Newsletter 2022/02 ~ 11 February 2022

From the Principal

Almighty God 

We give you our school.

We give you all the teachers and staff who work here,

We give you all the children who study here.

We pray our school will continue to be a place of great discovery, adventure and creativity.

May it continue to be a place where we love to learn and where we learn to love,

A place where everyone is respected and all are deeply valued.

We ask all this through Jesus Christ our Lord. 

Amen

Deaf Awareness Training

All staff and students participated in a Deaf Awareness training session on Tuesday in readiness for commencing our Auslan program.  Mr Darren Beath from Auslan in the West presented to the students with the assistance of a translator.  Darren used Auslan and Ben (translator) conveyed the message in English for us to be able to understand.

Darren shared his personal story of being profoundly deaf and how he uses Auslan to communicate with others.  

We were all introduced to the Auslan Alphabet and a couple of simple phrases like, “Hello, how are you?” and “My name is ….”

We are looking forward to commencing the Auslan program across all classes from Monday 28 February.

Swimming Program

Our Swimming and Water Safety program commences next Monday afternoon.  Students will attend sessions at the Nhill Pool on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for the next two weeks.  Sessions will be conducted in class groups with our Year 2-3 students leaving school at 12.50pm, the F-1 students leaving at 1.20pm, and the Year 4-6 students leaving for the pool at 2.05pm.

Parents are asked to ensure that children’s swimming attire, as well as all school uniform items, are clearly labelled.  

Children will be changing out of their wet bathers after their swimming session and will need a separate bag to put wet items in so as not to damage their school books, readers and school bag.

We will have a swimming carnival on the afternoon of Thursday 24 February.

STOMP Dance

Students have enjoyed their hip-hop dance sessions this week under the guidance of Tabitha from STOMP Dance Company.

Tabitha has certainly engaged the students, and staff, and each day has seen the students learn a new routine with a variety of new moves being incorporated.  Whilst there has been a great display of coordination amongst the students, the ‘crazy dad dancing’ style of the Principal still needs some work!

Opening Mass

Today we welcome Monsignor Glynn Murphy for the celebration of our Opening Mass for 2022.  We thank Mons Glynn for his pastoral guidance of our school and the blessings he bestows upon our school staff, students, parents and parish.

We look forward to seeing Mons Glynn and Fr Anthony as regular members of our St Patrick’s School community throughout the year.

Student Free Days

There are three student free days coming up that you need to make a note of.

• Wednesday 16 February
• All staff will be participating in a School-wide Positive Behaviour workshop.  
• Friday 4 March
• Teaching Staff will be participating in a Scaffolding Literacy Workshop in Mildura
• Friday 11 March
• All staff will be undertaking an update of their First Aid, CPR, and Anaphylaxis training.

These three days will all be student free days.  No students are to come to school on these days.

Get To Know You Meetings

Parents have the opportunity to meet with your child's teacher for a brief chat about the start of the school year and your child's progress on the evening of Monday 28 February from 3.30 - 6.30pm.  

Parents may book an interview time via the Parent Access Module (PAM).  A link to Parent-Teacher Interviews appears on the homepage and you will be able to select the teacher you wish to meet with and the preferred time.  

For those who are new at St Patrick's School in 2022, your PAM login details are on the back page of the SIMON information flyer that was given to you at the start of the year.  

If you experience difficulties logging on via PAM, please feel free to contact the school to arrange a meeting time.

Uniforms, Jewellery, Make Up

A reminder to everyone of our school rules in relation to uniform.  

If a child is not in correct uniform, a short note of explanation should be provided.  Students can bring or wear suitable sports footwear on Wednesdays for their PE class otherwise school shoes as identified on our uniform list are to be worn.

Coloured nail polish, jewellery and make-up should not be worn to school.  A watch may be worn. Sleepers or studs are the only earrings deemed appropriate for school.  

Hair longer than shoulder length must be tied back or up at all times.

A reminder to use the Parent Access Module (PAM)

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. Please speak with office staff if you have any questions about PAM.

Uniform Shop

The 'Uniform Shop' will soon be closing. There are still a number of uniform items available. Please ask at the office.

Coffee Mugs

We recently acquired a complete set of St Patrick's branded coffee mugs in the hall. Consequently we have a number of mugs to give away. Please ask at the office if you have a use for these.

Australian Parents Council Newsletter February 2022

Click on the link below to see the latest edition of the Australian Parents Council eNewsletter.

This newsletter details the APC’s survey findings and reveals wide-ranging parent views on the start of the school year amid Omicron.

• how vulnerable young people and families are calling for remote learning now
• a majority of parents are opting for vaccines
• the measures APC would like to see put in place.

Coronavirus Information

Rapid Antigen Tests

Rapid Antigen Test kits have been made available to all families.  A reminder that you are asked to complete a test on Monday and Thursday mornings and to notify me immediately on 0419929271 if there is a positive result.  The second batch of kits have been sent home with children today.

Facemasks / Facemask requirements on school buses

All students in Year 3 and above MUST wear a properly fitting mask at all times when inside school buildings.  Facemasks are also recommended for children in Years Foundation to Year 2.  

Similarly, ALL PARENTS / VISITORS MUST wear a properly fitting facemask when inside school buildings.

Students (aged 8 and over) MUST wear a properly fitting facemask while travelling to and from school on school buses.

Vaccination

All parents must also have received two doses of the coronavirus vaccine and be able to produce an original copy of their vaccination certificate.  Parents cannot enter school buildings if not double vaccinated.  More information (Visitors) is provided below.

Students aged 5 and above can now be vaccinated

The Victorian Government has announced that all students in Victoria, aged 12 years and above, are eligible to book and receive their COVID-19 vaccine. 

The Victorian Government is encouraging everyone aged 5 and above to get vaccinated as soon as possible. 

COVID-19 vaccines are an essential protection against serious illness.  Vaccination is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged, except where your medical practitioner advises you otherwise. 

Visit coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccine or covid-vaccine.healthdirect.gov.au/eligibility to book an appointment. 

Visitors to school

All visitors to school grounds must comply with vaccination requirements, density limits, face mask requirements, QR code check-ins and practise respiratory etiquette and good hand hygiene.  

"If a person must provide verification of their vaccination status and they refuse or do not  meet the vaccination/exemption requirements, that person should be asked to leave site. This is a reasonable request and enables us to maintain our COVIDSafe processes and safeguard the health and wellbeing of the school community." CECV School Operations Guide.

QR code check-in

The following people must use the hardcopy Visitor Register and QR Code when entering the school (and therefore must enter through the office, not the side entrance):

• All visitors, including contractors and CEB staff
• All parents who enter school buildings

Parents who come onto school grounds for drop off or pick up, but do not enter buildings are not required to use the QR Code.

Summary, when entering the school building please:

• wear a mask
• sign in using QR Code and Visitor Register
• provide verification of vaccination status
• use hand sanitiser.

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 -

• calling our school office 53911575
• sending an email to principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au or krintoule@spnhill.catholic.edu.au
• use the Bus Change Notification Form on their website - this is a quick and easy process on your mobile phone (hint: add this as a quick link on your phone's home screen)

Code Red Days

Schools and children’s services listed on the DET Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) and those at risk of grassfire (Category 4) will be closed when a Code Red fire danger rating day is determined in their Bureau of Meteorology district.  Our school has been identified as being one of those at high bushfire or grassfire risk.   

Where possible, we will provide parents with up to four days notice of a potential Code Red day closure.  A Code Red day will be determined by the Emergency Management Commissioner no later than 1.00 pm the day before the potential closure.  Once we are advised of the confirmation of the Code Red day we will provide parents with advice before the end of the school day.

Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, regardless of improvements in the weather forecast.  This is to avoid confusion and help families plan alternative care arrangements for their children.  It is also important to note that:

• No staff will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Code Red day.
• School camps will be cancelled if a Code Red fire danger rating day is determined for the Bureau of Meteorology district in which the camp is located.
• All bus routes that travel through the Code Red area will be cancelled.
• On these Code Red days families are encouraged to enact their Bushfire Survival Plan – on such days children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.

Sunday's Gospel Reflection 

In Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus asks a fisherman to take him just off shore so that he can preach to the crowd without being overwhelmed by them.  The boat Jesus has selected belongs to Simon Peter.

After he has finished preaching to the crowd, Jesus asks Simon to go out to the deep water and to put down the nets for a catch. Simon questions Jesus’ command but eventually takes his nets back out. There is a great catch of fish; it is so great that others have to help bring the nets ashore; and the story ends with Jesus' recruiting Simon and the others as disciples. “‘Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching people’ Jesus said. When they had brought their boats to shore, they left everything and followed him.”

This story of the great catch is more than just the account of a great catch. It is not just about how to fish, for it is not the fish that are “hooked” but the fishermen, Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, and their partners James and John. This is about Jesus making disciples. From this point on, Luke informs us, these men left their jobs as fishermen and followed Jesus wherever He went. We get a clear picture here that discipleship, following Jesus, is meant to be transforming, it disrupts our lives, it takes us in a new direction, it costs us something.

Like Peter, each and every one of us is ‘called’.  It may not be through Jesus stepping into our boat, but when we quieten our minds and our hearts enough to really listen, we become aware that God truly is calling to each and every one of us.  The call comes to us through our friends, our experiences, our hopes and our fears.  Sometimes we are so afraid of hearing the call that we fill our lives with noise and distractions.  We fear that the call will involve hardship, or at the very least: unpopularity. 

 Are we courageous enough to pray ‘God what do you want me to do today?

How will you try to listen to the voice of God in your life’?

Sympathies

We offer our prayerful condolences to the Munro and Cannell families following the recent passing of Ann's aunt. Our thoughts are with you at this time.

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.

Classroom News

Junior Class - Mrs Creek

Our Big Book story for this week has book characters from last week. The story is called Mrs Wishy Washy and the Big Wash. At the farm there is no water. Not even a drip or a drop. Mrs Wishy Washy takes them to town to look for water. They looked in three places that had no water. Finally, they went to the car wash. It was lots of fun for all the animals. The Year 1 students made predictions about what would happen at the end of the story. They had lots of ideas and shared this with the Foundation students. Even though they were all great predictions, Mrs Wishy Washy surprised them by going to the cake shop for treats.

We continue to focus on counting, place value and number recognition in Mathematics.

All the school had an amazing time with Stomp Dance every afternoon. Lots of amazing moves and grooves. 

Our Opening School Mass welcomes Foundation students on Friday where they receive their school candles.

In Religion we are continuing to discover what it means to work in a team and to be a friend.

Middle Class - Miss Williams

This week the Middles have been working on looking for different types of nouns and verbs in our reading book Jack and the Beanstalk. We have also been building upon our reading rotations and have been working wonderfully in settling into the routines of this block. We have been working on creating simple and compound sentences in Writing as well as how we complete our handwriting sessions. In Maths we have been learning about place value and learning to read, write and create numbers up to four digits. We have also been playing lots of games in Maths to get us to be able to understand place value better. In Religion we have been learning about relationships and who and what a relationship is. In our life skills sessions we have discussed what a healthy breakfast is and have decided what a healthy breakfast is that each of us could eat. 

We have had some wonderful sessions this week learning about Auslan, attending our start of year mass and participating in Stomp Dance each afternoon.

Senior Class - Ms Murphy

It’s hard to believe that we are entering Week 4 next week! What a busy start to the year we’ve all had.

Over the past week in the Seniors we have continued to look at different types of texts and their features and the different ways that authors write for their audiences. Our Maths has gotten off to a fabulous start in the Seniors room this year. This week we are concluding the topics we began during Week 2 and students are now familiar with our routine and prepare prior to recess and lunch for learning during our main Maths session and Maths Bite session.

Our afternoons this week have been full of dance as we welcome Tabitha from the Stomp Dance! company to our school. Students have really enjoyed learning some fresh dance moves and putting them all together! We sure do love dancing in our room, super effort team! 

Don’t forget we start our swimming program next week so be prepared and pack an extra snack!

Dates & Reminders

Simon Everywhere

The Simon Everywhere app delivers instant notifications to parents' mobile phones, delivering the functionality of PAM (SIMON Parent Access Module) in an easy to navigate app.  

We request that all parents please download the Simon Everywhere app, add St Patrick's School, Nhill and login using your existing PAM credentials.  

We will use Simon Everywhere for all important notifications.  

You will be able to manage all your day-to-day school needs from the Simon Everywhere app - notify us of absences, view the lunch orders menu, read the newsletter ...

Please contact the office with any questions.

School Advisory Council

Parent Representatives

Helen Cannell

Moo Khu James

Zanther McEldrew

Emily Gladdis

Nathan Wheeler

Appointed Representatives

Ann Munro - Parish

Ex Officio

Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest

Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal

Next Meeting

Wednesday, 23 February 2022, 7.30pm

Our Mission

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