Newsletter 2024/28 ~ 6 September 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

Season of Creation 2024

To hope and act with Creation

Lord, grant us the wisdom to care for the earth and till it.

Help us to act now for the good of future generations and all your creatures.

Help us to become instruments of a new creation,

Founded on the covenant of your love.

Amen

I thank You God for most this amazing day:

for the leaping greenly spirits of trees

and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything

which is natural which is infinite which is yes.

Extract of poem by E.E. Cummings

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Australian Teacher Aide Appreciation Week

Australian Teacher Aide (Learning Support Officer) Appreciation Week has been celebrated this week.  We marked the occasion with a special Morning Tea for our LSOs on Tuesday.

We value the contributions and support that our LSOs provide every day.  A huge thank you to Annette, Caroline, Charlotte, Emma and Rebecca for all that you do for our students, our teachers and our school.

National Child Protection Week

This week is National Child Protection Week. This is an opportunity to recognise and promote the safety and wellbeing of Australian children because ‘every child in every community needs a fair go’.  

Students at St Patrick’s are explicitly taught e-safety, including how to:

• recognise and understand what warning signs or ‘red flags’ look like online
• identify safe and unsafe behaviours and the differences between secrets that are safe and unsafe to keep
• use strategies to address harmful or dangerous situations online
• identify the qualities of a safe adult and how to access support pathways.
• understand why some people deceive others online
• use strategies to address harmful or dangerous situations online
• understand the importance of empathy online.

All in our community have a part to play in keeping our children and young people safe and have a responsibility to act on the core message, “protecting children is everyone’s business”.

Indigenous Literacy Day

Wednesday marked Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD).  Founded by the Indigenous Literacy Foundation, Indigenous Literacy Day shares the diversity of First Nations Languages and Cultures.  It is an annual celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Stories, Cultures, and Languages, held on the first Wednesday of September.   This year’s theme, Be a Proud Voice for Country, explores the significance of Country, through many proud voices. 

Students were able to view a presentation about ILD and listened to stories of indigenous culture.

Asthma Awareness Week

At yesterday’s assembly, our senior students presented information around asthma and asked students to raise their hand if they had asthma or knew of someone who does.  This helped highlight to us all, the need to be aware of asthma.  Well done to the Senior class for sharing their learnings with us during Asthma Awareness Week.

• One in 9 Australians has asthma, i.e. 11%. 22% of St Patrick's School students have asthma.
• Up to 94% of asthma patients do not use their inhaler device correctly.
• Only 32% of people with asthma have an asthma action plan.
• Over 150 people in Australia present to Emergency with asthma every day.
• 25,500 asthma related hospitalisations in Australia every year.

Footy Colours Day

There was certainly an array of colours at school today as we held our Footy Colours Day.  I would have preferred it to have been yesterday - too many Geelong colours today!  Good to see lots of Nhill colours and hockey uniforms as we head into another weekend of local finals.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Middles Camp

The Year 2-3 Camp will be held on 12-13 Sept at Tandara Camp, Halls Gap. 

Please ensure that camp forms have been returned.

Payment is due by 9 September.

Teachers’ Planning Day

Mrs Kupper, Miss Attard and Ms Farnham will be attending a collaborative planning day in Horsham on Tuesday.  Classes will still continue at school.

Little Desert Athletics

Congratulations to the following students who have qualified to compete at the Little Desert Athletics Championships in Stawell next Thursday.

• Marnie - Triple Jump, 100m
• Daniel B - Triple Jump, 200m
• AJ - 100m, 200m
• Sophie - Discus, Triple Jump
• Claire - Long Jump
• Ben - Shot Put
• Olive - Long Jump
• Adoni - Relay
• Nile - Relay

Book Fair at Nhill Market

Thank you to our volunteers for the SAC Book Fair stall at the Nhill Market on Sunday 15th September.

The Roster is below.

Everyone is welcome to come along and have a look at the books on offer.

Neurokin Microfestival Horsham

Visiting Horsham Neighbourhood House on Sunday September 29 during the school holidays for a day of creative activities for Autistic and neurodivergent kids, teens, adults, their families, carers and allies. To keep costs to a minimum, the Neurokin Tour has been supported by Creative Victoria and the Foundation for Regional and Rural Renewal. Tickets can be purchased online at the link below.

It is really important for our Autistic and neurodivergent community to be able to come together and develop positive self-identity, this event is designed to do just that!

If you have any questions, please contact Louise Cooper, Autism Consultant, Grad. Cert. Autism Studies, Griffith University, President of ARCANE, Autistic-led Regional Culture Arts Neurodiversity Education & Employment.

HRCC School Holidays Program

Give your child the gift of innovation and impact with the Beacon Holiday Program!

When: October 1st to October 4th, 9:30am - 3:00pm

Where: The Station, Horsham

Submissions are officially open now!

Are you ready to see your child dive into the world of #EmergingTechnologies such as VR and AR, and solve real-world #sustainability issues? Led by fully qualified #teachers, this holiday program is not just about learning but about actively making a difference in our world.

If your child wishes to attend, head to the link below and have them tell us in 250 words or less why they would like to participate. Submissions will close on September 13th.

Don't let your child miss out on this incredible opportunity to learn, grow, and create positive change! This program is open to students in years 4, 5 and 6,

Register them now and let's embark on this journey together.

Sunday’s Gospel

Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23

In Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23, Jesus speaks to the Pharisees who are worried about following all their rules and traditions perfectly, like washing their hands in a special way before eating. They thought doing these things made them better or closer to God. But Jesus explains that it’s not just about following rules; what matters most is what’s in our hearts. For Jesus it was very important for people to really show love for God in all their actions. 

Jesus teaches that things like kindness, love, and honesty make our hearts clean and pleasing to God. Bad thoughts and actions, like being unkind or dishonest, come from a heart that is not right, or ‘unclean’ with God.

This story reminds us that God cares more about how we treat others and what’s inside our hearts than about just following human rules and traditions. It’s important to be loving, caring, and truthful. When our hearts are filled with good things, we live in a way that makes God happy and helps others feel loved and cared for too.

How do we show a clean heart? What traditions do we have for how we worship God and to show that we believe? Whilst they may be important, is saying our prayers or wearing a cross around our necks enough?  What do you think Jesus would say to someone who went to church every week, but who was mean to other people? Do you think they would be showing their love for God in their actions? 

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

109 -The Yarra Trams 109 tram line runs from Port Melbourne to Box Hill and serves 57 tram stations, departing from Beacon Cove (Stop 129) and ending at Box Hill Central (Stop 58).

What a great win by Nhill Tigers over Horsham Demons last Sunday in the Elimination Final.  This Sunday they take on Stawell at Coughlin Park - hopefully another win this weekend.  Meanwhile, Port have become the first team to qualify for Week 2 of the AFL finals - well done Port!! (And thank you to the ‘considerate’ person who left this packet of tissues on my desk this morning!!

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

Classroom and Student News

Junior Class News

Hello wonderful families and welcome to the end of Week 8!

The F/1 students have begun learning a new concept in Mathematics this week. Students have been learning the concept of 'equal' in the context of sharing. They have been focusing on fairness in distribution, connecting the abstract idea of equal shares to real-world scenarios. Additionally, students are grasping how to identify the specific amount in each equal share or equal group through counting and using specific language that builds understanding of sharing and grouping.

In InitiaLit, the Green Group have done a remarkable job of learning and reviewing all the sounds and letters and are using their knowledge to help them decode texts and write sentences. The growth since the beginning of the year has been phenomenal! The Blue Group have been looking at trigraphs this week (3 letters which make one sound) and working hard on their reading fluency and comprehension. I am so proud of the students in my classroom and the amazing little learners they all are.

We look forward to seeing you all at our assembly next week!

Have a fabulous weekend.

Cheers,
Mel Kupper

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 Rahitya, Gu Thay Paw and Brodyn 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 Jewel and Marnie with Little Joey awards.

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:

75 nights - Amity, Sophie

100 nights - April, Brodyn, Julian, William, Meena, Oscar, Samual, Fabian

125 nights - Charlotte K, George

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

School Calendar

September

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)

St Patrick's Nhill

Church Times

11:00am Mass each Sunday

Our Mission

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.

SchoolTV

Mobile Phone Separation Anxiety

Many families are facing the very real challenge of addressing mobile phone separation anxiety in their children. Banning mobile phones in schools has become a topic of intense debate worldwide, including in Australia. Many schools have implemented comprehensive bans on mobile phones during school hours. Critics argue against the effectiveness of such bans, but numerous studies provide evidence of their positive impacts.

Follow the links to learn more.

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

1. Wear a face mask
2. Take a test
3. Stay at home
4. Meet outdoors
5. Talk to your GP about COVID medications
6. Get vaccinated

*coronavirus.vic.gov.au