Newsletter 2024/24 ~ 9 August 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
Yesterday was the Feast Day of Australia's only Saint, Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Young Mary MacKillop, together with Fr Julian Tenison Woods, founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart. Together they also opened a school in Penola, South Australia, to provide free education for children. Mary then went on to open more schools across Australia and internationally as well.
Mary’s Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Josephites, also established our school, St Patrick’s, in 1949.
God of all blessings, you revealed in Mary MacKillop a sensitivity to the rights and dignity of every person, regardless of race or creed.
May we learn from her to overcome fear and prejudice.
Help us to value the goodness of each person and all the blessings of unity in diversity.
We ask this through the depth and unity of you, our bountiful God who holds all things in being.
Mary, you lived from the heart of kindness,
You served the very poor and needy,
You bestowed dignity on all, pray for us.
Amen.
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
Hockey 7s
On Thursday the 1st of August a few students from the Senior Class went to Dimboola to play Hockey. We had Helen Cannell as our coach, Holly Beattie who came to help, Clint Beattie who was our umpire and Mrs Bell who took us there. We did not win our first game which was against Nhill Lutheran and we lost to them 1 to 3. Then we played Edenhope and won 2 to 0, and then we tied and then won, then lost, then won, then won. We came 3rd overall and 2nd in our district. We all had an absolute blast playing even though we didn't win. Daniel scored 6 goals Ben scored 3 and Jonas, Olive and Riley each scored 1.
The kids that went to Dimboola were Olive, Sophie, Jody, Daniel B, Jonas,K'Lu Doh Soe, AJ, Ben, Caleb, Riley, Declan and Douglas. Mrs Bell and Helen Cannell coached us through the game, so that we could try to win but we won 4, lost 2 and tied 1.
By Olive Curtis, Jody and Daniel B
Green & Gold Day
Green & Gold Day last Friday finished with a Mini-Olympics organised by the students from the Senior class. Well done to the students on their organisation and coordination of the afternoon’s activities.
Homelessness Week
This week is Homelessness Week - a week that aims to build community support to end homelessness. Many believe that homelessness is really only an issue in our larger cities, the truth is, however, that it is prevalent in our rural communities too.
Facts about homelessness:
- On any given night, 122,494 people in Australia are experiencing homelessness (ABS Census 2021).
- One in seven people experiencing homelessness are children under 12 (ABS Census 2021).
- 23 per cent of people experiencing homelessness (almost one in 4) are children and young people between 12 and 24 (ABS Census 2021).
- One in five people experiencing homelessness are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander (ABS Census 2021).
Homelessness services are overwhelmed:
- In 2022-23, 273,600 people were assisted by homelessness services (AIHW, Specialist Homelessness Services Annual Report 2022-23)
- In 2022-23, a further 108,000 people sought help but were unable to be assisted because of shortages of staff, or accommodation or other services (AIHW 2023). That’s 295 people a day turned away because services are overstretched.
- 80% of those being turned away were women and children, many of whom are fleeing domestic and family violence
UPCOMING EVENTS
Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
Next week is Bullying No Way Week, from 12 to 16 August. It’s Australia’s key bullying prevention initiative and connects schools and communities to find workable solutions to prevent bullying. Growing positive connections with other students and the broader school community can enhance students' cognitive, behavioural and emotional engagement. The theme for 2024 is 'Everyone belongs'.
VRQA Review
On Monday we will be visited by a representative of the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) as they complete a full review of our policies and procedures across our educational practices.
Operation Christmas Child
Families are invited to participate in Operation Christmas Child, a project of Samaritan’s Purse. Many families have supported this project in recent years and are encouraged to do so again in 2024.
Operation Christmas Child is a project of Samaritan’s Purse. It is a hands-on way for you to bless children in need across the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and fun gifts. Boxes are distributed in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in vulnerable situations.
The mission of Operation Christmas Child is to provide God’s love in a tangible way to children in need around the world, and together with the local church worldwide, to share the Good News of Jesus Christ.
Have your box ready in the last week of Term 3, or at the latest the first week of Term 4.
Contact Aline Deckert for more information or if you don't have a shoebox at home and would like to put a box together. Her contact details are on the flyer below.
Please read the flyer below for more details on how your family can get involved.
Sunday’s Gospel
John 6:24-35
John 6:24-35 captures a profound dialogue between Jesus and the crowd seeking Him after the miraculous feeding of the 5,000. The crowd's pursuit of Jesus reveals a desire for physical sustenance and miraculous signs. However, Jesus redirects their focus, urging them to seek the "food that endures to eternal life," which the Son of God will give them. This statement challenges the crowd to move beyond their immediate physical needs and recognise their deeper spiritual hunger.
Jesus' declaration, "I am the bread of life," is a pivotal revelation. It emphasises that true fulfilment and eternal life are found in Him, not in temporary, earthly provisions. The metaphor of bread, a daily staple, underscores the essential and sustaining nature of Jesus in the spiritual life. Just as bread nourishes the body, Jesus, the living bread, nourishes the soul.
This passage invites us to examine our own pursuits and desires. Are we seeking Jesus only for what He can do for us materially, or are we genuinely seeking a deeper, transformative relationship with Him? It calls us to trust in Jesus as the ultimate source of sustenance, satisfaction, and eternal life, encouraging us to prioritise our spiritual nourishment and relationship with Him above all else.
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
105 - is the phone number for Police non-emergencies in New Zealand.
Good wins by Nhill and Port Adelaide last weekend. I missed Port’s 112 point win against the ladder leaders on Saturday night as I was on the flight back from Queensland, however I spent a pleasant Sunday afternoon watching the replay!
We are seeing some wonderful performances by our Aussie Olympic team in Paris - a record 18 Gold Medals achieved as we go to publication of this newsletter. And our youngest Gold Medalist is only 14 years old. Maybe we might see some of our Year 4s competing at the next Olympics in LA in 2028!!!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Middle Class News
It’s been another busy few weeks for the Middle Class. Everyone was very excited to get into the Olympic spirit for our Mini Olympics last Friday. It was wonderful to see everyone’s green and gold dress ups and their enthusiasm in each of the events.
We’ve continued exploring multiplication in Maths. We’ve continued practising our skip counting - we’ve been exploring patterns of 2s, 4s, 5s and 10s and have just started learning about 3s. We’ve also been learning about arrays and how we can use them to help us with our multiplication as well as working on our times tables. We went for an ‘array walk’ to see what arrays we could find around the school.
In Literacy we’ve been learning about syllables and compound words and putting our detective skills to the test as we practise inferring.
The biggest excitement in the Middles this week though, has been the progress of our growing mushrooms. We saw the beginning of some pinning at the start of last week and now less than two weeks later we’re almost ready to harvest them.
Have a great weekend everyone and see you next week!
Pictured in the following gallery - How our mushrooms have grown between last week and this week; Practising skip counting; Some arrays that we found on our array hunt.
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 Jonas, Declan and Nile 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 Freddie 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 - Caleb
75 nights - Freddie, Xavier
100 nights - Hannah G
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 meeting rescheduled 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
Tue 13 - SAC Meeting 5.30pm
Wed 14 - 10am Senior Class Iona Visit (tbc)
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
Understanding Adolescence
Adolescence is a significant developmental stage marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. It is characterised by an emerging sense of self-identity, exploration of personal interests, beliefs, values and goals, increased independence and autonomy beyond the family, growing responsibility, increased engagement in risk behaviours, emerging sexuality, amplified significance of peers, intensification of gender stereotypes, and shifting relationships with parents and caregivers. Adolescents seek increased independence and autonomy, which requires ongoing negotiation and compromise within the parent-child relationship.
“Parenting adolescents can be demanding, terrifying, exhausting and a sanity threatening endeavour. Often it can be a lonely business with many parents being afraid to share their concerns.” Dr. Michael Carr-Gregg
This topic coincides with International Youth Day which is observed annually on August 12. It is meant as an opportunity to draw attention to youth issues worldwide.
Reminders
Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere app
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