From the Principal
As a community we continue to watch the number of coronavirus cases accumulate each day. So far we have been fortunate enough not to have any active cases recorded in our town. We need to ensure that we continue to do the right things including washing our hands with soap and water frequently, using hand sanitiser, maintaining social distancing, and, from Monday, everyone aged 12 years and over is required to wear a facemask or covering when outside their homes. Let's all do the right thing to help stop the spread of this virus. Remember, if you feel unwell - stay home. If you are experiencing symptoms - get tested and then isolate until you receive confirmation that you have tested negative to the virus.
Staff at St Patrick's School will be required to wear facemasks when not actively teaching. (I've got my Port Adelaide Power masks ordered already!!)
Primary school children are not required to wear facemasks.
Online Learning Surveys
Thank you to the parents who have completed the Online learning Survey that was sent out via email last week. Your responses are greatly appreciated and will continue to help guide the directions we take within the classroom and will certainly influence the way in which we undertake online learning should we need to go down that path again in the near future. We hope that we won't have to revert to online learning but it does remain a possibility as we endeavour to contain the spread of coronavirus throughout the state.
If you have not yet completed the survey, please feel free to do so in the next few days. The link to the survey is https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeovQf6YuwwvoCKGMHhdHKEcxwIX87KxlEF9foJxv2y-hhyiw/viewform?usp=sf_link
Catholic School Parents Victoria have also generated a survey for parents across all Catholic schools and are seeking responses to their survey as well (it is actually quite similar to the one I shared last week). This survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSPVRemoteLearningFamilies
Director of Catholic Education
Following the retirement of Ms Audrey Brown from the position of Director of Catholic Education in the Ballarat Diocese, Mr Tom Sexton has been appointed to the position. Mr Sexton has over 30 years experience in Catholic Education including 24 years in senior leadership positions. Mr Sexton served as the Assistant Director of Education for 11 years in the Sandhurst Catholic Education Office. Mr Sexton will officially commence in his new role on Monday 17th August.
Sacramental Program
Next month we will commence the planning programs for the children wishing to participate in the sacraments on Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist. Children in Years 3 and 4 will be able to participate in the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist. The sacrament of Reconciliation is open to children from Years 5 and 6 who participated in the Confirmation and Eucharist program in 2017. A first planning meeting for the preparation for this sacrament will be held on Tuesday 18th August.
Please contact Mrs Ann Munro or the school if you are interested in participating in these sacramental programs or if you are seeking further information.
Sunday's Gospel
Last Sunday's Gospel (Matthew 13:44-52) focused on seeking gifts that are of value. In the Gospel, Jesus shared the three parables of someone finding treasure in the field, the merchant finding the perfect pearl and the fisherman dragging in a net full of fish of all kinds.
As we reflect on the first parable, we are encouraged to consider what are the things of real value in our lives? What are the real “treasures” in our lives? We are to ask ourselves to what lengths we would go in order to secure that treasure.
The second parable tells of a merchant who finds a pearl of great value and then sells all his possessions in order to purchase that one pearl. Again, we are invited to consider what is of such value to us that we would give up everything else in order to have that one thing, that one relationship?
Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a dragnet thrown into the sea that catches fish of every kind and is drawn to shore and sorted, putting the good into baskets and throwing away the bad.
The parables of the buried treasure, the priceless pearl and the dragnet remind us that gospel discipleship demands an all-embracing investment of heart and spirit.
Jesus tells us that the reign of God is a very valuable gift, one that we must seek and treasure.
Sometimes these gifts come to us at no cost: we simply have to ask; but on other occasions they come after much expense and sacrifice. But always, they come to us as gifts from God, gifts we should treasure forever.
We pray that we can all be accepting of the treasures given to us by God this week.
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 gives me strength for what is necessary." Mary MacKillop, 1907
God Bless you all,
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal