Welcome to Term 3. I hope all of our families are coping with the current health realities that COVID-19 and Influenza are still providing us with. The students and staff have returned with optimism and it has been a great start to the new term. The school is doing its best to work through the current teacher shortages and provide a teacher to be in front of our students. All available staff including the leadership team, are filling in where teachers are absent due to sickness. However, like all other schools in Australia, there will still be occasions where a class may need to be split. The staff and I thank you for your understanding. I would like to acknowledge our wonderful staff who have continued to provide a calm and welcoming face to the students each day. 

In recent months, new office staff have been appointed. Mrs Julie Vella is the Senior School Support Officer (office manager) and Mrs Sue Rankin will be the first contact in the office each Monday, Thursday and Friday. Mrs Jessia Webster will be the first contact in the office on Tuesday and Wednesday. I would like to both welcome and thank our three office staff who often need to make the difficult phone calls if a student needs to be collected due to exhibiting COVID-19 or Influenza symptoms. These staff are strictly following NSW Health directives. I am aware that this can be an inconvenience to parents but I do appreciate that these phone calls are received respectfully and students are collected promptly. I would like to thank parents and caregivers for their assistance with keeping a child at home if they have even the slightest symptoms. Your respect for school staff and the front line service they are providing to our families in St Michael’s Nowra is most appreciated. 

By the end of this week, most parent teacher meetings to discuss the Semester 1 student reports will have been completed. If you have not yet had an opportunity to meet with your child’s teacher due to sickness or other reasons, please ring the school office to make an appointment. The teachers will look at their availability and the office will call you back to confirm a time and date. 

While our Religious Education Coordinator Mrs Mathieson is on Long Service Leave, I will continue to update parents on what important events are occurring. Please note the following:

• The Religious Literacy Assessment (RLA)  practice for Year 4 students occurred yesterday and the actual RLA will occur on Monday 1 August. Students in Year 4 are using their ipads to complete these tests.
• ACTIVATE, a day of religious and spiritual celebration coordinated by the Diocese of Wollongong team, will occur on Tuesday 26 July for Year 6 students from St Michael’s Nowra and St Mary’s Milton in the School Hall from 9.30am - 2.00pm. 
• Class Masses will commence from Week 3 with Year 4 students and parents attending. Further details will be provided to these families next week. In Week 4 the Year 3 students will attend mass and in Week 5 it will be the Year 2 students. Parents and Caregivers are invited to attend these masses. 
• The Confirmation Parent/Candidate “Signs and Symbols Meeting” will occur on Wednesday 3 August at 6pm in the School Hall. It is necessary for Year 6 students and a family member to attend this meeting. Students are to bring the commitment form to the meeting
• The annual Mass with the Bishop and Year 6 students will occur on Thursday 11 August at Shellharbour commencing 10.30am

I have been monitoring the car park opposite the church this week and would like to congratulate the parents and caregivers for their respectful driving and parking. Please continue to park the cars as per the attached map and remember that the car park IS NOT a stop and drop zone. Cars must be parked before students get out of the vehicles. Thank you for your parking assistance, especially during the current spate of poor weather.