Newsletter 2023/14 ~ 26 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

CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK

‘Let the Words you Speak Always be Full of Grace’  – Colossians 4:6

Our guiding Scripture for Catholic Education Week 2023 is ”Let the words you speak always be full of Grace” (Col 4:6). The theme is about making choices in the ways we engage with others.  It is taken from a longer piece of scripture that invites us to be mindful of the common good.

Jesus used images and characters taken from everyday life in ancient Palestine to illustrate his message.  This was his common way of teaching.  His parables appealed to the young and old, poor and rich.  Jesus loved to use images and characters to reach the heart of his listeners through their imagination.  Even though Jesus told his parables a long time ago, they still carry important justice messages for us today. If we listen with faith and humility then we will hear and understand what Jesus has to tell us, not just with our eyes and ears, but in our hearts.

Dear Lord Jesus, 

You sow your word in our hearts and our lives. 

May the words we speak, always be filled with grace.  

May our lives and our world be places where your word is heard.  

May we live as people of faith, walk as people of hope and grow as people of love.

Amen.

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Golf Clinic

Last Friday afternoon our senior students participated in a golf clinic on the school oval.  Mr Tony Collier conducted the session and was impressed by the abilities of a few of our students.  A primary schools’ tournament will be held at Nhill Golf Course on Tuesday 20 June and we are hopeful that some of our students may participate in that event.

Welcome

This week we welcomed two new students to our school.  Twins Daniel and Matthew are in Year 1.  The boys have moved across from Rupanyup Primary School.  We trust that Daniel and Matthew and their family will enjoy their educational journey with us at St Patrick’s School.

Catholic Education Week

This week we have been celebrating Catholic Education Week with catholic schools from across the Diocese.  On Wednesday we travelled to Hopetoun to join with St Joseph’s Primary School (Hopetoun), St Mary’s (Warracknabeal), Our Lady Help of Christians (Murtoa) and St Mary’s (Sea Lake) for a combined Liturgy around this year’s Catholic Education Week theme of “Let the words you speak always be full of Grace.”

It was wonderful to be able to come together with students and staff of other Catholic schools to celebrate and give thanks to God for Catholic education. 

Each school presented a short video clip to share what this year’s theme looks/sounds/feels like within our particular school.  Our presentation can be seen in the link below.

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National Simultaneous Storytime

National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS) was celebrated across the nation on Wednesday at 11am.

The event, held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), sees millions of children share the same story at the same time. Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country.

Now in its 23rd year, NSS is a vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy. Selected books explore age-appropriate themes, and address key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. The event is also a celebration of Australian books, writers, and illustrators, and encourages everyone to explore the rich and varied range of children's books produced in our own backyard. 

On Wednesday we joined with the other four schools in Hopetoun for the reading of The Speedy Sloth, written by Rebecca Young and illustrated by Heath McKenzie. The story celebrates all winners, especially those who don’t come first.

Uniform

Second-hand

Could parents please check if you have any uniform that your children have grown out of? We’d like to boost our stock of second-hand uniforms at school.

New Jacket

As mentioned last week, the School Advisory Council has approved a new item of uniform which is available to order now - a royal blue soft shell jacket with school logo (see photos below). If parents wish to purchase this jacket to be worn this winter we strongly encourage you to call into Cambrelles and place your order as soon as possible. Price is $50.

The current lightweight microfibre jacket will be removed from the Optional Items list. Students can continue to wear this jacket for the time being.

Lost property

We are continually finding items of uniforms at school without names and these sit in our lost/found box for some time unclaimed. This is another reminder to parents to please name each item of clothing which your child wears to school so that it can be easily returned to its owner if misplaced. The simplest way to do this is using permanent marker on the white tag in the clothes, or you can buy pre-printed iron-on labels from any number of suppliers on the internet. Long-term unclaimed items will be added to our supply of second-hand uniform.

UPCOMING EVENTS

MATES Mentoring Program

An information session will be held on Monday June 19 from 12-2pm at Nhill College for prospective Mentors to come along to and find out more information about what a Mentor with MATES involves and how the MATES Program can have a positive influence and outcome for students and also for volunteers.

There will be a light lunch provided and tea and coffee.

The MATES Mentoring Program is coordinated by Wimmera Southern Mallee LLEN.

MATES Mentoring is 1 hour per fortnight at school, during school hours.  

For more information, see the below flyers.

SunSmart's new campaign - Get to know your skin

SunSmart is urging Victorians to check their skin for signs of skin cancer and if you notice any changes to spots or new spots, don’t delay and see your GP.

With two in three Australians being diagnosed with skin cancer at some point in their life, early detection of skin cancer can be lifesaving.  

SunSmart has a range of resources and information about skin cancer, particularly what to look out for when checking your skin.   

Get to know your skin and what’s normal for you. If you find anything new or changing, don’t delay, see your GP immediately.

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

There actually aren’t “57 varieties” of Heinz ketchup, and never were. Company founder H.J. Heinz thought his product should have a number, and he liked 57.

Classroom and Student News

Junior Class

We have had such a wonderful week this week, celebrating Catholic Education. The Foundation and Year 1 students enjoyed a long bus trip to Hopetoun on Wednesday. We were very excited and energetic on the bus trip. We had some fun activities for National Simultaneous Story Time around the book ‘Speedy Sloth,’ enjoyed singing throughout the liturgy and then thoroughly enjoyed our lunch and a play. We enjoyed the day so much that some of us had a nice little nap on the bus trip back to Nhill.

In Reading this week we have been reading ‘The Bear Report’, a story about a little girl who doesn’t want to write her information report. She begins imagining a polar bear and learning lots of facts about them and writes an amazing information report. We are learning about information reports, the purpose of them and the features of them.

In Writing we have also begun learning about information reports. Year 1 students are working together to experience an information report and write their own, and Foundation students are writing sentences they have been learning, and writing simple descriptive sentences about polar bears.

In Maths this week we have been working on subtraction. We have been looking at how we can count back and take away items.

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 Oscar, Treesa and Riley were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies. 

Little Joey Awards

We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised James a with 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 this week for their reading achievements:

50 nights - Meena, Charlotte M.

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

June

Mon 12 - King's Birthday Public Holiday

Thu 15 - West Wimmera Lightning Premierships

Fri 23 - Last Day Term 2

July

Mon 10 - First Day Term 3

Tue 18 - SAC Meeting 7.30pm

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 >School Links

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 18 July 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