Newsletter 2023/23 ~ 11 August 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

This week is Homelessness Week in Australia.

Homelessness Australia hosts Homelessness Week annually to raise awareness of the impact of homelessness, and the solutions needed to end homelessness. The theme for Homelessness Week 2023 is “It’s time to end homelessness”.

For most of us, Homelessness Week reminds us of people whom we do not know personally. They are other people who sleep on the streets or under bridges. 

This year, Homelessness Week has moved closer to home. It is about people like us. We read the stories of people who move for work but cannot find accommodation, about ageing people forced from their rented accommodation by rapidly rising rents, about couples and families who live in tents or in their vehicles, about students who come to Australia to study but return home because they cannot find a place to live, about middle-aged people who move back with their elderly parents. 

We know some of these people, and we have heard stories of others from our friends. We can imagine ourselves as homeless.

We may not experience, but can readily imagine, the pain and isolation that go with being homeless. 
Homelessness is not an act of God. It is the result of priorities we have tolerated that have increased inequality and with it the price of housing and the consequent exclusion of people who are less well-off.

In this Homelessness Week we should, as Jesus would want us to do, look out for people who are homeless in our own neighbourhood and among our friends, join local groups that help people find accommodation and pressure our governments to reform the systems that make for homelessness.

From CathNews (an article by Fr Andrew Hamilton SJ, Australian Jesuits)

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Parent-Teacher Interviews

Thank you to all parents who were able to attend this week’s Parent-Teacher interviews.  48 Bookings were made with the three classroom teachers across the two afternoons of interviews.  It was wonderful to see so many of you take the opportunity to meet with your childrens’ teachers.  I know that the teachers certainly found value in the discussions that took place.

Remember, if you were unable to attend on Tuesday or Wednesday and would still like to meet with your child’s teacher, or if you wish to continue your conversation, please feel free to contact the relevant teacher and organise a mutually convenient time to do so.

Oral Health Week

Oral Health Week is being observed this week (7 - 13 August).

This initiative aims to raise awareness about the importance of oral health, particularly among school-age children. Good oral hygiene practices established during childhood lay the foundation for a lifetime of healthy smiles. Poor oral health can lead to a range of issues, including cavities, gum disease, and even affect a child's ability to concentrate in school.

We encourage parents to discuss oral hygiene with your children and reinforce healthy habits to make a significant difference in their long-term health outcomes.

Beanies

Parents have been asking about the possibility of a school beanie for some time now and the School Advisory Council have pursued this matter over recent months.  As a result we now have a beanie which students will be able to wear to and from school as well as in the schoolyard on cooler days.  The beanie is an optional addition to our school uniform.  After this term, however, other beanies will not be permitted to be worn at school.

The beanie does not replace the sun hat which will still need to be worn outside on days where the UV rating is 3 or above (as reiterated in last week’s newsletter).

Thank you to Marnie for modelling our new school beanie.  The new beanies are available for purchase from Cambrelle's (cost is $13.50).

Our Diocesan Community, July Edition

The July 2023 edition of 'Our Diocesan Community' is out now!

Book Club Issue 6 out now!

UPCOMING EVENTS

Years 5-6 Excursion to Nhill College

Next Wednesday the Senior Class will be visiting Nhill College as part of the introduction to secondary school program.  We are still awaiting the return of permission forms from some students.  If you haven’t already done so, please complete and return the forms which were sent home a couple of weeks ago.  Mrs Rintoule will be following this up early next week.

WWSSA Athletics

Next Thursday Mrs Bell and Mrs Dickinson will take a team to compete in the West Wimmera Athletics Carnival in Warracknabeal. Please complete the consent form on PAM if your child is attending.

Book Week (19-25 August)

Children’s Book Week will take place from 19-25 August.  This year’s theme is READ, GROW, INSPIRE.  Our annual Book Week Dress Up Day will be held on Thursday 24 August. On this day all children are encouraged to dress up taking inspiration from this year’s theme, or as their favourite book character, to share in the joy of our Book Week festivities.

Student Free Day

Staff will be updating their First Aid Training on Tuesday, 29 August. Consequently this will be a student free day.

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

Sunday’s Gospel

Matthew 17:1-9   The Transfiguration of the Lord

In Sunday’s Gospel, Peter and James and his brother John witness Christ “transfigured before them” with his face shining “like the sun” and his clothes “dazzling white” as he conversed with Moses and Elijah on the top of a mountain. This revelation of the divinity of Jesus reminds us that just as we share in Jesus’ humanity, so too we are gifted with a glorious inheritance, and we too, shine like the stars (Philippians 2:15) in our world. We bring beauty and gladness into the lives of others, by recognising this same divinity in them and by rejoicing in our own glorious creation.

“See the same beauty on the faces of the people who walk beside us every day, such as family, friends, and colleagues. How many luminous faces, how many smiles, how many wrinkles, how many tears and scars reveal love around us. The contemplation of God’s wonders, the contemplation of God’s face, of the Lord’s face, must move us to the service of others.” (Pope Francis, Sunday Angelus address, March 5, 2023)

Let us always contemplate the beautiful face of Christ in others.

Fr Peter Hudson

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

66 - The famous route in USA from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Classroom and Student News

Junior Class

We have had a very productive week in the Junior Class. We ended last week by celebrating 100 days of Foundation - it was such a wonderful time to be able to look back on our Foundation students' first 100 days at school and to see how far they have come with their learning and abilities at school.

In Reading we have been reading ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, discussing the messages in the story and how Little Red Riding Hood should have listened to her mother. We used a sentence from this book to help us with our writing.

In Writing we have continued working on our handwriting, particularly letter formation and how letters sit on the lines. We have also been very busy writing instructions for both Foundation and Year 1 students.

In Maths we are learning about area: what area is, and the different ways we can measure area.

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 Amity, Max and Jayden 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 Liberty and Jody 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:

50 nights - Caleb

75 nights - Caleb, Stella

100 nights - Destiny, Liberty, Charlotte K, Hannah G, Nile

125 nights - Sophie

150 nights - Declan

Important Dates and Reminders

All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)

School Calendar

August

Wed 16 - Excursion: Yrs 5 & 6, Nhill College

Thu 17 - WWSSA Athletics, Warracknabeal

Mo 21 - Fr 25 - BOOK WEEK

Thu 24 - Book Week Dress Up Day

Tue 29 - Student Free Day - Staff PD (First Aid training)

September

Fri 15 - Eye Health Screening

Fri 15 - Last Day Term 3

St Patrick's Nhill Church Times

Mass is held every Sunday at 11.00am

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.

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.

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

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 10 October 2023, 7.30pm

Our Mission

Community News

What's on at Horsham Regional Art Gallery ...