Newsletter 2025/20~ 1 August 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
Welcome to Our Lady Help of Christians Primary School students and staff who have joined us today for the 100 Days of School celebrations.
We are enjoying the growing relationship between our two schools - a relationship which will grow even further in the coming years as we will see other joint initiatives being implemented.
The Murtoa students will next join us for our Giving Mass on Friday 29 August.
Meanwhile, the building program continues to move forward with the toilet block having been demolished this week.
RECENT & CURRENT EVENTS
100 Days of School
Thank you to Mrs Kupper for coordinating the 100 Days of School celebrations. This marks the Foundation students’ first 100 days of schooling. It was pleasing to have the OLHC students and staff join in for the occasion.
Building Update
Demolition continues with the old toilet block having now been removed. It has been a great point of interest for the students to watch the transformation of the main building.
Welcome
This week Tha The Moo Baw joined us in the Junior class. We welcome Tha The Moo, and her family, to St Patrick’s School.
Australian Dental Health will be visiting next term
ADH will be providing free dental check-ups and treatment for eligible students. Regular dental check-ups are essential for keeping your child’s teeth healthy—preventing cavities, spotting issues early, and encouraging good habits.
This service is provided at no cost to eligible families through Medicare’s Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). If you have neither, Australian Dental Health will still provide a free check-up for your child.
If you wish for your child to participate please complete a consent form. Paper consent forms will be sent home next week, or complete the online form at the link below (by 22 August). Any forms received after this time will only be accommodated if time permits.
Don’t miss the chance to keep your child’s smile healthy!
If you have any questions, please reach out to ADH at info@adhv.com.au or 03 93239607.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Kinder Visit
Current 4 year old Kinder students and their families are invited to visit our school next Friday 8 August from 9.15am until 11am.
Children and their parents will be able to join our Foundation-Year 1 class during the morning 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.
Children are to bring a drink bottle with water, and a piece of fresh fruit to eat during our fruit break time at 10am.
I invite all families who are considering their Primary School options for 2026, to come and take a look at what we have to offer at St Patrick’s School.
If you are unable to attend on 8 August and would like to arrange an alternate time, please contact me on 0419929271 or principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au
We look forward to nurturing your child’s future.
Enrolments for 2026 are now being accepted across all year levels. Please contact the front office for an enrolment package.
Book Week
Children’s Book Week is just around the corner, running from Friday, 16th August to Friday, 23rd August, with this year’s exciting theme: “Book an Adventure!”
To celebrate, we’ll be holding our Book Week Dress-Up Day on Monday, 18th August. Students and staff are encouraged to come dressed up, ready to embark on a literary adventure! Costumes can be as creative or simple as you like - let’s make it a fun and memorable day for our students.
Mary Mackillop Feast Day
The Mary MacKillop Feast Day is celebrated annually on 8 August. We give thanks to God for the life of Australia’s First Saint, Mary of the Cross MacKillop. Mary’s Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, also known as the Josephites, established our school, St Patrick’s, in 1949.
Homelessness Week
Next week, Homelessness Australia hosts Homelessness Week to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness, and the solutions needed to end homelessness. The theme for Homelessness Week 2025 is “Homelessness Action Now”.
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 11:1–13 teaches us about the power of prayer, God's generosity, and His deep love for us.
The disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray. He gives them the Lord’s Prayer as a model—simple, respectful, and full of trust in God. Jesus then tells a story about a man who asks his friend for help at night. Even if the friend is reluctant, he helps because of the man's persistence. Jesus uses this to encourage us to keep praying and not give up.
He says, “Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened.”
Then He reminds us that if even human parents give good gifts to their children, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit—His very presence—to those who ask.
This passage invites us to talk to God every day and trust that He cares deeply for us.
By the Numbers
139 is the 34th prime number. It can also be expressed as the sum of five consecutive prime numbers: 19 + 23 + 29 + 31 + 37.
Given Port’s abysmal performance in the Showdown last weekend, this was a good week for me to be away at the School Sport Australia Games in Brisbane. Sadly, we now run into Geelong at GMHBA Stadium on Sunday. I’m looking forward to the start of the cricket season!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Junior Class News
This week marked a very special milestone for our Foundation/Year 1 students as they celebrated 100 Days of School alongside Our Lady Help of Christians, Murtoa! The students embraced the fun dress-up theme by arriving as 100-year-olds – complete with glasses, cardigans, and walking sticks – and they looked fantastic! The day was filled with exciting activities to mark this wonderful achievement. Congratulations to all students on reaching this milestone!
In Science, students have begun exploring Earth and Space Sciences. They are observing how daily and seasonal changes impact our lives, including the ways people, animals, and plants adapt throughout the day and across seasons. As part of this unit, students are tracking daily weather patterns and, using their Design and Technology skills, will soon investigate materials that provide protection from the elements – culminating in designing and constructing a sun shelter for a frog!
In Mathematics, the focus has been on 2D shapes. Students have been learning to name shapes, count their sides, and identify their vertices (corners), developing their ability to describe and classify shapes based on their features.
In Literacy, our Foundation students have been learning new letters and digraphs, blending sounds to read and write simple words, and practicing writing sentences. Year 1 students have been developing their understanding of sentence structure, revising the bossy 'e', and learning two new ways to represent the /or/ sound using ‘aw’ and ‘au’.
Wishing all our families a fantastic weekend – stay warm!
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 Shalom, Isabella and Max.
Little Joey Awards
We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Zion and Charlotte M 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:
50 nights - Oscar
75 nights - Jesse, Julian, William, Tessa
100 nights - Xavier 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 3 21 July to 19 September (students finish 18 September)
Term 4 6 October to 19 December
See dates on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
August
Tue 5 - SAC Meeting 5.30pm
Fri 8 - Kinder visit 9:15-11am
M-F 11-12 - Bullying No Way: National Week of Action
Tue 12 - Hockey 7s, Hamilton
S-S 16-23 - Book Week
Mon 18 - Book Week Dress Up Day
Wed 20 - WWSSA Athletics, Warracknabeal
Fri 29 - Gifting Mass
September
Wed 10 - Little Desert Athletics, Stawell
Thu 18 - Last Day Term 3 - dismissal time 3:15pm
Fri 19 - Student free day for staff professional development
October
Mon 6 - First Day Term 4
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
Being A Good Friend
Friends help give meaning to our lives, fulfil the need to belong, and provide support during tough times. They’re pretty central to happiness and wellbeing. Research has also shown that the better the quality of your relationships, the more likely you are to be happy. When you’re happier, you’re more likely to attract more and better-quality relationships. Seems like one big cycle? It is!
Wednesday was the International Day of Friendship, an initiative that was proclaimed in 2011 by the UN General Assembly with the idea that friendship between peoples, countries, cultures and individuals can inspire peace efforts and build bridges between communities. It encourages people to connect with friends, celebrate their bonds, and promote the positive impact of friendship on mental health and well-being.
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.
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.