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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. Learning Diversity Catholic schools, in their endeavours to support all students to flourish, intervene as early as possible to meet the individual needs and abilities of each student. ‘Catholic schools are committed to fostering inclusive practices which respond to learning diversity so that all students are actively engaged in learning and experience success .’ Horizons of Hope: Learning Diversity in a Catholic School, 2017. What is Learning Diversity? Diversity encompasses all learners across cultural, academic, social emotional and physical attributes noting these are not mutually exclusive. ‘Learning diversity’ refers to the infinite variety of life experiences and attributes a child brings to their formal learning at school. Educators seek to meet the needs of all learners, so that every student experiences success. While all educators have this goal, Catholic educators see each student as a sacred creation – ‘made in the image of God’ (Genesis 1:27). It is the understanding that all students should be fully active members of their school community and that all professionals in a school share responsibility for their learning. Learning diversity in Catholic schools is enacted through an inclusive pedagogy and a commitment to uphold the rights of all to be: welcomed; valued; acknowledged; actively engaged in education. Catholic schools in their endeavours to support all students to flourish, intervene as early as possible to meet the individual needs and abilities of each student. "All students regardless of race, age or gender, by virtue of their dignity as human persons, have a right to an education that is suited to their particular needs and adapted to their ability. (Pope Paul VI 1965)." *Horizons of Hope: Foundation Statement: Learning Diversity in a Catholic School How does St Patrick's embrace Learning Diversity? St Patrick's Primary School have a Learning Diversity Leader, Natalie Rees, who oversees the school's learning diversity program. The program involves the full spectrum of a child's time at the school, from assistance in transitioning to school, assisting with referrals for assessments, additional classroom support, regular parent meetings, learning intervention programs, personalised learning plans, NDIS support, additional support during recess and lunchtimes, providing break out space from the classroom, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological help, through to transitioning into secondary school. The school maintains detailed, continuous records of a student and their progress, and through those records can obtain additional funding which is utilised to provide this school-wide program. This includes additional support resources, additional classroom support through Learning Support Officers (teacher's aides) and specific programs. In addition, the school is one of few that have a dedicated support space, known as the Engine Room. The Engine Room provides a break out space for students to leave the classroom, regulate themselves through sensory or physical activities, and then rejoin the classroom ready to engage in the learning. The school also engages a speech therapist and occupational therapist on a part time basis to assist students in these areas. The school also has a part time psychologist that works with students that require additional support.

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

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

Excursions, Incursions and Camps Camps, excursions and incursions are an important aspect of the educational program at St Patrick's. These programs offer students the opportunity to expand their learning, life and social skills in an alternative setting or using a different approach. These programs have an academic, interperson or environmental emphasis. Excursions St Patrick's offer excursions to students in all year levels. The excursions are curriculum based and are linked to the learning at the time. Excursions can be both local, like historical town walks, and more further afield such as Bendigo Discovery Centre, Melbourne Zoo, etc. Incursions Incursions are activities presented to students by external presenters within the school. Incursions are also curriculum based and linked to the learning at the time. Incursions may include presentations on animals, history, investigating, etc. Camps St Patrick's Primary School hold school camps each year for students in Years 4, 5 and 6. The camps are used to extend the stduents knowledge in a setting outside of school, and helps to develop skills and confidence in the students. St Patrick's Primary School has a policy on school camps, which can be found here . Grade 4 Our Year 4 students will go on an overnight camp to Camp Weekaway in Benlock (near Lancefield). The students participate in a range of activities over the two days. For more information about Weekaway Camp click here . Grade 5 Our Year 5 students participate in a two-night camp to Sovereign Hill in Ballarat. The students participate in a range of activities over the three days to learn about the goldrush of the 1850s. The students also participate in the costume school where the students and teachers dress in 1850s clothes and participate in a day in an 1850s school. For more information about excursions at Sovereign Hill, click here . Grade 6 Our Year 6 students participate in a two-night camp to the Melbourne CBD. The students stay at City CYC and participate in a number of mini excursions throughout the city, including visiting the MCG, The Shrine of Remembrance, St Patrick's Cathedral, a river cruise, the Museum and more.

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. Enrolment Enquiry St Patrick's is currently taking applications for 2025. It is important to note that most year levels are already full for 2025 and applications for those year levels will be placed on the waiting list. We do not take applications more than 12 months in advance, so are currently not taking enquiries for 2026 and beyond. Applications for Prep 2026 open on Monday 3 March 2025.

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. Kilmore Parish The Catholic parish of St Patrick’s, Kilmore was established in 1849 and is the oldest inland Catholic parish in Victoria. Kilmore prides itself as “Australia’s first inland town”. Founded by William Rutledge an Irish immigrant in 1841, he named the town after his family home and local Irish diocese. The Gaelic names mean burying place and big church. And so St. Patrick’s became Australia’s first inland Catholic parish in 1849, before the State of Victoria existed. Recollected history is that there was initially a chapel on Brewery Hill, at the north end of the town, built of 6ft paling slabs and a shingle roof. The gold rush meant increases of traffic though the area, and residents were quick to provide for the needs of this growing area and travellers. By 1848 a catholic school had been started and in 1851 three sites in Sutherland street were granted. With the usual government grant and donations, a stone church/school was built on the current site by 1854, but by then the parish priest Timothy O’Rourke, had ideas of a substantial church. Numerous priests, nuns, brothers and laypeople have served the tens of thousands who have come here to worship, to be educated, and to belong as members of this historic parish. The church you see today is a wonderful, visible sign of the faith that inspired those mainly Irish immigrants who flocked here in pioneering days, and was restored in 2012. Our current priest, Father Prakash Cutinha has served in the Parish since September 2020. The Kilmore Parish covers 1500 square kilometres, from Kalkallo to halfway between Broadford and Tallarook and from Strath Creek in the east to Pyalong in the west. Schools in the parish also include Assumption College and the new Our Lady of the Way at Wallan. Mass times are: Saturday - Broadford at 5:00pm - Kilmore at 6:30pm Sunday - Kilmore at 7:45am - Wallan at 9:00am - Kilmore at 10:30am The Parish House (Presbytery) is open Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 9:30am to 4:00pm. Parish secretary Caterina Bosevski is in attendance during these times. The Parish Secretary can be contacted on (03) 5782 1084 during these times or email kilmore@cam.org.au . More information about the Kilmore Parish 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. Principal's Welcome Welcome to St Patrick’s Primary Kilmore, a coeducational primary school situated 65km north of Melbourne’s CBD. St Patrick's is a member school of Marist Schools Australia and governed by Melbourne Archidiocese Catholic Schools Ltd (MACS). As principal, I can say it is a privilege to work alongside and serve the community of St Patrick’s Primary in Kilmore. Our school has a rich history and the parish, which was established in 1849, has shown a commitment to provide Catholic education to the families in the district for well over 120 years. St Patrick’s in an invitational community that is driven by the mission of the church. The school provides a safe, caring and supportive learning environment that is centred on the child. Situated alongside Assumption College, a college established by the Marist brothers in 1894, the two schools are committed to providing a space where students have the opportunity to thrive and to realise their potential. Like most schools, St Patrick’s is a busy, productive and inspiring place to be. The school highly values Family School Partnerships where home and school actively work together to engage our families in a shared conversation about learning. The vision for our staff as professionals is outlined in the Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership (A.I.T.S.L) standards and we believe in a culture of constant feedback and improvement. The AITSL standards can be found here . If you are new to our community I extend a warm welcome and thank you for trusting your child to our care. To our existing families I thank you for your generous support and ongoing understanding. I do not tire in reminding myself and our community “That it takes a village to raise a child”. Michael Bourne, Principal

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

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

St Patrick's Primary School is a Catholic education provider in Kilmore, Victoria where we work collaboratively to maximise student outcomes. 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. Cyber Safety Cybersafety is the safe and responsible use of information and communication technology. It is about keeping information safe and secure, but also about being responsible with that information, being respectful of other people online, and using good ‘netiquette’ (internet etiquette). When sharing anything using technologies such as computers, mobile devices, email and the internet it is important you and everyone else invited to your account understands about netiquette and staying safe online. Even if you are confident about cybersafety it would be a good idea to check if all those invited to your account have the knowledge they need, too. When choosing a password, choose something consisting of letters and numbers, that would be difficult to guess from public information about you. Never write your password down or share it with anyone. If you think someone is acting suspiciously, or requesting information you feel uncomfortable about advise your parents or the school immediately. If you think you are cyber safe, take the following quiz from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner to see just our cyber safe you are: We are excited to announce that St Patrick’s is now officially an eSmart school. St Patrick’s are the first school under the VIC funding agreement to achieve eSmart status in the North East Region in 2019. This has been an outstanding accomplishment to staff and students at our school and shows St Patrick’s true commitment to raising a generation of smart, safe and responsible children, who are capable and compassionate – both on and offline. Click on the logo below for more information from their website. Cyber Safe Quiz The eSafety Commissioner has a website with links to a variety of agencies and organisations to help guide Australians towards safe and enjoyable experiences online, which you can find here: If at any time you feel that you have been cyber bullied, we encourage you to report the matter through the Cyber Safety Incident Form below: eSafety Commissioner