From the Principal

Mrs Creek's F-1 class led our assembly yesterday and spoke about the book that they have been reading this week.  The book is called "My Two Blankets" and it is written from the perspective of a young girl named Cartwheel who moves to a new country with her family.  Cartwheel feels alone, isolated and 'different' to others in her new land.  She also has a language barrier that prohibits her from communicating with others in this new country.  One day, however, she meets a young girl in the park. Though they may not speak the same language, a simple wave sparks the beginning of a new friendship.  The two girls become friends and the girl at the park begins to teach Cartwheel words with the assistance of pictures.  Cartwheel's old blanket represents her old home. She now begins to create a new 'blanket' with all the things that she is learning in her new home.  

We are reminded that we will have more than one 'blanket' as life goes on and as our children grow, many things will change in their lives. 

When I trust in God,

it's like being wrapped in a warm blanket.

With God on my side, I am not scared of anything - 

not during the day,

and not during the night.

WWSSA Athletics 

The 14 students who represented our school at the West Wimmera School Sports Association's Athletics carnival on Wednesday did extremely well.  There were quite a few ribbons being proudly worn on the bus at the end of the day as we travelled back from Warracknabeal.

Well done to everyone and special mentions to Thar Shue and Tia who have qualified to compete at the next stage which will be held in Horsham next month.

Lucy Stephan visit

How fortunate we were yesterday to have Nhill's Olympic Gold Medalist, Lucy Stephan, visit us to share a part of her story and her Gold Medal with our students.

Lucy spoke of her journey from growing up in Nhill to becoming a dual Olympian and a member of the Gold Medal winning Women's Four in rowing.

Lucy mentioned how happy she was to have received the letters that our children had sent to her, and to other Olympians, during the recent Tokyo competition.

It was truly wonderful for our children to have been able to meet Lucy and to be reminded that it doesn't matter where they start, there is a big world out there in their future.

Book Week

It's Book Week next week.  This year's theme is 'Old Worlds, New Worlds, Other Worlds'.   On Wednesday we invite our students to wear costumes related to this theme, and I'm sure we will see some great interpretations of this theme in their costumes.

SunSmart

Our SunSmart Policy is in place when UV levels reach 3 or higher.  

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation can’t be seen or felt.  Whatever the weather, it’s important for people of all skin types to use sun protection whenever UV levels are 3 or higher.   The sun protection times are a forecast from the Bureau of Meteorology for the time of day UV levels are forecast to reach 3 or higher.  At these levels, sun protection is recommended for all skin types.  In Victoria, UV levels regularly reach 3 or higher from mid-August to the end of April.

Hats are to be worn at school from mid-August to the end of April.  

Please ensure your child brings their sun hat to school as we will be enforcing the no hat no play rule from next Monday.

No longer collecting plastic lids

Please do not send any more plastic lids to school.  We have collected enough to finalise our project.  Thank you for your support over the past few terms.

**We are still collecting breadtags.

SAC Reminders

Food Drive

Last Christmas, our school donated non-perishable food items, gift cards and monetary contributions to help families in need in the lead up to Christmas. WWHS and local services were astounded by our generosity and again welcome our assistance in this area. We are asking St Patrick’s families, if they are able to do so, to contribute items to make up hampers for local families. Non-perishable food items, IGA gift cards or monetary contributions can be sent to school and/or monetary or gift cards contributions made at the office. 

Winter Jacket for the Homeless

Also as a part of our 2021 Community Engagement projects, SAC are looking to collect warm winter jackets as part of the ‘Heat the Homeless’ campaign, which has donated over 20,000 jackets to Melbourne’s homeless over the last five years. Our School Advisory Council will arrange for our school’s collection to then be sent to Melbourne which will then be distributed to the various charities who help those living on the streets. Jackets should be in a good, clean condition and ideally waterproof or thick/warm, however others may also be donated.  Should you like to know more about this initiative, please check out https://xtm.com.au/heat-the-homeless.

Enrolments

Catholic children living in the community of Nhill will ordinarily have a right to a place at our school providing there is one available.  We also welcome the enrolment of all students and families who share our vision and education philosophy. 

Applications are currently open for all year levels at our school.

The Enrolment Process

To ensure an equitable enrolment process of students at St. Patrick’s School, the following procedure will be followed for all new expression of interest and formal enrolments.

Prospective parents are encouraged to view our website content and check out our Facebook page St Patrick’s School, Nhill  facebook.com/stpatricksnhill

Kinder enrolments

We will provide all kinder families with an information pack, which includes enrolment forms, at the time of the organised kinder visits.

Interested parents should contact the school to arrange a suitable time for a school tour and a meeting with myself (depending upon Government regulations at the time).

Ideally, completed enrolment forms are required to be provided to the school by the end of Term 3 (Friday, 17 September). 

Parents and prospective students will be invited to return to the school for an interview, following which l will be in a position to confirm or deny the enrolment. 

Please note that a completed enrolment form is a prerequisite to admission, but not a guarantee of admission.

As can be seen in the table above, the planned Kinder visits to each of the three schools have been cancelled due to ongoing Government restrictions on visits to schools.

Each school will now be hosting online information sessions instead.  Our information session will be via Google Meet at 6.30pm on Thursday 2 September and can be accessed via this link.  It is hoped that we will be able to conduct visits early in Term 4.

Other year level enrolments

We are happy to accept enrolment enquiries for all year levels at any time of the year.

Please contact the school by telephone, or call into the school office, to make arrangements.

St Brigid's College Bus

St Brigid's College will have a bus running from Nhill to Horsham each day from the start of the 2022 school year.  Mr Gerard Raven, Principal of St Brigid's College, will meet with parents interested in discussing this new venture.  He will be available next Thursday afternoon, 26 August, in St Patrick's Church straight after school.  Students are still able to enter the competition to help name the new 12-seater bus that has been purchased by St Brigid's - please see details below.  Entries close on Tuesday 24 August.  Competition winners will be announced next Thursday.

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.

"God provides daily for us all." 

Mary MacKillop, 1871

19 goals in succession against Carlton last Saturday night was just delightful to watch - even if it was only Carlton!!  Now to send the Dogs back to their kennel tonight without a bone; without the four points; and with dented hopes for the finals!  Go 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.