Newsletter 2023/30 ~ 13 October 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
Sadly, the world news has focused on war again this week with the latest battles taking place in the Middle East. Stories of the atrocities and horrors that have been committed in the past week have been emblazoned on our television screens and social media. For so many of us, what is happening is so difficult to comprehend - and our children also struggle with the images they see and the stories they hear. Similar feelings were experienced by the children when the Ukraine conflict began and they had many questions at that time as well. Please continue to talk with your children and to reassure them as we all continue to pray for peace in our world.
The following excerpt is from a prayer by Rose Marie Berger, author of Bending the Arch: Poems.
The full prayer, A Prayer for Peace in Israel and Palestine, can be found here:
God of Love,
we lift up Palestine and Israel — its people, its land, its creatures.
War is a monster that consumes everything in its path.
Peace is a gift shared at meals of memory with Christians, Muslims, and Jews.
Let us burn incense, not children. Let us break bread, not bodies.
Let us plant olive groves, not cemeteries.
We beg for love and compassion to prevail
on all your holy mountains.
Amen
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
Visit to Iona
The Year 4, 5, 6 students visited the Iona Digby Harris Nursing Home on Wednesday to join the residents in some activities together. Students chatted, played Uno, did colouring-in and played Jenga. It was pleasing to see how readily the students mingled and conversed with their elders. The visits will continue on a fortnightly basis for the remainder of the term.
Stage not Age
A few parents have asked recently about the ‘Stage not Age’ program that we are conducting as part of our Maths and Reading classes.
Within each class, and even within each year level, we have students who are at various levels of ability within a subject, e.g. Maths. We may have students who are 'Not Yet At Standard', some who are 'At Standard' and some who may be 'Above Standard'. Then, within that subject students may vary from one topic to another - for example, they may be strong in Measurement but struggle in Algebra.
With ‘Stage not Age’, all students do a Pre-Test at the start of a new topic and are then grouped based on their pre-teaching knowledge and abilities. Some are extended further and others are assisted to bring them closer to the expected standard. These sessions involve all teaching staff and LSOs working with smaller groups at the same time and are held twice a week. On other days they continue working with their usual classroom cohort.
At the completion of the topic, students complete a Post-Test to assess the progress or growth that has been made. It has been great to see the amount of progress that has been made by students in each of the topics so far.
The table below shows an example of the progress for a group of students. Green indicates growth, orange indicates minimal growth or little change, red would indicate if a student showed negative growth. This may occur if they had 'guessed' a number of answers correctly the first time.
School Advisory Council
The SAC held its final meeting for the year on Tuesday night. Members discussed: involvement in community events; uniform review; upcoming events which will require some parental involvement.
The Community Engagement & Fundraising working group will be requesting some parental assistance at the upcoming Book Fair stall at the next Nhill Market on 19 November - a separate note will be sent home with further information, as well as some assistance with the meal at the school’s Graduation/End of Year presentation (date to be confirmed).
The Annual Meeting for our SAC will be held on Monday, 4 December at 7.00pm. Parents are asked to consider joining this worthwhile group (there will be two two-year positions vacant). Nomination forms will be provided in November.
Uniform
It seems that the summer dresses are hard to find.
The school has a limited stock of smaller sizes.
If you aren’t able to find one at Target/Big W/Lowes/other supplier, you can try this link.
Congratulations!!
Huge congratulations to AJ who travelled to Ballarat last Friday to compete in the Greater Western Region Track & Field Championships. Competing against students from across western Victoria, AJ finished 5th in his age group for the 100m sprint. Well done!!
UPCOMING EVENTS
Nhill Show
All students have been finalising their items for submission into next Thursday’s Nhill Show. There has been plenty of art and craft in the classrooms this week and entries being delivered to the Show committee today.
A reminder that next Thursday is a School Closure Day.
Nhill Show Committee have also asked for students to participate in the Grand Parade on the day (please see the letter below). Please note that school staff will not be accompanying the students and so parents will need to be present if your child is participating.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Next Friday, all students will travel to Horsham for a performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO). The coach will depart St Patrick’s at 9.15am and return at 2pm for the afternoon class and normal dismissal time.
Please ensure that permission notes are completed and returned to school by Wednesday.
No Newsletter next week
Due to the Nhill Show next Thursday and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra excursion next Friday, there won't be a Newsletter next week.
A reminder
Students should not arrive at school before 8.40am. There is no supervision before that time.
Relay For Life
Horsham & District Relay For Life will be taking place at Coughlin Park in Horsham next Friday and Saturday. The event supports Cancer Council Victoria and its various research and respite programs.
Relay For Life involves teams walking laps of a track over a designated number of hours, including overnight. The Horsham event will commence with an Opening Ceremony at 6pm followed by a Carers and Survivors function in the clubrooms. At 9pm there will be a Candlelight Ceremony where participants will pay respect to those we have lost to cancer, to celebrate survivors and to offer hope for the future.
Entertainment will be provided by local bands and musicians.
The Closing Ceremony will be held at 10am.
Everyone is invited to come along and join in, donate, walk laps and support the various teams’ stalls. Or, if you would simply like to donate you can do so by clicking the link
Free Autism Workshop
There will be a Positive Partnerships FREE autism workshop for parents/carers in Horsham on the 24th & 25th October, 2023.
This workshop is for parents, carers, grandparents, and kinship carers who support a school aged child on the autism spectrum (or still considering/undergoing assessment).
The workshop will cover the following topics:
- Diversity of autism
- Understanding sensory processing
- Understanding behaviour
- Working in partnerships.
Free morning tea and lunch will be provided.
For more information and to register, please visit the link below.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact Carmel 0447219627
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 21:33-43
In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of the landowner who leases his vineyard to tenants and sends his servants to collect the portion of the harvest that the tenants owe to him. Several times the servants are sent to collect payment, and each time they are beaten and killed by the tenants. Finally, the landowner sends his son to collect his rent. The tenants, believing that they will inherit the vineyard if the landowner dies without an heir, plot together and kill the landowner's son.
After telling the parable, Jesus questions the chief priests and elders about what the landowner will do to the wicked tenants. They all agree that the landowner will kill the wicked tenants and give the land to new tenants who will pay the rent.
In telling the parable, the Pharisees would have understood that the vineyard represented Israel, the landowner represented God, the servants represented the prophets, and the bad tenants represented the religious leaders. Yet Jesus nonetheless explains the meaning of the parable for his audience: the Kingdom of God will be taken from the unbelieving and given to the faithful. The chief priests and elders have condemned themselves with their answer to Jesus' question.
Loyola Press Reflection
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
73 - The number of Books in the Catholic Edition of the Bible.
Last week I said, “Thank goodness it’s cricket season.” Judging by the Aussie men’s performances against India and South Africa this week, I think their season may have already ended before it even started!
Local competitions start this weekend. Let’s hope the results are better than what are being seen at the World Cup. C’arn Saints!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
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 Jesinta, Tessa and Jayden were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies.
Reading Achievements
The following students were recognised this week for their reading achievements:
50 nights - Kaw Mu
75 nights - Steev, Julian
100 nights - David, Samual
125 nights - Freddie, Jody
150 nights - Sophie
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
- Annual Meeting - Monday 4 December 2023, 7.00pm
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates 2023
Term 4 2 Oct to 20 Dec
All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
October
Thu 19 - Local Public Holiday - Nhill Show
Fri 20 - School Excursion: Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (Horsham)
Wed 25 - Senior RE Class Iona Visit 10-11am
November
Mon 6 - Student Free Day for Staff Professional Development
Wed 8 - Senior RE Class Iona Visit 10-11am
Wed 22 - Senior RE Class Iona Visit 10-11am
December
Mon 4 - SAC Annual Meeting 7pm
Wed 6 - Senior RE Class Iona Visit 10-11am
Fri 15 - Last day for students (dismissal time to be confirmed)
St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
Mass is held every Sunday at 11.00am
Community News
Our Mission
Reminders
Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere
The Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere) 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
- Wear a face mask
- Take a test
- Stay at home
- Meet outdoors
- Talk to your GP about COVID medications
- Get vaccinated
*coronavirus.vic.gov.au