Newsletter 2025/21~ 8 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

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop.

Mary MacKillop was born on 15 January 1842 in Melbourne. Her parents were born in Scotland and came to live in Australia.  She had three sisters and four brothers.

Mary cared about the people who had no one to look after them, such as boys and girls who just roamed the streets, children in the country who had no school to go to, people who were old and sick and people who had nowhere to live. More than anything, Mary wanted to help these people. 

Mary went to work as a teacher in Penola, South Australia, where she met Father Julian Tenison Woods who also wanted to do something for the poor children who could not afford to pay the money needed to go to school. 

Together, in 1866, they began the first St Joseph’s School in an old stable. On 19 March 1866 (St Joseph’s Day) Mary started to wear a simple black dress and began the Congregation of the Sisters of St Joseph. Now as a Sister, she dedicated her life to doing God’s work.

As more and more young women joined Mary as Sisters, they were able to start more schools. All children were welcome at the Josephite schools, which provided free Catholic education.

Mary MacKillop died on 8 August 1909 in Sydney. After she died, the Sisters of St Joseph kept on doing the good work she had started. They also continued starting new schools, including St Patrick’s School, Nhill in 1949.

Mary is an important Australian who spent her life helping people, especially children. She is Australia’s first Saint.

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 the obstacles 

of prejudice and fear.

Help us to value

the goodness of each person 

and all the blessings 

of unity in diversity.

We ask this through the depth 

of unity of you, 

our bountiful God, 

who hold all things in being.

Amen.

St Mary of the Cross MacKillop, Pray for Us.

RECENT & CURRENT EVENTS

Kinder visit

This morning we had a number of four-year old kinder children and their parents visit our school as they consider their options for 2026.

Children participated in activities with the Foundation children, and parents were given the opportunity to ask questions and find out more about our school.  I wish each of these families well in their discussions and deliberations as they decide which of the three local schools best meets the needs for their child’s educational journey.

If you are aware of any families who were unable to attend today’s visit but would like to come and have a morning at school, please ask them to contact us to arrange a time that is convenient for all.

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Building Update

The main building has been gutted, the lunch shelter and toilet block has come down, the rain water tanks have gone and a tree has been removed.  The front of the school is looking very “open-plan” and well air-conditioned - not exactly the ideal workplace for mornings like today.

The last photo in the gallery below is the status of the office this morning - Mrs Rintoule was very grateful for her seat in the nice warm temporary office on this chilly winter morning!

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School phone

We continue to work on a solution to our faulty school phone (53911575).

Please call the school mobile 0419929271 until further notice.

Signing in/out

At times the school office will be unattended and locked. If you are needing to sign your child in or out, please use the Passtab QR Code (on the office door). This brings the Passtab iPad directly to your phone.

Australian Catholics Magazine

The Spring Edition of Australian Catholics magazine is out now. Click the link below or get your hardcopy from the school office.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Bullying No Way Week

Next week is Bullying No Way Week, from 11 to 15 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 2025 is 'Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.'

It takes courage to spark change.

Bullying is everyone's responsibility. It takes a community to be brave and address bullying behaviours, within and beyond the school gate.

Students can be bold, kind and take a stand to support others being bullied. While parents and teachers are there to support children and young people learn how to behave in a positive way.

In our community and in our school, we want a place where everyone can belong, a place that celebrates everyone, and where bullying is never accepted.

This Bullying No Way Week, we're asking students, families and the community to be bold and say something, be kind and support someone, and be proud to take a stand against bullying.

Reminder

Please return School Dental notes (or complete online at link below) by 22 August.

Hockey 7s

Good luck to our hockey team who are heading to Hamilton on Tuesday for the next level of competition after winning the West Wimmera carnival last month.

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.

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 12:13-21

In Luke 12:13–21, Jesus tells the parable of the rich man whose land produces a great harvest. Instead of thinking about how he might share his abundance, the man decides to build bigger barns to store it all for himself, dreaming of a future of ease and pleasure. But God calls him a “fool,” because that very night his life will end. All his stored-up wealth will mean nothing.

This parable warns us not to put our trust in possessions or think life is only about having more. Wealth and success are not wrong, but they are temporary. True life and security come from being “rich toward God” — using our gifts, time, and resources to serve others and grow in love for God.

Jesus invites us to think about what really matters. Are we focused only on ourselves, or are we living in a way that blesses others? The rich man’s mistake was forgetting that life is short and that our relationship with God is what lasts forever.

The message is clear: value what is eternal over what is temporary, and live each day generously and with gratitude. That is how we become truly rich in God’s eyes.

By the Numbers

140 - The number of days until the start of the Boxing Day Test (yes, that means 139 days until Christmas, or less than 20 weeks!)

Classroom and Student News

Senior Class News

Welcome to Week Three! The days are flying by and it seems as though the days are packed with opportunities. This week the Senior class has been exploring the life and contributions of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop in view of the Feast Day of St Mary today. We have looked at her early life, her beliefs, her meeting Father Julian Tennison Woods in Penola and forming the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart to ensure girls and women would have access to education. We also explored the challenges and achievements of her life and have written a paragraph on “What I Learned About Mary MacKillop. These pieces of writing will form the basis for a display in the hall for the Feast Day.

In Maths, the class has continued to explore the topic of multiplication and division and have created a practical individual project of a foldable fraction wall. This required some out of the box and critical thinking to visualise how you would construct this manipulative resource.

In English, we have continued to read our main novel for this term “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” and we are almost a third of the way through. We have now met and discussed all the main characters and the students are beginning to get a feel for how to use the hints in the novel to predict what might happen in the upcoming chapters and how that might impact the story overall.

Today the students presented their story journey maps and their Book Bag Project. The Book Bag Project is a showbag designed to showcase their holiday reading book and is a fun and creative way to give a book report. The story map was a visual representation of the text before we started reading it. The students had to create a visual road map and have 17 “pit stops” along the route. These 17 markers were the chapter titles of the text and they were also written on the sheet. The final component was for the student to illustrate what the chapter titles represented.

The Hockey 7s team, who was successful in Dimboola and who will be representing St Pat’s in Hamilton on Tuesday next week, has been busy practicing every lunchtime so they can continue to dominate! We wish them all the best and hope they are successful next week.

Lastly, next week is national “Bullying No Way Week", a theme that we as a community feel is very important to explore and find ways to help prevent bullying in our lives. The classes will be doing a number of tasks revolving around this theme next week.

As always, we wish you a safe and happy (not to mention warm and dry) weekend and look forward to a fantastic week next week!

Warm regards,

Ms Farnham

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, Max and Claire.

Little Joey Awards

We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Tyler 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:

75 nights - Fabian

100 nights - Mckenzie, Meena, Hannah E, George

125 nights - Hannah G, Valentino

150 nights - Shalom

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 and Reminders

School Calendar

August

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 12pm

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

School TV

Why Cultural Diversity Matters

Tomorrow is the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples

There are an estimated 476 million Indigenous Peoples in the world living across 90 countries. They make up less than 6 per cent of the world's population, but account for at least 15 per cent of the poorest. They speak an overwhelming majority of the world’s estimated 7,000 languages and represent 5,000 different cultures.

Indigenous Peoples are inheritors and practitioners of unique cultures and ways of relating to people and the environment. They have retained social, cultural, economic and political characteristics that are distinct from those of the dominant societies in which they live. Despite their cultural differences, Indigenous Peoples from around the world share common problems related to the protection of their rights as distinct peoples.

Indigenous Peoples have sought recognition of their identities, their way of life and their right to traditional lands, territories and natural resources for years. Yet, throughout history, their rights have been violated. Indigenous Peoples today, are arguably among the most disadvantaged and vulnerable groups of people in the world. The international community now recognizes that special measures are required to protect their rights and maintain their distinct cultures and way of life.

In order to raise awareness of the needs of these population groups, every 9 August commemorates the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, chosen in recognition of the first meeting of the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held in Geneva in 1982.

Source: https://www.un.org/en/observances/indigenous-day

Follow the link below to watch the TED Talk by Michael Gavin, who is associate Professor of human dimensions of natural resources researches biological diversity, and discusses the importance that history, language and tradition have in the preservation of culture. His research examines the origins of human and biological diversity, which has led him to work with indigenous communities in over a dozen countries.

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

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

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.