Dear Parents and Caregivers,

A welcome to our last term for 2025. The students have returned and classroom teachers are pleased with how the students have engaged in their learning for Term 4. You may recall that I shared information at the end of last term about attending a Pilgrimage with 32 CEDoW (Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong) employees to Ireland and Italy. I flew to Ireland with my fellow Pilgrims on the evening of the last day of school. This followed a beautiful celebration of St Michael’s Feast Day on the front playground and the annual Mission Fair on the back playground. I again express my gratitude to all staff who were involved in organising both celebrations, especially Mrs Mathieson, Mrs Royston, Year 6 staff and numerous other staff. The Year 6 students were magnificent in their running of the Mission Fair and generosity of donated goods which were sold. 

In the last week of term, the school held the Annual Public Speaking Competition for Stage 3 students (Year 5 and 6). All the students wrote a speech from a selection of topics and presented that speech in front of their class. Two students from each class were chosen to deliver their speech to a panel of three judges and the students of Year 4, 5 and 6. The competition was close with only one winner from each grade chosen. 

The winner for Year 6 was Phoebe Guyatt and her topic was 'Social Media, is it social?'. The winner for Year 5 was Emily Gonzaga and the topic of her speech was 'The Impact of Technology'. Both students entertained the judges, demonstrating skill in adjusting their pace and volume when delivering their speeches. Presenting to an audience is a skill that takes practice, and both students showed great effort. As a result of the school competition, Emily Gonzaga represented St Michael's Nowra at the CEDoW Regional competition this week. 

Week 1 of Term 2 commenced with a Staff Development Day followed by the return of students last Tuesday. I sincerely thank Mrs Rutkowski who was Acting Principal last week while I continued on Pilgrimage. I flew into Sydney last Sunday and returned to school on Monday. I look forward to sharing my experience of Pilgrimage with students, staff and families once the jetlag has cleared and I am able to reflect on a most amazing Spiritual experience. 

As a short introduction to my reflections which will be shared through the fortnightly newsletter from Week 4, the following information from CEDoW prompted my application to attend the Pilgrimage:

During the last two terms, students auditioned and were selected for our biennial musical production which this year is ‘The Jungle Book’. This is always such an exciting time for the students and staff involved. Coordinated by our Creative Arts teacher, Mrs Vik Boyton, the students, staff and family volunteers have created a most amazing experience that will occur tonight (Friday) and Saturday. When you walk through the foyer of the school hall, you will be transported into a Jungle scene that will prepare you for the musical extravaganza that will occur on the following days and times:

• Friday 24 October - 7pm
• Saturday 25 October Matinee 2pm
• Saturday 25 October  - 7pm

I urge families to not miss the unique celebration of the talents of our students, guided by our gifted staff. Tickets may be purchased by clicking here or at the door of the event. Congratulations in advance to Mrs Boyton, her amazing team of staff and parents, and of course our talented students. Thank you also to the families who have kindly donated wonderful treats to sell during the evening. Your support is greatly appreciated.

I would also like to share some exciting news. Mrs Jessica Dakin recently commenced maternity leave from her position as class teacher of 1 Red. We are thrilled to share the announcement of beautiful Lyra Cate arrriving on 2 October. Congratulations to Jessica and husband Lloyd. We wish you all the very best as you enjoy time with your baby daughter.

Following a recruitment process, Ms Emma-Kate Callaghan is the successful applicant for the substantive position of Religious Education Coordinator (REC) at St Michael’s Catholic Primary School, Nowra, commencing 27 January 2026.

Ms Callaghan has been teaching and leading in the Wollongong Diocese since 2017. She currently holds the position of Middle Leader 2 – Diverse Learning at St Michael’s, Nowra, and prior to this she held the position of Middle Leader 1 – ICT. Ms Callaghan also held the role of REC with the Diocese of Parramatta. 

Ms Callaghan holds a Graduate Diploma of Education (UOW), a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education (ACU), and is currently completing a Master of Arts Theological Studies (Notre Dame).

Emma-Kate is a member of St Michael’s Catholic Parish, Nowra.

We wish Ms Callaghan every success with this new role. 

Yours in faith & virtue

Christopher Paton

Principal

ST MICHAEL'S FEAST DAY

On the final day of Term 3, we celebrated St Michael’s Feast Day with a Liturgy followed by Year 6 students hosting our Mission Fair. What a lovely way to finish the term. The students enjoyed using their tokens at the many stalls, including hair spray, ice-cream spiders, what’s in the box, make a lolly bag and many more. The most popular stall was SLIME!

Thank you to all the families who donated up to $10 for your child/children to participate in the Mission Fair. All monies raised went to Catholic Mission to support the women of Zambia. Women farmers are building stronger futures with sustainable farming. St Michael’s School raised $4138.30 to help Zambian families grow food and hope. 

Thank you for bringing hope through giving!

SACRAMENT OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION

A number of Year 3 students are completing the Sacramental Program in preparation for their First Holy Communion. Please keep these students and their families in your prayers as they continue their faith journey and grow closer to Jesus.

SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION

Students in Year 4 and 5 will have the opportunity to receive Reconciliation on a Friday between 9am and 10am this term. This sacrament takes place before Christmas as a way for students to receive forgiveness and renew their relationship with God before celebrating the birth of Jesus.

TERM 4 MASSES

Below are the class Masses for Term 4. Please note that Father Damien will be introducing another mass as of the beginning of November. It will be on Tuesdays at 9.30am.

All families are welcome to join us at any of the masses.

Two important Masses this term will be the whole school Farewell Mass for Mr Paton on Friday 5 December at 10am and Year 6 Graduation Mass Tuesday 9 December 9.30am. Please mark these dates in your calendar. 

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

St Michael’s Annual Christmas Concert will take place on Tuesday 16 December at 9.30am in the back COLA. Please mark this on your calendar.

Martine Mathieson

Religious Education Coordinator

BASKETBALL GALA DAY 

At the end of last term, selected students from Years 3, 4, and 6 travelled to Shellharbour to take part in the Diocesan Basketball Gala Day. Our students competed in a fun round-robin competition against other schools from across the Diocese.

St Michael’s teams showcased a wonderful mix of abilities — for some students, it was their very first time stepping onto the court, while others were experienced players. Regardless of experience, every student represented St. Michael’s with pride, enthusiasm, and determination. It was especially pleasing to see the strong camaraderie and encouragement between teammates, as well as the excellent sportsmanship and respect shown toward opposing teams.

EQUESTRIAN

A special congratulations goes to Savannah McMillan (6W) and Torah Winchester (4R), who proudly represented St. Michael’s at the Interschool Equestrian Championships during the recent school holidays. This three-day event, held from Saturday 4th October to Monday 6th October, brought together skilled riders from across the state. Savannah and Torah competed in a variety of disciplines, including Hacking, Pairs, Canter, Sporting, Cross Country, Dressage, and Leading. Their dedication, preparation, and talent were evident throughout the competition, and both girls achieved outstanding results.

SWIMMING CARNIVAL - YEARS 2-6

Our School Swimming Carnival will take place on Friday 21 November, at Bomaderry Pool. All students will travel to and from the venue by bus. The day will begin with the Competitive Carnival, followed by the Non-Competitive Carnival.

Students wishing to compete in the Competitive Carnival must be current squad swimmers who have undertaken formal, ongoing swimming lessons and are able to swim 50 metres unaided. The Non-Competitive Carnival will include all Year 2–6 students and provide a chance to enjoy friendly, fun swims across the width of the pool.

Parents are reminded that all Year 2–6 students must complete the Compass Permission form by Friday 7 November, indicating whether their child will participate in the Competitive or Non-Competitive Carnival. Please note that late entries for the Competitive Carnival will not be accepted after this date.

ATHLETICS

The following 9 students represented the Wollongong Diocese and our school at the MacKillop Athletics trials on Wednesday 24 September, achieving some outstanding results! 

Special mention to Finn Goddard, achieving 2 gold medals and a new meet record for the 11 year boys 800m event.

Also producing an incredible performance to qualify for the 2025 NSW Primary School Sport Association State Championships, Mila Bozikov, Taylor Dennis, Mia DeRuyer and Matilda McGee combined to run a fabulous 4x100m relay, achieving the bronze medal in the Junior Girls event.

This week, Finn Goddard, Mila Bozikov, Taylor Dennis, Mia DeRuyer and Matilda McGee progressed to proudly represented the MacKillop team at the NSW PSSA State Championships in Sydney.  Enduring tough conditions with extreme heat and westerly winds, our representatives produced some outstanding results, enjoying the experience of racing against the fastest athletes throughout New South Wales.

Congratulations to these talented athletes! We are very proud of you.

2026 REPRESENTATIVE SPORT- CURRENT YEAR 4 & 5 STUDENTS

Each year, students in Years 5 & 6 throughout the Wollongong Diocese are invited to trial for Wollongong representative teams, for the opportunity to access higher levels of sporting pathways, representation and progression to state level competition in the following sports. 

Scheduled dates for the trials can be found here

Nominations for the 2026 representative pathway selection trials are now open. Students are required to be experienced players and extremely talented in their chosen sport. If students are successful during these trials, they will progress to represent the Diocese of Wollongong at MacKillop Level Trials and possibly further advance to represent at a State Level.

Please be aware that we are only able to send a few students for each selected sport and your child may not be successful in their nomination due to experience, skills or not meeting the criteria. Students who have nominated for a sport will be informed if they have been successful or unsuccessful to attend the trials, when the trial date is near. 

No late nominations will be accepted. Some of the trials for 2026 teams commence in Term 4 2025, therefore it is important that nominations are completed now. 

ST MICHAEL'S COLOUR RUN!

Get ready for the most colourful, exciting, joy-filled day of the year! Our annual Colour Run is back — bigger, brighter, and better than ever! This is your chance to get messy, laugh loud, and raise funds for the redevelopment of our school playgrounds. It’s one of the highlights of our school calendar, and we can’t wait to see everyone come together for a day of fun, fitness, and community spirit! 

The Colour Run will take place on Friday 14 November 2025, promising a day full of colour, music, games, and incredible prizes. Every dollar raised will help create new spaces for our students to explore, play, and grow.

There will be weekly class incentives leading up to the big day! Top-performing classes each week will enjoy awesome rewards like Calippo ice blocks, Poppers & Zappos, Mufti Days, and Gift Packs. Keep those donations rolling in and help your class climb the leaderboard!

Congratulations to Kindergarten Red for winning this week’s class incentive with the highest number of sign-ups — we hope you all enjoyed your Calippos!

Next week’s challenge is on! Be the class with the most funds raised in your grade to win canteen vouchers for everyone in your class. Keep the momentum going and let’s see which class will take the crown next week!

 

And yes — our Special Challenge: Soak a Teacher! is back! For every $5,000 raised, one of our brave teachers will get dunked. If we reach our $35,000 goal, Mr Paton himself will be soaked! Who will take the plunge this year? 

Now for some really exciting news — we’ve hit our first fundraising milestone of $5,000! That means it’s time to soak our very first teacher… and the first brave teacher is Mr Richardson!
Well done everyone — you made it happen, and Mr Richardson, get ready to be drenched!

Even better, our school has now raised close to $7,500! That’s an amazing effort, and every dollar takes us closer to our $35,000 goal — and more teachers getting soaked!

Register your Child

Each student can now set up their own fundraising profile and start collecting donations. It’s easy! Visit https://stmichaelsnowra-colour-run-2025.raiselysite.com/ to create your child's profile, share your page with family and friends, and track your fundraising progress. Remember to enter your child's class to their profile. Plus, there are so many amazing prizes to win!

Major Prizes for Top Fundraisers

Infants (K–2)

1st - Nintendo Switch 2 with Mario Kart Bundle

2nd - Jamberoo Action Park Family Pass

3rd - Kayak with Paddle & $60 Anaconda Voucher

Primary (3–6)

1st - Meta Quest 3 + Carrying Case

2nd - Jamberoo Action Park Family Pass

3rd - Inflatable Stand-Up Paddle Board

Prizes for Top Fundraisers in Each Class

Grades K–2

Ruko Smart Robot

Walkie Talkie (3-pack)

Grades 3–4

VTech Kidizoom HD Kids Action Cam

Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Grades 5–6

4K Action Camera with Wi-Fi

Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Every student who raises more than $10 will also go into the bonus prize draw to win one of 45 gift cards worth a total of $1,500! The more you raise, the more chances you have to win!

This event wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of our AMAZING Colour Run sponsors. Their contributions help make this day one of the most exciting and rewarding events on our school calendar. We’d like to extend a heartfelt thank you to;

Jirgens Civil, ASCT, Southern Industrial Plumbing Group, South Coast Decorative Concrete Supplies, Eziway Concrete, Walsh’s Plant Maintenance, Mi Engineers, Wagners, Choice Flooring South Nowra, Sanokil, Tallwood Law, Elite Energy, Evison Little, Berry Bowling Club, Nowra Golf Club, Bomaderry Bowling Club, & 94.9Power FM.

Your ongoing support and community spirit help bring colour, joy, and fun to our school while contributing to the redevelopment of our playgrounds. We couldn’t do it without you!

So, grab your white shirts, your biggest smiles, and get ready for a day filled with colour, laughter, and school spirit! Keep an eye on Compass and our social media pages for updates, weekly challenges, and leaderboards.

Let’s make COLOUR RUN 2025 our brightest, boldest, and most unforgettable event yet!

STAY CONNECTED – FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Stay up to date with what’s happening at St Michael’s:
Follow the St Michael’s P&F on:

• Facebook: P&F Events Page
• Instagram: St Michael’s P&F Association

You’ll find event reminders, community updates, and fun photos from school life.

Warm regards,

St Michael’s P&F Committee
stmichaelspnf@gmail.com

Thank you to Meagan's Kitchen for providing our wonderful canteen service.

Our school canteen is managed by Meagan's Kitchen, operating four days per week (Tuesday-Friday).

Lunch orders may be placed online through 'My School Connect' on the following link. (Also available beneath the parent tab on our school website). A reminder for parents/carers, lunch orders for Fridays are to be placed by 1pm Thursday.

School Canteen Online Orders

Our dedicated staff members are highly trained and passionate about providing quality care. They ensure that each child feels valued and encouraged to explore their interests. The program includes homework assistance, recreational activities, and nutritious snacks, all within a structured and supportive setting.

For more information or to enrol your child, please contact Simone Danby at Aspire on 0438 358 118. Simone is available to answer any questions and provide further details about our program offerings.

We look forward to welcoming your child to Aspire Before and After School Care at St Michael's.

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