From the Principal

Risen and revealing God,

you walked with us for a long time before we knew who you truly were.

We talked about this world as if we were the ones who saw it clearly.

Now that we more fully recognise your continued presence with us, give us eyes to see the beauty that surrounds us, as well as the problems we have too long ignored.

And may our hearts then burn with your illuminating and catalysing fire that we might see the world that you envision. 

Amen.

Years 3-6 return

Last week we welcomed back our Foundation, Year 1 and Year 2 students.  This week we were so pleased and grateful that they were able to be joined by our Year 3 and 4 students on Tuesday and Wednesday, and our Year 5 and 6 students on Thursday and again today.  Next week will be a repeat of this arrangement before we can all be together again at the same time in Week 4.

Thank you to Mrs Pilgrim, Mrs Dickinson, Mrs Bell and the students who were involved in painting our new chessboard in the area between the main building and the hall.  The children have enjoyed getting the large checkers out and playing at recess and lunchtime.

Mask wearing

As we are all aware, all staff and students in Years 3 and above must wear a face mask at school.  Please note the following tips for successful mask wearing -

• Ensure children's masks are clearly labelled with their names.
• Instruct children to never share or trade masks.
• Ensure your child has at least two masks for each day, so they have a back-up if one goes missing.

Vaccination Mandate for School Staff in Victoria

St Patrick's School is complying with regulations as mandated by the Victorian Government and in accordance with Public Health Notice #6.  We  are hopeful that there may be some easing of restraints in the coming weeks to allow us to plan activities for the remainder of the year, including excursions and our end of year celebrations.   Staff in schools across Victoria are mandated to have have received at least their first vaccination dose by 18 October and to be fully vaccinated by 29 November.   St Patrick's School staff are complying with this mandate.

Sadly there have been cases of COVID-19 causing the closure of schools in Mildura, Swan Hill, and Ballarat this week as well as recent Tier 1 exposure sites in Ararat, Stawell and the Grampians.  As we prepare for more easing of restrictions and greater movement of the population, there is increased possibilities of the virus spreading further into Western Victoria and so we need to ensure that we remain vigilant with our mask wearing, hand washing, and getting vaccinated.

Operation Christmas Child

Families are encouraged to join in supporting children in vulnerable situations through Operation Christmas Child.  

What is Operation Christmas Child?

Operation Christmas Child is a hands-on way for you to bless children in need across the world by filling shoeboxes with toys, hygiene items, school supplies, and fun gifts.  Boxes are collected and distributed in the name of Jesus Christ to children living in vulnerable situations.  See the video below.

Please check the website for further information and for details on how to pack a shoebox. There is also an option to make a $30 donation and have a box packed and sent on your behalf.

Thank you to those who have already made donations or delivered boxes to school. Boxes can still be delivered to school and will be collected in the next week or so.

Sunday's Gospel - Mark 10 : 17-27

Sunday’s Gospel told the story of the just and righteous man who asked Jesus what he needed to do to get into heaven.  Jesus responded by reminding the man about the Ten Commandments; You must not kill, You must not commit adultery, You must not steal, You must not bring false witness, Your must not defraud, Honour your father and mother.  The man’s response was immediate, ‘Yes I’ve done those things since my earliest days’.  Jesus then asked the man to go and sell everything he owned, give the money to the poor and to follow him.  The man walked away from Jesus very sad as he was very wealthy and he couldn’t bring himself to give away all he owned.  

In today's society, we are constantly bombarded with advertisements encouraging us to own ‘stuff’.  Whatever we have, it also has us.  And it costs us a lot to maintain all our stuff.  It takes time, effort and money to keep all the ‘stuff’ of our lives in place.  Even the poorest person on earth possesses something so the goal isn’t to renounce all our possessions.   The spiritual goal is to surrender what we possess so that it can free us.  If we surrender our resources to God’s purpose then no-one can take anything from us.  We become liberated when our worldly wealth is at the disposal of God’s will.  And if we consider what having less might achieve in terms of the world’s finite resources we might find that we are able to sustain the world for a lot longer, and that it would benefit the majority of the world’s population rather than the world’s richest nations as is the current scenario. 

During Catholic Mission Month, we may choose to make our focus to be to ‘tread lightly in our relationships’; make fewer demands and give without expecting a return.  Free others (and yourself) from the burden of expectations and consider the impact of possessing less and giving more to those in greater need.

Deepest Sympathies

We keep Fr Peter Hudson and his family in our thoughts today as they gather for the funeral of Fr Peter's sister Marie, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 90.  

May God grant her eternal rest in His loving arms.

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.

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.

"Never is God nearer to us than when danger threatens"   

Mary MacKillop, 1880

So now that the AFL season is officially over, and trade period has finished as well, we can now sit back and console ourselves with the fact that there are only 160 days until the start of the 2022 season!  Not sure I can wait that long - when does the AFLW season commence?

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

Our Vision

As partners in Catholic Education and open to God’s presence, we pursue the fullness of life for all.

St. Patrick’s School is a Child-Safe School.

Our Mission

Therefore, inspired by the Gospels, our community will:

• Build on the traditions of our Catholic faith.
• Offer engaging, contemporary education aligned with Catholic tradition.
• Provide a safe and inclusive environment to support and nurture the development of all.
• Provide and maintain a supportive environment that effectively utilises resources.
• Promote caring and responsible relationships between the school, family, and wider community to enhance student learning.