Dear Parents,

Welcome to the fourth term and final term of the school year. We started our term with very exciting news as Henry Hindmarsh along with his very proud family headed to Canberra last Tuesday to receive a special award for his entry in the ‘Pens against Poverty’ poetry competition. Henry met the Governor General, His excellency, Sir David Hurley. Congratulations to Henry on this fantastic achievement!

Term 4 is always an exceptionally busy term and this year is no different. Staff and students are busily preparing for our school play, ‘Pirates verses Mermaids’. Teachers will send out information in regard to costumes shortly. If you have any issues locating costumes, please contact the school for help. Likewise, if you have any additional costumes that might support other students, please let your child’s teacher know. We would very much appreciate any support from parents in regard to making and painting props for the stage and assisting with costume ideas etc.

Other events happening this term are:

Tennis lessons with Birdie each Thursday, First Holy Communion preparation classes and Mass, Mission Week activities, Semester Two reports, 2020 transition programs for our new Kindergarten students as well as our Year 6 students heading off to High school next year and Graduation celebrations. Please keep an eye on the Term 4 calendar available on our website.

We also welcome Mrs Natasha Flanagan back this term after two terms away recovering from knee surgery. Mrs Flanagan will resume her role as Classroom Support Teacher and Student Centred Learning.

Focus and target areas for 2020 planning, is also underway with staff analysing student’s assessment data including NAPLAN results, parent/staff/student surveys feedback and staff requests considered. Once decisions have been set, the school community will be informed.

Thank you to Community Council who have committed to supporting school initiatives and have committed money towards supporting class excursions in 2020 and beyond as well as improving technology initiatives such as Robotics and STEM programs.

ST PATRICK’S 2020 SKI EXCURSION:

Thank you to families for the overwhelming response we had to the proposed 2020 Ski Excursion to Mt Selwyn in 2020. The Ski trip has been booked for Wednesday 5^th August 2020. More information will be available next year. 

Best wishes for a happy week,

Christine Baron

Principal

Welcome to Term Four and what a busy Term this will be!

Mission Month

The children and Staff at St Patrick’s have embraced Mission Month with a generous donation and out of uniform day to celebrate ‘A Day of Many Colours’. The children looked fantastic in their colourful clothes representing the colours of the continents.

Year One/Two lead us with a lovely Mass focusing on the Missions and the work of missionaries in the world. Thank you, children, for all your efforts.

Each class is generously contributing their coins into their classroom crazy sock in readiness for our coin line on Thursday 31^st October.

REFLECTION - Sometimes we feel like some issues are too big for us to make a difference. If we can see value in the small things, we do such as a kind word or helping someone, we are making a difference. We can’t do everything but we can do something.

November is traditionally the Month of the Holy Souls when we especially pray for the dead. All Saints and All Souls will be remembered at our school Mass on Friday 1^st November. If you have someone close to you that has passed away and you would like us to remember in this Mass, please email a photo to the school by the end of this week (Week 2), for their inclusion in this Mass.

Altar Serving Training Day

Children from Years 3 – 6 will participate in an Altar Serving training session on Friday 25^th October from 1:45 pm – 3:00pm. Father Namora and Mr Peter Reardon will provide the training in this session.

If there are any children who have received the Sacrament of Eucharist and would like to be an Altar Server and are not already on the roster, please let me know and you will be included on the roster.

First Holy Communion Dates

Preparation begins this week for First Holy Communion. We have ten children who will be preparing to receive the Sacrament.

Lesson dates are set out below:

• Saturday 26^th October – 4:30 pm
• Saturday 2^nd November – 4:30 pm
• Saturday 9^th November – 4:30 pm

Preparation Day - Friday 22^nd November

First Holy Communion - 23^rd November

Term 4 Family Mass

Our Family Mass for Term 4 will be celebrated on Saturday 9^th November. A note will be sent home soon. If your family or your child/children would like to be part of the Mass, please let me know via this note.

Please mark it in your diary. We would love to see you there.

Kate Howe 

REC

St Patrick's Year 6 student Henry Hindmarsh attended an awards ceremony last week (Tuesday 15th October) to receive a Highly Commended Award for his poem "Courage in Kindness".

Henry's class entered short stories and poems into Anglicare's annual writing competition Years 3-10 which takes in schools from Canberra and Southern NSW. Henry entered the Upper Primary division and was awarded the Highly Commended Award for that division.

Henry and his parents Belinda and Peter attended Government House in Yarralumla to receive his award off His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley.  Henry was in awe of the sheer size of Government House and the sweeping yard that backed onto Lake Burley Griffin. 

The entire school and Henry's class teacher Mrs Lisa Wilson are so very proud of his writing achievement and were thrilled to have another student two years in a row receive this honour.

As previously written in our REC Report November is traditionally the month of the Holy Souls when we pray for the dead.  All Saints and All Souls will be remembered at our school Mass on Friday 1st of November at 12pm in the Church.  If you have someone close to you that you would like us to remember in this Mass,  please email a photo to the school by Friday 25th October.  office.stpatricksgundagai@cg.catholic.edu.au

This Thursday 24th, Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October is St Vincent de Paul Street Stall.  Any helpers would be greatly appreciated.  If you could spare an hour or two to sit on the stall please give Mary-Anne Barton a call on 0408 998 471. 

Any donations for cooking or prizes would also be welcomed. 

As you may be aware this weekend is the Busking Championships so suggestions of little trays of slices or biscuits would sell extremely well. 

Many thanks in advance 

Mary Anne Barton 

St Vincent de Paul Gundagai 

We have been fortunate to secure Bernadette Ramsey (Birdie) again to conduct a 5 week tennis skills program with all classes each Thursday.  The children use racquets from our school tennis kit or may bring their own if they wish. 

Please note a one off change in our sports day in Week 3 will be on Friday 1st of November due to an existing booking for Birdie on the Thursday.  A reminder will be sent out in week 3. 

Week 10 Term 3

KINDERGARTEN/YEAR 1: Conor Cotterill - Improved confidence

YEAR 1/2: Garvita Joshi - Listening well and always participating in group discussions

YEAR 3/4: Jack Peterson - Wonderful attitude and trying his best

YEAR 5/6: Sarah Scott - Demonstrating commitment and maturity towards all learning tasks

Week 1- Term 4 

KINDERGARTEN/YEAR 1: Isabella Boswell- Using detail in her writing

YEAR 1/2: Alexander Ryan- Confidentially approaching tasks and completing task cooperatively 

YEAR 3/4: Jezanna Winchester - Getting stuck into stories and a range of books 

YEAR 5/6: Max Graham- Being a mature and positive role model

STUDENT OF THE MONTH - WEEK 10 TERM 3 

Kindergarten - Indi Cole 

Year 1 - Isabella Boswell 

Year 1 - Alexander Ryan 

Year 2 - Nate Tozer 

Year 3 - James Reardon 

Year 4 - Locky Eccleston 

Year 5 - Maggie Peterson 

Year 6 - Ella Nugent 

Congratulations to all our award recipients. 

Week 1 - Term 4 

RESPONSIBLE:  Archie McDonnell, Christyne Caleb, Pippa Fitzgerald, Riley Smith, Ollie Crowe, Andrew Cole, Jezanna Winchester, Lilly Cotterill, Emmy Gaskin, Flynn Leane, Skye Somerville, Jack Paton 

RESPECT: Jayden Crossley, Isabella Boswell, Tyler Manns, Charlie Brown, Molly Lott, Eliza Graham, Andrew Cole, Emma Brown

SAFE: Dale Paton, Denver Blundell, Conor Cotterill, Indi Cole x 2, Savannah Manns, Elisa Graham

We would like to extend our birthday wishes to the following children who have celebrated a birthday recently.  We hope you all had a wonderful day

5th October - Charlie Hindmarsh 

12th October - Conor Cotterill 

13th October - Riley Smith 

15t October - Isaac Pearce 

16th October - Hugh Ryan 

and Happy Birthday for today (22 October) Oliver Crowe