Newsletter 2023/34 ~ 17 November 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
Today we welcome the Kinder children for their third transition visit and their first full day at school. The children certainly appear to have been enjoying themselves and have settled comfortably into the school day routines.
We look forward to welcoming them back again in December.
See below for photos.
This Sunday is the seventh World Day of the Poor. In 2016, Pope Francis marked the second last Sunday of November each year as the day to remember the poor in our society. This year Pope Francis takes his inspiration from the elderly Tobit, who says to his son, “Do not turn your face away from anyone who is poor” (Tobit 4:7)
Jesus said, “blessed are the poor.”
We pray for the children, women and men across our nation who struggle each day to make end meet. Despite their difficulties in providing for themselves and their families, please give them strength and hope, and guard their hearts and minds from despair. Please find a way to protect the 17% of children who are living in poverty and help us to find those most in need so that we can provide them with care and support.
Amen
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
Kinder Transition Visits
And while the Foundation and Kinder students were busy in the classroom, the Year 1 students made yummy pizzas with Mrs. Bell (last Friday).
Today they participated in a Wheels Safety Session. There was a range of bikes and scooters here today as the children learnt aspects of road safety and awareness.
Beats 'N Pieces
Wow! What a marvellous performance we were fortunate to be a part of yesterday when Benji from School Performance Tours presented his Beats ‘n Pieces show.
Beats ‘N Pieces is a performance built upon STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) concepts and driven by audience participation. The show immersed our students into a world of music and looked at the technology, science and history behind it. Using an ancient Chinese stringed-instrument, the ‘ruan’, together with fascinating, cutting-edge technology, the performance weaved together a narrative on the role of music in Chinese culture, both ancient and modern.
Benji absolutely entertained and engaged the audience in a wonderful performance.
UPCOMING EVENTS
CANCELLED Book Fair at Nhill Market
Unfortunately we are unable to proceed with the Book Fair at the Nhill Market this Sunday.
Thank you to those families who volunteered your time to assist, we appreciate you offering your time.
DOBCEL Board Meeting
St Patrick’s School will be hosting the DOBCEL Board next Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 November. Board members will gather in the St Patrick’s Hall on Tuesday afternoon and will open their meeting with a prayer led by some of our students. On Wednesday morning, Board members will take time to visit each of the classes and speak with students and staff.
We look forward to welcoming the full DOBCEL Board to St Patrick’s School.
School Sport Victoria Golf
We wish Ben and Jonas well as they compete in the next round of the School Sport Victoria Golf Tournament in Horsham next Friday. The two boys qualified after finishing second and third in the Nhill tournament earlier this year.
Middles’ Camp
The Years 2, 3 and 4 students are eagerly looking forward to their upcoming overnight camp at Little Desert Nature Lodge. The camp will take place on Thursday 30 November and Friday 1 December.
A reminder for parents of children in the Middles’ class that your consent (in PAM or yellow permission notes) should be completed/returned to school as soon as possible.
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 25:1-13
In this week’s Gospel, Jesus talks about what it means to be prepared to receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus wants his disciples to understand that the exact day and time cannot be predicted. He teaches the disciples that they must remain vigilant so that they will not be caught unprepared.
The Christian community for whom Matthew wrote this Gospel was coming to terms with the realisation that the promise of Jesus’ return would not be fulfilled within their lifetimes.
The question remains for us to ask ourselves, Are we ready to receive Jesus? Will we be prepared to receive him?
(from Loyola Press)
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
77 - 77 Sunset Strip was an American TV Detective series which ran for six seasons (206 episodes) predominantly during the 1960s.
A sensational performance by the Aussie pace bowlers last night has given Australia a ride into the ICC World Cup Final against India on Sunday. A crowd of 130,000 Indian supporters v 11 Aussie cricketers - I think we should be right!! C’arn the Aussies!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Middle Class Report
Last week we had a successful Middles Assembly on Thursday. The Year 2s ran the assembly and the Year 3s and 4s did an Auslan performance to The Very Noisy Bear. Everyone pulled together as a team and did a magnificent job.
Over the last few weeks in the Middles classroom we have been working on:
- Writing sentences using correct punctuation - capital letters, full stops, question marks, exclamation marks and commas. We have also been trying to make our sentences more interesting.
- In Auslan we have continued to work on the signs for zoo animals and have recorded ourselves signing what we see under the sea.
- In Science we observed and compared the changes which happen when we melt a chocolate drop and a piece of ice.
- In Maths we have finished our topic of Chance, and are now working on being able to identify and examine the different 3D solids - cubes, prisms, cylinders, cones etc.
- In Art we are continuing to build our Macrame skills. We are now working on making a key tag or bag tag for our school bags.
For our next project in Science we need clean, empty tins. If anyone has some empty coffee or milo tins, or vegetable or bean tins, please drop them into the front office at school and we will put them to good use next week.
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 Hannah G, Charlotte M and Gu Thay Paw 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 Riley with a 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:
125 nights - David
150 nights - Nile, Hannah E, Gu Thay Paw, Stella, Freddie
175 nights - Claire
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
(St Pat's students finish Friday, 15 December)
Term Dates 2024
Term 1 29 Jan (Staff) 30 Jan (Students) to 28 Mar
(St Pat's offical start date to be confirmed)
Term 2 15 Apr to 28 Jun
Term 3 15 Jul to 20 Sep
Term 4 7 Oct to 20 Dec
All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
November
Wed 22 10-11am - Senior RE Class Iona Visit
Fri 24 - 3.45pm 2024 Sacramental Program Information Session (in St Patrick's Church)
Mon 27 - Book Club orders due
Thu 30 - Middles Camp
December
Fri 1 - Middles Camp
Mon 4 7pm - SAC Annual Meeting
Wed 6 10-11am - Senior RE Class Iona Visit
Wed 13 10-11am - Senior RE Class Iona Visit
Thu 14 12pm - Graduation Mass
Fri 15 - Last day for students (dismissal time to be confirmed)
Sat 16 from 6.30pm - Nhill Carols in the Park
St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
Mass is held every Sunday at 11.00am
Community News
Hindmarsh Shire Youth Council 2024
Nominations for Hindmarsh Shire Youth Council 2024 are now open for anyone aged 12-25.
If you have an inquiry, please email Nan Da San Bleh Dah at youth@hindmarsh.vic.gov.au or call 53914444.
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
