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Dear Parents & Carers
School Covid Update and Restrictions Reminder
Our staff thanks you for the generous support and ongoing patience you have shown over the last four weeks while, together, we continue to live, learn, and work under the restrictions and challenges posed by COVID-19.
We urge everyone to continue to follow the advice from the NSW Government and NSW Health regarding Stay-at-Home orders and restrictions in keeping all members of our community safe and well. As you know, COVID-19 case numbers continue to be high across Greater Sydney, as does the number of people who have been in the community while infectious. In light of this, the NSW Government and NSW Health have again reinforced the message that parents and carers must keep children home if they can.
We understand how difficult it can be to manage working from home as well as supervising your child’s learning, however we are requesting your support to limit the risk of COVID-19 by having your child learn from home, rather than school, unless you absolutely have no other option.
As we continue to plan for supervision of students who must attend school it is vital that we schedule only the minimum number of required staff members each day. This is to ensure we meet the direction provided by Catholic Schools NSW and NSW Health.
As difficult as this is for all of us, the school is here to support you. To the best of our ability, we continue to implement the directives from both NSW Government and NSW Health. It is an extremely difficult and challenging time and I would like to thank the staff, students and parents and carers who have been working together in a supportive and respectful way to ensure the safety of all in our school community.
We continue to hold everyone in our community and beyond in our prayers.
Stay Home. Stay Safe. Stay Well.
Mrs Belinda Hughes - Principal
Stage 2 and Stage 3 Zoom with Sarah Carli and Melissa Logan
On Friday (13/8) at 12:00pm Stage 2 and 3 will be zooming in with Sarah Carli and Melissa Logan, who are quarantining on the way home from the Olympics. Sarah Carli just completed in the 400m hurdles at the Tokyo Olympics and Mel Logan is her coach, whilst also being the coach of all the Australian hurdlers that attended the Olympics. Both girls are local to the Wollongong area. Sarah completed in the Olympics just five months after nearly dying in a freak accident - her story is truly inspiring. See details of her story below.
https://www.athletics.com.au/news/sarah-carli-the-greatest-hurdle-/
https://ias.org.au/sarah-carli-comeback/
https://www.athletics.com.au/olympic-athlete-profiles/sarahcarli/
Staff Spirituality Day/Pupil Free Day
Please be advised that the planned Staff Spirituality Day/Pupil Free Day which was scheduled for Monday, 6 September has been postponed. The day will be rescheduled in term 4 and the relevant details will follow once a date has been set.
Meals on Wheels
St Michael’s Thirroul wanted to say a big thank you to those people who volunteer for Meals on Wheels and for everything they do to look after our community on National Meals on Wheels Day on the last Wednesday in August! We did this by creating letters to thank them for providing healthy meals, providing wellbeing check in and taking care of vulnerable people. Students completed the cards remotely and sent their photos in, which we are printing off and sending to Meals on Wheels. This activity allowed us to teach the students about volunteering and the importance of looking after the vulnerable, offering discussions about kindness and social responsibility. We are inspiring the next generation of volunteers at St Michael’s Thirroul.
Ripples: Spirituality for Parents
Ripples Episode 24: Strength and Flexibility - In Conversation with Matthew Ames (Part 2)
Link: https://ripples.dow.catholic.edu.au/
Description: In this Second Episode released this week Matthew Ames speaks about some of the practices that have sustained him over the years since surviving streptococcal toxic shock and the loss of his four limbs. He speaks about the value of gratitude, mindfulness, prayer and acceptance.
Feast of St Mary MacKillop
Click here to watch the Mass with Father Ken for the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.
The 8th of August was the feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. This week teachers have been celebrating this feast day remotely with prayer, videos, seesaw tasks… There has even been a guest appearance from Father Ken! This feast is particularly important as our school was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph, embracing the Josephite tradition of love, understanding and acceptance of others. At St Michael's the charism of Mary MacKillop guides us to build a sustainable, successful, Christ-centred community with common values empowering all to be witnesses to the faith and promote a deep love of God.
Role of parents and families highlighted during the bicentenary of Catholic education in Australia
Catholic schools across Australia will celebrate Family Week from 8 – 14 August 2021, to recognise the significant contribution parents, carers and families have made to the foundation, growth, and continuity of Catholic schools in Australia over 200 years.
Family Week coincides with the Feast Day of Australia’s First Saint, Mary MacKillop, who was a passionate educator and advocate for children and families, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. See the prayers below for our families.
A couple of notes from Father Ken
Vinnies Winter Appeal (Donating online)
To The Vinnies Winter Appeal, please click on this link
https://my.fundraise.vinniesnsw.org.au/fundraise-your-way/vinnies-wint
We have reached hump week of the term, and an unusual term at that. It is important that we all take time to reset. Time to pause, time out and time to refocus on what is important to us. Family, relationships, connectedness and a perspective on being kind to ourselves when things are tough. Thank you for your ongoing support and feedback it is much appreciated. We are all trying to navigate a challenging time and it is ok if some days it just does not work and other things have to take priority.
I am thrilled to be able to provide an opportunity for our parent community to engage in a live webinar with Maggie Dent. Maggie will explore the concepts I have raised above and how do we parent in a Pandemic. What is important, what are some practical strategies, how do we reset.
Maggie is a well renowned educator, parenting author and is often referred to as the ‘queen of commonsense’. It is such a privilege to have Maggie with us and to have the opportunity to listen to her wisdom and expertise and to then be able to ask questions.
A reminder that this is a free webinar open to the parents of St Michael’s Thirroul. Please follow the Eventbrite link to register your attendance. This will assist in the management of the online event.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact the school.
Date: Monday 16th August
Time: 3.30pm
Zoom link to be forwarded on Monday
Register Here!
A Maggie Dent Teaser
Here is an excerpt from Maggie’s work that places wellbeing before anything else.
Wellbeing comes first
So keep in mind those of you who are working from home while also having children doing remote learning, that wellbeing needs to come before learning outcomes and work outcomes. Until our amygdala – our threat centre – is calm, all learning and working is compromised. Stressed brains don’t learn well and they certainly struggle to manage big ugly feelings well. Please check out my Maggie Soothers – for simple quick ways of lowering cortisol. Some of them are serious fun and others deceptively brilliant at calming us all down.
While lock down stops real human connectedness, finding a safe predictable place to belong without judgement can be more than a physical tonic – it can fill the heart and nurture the soul. Reach out to your friends over the phone or online as much as you can.
It's so important to be really nurturing in supporting yourself right now. My team have also pulled together a great list of tips and links to support families through different aspects of isolation
Finally...
Please remember the power of the simple things, kindness and gratitude. When the grown-ups are able to find the light in the darkness, and bring hope to hide the despair, children learn how to do the same.
- all students should be dressed in appropriate casual clothing
- students should not be eating food during a zoom lesson, just as they would not be able to do this in class
- school rules of respect and following teacher direction remain in place and PB4L expectations and consequences continue to be relevant
- students should be set up ready to learn; at a table or desk; sitting on a chair or stool and equipment needed ready
Year 3 discussed the need for Reconciliation in our world amongst all cultures and examined the need for respect, acceptance and tolerance.
Principal Awards:
- Lachlan F
- Harrison L
- Ella Foran
- Charlie T
- Jude B
- Lara Mc
- Summer D
- Liam N
- Sofia G
Gold Award:
- Lara Mc
- Harrison L
St Michael's Blue:
- Lara Mc
- Harrison L