Newsletter 2025/30~ 23 October 2025
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
Tomorrow is United Nations Day. Celebrated annually on October 24, United Nations Day commemorates the establishment of the United Nations in 1945. This day is devoted to promoting global unity, international cooperation, and the organization's work in advancing peace, human rights, and sustainable development.
Tomorrow is also World Polio Day. World Polio Day was established by Rotary International to commemorate the birth of Jonas Salk, who led the first team to develop a vaccine against poliomyelitis. World Polio Day provides an opportunity to highlight global efforts toward a polio-free world and honor the tireless contributions of those on the frontlines in the fight to eradicate polio from every corner of the globe.
RECENT & CURRENT EVENTS
Building Update
Today is a day of great excitement as the slab is being poured for our building project. With the slab being poured, we will soon see more wall frames being erected and some shape of the new internal layout starting to appear.
PSG Meetings
Thank you to Mrs Kupper for coordinating the PSG Meetings earlier this week. These meetings were only for particular students and parents. Apologies to anyone who thought these were the Parent/Teacher Interviews for all parents. Those meetings are coming up in early November.
Welcome Home
This week we are pleased by the news that Moo Khu and Jody Bee have finally returned home from hospital. Following their involvement in a motor vehicle accident at the end of Term Two, they have spent more than three months recovering in Melbourne. Whilst the recovery process continues, it is wonderful that the family is home together again.
Australian Catholics magazine Summer edition
The Summer Edition of Australian Catholics magazine is out now. Click the link below or get your hardcopy from the school office.
CDF
UPCOMING EVENTS
Mrs Rintoule on leave
Mrs Rintoule will be absent for the period Friday 24th to Friday 31st October. Please be aware of limited office hours during this time. If the office is unattended, please see a staff member in the hall. We wish Mrs Rintoule an enjoyable and relaxing break. Please note that the office will not be open tomorrow or next Thursday.
Parent-Teacher Interviews
As mentioned above, Parent-Teacher Interviews will be held in early November. Interviews will be held between 3.30 and 4.30 p.m. on Monday 3 November, Monday 10 November and Tuesday 11 November. Bookings are now open via PAM. If you have any difficulties making bookings, please feel free to contact me for assistance on 0419 929 271.
Transition Programs - Year 6 to Year 7 and Kinder to Foundation
Nhill College
- Year 6 students who have enrolled at Nhill College for 2026 will be participating in secondary school introductory lessons on two Thursday mornings, 6 and 13 November. As the venue for this activity is within the Nhill town boundaries, consent is not required as it is covered by the Local Excursions Consent provided by parents/guardians earlier in the year. The activity can be viewed in PAM (SIMON Everywhere) Calendar.
- Nhill College Headstart Week is 8-12 December.
St Brigid’s College, Horsham
- Year 6 students who have enrolled at St Brigid’s College, Horsham, will be participating in an orientation day on Tuesday, 2 December.
Kinder to Foundation
Kinder students who have enrolled at St Patrick’s School for Foundation in 2026 will attend the following orientation sessions:
- Friday, 14 Nov - 8:55-11:00am
- Friday, 21 Nov - 8:55am-1:00pm
- Friday, 5 Dec - full day 8:55am-3:15pm
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
149 - Former Australian Cricket Test Captain, Michael Clarke, was the 149th player selected to play for Australia in a One Day International match. He went on to play 245 ODI matches, including 74 as Captain.
Another great performance by the Australian Women’s ODI team last night against England. Here’s hoping the Men’s T20 team can have a similar result against India tonight.
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal
Classroom and Student News
Senior Class News
What a busy couple of weeks it has been! Here we are in Week Three and this is the first full, uninterrupted week for this term.
The last two weeks were brimming with extracurricular activities and excursions as well as sporting events and of course, Nhill Show Day. The students visited St Brigid’s College in Horsham last Tuesday, where they experienced a day of activities with other primary schools.
Years 5 and 6 students (and Tessa) were also vital help in running the F-2 Athletics afternoon on Friday. Either in pairs or solo, they helped to run a variety of events for Nhill College, Nhill Lutheran and our own St Patrick’s Foundation to Year 2 students. It was a fun filled and entertaining afternoon for all involved.
The Senior Class has been busy settling back into the routines and classroom expectations this week. In Literacy, we have been practicing our Repeated Reading routines, our Daily Review routines and our Dictation routines. They completed a piece of reflection writing based on their trip to St Brigid’s College last week.
Students have also been working on the unit topic of Fractions and have been looking at the three standard ways this might be represented - numerically, visually and worded. In Religion, we have been exploring the story of the Prodigal Son and what that can teach us about forgiveness and acceptance.
This week also begins two weeks of PAT testing, so students have also been getting ready for that.
Lastly, the Senior Class will be starting working on their holiday reading project - a book jacket of the book they read. They will have to design a front cover that reflects the important components of the story and this week will begin constructing the blurb as a writing task.
We are looking forward to really having the opportunity to get back into the swing of things and end this term on a high note.
Wishing you a safe (and not windy!) weekend,
Warm regards,
Ms Farnham
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. Students who were randomly drawn from the nominations for Respect, Responsibility and Safety, and have added tokens to their respective Houses' tallies, were Adoni, Agnes and Gu Thay Paw.
Little Joey Awards
We continue to acknowledge the significant role of the "Brown Joeys" in the establishment of St Patrick's School, and recognised Harlow and Nile with Little Joey awards.
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 for their reading achievements:
25 nights - Tha The Moo
75 nights - Zoe
125 nights - Srishti, Zion
150 nights - Daniel P
175 nights - Hannah G
200 nights - Hannah G
School Advisory Council
Parent Representatives
- Clint Beattie
- Rebecca Curtis
- Emily Gladdis
- Bonnie McEldrew
- Zanther McEldrew
- Ashleigh Meyer
- Courtney Taylor
Ex Officio
- Mons. Glynn Murphy - Parish Priest
- Kingsley Dalgleish - Principal
Dates and Reminders
Term Dates
2025
Term 4 6 October to 19 December
2026
Term 1 27 January (staff) 28 January (students) to 2 April
Term 2 20 April to 26 June
Term 3 13 July to 18 September
Term 4 5 October to 18 December
See dates on PAM (SIMON Everywhere)
School Calendar
November
Thu 6 - Year 6 students visit to Nhill College
Wed 12 - Student-free day (staff professional development)
Thu 13 - Year 6 students visit to Nhill College
W-F 19-21 - Senior Camp, Sovereign Hill
Fri 28 - Student-free day (curriculum planning)
St Patrick's Nhill
Church Times
11:00am Mass each Sunday
Our Mission
Child Safe Standards
The Child Safe Standards began in Victoria in 2016. The 11 Child Safe Standards are designed to help keep children safe from abuse and harm. Organisations working with children must comply with these 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.
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
Bushfire and asthma season
School Preparations for the Bushfire Season
Each year, the Department of Education runs an annual fire risk assessment of schools and early childhood services. They are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 4) and are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).
All schools and early childhood services listed on the BARR list will also close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district.
When the Bureau of Meteorology provides public fire danger rating forecasts or fire weather warnings, they use fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are 9 fire weather districts, which are based on Local Government Area boundaries. Our school is in the Wimmera fire weather district.
As part of preparing our school for the fire season, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and have conducted other relevant preparedness actions, such as reprioritised any maintenance works that may assist in preparing for the threat of fire and cleared our facility’s grounds and gutters.
What does this mean for our school?
Our school has been identified as being at risk of bushfire or grassfire and is listed on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR).
The school is not a neighbourhood safer place. The neighbourhood safer place in Nhill is Davis Park Recreation Reserve, South East Quarter of the Oval (Bounded by Davis Avenue, Park Street, King Street and Fraser Street, Nhill. Entry off Davis Avenue.)
DOBCEL, in accordance with the department’s Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness Policy, requires our schools on the BARR list to close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled.
Our school will close on any day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in Wimmera fire district.
Closure of the school due to a forecast Catastrophic day will be confirmed on the day prior and we will provide you with advice before the end of the school day when possible. Any information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by PAM.
Once confirmed, the decision to close will not change, even if the weather forecast changes. This is to avoid confusion and help your family plan alternative care arrangements for your child/ren. It is also important to be aware that:
- No one will be on site on days where the school is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.
- All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area will be cancelled.
- School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.
In addition, families are encouraged to action their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days. On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.
For those of us living in a bushfire prone area, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) advises that when Catastrophic days are forecast, the safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day.
What can families and the school community do to help us prepare?
- Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers.
- Keep in touch with us by reading our newsletters, checking PAM, and by talking to your child’s teacher or any other member of the teaching staff about our emergency management plan.
- Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements in the event that our school is learning from home due to elevated fire danger or closed due to a Catastrophic fire danger. Further information can be found on the CFA’s website.
- Action your family’s bushfire survival plan if your own triggers are met. Our school community may be spread out across many areas and some families may be at higher risk than others. Your family’s safety is critical, so please let us know if you are actioning your bushfire survival plan and if your children will be absent on these days.
- If your child is old enough, talk to them about bushfires and your family’s bushfire survival plan.
You can find more information on emergencies, warnings and preparedness actions here:
- VicEmergency app – that can be downloaded on your android and iOS mobile devices
- VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226)
- Website https://emergency.vic.gov.au
- Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vicemergency)
- Twitter (https://twitter.com/vicemergency)
- ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters
Thunderstorm asthma
St. Patrick’s School reminds our wider community that grass pollen season brings an increased risk of asthma and hay fever.
Thunderstorm asthma is thought to be triggered by a unique combination of high amounts of grass pollen in the air and a certain type of thunderstorm (typically between October and end December). It can result in people wheezing, feeling short of breath, and tight in the chest with coughing. This can be sudden, serious, and even life threatening.
Anyone can be affected, even if they don’t have a history of asthma.
If your child has current, past or undiagnosed asthma or seasonal hay fever they are at risk of thunderstorm asthma. Don't ignore symptoms like wheezing or shortness of breath.
St. Patrick’s School encourages families to communicate any updated asthma action plans with staff. Our staff will monitor the Vic Emergency app to receive thunderstorm warnings, and, where appropriate, keep students indoors when weather forecasts identify a greater level of risk.
Protect your family this pollen season
For people with asthma or hay fever, especially those who wheeze and sneeze during spring, thunderstorm asthma can be sudden, serious and even life threatening.
There are things you can do to prepare and protect yourself and those in your care:
It’s important for everyone in the community to know the four steps of asthma first aid so they know what to do if they or someone is having an asthma attack.
Avoid being outside during thunderstorms from October through December – especially in the wind gusts that come before the storm. Go inside and close your doors and windows. Turn off any air conditioner that brings outside air in (e.g. evaporative air conditioners).
If your child has ever had asthma – talk to your doctor about what you can do to help protect them from the risk of thunderstorm asthma this pollen season, including updating their asthma action plan. Remember, taking an asthma preventer as prescribed is key to preventing asthma, including thunderstorm asthma.
If your child has ever had hay fever – see your GP to make sure they don’t also have asthma and discuss how to stay safe during grass pollen season.
Asthma reliever medication is available over the counter at pharmacies. Ideally, this should be used with a spacer, for both children and adults. If your child is needing to use their reliever medication more than usual, this may mean that their asthma management plan needs updating – see your GP and make sure that you communicate updated asthma action plans with your child’s school.
Monitor the epidemic thunderstorm asthma risk forecast on the Vic Emergency thunderstorm asthma forecast webpage or download the VicEmergency app (App Store or Google Play) – you can set up a 'watch zone' for your location to receive advice and warnings about potential epidemic thunderstorm asthma events during the grass pollen season.
Protect yourself and those in your care this pollen season – preventing and managing asthma matters. There are a range of videos for caregivers on the Asthma Australia website https://asthma.org.au/resources/videos
Translated resources can be accessed at:
School TV
We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in these editions of SchoolTV and we always welcome your feedback. If you have any concerns about your child, please contact your child's teacher or the principal for further information or seek medical or professional help.
Reminders
School Office Hours
- M 8:45am - 4:15pm
- T 8:45am - 4:30pm
- W 8:45am - 4:30pm
- T 8:45am - 4:30pm
- F 8:45am - 1:00pm
Parent Access Module PAM / SIMON Everywhere app
The Parent Access Module PAM (SIMON Everywhere app) 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.
If the office is unattended, please use the QR code on the door (which will open the Passtab iPad in your phone).
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.