Christmas Concert: Friday 6th Dec: 5pm - 7:30pm

School Grounds

This weekend marks the first week of Advent, an important time in our Christian Calendar. I would like to share with you a reflection from Caritas Australia which outlines the importance of Advent and the significance of the Advent Wreath.

Advent marks the beginning of the Church’s new year and is a season of waiting and preparation for the coming of Christ. In fact, this season of Advent focuses on Christ’s threefold coming - past, present and future.

• We await and prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ at Christmas.

• We hope and give thanks for Christ’s presence within us and in the world and sacraments.

• We look to the future, waiting for Christ to come again.

The word ‘advent’ means ‘coming’. Lighting the candles on the wreath symbolises the coming of light (Jesus) into the world. Advent wreaths can be used in church, at school or at home.

The first candle (violet) represents hope, the second (violet) represents peace, the third (rose) represents joy, and the fourth (violet) represents love. The central white candle is lit on Christmas Day and represents Christ.

Announcing our Woolworths Junior Landcare grant

We’ve been successful with our application for a Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant for our project, Garden Mania!

St Michael’s is one of 617 primary schools and early learning centres throughout Australia receiving a Woolworths Junior Landcare grant to help grow our next generation of environmental champions.

The grants are being funded with money made from the sale of the Woolworths recyclable Bag for good™ which was launched in 2018 when the supermarket stopped using single-use plastic bags.

The children and teachers are looking forward to working and learning from this project and we’ll keep you updated on the results.

   Click on the Woolworths Junior Landcare Grant map to read about our project and others.

 *the link to the entire map is: https://landcareaustralia.org.au/woolworthsgrants/maps

Or, if you want to just link to your school’s project, click on the big map, find your project and then cut and past the URL into this article and create a hyperlink.

Year 6 Graduation 

On Monday 2nd December at 7:00pm we will have our Year 6 Graduation Liturgy in the Church followed by supper in the hall. Our school community will gather to celebrate the journey of our Year 6 students who are soon leaving our school. I would like to thank Father Ken who will be celebrating the Liturgy. A special thank you also to Rebecca Ninness and the Year 5 parents who will be providing a lovely supper and helping out on the night. A reminder that students are to wear their full summer uniform.

MINI VINNIES TERM 4 APPEAL 

This year for our Christmas Appeal we are offering our support to the Christmas Card project run by Sister Myree Harris and the Gethsemane Community. Each child will receive a label of a man or woman who have mental illnesses or other disabilities and the students will write them a Christmas card. Our students will be making some lonely, isolated people very happy this Christmas. 

Every student is required to bring in 1 standard size Christmas card with an envelope. 

CHRISTMAS FOOD HAMPER BLITZ

We are collecting Christmas food items in our classrooms that are offered up at our End of Year School Mass on Friday, 13 December. The St Vincent De Paul Society will create hampers from the generous donations received from our school families. Ideas to bring in: canned fruit, Christmas cakes/ fruit cakes/ christmas pudding/ mince pies, custard- (long life- NOT FRESH), sweet biscuits- shortbread, scotch fingers, wafers, ginger biscuits, lollies/candy canes, chips, drinks- cans/ bottles/ cordial/ poppers, chocolates- christmas stockings, block chocolate, box chocolate, hot chocolate mix/ cocoa mix, pretzels, long life milk, noodle Cups/ noodle bowls, bon bons, savoury biscuits - jatz, ritz, sakatas, shapes, tea bags, cake/muffin/pancake mix, spreads- nutella/ honey/ jam/ maple syrup/ vegemite

SACRAMENT OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

We wish the students completing their First Holy Communion from St Michael’s (the second step in their initiation into the Catholic Faith) all the best over the coming weekends. 

Public Speaking News

On Wednesday November 20th Zoe McNamara represented St Michael’s in the Grand Final of the Diocesan Public Speaking Competition. Zoe was chosen to go to the grand final after placing 2nd in the regional competition. Zoe came up against some extremely talented public speakers from across the Diocese in the grand final. Zoe did an outstanding job of delivering a very powerful and engaging speech on the topic of “What Makes an Australian” to a large audience. She was congratulated by our Director of Schools, Mr Peter Turner. 

NET Day 

In line with our School, Review and Improvement goal of authentic faith formation for students and teachers on Wednesday November 13 the Wollongong MX Mission Team facilitated a Leadership and Faith Formation retreat for all Year 5 students. During the day the team facilitated three distinct sessions and used various elements to engage students in the theme of ‘Leadership & Faith Formation’. Through the lens of leadership, the day presented the students with opportunities to discover how God has gifted every person as a leader, seeking to inspire a life lived to the full. This day has assisted in preparing our Year 5 students as they become the leaders of St Michael's in 2020. 

Upcoming dates for your diary: 

Friday, 29 November: Year 6W Mass: 34th Week in Ordinary Time

Saturday, 30 November (5:30pm) and Sunday, 1 December (8:00am): Holy Communion 

Monday, 2 December: Year 6 Graduation Liturgy & Supper  - 7pm

Saturday, 7 (5:30pm) and Sunday, 8 of December (8:00am): Holy Communion

Friday, 6 December: Year 4W Attending Mass: Friday of the 1st Week of Advent & Anointing of the Sick 

Friday, 13 December: Final School Mass 2019 @ 9:30am

Miss Emma Groves - Religious Education Co-ordinator

Term 4 Assembly dates

School Assemblies

Assemblies at St Michael’s are an opportunity for our community to come together to acknowledge and celebrate the great learning and events that happen in our school. The school assembly allows all students at St Michael’s to be recognised for their efforts. This term we have added an additional component to our assembly which allows one class per fortnight to share some of the brilliant learning that has been happening in their classrooms. 

Week 8- Friday 6 December (Year 2 work sharing, TLIM awards and Aboriginal Students presenting their Bollards)

The Leader In Me Assembly

In week 8 our assembly will be beginning with our annual The Leader In Me awards ceremony. This is a great chance to recognise and celebrate some of our wonderful students who have consistently demonstrated the 7 habits throughout 2019. Teachers have been monitoring students who have been consistently demonstrating these habits following the focus at our assemblies throughout 2019. From the observations one student from each stage will be selected to receive an award for each of the 7 habits. An overall winner for each habit will also be presented at the assembly, as well as have their names listed on our school plaque. We look forward to celebrating these wonderful achievements with our school community.

Supporting your children with writing at home 

This term we have continued our parent engagement strategy to support our school goal of collaboratively engaging and working with parents to support student learning. This strategy involves providing parents with a digital resource that will assist them to support their children at home. Each term there will be a focus for the digital resource. This term our focus is on providing parents with some simple and easy tips to support their children’s writing at home. 

In the link below you will have access to a short clip developed by Mrs Peardon that gives some very useful strategies to help students develop great sentences to allow the reader to visualise the author's intent. Thank you to Mrs Peardon for sharing some of the great learning in Year 1 and providing some strategies that can be used to support the teaching of writing at home. 

Mr James Bryce - Assistant Principal

Staffing News:

I am pleased to share that Kirra Calvert has accepted a 12 month position at St Columbkille’s Corrimal. Kirra will return to St Michael’s in 2021. We wish Kirra all the best as she takes on a new challenge.

Mrs Amie Dutaillis will begin her Maternity leave at the end of Week 8. Her last day here at St Michael’s for this year will be Thursday 5 December. We look forward to the arrival of baby Dutaillis!

Lighting the Way Awards

Congratulations to Mr James Bryce who won the Diocesan Lighting the Way Award for Leading Teaching and Learning. A very well deserved award and recognition for the great things happening at St Michael’s.

Injuries

We have had quite an increase in the number of students coming to school with injuries, this can be from an accident or from surgery. A reminder that the school must now follow new regulations when it comes to students being fit to attend school. Any child who has an injury should not be at school unless we have a clearance certificate from a medical practitioner clearing them to be at school and stating what they are able to participate in and for how long. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school office. I thank you for your cooperation with these new regulations.

Afternoon Pick Up

As a school we have a duty of care for all students to arrive home safely. May I please ask for the safety of students who are coming out to car line pick up that any students who are being picked up by a parent from the playground remain with their carer until they leave the school. 

Volunteer Thank You Morning Tea

A special volunteer thank you morning tea will be held in the McCarthy Centre on Friday, 13 December following the End of Year School Mass to thank all members of our community who have helped out this year. This includes helpers at the sports carnivals, P&F activities, classroom helpers and so on. We would love you to be there so we can show our appreciation. Why not come to Mass and stay on afterwards for a cuppa? Look forward to seeing you there.

Last Day of School 2019

A reminder to parents that the last day for all students in the 2019 school year will be Wednesday, 18 December.

2020 Year 6 Leadership Nominations

Year 5 students have been invited to nominate for formal leadership positions including Captain and House Captain.  A reminder to students that nomination forms are due tomorrow, Friday 29 November.

Student Academic Reports

Semester 2 Student Reports will be sent home on Friday 13 December. If you would like to discuss your child’s progress please contact the office to arrange a time with the class teacher after you receive your child’s report.

Band

If you are a parent of a Year 3, 4 or 5 parent and you were interested in your child being a part of the band please note that Yule Music is taking registrations up until Friday December 6. If there are enough numbers to go ahead with the band and music program you will be notified by Yule Music.

Christmas Concert Details

We look forward to sharing our carols with you next Friday. Please see a copy of the note that went home today with the costume requirements and order of performances below.

Next Friday each class will be performing a Christmas song for your enjoyment, followed by Christmas Carols. Remember to bring a picnic rug and some nibbles.

Below are the costume requirements for each class item and the order of performance. 

Christmas Eve  Tuesday, 24 December Children’s Mass

6:30pm St Michael Parish School, Station Street or Raymond Road, Thirroul

in the Parish School grounds bring a chair or cushion and a bell.

Carols and Night Mass Tuesday, 24 December 9:30pm Our Lady of Lourdes Church Wombarra Corner Morrison Road and Lawrence Hargrave Drive

Christmas Day Mass

9:00am St Michael Church, 325 Lawrence Hargrave Drive, Thirroul

No evening Mass Christmas Day

Christmas Eve Mass in our Parish School

Christmas Eve Mass will be in our Parish School grounds at 6:30pm on Tuesday, 24 December.  Children are involved in the readings and “walk-on non-talking” parts, e.g. carrying up candles, the bread and wine etc.  If you would like your daughter or son to be involved, please email the Parish Office on thirroul@dow.org.au, giving name, phone number and any “job” they would prefer to do.  Also, singers are needed to help lead the singing anyone from 5 years to 105 year are welcome!  Also, adult parishioners are needed as “Safety Officers / Ushers” at the 6:30pm Mass – you don’t have to be on the usual Safety Officers Roster.  Please contact the Parish Office by 4 December.

Other Christmas Masses are:  9:30pm at Wombarra and 9:00am at Thirroul.

Mrs Belinda Hughes - Principal

SPLICED Launch day

Last Friday our amazing SPLICED students presented their work to the school at our assembly. These amazing students have been working hard throughout the year in producing artworks, stories, poems and sketches of the highest quality. I know that their work amazed the school community and they all should be extremely proud of themselves.  

A huge congratulations to the following student’s whose work was published in the 2019 SPLICED book and website. 

Leon D

Daniel M

Oscar L

Charlie L

Lachlan F

Sophie L

Audrey M

We would also like to congratulate the following students for completing the SPLICED program;

Zoe Mc 

Dylan L and Sam G 

Charlotte Mc and Alice 

Anabel G

Daisy B

Oliver F 

Sophia L

Miss Eliza Treble - Middle Leader 2

CDF Sport Awards

A big congratulations to Amelie Kelly and Seamus Wood for both receiving a sports council medallion. Amelie received her medallion for competing at the MacKillop level in Cross Country and Soccer. Seamus received his medallion for competing at the MacKillop level in Swimming and Ruby Union. 

Basketball, Cricket and Tennis Trials

Well done to Baden Balding (Tennis), Will Egan-Brown (Basketball), Zoe McNamara (Basketball), Kalan Taylor (Cricket) and Cooper Garrard (Cricket) for all making it through through to the next round in their chosen sport, these students will be competing at the MacKillop level early next year. Best of luck to you all!

Mrs Jason Novak - Sports Co-ordinator

Prinicpals Awards

• Finn Gully
• Mia Scott
• Jeong Eum Linton
• Harrison Herrman
• Libby Sharratt
• Isabelle Phelan
• Layla Barr
• Liam Dennyson
• Luca Karakousis
• Ari Colley

Gold Award

• Mia Scott
• Harrison Herrman
• Jesse Miklas

St Michaels' Blue

• Harrison Herrman

P&F News

There is another Mufti Day next Friday December 6. The children can bring in a gold coin donation for wearing mufti. Please ensure that all children wear appropriate clothing and closed in shoes for school.

P&F Dates 2020

Term 1 - Week 4

Thursday 20/2/20

AGM & GM @ 7.00pm

Term 2 - Week 4

Thursday 21/5/20

GM @ 7.00pm

Term 3 - Week 4

Thursday 13/8/20

GM @ 7.00pm

Term 4 - Week 4

Thursday 5/11/20

GM @ 7.00pm