Dear Parents and Carers

Last Friday 9 June 2023, all of Year 6 and their teachers travelled to Warrawong for a mass with Bishop Brian Mascord. This mass provided a unique opportunity for students in the Diocese to come together in a spirit of unity, faith, and celebration. The mass occurred the day before many of our Year 6 students received the Sacrament of Confirmation and Bishop Brian inspired everyone at the mass to use the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’. St Michael’s Nowra provided the liturgical movement, choreographed and taught by one of our SSOs, Miss Shari Cook. The mass was truly an opportunity for reflection, prayer, and spiritual growth as the students listened to Bishop Brian’s words of wisdom and engaged in communal worship. Thanks to all staff involved in this important gathering.

Congratulations to all the Year 6 students and parish candidates who received the Sacrament of Confirmation at St. Michael's Church last Saturday! It was a very special  occasion filled with hope, faith, and the Holy Spirit. The dedication and commitment of families to the faith journey of all who were ‘Confirmed’ by Bishop Brian Mascord on the weekend is truly commendable. This sacrament marks an important milestone in the lives of the candidates as they embrace the ‘Gifts of the Holy Spirit’ and deepen their relationship with God. Our school community prays that the grace and blessings received during this sacred ceremony will guide all of our Year 6 and parish candidates on their path, empowering them to live out their faith with courage and conviction. 

May everyone who attended the Confirmation ceremonies last week, continue to grow in wisdom, love, and service to others, becoming shining examples of God's light in the world. Congratulations once again, and may the faith journey of all families be filled with the ‘Gifts’ of the Holy Spirit. A special thank you is extended to all of the Year 6 teachers, Mrs Mathieson, Mrs Royston and staff who taught and prepared all of our Year 6 students for this important sacrament. Congratulations to Father Joseph and the parish team who led the Parish Sacramental program. Thank you to Mrs Maree McMillan who prepared lunch for Bishop Brian Mascord, teaching staff and parish team members. 

Having placed in the top 6 competitors at the Wollongong Diocese Cross Country trials, our school was represented by Finn Goddard, Ezekiel Blinksell, Ella Walsh, Adam Wisniewski and Morten Ellerington on Tuesday, competing at the MacKillop Cross Country Event. Special mention to Finn Goddard. In a strong field of 52 runners, Finn placed first in his event! Congratulations to these students on their outstanding performances!

The formal Student Progress reports for students in Year 1-6 will be released through the Compass portal on Thursday 22 June 2023. These reports express student progress using the Common Grade Scale of ‘A, B, C, D and E’. During the first half of the 2023 school year, teachers have taught and gathered evidence on student achievement in their class. An opportunity to formally discuss your child’s progress will occur during Week 10 of Term 2. Students in Kindergarten do not receive a formal written report at the end of Week 2, however parent teacher interviews will still be provided. 

Yesterday afternoon, parents and caregivers received a Compass alert to inform them that the Compass portal to book interview times was open. Parents and caregivers are able to view times your child's teacher is available and book a meeting. You will find where to book by selecting 'conferences' in the menu for each child, where multiple children attend St Michael's Nowra. The teachers are looking forward to discussing your child's learning journey in 2023 with you. We respectfully request that you book the first available time and minimise gaps in meetings for our teachers. Each meeting is allocated 15 minutes. Should you require more time with your child's teacher, this can be arranged with the teacher. Bookings will remain open until next Friday 23rd June. If there are no suitable times, please contact the front office and your child's teacher will be in touch to arrange a suitable time.

Last Tuesday evening the Parents and Friends group met in the school library, and online through Zoom. A summary of upcoming events will be shared through this newsletter. I would like to thank and congratulate this group who gather on your behalf and discuss numerous agenda items, all aiming to enhance the school life of the students. Important information regarding the development of an artificial grass area on the front playground was shared, as well as a number of future social events for the students and some upcoming fundraising options. Please consider attending the next meeting. 

Two important school events will occur in the next two weeks:

• Monday 26 June 2023 - The School Athletics Carnival at Shoalhaven High
• Friday 30 June 2023 - NAIDOC Week Liturgy   

As shared in the last newsletter, I will be on Long Service Leave from Monday 19 June 2023, returning to school on Tuesday 1 August 2023. During this time, Mrs Carolyn Rutkowski will be Acting Principal, fully supported by the school Leadership team and staff. I am looking forward to travelling overseas to explore parts of Italy, England, Ireland and Scotland during this time. 

Yours in Faith and Virtue,