CALENDAR MARCH Mo 7 Physical Education @ 9:10am for all

students Tu 8 No PE today Mo 14 Labour Day Public Holiday We 16 Foundation students at school Fr 18 ‘St Patrick’s Day’ Quiz Night Tu 22 Harmony Day activities We 23 PAC Meeting 7:30pm Th 24 Last Day Term 1—dismissal 2:15pm APRIL Mo 11 First Day Term 2 We 20 PAC Meeting 7:00pm 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

St. Patrick’s

Church

Sunday 6 March L.L.A.

10:30am

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

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

3rd SUNDAY IN LENT—Last Sunday’s gospel included the parable of the fig tree . After 3 years of not producing any fruit the landowner asked the gardener to remove the tree. The gardener asked for one more year to manure and care for the tree in the hope that it would produce fruit. We are like the unproductive fig tree and God is our owner. He gives us plenty of time to consider our options, repent our errant ways and live up to his expectations for us. Lent is a great time of year to reflect on our commitment to caring for our world and those less fortunate than ourselves. Could we contribute something to the Project Compassion appeal to others? This year’s focus of ‘Learning More—Creating Change’ is a great prompt to help us think how we can help ‘empower the world’s poorest children, women and men with vital learning and renewed hope’. Please return your Project Compassion donations to school before the end of Term One.

ABOVE and BEYOND—After a review of our student awards we have the first presentation of Above and Beyond for 2016. There will be two awards available each week to students in the school, not one per class as in previous years. Each week there will be a different focus so that students are aware of what they are working towards. The focus this past week has been ’Sportsmanship’. This encompassed the ideas of ’sharing, turn-taking, being respectful, cooperation, following directions, accepting the ’umpire/teacher’s’ decision, being fair and offering encouragement to others’. Two students responded really positively to this criteria and showed personal growth in relation to this focus. Nessa Dickinson was nominated for her encouragement and support of other students during PE and Shai Setosta was nominated for being a great example to her classmates and demonstrating strong leadership skills in group and partner activities. Congratulations Nessa and Shai.

MANDATORY REPORTING—Staff are currently updating their knowledge about Mandatory reporting requirements and the new offences of Grooming and Failure to Disclose. School staff are mandated to report to Victoria Police and the Department of Health and Human Services when they form a reasonable belief that a student in our care is being abused or neglected. Once a reasonable belief has been formed school staff are not permitted to ‘investigate’ further. By law they must report their concerns to DHHS and Victoria Police. I hope this explanation helps the school community understand the legislation around Mandatory Reporting for school staff. Please ask me if you require any further explanation.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT—Staff have recently completed professional development in relation to ‘Reading’. One of our Annual Action Plan goals for this year focuses on improving student reading outcomes. To do this staff need to be aware of the latest research around strategies and best practice for the teaching of reading and comprehension skills. Kellie, Renee and I all have ‘homework’ to complete before the next day of this professional learning. We will be analysing and interpreting the running records of each and every student to better understand the areas in which they are competent and those with which they need further assistance. This analysis will allow us to better plan the explicit teaching that is occurs in Shared Reading

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. 2016/05 Friday, 4 March 2016

This week’s

winner is

Lucas who was caught using our school rules by

displaying respect . Nominated by: ??

Please keep members of the St. Patrick’s School community who are battling ill health in your prayers in the coming days. This is particularly important for a couple of our school families.

Lord God, We dwell in you house, Drink in your presence And find peace and rest in your arms. We believe in your name, Ask for your healing And believe and trust in your love. We thank you for your sacrifice, Receive all you have for us And pray and ask for restoration. We need your touch. We wait on you. You are our Saviour, our friend, and our hope. Amen.

JUNIOR CLASS NEWS from Miss Farquharson

The junior class has been hard at work this week exploring the differences between tattling and reporting when they are facing problems. We have learnt that tattling is when you tell an adult so that someone else will get into trouble while reporting is telling an adult if someone or something is in danger. We have also investigated many ways that the students can solve small problems on their own instead of tattling. Some examples include walking away, asking the person to stop what they are doing or ignoring them.

In Maths we have begun looking at different strategies for

working out addition problems. We have looked at the

counting on strategy and are currently practising our

doubles and tens facts. The students have made flash cards

with addition problems on them so they can practise their

quick recall of basic addition facts.

SENIOR CLASS NEWS from Miss Anson

This week in Literacy, our shared reading text is on body

language. This is related to our inquiry topic and we are

discovering how body language contributes to the reaction

of other people to what we are saying and doing. We have

been working on sentence starters and conjunctions within

our narrative writing. In Numeracy, the seniors have

started a unit on common fractions. We have been

modelling and representing unit fractions such as ½, ¼, ⅓

and ⅕ as well as counting by quarters, halves and thirds.

The Year 3’s have been practising their speed and accuracy

with addition and subtraction and the Year 4’s and 5’s have

been working on their speed and accuracy with their 4

times tables. In Inquiry, we have been discussing the words

resilient, leadership and cooperation. We have been

planning some tabloid sports activities, with a focus on

these words so that we will complete a sports day later in

the term.

activities. It will also have an affect on the type of activities student are learning in Guided Reading sessions as well.

It is also important to understand that student’s take home readers are at a level they find EASY. It is vital that children learn to love reading as it is such a necessary skill for their future. As teachers we don’t want them to be labouring over their reading when they read to you each night. They need to be able to tell you what happened in the story and who the main characters are. Please help them learn to LOVE reading.

TIPS—Each week, when space allows we’ll include tips to help children with either their Literacy or Numeracy. This week’s tips are designed for junior students and the focus is Literacy.

When students have a lunch order you could also use this as a learning opportunity. Ask your child to write their lunch order on the envelope. Get them to add up the cost, with assistance if required, and then get them to count the appropriate money out with your help. This makes the Maths they are learning in class practical.

WIMMERA MALLEE SPORTS MENTORING PROGRAM is now open for Winter Sports registrations. Please let the school know by Wednesday 9 March if you would like assistance with sporting clubs fees for winter competitions. It could be for Netta netball, Auskick or actual junior level competitions. The amount available per student is small but it may be the difference between your child/ren participating or missing out. The deadline cannot be extended beyond Wednesday 9th March at 4pm.

PLEASE REMEMEBER PHYSICAL EDUCATION is on Monday 7th March at 9.00am.

HookIn2Hockey—Please note change of venue. The HookIn2Hockey program will no longer be held at St Patrick’s School. It will be at Davis Park on Mondays from 3:45pm.

PAC FUNDRAISING REMINDER—PAC Fundraising notes are due back at school. Notes were sent home with last week's newsletter, and your response was due back at school on Wednesday. Many thanks to those who have sent in responses and money for these fundraising events. If you haven't done so, would you please return yours as soon as possible. Please contact the office if you've lost your note. Any questions to - Helen Cannell 0419829272 or Lisa Braybrook 0400323418.

Raffle books for the Easter Raffle are attached to today’s newsletter. Each book has 20 $1 tickets. Families are asked to sell these raffle tickets and then return the books and money to school by Friday 18 March. The prizes will be drawn at the Movie Quiz Night that evening.

BOOKCLUB—Issue 2/2016 catalogue is attached to today’s newsletter. Please return orders with payment to school by Friday 11 March, or order online (Book Club LOOP https://mybookclubs.scholastic.com.au/ or simply search ‘book club loop’) - this is the school’s preferred ordering method. All Book Club books are age appropriate and the school receives rewards (new books) for all orders.

ANNUAL VINTAGE RALLY—attached is a colouring page for the Warracknabeal Annual Vintage Rally Colouring Competition. The Rally will be held over the Easter weekend 26-28 March. The Colouring

Competition will be in four sections: 6 years & under; 7 & 8 years; 9 & 10 years; 11 years and over. Prizes that will be awarded include: cap, Family Weekend Rally pass, certificate, rides in Cobb and Co Coach in Easter Saturday Parade. Entries must be forwarded directly to the organisers by 18 March: PO Box 42, Warracknabeal 3393. Also attached is information about their ‘Construction with Boxes’ competition. If you have any questions about this event, please do not contact the school. Direct your enquiries to Rally Secretary, Jean Wise 53981901 or

honeywise@bigpond.com.

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

Kathryn Bendall, Principal.