Newsletter 2024/38 ~ 13 December 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

As we light the third candle of Advent, the Joy Candle, we celebrate the overwhelming joy that comes from knowing and trusting in God’s promises. This pink candle reminds us that even in a season of waiting and preparation, joy can be found.

The Joy Candle reminds us of the shepherds in the fields who, upon hearing the angel’s announcement of Jesus’ birth, were filled with wonder and excitement. Their response was immediate—they went to find the newborn Saviour and shared the good news with others. Their joy was contagious, springing from their encounter with God’s love made flesh.

This week, as we prepare for Christmas, we are invited to reflect on the joy of knowing Jesus. What brings true joy to our hearts? How can we share that joy with others? In a world often weighed down by challenges and sadness, the light of this candle encourages us to be messengers of hope and joy.

Take time to notice God’s blessings this week. Celebrate small moments of gratitude, share a kind word, or bring a smile to someone who needs it. As we journey closer to Christmas, may the light of the Joy Candle remind us that Jesus is our source of true and lasting joy—a joy that overflows and touches everyone around us. 

Rejoice, for the Lord is near!

CURRENT & RECENT EVENTS

Transition

It has been a week of excitement for our Year 6 students who are heading to Nhill College in 2025.  They have been enjoying a week of Transition at the College in readiness for next year.  The students will return to St Patrick’s on Monday for their last three days of primary school.

Meanwhile, all students had their transition day today as they moved into their 2025 classes for the day.

Our 2025 Senior class also visited Cooinda today to sing Christmas Carols.

Junior Horsham Excursion

On Monday the F-1 class had a lovely day in Horsham.  These students do not get to go on camp during the year and instead have an out of town excursion.

The students went to Horsham Cinema where they were joined by the F-1 students from Ss Michael & John's Primary School.  Mrs Dickinson has been doing teaching rounds at that school and so it was wonderful to be able to catch up with her again.  It was very pleasing to see the delight on the children’s faces when they saw her.

At the cinema, we watched the new Disney film ‘Moana 2’.  From there we travelled to Horsham Botanical Gardens for lunch and a play on the playground.  It was then on to Kids Kapers who, like the cinema, opened especially for us.

After a great day of fun and excitement, we arrived back at St Pat’s.  Thank you to Mrs Kupper for organising the day’s itinerary and to Mrs Woods for accompanying the children.

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Final Assembly

Yesterday the Senior Class led our assembly.  Congratulations to the students who did all the preparatory work and then ran it.  During the assembly we had our final SWPBS draw and MacKillop was the winning House for Term 4.  Today the students and staff of MacKillop met to determine the SWPBS activity day for next week.

Swimming

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UPCOMING EVENTS

Activities Week

Today

Next year’s Senior Class (2024 Years 3, 4 and 5 students) will be singing Christmas carols with the *Cooinda participants today from 1:30 to 2:30pm. We will travel by bus. 

Monday

Casual Clothes Day - Christmas theme.

Students will be visiting *Avonlea to sing Christmas carols to the residents, 1:00 to 1:30pm. We will have lunch before we depart from school. 

After leaving Avonlea we will be heading to the Nhill Pool for swimming. Students will return to school after swimming ready for dismissal at 3:15pm. All travel is by bus.

Tuesday

Casual Clothes Day - Christmas theme.

We’ll spend time today skipping and cleaning up. 

After recess we’ll celebrate the final SWPBS reward for 2024 - “Wheelie Day” with a BBQ lunch at *Jaypex Park. Students can bring their bikes/scooters/skateboards, and must wear helmets. 

On return to school we’ll enjoy movies in the classroom.

Wednesday

Wednesday is the last day at school for our students. 

Students must wear school uniform. 

At 11am I’ll accompany the Year 6 students (walking) for a milkshake at *Amber’s Sweet Bliss. We’ll return to school by 11:45.

The Nhill Bakery is generously sponsoring a pizza lunch. If your child does not eat pizza then please supply their lunch. We are grateful for the bakery's generous sponsorship of pizza lunches throughout the year, and their support in supplying our weekly lunch order menu. 

Following lunch we will finish the year with our Graduation Mass at 2:00pm, which all family members are welcome to attend. 

Students will be dismissed following Mass provided a parent is there. Normal dismissal time of 3:15pm applies in all other cases.

You are welcome to join us at 6:00pm for our Graduation Ceremony, where we celebrate the achievements of 2024. Bring some food and drinks (strictly no alcohol) to share. Students can wear casual clothes.

*Offsite activity venue 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.

Full details of each activity can be seen on the school calendar in your SimonEverywhere app.

Nhill Carols

The Nhill Town Committee Carols will be held at Jaypex Park tomorrow night.  Santa will be arriving at the Carols at 6.30pm and the Carols will commence at 7.00pm

Students are to be dressed in their school uniform, however they are also permitted to wear Santa hats or other appropriate Christmas items with their uniform.

Our SAC members will be selling soft drinks and water.  Any parents who may be able to assist with this, please contact one of the SAC members.

School staff may be present at this event but as this is not an official school activity all children are the responsibility of their parents/carers.

Graduation Mass and Ceremony

All students will finish school for the year next Wednesday 18, immediately after our Graduation Mass in the Church.  Mass will commence at 2pm and all parents are invited to attend.

Our Graduation Ceremony will take place in the school hall from 6pm.  Parents are invited to bring along a basket supper/tea to enjoy some fellowship after the awards ceremony.

Students' Reports

Students’ End of Semester Reports will be available through the Parent Access Module (PAM) from Thursday 19 December.  Parents wanting printed versions of the report will be able to download copies from PAM. If you have any questions about your child’s report, teachers will be at school on Thursday 19 December only, before commencing their Christmas breaks.  After that date you would need to wait until school returns in late January.

2025

Classes and Staffing

It is a nice change not to have to try and find teachers for the start of the new school year.  All of our teachers are continuing on in 2025.  Class structures will also remain the same:

• F-1 Mrs Kupper
• 2-3 Miss Attard
• 4-6 Ms Farnham

Mrs Bell will continue in her Specialist Teacher role.

Mrs Cathy Grace, who joined us this year as our Learning Diversity Leader, has decided to retire from teaching.

Miss Charlotte Dickinson will also be leaving us at the end of the school year and will gain employment with West Wimmera Health Service.

We thank both Cathy and Charlotte for their contributions to St Patrick’s School and to the growth of our children.  We wish them well for the future.

Starting Dates

The school office will be open from Tuesday 28 January.

All students will commence on Thursday 30 January.

There will be a welcoming evening and information session for all parents on Tuesday 11 February at 6.30pm

Sunday’s Gospel

Luke 3:1- 6

Luke introduces John the Baptist as the voice crying out in the wilderness, preparing the way for the Lord. John’s message fulfills Isaiah’s prophecy: valleys will be filled, mountains leveled, crooked paths straightened, and rough ways made smooth. His call to repentance is an invitation for everyone to prepare their hearts for the salvation of God.

This Gospel passage reminds us that Advent is a time to clear the obstacles in our lives that hinder us from fully welcoming Jesus. Just as John urged people to turn from sin and embrace God’s grace, we too are called to self-examination and spiritual renewal.

What are the "crooked paths" in our lives that need straightening? What rough areas need smoothing? This Advent, let us heed John’s call to prepare the way of the Lord, allowing God’s love and forgiveness to transform our hearts and guide us toward His salvation.

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

119 - A horrible number that I have tried desperately to eliminate from my memory bank since the 2007 AFL Grand Final 😪

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe, happy and holy New Year.  Thank you for your support of St Patrick’s School throughout 2024.

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

Classroom and Student News

Junior Class News

Dear Parents/Guardians/Carers,

Welcome to our final newsletter report for the year! It’s hard to believe how quickly the year has flown by, and what a fantastic journey it has been in the Juniors' classroom.

This week has been filled with joy and excitement as we embrace the festive spirit. The children have been busy engaging in various Christmas activities. One of the highlights has been "elfing" ourselves! You’re welcome to come and check out our adorable elf creations displayed at the front office and in our library area. They’re sure to bring a smile to your face!

In addition to spreading holiday cheer, we’ve been helping set up the new 2025 Foundation/Year 1 classroom in the portable. It’s wonderful to see the children taking pride in assisting with this transition and showing their sense of community.

Swimming on Tuesday was a splash-tastic success, and we’re all looking forward to our next session on Monday. The children have been improving their water skills while having loads of fun!

As we approach the end of the year, please note that readers and library books have ceased going home. This allows us to complete inventory checks and prepare for the new year ahead. All borrowed library books must be returned to school as soon as possible.

A friendly reminder that Wednesday is our last day of school. Let’s make it a memorable one as we celebrate the wonderful achievements of this year.

On behalf of all the staff, I would like to wish you and your families a happy and safe holiday season. Thank you for your support throughout the year, and we look forward to another amazing year ahead!

Cheers,
Mel Kupper

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 Zoe, Julian and Jody.

Reading Achievements

The following students were recognised for their reading achievements:

125 nights - Shalom

150 nights - Rahitya, Brodyn

175 nights - Charlotte M, Hannah E

Congratulations to all students who participated in the home reading challenge this year. 92% of our students were active readers this year, embedding healthy reading habits into their daily routines, for a total of 6,540 nights of reading this year!

Make reading a part of your own summer routine. One of the biggest factors that determine if a student will be a lifelong reader is seeing someone in their family set that example. Keep lots of reading material around the house and set aside 10-15 minutes a day for your child to read or you to read to them.

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

• Meeting - Tuesday 11 December 2025, 5:30pm

Dates and Reminders

School Calendar

December

Fri 13

• St Pat's Headstart day - Kinder children visiting
• 1:30pm Yr 3,4,5 students Carol singing at Cooinda

Sat 14

• Nhill Carols in the Park

Mon 16

• Casual clothes day - Christmas theme
• 1pm Carol singing at Avonlea
• 1:30pm Swimming

Tue 17

• Casual clothes day - Christmas theme
• Wheelie Day & sausage sizzle at Jaypex Park

Wed 18

• Last day for students (dismissal time 3:15pm)
• Pizza lunch (no lunch orders today)
• Graduation Mass 2pm
• Graduation & End of Year Presentation Night 6pm

2025 January

Tue 28

• First day for staff

Wed 29

• Student free day for staff professional development

Thu 30

• First day for students

February

Tue 11

• 5:30pm SAC Meeting
• 6:30pm Welcome Evening

St Patrick's Nhill

Church Times

11:00am Mass each Sunday

Our Mission

Child Safe Standards

SchoolTV

"But I'm SO BORED!…"

How to combat boredom, how to avoid kids getting bored when they have limited internet or screen time. Kids who don't have game consoles being bored, kids being bored in the school holidays, how to beat boredom in the holidays…. "how to I stop kids getting bored?" Or "my kids are bored at home?" I always get these sorts of questions. Now while I don't mind answering them, let me be clear here, I don't think boredom is bad. I don't think your kids being bored is a bad thing. Being bored can be great!

Follow the link below to read more from Psychologist, Brad Marshall ...

Reminders

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).

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. There is a link below with some activities to assist with this discussion.

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

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.

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

1. Wear a face mask
2. Take a test
3. Stay at home
4. Meet outdoors
5. Talk to your GP about COVID medications
6. Get vaccinated

*coronavirus.vic.gov.au