Welcome back to the new term. Last week was a shorter week with the staff Spirituality day on Monday 24 April 2023 and ANZAC day on Tuesday 25 April 2023. I am pleased to report that all students have returned after their vacation, ready for learning. 

As a Catholic school, it is very important to provide staff with rich opportunities to deepen their own faith. Parents would be aware from our school website that in 1893, at the request of Cardinal Moran, the Sisters of the Good Samaritan came to Nowra to begin their work of providing a Catholic education to the parish of St Michael’s. They continued the work of the Reynolds sisters, who in the 1870s had established a Catholic school in a house in Douglas Street. Father John Therry, the first official priest to arrive in Australia, established the Sisters of the Good Samaritan order as he saw a great need to provide education for children in the new colony. The values and charism of the Sisters of the Good Samaritan order, established by Father Therry, were based on ‘the Rule of Benedict’. St Benedict had written and implemented the ‘the Rule of Benedict’ in the year 530 to support religious priests, brothers and sisters to achieve peace and autonomy within their various religious orders. 

On Monday 24 April 2023, the staff of the school were immersed in a learning journey about these ‘Benedictine’ values. At a later stage, there will be opportunities for students and families to learn more about these values, as they align perfectly with our new school ‘Vision and Mission’. Aunty Christine Finney worked alongside our Religious Education Coordinator, Mrs Martine Mathieson and numerous staff, to provide an Aboriginal perspective on some of the values as well. This was a very worthwhile day of Spiritual learning for all staff and I thank parents for supporting this Staff Development Day. 

I would like to extend my warmest congratulations and appreciation to all students, staff and families who commemorated ANZAC day at school on Friday 28 April, 2023. ANZAC day is such a significant day in the history of Australia and New Zealand, where we remember and honour the bravery, courage, and sacrifice of the men and women who served and continue to serve our nations. It is heartening to see the younger generation actively participating in ANZAC Day commemorations and acknowledging this day. St Michael’s School was well represented at the dawn services and march. Thank you to the families and staff who supported student attendance on ANZAC Day, 25 April 2023. A special thank you is extended to Mrs Natalie Hayes our ‘Defence Mentor’ who organised the commemoration service at our school. We also thank Lieutenant Tim Farrell who gave the address to students and families and Mr Gary Gilligan of the Nowra RSL. 

I was saddened after ANZAC day to hear that one of our longest surviving students,

Len (Leonard John) Seyffer, passed away on the eve of ANZAC Day, aged 99. Len and his family would be well known to generations of St Michael’s parishioners as well as many people in the local community. Len was a veteran from World War 2 and a prominent participant in endless ANZAC Day commemoration ceremonies and Remembrance Day gatherings at St Michael’s school and St John’s Nowra. He established the tradition of having a parish mass to celebrate ANZAC day and has been an active member and patron of ‘Legacy’ since the 1950s. 

Len was very proud to have attended St Michael’s school and was loved by all present and past staff. The school was only 30 years old when Len was born. He was a great participant in all local community events and established numerous practices to ensure the ANZAC spirit remained alive. Len was responsible for planting the ‘Lone Pine’ on the back playground and in many ways personified the spirit of St Michael’s Nowra. We believe Len was the oldest parishioner in St Michael’s Parish, Nowra. Len’s extraordinary life was celebrated in a funeral yesterday in the parish church. His family gave beautiful eulogies and the mass was led by Father Joseph and Father Pat. Len would often talk to me about his love for his family and how proud he was of each of his sons, daughter and grandchildren. Mrs Dempsey and our two school captains, Yuin Hill and Eleanor Boyton, joined me in representing our school at Len’s funeral. Please keep Len and his family in your prayers. 

Tomorrow the ‘School Leadership’ teachers, numerous school support officers and our two Aboriginal Education Assistants, will assist me in interviewing the prospective new Kindergarten students for 2024. I am very thankful to these twenty staff members who will assist me to welcome our new families as they commence their educational journey with our school. The families will be welcomed at the school gate on Saturday morning and directed towards the various interviewing areas. The staff and I are very excited about tomorrow and always feel it is a privilege to be the first contacts in this important journey. Our office school support officer, Janie Hamilton, has been preparing all aspects of this day for a number of months and I would like to thank her for the professionalism in all that she has planned to ensure the day runs smoothly, ensuring all families and staff are fully supported. The ‘Leadership team’ and I will continue to interview remaining families during the next week. 

While the year is still very young, I would like to thank our Parents and Friends Committee for all they have initiated this year. Following on from our previous committee who led our school admirably through the last three years of Covid and the bushfires, this new team led by Mrs Carina Beattie has certainly hit the ground running. All social and fundraising events have been well supported by the school community and the greater Nowra region. The Mother's Day stall and raffle will be very successful with your support. During the student vacation period, the school received the wonderful news that a grant of $22 000, towards the cost of synthetic grass on the front playground, had been approved by the Veolia  Mulwaree Trust. The Parents and Friends Committee has also approved fundraising from last year to be allocated towards this project as well. This grant application was initiated by the Parents and Friends Committee and was supported by the school. This is exciting news, well done to this hard working Committee. I urge all parents and families to support our school Parents and Friends Committee. 

Our special celebration of ‘Mother's Day’ will occur on Friday 12 May 2023 at 9.30am. All mothers, carers and prominent people in the children’s lives are invited to attend this liturgy in the school hall. Mrs Mathieson and the class teachers have been preparing this liturgy and it will be a celebration of mothers and all that they do. On behalf of everyone at St Michael's Nowra, I want to take this early opportunity to wish all mothers and mother figures the very best for Mother's Day this year. We salute the incredible care, support, and nurture that you provide to your children every day. We appreciate all the love, patience, and sacrifices you make to ensure that your children grow up to be the best version of themselves. We recognize that being a mother is the most challenging yet rewarding job in the world, and we thank you for everything that you do. May this Mother's Day bring joy, peace and happiness to you and your families. Happy Mother’s Day for Sunday 14 May, 2023.