The last two weeks have been a reintroduction to a more normalised school life. The majority of students have settled back into school quite well and some students have found the return to formalised schooling a bit of a challenge. A substantial amount of time has been allocated where necessary to meet the social and emotional needs of the students through class focus lessons and additional brain breaks during the day. Staff are validating my observations that most students are now quite settled and engaging with their lessons. The playground changes, requiring students to only play with their grade group, have been successful so far. All students are now rotating through separate play areas each day. This will continue until the end of the year. Fortunately the double vaccination rate in the Shoalhaven is amongst the highest in the state. 

Over the last two days, most students in Year 2 have received the Sacrament of Penance during their ‘First Reconciliation’. I attended yesterday’s celebration in the parish hall and was pleased with the reverence shown by the Year 2 students. Unfortunately, parents and careers were unable to attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. The students certainly made their parents, carers, teachers and clergy very proud of the way they were prepared and participated. Thank you to our REC Mrs Mathieson, Mrs Royston, Mrs Roles, Mr Anderson and Mrs Lamphee for everything they did to prepare the students. The Sacrament of Eucharist will be received by many of our Year 3 students on the weekend of 20/21 November 2021. Please keep these students and their teachers in your prayers. 

Tomorrow the school will commemorate Remembrance Day. As we are unable to gather as a school, Mr Allmark and his students have created a special video service that the whole school will view in their classrooms after recess. Our Defence School Mentor, Mrs Natalie Hayes has also put together some exceptional resources to assist teachers commemorate the day. For our Shoalhaven region, Remembrance Day is a particularly important day due to the number of Defence families, past and present, who have resided in Nowra and surrounding areas. On this special day we remember those who served our country during both war times and during periods of peace. We also remember their families who remained at home during these times and contributed to keeping our country going. 

At this time of the year, the teachers are in the process of putting together the new class groups for 2022. We are still receiving applications for various classes in 2022 and interviews with prospective students have been completed. As this is the time when families may receive a posting to another state or might just decide on a change of schools, I would appreciate contact through the office if your child/children will not be at St Michael's Nowra in 2022. It will also be an opportunity for us to farewell your family appropriately if you are moving to another school, region or state. 

I will be on Long Service Leave for the next two days and Mrs Rutkowski will be Acting Principal. I return to school this Monday 15 November 2021. 

Yours in Faith and Virtue,

Mr Christopher Paton