Newsletter 2023/12 ~ 12 May 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

Mother’s Day

On behalf of the staff of St Patrick’s School, I take this opportunity to wish all mothers a very happy ‘Mother’s Day’ for this Sunday.

It was pleasing to see a great number of mums join us yesterday for our Mother’s Day activities and afternoon tea.

Thank you to members of the SAC for coordinating the luncheon and I trust that everyone had fun with their children as they joined in the various activities and games, looked over what was happening in the classrooms, and then enjoyed the assembly.  There was certainly a wonderful array of colours on finger nails yesterday (and probably for the next week or so!)

We thank you all for joining us and trust that you had as much fun and enjoyment as we did hosting you.

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CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Cross Country results

Congratulations to Sophie, Claire and Nile who participated in the Little Desert Cross Country Championships at Horsham Racecourse on Wednesday.  All three acquitted themselves well.  Apologies to Nile for missing his name on last week’s newsletter too.

Seussical The Musical

On Wednesday we travelled to Horsham Town Hall to watch Horsham Arts Council’s production “Seussical the Musical”.  Everyone enjoyed the performance and the array of talent on display – the amazing acting, singing, and dancing.  We all now know that “anything is possible”.

Thank you to the SPARKS Art Education at HAG for their support which allowed us to attend.

Trivia Night

Thank you to all who were able to attend last Friday night’s Trivia Night.  It was a great social evening with lots of laughs and entertainment and I think most people went home with some sort of prize at the end of the night.  Overall, in excess of $1200 was raised for the local church to go towards split-system air conditioners.

ADF Parcels

Last year our students partnered with Nhill RSL Sub Branch Blue Lounge Social Club to send Christmas parcels off to those serving with the Australian Defence Forces.  

Last week we received a letter from Mikaela Harris, a 25 year old Corporal in the Australian Army.  In her letter, Mikaela thanked the students for their letters and drawings and answered a number of questions that the children had asked.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Walk Safely to School Day

Friday 19 May is National Walk Safely to School Day (WSTSD).  Now in its 24th year, the annual campaign encourages all primary school children, their parents and carers to walk safely and regularly to school.  The event aims to promote health, road safety, public transport and the environment.

This national initiative aims to encourage children to lead a healthier, more active lifestyle by simply including a walk at the beginning, at lunchtime and at the end of each day. The event also promotes reduced car dependency, greater use of public transport, cleaner air, improved diets and road safety to primary school children throughout Australia.

The objectives of WSTSD are:

• To encourage parents and carers to walk to school with primary school age children and reinforce safe pedestrian behaviour.
• To promote the health benefits of walking and help create regular walking habits at an early age.
• To ensure that children up to 10 years old hold an adult’s hand when crossing the road.
• To help children develop the vital road-crossing skills they will need as they become mature pedestrians.
• To reduce the car dependency habits that are being created at an early age and which will be difficult to change as children become adults.
• To promote the use of Public Transport.
• To reduce the level of air pollution created by motor vehicles.
• To reduce the level of traffic congestion.

For more information visit www.walk.com.au

Catholic Education Week

Catholic Education Week commences next Sunday 21 May and encompasses the following school week.  As part of our celebrations, St Patrick’s School will be combining with St Mary’s (Warracknabeal), Our Lady Help of Christians (Murtoa) and St Joseph’s (Hopetoun) for a Liturgy in Hopetoun on Wednesday 24 May.

Following the Liturgy, students from each of the schools will have lunch supplied by St Joseph’s Primary School Parents & Friends committee.  They will then participate in activities related to this year’s Catholic Education Week theme "Let the words you speak always be full of Grace" (Col 4:6).

CSPV Newsletter

The May edition of CSPV Parent Connect News is now available.

This issue includes opportunities for parents to contribute their perspective on various areas in education as well as several webinars of interest in wellbeing and careers conversations with children.

Student voice also features with a webinar and resources on parent engagement in learning created by a student research team.

Family Week, 15-21 May

Family Week is recognised from 15 - 21 May 2023.  Family Week is a perfect time to come together to celebrate the power of family relationships in all their diversities, and the importance they play in our lives and community.

CatholicCare Victoria's theme for Family Week this year is "Circle of Inclusion."

Links provided below -

• Resources from CatholicCare
• National Families Week website 

A Blessing for Families.

Heavenly Father, please bless our families with Your everlasting love.
Give our families strength to overcome hardship and difficulties.
Give our families courage to admit our faults and forgive others.
Give our families joy to live life to the full and spread our joy to others.
May all families find comfort, support and guidance under Your loving care. 

Amen.

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

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

The sum of the numbers from 1 to 10.

Classroom and Student News

Junior Class

What a great week we have had. It has been exciting and full of lots of new experiences for many of our students. We have been lucky enough to go to Seussical The Musical on Wednesday and have our wonderful mums come and visit us on Thursday. We even have a day off of school today when our teachers are in Horsham for some professional learning.

In Reading we have been looking at the book ‘Hop on Pop’ by Dr Seuss. The difference with our book this week is that it has been online and we listened to it being read as a song to music. We have had many discussions surrounding the way this has been set out this week and  learning about what a musical is and what Seussical The Musical will be about. We have also been looking at how narratives are used to entertain the audience and musicals can have the same purpose to them as well.

In Writing we have been writing all about our mums. Foundation students have been writing sentences about what we do with our mum. Year 1 students have been writing a narrative about their mum. We have had some wonderful stories ranging from rescuing mum to treating mum in bed on Mother’s Day. The whole class has also been learning about cards and we each wrote our mum a card for Mother’s Day.

In Maths we have been using our tens facts for addition. Foundation students have been learning about tens facts and completing addition problems up to 10, learning how to write the sum and solve it using different strategies such as using a number line, counting on and substituting numbers. Year 1 students have been using tens facts to solve harder addition problems, learning how they can use tens facts to make their problems easier to solve and work out. 

Thursday was capped off with lots of fun and sharing the love for our mothers in a special celebration for Mother’s Day. From all reports it was a wonderful afternoon and the children thoroughly enjoyed being able to have their mum or someone special at school for the afternoon.

Wishing a Happy Mother’s Day on Sunday to all the wonderful women in our lives, whether that be mothers, grandmothers, aunties or other women or people who step into these remarkable roles in children’s lives. God Bless you all for the special part you play!

Middle Class

This week we were so lucky to go to Horsham to see Seussical The Musical. What a highlight it was!

In Reading & Writing: Nile says we have been reading Dr. Seuss poems as well as writing Dr. Seuss poems. My favourite Dr. Seuss poem is Green Eggs and Ham.

In Maths: Moe says we learnt a new game called, The Greatest of All Time. We had to try and make the biggest number to beat your partner. I had so much fun.

Art: Steev says we have started digital art focusing this week on stop motion. I look forward to doing it again next week.

Well done to Claire and Nile (and Sophie in Year 5) who represented the school at Cross Country in Horsham on Wednesday.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mothers, Grandmothers, Great Grandmothers, Aunties, Godmothers and all of the special mother figures in our lives.

Senior Class

The Seniors have had a busy week and have been working hard. We have been practising our addition in Maths using different strategies to solve problems.

In Literacy we have continued studying poetry, learning about haikus, limericks and cinquains. The students particularly enjoyed writing limericks - these are funny poems that follow an aabba rhyming scheme. 

In Art we have been working on our Master the Masters paintings – students have chosen a famous painting to recreate.

Everyone was excited to go to see Seussical The Musical on Wednesday, and had a great time at the show and around Horsham.

We welcomed our Mums to school on Thursday afternoon for a Mother’s Day lunch and activities afternoon, it was wonderful to see so many people. Happy Mother’s Day to all the  of the special mother figures in our lives.

Below the Seniors have shared some of their limericks:

Bear by Sophie

I once saw a big black bear,

And he was just standing there,

I had pots of honey

And he had lots of money

So we both thought we should share

The Pig by Ma Thay Thay

My beautiful pig likes to wear a wig

And likes to go outside to dig

Her friend is a dog 

That got lost in the fog

Oh my gosh she is so big

The Boat by K’lu Doh Soe

There was a very dark brown boat

That could fit a big brown goat

It sank to the deep dark

It hit a very big shark

I wrote it all down in a note

The Chair by Sienna

Once there was a very comfy chair,

Then came along a very very big bear

He sat on it and it broke

He went to the store to get coke

Forgot to get a new chair, he didn’t care

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's draw will take place on Monday morning.

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 K'Lu Doh Soe 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 this week for their reading achievements:

25 nights - David.

50 nights - Nile.

Important Dates and Reminders

All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)

Term Dates

2023

Term 2   24 Apr to 23 Jun

Term 3   10 Jul to 15 Sep

Term 4   2 Oct to 20 Dec

School Calendar

May

Tue 16 - SAC Meeting 7.30pm

Fri 19 - Walk Safely To School Day

Mon-Fri 22-26 Catholic Education Week

Wed 24 - Excursion: Catholic Education Week Mass, Hopetoun

June

Mon 12 - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Thu 15 - West Wimmera Lightning Premierships

Fri 23 - Last Day Term 2

Church Times

Reminders

Student late arrival, early departure, temporary absence procedures

A reminder to parents that any student late arrival, early departure or temporary absence must be recorded in the SIMON KIOSK located in the foyer.  If you have any difficulty following the instructions at the kiosk, please ask office staff.

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 16 May 2023, 7.30pm

Our Mission

Community News

Homework Club - Nhill Learning Centre

Karen families are welcome to enrol their children in the Homework Club.

When: Tuesdays during school terms

Time: 3.30 - 5.00 pm

Where: The Patch, Clarence Street, Nhill

Contact for more information:

Nan Da San Bleh Dah (Coordinator) 0469064696