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

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. ​

School Fees 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 2024 Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) Application Form can be found here . ​ ​ Concessional Fee Policy Late in 2021, our head office, MACS, released a new 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 Deb 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. ​ If you do not apply for the CSEF for 2023, 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 Policy can be found here . ​ The Concessional Fee Application Form can be found here .

New Staff Induction Welcome to St Patrick's Primary School in Kilmore. We welcome you into our relational school. We believe in ensuring that you feel supported as you enter the school and begin for the first time, as we understand the nerves that comes with a new job. This webpage is designed to provide you with all of your initial school knowledge. This is your ongoing reference guide that you can continuously refer back to as you find your feet and establish yourself at St Pat's. Welcome. As you work through this induction, you will receive information about working at St Pat's. The blue section is information thta is relevant to all staff. The grey section is for teaching staff only. Please click on the photo of the staff member at the start of each section for an introduction, and then the subsequent icon links for additional information. At the end is a Google Form that you must complete to confirm that you have completed your induction components. Start here... Michael Bourne School Principal Justine Sapiano Deputy Principal RE Leader Staff absences Yard duty Prayer and Liturgy Sacrament Program Formation and Accreditation VIT Teaching Requirements Tracy Connors Operations Manager Introductory Video Induction program Staff Induction Inf ormation 2024 start of year info 2024 Staff Hierarchy C Number Background Checks Emergency Procedures Medical Training CompliSpace PolicyConnect CompliLearn Launchpad Family School Partnerships School Tour CEMEA 2022 (Staff award) Liz Darvell EA to Principal and DP OH&S Representative Report a Safety Hazard Report an Incident Robyn Hallowell Payroll Officer Tax Form Superannuation Form Personal Details ePortal Shelly Michalke STEM Leader Introductory video ICT Policies Email account Google Drive SIMON How to login to computers and programs ICT Resources and Protocols Teaching staff keep going... Other staff can go to the bottom and fill out the induction completion form. Shelly Michalke & Jess Kurzman Joint Teaching & Learning Leaders Justine Sapiano Literacy Leader Jess Kurzman Maths Leader Sallyanne McMeikin Student Wellbeing Leader Natalie Rees Learning Diversity Leader How to mark the roll in SIMON Data books Hapara Seesaw Google Classroom Student Mobile Phones Reporting Planning Assessment Schedule Introductory Video Literacy requirements Reading re quirements Writing requirements Smart Spelling Library time Introductory Video Wellbeing Information Learning Diversity Padlet Congratulations, you are finished.... Congratulations on getting through the wealth of information that has been provided to you here. We know that there is a lot to take in, and that you will forget some of this. That's why it is here in this format, so that you can continuously refer back to the information as you need it. ​ Now that you have finished, can you please complete the Google Form below to confirm that you have completed your induction program. ​ This is an important part of your induction into St Patrick's, and we thank you for participating. Please keep asking questions, because that's how you learn. Induction Completion Form

Book a Tour St Patrick's Primary School offers school tours throughout the year. Tours will take place in groups or individually, depending on the situation. All tours should be booked online below.

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

Employment Opportunities St Patrick's puts the child at the centre of everything we do and we seek staff that have a similar philosophy and approach to their work. Basic Selection Criteria All applicants need to meet the following basic selection criteria: Actively articulate the School’s vision and mission as a Catholic school, and use this as a wellspring in all discussions and decision-making; Be active as an individual, and/or as a team member, to work towards the success of the School Improvement Plan, providing support, stimulus and action as necessary; Contribution to the development of, and adhere to, all of the School’s current and future policies and procedures; Demonstrated understanding of child safety and appropriate behaviours when engaging with children; Commitment to child safety and adhere at all times to the School’s Child Safe Policy and Code of Conduct (a copy of which can be found on the school’s website); Commitment to personal professional training and annual training in relevant programs such as Child Protection, Student Duty of Care, OHS, Privacy, etc. Demonstration of adherence to the School’s Occupational Health and Safety program. and additional, specific key selection criteria relevant to the individual role. ​ ​ Child Safety All applicants must be a suitable person to engage in child-connected work. ​ All applicants must read and understand the School's Child Protection Program, including: Child Safe Policy , Child Safety Code of Conduct , and the Staff and Student Professional Boundaries Policy . Acknowledge of this information forms part of the application process. ​ ​ Eligibility to Work Only applicants eligible to work in Australia will be considered. ​ ​ Privacy Policy We invite you to read our Privacy Policy and our Collection Notice in regards to employment. ​ ​ Applications Only applications providing all of the requirements stipulated in the advertised Application Pack will be accepted. The successful applicant for teaching positions will hold Victorian Institute of Teaching Registrations. The successful applicants for all other positions will be subject to a Working with Children Check (as an Employee) and a National Police Record Check. The completed Application pack and attachments should be addressed to: Michael Bourne School Principal St Patrick's Primary School 1 Conway Street Kilmore VIC 3764 and emailed to: employment@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au ​ All applications will be acknowledged via email upon receipt. If your application is shortlisted, you will be contacted for an interview and asked to bring the following documents: At least one form of identification such as driver's licence or current passport; Original documents confirming your academic qualifications such a masters, degrees, diplomas, etc. Victorian Institute of Teaching Registration card for teaching staff; Current Working with Children Check as an Employee and Police Record Check for non-teaching staff. All staff at St Patrick's Primary School are employed in accordance with the Victorian Catholic Education Multi-Enterprise Agreement 2018. ​ ​ ​ Current Vacancies If positions are currently being advertised, they will be posted here on the School website and also at www.teachers.on.net ​ ​

Playgroup and Breakfast Club At St Patrick's Primary School our Community Lounge is more than a staff room, it is a space for everyone, staff, students and families, to interact with the school. We value the relationships with our families and we believe that when we enrol a student, we enrol the whole family. That's why at St Patrick's we offer opportunities for younger siblings and their parents/carers to also engage with the school through our Playgroup and for students to come together and participate in the Breakfast Club program. Playgroup Playgroup takes place in the Community Lounge every Monday from 9:00am to 10:30am. It is a fun environment for babies, infants, through to kinder aged children, to come together and play. It is also a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to come together and get to know each other. ​ The St Patrick's Playgroup is open to everyone, including existing families and those families looking to enrol at St Patrick's in the future. The playgroup allows both the children and the families to get to know the school and the staff, which aids with transition to school as the children get to school age. Breakfast Club St. Patrick’s Breakfast Club is open to all students every Friday between 8:15am and 8:40am. Whether a child is in need of breakfast, or is looking for a social opportunity, breakfast club is open to all students. ​ With the support of St Vincent De Paul, the breakfast club encourages students to eat breakfast and to engage with other students in a relaxed environment. Parents/Carers must give permission for a child to attend and provide any allergy information. A permission form is sent to all families at the start of each year via the Parent Access Module (PAM) which can be found in your SIMON Everywhere phone app or through the computer login.

Religious Education Parents, students and staff work together as witnesses to the Good News (Gospel) in the way they shape the school community and enact a vision of the Kingdom of God. Here students are supported to grow, enlightened by faith, animated by love and leading to hope. "Learning as encounter is a dialogical, relational and optimistic pedagogy, one that opens up horizons of hope for the future for the individual learner, their school, the Church and the wider community." "Religious Education as a particular curriculum area is critical to education in a Catholic school. It deliberately attends to the spiritual development of each person, acknowledging and celebrating the Holy Spirit at work, inviting relationship with God and a Christ-like stance towards others. At the same time it is a disciplined process of ‘faith seeking understanding’, where the questions of God, beliefs and life are articulated and explored in dialogue with the Catholic Tradition to develop students’ faith lives and stimulate a search for meaning and truth. It is interpretative by nature and deepens learning when students are invited to explore cross-curricular connections." Here at St Patrick's we integrate RE and Inquiry to facilitate students making these connections. Teachers implement learning activities informed by the Religious Education Curriculum Framework – www.resourcemelb.catholic.edu.au , and learning progression is guided by achievement standards the following areas: ● Scripture and Jesus ● Church and Community ● God, Religion and Life ● Sacrament, Prayer and Liturgy ● Morality and Justice ​ This information is taken from the MACS publication "Religious Dimension", which can be found here .

Transitioning to Prep Starting prep is a very exciting time for the whole family and the beginning of your child's journey through school. At St Patrick's, we aim to provide a welcoming and supportive community filled with opportunities for children to grow in confidence as they begin their first school year. Our Transition to School program is made up of several parts which this year have had to be adjusted in light of current restrictions. For the remainder of the year we have the following Transition activities planned: Family Information Sessions; Modified Small Group Transition Sessions; Kindergarten contact; Additional Family Meeting. ​ Once at school, the transition is further assisted through: Wednesday rest days at the beginning of the school year, where Preps do not attend school so they can take a break midweek to help them get used to attending school on a full time basis. These dates will be confirmed towards the end of 2020. the Buddy program where each prep student is "buddied up" with a senior student. More information about the Buddy program can be found on a programs and clubs page here . Kindergarten contact ​ Our staff will also be in contact with your child's kindergarten over the coming weeks to continue the conversation on how to best support your child as they transition from kindergarten to our school in 2021. Term Four Additional family meetings ​ Meetings can be arranged to discuss supporting your child's transition to Prep as needed. Please email our Transition Coordinator to arrange, Anne.Remedios@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au Term Four Transition mornings ​ Transition Mornings will NOT be held on the mornings of the 9th, 19th and 23rd of November as previously advertised, these sessions are being replaced by smaller group sessions in line with current guidelines. The dates for these sessions are Monday 16th, Wednesday 18th, Monday 23rd and Wednesday 25th November, pending current restrictions and guidelines. Families will receive an invitation for their child to attend one of these sessions. Sessions will only be one hour long with a maximum of ten students in attendance. Parents will not be able to attend. Term Four Monday 16 November Wednesday 18 November Monday 23 November Wednesday 25 November Family information sessions ​ Our Prep 2021 Family Information Sessions, which usually take place on the Orientation Mornings, will this year be held as a pre-recorded online session. The session will be available to families from Monday 16th November on the school website. ​ Families are required to view the session at a time convenient to them throughout the week starting the 16th November. While the sessions will not be 'live' we will be encouraging families to submit any questions or comments they have regarding the session via a google survey which will be emailed out on the morning of the 16th. ​ Please see to the right a link to Part One of our Prep 2021 Family Information Session. We apologise that this was not available yesterday, we had some technical issues but they have been resolved this morning so hopefully you can access this with ease. ​ This session unpacks some important administration and school structure information and we ask that all families take the time to view it sometime throughout this week. ​ Please note that there will be two additional installments to this information session. They are: Part Two which looks at preparing for a successful transition to Prep will be available from Tuesday 24th November. Part Three which looks at some more specific details for Prep 2021 will be available from Tuesday 4th December. If you have any questions or comments throughout the session I ask that you please record them through the online survey using the link to the right. If you have any issues accessing either the presentation or the survey please contact me via email. Online from Monday 16 November 2020 Part One Prep 2021 Family Information Session https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vRptMYF_QYuG602p_sISg7jTWvofJ3XQXm0ZhbmkbVa6ev-_teFz3hR5vBiKRzXBVxXtJmMhMk-LlwM/pub?start=true&loop=false&delayms=60000 ​ Part One Prep 2021 Family Information Session Survey https://forms.gle/orCk3jLFU1md3Fva7 ​ ​ Part Two Family Information Session https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTLa0QPupwjmTE3JKr158oof7zJavhAjiwsTy4S_zFbJO5dCmIUddDSOVLLf0kP90IeigqEuSazjuDG/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000 School Fees School Tours

School Planning School planning is a continuous process that involves looking at the immediate, short, medium and long term needs of the school. It also involves numerous documents and processes, including an external four-yearly school review. Annual Action Plan The annual action plan is developed from the school improvement plan. The annual action plan drives the improvement agenda for the year. Goals, key improvement strategies, and intended outcomes and drawn from the five spheres within the school improvement framework. During Term Four the Annual Action Plan is reviewed. The evidence collected determines if the goals have been met or require adjusting for the following year. School Improvement Plan The ultimate goal of school improvement is to improve outcomes for students including levels of achievement and wellbeing. The school improvement framework promotes a four year cycle of school improvement and recognises the distinctive nature of catholic school. The catholic school vision developed by the school community provides the motivating force for all school improvement planning within that specific catholic school community. The vision is embedded in five interdependent spheres of school: Education in faith, Learning and Teaching, Student Wellbeing, School Community and Leadership and Management. The framework seeks to support schools in establishing the organisational conditions to support continuous improvement. It aims to ensure that the unique features of each school situation are recognised and that the analysis of the schools particular context is used to inform the development and subsequent implementation of school improvement strategies. ​ The framework promotes an evidence- based inquiry approach to planning within the school. It requires schools to incorporate ongoing monitoring and evaluation of student outcomes to ensure continuous school improvement is made. St Patrick’s is currently in the first year of the school improvement cycle. ​ A copy of the school's current School Improvement Plan can be found here .

Restorative Practice Restorative practice is a strategy that seeks to repair relationships that have been damaged, including those damaged through bullying. It does this by bringing about a sense of remorse and restorative action on the part of the offender and forgiveness by the victim What is Restorative Practice? ​ It is an explicit framework of practices that develops and builds relationships and social connections promoting accountability and responsibility and to repair harm when relationships breakdown through wrongdoing, mistakes and misunderstanding. ​ Restorative practice encourages a consistent approachto the management of student behaviour in classrooms through the use of routines and procedures and the provision of a predictable teaching and learning environment for both students and teachers. When teachers respond with processes and rules that are fair and just they give life to those values and beliefs enshrined in school mission statements. ​ The social science of promoting and sustaining social capital, social discipline, self-regulation, emotional well-being and civic participation through participatory classroom, and whole-school management and decision-making in a proactive setting rather than a reactive culture. ​ ​ What is a Restorative Teacher? ​ Their practice is, respectful, fair and explicit. ​ Relationally they are supportive, positively challenging (high demand) and skilled in a wide range of processes (circles, mediation, conferencing and counselling). ​ They focus on: establishing trust with and between people to build positive relationships; explicit classroom practice (routines, procedures and pedagogy (teaching and learning); developing empathy, insight and learning; and repairing harm that may have been done. ​ They provide : responsibility; accountability; engagement and ownership; and possibility of positive behavioural change and reintegration. ​ ​ What is a Restorative Classroom? A restorative classroom is one that values dialogue through an inclusive approach where everyone expects to be heard , and through this participatory process students develop the capacity to learn in a practical way that emotions are an important and legitimate expression of healthy classroom conversations and dialogue. ​ This helps students to resolve and understand conflict and tensions and difference in respectful ways that engenders trust, empathy, responsibility and fosters healthy relationships . ​ The curriculum is engaging and students take an active role in the content and review of what is taught through participatory pedagogy including circles and cooperative learning approaches that engender ownership and maximises learning outcomes.