Principal Report
Orientation Day
On Tuesday 6th December, we will be having our Orientation Day. Students will move up to the 2025 classroom and meet their new teacher. Year 6 students attending St Brendan Shaw College in 2025 will also have their orientation that day. Students are to make their way to SBSC in the morning and then collected at the end of the day.
Staffing for 2025
Staffing for 2025 has been finalised and new teachers for 2025 include Mrs Maryann Munnings who will work alongside Mrs Megan Meech in Year 1. Mrs Munnings currently works at St Finn Barr’s Catholic School in Launceston in Kindergarten and as a Literacy Practice Leader. Our new Year 5 teacher is Mr Barry Jones, who is currently working as Leader Teaching and Learning at St Joseph’s Catholic School Queenstown. Thank you to the following staff who will be leaving at the end of this year Mrs Frankie Frost, Mrs Jeanne O’Neill, Mrs Sharon Jarvis, Mrs Nyree Elliott, and Mrs Amy Baldock. These staff have come to work with us at a time of need and we sincerely appreciate their commitment to our school during the year.
2025 Teachers
Five Day Kindergarten: Laura Stoessiger: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday / Theresa Locket: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Prep - Jillian Bruni
Year 1 - Maryann Munnings: Monday, Tuesday /Megan Meech: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Year 2 - Melenna Zeleznik
Year 3 - Ann Jak
Year 4 - Jane Stuart: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday / Erin Moore: Thursday, Friday
Year 5 - Barry Jones
Year 6 - Patrice Riordan
LOTE Japanese - Jane Stuart
Music - Leonie Watson Peters
Science - Karyn Kingshott
HPE - Mrs Allison Pegus
Literacy Practice Leader - Megan Meech: Monday, Tuesday
ATSI Coordinator - Karyn Kingshott.
Student Attendance
Most Australian students attend school regularly, however a closer look at data indicates that some students are missing school more than 10% of the time. This means that some students are missing at least one month of school per year. It is particularly noticeable in certain groups of students such as the early years of compulsory schooling, students transitioning to secondary school, remote locations or socio-economically disadvantaged areas.
As a school, we are required to notify parents when their children’s absences are over 5 days per year. A principal may discuss this with the parent or send a letter notifying the parent that a medical certificate or Statutory Declaration is now required as per the requirements of the Education Registrar. In our attendance letters, we advise the requirements of the Education Act 2016 so that parents are aware of their responsibilities, as some may not be aware of these requirements.
If you would like to meet with me to discuss your child absences, or need further clarification of the requirements by the Tasmanian Catholic Education Office and the Education Registrar please make an appointment through the school office.
Reconciliation Tasmania - Youth Speak Out
Our Year 6 class created a presentation in response to reading ‘Us Mob, Walawurru’ by David Spillman and Lisa Wilyuka. The novel touches on significant historical events such as the 1967 Australian Referendum, which started the citizenship rights of First Nations People in our country. The referendum returned a YES vote of 90.77% for change.
Last week, as a part of Reconciliation Tasmania Youth Speak Out, our Year 6 students presented their response to the novel at Parliament House and Government House in Hobart. The students had a great time and even had morning tea with local dignitaries. They represented St Patrick’s with pride. I received an email from Beth Gilligan Co Chair of Reconciliation Tasmania who met some of our students. She wrote:
Dear Carmen,
Greetings.
A quick note from me to say how impressive your Year 6 students were at Government House yesterday as part of our Youth Speak Out. Their work on the National Reconciliation theme and presentation was fantastic. They spoke very well and their video was very engaging.
Afterwards at the morning tea/lunch, they were such fun to meet, incredibly respectful and well mannered and just a pleasure to be with. Full commendation to them and their amazing teacher who I did not get to meet, please pass on my admiration. The work being done to integrate truth -telling at St Patrick's is incredibly encouraging for us.
As those Year 6 students prepare to leave St Patrick's, you and all of the staff can be so proud of the sort of young people they have become under the school's guidance. I feel they will be the sort of young people who will not tolerate racism and any kind of injustice experienced by our First Peoples.
Thank you for the school's great work in this space and my best regards,
Beth
Congratulations to our Year 6 students and their teachers.
Have a great week
Carmen Aylott
Principal
Principal