From the Principal

Advent God of hope

With the dawning of each new day

we place our trust in you.

Gather us under your protective wings

that we might encourage one another

and work together to bring health, safety and peace. 

Amen

Headstart

As mentioned in last week's newsletter, our current Grade 6 students will attend Nhill College as part of their Orientation program next week.  Please note that these students will need to wear facemasks at Nhill College if they are 12 years or older.

All other students will have their own Headstart program here at school as they move into their 2021 class next week.  We will also have our new Foundation students here each morning as part of our Forward to Foundation program.

Next year we will move to three classes for our Reading, Writing and Mathematics sessions each morning.  We will then revert to our usual two classes for the remainder of the day.

Class structure and teachers for 2021 will be as follows:

Mornings: (English and Maths)

Foundation / Grade 1 - Mrs Creek

Grade 2 / Grade 3 - Miss Williams

Grades 4, 5, 6 - Miss Walker

Afternoons:

Foundation / Grades 1, 2 - Miss Williams

Grades 3, 4, 5, 6 - Miss Walker

These classes will also operate during our Headstart program next week.  Miss Walker will be joining us on Monday and Tuesday next week.  Miss Webb will continue to take the Senior class during this time as well.

Moving to this new structure for our English and Maths program will allow us to be able to provide a greater individual focus for each student and their particular needs in these areas.

School Reports - Follow up with Teachers

Student reports will be sent home at the end of next week.  Once again, these reports will not look the same as those provided at the end of previous years.  This is due to the extended periods of remote/online learning.  The primary focus for all schools since returning from the online teaching phase has been on English and Maths.  This semester's reports will provide details of what your child has achieved in those two subjects, their Religious Education studies, and their Personal and Social Capabilities.  A general comment on the student's progress will also be included.

If you wish to speak to your child's teacher after receiving the reports, please contact the school to arrange a time for discussion to occur.

School Advisory Council News 

Annual General Meeting

The SAC AGM was held on Wednesday night.  Thank you to those who were able to attend, and those who sent in their apologies.

The following people were elected for two-year terms - Helen Cannell, Zanny McEldrew and Moo Khu James - and they join Ant Toet and Nathan Ruge who will be in the second year of their two-year terms.  There is still room on Council for one more member, so if you think you are able to contribute to the school in this way then please contact me to discuss.

The SAC Annual Report has been added to the school website for you to read. 

The next SAC meeting will be held early in Term 1.

Christmas Hampers

The SAC Community Engagement Group are preparing Christmas hampers to support local families in need.  Families are asked to donate non-perishable items for food hampers.  Suitable non-perishable food items are - pasta, rice, cereal, tea, coffee, sugar, flour, long-life UHT milk, biscuits, spreads, jam, vegemite, peanut butter, canned fruit, canned vegetables, packet pasta meals, pasta sauce, 2-minute noodles.  Toiletries would also be suitable.

**Cash donations are also accepted.  The local social work department will use this for supermarket shopping vouchers.

Please bring your items to school and place them in the collection box in the foyer.  Thank you to those families who have already been able to provide items for the hampers.

Graduation Mass

Our end of year Graduation Mass will be celebrated in the Catholic Church at 6pm on Wednesday 16th December.  This will also be the last day of school for students for what has been a very interesting school year!

Under the revised regulations for Graduation Masses and school events, we are able to have our end of year celebration in the Church with a maximum of 130 people in attendance.  We also need to try and maintain social distancing as best as possible within the church.  As such we are asking that only immediate family members attend this year's Graduation Mass, although our Graduating Grade 6 students may invite extended family members as well.

Our Graduation and Awards Ceremony, which would normally occur afterwards in the school hall, will also take place in the Church.  If we were to move to the hall we would be limited to only 20 people being able to attend and so we will remain in the Church instead.

 We will not have a meal in the hall afterwards, however those who wish to stay and have a picnic style meal outside the Church afterwards are encouraged to do so.  This will be an opportunity to mingle, enjoy each other's company, celebrate the completed school year and to reflect on all that has occurred throughout 2020.

Carols by Candlelight

The Nhill Community Carols by Candlelight will be held next Saturday 12th December at Jaypex Park.  Our students have been invited to participate and we are hoping that many of them will be available to represent St Patrick's School and sing together on the night.  Several of our Junior students have already volunteered themselves and are practicing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas."  I will send a note home via email to check availabilities of children to be part of our choir on the night.

Sacraments

Congratulations and God's blessings upon our four students who were involved in the recent Sacraments program.  Children participated in Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist preparation sessions and this culminated with them receiving First Communion during Mass last Sunday.  Congratulations and welcome to full participation in the Church services Jack, Riley, Sienna and Zara.

Last week of term

A fun packed last three days of school are currently being planned by Miss Williams and Miss Webb.  We have a dance group coming to visit and demonstrate their Hip Hop dancing before taking the children through a Workshop and teaching them some moves; there will be a Christmas movie; we will be singing for some locals; there are plans for some cooking to take place; and we will also be preparing for our Graduation Mass.  More details will be made available on next week's newsletter.

Advent

This week saw not only the start of summer, but also the start of the season of Advent.  The key message of Advent is hope and joyful expectation.  It looks towards the coming of our Saviour; it is an experience of anticipation.

The liturgical colour of Advent is purple and so we will see the altar of the church dressed in purple as are the prayer tables in our school.

The Advent wreath highlights the sense of expectation as Christmas draws near and Nativity scenes are a way of helping to tell and share the Christmas story as Advent draws towards a close.

We welcome Fr Richard Leonard for our Advent Parish Mission 

Fr Richard Leonard will be in our Parish from Saturday December 5th to Wednesday December 9th.  Fr Richard is an excellent and engaging speaker.  Those who listened to him speak during his most recent visit to Horsham two years ago would certainly agree with this.

Fr Richard will celebrate Mass with us here in Nhill this Sunday at 5pm, followed by a talk after Mass.

I would encourage everyone to come along if you are able to do so.  Please feel free to bring a picnic dinner with you and we will be able to share in some fellowship outside the church afterwards.

Fr Richard will also conduct Masses in Horsham this Saturday at 6.30pm, and Sunday at 10.30am.  There will also be Mass, followed by a talk, on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday next week at 9.30am, in the Horsham Church.  

There will be also be talks  at  7pm on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in the Horsham Church for those able to attend.  There will be a Collection at each Session.

Fr Richard will develop his Mission around these themes:

Advent - the season of preparedness and anticipation.

As a community we are re-gathering and re-connecting following COVID-19 restrictions.  We are entering a time when" joy and gladness" can really come to the fore. It is a time for looking forward, not back.

Sunday's Gospel: Mark 13: 33-37

Jesus said to his disciples: 'Be on your guard, stay awake, because you never know when the time will come.  So stay awake, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming; if he comes unexpectedly, he must not find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake!'

Like the disciples, we all have our failings and can lose focus, however Jesus reminds us that we need to be alert and ready for His return.  With so many atrocities happening in our world, with the manner in which we treat our Earth, and with things like the global pandemic that we have experienced this year, it is easy to become disillusioned and to lose hope, however it is hope and faith that must keep us going.  We need to be alert to causes as well as to consequences so that the cycles of violence and destruction might eventually be broken.  Our Gospel asks no less of us. 

Reminders - on-site learning

Following the Governments announcements last weekend there have been a number of changes to restrictions across Victoria.  As a school we are still unpacking what some of those changes mean for us as part of the St Patrick's School community.

 The following coronavirus restrictions, however, still remain in place:

• All unwell students must stay home.  Parents will be called to collect any students who experience symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat.
• Students must bring their own water bottles to school for use (and refilling).
• We will continue to provide routine environmental cleaning, including progressive cleaning throughout the day, as well as easy access for hand hygiene (hand washing and sanitiser).
• Parents/carers are asked to observe physical distancing measures before and after school by not congregating in areas inside or around the school, including at the main entrance.
• Parents/carers can attend the school office if necessary.
• Face masks do not need to be worn at school by primary school children, but children over the age of 12 must wear masks when not at school.

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.

"Pray ever to be ready for God's will even when it takes you by surprise"  Mary MacKillop, 1880

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal