitions/schools/

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 - Monday 20 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. Integrated Inquiry The inquiry approach to learning is based on the belief that students are powerful learners who must be actively engaged in the process of investigating, processing, organising, synthesising, refining and extending their knowledge within a topic. In a nutshell, the inquiry process involves: Planned, direct and rich experiences that provide opportunities for students to pose questions and gather information. Activities that help students organise new information and use skills in a way that assists them to form concepts and generalizations about their world Opportunities for students to work independently and cooperatively and demonstrate what they have learnt applying the knowledge, skills and values to other contexts. The inquiry process has the potential to develop skills and dispositions for lifelong learning, for example, independence, thinking skills, confidence, decision making, cooperative learning and other life skills. We can integrate different subject areas, information technology and global issues. At St Patrick’s we have developed an Inquiry map that each level studies in a two-yearly cycle. The broad concepts and key ideas covered can be found here . Content for our Inquiry units is drawn from the Victorian Curriculum. When planning units of work teachers check the following areas to ensure that these critical components of the curriculum are being covered across the school. Cross-curriculum Priorities Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia, and Sustainability Learning areas and Capabilities Critical and Creative Thinking, Ethical, Intercultural, Personal and Social The Humanities Civics and Citizenship Economics and Business Geography History Science Technologies Design and Technologies Digital Technologies

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. About St Patrick's Primary School St Patrick’s is founded on the values and teachings of Jesus Christ as they are presented to us in the Gospel. They are central to the vision and mission of our school and permeate every aspect of school life as our community accepts the challenge to walk in Jesus’ footsteps each day. At St Patrick’s, the children in our care are central to everything we do. Their uniqueness is recognised and celebrated as we strive to cater for individual learning needs. St Patrick’s is located at the southern end of Kilmore, situated 57 kilometres north of Melbourne. It is a rapidly developing, light industrial and residential town. The leading industries are pastoral, horse racing/trotting, education and tourism. Many of our parents commute to the outer northern areas of Melbourne for work each day. The township of Kilmore and the surrounding townships that form part of the parish of St Patrick’s have been predominately Anglo-Saxon but this is changing as more people establish themselves in the immediate area. St Patrick’s is a co-educational school offering a comprehensive curriculum including opportunities for multi-ability grouping. Children learn in a positive environment that encourages co-operation, risk-taking and effective communication between teachers, students and peers. Within this environment, students are expected to develop positive self-esteem, work cooperatively with others, take pride in their school and their work, value achievement and respect staff and other students. At St Patrick’s we aim to: Welcome and work in partnership with parents, who are the prime educators of their children. Nurture a caring community of staff, students and parents by promoting the values of respect, tolerance and co-operation. Personalise the children’s learning experiences by using a diverse range of teaching styles and methods Provide suitable opportunities that enable the children to develop in spirit, mind and body.

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 Faith & Mission, ICT, Media, Environmental and Wellbeing & Community. 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.