St Patrick's School Nhill eNewsletter

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

During our assembly on Monday morning, I spoke to the children about the season of Lent. Lent is a time for us to Pray, to Fast, to Give.

I mentioned that we should find more time for prayer in our daily lives, particularly during Lent. Fasting is more directed towards older teenagers and adults, however some children elect to give up certain treats during Lent. We spoke of giving to others who are less fortunate than ourselves through organisations such as Project Compassion, but also by helping others in our own lives - family members, school friends and neighbours.

In relation to Lent, Pope Francis was recently quoted as saying, “It is time to act, and in Lent, to act also means to pause. To pause in prayer, in order to receive the word of God, to pause like the Samaritan in the presence of a wounded brother or sister. Love of God and love of neighbour are one love. Not to have other gods is to pause in the presence of God beside the flesh of our neighbour. For this reason, prayer, almsgiving and fasting are not three unrelated acts, but a single movement of openness and self-emptying, in which we cast out the idols that weigh us down, the attachments that imprison us. Then the atrophied and isolated heart will revive. Slow down, then, and pause! The contemplative dimension of life that Lent helps us to rediscover will release new energies. In the presence of God, we become brothers and sisters, more sensitive to one another: in place of threats and enemies, we discover companions and fellow travellers. This is God’s dream, the promised land to which we journey once we have left our slavery behind.”

Pope Francis, in Catholic Outlook, 17th February 2024

God of all Wholeness, heal our hearts of all that prevents us responding to our sisters and brothers excluded by poverty and prevented from living a full and healthy life.

This Lent, may we: implore justice through our prayer, stand in solidarity through our fasting, and reach out through our giving.

Send your life-giving power to revive the weary, restore the broken and renew the face of the earth.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Swimming Carnivals

Last Friday afternoon, during assembly, I announced the result of our swimming carnival from the previous day. It was Joseph (Yellow House) who were the victors with 133 points, ahead of MacKillop (Blue) and Patrick (Green) on 110 and 108 respectively.

On Wednesday, several of our students competed in the Little Desert / Black Ranges swimming carnival in Horsham. These students qualified as a result of their performances during the Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival a couple of weeks ago. Congratulations to Claire who finished second in her Backstroke event and has now qualified to proceed to the next level of competition as well.

The Year 3-6 students attended an AFL Superkick session at Davis Park yesterday morning. Organised by AFL Development Officer, David Kennedy, the session was conducted with assistance from Nhill Football Club members and Nhill College students.

Anyone wishing to play football this season is welcome to join the Nhill & District Sporting Club. See the flyer attached to this newsletter (scroll down to the Community News heading).

SAC Survey

Parental engagement recognises the important role that both parents and teachers play in developing positive attitudes towards learning and education for children, building their motivation and confidence as learners, and fostering their enjoyment of learning.

Each year our School Advisory Council forms active Working Groups to assist with school operations.

On occasions, these groups ask for assistance from our families.

This survey will assist us to better serve parents, with the ultimate goal of improving the school and your child's education.

Please complete this survey before the end of Term.

Complete the SAC Engagement Survey

Local Excursions Permission Form

Great news everyone! DOBCEL have approved a blanket permission note for excursions within the Nhill town boundary. This will save staff and parents a lot of paperwork - something I'm sure we’ll all be happy about.

We have sent the notes home with your children this week. Please read, complete and sign the form and return it to school by next Thursday (especially as Years 3-6 students will be involved in an activity next Friday - more details of this event are in this newsletter under the Upcoming Events heading).

As stated in the form, local excursions will be included as an activity on SIMON (PAM/SIMON Everywhere app) but will not require parental consent on each occasion. We will also inform parents of upcoming excursions in the newsletter.

UPCOMING EVENTS

No school Monday

We hope you have an enjoyable long weekend this weekend. See you back at school on Tuesday.

NAPLAN

Our Years 3 and 5 students will undertake their NAPLAN testing over the next week and a bit. The children will have their Writing test on Wednesday 13 March, followed by Reading, Conventions of Language, (both on Thursday 14 March) and Numeracy on 18 March. Catch up sessions will be used if students miss any of their tests.

Hockey Clinics

Year 3-6 students will have Hockey Clinics at school next Friday morning from 9.00am - 10.00am.

Nhill Schools Cross Country

The annual cross country event for students in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 from each of the Nhill Primary Schools will be held at Nhill Golf Course next Friday, 15th March at 10.30am. We will travel by bus. There is no cost for this activity. Staff attending are Ms Farnham, Mrs Pilgrim, Mrs Woods.

Fr Matt

Fr Matt advised staff last week that he will be transferring from our St Paul Vi Parish Wimmera-Mallee to Ballarat East Parish on 10 April this year. Bishop Paul Bird announced the re-posting of a number of clergy last week. Fr Sajan Matthew will take over the position of Assistant Priest in our Parish. Monsignor Glynn will continue his role as Parish Priest for St Paul VI Parish.

St Patrick's Day Mass

Given the late notification of the Cross Country being at 10.30am next Friday, we have arranged with Fr Matt to move our St Patrick’s Day Mass back to 2pm.

This will be our last opportunity to celebrate Mass with Fr Matt before he leaves our Parish and so it would be great to see as many there as possible to share in this occasion.

St Patrick’s Day Family Fun Evening

I look forward to seeing many of you at our St Patrick’s Day Family Fun Night next Friday, 15 March, from 6pm. This is a wonderful opportunity for us all to come together and enjoy a social setting with each other.

Please RSVP by Wednesday, 13 March by following the link or returning the paper slip which was sent home last week.

RSVP to St Pat's Day Family Fun Evening

Senior Camp

Details of the upcoming camp have been released on PAM/SIMON Everywhere app. Hardcopies of the notes and invoices for camp were sent home this week also. Consent and payment are due before departure.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you need to discuss payment for camp. We do not wish for any of the students to miss this valuable experience.

Reminders from the office

A reminder that the following items are due or overdue -

Photograph/recording permission form
Digital Technology: Acceptable Use & Cybersafety Agreement
School fees
School photos
St Patrick's Day Family Fun evening (RSVP link below)
Local Excursions Consent Form
Senior Camp

Please contact the office if you have any questions or require replacements.

Project Compassion

As we continue our Lenten journey, we are reminded of the wonderful work of Caritas Australia in supporting those in need around the world. You can support Caritas Australia through Project Compassion.

Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.

Leaia lives with her five children, husband, brother and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water caused Leaia a lot of worry.

Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they had to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street.

With the support of Caritas Australia's local partner, Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed at Leaia's home. She and her family now have a steady supply of clean drinking water at home. Next year, they will also have a toilet built, with the support of Caritas Samoa, which will further improve their health and living conditions.

“We are very thankful and grateful for the water tank. It has helped us so much and made our daily life easier,” Leaia said

Watch Leaia's Story

Photo: Richard Wainwright/Caritas Australia

Please donate to Project Compassion

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for all future generations.

You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes, online by visiting caritas.org.au/project-compassion or by calling 1800 024 413

Sunday’s Gospel

John 2:13-25

In Sunday’s Gospel, the scene unfolds at the temple in Jerusalem where Jesus witnesses the commercialisation of sacred space. Consumed by righteous anger, he overturns the tables of the moneychangers and drives out those who exploit the sanctity of the temple for profit. This powerful display of indignation reveals Jesus' commitment to the purity and reverence of the sacred.

The passage serves as a poignant reflection on the dangers of prioritising material gain over spiritual connection. Jesus challenges us to examine our own hearts and question whether our actions align with the sacred values we hold. It prompts contemplation on the ways we might inadvertently allow worldly pursuits to overshadow our devotion to the divine.

The Gospel passage highlights Jesus' assertion of his authority and his understanding of the temple as a symbol of his own body. His cryptic statement about destroying the temple and rebuilding it in three days foreshadows his ultimate sacrifice and resurrection. This anticipation adds a layer of depth to the narrative, inviting believers to ponder the profound significance of Christ's mission.

Ultimately, John’s Gospel urges us to cultivate a genuine connection with the sacred, guarding against the infiltration of worldly distractions. It beckons us to emulate Jesus' zeal for the spiritual realm, reminding us that our hearts, like the temple, should be devoted to honouring and serving God above all else.

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

87 - Considered the unluckiest number in Australian cricket.

Footy’s back!! Need I say anything more?

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

Classroom and Student News

Middle Class Report

It has been another busy week for the Middles. We’ve stayed active each morning as we’ve been practising cross country and the Year 3 students were excited to attend the AFL Superkick excursion on Thursday.

In the classroom we started a new book called Willy the Wimp. Willy is a small chimp who stands up to bullies. We’ve also learnt some new words from the book such as ‘scrawny’ and ‘bulging’. In Maths we’ve been brushing up on our addition skills and telling addition stories. In Science we’ve continued exploring forces, and we’ve been creating self-portraits in Art.

It’s been great seeing that so many children have been reading each night, changing their readers each day and bringing in their diaries. A few people have already earnt their 25 night reading award and a few others are not far behind. Keep up the good work everyone!

Year 3 students are excited about heading to Cross Country next week and everyone is looking forward to our St Patrick’s Day events at the end of the week. Enjoy your long weekend everyone and see you 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. These students were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies - last Friday, Claire, Ben and Brodyn and yesterday, Shalom, Harlow and Isabella.

Little Joey Awards

We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and the following students were recognised with Little Joey awards - last Friday, Oscar and Kyan and yesterday, George and April.

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.

The following students were recognised for their reading achievements:

25 nights - Declan, Tegan, Olive, Valentino, Destiny, Georgia, Treesa, Tyler, Steev, Charlotte K, Eliza, Liberty, Daniel B, Katherine, Jody.

School Advisory Council

Parent Representatives

Rebecca Curtis
Emily Gladdis
Moo Khu James
Michaela Koop
Zanther McEldrew
Ashleigh Meyer

Ex Officio

Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal

Meeting Dates

Tuesday, 30 April 2024, 7:30pm
Tuesday, 23 July 2024, 7:30pm
Tuesday, 15 October 2024, 7:30pm

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

School Term Dates & Holidays in Victoria

*All calendar dates are available on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)*

School Calendar

March

Mon 11 - Labour Day Public Holiday

Wed 13 - School Photos Day

Wed 13 - Senior Class Iona Excursion

Fri 15 - Nhill Schools' Cross Country

Fri 15 - St Patrick's Day Mass 2.00pm

Fri 15 - St Patrick's Day Family Fun Night 6pm

Fri 22 - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Development (First Aid Training)

M-W 25-27 - Senior Camp

Thu 28 - Last Day Term 1 - dismissal time 2:15pm

April

Mon 15 - First Day Term 2

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

Raising Girls

“All teenagers need to emancipate themselves from their parents. What we've discovered is that when they're very close, getting away becomes more difficult, especially for girls, and to facilitate that she becomes far more challenging as a result. Communication therefore becomes fundamentally more important.”

Dr Michael Carr-Gregg

SchooTV - Raising Girls

SchoolTV

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

Nhill College Bus Notes

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.