From the Principal
Loving God,
we turn to you in our hour of need.
Give us discernment to make the right decisions,
and Your love and power to help us overcome any difficulties.
Please watch over everyone as times and routines are about to change once again.
We know that we can do anything through You,
so please help us to stay safe and in good health,
while we strive for semi-normalcy during this time.
We give our hearts to You, now and forever.
Amen.
So here we go again!
Disappointingly, we find ourselves in another period of statewide lockdown. As the number of active COVID cases have risen quickly over recent days, all of Victoria has returned to Stage 3 restrictions - meaning that there are only 5 reasons that we can leave our homes.
As communicated to parents via email yesterday (copy available below), students have returned to Remote Learning for the following week. Staff have been preparing packs for students today. Students will not require digital technology to be able to complete the learning tasks at home.
Wednesday's planned Student Free Day for staff to meet with Educational Consultant Chris Robarts to work on the School Review has now been rescheduled to Friday 4 June. As such, no students are to come to school next Friday.
Please refer to the summary at the bottom of the attached letter.
As with other remote schooling periods, our school will provide on-site supervision for students in the following categories:
Children where both parents and/or carers are authorised workers who cannot work from home, work for an essential provider and where no other supervision arrangements can be made:
- where there are two parents/carers, both must be authorised workers, working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision;
- for single parents/carers, the authorised worker must be working outside the home in order for their children to be eligible for on-site provision.
Children experiencing vulnerability, including:
- children in out-of-home care;
- children deemed vulnerable by a government agency, funded family or family violence service, and is assessed as requiring education and care outside the family home;
- children identified by a school or early childhood service as vulnerably, including via referral from a government agency, or funded family or family violence service, homeless or youth justice service or mental health or other health service.
If your child/ren require/s on-site supervision during the remote schooling period Monday 31 May to Thursday 3 June, please submit the online application form by using the following link:
Information is available to support your child's learning from home.
Catholic Education Week Celebrations
200 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA MASS:
On Monday four of our Year 6 students headed off at 6am to attend the 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia Mass in Ballarat.
Thar Shue, Zara, Riley P and Olivia joined representatives from Ss Michael & John's PS Horsham, St Joseph’s Hopetoun, St Mary’s Warracknabeal, Our Lady Help of Christians Murtoa, and St Brigid's College Horsham together with Mons Glynn Murphy on the bus from Horsham.
This special Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral in Ballarat also marked the beginning of Catholic Education Week in our Diocese.
The students were certainly impressed by the size of the Cathedral in comparison to our Church in Nhill. The features of the Cathedral are very impressive as well.
More activities to celebrate this special week and milestone will take place over the next few days.
CATHOLIC EDUCATION WEEK MASS:
Our students and staff joined with Our Lady Help of Christians Murtoa, Ss Michael and John's Horsham, and St Brigid's College Horsham to celebrate Catholic Education Week with Mass in the Horsham Church.
Monsignor Glynn Murphy led the Mass with involvement from staff and students from each of the schools and singing led by Chris Robarts.
After Mass we went to Coughlin Park Community Centre where St Brigid's students had cooked a BBQ lunch for everyone.
After lunch and a play, Mr Raven, Principal of St Brigid's College, took us for a tour of the College's STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) building before we returned to school for the end of the day.
200 YEARS OF CATHOLIC EDUCATION IN AUSTRALIA CELEBRATIONS IN EDENHOPE:
Yesterday our students and staff combined with those from St Malachy's Edenhope, Sacred Heart Casterton, St Joseph's Coleraine and Our Lady Help of Christians Murtoa, for a day of celebrating Catholic Education Week and 200 Years of Catholic Education in Australia.
Our celebrations commenced with a short Liturgy led by Fr George from Edenhope. Students then participated in Hip Hop Dance with Dan and Justin from Freestyle Dance Ministry.
A drone took photos and footage as the students from the five schools formed a large 200 to mark the Bicentenary of Catholic Education in Australia. (Photos of this will be shared when made available).
A BBQ lunch was followed by a cupcake. Each school made cupcakes with edible school logos on them. These cakes formed a large cross and everyone was able to then enjoy one of the cupcakes at the end of the day.
With the State heading into another lockdown and schools returning to remote learning again, today's activities brought a close to our Catholic Education Week celebrations.
National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June.
Reconciliation Australia’s theme for 2021, "More than a word. Reconciliation takes action", urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.
Reconciliation is a journey for all Australians – as individuals, families, communities, organisations and importantly as a nation. At the heart of this journey are relationships between the broader Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and in playing our part we collectively build relationships and communities that value Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.
The following reading from Isaiah is a rallying call to the nations to treat their people justly. The leaders of both Israel and Judah have fallen into unjust practices, feathering their own nests and neglecting their people. Isaiah provides practical and encouraging images of the kind of justice the Living God desires for all people.
Isaiah 58: 6-12
Is not this the fast that I choose:
to loose the bonds of injustice,
to undo the thongs of the yoke,
to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house;
when you see the naked, to cover them, and not to hide yourself from your own kin?
Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up quickly;
your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry for help, and he will say, "Here I am."
If you remove the yoke from among you, the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,
if you offer your food to the hungry and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,
then your light shall rise in the darkness and your gloom be like the noonday.
The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your needs in parched places, and make your bones strong;
and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters never fail.
Your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations;
you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to live in.
Student Free Day
Due to yesterday's lockdown announcement we have had to re-adjust next week's calendar. Consequently the Student Free Day that was scheduled for next Wednesday has been moved to Friday 4th June. Staff will meet with Education Consultant Chris Robarts to further develop our submission for the School Review which will occur in September. No students are to come to school on Friday 4 June.
Book Club
Book Club Issue 4 is now open. Catalogues have been sent home with your children. Orders are due by Tuesday, 8 June.
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.
"It is such a common thing to find politicians shaking their heads and saying so wisely that it seems destined for the black races to fade away before the white. Fade away indeed! You stop a white man's wages and give him nothing to eat, and see if he won't fade away!" Julian Tenison Woods, 1867
Port had a 'point' to prove against Collingwood last week - and that's all it took to get four points!
Looking forward to a win against the Dockers before heading into the bye. Go Port!
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal