Vision: Inspired by Christ, we aspire to excellence in learning, living life fully in community
The mission at St Michael’s is to:

• be a vibrant catholic community where all feel safe, valued, loved and respected

• display understanding, compassion and care for others and all creation

• foster dynamic and diverse learning opportunities

The strength of the community

St Michael’s has long been a unique context where a certain spirit pervades who we are and what we do. From the beginning of 2023, we as a school, have communicated one of our key intentions to create a closely connected community that is more than  just a school, it’s a family. It is often at whole school events, where you get the opportunity to stop and appreciate the wonderful community we have here at St Michael’s.  I walked away from our annual swimming carnival on Friday with a real sense of joy, pride, and gratitude. It wasn’t  just the amazing swims that brought me joy, rather the community spirit that was ever so present throughout the day. The high fives, cheers from the crowd, and words of encouragement epitomised who we are as a school community. 

As a small school community one of the biggest challenges is having limited personnel to facilitate large scale events. Once again, the  parent support played a critical role in the success of the day. We had close to 30 volunteers and many others offering a helping hand. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for your constant kindness and generosity. I feel privileged to work in partnership with you to ensure St Michael’s is a place that leaves a positive mark on the hearts and minds of all students.

One of my highlights of the carnival was seeing the smiles on the faces of those boys and girls who hadn’t attended a carnival before or aren’t competitive swimmers. We had a vision to create an inclusive carnival filled with fun and community spirit. This vision was only made possible with the support of Sonya Harrison and the parent task team. We pitched Sonya an idea, and within hours, she had planned and resourced an incredibly fun novelty event schedule. 

A big thank you to our new Sports Coordinator, Mrs Danielle Campbell. Danielle brings passion to the role, and with experience on the parent side of sporting events, she brings real depth and professionalism to this role. The work she put in to prepare for this event was obvious on the day. 

Throughout the year, we will continue to look for opportunities to bring our beautiful school community together. We may not be the biggest school community, but we certainly make up for it with connection, love, and a shared commitment to making St Michael’s the best place it can possibly be for all. 

Afternoon dismissal:extreme weather 

We have recently reviewed some of our procedures to ensure we continue to provide a safe environment for all students. We have updated our procedure for extreme weather (dangerous winds, torrential rain, and electrical storms). In the event of extreme weather it is important that all members of our school community understand and follow the procedure listed below:

• A compass alert will be sent out to all parents alerting them that our extreme weather dismissal procedures will be followed.
• Students will remain in their classrooms until collected via the following options

1. Parent pick up: parents will be able to go directly to classrooms to pick up their children. The side gates (next to the hall and library) will be open for easy access to classrooms. The classroom teachers will mark off students as they are picked up by a parent/carer). 
2. Car pick up: Mr Bryce/Mrs Sammut will call out the car name as per usual. Students will exit the school via their identified gate (K-4: gate next to library, and 5-6- front entry gate next to the hall). 

• Students who are riding bikes or walking will remain at school for their safety. They will not be permitted to travel home independently and a parent will be contacted. 
• Parents will be permitted to pick up their children early after the alert is sent to avoid congestion. 

Wellbeing officer- Meet Mrs Parker
As previously communicated, we have strategically restructured the way we support the diverse learning and wellbeing needs of our students. A component of this re-structure is the introduction of a Wellbeing Officer. Mrs Nicole Parker has taken on this important role in 2024. Nicole will be on site each Wednesday to support identified wellbeing needs of students across the school. This support will be provided to students both in the classroom and on the playground. As a school we have a structured process informed by data to identify students requiring wellbeing or learning support. As per usual, please contact your classroom teacher if you have any worries or concerns about your child. If you hold escalating concerns, please don’t ever hesitate to contact Amy or I. We are here to support you, and if we know early, we can direct the required support for your child. 

Diverse Learning (enrichment) Mrs McLeod 

Mrs Chelsea Mcleod has taken on the role of Diverse Learning (enrichment) in 2024. Chelsea has already begun a thorough data analysis process in consultation with Mrs Amy Sammut to begin identifying highly capable and gifted students. Chelsea will be providing tailored support to teachers to assist them in designing learning experiences for their students that are engaging, meaningful, and targeted to their learning needs. In the coming weeks, we will also communicate some other exciting initiatives that will further engage and support the learning of some of our highly capable and gifted students. 

Playground update

As communicated towards the end of 2023, we have been provided with a funding grant to build new play equipment. Before commencing the construction of the equipment, we wanted to ensure we designed a master plan that transformed the space behind Year 5 & 6, tied in with the new equipment design. We have been blessed with the support of James Horan, who offered his services as a Landscape Architect. The concept we pitched to James was that we wanted to create inviting spaces for our students that provided an alternate option to the hustle and bustle of the main playgrounds. 

James has created an initial draft to ensure that the play equipment is located in the best location to maximise the space we have and create the environment that we envisioned. The draft includes 3 mains spaces, including the play equipment (ninja warrior course), a fairy garden for creative play, and an outdoor learning space. The design also includes landscaping that will create a calm and shady option for students and screen some of the surrounding buildings. 

Below is a draft image of the concept. We will be finalising some of the design features in the coming weeks. At our upcoming P&F meeting we will be providing some further detail on this design and some of the fundraising initiatives to complete each of the development stages.  

Calendar overview 

Week 3	Monday  12 February	Tuesday 13 February	Wednesday 14 February	Thursday 15 February	Friday 16 February
	HSC visit - Year 5	Choir 8.00am Pancake Tuesday (P&F)	Ash Wednesday Mass - 9.30am	Canteen Open	Canteen Open School assembly: 2.30pm
Week 4	Monday 19 February	Tuesday 20 February	Wednesday 21 February	Thursday 22 February	Friday 23 February
		Choir 8.00am Meet & Greets		Canteen Open	Canteen Open Opening School Mass 9.30am
Week 5	Monday 26 February	Tuesday 27 February	Wednesday 28 February	Thursday 29 February	Friday  1 March
		Choir 8.00am School Open Day 9.30am		Canteen Open School assembly      2.30pm	Canteen Open Cross Country Carnival @ Gibson Park

Mr James Bryce - Principal

What’s happened at St Michael’s over the past three weeks?

Section 2: Our Catholic Identity: Mrs Ronelle Peardon and Mrs Chelsea McLeod 

As we commence the new school year, it is with great privilege that we, Chelsea McLeod and Ronelle Peardon, assume the role of Acting Religious Education Coordinators for Term One. 

At St Michael's, our mission is to continue to cultivate a vibrant Catholic community that embodies safety, love, respect, understanding, and compassion. Rooted in our vision, 'Inspired by Christ,' we will strive for excellence in learning and foster an environment where every individual is valued. Beyond being just a school, St. Michael's is a place where community spirit thrives. Throughout this term, our commitment to dynamic and diverse faith formation experiences will highlight our dedication to living out the essence of our vision.

On Friday 2nd February, two students from each class attended a very special candlemas with Mr Bryce and Mrs McLeod. Candlemas is a religious festival held 40 days after Christmas to commemorate the presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem. Our students all participated in the Mass with reverence and respect. They brought along our School candle and class candles that were blessed by Fr Ken. It was a beautiful way to begin our school year. 

On Tuesday 13th of February, Our school captains, Maggie and Nate, along with Mahli, our Inspired by Christ leader accompanied Mr Bryce and Mrs Peardon to the Caritas Project Compassion Launch at John Therry High School, Rosemeadow.

Bishop Brian spoke at length at the launch about ‘it's more than just putting money in a box’. He encouraged us to think about what happens beyond the box. It’s about changing lives and making a difference and ‘For all Future Generations’. 

We are encouraged to continue to be inspired and led by Christ and His teaching to ensure that we focus on those who are most vulnerable. What does the value of compassion mean to us as a school community? How can we ritualise true compassion for others? Showing compassion as a school community involves fostering an environment where empathy, understanding, and support are actively practised and encouraged.

Once again, the theme for Project Compassion is ‘For all future generations’. Inspired by the Bible’s story of the burning bush (Exodus 3:1-20), this theme reminds us that the good that we do today will create a lasting impact for generations to come.

Project Compassion 2024 brings you the stories of three resilient women from different corners of the world. Though they face vastly different challenges in their day-to-day lives, they are all united by their dream of creating a better tomorrow for all future generations.

There is the story of Memory from Malawi, who trained to become a carpenter to support her family. She is now self-reliant and able to provide for herself and her family and she is able to work in a male-dominated industry, which is rare for women in rural villages. Her dream is to open her own carpentry workshop and provide employment to skilled carpenters in her area.

There are also the stories of Ronita, a mother of two living in a slum in the Philippines who went back to school to support her children and forge a path out of poverty. And Leaia, who through hard work and determination is building a better life for herself and her five children.

On Tuesday the 13th February we celebrated Shrove Tuesday in each classroom. Students engaged in an activity led by their classroom teachers to mark the day before Lent, a time of indulgence before the period of reflection and sacrifice. A big thank you to Bec Hay who cooked a mountain of pancakes for all the students to enjoy.

On Wednesday the 14th February we celebrated Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday marks  the beginning of Lent, a time of reflection and preparation for Easter. Our Year 6 students attended the parish Mass and the ‘Inspired By Christ,’ leaders then presented a liturgy in each classroom. During the liturgy, the Year 6 leader’s marked the start of Lent by sprinkling ashes on the student’s and teacher’s heads. This is  a symbolic way to reflect on humility and repentance. 

To commence the academic year, our school community will gather for a Whole School Mass on Friday the 23rd February, bringing together students from Kindergarten to Year 6, our teacher’s and parishioners. This longstanding tradition not only upholds our spiritual values but also creates a profound moment for reflection and connection among our students. At this Mass, our leaders for 2024 will be presented with their badges, marking the official start of their leadership journey. We warmly welcome all our St Michael’s family to attend this celebration. Students are asked to bring in a small non-perishable item for our offertory that will be collected by St Vincent’s De Paul for needy members of our community. Students are required to wear their full summer uniform on Friday the 23rd of February.

This term, we will also engage in a series of prayer services and liturgies led by different classes to mark important days in our Catholic Church's Liturgical year. These experiences will provide impactful opportunities for faith formation, enabling students to connect with their spirituality on a deeper level. Through prayerful reflections, engaging liturgies, and the communal experience of Masses, we aspire to create spaces where faith is not just observed but actively nurtured and explored.

We extend a warm invitation to all members of our immediate and extended community to participate in these prayer services, liturgies, and masses. We firmly believe that through collective engagement, we will authentically embody our vision and mission. Your presence will enhance the depth of these experiences, nurturing a spirit of unity and shared purpose. If you are interested in being an active participant in a range of different faith filled experiences this term, please let us know by sending an email to the school office and we will be in touch. 

We are looking forward to a term of spiritual growth and unity with all of you.

Mrs Chelsea McLeod & Mrs Ronelle Peardon - Acting Religious Education

Coordinators

2024 - SPORTING EVENTS AND DATES

Upcoming dates for your 2024 “Sports Diary”

• School Cross Country - Friday 1st March, Gibson Park

• South Coast Regional Swimming Carnival - Tuesday 5th March, Corrimal Pool

• School Athletics Carnival - Friday 5th April,  Beaton Park

2024 SWIMMING CARNIVAL  - THIRROUL SWIMMING POOL 

Congratulations to all students for your excellent participation at our school swimming carnival last Friday. A big thank you to all our parent volunteers without your help days like this are not possible.  

Ribbons and Age Champion medals will be handed out at Friday's assembly along with the announcement of the winning house. 

TOUCH FOOTBALL WOLLONGONG TEAM SELECTION TRIALS 

On Tuesday the 13th February,  five of our Stage 3 students, Tye F, Hugo R,  Chayce S, Lila H and Abby S attended the Touch Football Wollongong Team Selection Trials. Our five St Michael’s students need to be congratulated on their sportsmanship and effort against some very tough competition in very warm conditions.  

Hugo Rees and Lila H were successful in being chosen in the Wolloging teams and now head to Wagga Wagga to compete for a spot in the MacKillop team in June. We wish them all the best at this next level of competition. 

Student Sporting Success 

Congratulations to Lila H in Year 6 who competed in the Illawarra Surf Life Saving Championships over the weekend. She achieved the following results and will now go on to compete at the NSW State Championships next month. We are very proud of her and wish Lila all the best at the next level of competition. 

1st U11 Female Beach Sprint

3rd U11 Female 1km Run

2nd U11 Beach Sprint Relay 

3rd All-Age Beach Sprint Relay 

STUDENT SPORTING SUCCESS STORIES

We invite all our families to share their child/children’s sporting achievements outside of school, so we can share in their success as a whole school community through our School Newsletter.

If you require any further information about sporting events at St Michael’s please contact Mrs Campbell.

Mrs Danielle Campbell - Sports Convenor

PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES BY INSTALMENT – NEW FAMILIES TO OUR SCHOOL School Fees are invoiced as an annual account, due for payment in full 30 days after invoicing. However, many families elect to pay their school fees by regular instalments and as a new family to our school, we would like to offer you this option. If you wish to take up this offer, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the school’s website or from the school’s administration office. On completion of the request, either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statements are emailed to you and they will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date. IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc. 

PAYMENT OF SCHOOL FEES BY INSTALMENT EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITH INSTALMENTS 

If you are currently paying by instalments there is no need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment as your request carries over from year to year unless you wish to amend the frequency of your payments eg Weekly to Fortnightly.

EXISTING FAMILIES IN OUR SCHOOL WITHOUT INSTALMENTS 

If you would like to pay school fees by instalments in 2024 and have previously not taken up this option for payment, please complete a Request to Pay by Instalment Form which is available on the school’s website or from the school’s administration office. On completion of the request either email it to instalments@dow.catholic.edu.au or submit at the school office. Following receipt of the request, instalments will be generated on your school fee account during the process of invoicing 2024 school fees. Your school fee statement will provide a list of scheduled payments and their due date depending on the frequency you have chosen eg Fortnightly, Monthly, etc. IMPORTANT: Please note that if you currently have a child or children at another school in the Diocese and you are paying by instalments at this location, you will not need to complete another Request to Pay by Instalment. The instalment request carries over from school to school with the same frequency of payment eg Weekly, fortnightly, etc. 

5 TIPS TO KEEP YOUR FAMILY SAFE ONLINE

https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-04/5%20tips%20to%20keep%20your%20family%20safe%20online.pdf 

eSAFETY PARENT & CARER WEBINARS IN TERM 1 

https://www.esafety.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-12/Term-1-2024-parent-carer-webinar-flyer.pdf 

Miss Emma Riolo - Instructional Coach