Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It's hard to believe we are almost at the halfway mark of this busy term. Our classrooms are filled with energy as students continue to engage in their learning and embrace new challenges.

WINTER DISCO

On Friday 1st August, many of our students attended the school’s Winter Disco. This was a fun-filled event coordinated by our Parents and Friends Association. I would like to thank all our parent volunteers and members of the Parents and Friends Association for providing a successful and memorable event for so many of our students.

MASS WITH BISHOP BRIAN MASCORD

On Tuesday 5th August, Year 6 students attended Mass with Bishop Brian Mascord at Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Church, Kiama. Our students embodied the spirit of our Catholic faith through their prayerful engagement in the Mass and thoughtful responses to questions posed by Bishop Brian. The students represented St Michael’s with pride and they are commended on their exceptional behaviour.

THE FEAST OF MARY MACKILLOP

On Friday, 8th August, students celebrated the Feast of Mary of the Cross MacKillop by participating in a special prayer to honour Australia's first-ever saint. Mary MacKillop (1842-1909) dedicated her life’s work to ensuring that every child could access a good education, especially in rural and remote areas where there weren't many options for children to learn.

We celebrate Mary MacKillop for her deep faith, kindness, and incredible strength. She overcame many challenges carrying out her mission of helping others. Her feast day is a wonderful opportunity for us to reflect on her values like compassion, courage, and service, to see how we can bring these qualities into our own lives and families.

Mary MacKillop's values of courage, compassion, and unwavering faith continue to be a powerful guide for Catholic educators today. She taught us that education is more than just a lesson plan; it is a sacred calling to see the face of Christ in every child and to empower them, especially the most vulnerable, with the knowledge and dignity they deserve. 

SCHOOL PHOTO DAY

On Monday, we held our annual School Photo Day. School photos are a wonderful opportunity to capture a snapshot of our school community and create lasting memories for your children. Our students looked so smart and proud wearing their full winter school uniforms. We appreciate your support in ensuring everyone was dressed correctly. The consistency in uniform helped our class and individual photos look neat, and it was a wonderful way for our students to represent our school with pride. 

GRANDPARENTS' DAY

Today, we had the pleasure of welcoming our families to join us in celebrating Grandparents’ Day. This celebration was a beautiful way to give thanks to God for the gift of grandparents and to ask for His continued blessing on them. 

Grandparents’ Day usually occurs on or near the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne on 26th July. Joachim and Anne are the grandparents of Jesus. By celebrating their feast day, the school community recognises that the bond between grandparents and grandchildren is a holy one, blessed by God. It's a way of teaching students that their own grandparents are an important link to their family's faith history, just as Joachim and Anne were for Jesus. It honours the past, celebrates the present, and looks to the future by strengthening the loving bonds between generations.

Following our prayer celebration, families had the opportunity to visit classrooms where students shared their bookwork and learning with their grandparents. I would like to thank families for joining us and Mrs Mathieson and staff who assisted in preparing the students for this special occasion.

PARISH PRIEST

In the coming week, Father Joseph Pothenparampil will assume his new appointment as Hospital Chaplain at Wollongong Hospital. On behalf of the school community, we thank Father Joseph and wish him the very best as he continues his Ministry within the Diocese of Wollongong.

Father Damien Ellis will commence his appointment on Tuesday, 19th August. We warmly welcome Father Damien as Parish Priest of St Michael’s.  

Next week, we welcome Mr Paton back from Long Service Leave. I am sure he has been enjoying a well-deserved holiday break. Wishing you a lovely weekend and I look forward to continuing to work with you throughout the term.

Yours in faith & virtue

Mrs Carolyn Rutkowski

Assistant Principal