ANZAC Day

John 15:12-15

This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father.

The passage above, from John's Gospel, is from Jesus' last talk with his disciples. Jesus is impressing upon them the most important things to remember after he has gone. To love one another as much as Jesus loved them was critical as it involved a commitment that could mean dying for that person. In the context of ANZAC Day, we remember the thousands of young men and women who died 'for their countries'. Whatever we now know of the politics of war, it does not detract from the great love those young people showed for their families and communities.

They shall grow not old,

as we who are left grow old.

Age shall not weary them,

nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun,

and in the morning,

we will remember them.

Lest we forget.

Living God

bless us with the promise you made through Isaiah:

that we beat our swords into ploughshares

and our spears in to pruning hooks;

may one nation not raise a sword against another,

and may we never again train for war.

Amen

ANZAC Day in Nhill

Our students have been invited to participate in the ANZAC Day march in Nhill on Sunday morning. Any students who are able to attend are asked to wear their school uniform and to meet at the Information Centre in Goldsworthy Park at 10.15am. Students will then join in the march to the cenotaph in Goldsworthy Park at 10.30am.

RAAF Flight Lieutenant Nicole Strachan will be the Guest Speaker at the 11am service.

Please take along a chair to sit on during the service and remember to rug up if the weather looks like being cold.

Student Hearing Tests

Pink permission notes have been provided for all students for free hearing tests to be conducted by Wimmera Hearing Society at school next Wednesday. Please return the signed permission slip at the bottom of the form by Monday.

SunSmart - hats still on in Term 2

Our SunSmart Policy ends on 30 April. There are often days where the UV levels are above 3 until the end of April. Students must wear their sunhats when outside, therefore, until the end of next week. Students without a sunhat will sit in the undercover area.

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.

Visit https://www.sunsmart.com.au/uvalert/ for daily sun protection times and UV information.

Relay For Life

As Chairmanager for the Horsham & District Relay For Life, I wish to thank those who were able to join in walking laps of the lake last Sunday and raise funds for Cancer Council Victoria. Thank you to Emma Dickinson for coordinating the event. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. As was the support of those who joined us for our Virtual Relay on Facebook. Anyone wishing to register for the 2022 Relay For Life in Horsham can do so for half price until this Sunday. You can register now at www.relayforlife.org.au.

Athletics Sports

Thank you to Nhill College for inviting our Years 3-6 students to be a part of the College's Athletics Sports on Tuesday. Unfortunately we only managed one event for most age groups before the rain forced the event to be postponed until today.

We will have a full wrap of our children's performances in next week's newsletter.

Library News

Book Fair

A huge thank you to everyone who purchased books during our Book Fair last term. The school was able to purchase about 38 new books from the commission earnt.

Book Club

The Book Club Issue 3 catalogue is out now. Orders can be made using the order form in the catalogue that went home with students yesterday, or visit the parent login page (links below). Orders are due by Tuesday, 4 May.

May is Scholastic National Family Reading Month!

2021 marks the 25th year of National Family Reading Month which celebrates and encourages families to read more together.

Most of us know how important reading together is and its long-term value to our children’s success in school and in life. However, we also know it is not always that easy to put into practice with our busy schedules and increasing competition with screen time.

That is why we ask families to take the 31 Day Family Reading Challenge – to inspire you to make reading together for at least 10 minutes every day a focus, to create positive, long lasting reading habits and lifelong readers!

We hope you enjoy exploring the universe of wonderful stories together–from different types of books across many authors and genres, and have a great time taking this challenge!

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.

"I trust in the goodness of God" Mary MacKillop, 1873

God Bless you all.

Kingsley Dalgleish

Principal

Community News

Auskick