4th September 2025

A message from our Principle

Hello St Patrick’s families, I hope you are all well! 

Happy Father’s Day! 

This weekend we recognize the important role our father’s, and those who are like fathers to us, play in our lives – it’s Father’s Day! I just want to say a big thank you to my fantastic father, Wayne, for the important role he has played in my life, and wish all the fathers in our community, and those who are like fathers to us, a great day on Sunday. I hope you get spoiled! 

New iPads for the Junior School 

This week the school received 31 new iPads to be housed in the Prep room and to be free for access across the school. When combined with protective cases, screen covers and warranties, this has come at an expense of over $21,000 – money very well spent!!! Given the role digital technologies play in our lives and in supporting the education of our school, it is a great result that we can support our students with up-to-date technology like this. It is giving our students an opportunity to become familiar with this tech and be ready to incorporate its use into their everyday and working lives in a safe, appropriate and informative way. 

Welcome to Our New PEN Exec Members 

At our recent Term 3 PEN meeting, we welcomed four new parent members to the PEN leadership group. This means our PEN Executive team consists of; 

• Lou Johnstone – Chair 

• Beth Kings – Secretary 

• Sian Hardie – Parent Representative 

• Pip Luck – Parent Representative 

• Allie Hill – Parent Representative 

• Chantelle Coetzee – Parent Representative 

• Binnie Eley – Parish Representative 

• Jim Wren – School Principal (Ex-officio) 

Their role will be to plan the activities of the PEN and align these with achieving the priorities of the school contained within our Strategic Plan. They will also give the PEN executive a greater range of parent voice when working with the school and making decisions on behalf of the parent body. 

I am really excited by these appointments and the collective wisdom this team will be able to share with the school. Thankyou! 

Mr. Wren’s Four-Year Principal Review 

In week 2 of Term 4, I will have my four-year Principal review. This is a reflective process taken on by all Principals in the Toowoomba Diocese as a way of identifying strengths in our practice but also areas we can focus on for further development and improvement. To help inform this process, a 360 survey will be emailed out to all families next week to fill out before the end of Term 3. Please keep an eye out for this. This is an anonymous survey that will allow you to have your say on my leadership of the school and will play an important role in helping me shape how I lead our community in the future. 

A TCSO panel will also be visiting the school on Wednesday 15th October to interview staff, senior students and parents across the first session of the day. If you would like to be a part of this process, please email me or come and see me to let me know. I will send out more information regarding this closer to the date.  

 St Patrick’s Parish Fete – Saturday 1st November – Volunteers Needed!!! 

The annual St Patrick’s Parish Fete will take place on Saturday 1st November so make sure you mark this in your calendar! This is a huge event that raises funds for both the parish community and the school and gives us an opportunity to celebrate everything that is great about our Parish with the St George community. A lot goes into the preparation and running of the day so the Parish will be looking for volunteer helpers over the next few months to put their hands up and help out with roles such as: 

• Set up on the Saturday morning 

• Take down on the Sunday morning 

• Running stalls 

• Running the BBQ 

• Running the bar. 

Keep your eye out for upcoming messages looking for volunteers and please give consideration to how you could pitch in to support the school and the parish. In the meantime, if you are keen to help, please contact Harry North (Parish Fete Coordinator) through the school and he can point you in the direction of a job for the day. All help will be greatly appreciated! 

Looking Ahead 

That’s all from me. Have a great weekend! 

Jim. 

Religious life of our school

Newsletter in Week 8, Term 3

R.E.

Social Justice Sunday 2025: Signs of Hope on the Edge

On Social Justice Sunday, celebrated this year on August 31st, Catholic communities across Australia are invited to reflect on the 2025–2026 Social Justice Statement from the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference: “Signs of Hope on the Edge.”

This year’s statement calls us to notice and respond to those who are often unseen—those living with mental ill-health and homelessness. It is a call to encounter, to walk alongside, and to offer hope. At St Patrick’s School, this message speaks directly to our mission as a Catholic school in a rural community. We are called to be a place of welcome, dignity, and compassion—a school that not only teaches about justice but lives it.

A Personal Encounter in the Bunya Mountains

This call to encounter was deeply echoed in a recent experience I had at the Assistant Principal: Mission and Identity retreat, held in the Bunya Mountains—my first time in this sacred place, located in the spiritual heart of Wakka Wakka Country.

Led by Br Damien Price, the retreat focused on the theme “Encounter the Heart”, inviting us to reflect on what it means to be truly present to others. Br Damien challenged us to see ourselves not as hosts, but as guests—guests in the lives of our students, our colleagues, and our communities. This shift in perspective was powerful. It reminded me that leadership in Catholic education is not about control or certainty, but about humility, listening, and love.

The Bunya Mountains themselves offered a quiet, sacred space for this reflection. Surrounded by ancient trees and the deep spiritual presence of the land, I felt a profound connection to the idea that we are all pilgrims—walking gently, learning constantly, and being shaped by those we encounter.

Living the Message at St Patrick’s

Back at St Patrick’s, the themes of Social Justice Sunday and the retreat converge in meaningful ways. We are called to:

• Be guests in the lives of our students—honouring their stories, struggles, and strengths.
• Notice those on the edge—in our classrooms, our families, and our town.
• Foster mental wellbeing—through care, connection, and community.
• Teach hope—not as optimism, but as a deep trust in God’s presence in every life.

As we move into spring—a season of renewal—we recommit ourselves to being a school of encounter. A place where justice is not just spoken, but lived. A place where every person is seen, valued, and loved.

Let us walk together, as pilgrims of hope, responding to the call of Jesus to take up His gentle yoke and serve with open hearts.

Learning Support

As the school holidays approach, families look forward to rest, reconnection, and a break from routine. But for many children, the holidays can also bring challenges—disrupted schedules, boredom, or emotional ups and downs. At St Patrick’s, we believe that wellbeing is nurtured not just in the classroom, but in the everyday rhythms of home life.

Here are some simple, meaningful ways families can support mental health and wellbeing over the break:

St George’s spring weather is perfect for outdoor activity. Sunshine, fresh air, and movement are powerful mood boosters for children and adults alike.

• Go for family walks or bike rides
• Visit local parks or nature reserves
• Encourage free play in the backyard
• Try gardening together—planting something and watching it grow is a great metaphor for hope

Choose Activities That Nourish

Children thrive when they feel engaged, creative, and connected. Holidays are a great time to explore activities that support emotional wellbeing:

• Creative play: Drawing, painting, building, or crafting

• Reading: Visit the local library or start a family reading challenge
• Cooking together: Let kids help plan and prepare meals
• Quiet time: Encourage moments of rest, reflection, or prayer

Children learn most from what they see. When parents model healthy habits, kids are more likely to adopt them.

• Read together: Let your child see you enjoying a book
• Talk openly: Share your feelings and ask about theirs
• Practice gratitude: Reflect on what you’re thankful for each day
• Limit screen time: Create tech-free zones or times in the home

Stay Connected

Even during holidays, some children may feel lonely or anxious. Keep communication open:

• Check in regularly with your child
• Encourage them to stay in touch with friends
• Reach out to school staff if you need support—we’re here for you

A Time to Grow

The holidays are not just a break—they’re an opportunity to grow in new ways. Whether it’s through play, rest, creativity, or connection, every moment can be a chance to build resilience and joy.

If you are heading into Toowoomba over the holidays, and you haven’t had a chance to have hearing and vision checked this year, please consider doing so! This is a great opportunity to ensure that your child does not have any sensory barriers to learning.

Warm regards,

Anna Chandler

Middle Leader News

Putting it all together: What is verbal reasoning and why is it needed? 

Verbal reasoning is the ability to understand, interpret and draw conclusions from spoken or written information. It is necessary for students to be able to connect what they read (or hear) and capture the larger meaning of the text. It is a complex task requiring multiple thought processes that go beyond the text to develop a deeper understanding. 

Verbal reasoning is about generating inferences, sequencing events and analysing and evaluating texts. It is not surprising that verbal reasoning is very closely intertwined with background and vocabulary. 

While the discussion around research-based reading practices has often been centred around word recognition, it has left parents and teachers questioning whether comprehension is important for young readers. The Science of Reading, in fact, stretches far beyond teaching children how to read words and provides evidence of ways to teach children how to comprehend as well. 

What can parents do to help develop verbal reasoning? 

• Read widely – a variety of books, comics, magazines, newspapers. 

• Discuss what you read – talk about the vocab and keep a notebook to record new words and ideas. 

• Engage in puzzles – Sudoku, Find the odd one out or any games that require strategic thinking. 

• During conversation – ask your child “Why do you think that/how do you know?” Encourage your child to express their ideas in expanded sentences and expose them to various subjects making connections to their existing knowledge. 

Annette Colley

Middle Leader (Curriculum) 

Mrs Webster's News

Welcome to Week 8 

In Health the Students across the school have continue to focus on healthy food and lifestyles. The students investigated a range of health messages, healthy and unhealthy. They explored how these messages are delivered and practically apply changes they can make to their food choices. The students continued to investigate the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating whilst completing their assessment tasks – five food groups, nutritional information and the information given about health. They explored how healthy eating, and lifestyle can be a very important component of their lives so they can have plenty of energy and continue to be healthy and grow. 

In Drama the students have been acting out different scenarios to depict how to deal with a variety of situations whilst showing facial and body expression to express the correct emotions in the situation. We have been developing the understanding of how we can become a different character when acting. We have been building on our warmup activities to develop their confidence and build relationships within the classes. The middle and upper have continued to work on their individual short scripts they will act out later in the term. This will form a part of their assessment task. 

The students have been doing an amazing job and each week I see their confidence and acting abilities continue to flourish. Congratulations. 

Keep Smiling! 

Enjoy your day. 

Kind Regards 

Jane Webster 

Mrs Eley's update

SPORT NEWS:

On Friday 29th August the St George State High School hosted the Southwest Athletics Carnival. Several St Pat’s students attended and from all accounts, had a great day. Congratulations to the following students who were selected in the Southwest Athletics team to compete at the State Championships in Townsville later in the year.

- Hunter Mellifont

- Roly Mace

- Miller Hardie

- Abigail Tierney

We wish you all the best!

Procedures with Trial Forms:

Balonne district trial forms are to be handed back to the front office for the school to organise nomination and distribution of the from to the convener of the trial.

Southwest trial forms need to be sighted and signed by the school and then this form is returned to the student for them to take to the manager of the team they have been selected in.

LIBRARY NEWS:

In week 9 we will be hosting a Book Fair through the Book Warehouse. It will be in the Library and opening times will be as follows:

Tuesday 9th September

8am-8.30am and 3.15-4.00pm

Wednesday 10th September

8am-8.30am and 3.15-4.00pm

Thursday 11th September

3.15-4.00pm

Friday 12th September

8.00am – 9.00am

Borrowing continues as usual with returns on Wednesday and borrowing on Thursday. It has been wonderful to see so many books borrowed, read and returned. Thank you for your support with this.

St Patrick’s Library Staff

                                                                   “Reading is Power and Knowledge”

Mrs Blanch's Update

Be You Family Survey : Please Share Your Thoughts

At St Patrick’s we are committed to supporting every student’s mental health, wellbeing and social-emotional development. These areas are essential for helping children to feel safe, confident and ready to learn. We hope to survey as many members of our school community as possible. All staff were recently invited to contribute to the Be You Educator Survey and before the end of Term 3, we hope to survey students in Years 3-6.

The perspectives of all families are extremely import to us. Your responses will help us to understand what we are doing well and what we can do better. Your feedback will guide us in making informed decisions about programs, resources and support systems to benefit all students.

The Be You Family survey is confidential and will only take a few minutes – but your insights will have a lasting impact upon our school community.

If you require further information about the survey, please do not hesitate to contact me. Eleanor.Blanch@twb.catholic.edu.au

Please find a link to the short survey below. Thank you for your help.

https://beyou.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8BrqyFHxHoJ4DXv?survey_id=11998604059

Student Achievements

Tuckshop

Our new tuckshop day is now every Thursday!  

Lunches can be ordered via the Flexischools app anytime before 2pm on Wednesday.

Simply download the Flexischools app from the Apple or Google store and follow the prompts to create an account. Once set up, click “Order Food” to place your order and pay. 

TERM 3 - Snapshot

Parish News

Dear parishioners,

Here is this week’s Parish Bulletin and an activity for the children.  It is Social Justice Sunday so there is also some information to read in the attachments.

This week we celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope and Social Justice Sunday in the diocese.

MASS THIS WEEK

31 August – Sunday Mass, St Patrick’s Church, St George at 8.30amMASS

NEXT WEEK – Normal Mass Times across all towns resume

7 September – Sunday Mass, St Therese’s Church, Dirranbandi at 8am

7 September – Sunday Mass, War Memorial Hebel at 10am

7 September – Sunday Lay Led Liturgy, St Patrick’s Church, St George at 8.30am

This year’s Social Justice Statement, Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving People Living in Homelessness and Mental Ill-Health, provides a picture of what life is like for people living in homelessness and mental ill-health and the difficulty in providing adequate support for them.

The statement urges every Christian to offer service, as Jesus did, to our sisters and brothers created in the image of God.  The full statement and stories of people on the edge is included in the attachments.

In this Jubilee Year, Pope Francis reminded us, as Christians, of our “fundamental vocation to be, in the footsteps of Christ, messengers and builders of hope.” We appeal to all Christians to join us in going to the edge of society to befriend our fellow Australians who are living on the streets, who are often struggling with serious mental ill-health, to be signs of hope, to be the good news that God’s unfailing love embraces everyone. ♁ Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, SDB PRESIDENT, AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC BISHOPS CONFERENCE

Message from Bishop Ken Howell, Bishop of Toowoomba

Carols on the Balonne

Meeting 1 September at 5.15pm at the Presbyterian Kids Shed.  All welcome to help.

Have a safe and happy weekend

Warm regards

Leanne for Fr Periya Leanne Brummell Parish Secretary

Balonne Catholic Parish Balonne Catholic Parish wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we live and worship.

MISSION:  Balonne Catholic Parish is a faith filled and prayerful community where members strive to commit to living and sharing the Gospel values that Jesus has taught.

Contact Parish Office : Leanne Brummell  46253021 / email:  stgeorgeparish@twb.catholic.org.au (Wed & Fri 9am-12.30 pm) ; Fr Periya 46253021  

Reminders

Is your Sentral for Parents app working?

St Patrick’s Parent Portal provides a more streamlined communication with parents. Please be sure you follow the instructions below on how to register. If you are having issues with your app, please contact the school office so we can help you get things resolved.

St Patrick's OHSC

Vacation Care is coming up! Get your child locked in at OSHC

COMING SOON!!!

Community News

2025 STORYFEST

📖 Story Fest Sparks Imagination Across All Grades

This week, students from all year levels embarked on a literary adventure as they walked to the town library to participate in Story Fest—a vibrant celebration of storytelling hosted by authors. The event offered a unique opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the magic of stories while learning valuable writing techniques tailored to their age group.

✨ Grades 1–2: Crafting Captivating Conclusions

Our youngest storytellers were treated to engaging tales and interactive sessions focused on how to make story endings exciting and memorable. Authors shared tips on adding adventurous details to bring narratives to life, sparking creativity and confidence in budding writers.

📝 Grades 3–6: From Brainstorm to Final Draft

Older students dove deeper into the writing process, learning how to brainstorm original story ideas and develop compelling characters. They were guided through the art of character illustration and gained a clear understanding of the difference between a rough draft and a polished final copy. These insights encouraged students to embrace revision as a key part of storytelling.

Story Fest was more than just a library visit—it was a celebration of imagination, creativity, and the power of words. The excitement and inspiration students brought back to the classroom are sure to fuel many wonderful stories in the weeks ahead.