No sooner have we returned to school for the start of another exciting term and here we are in yet another statewide lockdown and another period of remote learning. Hopefully regional areas may be able to come out of this one sooner. Whatever happens, we all need to remain vigilant and ensure that we are doing the right thing to protect us all as much as we can against the coronavirus. Please continue to follow the advice in the images above, comply with the restrictions and let's pray that we may return to some normality soon.

Loving God,

at the beginning of this new school term,

we ask you to bless our children,

our teachers and staff,

and the wider community of St Patrick’s School,

that we may continue to grow in faith, hope and love

as we learn from you and each other,

how to follow your Son, Jesus.

Amen.

Lockdown

Unfortunately the Government's notification of the statewide lockdown came after the end of the school day yesterday and children had not take home any of the resources that may be required for remote learning. Staff are today preparing work for Monday and Tuesday. It is anticipated that this work may be able to be sent home via email so that parents will not need to come in to collect it. More details will be provided to families later today.

Parent Teacher Interviews

All families were emailed yesterday regarding the Parent-Teacher Interviews which will take place on Monday 26 July between 3.30pm and 6.00pm.

This evening will allow for parents to come and meet with your child's teacher to discuss the student's Semester One report or any other matter pertaining to your child's progress this year.

Please book your appointments through the PAM (Parent Access Module) app using your login details as provided previously. If you do not know your login details, please contact Karen at the front office.

School Crossing

Upon our return to school on Monday, we were pleasantly surprised to see our school crossing posts looking resplendent following the addition of a fresh coat of paint. These posts had been looking tired and in need of a touch up for quite a while so it is good to see them in their new coats! We also received new flags on Monday morning to complement the freshly painted posts. Thank you to the Shire for following through on our requests for these improvements.

Staff News

This week we welcomed back Ms Jo Murphy as a full time teacher at St Patrick's School. Ms Murphy had been travelling from Halls Gap to Nhill to work one day each week during Semester One. Ms Murphy has been appointed as the Senior class teacher and it is wonderful to have her back in our school on a daily basis.

Mrs Tracey Bell has been appointed to fill the part-time role vacated by Ms Murphy and she will be working with each of the classes for Maths on Tuesdays as well as taking the F-2 class for PE.

New Student

With the return of Ms Murphy, we also welcome back Lexi. Lexi has joined our Senior class and has easily slotted straight back in.

Students on School Grounds

A reminder to all parents that children should not arrive at school before 8.40am. There is no supervision of students before this time each day.

Meerkat Productions

On Monday 26 July we will have a visit from Meerkat Productions, a travelling performance group. This year they will be presenting their adaptation of the book, "Your Birthday was the Best."

Last year's live performance had to be cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions and we watched an online presentation instead. We are hopeful that this year's performance will be able to proceed as planned once the current restrictions are eased.

Assemblies

Mrs Creek's Junior class presented yesterday's assembly. They shared information about what they have been doing in their classroom, including stories involving rhyming words. The students presented some of their stories in both song and dance which were very entertaining for the audience.

Next week's assembly will be presented by Ms Murphy's Senior class. We hope that we will be able to have parents attending our assemblies each week but we will be guided by any restrictions or regulations at the time.

Assembly Roster

22 July - Ms Murphy 4 - 6

29 July - Miss Williams 2 - 3

5 August - Mrs Creek F - 1

eSmart School

St Patrick's School has once again been recognised as an eSmart Member School by the Alannah & Madeline Foundation. As an eSmart Member School we are able to continually improve our eSmart practices by focusing on six key areas, devised in consultation with other Australian schools. These focus areas include:

Collecting and Using Data
Employing best practice in Policies and Procedures
Protecting and Restoring Relationships
Organisational and Professional Development
Students Informed Curriculum
Community of Practice

Enrolments 2022

St Patrick's School is now accepting enrolments for 2022. If you are interested in enrolling a child for next year (in any year level) or are wanting further information about St Patrick's School, please feel free to contact me on 53911575 or by email at principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au

Sunday's Gospel - Mark 6:7-13

'Jesus summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs giving them authority over the unclean spirits. And he instructed them to take nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no haversack, no coppers for their purses. They were to wear sandals, but, he added, 'Do not take a spare tunic.' And he said to them, 'If you enter a house anywhere, stay there until you leave the district. And if any place does not welcome you and people refuse to listen to you, as you walk away shake off the dust from under your feet as a sign to them.' So they set off to preach repentance; and they cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.'

Jesus’ instructions to the apostles are very specific. He repeats the mission that they are sent to preach and to share his authority to heal and to drive out demons. Jesus also instructs them to travel lightly, without the customary food, money, and extra set of clothes. These instructions mean that the Twelve will be dependent on the hospitality of others, just as Jesus depended on others to provide for his needs. Jesus continues to send us into the world as his disciples. But like the first disciples, we are not sent alone. Jesus has given us the community of the Church, which strengthens our life of discipleship. The Christian message is proclaimed in and through the community of faith that is the Church. In our work with others, we build this community of faith and invite others to share in it. (from Loyola Press)

St Brigid's College

St Brigid's College is currently accepting enrolment applications for Years 7-12 for 2022. The Principal of St Brigid's College, Mr Gerard Raven, is scheduled to visit St Patrick's School on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 July to meet with parents at the end of the school day to answer any questions regarding possible enrolments for next year and beyond. This will be dependent upon the current lockdown and may need to be postponed. St Brigid's College is looking at options to provide transport from Nhill each morning and back again at the end of the school day from the start of the 2022 school year. I will provide an update about the date of the visit on our Facebook page when we know what is happening with the current lockdown.

CSEF application deadline extension for 2021

The DET has extended the deadline for schools to submit CSEF applications.

The CSEF helps eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

Families with a valid means-tested concession card, such as a Veteran Gold Card, Centrelink Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card, as well as temporary foster parents, are eligible to apply. There is also a special consideration category for asylum seeker and refugee families.

The means-tested concession cards must be valid on any of the first days of Term 1 (27 January), Term 2 (19 April) or Term 3 (12 July).

Please complete the attached form, or contact the office if you are eligible and have not already applied for CSEF this year.

Jolly Soles Socks for sale

There are a number of socks remaining from last year's socks fundraiser - 16 sizes M/L/XL and 9 sizes XS/S, various designs. We are selling these at a reduced price of $5. Please contact the office with your order and money. Any socks remaining after the end of July will be donated to charity.

Online Safety Webinars for Parents and Carers – eSafety Commissioner

eSafety’s parent  guide to  online sexual harassment and image-based abuse

Free webinar for parents and carers of secondary school students.
1 in 3 young women and 1 in 5 young men have experienced online sexual harassment.
When young people experience this type of online harassment and abuse it can have serious impacts.
This webinar is designed for parents and young people to attend together to learn how to report and where to go for support.

eSafety’s parent guide to  popular apps

Free webinar for parents and carers of primary and secondary school students
Understand the risks when using apps like Tik Tok, Snap Chat, YouTube and Instagram.
This webinar also covers strategies for staying safer on social media and how to report if something goes wrong.

Visit esafety.gov.au for more information on parent webinars and to register.

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.

"Try always to be generous with God. God loves generosity" Mary MacKillop, 1882

What a missed opportunity for the Power last week as we could have moved into the top two with a win over the Demons! Tomorrow we take on the Saints at Marvel, or in Perth, or in Queensland, or Adelaide Oval (still awaiting confirmation of where this game will be played as we go to print!). My Port boys need to bounce back and stay in contention for a top four finish to the home and away season! C'arn Port!!

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.

School Advisory Council