Newsletter 2023/07 ~ 17 March 2023
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
St Patrick’s Prayer
Christ with me,
Christ before me,
Christ behind me,
Christ in me.
Christ beneath me,
Christ above me,
Christ on my right,
Christ on my left,
Christ when I lie down,
Christ when I sit down,
Christ when I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Amen.
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
St Patrick’s Family Fun Evening
A reminder to all regarding our Family Fun Evening tonight at school from 6pm.
BBQ and soft drinks available.
Bring a plate of food to share (savoury and/or sweet).
Strictly no alcohol.
An evening of fun is guaranteed!
NAPLAN
Our Years 3 and 5 students have been completing their NAPLAN assessments over the past three days. Parents will receive their child’s results later in the year.
Welcome
This week we welcomed two new students to our school. Welcome to James (Year 2) and Tom (Year 4). We trust that you and your family will enjoy your time at St Patrick’s School.
It was also pleasing to welcome David back to school this week after having been in Hoppers Crossing for the past four weeks following a motor vehicle accident. David is still recovering from his injuries and we continue to offer prayers for his and his father’s recovery.
School fees
Thank you to those who have returned the paperwork and commenced payment of school fees.
A reminder that these forms are overdue. We would appreciate the return of outstanding forms.
Please contact me to discuss payment arrangements if payment of fees is an issue for your family.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Senior Camp
The Years 5 and 6 students will head to Melbourne on Monday morning for a three day camp. Students will be staying at Urban Camp in Parkville and will visit local venues including Scienceworks, Queen Victoria Market, MCG, Melbourne Sports & Aquatic Centre, Melbourne Museum, Melbourne Zoo and Bounce. Miss Attard, Mr Keller and myself will be accompanying the students. We look forward to good weather and safe travels next week.
Harmony Week
Harmony Week will be recognised across the country next week. Australia is one of the most successful multicultural countries in the world and we should celebrate this and work to maintain it.
Harmony Week is a time to celebrate Australian multiculturalism, and the successful integration of migrants into our community.
Harmony Week is about inclusiveness, respect and belonging for all Australians, regardless of cultural or linguistic background, united by a set of core Australian values.
Orange is the colour chosen to represent Harmony Week. Traditionally, orange signifies social communication and meaningful conversations. It also relates to the freedom of ideas and encouragement of mutual respect. Staff and children can choose to wear something orange next Tuesday for Harmony Day. Harmony Day falls on 21 March, which coincides with the United Nations' International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Child Safe 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.
All parents and volunteers that are onsite when students are onsite, or attend school events, are required to hold a Working with Children Check (WWCC) and sign the school’s Child Safety Code of Conduct. If we do not have a current copy of your WWCC, please present your card to the office for photocopying. We will endeavour to get all families to sign the code of conduct in the very near future.
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
Project Compassion
Priscilla lives in the Hwange district in Zimbabwe with her husband, Charles, and their two grandsons. Climate change continues to bring unprecedented challenges for people living in the most vulnerable and remote communities in Zimbabwe.
With the support of Caritas Hwange, Priscilla learnt conservation farming skills to grow drought-resistant crops to support her family during the current food crisis. Priscilla was able to produce a bumper harvest in her first year of practising conservation farming. Priscilla used the funds from her harvest to start poultry farming, which enabled her to sell eggs to pay for her grandchildren’s school fees, books and stationery. The poultry farming provides a safety net for Priscilla and her family during times of hardship, like the current drought.
While the situation in Zimbabwe and across eastern Africa remains dire, the work of Caritas Hwange means that Priscilla can learn the skills she needs to build resilience and support her family during this current food crisis.
Please donate to Project Compassion 2023.
Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow For All Future Generations.
You can donate through the distributed Project Compassion donation boxes, by visiting the website (link below), or by calling 1800 024 413.
Sunday’s Gospel
John 4:5-16,19-26,39-42
Jesus is thirsty and so he asks a Samaritan woman for a drink from the well. The woman is surprised because normally Jews and Samaritans did not get along. It was also unusual at the time for a man to talk to a woman he did not know- but even though it is unusual, Jesus talks to the woman anyway. Why do you think he does this?
Jesus is showing us that God loves everyone, no matter who they are, where they come from or the colour of their skin. Just like Jesus in this story we all need water to drink. We need food to eat. A safe place to live, somewhere to learn and someone to look after us when we are sick. Sometimes people forget that God loves us all and that we are part of one global family. They only see the differences between themselves and another group of people and this can lead to many problems. So this week let’s do what we can to help other people. Let’s treat those who are different to us with kindness and respect. Let’s share with others and try to live in peace.
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
Fifty is the smallest number that is the sum of two non-zero square numbers in two distinct ways:
50 = (1 x 1) + (7 x 7) = (5 x 5) + (5 x 5).
It is also the sum of three squares,
50 = (3 x 3) + (4 x 4) + (5 x 5),
and the sum of four squares,
50 = (6 x 6) + (3 x 3) + (2 x 2) + (1 x 1).
Finally, the footy is back!
What a great start to the season last night! It’s always a good week when neither Richmond or Carlton win. A tough start for my team tomorrow against the Lions (who seem to have found Carlton’s cheque book from the '80s).
Good Luck to West Wimmera in their cricket Grand Finals this weekend and best wishes to our students involved in basketball Grand Finals tonight.
Go Port!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Junior Class
This week the Foundation students have had their first Wednesday at school. What an exciting day for them being able to join in with art and have their school photos all on the same day.
The Year 1’s have been leading the way with art, showing the Foundation students what they have learnt so far about Aboriginal art and the practices which they have learnt to use. We are currently working on producing an artwork to go with an acknowledgement of country for our classroom.
In Maths we are continuing to learn about counting and representing numbers. This week we have been looking at representing numbers on a number line.
In Writing we have been working on writing sentences and the Foundation students have been learning to write a simple sentence. The Year 1s have been learning to extend and make their sentences even more interesting.
In Reading we are learning about the different ways we can retell a story in our own words and in order.
For Religion this week we have been creating and working on our prayer mat that we can use together during prayer times.
Today has been so exciting, being St Patrick’s Day. We have been learning about St Patrick and what he did as well as including Irish things into our learning today. We had a sea of green with everyone in our classroom wearing something green.
Middle Class
What a week!
This week we welcomed back David! The Middles have missed David dearly and we are so very happy to see him back at school with us!
We also welcomed two new students into our class, Tom and James. Tom in grade 4 and James in grade 2. Welcome to you both!
Well done to the Year 3’s on completing NAPLAN this week. From all reports from Mr Dalgleish all students worked very hard.
In English we have wrapped up our persuasive writing unit and will begin Information Texts next week. In Maths this week we began looking at time. Next week we will look at days of the week, months and seasons of the year.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!
Senior Class
This week some of the Senior Class are going to give a report on some of the things that have been happening in our classroom:
NAPLAN:
This week the Year 5s had NAPLAN. On Wednesday was Writing. We had to write a story about a key. My story was about three girls who lived in Tokyo. One day the power went out, and they had to find a key to turn it back on. - Olive
My story was about two adults called Mark and Zanny. They loved going to their favourite cafe called Amber’s. One day it was closed and Amber was locked in a cage, so they had to find the key to get her out. - Sophie
In Maths we have been learning about square numbers, prime numbers and cube numbers. A prime number is a number that can only be divided by itself and 1 - Sienna
Integrated Studies - We thought about thinking hats. Thinking hats are the different ways we can think about important problems. We had different scenarios we had to solve. My scenario was that I got caught fighting in the school yard. We used the Black hat for this because that means negative consequences - Treesa
Everyone is very excited about our Melbourne camp and we have been learning about what to expect next week. See you all bright and (very) early on Monday morning!
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 Tegan, Liberty and Daniel were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies.
Little Joey Awards
This week we continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Isabella and Ben 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 this week for their reading achievements:
25 nights - Claire, Nile, Tyler, Jody, Sienna.
Important Dates and Reminders
All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
Term Dates
2023
Term 1 27 Jan (Staff), 30 Jan (Students) to 6 Apr
Term 2 24 Apr to 23 Jun
Term 3 10 Jul to 15 Sep
Term 4 2 Oct to 20 Dec
School Calendar
March
Mon 20 - Sun 26 Harmony Week
Mon 20 - Wed 22 Senior Camp
Tue 21 - Harmony Day - dress in orange
April
Mon 3 - Cross Country Yrs 3-6
Tue 4 - SAC Meeting 7.30pm
Thu 6 - Last day Term 1
Mon 24 - Student free day for Staff Professional Development
Tue 25 - ANZAC Day Public Holiday
Wed 26 - First day Term 2 for students
Fri 27 - Athletics Yrs 3-6
May
Fri 12 - Student free day for Staff Professional Development
Reminders
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 PAM (SIMON Everywhere): - >Home, scroll down to >Knowledge Bank, >Parent Documents, >Action, >Preview
Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere
We strongly encourage parents to use the Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere) to inform us of student absences. These notes can be set in advance (if, for example, you know that your child will be absent a week in the future). Notes written in the diary are for communicating with teachers. Absent notes need to be directed to the office.
The Simon Everywhere app 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 PAM (Simon Everywhere) - notify us of absences, provide permission for student activities, update medical/contact information, view the lunch orders menu, read the newsletter ...
Please contact the office with any questions.
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)
- 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.
- It is recommended that rapid antigen tests (RATs) are used by students and staff if they:
- have symptoms of COVID-19 infection, no matter how mild
- are a household or close contact of someone who has COVID-19
- are a social contact of someone who has COVID-19.
- The Department of Health recommends that all Victorians report their positive RAT result via the online form or by calling 1800 675 398 and inform those with whom they have recently been in contact, including their workplace, school and household.
- Principals are no longer required to inform their school community of a positive case associated with the school.
RATs are available for all Victorians from council sites. Individuals can obtain two free packs (10 tests) for themselves and two free packs (10 tests) for each household member. People with disability and their carers can get up to four free packs (20 tests) in line with existing RAT distribution for people with disability.
School Advisory Council
Parent Representatives
- Rebecca Curtis
- Emily Gladdis
- Moo Khu James
- Michaela Koop
- Zanther McEldrew
- Nathan Wheeler
Ex Officio
- Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
- Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal
Next Meeting
- Tuesday 4 April 2023, 7.30pm
Our Mission
Community News
Auskick
Nhill & District Sporting Club
Registrations are now open!
Join in the fun at Nhill: Davis Park, 4:30 Thursday afternoons.
Come Try Free Session: 27th April 2023. Week 1 starts 4th May.
Boys and girls (best suited to ages 5-12). All skill levels welcome.
For more information contact Zanny 0410 292 094
To register:
Under 14s Footy Training
When: Tomorrow morning, 18th March 10am (before the first senior football practice match)
Where: Davis Park
Who: all players, new and old needed to build our numbers. All skill levels welcome.
Contact: Nathan Schneider (Football Manager, Nhill & District Sporting Club) 0427913221
54th Annual Easter Vintage Machinery Rally Colouring Competition
Children have been given a colouring competition page for the Warracknabeal Agricultural Machinery Museum’s annual rally on 8th and 9th April. Pictured is one of the first McDonald tractors produced in 1913, which is one of the very rare tractors in the museum. Details of the competition are:- age groups 6 years & younger; 7 & 8 years; 9 & 10 years; 11 years & older. First and second prizes are awarded in each section.
If your child wishes to enter the competition, please forward their entries directly to PO Box 355, Warracknabeal 3393 (or drop it in at Wheatlands Warehouse, 14 Scott Street, Warracknabeal). Please do not bring them to school. They must be received by the competition organisers by 31st March.
If you need further information please ring Lesley Stephan (competition organiser) on 04373938376 (sic).
Nhill College "Awkward Conversations"
Marriage Encounter Weekend
“Live Your Best Life in Love”
Every relationship is a journey and the grind of everyday life can cause you to lose touch with your spouse. This experience gives married couples the tools to keep your passion alive in a gentle, nurturing environment, away from pressures and distractions of daily living. The weekend is based around Catholic values and couples of all faiths are welcome.
Please check our website for more details.
28-30 April 2023 in Melbourne (Book early to avoid disappointment)
Information/Bookings: Phone Mercy & James 0409 183 676 or
Email: vicbookings@wwme.org.au Website: wwme.org.au