From the Principal
As long as we have hope,
we have direction,
the energy to move,
and the map to move by.
We have a hundred alternatives,
a thousand paths,
and an infinity of dreams…
Author unknown
No Propodollah bus tomorrow
Due to a pupil free day at Nhill College tomorrow the Propodollah bus will not be operating. All other buses will be operating as normal.
Christmas Hampers
The SAC Social Justice 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.
Please bring your items to school and place them in the collection box in the foyer.
Lions International Peace Poster
Congratulations to Olivia Watson on winning the local competition in the Lions International Peace Poster Contest. Our Senior students were invited to participate in this competition in Term 3 and there were some outstanding contributions from our students. The feedback from contest organisers was very pleasing!
Olivia's poster went on to represent the area at the regional level as well where it was highly commended. Well done to all of our students on the quality of your presentations and particularly to Olivia on her achievement.
Halls Gap excursion
A great time was had by all students and staff who went on the excursion to Halls Gap last Friday. The students had a great time at Halls Gap Zoo where they were able to see a range of animals up close as well as being able to pat some of the animals. The giraffes, rhino, deer and peacocks seem to have ranked highly among the favourite animals.
After visiting the zoo, the next stop was Grampians Adventure Mini Golf where a couple of future golfing champions were unearthed!
Everyone had a lot of fun but there were certainly some tired bodies on the bus when they arrived back in Nhill at the end of a long day.
Thank you to Miss Webb and Miss Williams for planning the day.
Orientation Visits
This week we enjoyed having our 2021 Foundation students with us for their third Orientation visit. The children have joined for short sessions over the past three Tuesdays and have spent time doing activities with Miss Webb and Mrs Creek. We look forward to them joining us next year and we may even have an opportunity for more visits before this school year ends.
Our current Grade 6 students will attend Nhill College as part of their Orientation program from 7-11 December. 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 as they move into their 2021 class in that same week.
Sacraments
We wish the Senior students who are participating in the Sacraments program well as they celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation, Eucharist and Reconciliation at Mass on Sunday. Mass will be at 5pm in the Catholic Church.
"Family, Friends, Future"
As part of our Wellbeing Wednesdays during the online/remote learning phase last term, all students and staff were asked to decorate a piece of calico cloth under the theme of 'Family, Friends, Future.' The children who joined us in term 4 also completed the artistic task.
Mrs Munro has joined all the pieces together to create a new wall-hanging for the library. Well done to everyone for your contribution and special thanks to Mrs Munro for her sewing skills and to Mr Cannell for hanging the finished product for us.
School Advisory Council Annual General Meeting
All parents are invited to our School Advisory Council Annual General Meeting next Wednesday, 2nd December at 7.00pm in St Patrick's Community Hall. (Not 7.30pm as indicated on one of the notes that went home earlier this week).
COVID-19 restrictions are in place, and we are therefore limited to a total of 20 people able to attend. Physical distancing must be in place and face masks must be worn indoors.
Therefore we ask that you indicate if you are intending to attend so that we can remain within these limits.
Please consider joining this group as there are a number of vacancies for 2-year terms. Nomination forms are due by Tuesday 1st December.
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!
Details of the Graduation Mass and Awards Ceremony will be provided next week.
Carols by Candlelight
Our children have been invited to participate in the Nhill Carols by Candlelight on Saturday 12th December. Given the recent changes to coronavirus restrictions, the final format of the event is still to be clarified. We will keep you informed of how our students may be involved in this exciting community event.
InsightSRC Survey Data
The data from the recent survey completed by staff, parents and students has been collated and an Interpretive Report was forwarded to me last night. Whilst it will take some time to fully unpack the report, initial reaction is that the report is very affirming of what we are doing here at St Patrick's School.
The information will be dicussed with staff and our Educational Consultant from Catholic Education Ballarat and will help form the ongoing direction and focus for our school.
I thank all parents who were able to complete the survey. It was, by far, the greatest parental response to completing one of these surveys that I have ever been associated with over my 30+ years in education. Well done - your voices are being heard and will continue to guide us.
Sunday's Gospel: Matthew 25: 31-46
Sunday was the celebration of the Feast of Christ the King.
Sunday's Gospel provides a blueprint for Christian living in general and for leadership in particular. Matthew presents Jesus as both shepherd and sheep. From a Christian perspective, the world needs the sort of leadership that Jesus of Nazareth advocated in first century Palestine, the kind of leadership that Pope Francis is offering to our world today. In proclaiming an eighth work of mercy, care for our common home, Pope Francis has asked us to expand our horizons and to extend our concern to the suffering of the
whole Earth community, human and other-than-human. The Feast of Christ the King brings the church year to a close. It invites us to consider ways to achieve peace.
One of my favourite passages comes from Sunday's Gospel : 'For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome.'
This passage resonates loudly for me as I think of the plight of refugees and those seeking asylum, as well as the ever-increasing number of homeless people in our society. We sometimes forget that Jesus too was a refugee as he and his parents were exiled from their homeland.
As we reflect on the Gospel, let us remember those who are thirsty and hungry and donate to the Christmas Hamper appeal being coordinated by our SAC Social Justice team as mentioned above.
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.
"God loves generous souls. Let us try to be the generous ones" Mary MacKillop, 1881
God Bless you all.
Kingsley Dalgleish
Principal