Full colour version of newsletter is on our website spnhill.catholic.edu.au/newsletters-2016.html and tiqbiz

CALENDAR FEBRUARY Tu 23 Hockey Clinics We 24 Parent Advisory Council Meeting 7:30pm MARCH Mo 7 Physical Education @ 9.10am for all students Mo 14 Labour Day Public Holiday Fr 18 ‘St Patrick’s Day’ Quiz Night (PAC event) Tu 22 Harmony Day activities We 23 Parent Advisory Council Meeting 7:30pm Th 24 Last Day Term 1—dismissal 2:15pm APRIL Mo 11 First Day Term 2 We 20 Parent Advisory Council Meeting 7:30pm Mo 25 ANZAC Day Public Holiday

TERM DATES http://www.education.vic.gov.au/ Term 1 27 January (teachers start) to 24 March Term 2 11 April to 24 June Term 3 11 July to 16 September Term 4 3 October to 20 December

CLASS TIMES SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION

8:55am Class time OFFICE HOURS 11am Recess Monday closed 11:30am Class time Tuesday 1:00pm Lunch Wednesday 9:00am—3:50pm 1:45pm Class time Thursday 3:15pm Dismissal Friday 9:00am—1:00pm

ATTACHMEnts—

CSEF Drought Package Application Form

School Nursing Program (SEQH) form (Foundation students)

CSEF Information

Dear Parents and Members of St Patrick’s School Community,

FIRST SUNDAY OF LENT

Last Sunday was the 1st Sunday of Lent. Lent is about Almsgiving, Prayer and Fasting.

Almsgiving: The needy are all around us: children and the old, the sick and the suffering, families and individuals, next-door neighbours and people overseas. It is easy to forget them. Instead of just looking out for ourselves, we should see those in need. We can give some of our time, some of our talent or material resources. Almsgiving is not just for the rich. Poor or rich, we all have something to give. Whatever we give, though, it should be something of ourselves, something that costs us. Jesus teaches that when we give, we receive some blessing from God in return. What shall we give to the needy this Lent? When deciding please be generous. After all, before us is the great alms Jesus gave: "He loved us, and gave himself up for us."

Prayer : “Pray to your Father.” The Lenten season calls us to pray. Jesus teaches us that prayer is much more than saying words. "Go into your room, and close the door, and pray to your Father in secret." Before you pray, enter the inner room of your heart. Shut the door to the noise, the trivial things, the countless cares grabbing for attention. Put them aside. In the quiet place of your heart, with faith as your guide, speak to your God. A gracious Father listens, and he knows what you need. God helps us pray in this season.

Fasting: "When you fast do not look gloomy," Jesus says. Today's consumer society looks on fasting itself as gloomy. Urging everyone to eat, drink, and buy more and more, our world today has made fasting unfashionable. This Lent, recognising the hold things have on us, let us try, with God's help, to keep them in their right place. Some reasonable abstaining from food, drink and entertainments can help us do that.

DESERT EDGE ART GALLERY EXCURSION

What a great afternoon we had last Friday with Karen Wiseman and Gayle Harradine at the Desert Edge Art Gallery and Studio. Gayle, a local indigenous contemporary artist from Horsham, spoke of many aspects of indigenous art and shared some of her own collection of objects with the students. She allowed them to touch many of the items and the students were very engaged. The students then created an aboriginal style design which Gayle then burnt on to a possum skin wrist band. Some students will have to wait until tomorrow for Gayle to complete their wristbands. Tomorrow afternoon Gayle will be at school to show the students how to make bush toys out of straw. If you are free tomorrow afternoon then please join the students in this activity.

Thank you very much to Gayle and Karen for sharing your knowledge and work space with our students. See elsewhere in the newsletter for photos of the excursion.

BEGINNING OF YEAR MASS

Thank you to all families who attended the beginning of school mass on Sunday. Father Neville’s reflection emphasised the importance of school and the home/school partnership. He explained that students learn more than ‘knowledge’ while at school; they learn how to become responsible members of society and God’s kingdom. Congratulations to all the students who were part of this important celebration.

St. Patrick’s School

29 Leahy Street, PO Box 113, Nhill 3418

Phone 03 5391 1575

Mobile 0419 929 271

Fax 03 5391 1506

Email principal@spnhill.catholic.edu.au

Web www.spnhill.catholic.edu.au

Newsletter No. 2016/03 Thursday, 18 February 2016

St. Patrick’s Church

Sunday 21 February LLA 10:30am

This week’s

winner is

Mia who was caught using our school rules by

displaying respect . Nominated by: Tia

Welcome to St. Patrick’s School, 2016!

Miss Farquharson, Lucas and Jack

In 2015 Pope Francis said that “every person ought to have the awareness that purchasing is always a moral – and not simply an economic – act.” Join the Easter campaign against child slavery—Australian Catholic Religious Against Trafficking in Humans (ACRATH) is urging people to eat only slavery-free chocolate, especially this Easter. Did you know that much of the chocolate available in Australia is made using cocoa beans picked by children, many of whom have been enslaved, or forced to work in exploitative conditions? The International Labor Rights Forum (ILRF) estimates that there are 1.5 million children working in the cocoa sector in West Africa. To buy slavery-free Easter chocolate look for any of these certification labels on the wrappers: FAIRTRADE, Rainforest Alliance and UTZ.

There is a flier available at http://acrath.org.au/resources/slavery-free-

easter-chocolate/, which gives a good list of slavery-free chocolate and where to buy it.

We are asking that you make a decision to buy only slavery-free chocolate this Easter and discuss your decision with one other person.

JUNIOR CLASS NEWS from Miss Farquharson

This week in the Junior class we have been working with narratives, place value and understanding different behaviours. In writing, each of the students have planned their own narratives that include many interesting characters, complications and conclusions. They have begun to write their first drafts and many are practising their editing skills before they publish their good copy. In Mathematics we have begun to explore place value with a focus on ones, tens and hundreds. We will continue to build our understanding of two and three digit numbers by ordering them from smallest to largest using our knowledge of each digit’s value. We have continued to focus our inquiry work on the types of behaviours that are needed to create a collaborative learning environment. The students have compared positive and negative behaviours and have considered some consequences that might be appropriate for our classroom. We are also investigating the different emotions we may feel when we experience positive and negative behaviours. We will continue to look into this as we learn how to solve problems by managing our emotional responses to different situations.

SENIOR CLASS NEWS from Miss Anson

This week in Literacy, the senior’s shared reading text is on the first Australians. We are following on from our topic last week on Indigenous Australians. Our vocabulary words this week are ‘clan’, ‘immigration’ and ‘kinship’. The seniors have started the genre narrative in writing and have been identifying the parts of a narrative and beginning to plan a narrative story of their own. In Numeracy, the seniors have been working on addition and subtraction. The students have been timing each other on their times tables and addition/subtraction and will graph their results at the end of the week. In Inquiry, we have introduced emotion cards and have been discussing what events might make us feel that way and what is an appropriate way to respond to these feelings. We have also been role playing how the tone of our voice may change a situation and how a person may respond to conversations. Students have started to write in their reflection books about what they have learnt so far this term in Inquiry.

DROUGHT ASSISTANCE PAYMENT AVAILABLE – APPLY NOW

As part of the Victorian Government’s drought assistance package, all

St. Patrick’s School students are eligible for a drought assistance

payment through the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF).

This includes parents and independent students that do not hold a means-tested concession card, but are experiencing financial hardship as a result of drought conditions.

Families who receive the means-tested CSEF payment are also eligible.

A “one off” amount of $375 per student will be paid to the school to be used towards educational expenses for the direct benefit of your child.

HOW TO APPLY— Complete a CSEF Drought Package application form (attached) and return it to the school office by 29 February 2016.

SCHOOL NURSING PROGRAM

The Primary School Nursing Program aims to provide all Victorian Children with the opportunity to have a health assessment. This service is a free and is offered by the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development. This assessment is for all Foundation students but parents who have concerns about students in other year levels are able to request the nurse conduct an assessment of their child.

Debbie Milgate is the school nurse for our region. We have received the School Entrant Health Questionnaire (SEHQ) forms for the Foundation students and they are attached to this newsletter. Parents need to complete the form before an assessment can be conducted. Parents who have concerns about any issues for their children in other year levels will need to contact the school for a referral form. Please complete the SEQH form and return it to school by Wednesday, 24 February.

POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR REWARDS

All students have been trying to model appropriate positive behaviours this term. In less than two weeks they have combined to fill the jar with PBs. Student suggestions for rewards for their good behaviour included extra play time, iPad fun time, painting/colouring, buddy reading and even extra homework (although not many agreed with this suggestion). Staff have also considered options such as Zooper Doopers, running under the sprinklers on a hot day at the start of lunch, organised activities and/or games. If you would prefer that your child not participate in any of these proposed activities please contact the school to let the staff know.

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PRACTICE

Early yesterday we practised our first evacuation drill for 2016. All students and staff responded calmly to the request to leave the building and assembly at the church. All staff and students were accounted for and we returned to school to resume our learning. Well done everyone. We will continue to practise these drills regularly so we are well prepared should an emergency arise.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION—CHANGE OF DAY / DATE

In Week 7 Physical Education is scheduled for 9:00am on Monday 7 March NOT Tuesday 8 March at 12:00pm. Please adjust your calendar for this week only. Further reminders will appear in newsletters leading up to this date.

2016 FOOTY TIPPING

Staff have decided to organise a ‘Footy Tipping’ competition for this AFL season. Those who wish to participate will be asked to make selections for all rounds of the season; prior to the first match. Students in the senior class will mark all cards each week and collate the results as part of their Mathematics program. The aim of the competition is to have fun and so there will not be any fee to participate. More details will appear in future newsletters but be prepared to make your selections and return them to the school prior to the end of this term.

CAMPS, SPORTS and EXCURSION FUND (CSEF)

CSEF will be provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities. If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF. The allowance is paid to the school to use towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child. The annual CSEF amount per student is $125 for primary school students. Information regarding this is attached today. Application forms have already been sent home, and thank you to those families who have completed and returned their forms. If you hold a health care card, please complete the application form or contact the office for an application form if you have misplaced it. Completed forms must be returned to our office by Friday 26th February to allow time for the applications to be processed.

THE SOUND THE STREET MAKES

Students in Foundation and Year 1 have received a free book about Road Safety from the Transport Accident Commission of Victoria, VicRoads and the Department of Education and Training. It was presented at assembly this afternoon and I would encourage parents to read it to/with their children to gain a greater understanding of how to be safe when walking on our roads.

REMINDERS—BUS NOTES

Could parents please write a separate note or use the Tiqbiz app to notify the school of changes to bus travel for their children; please do not write these notes in diaries.

HookIn2Hockey CLINIC

Hockey Victoria will be conducting Hockey clinics for all students next Tuesday between 9 and 11am. The junior students will start at 9:05am and the senior students session is between 10:05 and 11:00am. This will replace our normal Physical Education class for next week only.

REMINDER

A reminder that personal property, including items of clothing, brought to the school by students is not insured, nor is the school responsible for any loss or damage. Expensive or precious items are not to be brought to school.

As always, please contact the school if you have any questions about what is happening at St Patrick’s School.

Kathryn Bendall, Principal.