Dear Parents,

This is the final newsletter for 2024. The last two weeks have continued to be action packed with numerous activities and events occurring. Learning, along with Christmas craft and preparing for the Christmas Concert, has continued to be a focus. Last week the ‘Student Progress Reports' became available through Compass and a number of follow up parent - teacher interviews have occurred this week. 

During this last fortnight, the following events have occurred:

• Year 6 Pool and Slide day
• The Graduation Awards evening for Year 6 students attended by staff, parents and extended families.
• Promotions day for students to see their new classrooms and discover their teacher for 2025. 
• A whole school assembly where Year 6 celebrated their time at the school with final presentations, a slideshow, dance and transfer of specific leadership roles from Year 6 to Year 5.
• Year 4 Excursion to Shoalhaven Art Gallery.
• A number of grades have attended Roxy Cinema Nowra.
• Year 6 Netball match against staff (Won by staff again!).
• 2024 Christmas concert.
• 2024 Mission Fair. 

The final week of school has been a very special one for our Year 6 students. We will officially say farewell to these students at 2:30pm on Wednesday 18 December 2024. On Tuesday night in Week 9 at the Graduation Awards, our two School Captains, Jack Butler and Bridget Gozaga presented a wonderful farewell speech on behalf of Year 6, reflecting on their years of education at St Michael’s Nowra. Bridget, Jack, the Prefects, Colour Captains and all Year 6 students have displayed wonderful leadership during this year. A special thank you to Year 6 students for their gift of Virtue Totem Poles, displaying the new school virtues of Respect, Compassion, Inclusion and Service. Thank you as well to our Year 6 staff who worked tirelessly with the students this year. 

Last Friday at the whole school assembly we welcomed the new Year 6 leaders for 2025. All of our Year 6 students are supported to be leaders and some of these students have also received some specific leadership positions. Congratulations to all of our new Year 6 students. The information about these students is contained in the newsletter. 

Today we experienced the Christmas concert and the Mission Fair. On behalf of our school community may I thank our amazing school staff for their active involvement and commitment to both events. In particular, thank you to Mrs Mathieson, Mrs Boyton, Mrs Royston, Ms Lizette, Miss Cook and Mrs Gelle for all of their ‘behind the scenes’ work. Every single staff member was involved in some way. Congratulations all. 

I would like to express a special thank you to Mrs Carolyn Rutkowski, our Assistant Principal, for her loyalty and support during the year. I am thankful for the support of Mrs Martine Mathieson for leading the religious dimension of the school. To all of our leadership team: Mrs Karen Delany, Mrs Michelle Heffernan, Mrs Anne Dempsey, Ms Emma-Kate Callaghan and Mrs Sam Luxford, may I thank you for what you have done for our students and staff in 2024. Thank you to Ms Janie Hamilton who has produced this beautiful newsletter each fortnight as well as numerous office responsibilities. To all of our staff, you have been magnificent in every way and the St Michael’s community is lucky to have you. 

As we conclude the 2024 school year, we say farewell to a small number of teachers who have been with us for the last one to two years. I would like to acknowledge the following teachers and thank them for their gift of presence at our school:

• Mr Jason Harrison has worked at St Michael's for the last year and has built a reputation as a caring and committed teacher, willing to be involved in numerous extra-curricular activities. Mr Harrison will be returning to St Thomas More School in Ruse. We wish him the very best for the future and thank him for his teaching of Year 6 this year.  
• Miss Maggie van Eeden has been a teacher at our school for the last two years and has shown great service and commitment to the students at St Michael’s. Her involvement in extracurricular activities has demonstrated Miss van Eeden’s  commitment to the students, staff and families. Miss van Eeden has accepted a teaching position at Cedar Christian School in Wollongong. We thank Miss van Eeden for teaching Year 2 and Year 4 and wish her the very best for the future. 

Our main classroom teaching staff for 2025 is included below in the newsletter. Congratulations to all of these teachers on their new appointments for 2025. All other teaching and support staff will be shared with families at the commencement of the 2025 school year as some appointments are still being finalised. 

At this time of the year we also say farewell to a number of families who have been part of St Michael’s School for many years. Some of these families have seen three or more students attend St Michael’s Nowra during their time at the school and their assistance, loyalty and support has been most appreciated. All of our leaving families are always welcome back at St Michael’s at any time. Thank you for your support over the years.

Finally, I am praying that Christmas will be a wonderful time of celebration for all families. We have much to thank our God for. I am hoping Christmas will be a time for renewing friendships, making peace, simply enjoying one another’s company, sharing love and appreciation for each other with the exchange of good wishes and gifts.

Yours in faith & virtue

Christopher Paton

School Principal