Parents At School

There is strong evidence that parent engagement is associated with improvements in academic outcomes for students of all ages. It is for that reason that St Patrick's welcomes and encourages parents to be involved in the school program wherever possible

Options for helping at school

St Patrick's offers many options to parents, carers and indeed grandparents, who wish to help at the school and those options are not limited to within the classroom. Whilst many parents choose to help in the classroom, there are many other avenues to help in a way that is suitable and comfortable for you.

Helping in the classroom - contact your classroom teacher, or go to your class page to work out when it might suit you to help in the classroom. This type of help can include reading with your child, working with small groups, changing readers with children, or just generally providing a helping hand. Parents are not expected to fulfil the role of "teacher" and any help that you can provide is absolutely welcome.
Helping in specialist classes - do you have a particular interest in art, or sport, or have skills in the performing arts field like dancing, singing or playing an instrument, or maybe you can speak French? Then why not consider helping out in one of those specialist classes? Parents have a wealth of knowledge that can really be influential in a child's education and St Patrick's welcome the opportunity for parents to come to class, either as a one-off or on a regular basis, to get involved in these classes.
Assisting with class excursions - every year, each class level will be involved with incursions, excursions and camps. Excursions and camps are reliant on parent participation. St Patrick's appreciate that these can be big commitments for parents and we do everything we can to make this as easy as possible for you to participate.
Canteen helper - our school canteen operates Tuesday to Friday and parent helpers are an important element in ensuring that we have a canteen service for our students. Parents can contact the canteen manager, Helena Putnik, ****** to find out more about helping in the canteen. More information about the canteen can be found here.
Parents and Friends events - the Parents and Friends conduct many events during the year, such as Mothers and Fathers Day breakfasts and gift stalls, a biennial fete/fair, and other events throughout the year. If you have a particular interest, or can only help out once or twice a year, these events are great opportunities for you to be involved at school. More information about the Parents and Friends can be found here.

For more information about getting involved at school, information from the Department of Education can be found here.

Working with Children's Checks

Government regulations require that anyone that attends the school that has more than incidental contact with students must have a current and valid Working With Children's Check.

If you do not hold a current Working With Children's Check, you must go online, complete the application form and then attend an Australia Post outlet to finalise the application. It will then be processed and you will be notified of the outcome. The website for applications can be found here.