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Dear Parents/Carers,
It is hard to believe the school has reached the halfway mark of the school year. As Term 2 concludes, there is much to reflect on and celebrate. Each fortnight the newsletter highlights through words and photos, the ongoing happenings of the school. This newsletter is always prepared so beautifully by Janie Hamilton in the school office and we are so fortunate to have such a high calibre celebration of the students, families and staff in our school.
Highlights of the last fortnight include:
- Confirmation
- Completion of the gymnastics program
- School Musical preparation
- The support of St John’s Nowra Year 10 Work Experience students in Week 10
- Diocesan sporting events, including the Netball Gala Day and the Rugby Knockout Carnival.
Today our school celebrated NAIDOC Week 2025 with a vibrant program highlighting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture. The celebration commenced with an Acknowledgement of Country and a traditional Dhurga welcoming, setting a respectful tone for the day. Students performed dances like the "Show Off" and "Pipi Dance," illustrating cultural practices and storytelling through movement. The "Black Cockatoo" dance powerfully narrated a local Dreamtime story explaining the origin of Nowra's name, connecting the audience to the land's history. The school choir performed "This is Me," and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students united for the "Red Black and Yellow Dance," celebrating the Aboriginal flag's colours and their significance.
Throughout the event, various stories and speeches emphasised the 2025 theme, "The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy," acknowledging Elders and inspiring future leaders. The celebration reiterated the importance of passing on cultural knowledge through performance, narrative, video and song. Congratulations to our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and all of our staff who organised the day, especially Vanessa Longbottom, Zali Lonesborough, Ky Nolan, Mya Ellis, Anne Dempsey, Marian Crossley, Jessica Rosskelly and Shari Cook. We also farewelled Aunty Chris Finney who has retired from teaching at St Michael's Nowra but will continue working at St John’s Nowra. We thanked Aunty Chris for her love and support for the students, staff and families in our school.
Following the NAIDOC celebration, our wonderful P&F Committee hosted morning tea for our visiting parents/carers and guests. We would like to thank ALI Civil Pty Ltd for sponsoring the morning tea, and Blak Cede Cafe Nowra for catering this event. Thank you to our P&F team for organising this wonderful service. We're extremely grateful for everything you do to support our school community.
Yesterday all families were given access through Compass to their child’s Student Progress Report for Semester 1, 2025. I urge parents to take time to read these reports with your child and note the areas for growth recommended by the classroom teachers. If families would like to follow up any aspects of the report with their child’s teacher, they are urged to make an appointment early in Term 3. Access to the Compass Parent portal ceases when students graduate or relocate from St Michael's, therefore we recommend for parents/carers to download and retain electronic and printed forms of all student reports, personalised plans and NAPLAN results.
Numerous staff and families have asked about the progress with finding a new Principal for 2026. This process is fully coordinated by the Catholic Education Office Wollongong (CEDoW). The original advertisements for the position were initiated at the commencement of Term 2. In the first round of discernment, it was decided by CEDoW to advertise a second time this week. The process for selecting the substantive Principal position at St Michael’s Nowra is a vital one to ensure the right person is selected. It is expected that further interviews will occur early in Term 3.
School resumes for Term 3 on Tuesday 22 July 2025. All staff will return to school on the previous day to attend a Staff Development Day. Thank you parents for assisting the school by keeping your children at home on this day.
As we come to the end of the school term, I wish all families, students and staff the very best for a safe and restful holiday. To all of our staff, I extend a gracious thank you for all you do every day. The school is fortunate to have all of you.
Yours in faith & virtue
Christopher Paton
School Principal
SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION
Confirmation is a sacred sacrament in the Catholic Church that marks a deepening of a person’s faith and commitment to Christian life. Congratulations to the students in Year 6 and the Parish who received this important sacrament last weekend.
These students received the Holy Spirit in a special way, empowering them to live a life of faith, service, and witness.
A big thank you to the families, teachers, catechists and Father Joseph for your efforts in preparing these students for this sacrament.
GRANDPARENT'S DAY
Martine Mathieson
Religious Education Coordinator
Term 3 Week 1
| Monday 21 July |
Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day) |
| Tuesday 22 July |
Students return for Term 3 |
| Wednesday 23 July | Rehearsals for School Musical 3:15pm - 5pm |
| Thursday 24 July | |
| Friday 25 July | 100 Days of Kindergarten |
Term 3 Week 2
| Monday 28 July | |
| Tuesday 29 July | |
| Wednesday 30 July |
Rehearsals for School Musical 3:15pm - 5pm |
| Thursday 31 July | |
| Friday 1 August |
Winter Disco Infants K-Year 2 (5pm -6pm) Primary Year 3-6 (6:15pm - 7:45pm) |
Upcoming Dates for the Diary
| Monday 11 August |
School Photo Day |
| Friday 15 August |
Grandparent's Day- 12pm Mass followed by classroom visits & afternoon tea. |
| Monday 18 August |
Rugby Union Knockout- Hunters Hill (Selected students) |
| Friday 22 August |
Bookweek Parade |
| Friday 29 August |
Year 3 & 4 Soccer Gala Day Year 5 & 6 Soccer Gala Day (Nominating students) Volunteers Required for P&F Canteen |
| Monday 8 September |
Father's Day Breakfast & Liturgy (7:30am - 9:30am) |
| Thursday 18 September |
Basketball Gala Day Shellharbour Year 3 & 4 (Selected students) Year 5 Leadership Camp (Watersleigh) |
| Friday 19 September |
Basketball Gala Day Shellharbour Year 6 (Selected students) Year 5 Leadership Camp (Watersleigh) |
| Friday 24 October |
St Michael's 'The Jungle Book' Musical -7pm TBC |
| Saturday 25 October |
St Michael's 'The Jungle Book' Musical (2 shows) |
| Friday 14 November |
St Michael's Colour Run |
YEAR SIX PERSUASIVE POETRY
RUGBY UNION
St Michael’s Nowra has emerged victorious in an incredibly close and competitive Rugby Union gala day, showcasing teamwork, determination, and resilience in every match. With each game coming down to just a few points, the competition was fierce and exciting right from the opening whistle.
After an impressive 21–19 win over Nazareth, Shellharbour City in Round 2, St Michael’s carried their momentum into Round 3 with a thrilling 7–5 victory over Ss Peter and Paul, Kiama. This set the stage for a nail-biting final between the same two schools, and it didn’t disappoint. In a match that came down to the final minute, St Michael’s held their nerve and edged out Kiama 21–19 to claim the title.
Congratulations to the St Michael’s Rugby Union team, who will now go on to represent the Wollongong Diocese at the prestigious Chris Gangemi Cup (NSWCPS 10-A-Side Rugby Knockout). The tournament will be held at St Joseph’s College, Hunters Hill on Monday 18 August 2025. Best of luck to the team.
PRIMARY BASKETBALL GALA DAY
Looking ahead, another exciting Basketball Gala Day at Shellharbour Stadium is scheduled for Thursday 18 September (Years 3 & 4) and Friday 19 September (Year 6).
Interested students in Years 3, 4 and 6 are invited to nominate via the Google Form, by Monday 21 July.
Please note that unfortunately, Year 5 students will not be able to nominate for this event as they will be attending their Leadership Camp at Waterslea on the same day.
Please note, this event will incur an entry fee of approximately $15 per student and students will be required to make their own way to and from the event.
ATHLETICS
We are nearing completion of all field events to be able to announce our Athletics Champions and representative team for 2025. These will be announced early next term.
NETBALL
RUGBY UNION REPRESENTATIVES
Representing the Wollongong Diocese in 4 high level games, the boys played teams from Canberra/Goulburn, Parramatta, Sydney and Wagga Wagga.
Commencing the morning in a chilly 1 degree, Finn and Mason displayed great skill and grit against several large opponents, with both boys selected from over 100 competitors to further display their skills amongst the top 30 competitors in a possible and probables match.
Mason was successful in securing a position on the MacKillop team to represent in Newcastle at the NSW PSSA State Championships, whilst Finn narrowly missed selection, however enjoyed the experience playing against the older students, and looks forward to the opportunity to trial again next year.
Congratulations to Mason & Finn on this outstanding achievement!
If you have any questions about sport or any upcoming events, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Andrew Allmark
Sports Coordinator
We’re so excited to announce the talented cast of our school’s upcoming production of “The Jungle Book”.
Join us in congratulating our amazing students, including Mila Williams as Mowgli, Sam Fulginiti as Baloo, and many more who are bringing this story to life with heart and dedication.
Performances will take place on Friday 24th & Saturday 25th October in the School Hall.
We can’t wait to share the magic with you — stay tuned for more updates!
- The Jungle Book Team
EQUIP PROGRAM
On Friday 27 June 2025, Year 6 students involved in the ADF Equip program completed the second of two sessions.
The ADF Equip Program is designed to support the emotional/social well-being and resilience of children and young people with a parent/guardian serving in the Australian Defence Force.
Students who attended the two sessions were awarded a certificate of completion.
Congratulations to Charlotte Bacales, Sophie Webber, Charlotte Lever, Xavier Fairs and Joseph Bacales for this achievement.
DEFENCE CLUB
Throughout the past fortnight, the Defence Club has been very busy with numerous activities, as we prepare for several upcoming deployments of parents.
PIZZA PARTY
Last Friday, Kindergarten, Year 1 and Year 6 Defence students celebrated the end of Semester 1 with Pizza.
Thank you for a wonderful term. I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.
Mrs Julie Lawrence
Defence School Mentor
Hello St Michael’s Families,
As we wrap up another fantastic term, we'd like to thank our school community for the ongoing support, smiles, and spirit that make St Michael’s such a special place. Here are a few important updates as we head into the holidays.
DRESS UP DONATIONS FOR KINDY MORNING PLAY
We’re putting the call out on behalf of the school for donations to support Kindy’s morning play sessions. If you have any hats, scarves, handbags, or other dress-up items at home that are no longer needed, please consider donating these. Items may be dropped off to the school office. Thank you for helping bring more creativity and fun to our kindy's play sessions!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
DIOCESAN SOCCER GALA DAY CANTEEN
We’re looking for helpers for the canteen at the Diocesan Primary Soccer Gala Day on Friday 29 August. Whether you can spare an hour or help for the day, we’d love to hear from you. Please email stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.
WINTER DISCO - FRIDAY 1 AUGUST
Our Winter Disco is coming up on Friday 1 August and will feature two sessions:
- Infants Disco (K–2): 5pm - 6pm
- Primary Disco (Years 3–6): 6:15pm - 7:45pm
This is a drop-off only event.
If you wish to remain at the disco, you will need to complete the following steps;
1. Hold a current Working with Children Clearance (WWCC). Click here to apply for a WWCC.
2. Complete the onboarding process to obtain a Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong volunteer 'token' registration number to enable you to sign in and assist at all school events. You will need your WWCC to complete this step.
3. Once you have a WWCC AND token clearance number, please complete the following google form to indicate your availability to assist at the Disco.
REGISTER TO ASSIST AT THE DISCO
We are seeking volunteers to assist at the disco – whether for one session or both, your help would be greatly appreciated.
STAY CONNECTED – FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Want to stay in the loop with everything 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
By following our pages, you’ll receive:
- Event and fundraiser reminders
- Important community updates
- Fun photos and highlights from school activities
Join us online and be part of the conversation!
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.
ASPIRE BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
Located in St Michael's school hall, Aspire Before and After School Care provides a safe and nurturing environment for children, outside of regular school hours. Our program is designed to support both the academic and personal growth of each child, offering a variety of activities that promote learning, creativity, and social development.
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.
