Handbook

St Patrick’s Parramatta belongs to a system of schools within Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta. (CSPD) As a member of this system the school adheres to the policies and procedures set down by the Catholic Education Office Parramatta.

Steeped in history, St Patrick’s Parramatta is one of the oldest catholic schools in the diocese. The school was established by an Irish order of nuns, the Sisters of Mercy and it is our aim that the charism of Catherine McAuley, foundress of the sisters is clear and present in all aspects of the school. Respect, Resilience and Compassion are all qualities Catherine McAuley demonstrated in her work in trying to improve the conditions of the poor and vulnerable people of her time and are personal attributes we strive to gain and display in our community.

Our vision is to be a child centred faith community within an innovative and interactive learning environment. We endeavour to celebrate each other’s uniqueness by providing opportunity for all and to develop a culture that identifies that the journey towards excellence is often paved with trial and error, risk taking, learning from mistakes, flexibility and adaptability. We believe that encouraging students to take ownership of the learning is critical in achieving the best learning outcomes and that implicit in this concept is that students learn their own areas of strength and areas of development, through timely and explicit feedback.

It is important to us at St Patrick’s, that we work as a community and together with the St Patrick’s Cathedral Parish and local parishes, we endeavour to support the family in enriching the faith of our students.

Bernadette Fabri
PRINCIPAL

St Patrick’s is the oldest parish school in Australia. It is a place of Heritage, Innovative Learning and Vision.

The parish school was established by Fr Therry in Hunter Street in 1820. In 1837 the school was relocated next to St Patrick’s Church. In 1874, the girls and smaller boys were separated and taught in a school opposite the church.

From 1874-1888, the Sisters of Mercy, Head House Monte Saint Angelo, North Sydney, were teaching at St Patrick’s School Parramatta, in a building which was standing in front of the present O.L.M.C. in Victoria Road, then known as Pennant Street.

The Sisters of Mercy from Callan, Ireland, then took up residence in Parramatta on 8 December 1888, at the invitation of Cardinal Moran. They re-opened the school on Monday 10 December, just two days later, with an enrolment of 55 pupils.

In 1926 that building was demolished and a new building was erected at the corner of Villiers Street and Ross Street, the current site.

The senior girls moved to Westmead in 1966 to form Catherine McAuley High School. The primary school remains to this present day.

The Sisters of Mercy handed the responsibility for the school to the first lay Principal, Ms Joan Coyle in 1985.

Our Vision is to:

be a child centred faith community within an innovative, interactive learning environment.

Our Mission is to:

• to live out the Gospel values in a visibly Catholic tradition
• nurture students for Christian leadership
• create a range of learning experiences which allow children to progress at their own level
• assist our students to develop into independent thinkers with a deep sense of responsibility and justice
• lead each individual towards reaching his or her potential
• generate a sense of community and compassion in which all experience belonging
• provide opportunity for all

We Value:

• Faithfulness to the Gospel
• Respect for all: striving for tolerance, appreciation and understanding of each other’s differences
• Caring for each other: being supportive, encouraging, reflective and sharing
• Confidence: developed through resilience and optimism
• Fairness and integrity: embracing equity, inclusiveness, trust, honesty and a sense of social justice
• Co-operation: recognising the right to, and responsibility for, a safe learning environment
• High Expectations: creating perseverance, independence and commitment to learning
• Self Management: utilising strengths, being well organised and working towards goals
• Excellence: encouraged, recognised and celebrated
• Belonging: reflected in a strong school spirit

Lord, your presence is the only true peace;
help each of us to remain peaceful at all times
and to bring your peace to everyone we meet.
We ask you to send your spirit of peace into our school,
our families, our country and our world.

sub tuum praesidium = Under Your Protection

The school colours are Green and Gold.

House Names & Colours

Boronia	Waratah	Wattle	Melaleuca
(Green)	(Red)	(Yellow)	(White)

 

School hours are 8.50am – 3.00pm

8.50am	School begins, children line up for classes
10.30am – 11.00am	Primary recess
11.00am – 11.30am	Infants recess
1.00pm – 1.30pm	Primary Lunch
1.30pm – 2.00pm	Infants lunch
3.00pm	Dismissal

All children are to be at school no later than 8.45am daily so that classes can commence promptly, avoiding unnecessary disruption to the class.

Entry after 9.00am is only through the Administration Office. Late arrivals MUST be signed in by a PARENT.

An extended staff list is provided to every family at the beginning of every year. Any changes to staffing is communicated, when applicable, including extended periods of leave.

PRINCIPAL	MISS BERNADETTE FABRI
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL	MRS ELLY BENKOVICH
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION COORDINATOR	MRS LEANDA STANDRING

Monday to Friday: 8.30am – 3.30pm

Please make an appointment for outside of the above hours.

Most Rev. Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM CONV	Bishop of Parramattat
Very Rev Robert Riedling	Cathedral Dean & Parish Priest
Fr Christopher Del Rosario	Assistant Priest
Rev Mr David Dowling	Deacon
Rev Fr Van Xua	Priest in Residence
Donna Missio	Receptionist
Parish Secretary	Parish Secretary
Mili Lee	Cathedral Parish Manager
Bernard Kirkpatrick	Director of Music
Fr Chris del Rosario	Liturgy Coordinator/Sacristan
Youth Coordinator	Youth Coordinator
Gift Shop Manager	Gift Shop Manager

 

School Readiness is a significant factor for parents and the school in determining enrolment in Kindergarten.

Children whose fifth birthday occurs on or before July 31 may be considered for enrolment for Kindergarten that year. By law, all children must be enrolled in school by their sixth birthday.

In the event of an emergency or accident resulting in the need of immediate medical attention, a staff member will administer first aid if appropriate and an Ambulance will be called immediately. Parents/carers will be informed as soon as possible.

St Patrick’s has a “no nut or nut products” policy, due to the number of children who are allergic to nut products. We ask for your co-operation in not sending nut products (especially Nutella, peanut butter and Manoush containing nuts or sesame seeds) to school with children, but keep these for treats at home.

If your child suffers from allergies or requires an epiPen, please inform the Administration Office before your child starts school so that the correct action plan is implemented. We will require a current ASCIA Anaphylaxis Action Plan signed and dated by your Doctor, which must be annually updated for our records.

ASTHMA MEDICATIONS must be kept with the child at all times. An Asthma Action plan must be created, in conjunction with your child’s medical practitioner and given to the school. The Action Plans must indicate the type of medication to be taken, the severity of the asthma, and any physical limitations of the child. Parents are asked to keep the teachers informed of any concern you have regarding the well-being of your child.

OTHER MEDICAL CONDITIONS: It is important that the school is made aware of any long term illness/conditions such as diabetes, severe allergies, cystic fibrosis, or epilepsy, so that adequate procedures or modification can be made to assist your child.

Children are required by legislation to attend school each day, and we are required by law to keep records of each child’s absences from school. For this reason, if your child is unable to attend school, a note must be sent the day the child returns to school, giving the reason for the absence. This can be done by letter or by using the school’s Skoolbag App.
Instructions on download the Skoolbag App at the end of this handbook

Advanced notice: If you know in advance that your child will be absent, please send a note explaining the circumstances. Unless a child is sick, hospitalised, or there is a family crisis, an ‘Application for Extended Leave – Travel (leave between 5 and 100 days)’ will need to be completed.

This permission must be sought in advance, in writing, for example, for holidays during school terms. We strongly urge you to plan holidays outside school term time, as prolonged absences disadvantage your child’s learning.

Partial Absences: It is also necessary for late arrivals and early leaving at school to be explained, as a record of partial absences is also kept. Late arrivals must report to the office before going to class, accompanied by an adult.

Parents who need to take their child out of school during school hours, or collect them in the case of illness, are asked to come directly to the office. Do NOT go to your child’s classroom.

Dental and doctor appointments should be made outside of school hours, if possible.

All absences and partial absences are recorded on the mid-year and end-of-year school report.

PLEASE NOTE: Children will not be permitted to leave the school grounds alone during school hours. Children required to walk home from school alone must be given parental permission through a note.

Children celebrating birthdays will be acknowledged at fortnightly assemblies and will have their names printed in the weekly newsletter. Children will also be given an opportunity to sit on the ‘Birthday Seat’ on the day of their birthday. Accommodations are made for children whose birthday falls in the holidays or weekends.

Please do not send food treats to share with other children.

The children will bring home “Book Club” order forms twice a term.
You are under no obligation to buy these books, although each child is automatically given free membership. The club provides a wide variety of books at different reading and interest levels. The books are usually paper-backs and are reasonably priced. All orders and payments are completed online.

Our school receives an incentive from all purchases made and this incentive is used by class teachers to purchase extra classroom resources.

A buddy system operates throughout the school where senior classes are paired with junior classes for a variety of activities, and as partners when walking to the Cathedral or to local excursions. Year 6 “Buddies” are assigned to Kindergarten children to help them settle into school.

Please make sure your child’s teacher knows how your child will be travelling to and from school. Some children travel by bus. This places great responsibility on each child to behave and to be aware of how their conduct affects others.

• Free Bus Passes are issued upon application to all children in Kindergarten, Year One and Year Two, and to those children in Years Three to Six who live more than 1.6 km from the school. The school clerical staff will handle any queries about transport matters. School Office: 8832 4600

• To report a lost, stolen or damaged bus pass and request a replacement, parents should phone the Transport Infoline on 131 500. There is a replacement fee for each bus pass the student is unable to provide.

It is most important that you notify the school of any changes of contact details in writing. It is critical that all data regarding your child is up-to-date so as to ensure easy contact in case of emergencies and for communication. Please also supply the name, relationship and telephone number/s of an emergency contact other than the parents.

In 1998 the N.S.W. Parliament enacted new legislation aimed at protecting children, by ensuring that systems and processes were put in place for more extensively preventing, identifying and investigating child abuse.

This legislation applies to all those who are involved in child-related employment and includes “any performance of work (including by volunteers and sub-contractors) that involves direct contact with children where that contact is not directly supervised”, as well as teachers and other paid staff.

All staff are regularly inserviced on Child Protection matters.

All parent volunteers (involved in any child-related activities organised by the school, such as assistance on excursions, in the classroom, or with any fundraising, etc.) are to complete an online undertaking form that confirms expectations in relation to behaviour whilst volunteering at St Patrick’s Primary Parramatta.

In order to ensure the safety of all children in the school, we ask that parents refrain from approaching children regarding: social upsets, discipline matters or any other issue involving children not in your immediate family. These matters need to be referred to the school staff where the matter will be investigated promptly and fairly.

Children should be collected promptly after school. If you expect to be late at any time, please telephone the school to avoid your child becoming anxious.

Variations to picking up arrangements: To ensure the safety of all children and to assist school staff to be able to effectively monitor children’s movements, all parents are asked to inform your child’s classroom teacher in writing if another parent will be collecting your child in the afternoon, or if there are changes to the usual pick up routine. This will serve to avoid undue distress to children and staff. If any parent is concerned about the well being of a friend’s child, who may not have been picked up, please inform the school office so that a follow up phone call can be made.

CATHOLIC EDUCATION, DIOCESE OF PARRAMATTA (CSPD) PRIVACY STATEMENT
The Catholic Education, Diocese of Parramatta Privacy Statement sets out how the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) collects, uses and discloses personal information through our schools, Catholic Early Learning Centres (CELCs), Catholic Out of School Hours Care services (COSHCs) and offices.

Hard copies are available at the School Office and on the Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese website

It is possible that at some time during your child’s school career he or she may contract one of the common diseases of childhood. The diseases and minimum period of absence are listed below:

CHICKEN POX: Exclude until fully recovered or for at least five days after the eruption appears.

CONJUNCTIVITIS (ACUTE INFECTIONS): Excluded until the discharge from eyes has ceased.

DIPHTHERIA: Re-admitted only after receipt of a medical certificate of recovery.

GERMAN MEASLES: Excluded until fully recovered and for at least five (5) days after the rash appears.

GLANDULAR FEVER: Re-admitted only after receipt of a medical certificate of recovery.

INFECTIOUS HEPATITIS: Re-admitted only after receipt of a medical certificate of recovery.

IMPETIGO (SCHOOL SORES): Child may attend school if a doctor has been consulted and if the sores are being treated and are properly covered by a clean watertight dressing. Otherwise, the child should be kept at home until the sores have healed.

MEASLES: Excluded for at least five (5) days from the appearance of the rash or until a medical certificate of recovery is produced.

MUMPS: Excluded until child has fully recovered, and for nine (9) days after the appearance of swelling.

PARVOVIRUS (Slap-cheek): Until the child has recovered.

PEDICULOSIS (HEAD LICE): Re-admitted after hair is treated with correct medication. Note: Head Lice is a common problem in schools. Parents are advised to regularly check their child’s hair and treat when necessary.

RINGWORM: Re-admitted when appropriate treatment has commenced. A medical certificate may be required.

SCABIES: Excluded until proper treatment has begun. A medical certificate may be required.

STREPTOCOCCAL INFECTION (including SCARLET FEVER): Exclude until the child has received antibiotic treatment for at least 24 hours and the child feels well. Re-admit after receipt of medical certificate.

WHOOPING COUGH: Excluded for three (3) weeks from the onset of the whoop, or until a medical certificate is produced to show that five (5) days of a 14 day course of antibiotics has been completed.

Communication to parents is made through a variety of media including: the school
website, weekly newsletter, Skoolbag App notifications, morning and afternoon assemblies, parent group meetings, parent/teacher information nights and interviews, school reports and portfolios, individual telephone calls and emails, students diaries, letters to parents and permission notes.

The school follows the CSPD Complaints and Grievances Policy.

We urge parents to be very careful about Internet sites accessed by children on your home computers.

We ask all parents to read the Acceptable Use of Information Technologies Student Policy, sign and return the Letter of Agreement when it is sent home at the beginning of the year.

The school values communication with parents about any concerns they may have. For classroom concerns, initial contact with the class teacher often clarifies issues which may have occurred. Problems arising from the broader school environment are best referred to the Assistant Principal or Principal for attention (see Complaints and Grievance Policy).

No problem is too small or trivial if it is causing you or your child concern.

To contact teachers, please make an appointment through the school office. Except in an emergency, teachers are only available outside class teaching time.

Children will be expected to demonstrate good manners and respect for themselves and others at all times, in the classroom and in the playground, and whenever they are representing the school.

Misbehaviour will be managed in line with school and Diocesan policies and will reflect procedural fairness. A revised Pastoral Care Student Management and Values Education Policy (2015) is now in place.

Telephone: Telephone calls come to the school office and office staff are able to address most enquiries but may also direct calls to the Principal or Assistant Principal. They will also relay messages to teachers at recess and at lunch-time (urgent matters, immediately).

Email: StPatricksParra@parra.catholic.edu.au

Skoolbag App: The school’s Skoolbag App can be used to inform the school of your child’s absence or for special pick up arrangement. More forms will be available online in the near future.

Appointments: The school welcomes communication from parents regarding their child’s wellbeing and learning progress. To ensure that a suitable time be given to any matter, please contact the school to make an appointment with your child’s class teacher. Teachers are not permitted to hold parent/ teacher interviews whilst they are on duty. For any serious matters regarding student management please contact the Assistant Principal through the school office. (02) 8832 4600

Please advise us, in writing, of any special custody or access arrangements concerning your children at school. Copies of court orders should be provided where appropriate. All matters of custody are treated confidentially by school staff on a ‘need to know’ basis.

Each term, the children are involved in emergency drill procedures, so that they are prepared in the event of a critical incident e.g. fire, lock down. The safety of the children is enhanced if they learn to keep calm and follow procedures that have been repeatedly practised.

Excursions are designed to enhance the learning opportunities within each curriculum area. They are a valuable and necessary part of your child’s development and it is expected that every child will attend any planned excursion. You will be notified of all excursions by letter, giving full details and costs, and seeking written permission for your child to participate. If permission notes are not returned, children will be unable to attend the excursion. Permission notes are required at least two school days prior to any excursion. All excursions are fully supervised. Excursion fees are billed as part of the yearly resource fees.

From time to time children are taken on ‘local excursions’ usually involving walking and at no cost. Permission for these local excursions is sought on the Family Information Sheet sent home at the beginning of each year. Parents will be given details, in writing, by the school or teacher prior to the excursion.

Class teachers may ask parents to accompany the class on an excursion to assist with supervision, and we value this assistance. Parents wishing to be considered for excursions need to complete the Child Protection Training form on the ‘Building Child Safe Communities – Undertaking for Volunteers’ CSPD website

DIOCESAN TUITION FEES are set by the Parramatta Diocesan Schools Council each year. There is a concession if more than one child in a family is attending a Catholic systemic school in this Diocese (this excludes O.L.M.C. Parramatta, Oakhill College and other Catholic private schools in or outside the Diocese of Parramatta).

• School fee accounts are sent three times a year and are payable within the first
three weeks of Terms One, Two and Three.
• Fees may be paid by instalments upon arrangement with CSPD and is offered at the beginning of each year.
• Parents facing difficulties paying fees are asked to make an appointment with
the Principal.

SCHOOL-BASED FEES
Each child attending St Patrick’s Primary is charged a School Based Fee per year payable in Term 1. The School Based Fee breakdown is listed below:
• SCHOOL RESOURCE FEE Years K-6
The fee covers a range of activities and resources such as general classroom consumables not covered by requisite list for example exercise books, craft materials, special functions levy and maintenance of class reading books and ICT devices.
• SCHOOL ACTIVITIES FEE K-6
The fee covers Life Education, TriSkills (Gymnastics), Dance and all costs related to Excursions, On-site Incursions as well as local area excursions..
•YEAR SIX OVERNIGHT RETREAT
This fee covers the costs for the Year Six overnight retreat.
• MAINTENANCE FEE
This fee is charged to the youngest child at St Patrick's to help with the ever increasing maintenance of the school grounds and buildings..

Please note: There are no other fees charged, however, from time to time parents will be asked to pay for unexpected excursions when your child may represent the school e.g. Diocesan Athletics Carnival etc.


A DIOCESAN SCHOOL BUILDING LEVY is charged each year to the eldest child in each family in a systemic school (this excludes O.L.M.C. Parramatta, Oakhill College and other Catholic private schools in or outside the Diocese of Parramatta).

METHOD OF PAYMENT
We accept cash, cheques, credit and EFTPOS for payment. For your convenience, payment can also be made at any Australia Post branch or via the internet by Bpay. The Catholic Education Office will offer a direct debit method at the beginning of each year. Information will be included in your first statement of the year. Please adhere to the dates that they set.

The school’s sick bay facility is designed to accommodate sick children temporarily. If your child complains of feeling sick or appears to be unwell before leaving home for school, we ask you to please keep him or her at home. If a child becomes ill or hurt during the school day, parents will be contacted as soon as possible, and asked to collect their child if necessary. All visits to the school sick bay are logged onto a student data-base – FACES.

Homework is a purposeful learning experience which should consolidate, extend and/or enrich the school program. At the beginning of each school year, the class teacher will communicate homework expectations to parents. Homework may take a variety of forms.

It is important for parents to support their child’s home study. Homework is usually set on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Homework is not normally given on weekends.

Approximate times for homework should not exceed:
• Kindergarten 10 minutes set reading. Math’s games (for as long as they enjoy)
• Year One and Year Two 15-20 minutes
• Year Three and Year Four 30 minutes
• Year Five and Year Six 45 minutes

If your child is taking longer than the recommended time or experiencing difficulty, please contact the class teacher as soon as possible.

Good health is vital to school progress. Immunisation is a safeguard to health and we suggest you consult your doctor to ensure the full immunisation of your child.

Parents of children enrolling in all grades, from Kindergarten to Year Six, are required to supply an Immunisation Certificate at the beginning of the year of enrolment.

Children who are not immunised will be required to stay at home for their own protection during any outbreak of an infectious disease.

Please see Attendance /Absences. 

All children are involved in the library program and are encouraged to borrow books on a regular basis. Children from Kindergarten to Year 6 are required to have a library bag clearly marked with their name. Please discuss with your child the importance of looking after library books. If books are lost or extensively damaged we will request replacement.

It is essential to have your child’s clothing and belongings clearly and permanently identifiable. A name on lost property would enable the prompt return to the owner. Lost property is stored in tubs outside the school office window.

Children are supervised in the classroom while eating lunch. Please send a healthy lunch to school with your child with enough food for the day. Reassure your child that it is okay to take food home if they are unable to eat it all.

An online ordering service is available for parents who wish to purchase lunch orders for their children. All lunches can be ordered and paid for online.

There are occasions when the school or the Catholic Education Office may wish to include your child’s name or photograph in school, CEO, or other publications. In line with the Privacy Act, written permission is sought at time of enrolment for photos to be published. This permission forms part of the enrolment process and remains in place for the period of enrolment.

When possible, medication should be administered to your child at home, at times other than during school hours. For the supervision of medication the following requirements must be met:

• All medication supplied to the school for your child must be in a container labelled by a pharmacist, showing the name of the drug, the ‘use by’ date, the name of the student’s medical practitioner, the name of the student, the dosage and the frequency of administration, and any special instructions.

Student Medication Request Form
Administering Medication (Forms One and Three, ) must be completed for the supervision of medication to be taken by your child during school hours. It has been designed to ensure the safety of your child and to protect school staff who do not have medical training. You will receive a School Acknowledgement of Request to Administer Medication (Form Four) once the school has received the above completed forms.

A Notification of Change to Medication (Form Five) must be completed:
• if the dose or type of medication is altered
• if the regime is re-started following the conclusion date of the instructions from the medical practitioner
• at the beginning of each new calendar year

Medical Advice to School (Form Three): This form is only valid when instructions from the student’s medical practitioner have been provided above.

Please return the completed forms to the school Administration Office.

Any child who brings a mobile phone to school must register the phone at the school office before school, and collect it before going home each day.

If your child is required to bring money to school, a letter will be sent home stating the reason and the amount required. Please assist us by putting the money in a sealed envelope clearly marked with your child’s name, class, amount and purpose. This should be given by your child to the class teacher.

Receipts for fees or large amounts are issued the same or the next day via email notification.

Mufti Days are days on which children wear an alternative to their school uniform. Sometimes mufti days may have a theme. They are sometimes associated with collecting money for charity, where children will be asked to contribute a gold coin. Some mufti days will be as part of an educational theme or the student reward system.

A school newsletter is available on our web page weekly www.stpatsparra.catholic.edu.au
and through the Skoolbag App, usually on Thursday. The newsletter contains important information for parents about school activities and dates for coming events. Please contact the school if you require a hardcopy of the weekly newsletter.

A Curriculum Newsletter is sent home by the class teacher once a term, to inform parents about the units of work planned for that term.

PARENT PARTICIPATION
Parents are most welcome and are encouraged to contribute to the school community through participation at the level appropriate to individual circumstances. Parents can be involved in: parent group meetings, the Parent Events Committee, by attending assemblies, Masses, excursions, open days, parent & teacher meetings, parent interviews, and parent information programs. During the school year, we also ask for parent helpers to assist with reading groups, the gross motor program, sporting events, working bees, covering books and a variety of other activities.

PARENT GROUPS
Our school is generously supported by active Parent Committees
e.g. Fundraising, Social. Through the committed and dedicated efforts of parents over the years, many activities have been organised for the benefit of the children and funds raised have provided much needed resources, including outdoor seating, library books, reading materials, classroom computers, iPads, Apple TVs, printers, air conditioning to classrooms and outdoor covered areas. Social activities such as Walkathons, Movie Nights and Family Discos are anticipated with excitement by the children.

Each year parents are invited to form the St Patrick’s Parents Events Committee. The role of this committee will be to meet to organise upcoming community events for the school. Parents are also asked to volunteer to assist these members.


PARENT EVENTS COMMITTEE
Parents from K – Year 6 are invited to form the Parents Events Committee.

Please find below the role description for the committee, for your perusal:
1. Meet with other members as part of the St Patrick’s Events Committee
when needed.
2. Organise and prepare morning teas after key events e.g. Mother’s Day
3. Organise grade picnics/dinners if desirable (Optional)
4. Represent the class regarding ideas for social/fundraising events for consideration
5. Be a contact person regarding grade morning teas
This committee will be coordinated by the Assistant Principal.

Volunteers from the general school community will be invited to assist with school fundraising and social events.

PARENT REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL (PRC)
Parents are also encouraged to attend sessions organised by the Diocese of Parramatta. These events are advertised regularly in the school newsletter.

There is no parking space in the school grounds and parking in the surrounding area is controlled by parking meters. All drivers are asked to become familiar with parking limits and collect a ticket from the parking meter, if necessary, and display on their dashboards.

Please park according to the traffic signs to avoid a fine.

All classes participate in a Physical Education lesson each week with a specialised Physical Education Teacher. Primary class teachers regularly take classes for sport and games activities.

All children participate in a gymnastics program (TriSkills), usually in Term Three and a Dance program usually in Term 4.

After-school Care: At 3.00pm children going to after-school care will assemble in the space under the hall (the cave), where they will be counted and organised by the after school care personnel.
5th Class 1909-1910

Children being picked up by parents from the playground: Children being picked up by parents, family members etc. from the playground will be seated in the amphitheatre.

Children being picked up by car (Ross Street): Children who are being picked up by car will remain in their classrooms so that they can effectively hear their names being called out by the teacher on duty. They will then walk to the Ross Street gate and wait with the teacher who will assist them to enter their car.

Children who are unsure: Children who are unsure of how they are getting home will wait in their classrooms just in case their names are called out. They can be picked up from the classrooms if necessary.

Car pick up: The pick up area in Ross Street in front of the school is used for parents to stop for afternoon pick up. Parents are asked not to leave the car in this section to pick up children. A large sign with your family name displayed on the dashboard of the car is necessary to enable teachers to easily identify you and call your child to the car (last name then children’s name). Please co-operate by moving to where the teacher on car duty directs you.

Parents are encouraged to pray regularly as a family.
Below are some ideas:
• Teach your children to spend at least a few moments in morning and especially night prayer.
• Have members of the family say Grace together at meal times.
• Teach them simple actions, e.g. genuflecting, making the Sign of the Cross.
• Say the Rosary as a family. There are some good apps that are very helpful.
• Attending SATURDAY NIGHT / SUNDAY MASS is a time when members of the parish community come together to pray and share Eucharist. Take your children with you to Mass each weekend.

The children will learn prayers at school and will be encouraged to pray as a class. A morning assembly prayer program has been established with the Student Representative Council. All children are involved in whole school Masses at least once each term. Children in primary classes also attend Friday Mass at least once a term. The ‘Angelus’ is said by the school community every day. A prayer to St Mary Mackillop of the Cross is said at every school assembly. The school leaders say an afternoon prayer daily and the School Prayer is prayed every Monday morning. Prayer forms an integral part of every school day.

Religious Education is the prime Key Learning Area. St Patrick’s Parramatta supports parents in fostering their child’s faith development through the Diocesan Syllabus “Sharing Our Story”.

The Diocesan Syllabus outlines the courses of study with desired outcomes and content structured in stages covering Years K to 12. It develops Catholic beliefs, traditions and practices in a systematic fashion. It is designed to engage the student’s mind and heart. The key concepts covered are: God, Jesus, Church, Sacraments, Scripture, Christian Life and Prayer

Catholic Values are integrated into all Key Learning Areas.

• Please advise your child how they will be getting home so as to minimise their distress. If you are unsure, remind them to stay in their classroom.
• Cars are not permitted to stop at anytime in the red “No Stopping Zone”
• Please ensure that you cross at the safety crossing (yellow lines). It is very dangerous to cross busy streets in between cars.
• Please be careful when driving near the crossing, as we have had some concerns from pedestrians placed in potentially dangerous situations with cars not stopping.
• Please do not drop off and pick up from the Ross Street driveway. Reversing back with so many children about is very dangerous.
• Parents must display a large sign, clearly marked with the student’s family name and Christian name on the dash board of their car, to avoid delays
• Drivers are not permitted to leave the car while in the restricted parking zone
• Cars are not to block traffic on the roundabout
• Parents are requested to proceed in the queue to the teacher on duty who will direct your child/children to your car
• For safety reasons the child/children should enter the car from the footpath side. Entry into the car should not be obscured by any items including infants car seat/baby capsule.
• Please notify the school if you are running late to pick up your child. Children become distressed if they think they have been forgotten.
• To try to alleviate congestion, the pick up time from school is between 3.00pm to 3.30pm. Please try to stagger your arrival. The children are fully supervised.
• To assist in the smooth running of the pick up routine, police and parking ranger patrols regularly to monitor drivers and will fine those who are breaching road rules.

Sacramental Programs are Parish based. Children are prepared for First Reconciliation, Confirmation and First Communion at St Patrick’s Cathedral if their families are parishioners. Please consult your home parish bulletin for sacramental program dates. Any parent who has any questions with regard to the Sacramental Program for their child, please contact the school’s Religious Education Coordinator through the school office.

It is suggested that you attach a tag to your child’s school bag to make it easy to identified.

Please LABEL your child’s school clothing and other belongings. This will enable us to return items promptly if they are lost. Please return any garments that do not belong to your child, including any clothing on loan following an accident or illness.

The school office is open from 8.30 am to 3.30 pm each school day.

Skoolbag is a free mobile App for parents which the school has invested in for your convenience to communicate directly with you. It works through both smart phones and smart devices (such as iPads and Android Tablets)

Some of the information/functions that will be available through the app are:

• School newsletter
• Reminders for events and excursions
• Availability to inform the school of absences
• Availability to inform the school of change of details
• Access to letters that have been sent out

How to install Skoolbag App on your smartphone

IPHONE & IPAD USERS
1. Click on the “App Store” icon on your Apple device
2. Type in “ St Patrick’s Primary School Parramatta”
3. If iPhone, you will see our school appear, click “Free” then “install”
4. If iPad, change the drop down list to “iPhone Apps”, our school will then be visible, click “Free” then “install”
5. When installed click “Open”
6. Select “Ok” to receive push notifications, when asked.
7. Click the “More” button on the bottom right of the App, then “Setup”
8. Toggle on the push categories that are applicable to your child/ren.

ANDROID USERS
You must first have signed up with a Google Account before installing the app. Click on the “App Store” icon on your Apple device
1. Click the “Play Store” button on your Android device.
2. Click the magnifying glass icon at the top and type in “St Patrick’s Primary School Parramatta”
3. Click on the school name when it appears in the search
4. Click the “Install” button
5. Click “Accept” for various permissions (please note, we do not modify any of your personal data on your device)
6. Click “Open” when installed.
7. Click the “More” button on the bottom right of the App, then “Setup”
8. Toggle on the push categories that are applicable to your child/ren.

Smoking is not permitted on school premises. This applies to school staff, students, volunteer workers in the school and visitors for school functions.

There are many opportunities during the year, for families to come together for social gatherings such as:
• St Patrick’s Feast Day celebrated with a liturgy and family picnic
• Sports days: Athletics and Swimming -Carnivals, Infants Fun Day
• Walkathon
• Movie Night
• Grade Morning teas/breakfasts e.g. Welcome to Kindergarten, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Grandparent’s Day
• Assemblies held at the end of each week at which each grade prepares an item
• ‘Welcome to St Patrick’s’ School Disco

These are 6 pupil free days set aside throughout the year for spiritual and professional development of staff. Focus may be on curriculum development, planning, school policy development, reflection and spiritual formation. The first day and last two days of the year are always designated Staff Development Days.

The thirteen years of schooling in NSW are divided into a number of stages. Each stage builds on the previous one. In the primary school there are four stages:
Early Stage 1: Kindergarten
Stage 1: Years One and Two
Stage 2: Years Three and Four
Stage 3: Years Five and Six

A Student Charter helps students understand what it means to be a student member of our school community. It outlines the rights and responsibilities of being a student learning at St. Patrick’s Primary School, Parramatta. The school Values of Respect, Resilience and Compassion are also present in the Student Charter through the rights and responsibilities. The expectations of behaviour towards learning, fellow peers, teachers, parents and visitors are clearly stated in the Student Charter.

The aims of our Student Management policy are:

• to develop happy, confident, self-directed children, able to deal with life’s challenges

• to create a strong school identity where the individuality and diversity that each child brings, is valued

• to provide an environment where pastoral care and Christian values are nurtured.

Students are encouraged to be respectful, responsible, co-operative and caring. Natural consequences for positive and negative behaviours have been established to help children learn to accept responsibility for their own actions. Bullying and Teasing is unacceptable behaviour and addressed as soon as the student, parent or staff member brings them to the schools attention. Children are reminded to,“tell” if they are being bullied or if they see someone else being bullied, to help someone who is being bullied, and not to bully others.

• All student management incidents will be investigated and managed with procedural fairness.

• Corporal Punishment is unacceptable and not permitted at St Patrick’s School, Parramatta. We do not sanction the administering of corporal punishment of children under any circumstances.

General Class Information Meetings are held for parents early in Term One.

Formal Parent Interviews are held during the first half of the year. Other interviews are held throughout the year at the request of the parents or teacher.

A formal Half-Yearly report and an End-of-Year report with student portfolio is sent home at the end of Term Four.

Student Representative Council
Two students from each class are elected each semester as the Student Representative Council members for their class. Semester One (Terms 1 & 2) Semester Two (Terms 3 & 4).

Student Leaders
The Student Leaders are elected from Year Five pupils during the fourth term each year for the following year. The School and Vice Captains, and School Leaders play a significant role at weekly assemblies and in representing all students.

School Leaders are elected in 4 key portfolios.
• Religious Education (Vice Captains)
• Arts
• Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM)
• Personal Development Health Physical Education (PDHPE)

Children are supervised in the playground from 8.20 am and until 3.30 pm each school day. Please do not leave children at school earlier than 8.20 am or later than 3.30 pm. If children arrive at school before 8.20am on a regular basis, the parents will be contacted to arrange Before School Care. Any children who arrive at school before 8.20 am must sit quietly in the designated area. Please contact the school if you will be delayed in collecting your child in the afternoon.

Please note: we accept no responsibility for damage or loss of any toys or games your child brings to school. Please do not send expensive toys or games to school.

Parents are discouraged from taking children out of school for travel or extended holidays during school time. This can have a detrimental effect on your child’s academic progress.

If it is unavoidable, the Principal must be notified in writing of the expected dates of absence and date of return to school. An ‘Application for Extended Leave – Travel (leave 5 days or more), must be completed before the anticipated absence.

Children taking leave during school term time are encouraged to continue a regular reading routine and to keep a written or digital journal. In this case, they should record the events of each day, a description of places visited, time and distance travelled, and anything of significance.

Teachers will not supply ‘holiday work’ for children to complete during their leave.

School Uniform and all associated items e.g. scarves & excursion bags are available through “Oz Fashions Pty Ltd.

The school asks parents to inform us, in writing, of any changes pertaining to your child’s medical condition or family circumstances and contact details.

Examples of changes include:
• your child’s health or medical requirements, medication and allowed foods, Doctor’s reports
• address and/or telephone numbers, email addresses
• circumstances in the home which may affect your child’s well-being. Please supply any doctor or specialist reports.
• emergency contact details

• During wet weather in the morning, children are to wait in under cover amphitheatre outside the Year Six classrooms until 8.35 am when their teachers will take them to the classrooms.
• Children will be supervised in the classroom during recess and lunchtime.
• After school in light rain, there will be normal pickup with children waiting in their classrooms as per usual.
• In extremely heavy rain or if conditions are unsafe, children will wait in their classrooms for parents to park and collect them.

It is important for children to bring a raincoat and rain hat to school each day.

St Patrick’s Primary School

Address
Villiers Street, Parramatta NSW 2150

Postal Address
PO Box 2308, North Parramatta NSW 1750

Telephone Number
02 8832 4600

Web:
www.stpatsparra.catholic.edu.au/home

Newsletter
Available each week from our web page above.

Email
StPatricksParra@parra.catholic.edu.au

School Hours
8.50am to 3.00pm

Office Hours
8.30am to 3.30pm

Cathedral Details
Phone Number
02 9630 1115