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Sacraments of the Catholic Church Celebration of Sacraments reflects and influences what it is we proclaim, who we are proclaiming and what we do. The parish provides the experience of belonging to a worshipping community. All Sacraments are celebrated in the Parish Church. Families and teachers work in partnership to prepare children for the celebration of the Sacraments by attending Faith Formation Forums for each sacrament and attending a Commitment Mass prior to celebrating the Sacrament. During the time of Sacraments being celebrated the focus is supported by the whole school. There are seven sacraments of the Catholic Church: Baptism; First Reconciliation/Penance; First Eucharist (Holy Communion); Confirmation; Anointing of the Sick; Holy Orders; and Matrimony. ​ At St Patrick's students celebrate First Reconciliation/ Penance in Year Three, First Eucharist in Year Four and Confirmation in Year Six. Students who are not baptised Catholic or who do not receive the sacraments are expected to support their peers by participating fully in the program. The students participate in a Reflection day prior to receiving each of the Sacraments.​​ ​ ​ First Reconciliation/Penance ​ The Sacrament of Penance teaches students to be aware of their relationship with God and the people around them. Students learn about sin and its effects on their relationships with God and the people around them. Learning to make peace with the people we hurt is an important part of this process. ​ ​ First Eucharist/Holy Communion​ ​ This sacrament is often referred to as First (Holy) Communion. Students learn more about how Jesus becomes present through the bread and wine that is offered during the Eucharist. It is during the Liturgy of the Eucharist that the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Jesus. Confirmation Confirmation is celebrated at a special ceremony officiated by the Bishop and the Parish Priest. Confirmation candidates are encouraged to go out into the world, just as the Apostles did, with the Holy Spirit in their hearts.

Prayer Prayer is a personal response to God’s presence and is a form of communicating with God. It fosters a personal and living relationship with God and nourishes the spiritual growth of all members of the school community. Each class takes time out of the day to pray. There are many ways of communicating with God. Students are encouraged to participate and lead prayers at assemblies, in classrooms during liturgical celebrations and at Mass. All students have opportunities to experience prayer situations, which are: • FORMAL - to learn words, songs and gestures that will help students to pray. • PUBLIC - to share aloud a prayer or prayer intention. • PRIVATE - to listen as well as speak to God personally. • SILENT - to engage in reflection, meditation or times of silence. Classes begin the day with either Christian Meditation or Prayer. All members of the school community are invited to participate in Christian Meditation and Prayer at the beginning of the day. Prayer commences with The Sign of the Cross and a scripture reading. Prayer concludes with St Patrick pray for us and we always remember to pray for one another. The staff, Parents and Friends Committee and School Advisory Council commence their meetings with prayer. Sacred Space/Prayer Table A prominent place in learning spaces is provided as a focus for prayer and a constant reminder of the presence and closeness of God. A different colour cloth is displayed for each of the liturgical seasons. The following is placed on every prayer table: a Bible, Crucifix, Candle to represent the light of Christ present during class prayer time and Resources – prayer book, biblical pictures, children’s Bible stories. Various religious icons and artefacts brought in by students can be placed on prayer tables. Morning Prayer Morning Prayer occurs on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students pray before lunch and at the end of the school day. Prayer may also occur at other times throughout the day. At the beginning of every school year, each class creates their own class prayer to start their morning prayer. Christian Meditation On Monday, Wednesday and Friday we commence the day with Christian Meditation that is a form of Contemplative Prayer. The whole school sits in quietness and stillness. This allows all to continue to build a relationship with God while slowing down one’s breathing. The purpose is to clear one’s mind of outside concerns so that God’s voice may be more easily heard. Meal time prayer Year Prep and Year One students are encouraged to pray a simple prayer before the lunch time meal. Students in Year Two to Year 6 say grace using a traditional prayer. End of school day prayer Classes are encouraged to pray the traditional prayer of Hail Mary or Our Father to conclude the day. School prayer St Patrick's has a school prayer which is part of the daily prayers undertaken in the school. It is as follows: ​ Let us remember we are in the Holy presence of God and each other. Au nom du père, du fils et du Saint-Esprit. Amen Upon this ancient land of the Taungurung people, we pray together: Loving God, Inspire us to learn with each other in the community. Give us strength to show love and compassion like the Mercy Sisters and Marist Brothers. We honour all those who have come before us. Help us flourish in all that we do. In the way of Mary, help us to be strong and true. St Patrick and St Marcellin, Priez pour nous. Mary our good mother, pray for us. And may we always remember to... pray for one another. In the name of the father, the son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. ​

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 Dianne Fitzgerald or (03) 5782 1422. Parents at School Uniform

Apply Now St Patrick's is currently taking applications for 2024 and Prep 2025 . ​ We do not take applications more than 12 months in advance, so are currently not taking applications for 2026 and beyond. ​ Applications for Prep 2025 are now open and close on 3 May 2024. ​ It is important to note that a lot of year levels are already full for 2024 and applications for those year levels will be placed on the waiting list.

Homework At St Patrick’s Primary School, we recognise that learning takes place wherever a child is, whether it is at school, at home, or out in the community. We also recognise that parents are the first teachers of children and what an important ongoing role that is for a child. We believe that homework complements classroom learning, fosters good study habits and provides an opportunity for students to be responsible for their own learning outside of the classroom. The amount of time spent on homework varies, and will increase as a child progresses through school, starting with at least 40 minutes a week for Prep classes, through to two hours a week for Year 6. The homework will include reading, and may also include maths and other tasks as set by the classroom teacher from time to time. Parents will be expected to sign their child’s diary to confirm that their child is undertaking the necessary homework tasks. St Patrick’s Primary School has a policy with respect to homework, and that can be found here .

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.

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 can accommodate up to 582 students in 21 classes, with over 70 teaching and non-teaching staff members.

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.

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.

Enrolment Criteria St Patrick's is an inclusive Catholic primary school that welcomes families from all faith backgrounds. St Patrick's provides a wholistic approach to education that focuses on developing the whole child, including academics as well as the social and emotional skills. As a feeder school to Assumption College, we also have a strong connection and transition program with the College. 2024 Enrolments Limited places are a vailable in in some year levels. ​ ​ Go to the Enrolment tab to Book a Tour, make an Enrolment Enquiry or Request a Prospectus Enrolment Criteria Enrolment at St Patrick's is done so in accordance with the school's Enrolment Policy, a copy of which can be found here . ​ Priority for enrolment at St Patrick's is given to Catholic students. Enrolments are also invited for children from non-Catholic families. ​ The student should be a resident in the Parish and within the catchment zone for St Patrick’s Primary School Kilmore. ​ Parents/guardian, as the prime educators of their children in faith, must demonstrate a commitment to upholding the teachings of the Catholic Church in practical ways and agree to support the school in all aspects of the total education of their child. ​ Other circumstances may be considered. Catchment Zones With two schools in the St Patrick's Parish (the other being Our Lady of the Way in Wallan), there are two separate catchment areas for primary school enrolments within the Parish of St Patrick’s Kilmore. Families who live in the Kilmore, Kilmore East, Bylands, Broadford, Pyalong, Wandong and Heathcote Junction areas are zoned for enrolment at St Patrick’s Primary School Kilmore. New families who live in the Wallan, Wallan East, Beveridge and Darraweit Guim areas are invited to apply for a position at Our Lady of the Way Wallan . ​ Where either school has a year level that is full, it may be possible to enrol at the other school if there is a vacancy. Enrolment Forms and Supporting Documentation All applications should be made online through our website. In the enrolments tab, select "Apply Now" and complete the online application form. For anyone that as previously requested a prospectus, booked a school tour or completed an enrolment enquiry, you should use the same email address and many of the fields will be pre-populated for you. ​ Please remember that you will need a copy of your child’s Birth, Baptism (child/parent where applicable) and immunisation certificates. These are required before the enrolment process can be completed. Copies of immunisation certificates can be obtained by phoning 1800 653 809 or by visiting their website here . Copies of Baptism Certificates can be obtained by contacting the Parish in which the child/parent was Baptised. For non-prep enrolments, copies of the last two school reports are also required. For all enrolments, copies of all other relevant reports (speech, medical specialists etc) or documentation (court orders etc) are also required

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 .

Curriculum The Victorian Curriculum sets out what a student should learn during their Prep to Year 10 schooling years, which incorporates the Australian curriculum, but is reflective of the Victorian priorities and standards. The learning areas are as follows: ​ The Arts, which incorporates areas such as dance, drama, media arts, music, visual arts and visual communication design; English; Health and Physical Education; Humanities, which incorporates areas such as civics and citizenship, economics and business, geography and history; Languages; Mathematics; Science; and Technologies, which incorporates areas such as design and technologies and digital technologies. ​ The Victorian Curriculum also includes capabilities, which are skills that are taught throughout the learning areas. These are: critical and creative thinking; ethical; intercultural; and personal and social ​ For more information about the Victorian Curriculum, go to the Victorian Currriculum and Assessment Authority website here .