Newsletter 2024/03 ~ 16 February 2024
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
What a busy week we have had this week. On Monday our Learning Support Officers (LSOs) attended a professional learning day in Horsham and then late in the afternoon we were advised that Tuesday was going to be a Code Red fire rating day. Deemed a catastrophic fire risk day, all schools in the area were closed for Tuesday. Consequently the Year 3-6 Swimming Sports had to be rescheduled and our planned pancake breakfast for Shrove Tuesday did not proceed.
Yesterday we commenced our whole-school swimming program which will continue for the next couple of weeks.
On Wednesday, Fr Matt joined us for our Ash Wednesday Mass and we entered the season of Lent, a time when the Church prepares for the celebration of Easter.
The following reflection comes from Michael McGirr’s book 'This Cup We Bless - A tea or coffee break for every day during Lent'.
Lent starts small. Over four days it will grow into a movement to change the world and us with it. But at the outset it asks us to remember that we are “dust”. To wear ashes on our foreheads as a reminder to keep what goes on behind our foreheads in perspective.
To use the colour purple in our worship, the colour of a bruise, a reminder that we are all hurt and need healing. To take a moment of honesty. To go into our private places and shut the door and to discover the God who finds us in our secret places and brings us into the light. To think about how we spend our time and energy and what really matters.
At our Ash Wednesday Mass, we were reminded that Lent is not a time for doing special things and saying prayers simply for the sake of it. Our Lenten practices need to help us understand God’s word more clearly and to live according to that word more generously. May we use this time to think about how much the Gospel means to us and how well we are living up to God’s law of love and the promises of our baptism.
CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS
Wecome Evening
It was pleasing to see several families attend our Welcome Evening last Friday night. Alana Storey and Jake Wiffen from West Wimmera Health spoke about healthy and nutritious options for children’s lunch boxes. They provided hints for ways in which parents could encourage their children to eat fruit and vegetables and how to include the children in the preparation of lunches and meals. They also provided some sample recipes (see the links below). I particularly encourage you to look at the Healthy Lunch Box Builder link.
We also heard from each of the classroom teachers and Mrs Rintoule spoke about the Parent Access Module (PAM) app and the importance of parents being connected with school through the app.
I also introduced SchoolTV to those in attendance. See information about this resource below.
Parents were reminded about safe travel to and from school, and of parking arrangements near the school. All parents are reminded to take note of the parking zones and times, as well as the fact that the speed limit along this particular stretch of Leahy St is 40km/h at ALL TIMES.
Parental involvement in life at St Patrick’s School is encouraged and you are always welcome to attend our assemblies, events and activities. You are also welcome to be involved on our School Advisory Committee (SAC). The first meeting of this group for 2024 will take place next Tuesday night at 7pm and we currently have two vacancies on the committee. If you are interested in being part of the SAC, please let us know.
More healthy lunch ideas are at the end of the newsletter - "Healthy Lunch Ideas" heading.
Assembly
Due to the swimming program taking place from today through until Thursday 29 February, we are unable to hold our assemblies on Thursday afternoons during this period. Instead, assemblies will be held on Friday afternoons for the next few weeks. These will still commence at 2.45pm. Names of award recipients will be included on the following week’s newsletter.
School Fees Reminder
Thank you to those who have returned the paperwork and commenced payment of school fees. A reminder that these forms are due. We would appreciate the return of outstanding forms. Forms were posted to all families at the end of last year. Please contact the office if you have any questions regarding the forms, or to arrange replacements if yours have been misplaced.
Please contact me to discuss payment arrangements if payment of fees is an issue for your family.
UPCOMING EVENTS
SAC Meeting
As mentioned above, there are two parent representative vacancies on the SAC for 2024. The SAC meets approximately four-five times a year and acts as advisors to the Principal. If you are interested in nominating for one of these positions, please let me know.
The first meeting of the SAC will be held next Tuesday at 7pm.
Swimming Dates Changes
Due to the school closure day that took place earlier this week, the Years 3-6 Swimming Sports were unable to proceed and have been rescheduled for next Tuesday 20 Feb. The start time will be 9.20am. Children will come to school and then travel across together by bus. All arrangements will be the same as outlined on the permission notes that went out last week, except for the change of date.
As a consequence of the sports being held on Tuesday, our whole-school swimming program will not be held on that day. Years F-2 will remain at school on Tuesday and their swimming program will continue on Wednesday and Thursday next week.
SchoolTV
St. Patrick’s School is very excited to introduce a new initiative to help support the wellbeing of your students and better resource key staff. After all, happy and well supported students are better equipped to learn and succeed.
Because parenting doesn’t come with instructions, SchoolTV is an online wellbeing resource that can support you in the challenges of modern-day parenting. This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist you in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle.
Parenting is a learning journey and SchoolTV supports families by providing credible information from trusted sources offering practical strategies with a focus to empower confidence when difficulties arise.
We invite you to visit our SchoolTV site and view the content. Discover a host of interesting topics featuring interviews with leading youth wellbeing experts and researchers from around the world offering hours of relevant and practical information. Additionally, each topic includes a compilation of related resources from key organisations providing a comprehensive stream of content. Resources include informative fact sheets, articles, apps, books, podcasts, websites, and other videos - all related to a single topic, in one place for easy access!
Start exploring SchoolTV today!
We will be including links to various SchoolTV Resources in our newsletter regularly (see the SchoolTV section further on in this newsletter for this week's links "Talking About Bushfires").
Sunday’s Gospel
Mark 1:40-45
In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus heals a man with leprosy. People with leprosy were treated differently, they were to be avoided and they also were to avoid approaching others.
In Mark’s account, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus, kneels down, and begs him for help. He says, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." The leper has desperation in his voice, however despite feeling scared and rejected, the man still holds onto hope that Jesus can make him clean again.
Jesus responds by saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" and he reaches out his hand and touches the man! Instantly, the man's leprosy disappears, and he is healed.
Jesus tells the man not to tell anyone about what happened. Instead, he asks him to go and show himself to the priest and follow the rules for being declared clean.
As the man goes to the priest, he can't contain his excitement. He tells everyone he meets about what Jesus did for him. It's like he has this bubbling joy inside him that he just has to share with the world. And because of his testimony, people start talking about Jesus everywhere!
What can we learn from this story?
Firstly, we learn about compassion. Jesus didn't run away from the man with leprosy. Instead, he reached out his hand and touched him, showing us that everyone deserves kindness and love, no matter who they are or what they've been through.
Secondly, we learn about courage. Despite feeling scared and rejected, the man with leprosy had the courage to approach Jesus and ask for help. Sometimes, being brave means asking for help when we need it the most.
Lastly, we discover the power of hope. Even in our darkest moments, there is always hope. Just like the man with leprosy believed that Jesus could make him clean, we can hold onto hope and trust that better days are ahead.
Let us be like Jesus—full of compassion, courage, and hope. Let's reach out to those in need, stand up for what is right, and never lose hope, knowing that Jesus is always with us, ready to heal and bring us peace.
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.
“May our good God grant you all a holy and truly happy Christmas. We can all meet together in spirit at the Crib of our loving infant and pray for one another. I wish you every grace and blessing of this holy time with fondest love.” Mary MacKillop, 1881
By the Numbers
84 - The atomic number of Polonium, which was discovered by Marie and Pierre Curie in 1898.
You’re only as good as your last game apparently. That’s not a good sign for the Aussie Men’s cricket team who won their Test Series but lost their last Test. They also won the ODI Series, but lost their last match. And it’s not a good sign for me either, after a 50 not out the previous week, I was run out for a third ball duck on the weekend! And given that I’m unavailable this weekend, I’ll be sitting on that duck for at least another week. 🦆
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Middle Class Report
It's been a busy start to the year for the Middles. We’ve started Reading groups, been writing recounts and learning all about place value in Maths. We were also excited to host the first assembly for the year last week and show everyone the Auslan signs we have been learning.
We were particularly excited to start our swimming program on Thursday and the Year 3 students have been practising hard for the Nhill College Carnival next week.
Today we wrote recounts of our first swimming day, please enjoy a few of our recounts below:
On Thursday we went swimming. First I went to get changed to get in the pool. Next I did some backstroke, freestyle and floated. The water was like an ice block. by Hannah G
On Thursday we went swimming. First I got in the green pool but then I got moved to the purple pool. Next I did some freestyle and backstroke. Then we got free time. I jumped and dived down to touch the bottom. It was fun, exciting and cold. by Isabella
On Thursday we went swimming. First I changed into my bathers. Then I had a swimming lesson and some free time afterwards. It was a little cold and very fun. by Shalom
Pancakes for Shrove Tuesday
On Monday the Senior Class was busy cooking pancakes for Shrove Tuesday. These were shared amongst students at the end of the day following the advice that the school had to close on Tuesday.
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, 20 February 2024, 7pm
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates 2024
Term 1 29 Jan (Staff) 31 Jan (Students) to 28 Mar
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
February
Tue 20 - Years 3-6 Swimming Sports
*Note: no school swimming today
Tue 20 - SAC Meeting 7pm
Wed 21 - Foundation Students Rest Day
Wed 21 - Swimming Program 1pm
Thu 22 - Swimming Program 1pm
Mon 26 - Student Free Day - staff PD
Tue 27 - Swimming Program 1pm
Wed 28 - Foundation Students Rest Day
Wed 28 - Swimming Program 1pm
Thu 29 - Swimming Program 1pm
March
Mon 4 - "Get To Know You" meetings 3.15-5.00pm
Tue 5 - "Get To Know You" meetings 3.15-5.00pm
Wed 6 - Foundation Students Rest Day
Mon 11 - Labour Day Public Holiday
Wed 13 - School Photos Day
Fri 15 - St Patrick's Day Mass 12.00pm
M-W 25-27 - Senior Camp
Thu 28 - Last Day Term 1
St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
Mass is held every Sunday at 11.00am
Our Mission
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
SchoolTV
SPECIAL REPORT: Talking About Bushfires
“Studies show an increase in mental health problems among survivors immediately after a major disaster. Children especially are vulnerable to experiencing feelings of loss of safety, fear or apprehension following exposure to images seen on TV, the internet or in newspapers."
Dr Michael Carr-Gregg
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
Healthy Lunch Ideas
