Newsletter 2025/17 ~ 27 June 2025
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
The following prayer by the late Pope Francis, invites Christians to reflect that the creation of peace begins with every person and every community.
Peace is not a distant concept, needed somewhere else, its possibility is in our own hands to create.
Lord God of Peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: "Never again war!"; "With war everything is lost". Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words "division", "hatred" and "war" be banished from the heart of all humanity.
Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands.
Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be "brother", and our way of life will always be that of: Shalom, Peace, Salaam!
Amen.
Pope Francis
RECENT & CURRENT EVENTS
Staff Planning Day
Our teaching staff gathered in Horsham on Tuesday for a day of professional planning, together with staff from Our Lady Help of Christians, Murtoa, and Learning & Teaching support staff from Catholic Education Ballarat.
State Library Sessions
This week our senior students have been tuning in to Book Bash through the State Library. For the past three days they have joined online to hear from some of Australia's best authors.
On Tuesday they heard from Australian writing legend Anh Do as he shared his storytelling secrets. On Wednesday, Australian Children's Laureate Sally Rippin joined with the students to explore how to bring characters to life. Sally has published more than seventy books, many award-winning, including two novels for young adults. And yesterday, they learnt how to finish a story with a bang with award-winning author Amelia Mellor. Amelia began her writing career as her secondary school’s resident playwright in Year 11.
Building Update
The temporary office for Mrs Rintoule and myself has been erected on the lawn area immediately in front of the hall this week. It is anticipated that electrical and data cabling will be completed by Wednesday and we will be able to move in. We will then vacate the main building and hand it over to the builders to start internal works.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SWPBS Rewards Day
Congratulations to MacKillop House who have won the SWPBS Weekly draws for Term 2. The students will gather today to discuss the rewards day for next week.
End of Term
School will finish at 2.15pm next Friday as we commence the mid-year school holidays.
School Visit & Information Session for 2025 Kinder Families
Friday 8th August | 9:15am – 11:00am
We warmly invite all families with a child enrolled in Kindergarten for 2025 to attend our upcoming school visit and information session.
This will be a valuable opportunity to see our school in action, meet key staff, and ask any questions you may have about our programs, facilities, and transition processes.
We look forward to welcoming you and your child to St Patrick’s School on Friday 8th August at 9:15am.
If you're unable to attend or would prefer a more personalised visit, please feel free to contact us at any time to arrange a private tour or chat.
Gifting Mass
We will be welcoming Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School for a Gifting Mass on 29 August. We are asking families to donate items of non-perishable foods that can then be donated to local services to assist those in need within our community.
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.
Sunday's Gospel Reflection
Luke 9:11–17
The Gospel story from Sunday tells the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand.
Jesus is followed by a large crowd. He welcomes them, teaches them about the Kingdom of God, and heals those in need. As the day goes on, the disciples suggest sending the crowd away to find food and lodging. Instead, Jesus tells them, “You give them something to eat.” They have only five loaves and two fish. Jesus takes this small offering, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to the disciples to distribute. Miraculously, everyone eats and is satisfied, and twelve baskets of leftovers are collected.
This story tells us:
God Provides Abundantly
This story shows that with God, there is always enough. Even when resources seem limited, Jesus provides generously and miraculously.
Trust in Jesus’ Power
The disciples didn’t think what they had was enough. But Jesus shows that even small offerings, when placed in His hands, can do great things.
A Call to Compassion
Jesus doesn’t send the people away. He sees their hunger—both physical and spiritual—and responds with care. It’s a model for how we should treat others in need.
The Eucharistic Connection
Jesus blesses, breaks, and shares bread—just like in the Last Supper. This passage foreshadows the Eucharist, where Jesus gives Himself as spiritual food for all.
Sunday’s Gospel teaches us to trust God’s abundance, offer what we can, and care for others, knowing that Jesus transforms even our smallest efforts into something life-giving.
By the Numbers
136 - The sum of the numbers 1 to 16.
What a night last night - Port back on track with a good win over the blues, the Matildas with a solid win over Slovenia, and hopefully our Test cricketers can build an innings to set up a win over the West Indies too.
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Junior Class News
With just one week left of Term 2, our F/1 students have certainly been busy bees, making the most of every learning opportunity before we head into the well-deserved school holidays!
In Mathematics, we’ve been exploring subtraction and the many strategies we can use to solve problems. These include counting back, counting on, using number lines, and building our fluency. We’ve also been expanding our mathematical vocabulary, learning the meaning of words like subtract, take away, less, fewer, and finding the difference.
In Literacy, our Foundation students have continued learning new sounds, blending them to read and write CVC words, practising their letter formation, recognising tricky words, and even learning what a digraph is! Meanwhile, our Year 1s have been busy revising their learning from the term – focusing on digraphs and trigraphs, reading and spelling tricky words, and building their confidence in writing complete and meaningful sentences.
Our Science unit on materials has sparked plenty of curiosity! We’ve been investigating which materials are best suited for clothing and houses, and why. In our final week, students will take on the exciting challenge of designing a dog coat using everything they’ve learned.
As we head into the holidays, we encourage families to continue reading at home to keep those skills sharp.
Looking ahead to Term 3 Week 3, we’re excited to celebrate our Foundation students’ 100 Days of School! To mark the occasion, students are invited to come dressed as 100-year-olds, and we’ll be celebrating alongside Our Lady Help of Christians School in Murtoa. Keep an eye out for more details early next term!
Enjoy the final week of Term 2 – it’s been a big one, and we’ve officially made it halfway through the year. What a wonderful achievement!
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. Students who were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies, were Samual, Xavier M and Paweh.
Little Joey Awards
We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Daniel P 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 - Kyan.
75 nights - Stella, Charlotte M.
School Advisory Council
Parent Representatives
- Clint Beattie
- Rebecca Curtis
- Emily Gladdis
- Bonnie McEldrew
- Zanther McEldrew
- Ashleigh Meyer
- Courtney Taylor
Ex Officio
- Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
- Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal
Dates
- Meeting - Tuesday 5 August 2025 5:30pm
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates
2025
Term 2 22 April (Staff), 28 April (Students) to 4 July
Term 3 21 July to 19 September
Term 4 6 October to 19 December
See dates on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
July
Fri 4 - Last day Term 2 - dismissal time 2:15pm
Mon 21 - First day Term 3
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.
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
School TV
Internet Addiction
Young people today don’t have the maturity to use their digital devices responsibly. For example, giving a smartphone to an 11 year old can be akin to giving them a ‘loaded gun’. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
For children and teenagers, there is no doubt that the Internet can be an excellent resource for information, communication and entertainment, but more and more Australian parents are concerned about excessive time online.
Follow the link below to read more.
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in these editions of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact your child's teacher or the principal for further information or seek medical or professional help.
From the eSafety Commissioner
Swimming between the digital flags: helping young Australians navigate social media’s dangerous currents
The relationship between social media and children’s mental health is one of the most important conversations of our time. That's why, from mid-December, the Australian Government will require certain social media services to take steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.
This week, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant outlined how Australia plans to take this bold action forward, in a speech delivered at the National Press Club.
Here's what parents need to know right now:
- It’s not a ban, it’s a delay. We’re giving kids more time to build digital skills and resilience before facing the pressures of social media.
- The responsibility lies with the platform. There are no penalties for children or parents—only for platforms that fail to take reasonable steps to prevent under 16s from having accounts.
- You’re not alone. eSafety offers trusted resources for parents and carers, educators, young people and kids. We’ve got the flags, the swimming lessons, and the safety tips to help you support your kids. And our protective powers in areas such as cyberbulling and image-based abuse will still be there to help if things go wrong.
Australia is building a culture of online safety—just like we’ve done on our beaches. Because the internet, like the ocean, is not going away – and our kids are already dipping their toes in.
To stay up to date on social media age restrictions and much more, visit the eSafety Commissioner's website using the link below.
Reminders
School Office Hours
- M 8:45am - 4:15pm
- T 8:45am - 4:30pm
- W 8:45am - 4:30pm
- T 8:45am - 4:30pm
- F 8:45am - 1:00pm
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
Concussion Protocol
Concussion is a serious situation and children, like adults, need time to rest and recover after receiving a concussion. Schools have obligations for understanding if activities need to be adapted for students recovering from concussion sustained outside of school.
Given the requirement to rest, recover and adapt activities it is important schools are made aware when a student receives a concussion outside of the school setting.
Concussion – Important information to be aware of
If your child has experienced concussion outside of the school setting it is important that they rest for a period of 24 to 48 hours and then gradually return to activities after this time. Returning to school can be a graduated approach with the aim of increasing tolerance to a full day, the same situation could occur with sporting activities. It is always important to check with your doctor and seek medical treatment after a child sustains a concussion.
It is important to inform the school if your child has sustained a concussion outside of school; this is to ensure the school can monitor your child’s wellbeing and adapt activities as required.
Links:
- Factsheet from the Royal Children’s Hospital is valuable to read and understand.
- There is also a great evidence-based app from the Murdoch children’s research institute that walks you through what to do in the result of a concussion.
Community News
School Holiday Program - Hindmarsh Shire Council
School holiday fun at HRAG
Kindergarten & Long Day Care 2026 - Open Days
Brotherhood of St Laurence - Saver Plus
Journalist Jo Abi recently featured an article on Nine Honey about her shock power bill — and included some simple, practical ways to save energy and reduce costs. It's a great read, especially for families looking for budget-friendly strategies. She’s paired it with one of her “simple ways to save”.
This ties in perfectly with the Saver Plus program, which supports eligible families from the school community, to build healthy savings habits and reduce financial stress. It’s a free program that matches participants’ savings dollar for dollar, up to $500, to help with school-related expenses.