Newsletter 2024/27 ~ 30 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.
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From the Principal
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The Season of Creation
The Season of Creation begins next Sunday, 1st September, the World Day of Prayer for Care of Creation, and runs through to the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, 4th October. It is a time when Christians from across the globe focus on God’s gift of creation and recommit to care for this precious gift. The Season of Creation celebrates the joy of creation as well as encouraging awareness-raising initiatives to protect the natural environment. This year’s theme is 'To Hope and Act with Creation.'
A Laudato Si’ Beatitudes Prayer
God of All Creation,
Blessed are those who hold the space for dialogue with the natural world, God, and each other, for they will hear the fullness of life.
Blessed are those who enter into relationship with the natural world, for they will know the intrinsic value of all of God’s Creation.
Blessed are those who heal the wounded earth for they will be restored to right relationship with all of Creation.
Blessed are those who discern the voice of Creation for they will receive an experience of God in a language not our own.
Blessed are those who see with the eyes of their heart for their vision will imagine the potential for new life to emerge.
Blessed are those who nurture the needs of the living and nonliving world, for they will be nourished in body and spirit.
Blessed are those who live simply, for their discipline will bring harmony with the rhythms of life.
Blessed are those who cultivate a life of prayer for they will know an inner cosmos that honours the outer world.
Blessed are those who participate in civil affairs for they will bring the cry and song of the earth to systems of power and policy.
Blessed are those who have gratitude for they will receive the gift of abundance.
Amen
[Adapted from The Laudato Si Movement]
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
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Father's Day
Yesterday we had an early Father’s Day celebration. It was nice to be able to welcome the Dads for a hot-dog lunch, a game of tee-ball and some activities on the hard-court.
We hope you all enjoyed the afternoon and we wish a blessed day with your families on Sunday.
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Report by Georgia:
On Thursday the 29th of August we celebrated Father's Day by having hot dogs and games like tee-ball and other small games on the hard court. The first game was Patrick versus Joseph. The fathers played as well. Joseph won by 2 points the score was 12 to 14. The second game was Patrick vs MacKillop, Patrick won 9 to 14. Patrick smashed McKillop. After the first 2 games Joseph played MacKillop and Patrick was on the hard court or watching the tee-ball, I think the score was 10 to 7. MacKillop lost again. After the games we packed up and went home . We had a great day and had lots of fun.
Buffy’s Visit yesterday
Buffy Harrison joined us yesterday and led each of the classes through their Auslan sessions. It is always great to have Buffy sharing her expertise with our students as they continue to progress with their signing.
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Government funded financial support for families - Saver Plus
Camps are an amazing opportunity for students. But they can be stressful for some parents to afford. Saver Plus will assist with saving and budgeting for camps in 2025.
Saver Plus encourages parents to save $50 a month (for 10 months). Savings are then matched - a free $500 for education costs, making $1,000 potentially available for the school camp.
Families that start saving in August, will have their savings ready to pay their school camp fees in June 2025.
If there are families that don’t have students attending camp they may also still apply for the program and allocate the funds to other education costs.
Saver Plus will chat with your families about eligibility:
- Health Care or Pensioner Concession Card
- Payment from Centrelink and
- Earning an income (employment, carer’s payment, or child support).
Use one of the following links or call 1300 610 355 for more information about Saver Plus.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Book Fair
Children have enjoyed previewing the books available at our Book Fair this week. Book Fair at school is now closed.
SAC will bring the Book Fair to the Nhill Market at Jaypex Park on Sunday 15 September. Volunteers are still needed to help with the stall - please RSVP using the yellow note that was sent home last week or using the following link.
A reminder to parents to please finalise your purchases.
All purchases will be received in the week following the Nhill Market.
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Middles Camp
The Year 2-3 Camp will be held on 12-13 Sept at Tandara Camp, Halls Gap. Details about the camp and permission forms were sent home with children earlier this week. We apologise for the short time to return completed forms. Please return them as soon as possible so that we can continue with the organisation of the camp. Payment is due before departure date, by 9 September.
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Footy Colours Day
Next Friday will be a Footy Colours Day. Students are invited to wear their favourite team's colours to school next Friday. (Note: I hope not to see any crow colours being worn!!)
Little Desert Athletics
Congratulations to those who have qualified to compete at the Little Desert Athletics Championships in Stawell on Thursday 12 September. A list of those who have qualified will be included in next week’s newsletter. Permission notes will be sent next week also.
Sunday’s Gospel
John 6: 60-69
In John’s Gospel, many of Jesus’ followers find His teachings difficult to understand and accept. They feel confused and say, “This is hard to believe!” Some even decide to stop following Him. Jesus then asks His closest friends, the disciples, if they also want to leave. But Peter answers, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.”
This passage teaches us that sometimes Jesus’ words and lessons can be hard to understand, and it’s okay to have questions. The important thing is to keep trusting Jesus, even when things are tough or confusing. Just like Peter, we can remember that Jesus always speaks the truth and has the best plans for us.
When we stay close to Jesus, even when we don’t fully understand, we are choosing to trust in His love and wisdom. Jesus always wants what is best for us, guiding us through every step of our lives.
When things get difficult in our lives, how can we remain true to the values Jesus taught us?
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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.
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By the Numbers
108 - Australia 108 is a residential supertall skyscraper in the Southbank precinct of Melbourne. It became the tallest building in Australia by roof height in 2020, and the second-tallest building in Australia by full height.
It has taken 25 Rounds but we’ve finally arrived at the start of the real stuff - the finals. Looking forward to Port playing the cats next Thursday night and progressing through to a Preliminary Final a couple of weeks later. In the meantime, I’m definitely keen to see Nhill knock off the demons on Sunday.
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
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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
Dates
- Book Fair at Nhill Market - Sunday, 15 September 2024, 9:00am-1:00pm
- Meeting - Tuesday, 8 October 2024, 5:00pm
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates 2024
Term 3 15 Jul to 20 Sep
Term 4 7 Oct to 20 Dec
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See dates on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
September
Fri 6 - Footy Colours Day
Thu 12 - Little Desert Athletics Stawell
Thu 12 - Fri 13 - Middles Camp
Sun 15 - 9am-1pm Book Fair at Nhill Market
Fri 20 - Last Day Term 3 - dismissal time 2:15pm
October
Mon 7 - First Day Term 1
Tue 8 - 5pm SAC Meeting
Thu 17 - Nhill Show Day (local public holiday)
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St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
11:00am Mass each Sunday
Our Mission
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Child Safe Standards
The Child Safe Standards began in Victoria in 2016. The 11 Child Safe Standards are designed to help keep children safe from abuse and harm. Organisations working with children must comply with these Standards.
The Commission for Children and Young People have produced a plain language guide for the Standards which will be shared through our newsletter.
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From: Victoria’s Child Safe Standards: Plain Language Guide
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
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Celebrating Father's Day
Over the centuries, the role of fathers has evolved. During the industrial revolution, fathers were more detached, spending long hours working in factories, whilst mothers took on the role of primary socialiser and educator of children. Men tended to show their love and devotion from a distance, choosing to leave the child rearing to their wives.
Today things have changed dramatically with many Dads being celebrated for being sensitive, caring and more hands-on. Research has shown that the amount of time fathers are now spending teaching, helping and playing with their children, has trebled. This has transformed our understanding of how fathers shape their children’s lives from the start, challenging conventional ideas of parenthood and gender.
Fathers who involve themselves in physical activity with their children, play a key role in influencing them to learn self-control, face challenges, regulate emotions and take manageable risks. However, to be a great Dad, you need to also indulge in a little self-care and look after your own mental health. This allows you to be more responsive to your child’s needs, and engage more readily in play and learning activities.
If you are a Dad and struggling a little bit, it is advisable to seek help from a medical professional. Or, if you just want to talk to someone who understands, you can call one of the following organisations.
In Australia, phone MensLine on 1300 78 99 78 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36.
Reminders
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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.
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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.
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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
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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