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St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Child Safety At St Patrick's Primary School our student's safety is of the utmost importance. The school ensures that all government regulations are adhered to with respect to child safety to make a student's time at St Patrick's not only an enjoyable experience, but also a safe one. Child Safety Standards The Child Safe Standards are compulsory minimum standards for all Victorian early childhood services and schools, to ensure they are well prepared to protect children from abuse and neglect. To read more go to the Department of Education's webpage on PROTECT here . Reportable Conduct Scheme The Reportable Conduct Scheme came into force on 1 July 2017 and requires schools to respond to allegations of child abuse (and other child-related misconduct) made against the school's workers and volunteers, and to notify the Commission for Children and Young People (CCYP) of any allegations. Reportable conduct includes sexual offences or misconduct or physical violence against, with or in the presence of a child, behaviour causing significant emotional or psychological harm to a child, or significant neglect of a child. To read more, go to the Commission for Children and Young People webpage here .

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

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Social and Emotional Learning Social and emotional learning (SEL) helps students to learn and practice skills that they need to build resilience and manage their emotions and relationships with others. This may include self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationships skills and responsible decision-making. To provide the best opportunities for all students to achieve their full potential, Catholic school communities seek to provide a comprehensive curriculum with strong pedagogical understandings and evidence-informed practices to personalise learning and engage young people at a level appropriate to their knowledge, skill and ability. (Horizons of Hope, CEM, 2017) To do this St. Patrick’s has clear expectations in regard to the teaching of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Each class is expected to explicitly teach SEL in a 45- 60 minute lesson per week. To do this the school uses 3 approaches including a new approach for St Patrick’s being the Resilience, Rights and Respectful Relationships (RRRR) program as the main source of content for SEL lessons. This program aims to support students develop students’ social, emotional and positive relationship skills. The RRRR program links with the Australian curriculum and ensures that students are being consistently taught the expected outcomes across their schooling at St Patrick’s. Secondly we use resources obtained from the trauma informed practices of the Berry Street Education Model particularly in the areas of self regulation and teacher instruction/ co-regulation skills. The whole school was trained in these practices over 2017, 2018 and 2019. The third source of information for the successful teaching of SEL at St Patrick’s is the use of the Zones of Regulation program. This program is utilised by many external specialists including Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists. St Patrick’s utilises this program to ensure that there is a common language among the school and external professionals in reference to emotions and emotional regulation tools. It supports students to hear consistently that all people have emotions, there are no good or bad emotions, and all people need tools and/ or support to regulate their emotions sometimes. The RRRR explicit learning program falls under the whole school approach of Respectful Relationships (RR). St Patrick’s is in our first Year of RR and is under the mentorship of Assumption College who also use these methodologies and the RRRR program across all year levels. St Patrick’s has combined the methodologies of Respectful Relationships and our involvement in the Berry Street Education Model to address the needs of the St Patrick’s community. St. Patrick believes in nurturing student wellbeing in order for all students to engage in their learning and inevitably flourish. The school system targets wellbeing and Social Emotional Learning at an individual, class and whole school level. “Engaged learners have a positive sense of identity, connection with their peers and community. They are invested in learning in and beyond the classroom. This enables them to flourish and grow in confidence as curious, optimistic and inspired knowledge-builders, problem-solvers, conceptual thinkers and self-motivated learners.” Horizons of Hope, CEM, 2017 Religious Education Specialist Subjects

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. 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.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. 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 .

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. 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. 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 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. The concessional fee does not apply to camp fees, and camp fees are to be paid in addition to your concessional fee. If you do not apply for the CSEF for 2024, 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 .

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Back to School 2025 Whilst school holidays can be a wonderful time of Christmas and New Year celebrations, filled with less routine, maybe a holiday and some relaxation, there is also the necessary job of preparing to get students back to school. At St Patrick's we aim to provide as much information as we can for parents to help in that process. School Uniform All of the school uniform information can be found on our website here . All uniform items that identify the school, such as polo shirts, house polos, backpacks, jumpers, hats and dresses are to be purchased through Academy Uniforms. Their Thomastown store is open over the school holidays and the school uniform shop near the netball courts will reopen on Thursday 3 0 January from 9:00am to 5:00pm . All other uniform items (except shoes) can also be purchased through the uniform shop, but can be substituted for like items from other department-type stores. School Requisite Items St Patrick's provides a list of items that a student will use throughout the year, broken up into a list of items the school provides and a list of items re quired to be supplied by families. The list was provided at the end of Term 4, but copies of the School Requisite List for 2025 for each year level can be found here: Prep Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Back to School Reminders Please remember the following: Label everything that is being sent to school; If a 2024 classroom is labelled on an item, such as lunch boxes, please change it to the 2025 class; Do not forget to also change the classroom on the reusable school lunch order bags to avoid lunch orders being lost; Lunch orders recommence on the first day of school - Friday 31 January; Specialist classes will commence on Friday 31 January - check infographic for your class sports uniform days. School Reopening The school office will reopen on Thurs day 30 January , and our Year 1-6 Get To Know You meetings will also be on Thursday 30 January . S tudents will return with classes to commence for Prep to Year 6 on Friday 31 January . Communication A reminder to ensure that your email address is registered with the front office so that you receive the weekly ewsletter. Please email Elise Vlasveld (elise.vlasveld@spkilmore.catholic.edu.au ) to request to be added to the newletter list. We also recommend that all families with Facebook, request access to our parent/carer-only Facebook group. You can find the group at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stpatskilmorefamilies . You must answer all questions to be admitted to the group. Only parents and carers will be accepted, and all other requests will be decli ned for privacy reasons. Finally, you must ensure that you setup your PAM account. The Parent Access Module (PAM) is connected the school's SIMON student management system. From this account you can notify absences, access reports, provide and update medical information, nominate emergency contacts, etc. You will be provided with access information if you have not already got access. Other Dates Please refer to the Hours, Dates and Days webpage for further information about school hours, terms dates and other school calendar dates. 2025 Welcome Barbeque To welcome our families to school for 2025, there will be a back-to-school barbeque on the evening of the first Friday of school, Friday 7 February 2025 from 4:45-6:00pm . 2025 School Fees Finally, school fees for 2025 have been set, and information can be found on the webpage here . School fee invoices will be sent out early in Term 1. The school is moving to all payments being made by direct debit (either weekly, fortnightly or monthly). Please contact Deb Amodio, the Finance Officer, to setup your direct debit arrangement . 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. In order to be eligible for the Concessional Fee Policy, you must be entitled to the CSEF Payment, with an eligibility cut off date in April. Do not delay in applying for CSEF and Concessional Fee, as we cannot apply the discounts if the CSEF application is not approved. If you believe that you may be eligible for a concessional fee, please contact Deb Amodio (deb.amodio@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 face issues in paying the school fees, at any time during the year, please contact Deb Amodio, and discuss what arrangements can be made to assist your situation. It is important that you contact the school early so that we can assist appropriately.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Vision, Values and Logo A school's vision and values speak to the core of the school and what it believes in. Our logo is a well-known symbol that represents the school's history and mantra of walking in the footsteps of the Lord. School Vision St Patrick’s Primary school works in partnership with families, the parish and the community both locally and global. Together the whole school community developed its Vision statement in 2017. “St Patrick’s is a Catholic learning community. We commit to being a school where all members have an opportunity to flourish in an inclusive relational environment. We believe in developing active and curious learners. We aspire to be compassionate and responsive to the needs of all.” School Values We value celebrating Catholic traditions, engaging in dialogue and critically reflecting on faith in a contemporary context, and that social justice is an integral part of our Catholic faith. We value and nurture a caring community of staff, students and parents by promoting the values of respect, tolerance and co-operation. We value that every child at St Patrick’s should experience 12 months growth in 12 months. We value that personalised learning is embedded in our curriculum with student engagement, rigorous teaching and purposeful learning in all areas of the curriculum. We value that all students should accept responsibility for their own learning and need to develop a higher level of self-esteem which in turn will lead to resilience and empathy. We value the criteria for St. Patrick’s Primary School to be Child Safe compliant. We value a staff culture that is characterised by a shared vision and a strong sense of team work. We value the involvement of all families and community groups in the life of the school. School Logo The St Patrick's school logo is: In the Footsteps of the Lord The motto was selected after a school-wide competition was run in 1988. The competition was won by a Year 3 class (3J) after one of their families had discussed the competition around the dinner table and spoke about how at times in life Jesus may have helped and how they could live like Him, hence "In the Footsteps of the Lord". The class submitted that motto and won and it has been the school motto ever since.

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. 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 include: Transition conversations Kindergarten contact Discovery days Additional transition sessions Additional family meetings Transition mornings; and Family information sessions. 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 2025. the Buddy program where each prep student is "buddied up" with a senior student. More information about the Buddy program can be found on the wellness programs page here . 2025 dates Enrolments Open Families are asked to register an enrolment enquiry through the school office. The Enrolment Officer will be in contact and provide you with further information and move the enquiry to the application stage. Children must turn 5 years of age before 30 April in the year they are commencing school. Monday 3rd March School Tours Families wishing to become familiar with our school are invited to attend a school tour with staff and student leaders present. To book a school tour, please go to the Book a Tour webpage under the Enrolment tab. Mondays: 24 February, 24 March and 31 March at 2:00pm. Tuesdays: 18 February, 4 March, 18 March, 1 April, 29 April at 9:15am. Prep Information Evening This is an opportunity to welcome all parents and carers who are applying for a Prep position at St Patrick’s in 2026 . Important and up to date Information about our school and the enrolment process will be shared during this session. This session is compulsory for all families wishing to apply and will be held in the school stadium as a face to face event. Monday 28 April 6:00pm - 7:00pm Enrolments Close Families are asked to complete their online applications by Friday 2 May 2025 to ensure that the enrolment application is given consideration. The school can take up to 105 prep students in 2026 and in the event that more applications are received than places available, a waiting list will be created. Friday 2 May Application Meetings Application meetings are an opportunity for us to begin to get to know the child and parent/carer. They are a time for parents to ask any questions you may have and to explore how to best support their child as they make the transition from kinder to school. Please note, these meetings do not aim to determine if your child is ‘school ready’. If you have any questions regarding school readiness, it is best to have a conversation with your child’s kindergarten teacher. These are compulsory for all families. Throughout May and June Letters of Offer sent out Once places are determined, letters of offer will be sent out to families at the end of Term 2. An acceptance form must be completed and returned to the school to secure the enrolment offer. Please note, any delay with Australia Post deliveries may impact when you receive your letter of offer. End of Term 2 Kindergarten visits Throughout Term Three and Four, our staff will contact each child's kindergarten and/or visit the children at their kindergarten to understand their education journey so far and to put things in place to support their transition. Terms Three and Four Discovery Days Mondays in Term Three (dates to be confired) , our library will be open for you to visit and start discovering what school is like. It will be a chance to share a favourite story and meet some new friends. These sessions are not compulsory. Information on how to book online will be sent with your Letter of Offer. By invitation, as required Additional transition sessions Held during Term Four, on Tuesdays to be confirmed , these small group sessions focus on supporting those children and families who may be new to the school or who would like to build their confidence at St Patrick's in a smaller setting. These sessions are by request from the family or invitation from the school. To be advised Additional family meetings Between now and when the child begins, parents/carers may want to meet and discuss any further concerns or ideas they may have to provide their child with the best possibly start to school. Meetings can be initiated by parents or the school as needed. As needed Transition mornings Three mornings filled with fun and forming new friendships. All children are required to attend to learn about school and meet their new peers and teachers. Your child’s 2026 class and teacher will be announced at the final session. All three sessions are compulsory for all students. Term Four Wednesday 12 November Thursday 20 November Tuesday 25 November 9:15am - 10:45am (compulsory) Family information sessions Whilst the children attend their transition mornings, parents/carers will attend these compulsory family information sessions. They are an opportunity for the school to pass on information. It is also an opportunity to meet other parents and ask questions. These are compulsory. As per transition mornings Held in the school stadium (compulsory)