16 October 2024 — Week 3, Term 4
Welcome from the Principal
Dear Families
It’s the little things in life that make a huge difference!
Whilst this statement is relatively benign, its implications are particularly far reaching. Whether we choose to concentrate on the negative or positive aspects of life, it is those little things that can make a huge difference. My retelling of this statement not only to the students of St Patrick’s but to my own children at home. My son greets my inevitable conversation about the little things in life with varying degrees of trepidation. But as a family, we truly believe that it is the little things in life that will make a huge difference. Take for example the St Patrick’s Parish Fete which is being held this Friday. What an example of making a huge difference to our local community! From the animal petting zoo to the plethora of meat raffles, sheaf pitching, Anything Goes, Allora’s best BBQ and the many stalls littered around the grounds provide a wonderful community event. The buzz going around the school this week is testament to this fact. The positive relationships built and cemented between the parish, staff and students of the school and our parents are unquantifiable. The Bottle Stall competition is something to behold and momentum is very much moving towards the pointy end of the week. Cunningham have dominated this event in recent years but all classes are making superb progress in the collection of their bottles.
While the money raised is particularly impressive, it is this sense of community support and togetherness that will prove to be the winner for me on the day. One member of the Fete Committee reminded me that raising vast amounts of money is very much secondary to the fellowship and bonding of our Parish and school community. Our sense of community and hospitality are core foundations of our Catholic faith.
We would also like to take the time to reflect on the positive start to the term exhibited by all our students. There has been a gentle calmness around St Patrick's which is synonymous to effective teaching and learning. From the heartfelt posters created by many of our students to welcome home our Olympian Matt Denny to the unconditional help provided by both students and staff in order to farewell our past student and member of the St Patrick's Parish, Mr Jack Duggan. The decorations created in Wattles colours by the St Patrick's School Community which adorned the fence near the church was a lovely touch.
See you on Friday night at the St Patrick's Parish and School Fete. St Patrick's School students who attend are not required to wear their school uniform. Please see the schedule of events for your information:
Fete Schedule - 5:00pm until 10:00pm (MC - Frank Ekerick)
- 5:00pm - Fete commences
- 5:45pm - St Patrick's School students meet teachers at the stage
- 6:00pm to 6:15pm - St Patrick's School musical performance
- 7:30pm - Auction - Machinery Oil/ "Anything Goes"
- 7:45pm to 8:00pm - Stalls close (except Bar)
- 8:00pm to 8:30pm - Heats commence "Anything Goes" with finals
- 8:30pm - Art Union and Multi Draw winners announced
- 8:30pm to 9:30pm - Sheaf Pitching Exhibition
- 10:00pm - Fete closes
Keith Blaikie—Principal
Keith.Blaikie@twb.catholic.edu.au
Celebrating the Unsung Heroes: Our Teachers
As we look forward with much anticipation to World Teachers’ Day on Friday 25 October, it is a perfect moment to reflect on the invaluable contributions of teachers around the globe. Teachers are the cornerstone of our societies and are very much unsung heroes, shaping the minds and hearts of future generations. Their dedication, passion, and unwavering commitment to education deserve our utmost respect and gratitude.
Teachers do more than just impart knowledge; they inspire curiosity, foster critical thinking, and nurture the potential within each student. They create safe and inclusive environments where students can explore, question, and grow. Through their guidance, students learn not only academic skills but also life lessons that shape their character and values.
The impact of teachers extends far beyond the classroom walls. They often serve as mentors, counsellors, and role models, providing support and encouragement to students facing various challenges. In times of crisis, teachers are often the first to step up, ensuring that learning continues despite the odds. Their resilience and adaptability have been especially evident during the recent global pandemic, where they swiftly transitioned to online teaching, ensuring that education remained uninterrupted.
Happy World Teachers’ Day to all the educators out there and in particular, our hard-working teachers and school officers of St Patrick’s School. Your hard work and dedication make the world a better place, one student at a time.
General Information
St Patrick’s Parish and School Fete – Friday 18 October 2024
Preparations for the annual St Patrick’s Parish and School Fete are just about completed. The goal for our fundraising efforts (Golf Day & Fete) is to replace the Gala Day Uniforms and start saving to cover the new handball courts. To achieve this, we need your help. We are again receiving 50% of the profits for our extra efforts so let’s make it count!!
Fete Schedule - 5:00pm until 10:00pm (MC - Frank Ekerick)
- 5:00pm - Fete commences
- 5:45pm - St Patrick's School students meet teachers at the stage
- 6:00pm to 6:15pm - St Patrick's School musical performance
- 7:30pm - Auction - Machinery Oil/ "Anything Goes"
- 7:45pm to 8:00pm - Stalls close (except Bar)
- 8:00pm to 8:30pm - Heats commence "Anything Goes" with finals
- 8:30pm - Art Union and Multi Draw winners announced
- 8:30pm to 9:30pm - Sheaf Pitching Exhibition
- 10:00pm - Fete closes
Stalls and Food
- BBQ: 5:00pm to 8:00pm
- BAR: 5:00pm to 10:00pm
- Live Music (Butch Collier) – Until 10:00pm
- ART Union & Multi Drawer Raffle
- Tea / Tarts, Deuchar Stall, Plants, Cakes & Sweets, Mince & Cheerios – Until 7:45pm
Attractions
- Bottle Stall (4 tickets for $1) – 5:00pm to 7:45pm or SOLD OUT
- Crazy Hair/ Face Painting – 5:00pm to 8:00pm
- Looney Tunes Jumping Castle – 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Yr2 school age and under)
- 5 in 1 Sports Jumping Castle/Slide – 5:00pm to 8:00pm (Yr3 school age and above)
- Mini Golf – 5:00pm to 8:00pm
- Connect 4 Basketball – 5:00pm to 8:00pm
- Animal Petting Zoo – FREE
- Little Obstacle Course - FREE
Arm Band for Unlimited Attraction Prices
- In Year 2 and under - $5:00
- In Yr3 and above - $10:00
- Parents/Carers of children attending - FREE
Spectator Events
- Sheaf Pitching – come and watch the lads hurl a 2.5kg bag of chaff over the bar. Bringing back an old classic.
- Anything Goes – Looking for 12 Teams of 4 – Put your team and Team Name down at the Ticket Booth ready for the auction that will start at 7:30pm.
What other information would be helpful to know now?
Helpers Needed
Please see the link below to the questionnaire to assist in allocating helpers for the night of the fete, especially the BBQ. We are going to separate the Soft Drink/Juice/Water from the BBQ this year to help with traffic flow through that area. The Fete is unable to operate without the generosity of volunteers. Even an hour will be of great assistance.
Parent Helper Link - https://forms.office.com/r/YAVGww5im5
Cake Stall Baking
Plates have been sent home for the Cake Stall Baking. There will be a baking focus for each class.
- Talgai – Biscuits
- Cunningham – Tarts (Caramel Tart, Apple Pie, Lemon Meringue)
- Dalrymple – Cakes/ Cupcakes
- Glengallan - Tarts (Caramel Tart, Apple Pie, Lemon Meringue)
Working Bee
There will be a working bee on Thursday afternoon (17 Oct) commencing at 5:00pm to setup for the Fete and Friday (Friday 18 October) after drop-off commencing at 8:20am.
Teaching and Learning
Cyber Safety Awareness Month
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month and is an annual reminder for all Australians to stay secure online. The overarching theme for 2024 is ‘Cyber security is everyone's business'.
Cyber security is important for everyone. Luckily, there are steps everyone can take to protect themselves, students’ and families’ information online.
The first steps for working safely online are:
- turning on automatic software updates
- using secure cloud services
- switching on multi-factor authentication
- using passphrases
- watching out for cyber scams.
Most importantly, never ever share your login and password with anyone.
You must also be aware of scam emails and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency define the five common indicators of phishing email as per the details below:
- Suspicious sender’s address: Sender’s email address usually does not match the organisation it comes from or just comes from a generic domain such as gmail.com or outlook.com.
- Generic greetings and signature: Sender does not address you by name but rather as Dear Sir/Madam or Our Valued Customer.
- Spoofed hyperlinks and websites: If hovering over a hyperlink, the link displayed does not match the hyperlink description or the company claiming to have sent the email.
- Spelling and layout: Grammatical or spelling errors, changes in font and formatting can also be a hint of phishing email. Company logos out of place can also be another indicator.
- Suspicious attachments: An unsolicited email asking the reader to download or open an attachment is a common way for cybercriminals to distribute malware.
Religious Life of the School
October – Month of the Rosary
Students from Glengallan are using the Rosary as the epicentre of their prayer focus throughout October. The Rosary is prayed as a meditation on the life of Jesus. As the Hail Marys are recited the participant thinks about one of twenty Mysteries of the Rosary. In the Rosary, the Hail Marys become like a mantra as they are repeated over and over. The words become less important when a place of inner silence and stillness is reached. It can be calming like a chant. The name Rosary comes from the Latin word rosarium which means a garland of roses or a crown of roses.
From personal observations provided by Mrs Shooter and Mr Blaikie over the course of Term 4, during this meditative prayer the students have been significantly calmer and more settled. The use of mediative prayer and its importance to the wellbeing of our students cannot be overstated.
- Max K - "The Rosary helps me to calm myself and to leave all my problems behind."
- Tyson D - "The Rosary helps to keep me calm and gets me away from all of my problems."
- William S - "I like the feel of the beads as it helps me to meditate."
Upcoming events - October
- Wednesday 16 October - Newsletter
- Thursday 17 October - St Patrick's Parish and School Fete (Working Bee and set-up) from 5:00pm
- Friday 18 October - St Patrick's Parish Fete from 5:00pm until 10:00pm
- Tuesday 22 October to Friday 25 October - Glengallan School Camp (Sunshine Coast) with St Francis de Sale Clifton
- Friday 25 October - World Teachers' Day
- Wednesday 30 October - St Patrick's Playgroup
- Wednesday 30 October - Newsletter
- Wednesday 6 November - Prep 2025 Transition Day # 2
- Friday 29 November - Interhouse Swimming Carnival from 9:00am until 1:00pm
- Tuesday 3 December - End of Year Whole School Mass commencing at 9:30am
- Thursday 5 December - Year 6 and Whole School Awards Ceremony commencing at 6:00pm
- Friday 6 December - Christmas Concert commencing at 10:30am
- See the Sentral calendar for more information.
Reminders
Uniform Days
Summer Uniform
Formal - Monday, Tuesday, Thursday
Sports - Wednesday, Friday
Please remember that we are a...
‘Nut Aware’ School.
Times for Mass at St Patrick's Church are as follows:
1st Sunday - 9am 2nd and 3rd Sunday – 5.30pm
4th & 5th Sunday Liturgy of the Word with Communion - 9am
