26 February 2025 — Week 5, Term 1
Welcome from the Principal
Dear Families
Opening School Mass: A Celebration of New Beginnings
On Tuesday, 18 February, our school and parish community gathered for the Opening School Mass, a cherished tradition that marks the start of a new academic year. This special event was an opportunity to welcome new and continuing staff and students, with a particular focus on our new Prep children and their parents. The Mass was a vibrant celebration of our collective commitment to faith, learning, and community.
As a school community, we bring new energy, enthusiasm, and vision to our faith journey. This year, we are challenged to create, build, and envision a life filled with amazing possibilities, exciting opportunities, and great challenges that will help us reach our full potential. To achieve this, we must rise above the difficulties of the past few years, take chances, and embrace life with open hearts. Our faith accompanies us on this journey, offering love, support and the encouragement to live fully the life we have been given.
This year, we have adopted the saying "be calm and full of hope" from Mary MacKillop as our guiding light for 2025. This motto aligns with the theme of Jubilee 2025, where Pope Francis calls us to be 'Pilgrims of Hope.' A Jubilee is a special year that occurs every 25 years or when the Pope decides. During this year, people are encouraged to pray, undertake pilgrimages to holy places, and seek forgiveness for their mistakes. The goal is to help individuals grow spiritually and demonstrate God's love to everyone.
A pilgrimage is a unique journey undertaken to feel closer to God. Unlike regular trips, pilgrimages are deeply spiritual and faith-driven. Historically, pilgrims traveled by sailing ships, riding horses, or even walking, often facing significant hardships without the benefits of modern medicine or facilities. Their journeys were acts of profound faith and devotion.
As we celebrate the induction of our Year 6 leaders and acknowledge the unique gifts and characteristics of all our students, let us embark on this journey together. When challenges arise, let us remember to remain calm and full of hope, drawing strength from our faith and each other.
As always, if you have any queries or concerns, please contact the school.
Keith Blaikie—Principal
Keith.Blaikie@twb.catholic.edu.au
General Information
St Patrick's Parents and Friends Association
In what is shaping as another exciting year for St Patrick's School, at the recent St Patrick's School Parents and Friends Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) which was held on Wednesday 12 February, voting was held to nominate an Executive for 2025. All positions were filled which is reason to celebrate. From our initial meeting, there was a genuine feeling of collegiality and innovation between the group which suggests that 2025 will be a very productive year.
Executive Membership - 2025
- President - Chas Tranberg
- Vice President - Kathleen Hart
- Secretary - Chelsea Hasted
- Treasurer - Caroline Cowley
- Playgroup coordinator - Amanda Bowe
- Care and Concern coordinator - Keith Blaikie
- Uniform coordinator - Lisa Dedini and Amanda Bowe
- Camp Draft coordinators - Rose Picton and Zoie Bellingham
In another key message for our school community, the St Patrick's School Parents and Friends Association will aim to improve its transparency and build upon its success of previous years. Whilst the executive is now set in stone, that does not mean anyone is excluded from attending meetings or providing new ideas. The P&F Association values all members of the school community and actively encourages parental attendance at future meetings. In another commitment to keeping the St Patrick's School community up to date, the St Patrick's Parents and Friends Association will make available all meeting minutes. These see copies of these documents which are attached to our Newsletter email.
Strategic Direction - 2025
In terms of the St Patrick's School Strategic Plan (2024 to 2027), the St Patrick's P&F Association will be crucial in the fulfillment of a number of key areas which are linked explicitly to our parent community. The strategic focus for 2025 will concentrate on:
Valuing our people
- Provide parents with opportunities to engage in co-constructed social events.
Using resources wisely
- Continuous improvement of school facilities and resources according to stakeholder voice and school master plan.
- Seek further ways to increase parent engagement in the learning journey of the student.
Major Fundraisers - 2025
- Saturday 29 March 2025 - St Patrick's P&F Family Fun Day (Allora Sports Club)
- Weekend of 23 to 24 August 2025 - St Patrick's P&F Camp Draft (Allora Showgrounds)
- Friday 17 October 2025 - St Patrick's School and Parish Fete (St Patrick's School)
Financial Support for St Patrick’s School - Focus for 2025
- $4000 to $5000 – online subscriptions and library resources
- $4000 to purchase for new gala day uniforms (expenditure approved in 2024)
- Building fund for classroom extensions (Prep redevelopment and multi-purpose classroom)
Financial Grants for St Patrick's School - Focus for 2025
- Grant to cover shade cloth for the new hand ball court ($40 000)
As always, if you have any questions or queries, please contact the school or the St Patrick's P&F directly via email at stpatspnf@gmail.com
St Patrick's Communication Guidelines
Patrick’s School acknowledges and appreciates the important role that the partnership between school and the school community has in education. Clear communication between home and school is a responsibility shared by both parents and staff. The following communication guidelines provided below will provide further clarification.
As always, please contact your child's classroom teacher if you have any queries or concerns in regard to their academic or social development. Please email staff individually or contact our office staff to make an appointment. To further enhance the lines of communication between home and school, please take note of the following date claimers.
Date Claimers - Term 1
- Tuesday 4 March - Open Classroom for Talgai parents from 3:00pm until 4:00pm. Both Mrs Lucas and Mr Young will be on hand to discuss any questions or queries.
- Monday 24 March to Friday 28 March - Formal Parent Teacher Interviews
- Wednesday 2 April - Prep Open Classroom from 9:00am to 10:30am.
Glengallan Sport update - Term 1
There has been a regular smorgasbord of sport on offer for our students in Glengallan. On Wednesday 19 February, four students attended the Central Downs Tennis trials in Clifton. In what has been a first for St Patrick's School, our students won the competition. Toby S, Katelyn P, Lachlan E and Max K need to be congratulated on their win. Whilst their win was a significant achievement, it was their sportsmanship and unconditional willingness to help officiate on the day which also needs to be acknowledged and celebrated.
In other news, on Friday 21 February, Central Downs trials were held for netball, rugby league and soccer at various venues around the district. From all reports, the St Patrick's students really enjoyed the experience and we look forward to the Central Downs Gala Days in May.
The following students have been selected to attend the Southern Downs trials later in the term. Congratulation to you all and well done.
Netball: Violet W, Katelyn P and Mahailia W.
Soccer: Alby M and Riley W.
Rugby League: Hunter R, Toby S, Aiden H, Liam H and Tyson D.
Tennis: Katelyn P.
QRSS Aquathon Championships
Katelyn P represented the Darling Downs region at the recent Queensland Representative School Sport (QRSS) aquathon held in Hervey Bay. After a torrential down pour during the warm up and marshalling, the officials changed the swim leg direction and shortened the length of the race. Katelyn managed these changes with ease and really enjoyed the experience even though it was very humid and hot. Katelyn was the 5th Darling Downs girl over the finish line and was ranked 64th out of 91 girls overall. Congratulations!
Religious Life of the School
St Patrick's Sacramental Program 2025
Celebrating a sacrament for the first time is an important step in the life of a Catholic child. Sacraments are vital expressions of our Catholic life. Since the sacraments are so important, they are taken very seriously and as a result, there is a need to prepare, to receive them thoughtfully and thoroughly. The St. Patrick’s Sacramental Program will commence on Monday 3 March, with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Students will receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation after the Parish Mass on Tuesday 1 April which commences at 9:30am. Then in Term 2, students will undertake preparation for the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist. These sacraments will be held at the end of Week 1, Term 3. If you would like to register your child for the 2025 Sacramental Program, please contact Karine Preston for a registration form.
Lent: A time for the Corporal Works of Mercy
As move towards another Ash Wednesday on 5 March, it is important to revisit the importance and significance of Lent. If you mention Lent, most probably, the first image that pops into your head centres around the notion of giving up something or paying something forward. In terms of our Catholic Faith, Lent is far more than this notion of self but rather moves into the realm of the seven Corporal Works of Mercy. These seven works of mercy include feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, visit the imprisoned, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and bury the dead. It is important as Catholics that our Lenten promises centre on these Corporal Works of Mercy.
In terms of our student population, the challenge for us as educators is to provide a concrete link to these corporal works of mercy that our students will understand. This is where the leadership ideas of our Glengallan students bubble to the top. Whilst he school’s Lenten initiatives will be primarily driven by our older students, we hope each class will find their own avenue to explore Caritas and Project Compassion to hopefully identify a particular service learning opportunity. At the end of the day, social justice is about exploring the causes of injustice rather than just donating a charitable gold coin.
Ash Wednesday signifies the start of Lent. St Patrick’s School will join with members of the wider local parish to acknowledge this very important event. A liturgy will commence at 9:00am in the St Patrick's Parish Church. As always, everyone is most welcome to attend.
And finally, as you would be aware, Project Compassion will be the school’s major focus for the remainder of the term. To help and encourage the entire family to focus on Project Compassion, the school will send home with the eldest child, a Project Compassion donation box on 5 March. Your participation as a family in Project Compassion is not compulsory but just provides an avenue to help those less fortunate in our world today.
Upcoming events
- Monday 3 March - St Patrick's Sacramental Program commences at 3:00pm
- Tuesday 4 March - Shrove Tuesday
- Tuesday 4 March - Audiology Assessments for new students
- Tuesday 4 March - Open Classroom for Talgai Parents from 3:00pm to 4:00pm
- Wednesday 5 March - Ash Wednesday
- Wednesday 5 March - Darling Downs Swimming
- Wednesday 5 March - St Patrick's Playgroup from 9:00am until 10:30am near the sand pit
- Friday 7 March - Whole School Assembly in the Church commencing at 2:15pm
- Sunday 9 March - Student Launch of Project Compassion (St Patrick's Cathedral Tmba - 9:30am)
- Tuesday 11 March - School Photos
- Friday 14 March - St Patrick's School Cross Country (from 9:00am to 10:45am at St Patrick's)
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
