As Melbourne continues its period of lockdown, we are reminded of the need to be vigilant in keeping our community safe from COVID-19. With four confirmed cases in Horsham the past week it highlights that rural areas are not exempt from the coronavirus. We all need to be playing our part and ensuring that we continue to follow all of the directions from the Chief Health Officer and the Department of Health and Human Services. As a community we cannot afford to become complacent or we will see ourselves in a similar situation to other areas who have returned to lockdown, isolation and school closures.

It is extremely concerning and disheartening that of the almost 4000 Victorians who tested positive for coronavirus over the past three weeks, almost 90% kept going about their business after they began to show symptoms. 53% of these then did not isolate at home while they waited for their test results. It is this type of complacency that will see the virus continue to spread.

If you feel unwell, please stay home. If your child is feeling unwell, has a sore throat or has a runny nose, please keep them at home. It is up to all of us to stop the spread of this virus.

Last night I emailed all families asking you to complete a survey regarding the Online Learning that took place during Term 2. I wish to receive feedback from you about the online experience. This will guide us in improving our current teaching practices and assist us to improve the online learning processes if we do need to return to that form of teaching and learning. I hope that all families will take the time to complete the survey by next Wednesday.

Jolly Soles Socks

The response to the Jolly Soles socks fundraiser has been fantastic so far. I have been happy to "turn a blind eye" to the number of students who have been proudly wearing their socks with bananas, kiwi fruit, oranges, lemons, puppies, music notes, and a multitude of other designs over the past few days. We still have a few pairs at school if anyone is yet to order theirs or if you are looking for more. A reminder that we would like the money returned to school by Friday next week. If any unsold socks can be returned earlier that would also be appreciated. Thank you for your support of this fun-fundraiser.

Celebrating 24 years as a SunSmart School

This week we were recognised by Cancer Council Victoria as a SunSmart School for the 24th consecutive year. After submitting our recently reviewed SunSmart Policy, we received a congratulatory email from CCV acknowledging our achievement. Nicky Muir, Coordinator of SunSmart Schools and Early Childhood Program at Cancer Council Victoria remarked,

"This year marks your 24th SunSmart Birthday. That’s a brilliant achievement! We appreciate your continued support and look forward to many more SunSmart years. Through the efforts of member schools such as yours and a more sun aware community, we are seeing a decline in melanoma rates in people under 60 who have spent half of their life exposed to sun protection messages."

Policy Updates

A number of policies were ratified at our most recent School Advisory Council meeting. Please note that our policies can be viewed on the school website (www.spnhill.catholic.edu.au).

A new policy that has been introduced is the Parent Code of Conduct.

At St. Patrick’s School we believe in promoting a positive school culture, based on positive behaviours and values, that seek to increase student wellbeing and learning. We understand that student wellbeing is everyone’s responsibility and that social and emotional wellbeing underpin effective student learning and positive behaviour. We believe that parents are valuable contributors to our community and we aim to work in partnership with parents in the care and growth of each student.

We have a zero tolerance policy regarding violence of any kind.

The Parent Code of Conduct is intended to provide school community members with protocols for appropriate conduct and the development of positive relationships within the school community. The Parent Code of Conduct outlines the way in which the school requires parents to conduct themselves when visiting the school, participating in school activities and communicating with members of our community (including students, staff and other parents).

I encourage you to take the time to read through this new policy.

Plastic Free July

One of the biggest challenges our communities face today is the presence of single-use plastic that eventually find their way into our landfills. Scientists and environmental groups have not found a solution to dispose of single-use plastic properly, and so plastic packaging will continue to be a problem for generations to come. 

Some of the issues of single-use plastic exist in its overall environmental impact. The production process of single-use plastic products causes harm to the environment from the beginning. Many of the materials used to make plastic are non-biodegradable, which means that even these products accumulate in landfills or the environment.

More than 300 million tonnes of plastic are produced each year, and 50% of this is the production of single-use plastic/packaging.

Plastic Free July is a movement that started in Australia and has spread across the globe. The campaign aims to promote a plastic-free lifestyle by highlighting the simple steps that individuals and companies can take to reduce and even eliminate single-use plastic waste.

I encourage us all to think of how we may be able to reduce the use of plastics in our daily lives.

Newsletter

Thank you for the feedback regarding our new style newsletter. The digital format has been well received by those who have commented. The inclusion of our School Assemblies has almost meant that parents and friends have been able to view our students joining together for prayer, receiving their awards and celebrating birthdays together. We are pleased that you are enjoying the video clips. Thank you to Mrs Rintoule for her filming of the assemblies.

Facebook

It is pleasing to see that there have been a number of parents 'Like' our Facebook page and the posts that have been shared. If you are on Facebook, remember to check our page at 'St Patrick's School, Nhill'. Once again, the feedback has been very positive and greatly appreciated.

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.

"Have courage, no matter what your crosses are." Mary MacKillop, 1890

God Bless you all,

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

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