St. Patrick's Community
| “I just want to say how happy we are at St. Patrick’s. It really does feel like a family. The office staff is wonderful, the teacher are very receptive, and the philosophy of the school as a whole is exactly what we were looking for.” |
School Family Program
Each student in St. Patrick’s Episcopal Day School is a member of a “school family.” These are small groups of students from all grade levels that are headed by a sixth grader. Each member of the faculty and staff is placed in a “school family” as well. The “school families” sit together in chapel each Thursday and at other selected events. Special meetings of “school families” are also scheduled throughout the year, providing opportunities for the students to plan and carry out a special activity, have additional time together and to get to know each other better. The “school families” program provides opportunities for cross grade level interaction among all the students and significant leadership opportunities for the sixth graders who head the families. |
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“We truly appreciate the education our kids receive at
St. Patrick’s and we love the teachers and staff - they are like family to us.”
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School Picnic
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Each fall the Parents Association sponsors a family picnic to start the new school year.
This gathering provides an informal setting where adults and children can relax, socialize and have fun! |
Sports Day
Another annual event that brings parents, faculty, staff and students together is the annual Sports Day. Sports Day offers a half-day of games and physical activities planned and organized by the PE teacher with the sixth grade students. Every child in the school is assigned to one of several teams comprised of students from all grade levels and led by members of the sixth grade class. Parent volunteers help set up the activities and encourage effort and good sportsmanship.
All Creatures Great and Small
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In October, the church and school host a Blessing of the Animals. Parents, students and their pets gather on the patio where a great cacophony of barks, meows, squawks and squeaks competes with the opening prayer. The rector and chaplain bless all the dogs, cats, tortoises, snakes, iguanas, guinea pigs, bunnies parrots, birds, fish as well as any stuffed animals and pet photos in attendance! |
| Each November, St. Patrick's invites grandparents and special friends to spend a half day at school with the students on the day before Thanksgiving. Guests are welcomed with a special chapel. Every grandparent and special friend also spends time in the classrooms with the students. Commemorative photos of every student with their guests are taken. Everyone enjoys a special closing program before going off to Thanksgiving break. |
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Overnight Trips
The Sixth Graders travel to Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands for a three-night, four day camping trip. The class is able to use the Santa Cruz Island Reserve that belongs to UCSB for its land-based activities [hiking, studies in geology, astronomy, the ecosystem, botany]. Water based activities like kayaking and tide pooling are part of the program. Students also participate in group building and leadership activities that help them carry out their roles as the oldest students at St. Patrick’s.
The Fifth Grade travels to Astrocamp near Idyllwild, California and spends three days and two nights engaged in many science based activities: Lessons focus on the laws of motion and force; launching rockets; training underwater like astronauts by building satellites in a near weightless environment; experimenting with lights, lasers, magnets and electricity, air pressure and properties of gases. Students have an opportunity to sample spinning in the gyro-tech, learning to climb rocks, and gaze at the heavens through high powered telescopes.
The many hands-on activities scheduled in these overnight trips support the science topics studied at each grade level. Additionally, the time away from campus allows the students opportunities to grow in independence and to strengthen relationships with their classmates and the teachers who accompany them. |
