Newsletter 2024/22 ~ 26 July 2024
As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.
St. Patrick’s School is committed to the safety and wellbeing of all students.
St. Patrick's School is a child safe school.
We respectfully acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pay respect to the ongoing living cultures of First Peoples.
This newsletter comes to you from the lands of the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagalk Nations.
From the Principal
Reflection - World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly
I thank You, Lord, for the comfort of Your presence: even in times of loneliness,
You are my hope and my confidence,
You have been my rock and my fortress since my youth!
I thank You for having given me a family and for having blessed me with a long life.
I thank You for moments of joy and difficulty, for the dreams that have already come true in my life and for those that are still ahead of me.
Sustain me in weakness and help me to live life to the full in each moment that You give me,
in the certainty that you are with me every day, even until the end of the age.
Amen.
Prayer for World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Francis.
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
Meerkat Production & Grandparents Day
Crystal and Lachlan from Meerkat Productions presented a wonderful performance about the value and preciousness of time on Monday. Both actors were totally engaged with the audience of students, staff and Grandparents.
It was great to hear the responses of the students when asked what they had taken from the show. They noted that time passes by quickly and we need to make the most of every opportunity as we don’t get time back. We can use the time that we have to be able to make memories of special moments.
After the show, the Grandparents visited the classrooms and loved spending quality time with the children. Thank you to those who were able to join us for the morning.
Kinder visit
A small, but excited, group of 4 year old Kinder children visited our school this morning as they begin their school visits over the next few weeks. Children participated in activities with the Foundation and Year 1 children and parents were given the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about our school. I wish each of these families well in their discussions and deliberations as they decide which of the three local schools best meets the needs for their child’s educational journey.
If you are aware of any families who were unable to attend today’s visit but would like to come and have a morning at school, please ask them to contact us to arrange a time that is convenient for all.
Jojy family
Today we bid farewell to Treesa, Steev and Eliza as their family leaves Nhill this afternoon to make their new home in Bendigo. We wish you safe travels and God’s blessings.
Parent-Teacher Interviews & PSG Meetings
Thank you again to parents who were able to attend the Parent-Teacher Interviews on Monday or PSG meetings on Tuesday. Anyone who was unable to book a time to meet with their child’s teacher is invited to contact the school to arrange another time.
'Our Diocesan Community'- latest edition now available
The July edition of “Our Diocesan Community” is now available via the following link.
UPCOMING EVENTS
School Sport Australia
I will be away from school next week as I will be on the Gold Coast in my role as School Sport Victoria Australian Rules Football Umpires State Team Coach/Manager. Over 4000 students will be participating in six sports at the inaugural School Sport Australia Games (formerly School Sport Australia National Championships).
Hockey 7s
We hope that our Years 5 and 6 students who are playing in the Hockey 7s carnival in Dimboola next Thursday have an enjoyable day and play well. Thank you to Mrs Cannell who has been taking the Seniors through some training over the past couple of weeks and will be with the team, together with Mrs Bell, at the carnival on Thursday.
100 Days of School
Our Foundation students celebrate their first 100 days of school next week and on Thursday the Junior class will be dressing up for the day. The Juniors will also host the assembly on that day.
Green & Gold Day
As the sporting world turns its focus to Paris and the Olympics, we will be having a Green and Gold Day next Friday. Students are invited to come to school dressed in green and gold in support of the Australian athletes.
2024 Non-government schools census collection notice
Marriage Encounter weekend: 4-6 October 2024
Sunday’s Gospel
Mark 6:30-34
Sunday’s Gospel depicts a poignant moment where Jesus, after hearing the apostles' reports of their missions, seeks to take them to a solitary place for rest. However, a large crowd follows them, driven by a deep hunger for Jesus' teachings. Moved by compassion, Jesus sees them as "sheep without a shepherd" and begins to teach them.
This passage highlights the dual nature of Jesus' ministry: the need for rest and the relentless call of compassion. It reminds us that while self-care and reflection are essential, there are times when the needs of others take precedence. Jesus' response to the crowd exemplifies the boundless compassion and dedication required in serving others.
It prompts us to reflect on our own lives, balancing rest and service, and challenges us to be attentive and compassionate leaders, responding to the needs around us with empathy and care.
Our Josephite Heritage
The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, often called the "Josephites" or "Brown Joeys", were founded in Penola, South Australia, in 1866 by Mary MacKillop and the Rev. Julian Tenison Woods. In 1949, three Josephite sisters arrived in Nhill to open St Patrick’s School. In 1978, the Sisters of St Joseph informed the Nhill Parish that they would no longer be able to maintain their role within the school.
We endeavour to honour our Josephite heritage through the regular presentation of the Little Joey awards at our assemblies. In support of this we also include a reflection from Mary MacKillop on our newsletter each week.
By the Numbers
103 - A Subclass 103 Parent Visa is a permanent visa that lets a parent move to Australia if more of their children live in Australia than any other country.
A great win by Nhill Tigers over Stawell last Saturday. A repeat effort against Horsham this weekend would be fantastic! As would be a win by the Power over the blues tonight. C’arn Port and C’arn Nhill!!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Junior Class News
The F/1 students have made an amazing start to Term 3. Students are doing a great job at settling back into the classroom routines. We have begun to look at subtraction this term in Maths where we are learning to use a range of practical strategies to solve subtraction problems, including counting back, counting on, partitioning and rearranging parts. This week, the InitiaLit Green group have learnt the sounds for ‘w’, and ‘ck’ as well as double consonants – ‘ll’, ‘ss’, ‘ff’. They are understanding what a digraph is (two letters that make one sound) and what a question mark is and why and how we use it. The InitiaLit Blue group have been focusing on the sounds ‘ow’ and ‘ou’ make, the bossy ‘e’, and looking at the suffix -ed at the ends of words and how they change the base word’s meaning. It is important that your child continues to practice the sets of tricky words that have been coming home as this will benefit them in their reading.
We had a fantastic start to the week with our ‘Timeless’ performance on Monday and loved having our grandparents there to enjoy the show and hang out with us in our classroom. The students learnt how precious time can be and we should make our time count. In saying that, our time has come to an end with one of our classmates – Eliza. Eliza, Treesa and Steev are sadly leaving us at the end of this week as their family makes their way to Bendigo. We have loved getting to know the Jojy family and our school community will miss their presence. We know that they will shine wherever they are and we wish them all the best.
We end this week with a kinder visit on Friday morning. We are looking forward to welcoming our upcoming and potential families to our community and hope they love St Patrick’s Nhill as much as we do!
School Wide Positive Behaviour Support SWPBS
Throughout the day, staff monitor for students demonstrating aspects of Respect, Responsibility
and Safety within our school. Students are issued a ticket to place in their classroom container. During assemblies, a draw takes place and those who have their ticket drawn out are invited to place a marble in their House container. The House with the most marbles at the end of each term will be rewarded.
Congratulations to all children who were recognised for their positive actions around the school. This week April, Declan and Hannah E were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies.
Little Joey Awards
We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Caleb with a Little Joey award.
Our Little Joeys receive a certificate, sticker and a voucher/goods donated by a local business. We are very grateful for the contributions from our local businesses.
Reading Achievements
The following students were recognised for their reading achievements:
50 nights - Elvi, Bethany
75 nights - Zoe, Julian, April
School Advisory Council
Parent Representatives
- Rebecca Curtis
- Emily Gladdis
- Moo Khu James
- Michaela Koop
- Zanther McEldrew
- Ashleigh Meyer
Ex Officio
- Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
- Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal
Meeting Dates
- July's meeting re-scheduled to Tuesday, 13 August 2024, 5.30pm
- Tuesday, 15 October 2024, 7:30pm
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates 2024
Term 3 15 Jul to 20 Sep
Term 4 7 Oct to 20 Dec
See dates on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
August
Thu 1 - Excursion: Hockey 7's
Thu 1 - 100 days of school (Foundation Students)
Fri 2 - Green & Gold Day - students are invited to come to school dressed in green and gold in support of the Australian athletes
Wed 14 - Senior Class Iona visit 10am (to be confirmed)
Wed 21 - WWSSA Athletics Warracknabeal
September
Thu 12 - Little Desert Athletics Stawell
Fri 20 - Last Day Term 3 - dismissal time 2:15pm
St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
11:00am Mass each Sunday
Our Mission
Child Safe Standards
All students enrolled at St Patrick’s School have the right to feel safe and be safe. The safety and wellbeing of children in the school’s care will always be our first priority and the school will not tolerate child abuse. The school will create a child-safe and child-friendly environment where children are free to enjoy life to the full without any concern for their safety. Particular attention is paid to the most vulnerable children and young people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, children with a disability, children who are unable to live at home, international students, and LGBTQIA+ students. The full policy can be accessed via our school’s website: https://spnhill.catholic.edu.au/policies-procedures
The school’s Child Safety Officer is the Principal, Mr Kingsley Dalgleish.
We are committed to continuous improvement in our approach to child safety and well-being and welcome feedback from families and members of our school community on ways we can further strengthen our child safety policies, procedures, and practices. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, please contact the Principal either by phone or email principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au
SchoolTV
Happiness and Gratitude
Happiness is defined as the balance of positive and negative emotions, combined with overall life satisfaction. Happiness and gratitude have been studied in positive psychology for many years and researchers have found that gratitude is always strongly associated with greater happiness. Although everyone has their own definition of happiness, many of us want to feel more positive emotions than negative ones. However, negative emotions are still important. They have a lot to teach us and alert us when things need to change. Practising gratitude helps people feel more of the positive emotions, enable us to relish good experiences, improve our overall health, deal with adversity and build strong relationships.
Reminders
Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere
The Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere app) is our "go-to" for all parent information. Download the SIMON Everywhere app from the app store on your mobile phone and login using your PAM credentials.
Simon Everywhere delivers instant notifications to parents' mobile phones, delivering the functionality of PAM in an easy to navigate app. We will use Simon Everywhere for all important notifications.
You will be able to manage all your day-to-day school needs from Simon Everywhere, including:
- notify us of absences;
- view the school calendar;
- provide permission for student activities;
- update medical/contact information;
- view the lunch orders menu;
- read the newsletter.
Please contact the office with any questions.
Student late arrival, early departure, temporary absence procedures
All student late arrivals, early departures or temporary absences must be recorded in the Passtab iPad located in the foyer. Please ask office staff for assistance.
Lunch Orders
Lunch orders should be written onto an envelope with correct money sealed inside. Please don’t use plastic bags or waxed bags. The writing wipes off these and the staff at the bakery find it hard to read.
You can find the lunch orders menu in SIMON Everywhere: - >Home, scroll down to >School Links
Bus notes
Parents of bus travelling students please note that Nhill College has requested that any changes to travel arrangements (e.g. if you are picking up your child after school) be notified before 3.00pm on that day.
You can do this by -
- use the Bus Change Notification Form on their website (link below) - this is a quick and easy process on your mobile phone (hint: add this as a quick link on your phone's home screen)
- we have put this link onto PAM (Simon Everywhere) >Home, scroll down to >Parent Links
- calling our school office 53911575
- sending an email to principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au or krintoule@spnhill.catholic.edu.au
Remember to follow us on Facebook
Those who are on Facebook are encouraged to follow our page at St Patrick's School, Nhill. 'Like' our page, enjoy our posts, and share them with your friends. Stay connected through our Social Media page.
What you need to know about COVID-19 in Victoria
Please visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Victoria website (link below) for all up-to-date information about the response to COVID-19.
- All staff, students and visitors to schools should undertake regular hand hygiene, particularly on arrival to school, before and after eating, after blowing their nose, coughing, sneezing or using the toilet.
- Hand sanitiser will continue to be available for staff, students and visitors.
- The most important action school communities can take to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is to ensure that any unwell staff, parents/carers and students do not attend school sites, even with the mildest of symptoms, and get tested.
*Six simple steps to protect yourself and those most at risk
- Wear a face mask
- Take a test
- Stay at home
- Meet outdoors
- Talk to your GP about COVID medications
- Get vaccinated
*coronavirus.vic.gov.au