Dear Parents, 

Last Sunday our Year 1 families attended the 9.30am mass. Father Pat and the school staff were very pleased with the engagement by the Year 1 families. This same engagement continued on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday night with the Year 2 students who received their first Reconciliation. They were well supported by their families. The Year 3 students and families have had their first meeting in preparation to receive their First Holy Communion next term. Please keep all of these students in your prayers and thank you to our staff who always support them.  

The launch of World Mission Month will be held at St John’s Nowra on Wednesday 18 September 2019. Mrs Mathieson, four of our Year 6 students and I will attend the launch. Students and staff from every Catholic school in our Diocese will attend the launch. 

This week our Indigenous team comprising Mrs Dempsey, Miss Vanessa, Ms Crossley, and Mark Mongta have been attending the 2019 Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Catholic Education NSW State Conference in the Hunter Region. This is an opportunity for them to share what they are doing at St Michael’s as well as learn more about how to best assist our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students. They will return to school on Monday. 

Traffic concerns: In the morning there is a problem with some parents driving into the carpark in front of the Parish Centre. Staff are permitted to use this entrance up until 8.15am each morning. After 8.15am, students are officially supervised in the playground. Driving into the carpark puts the safety of students at risk. Please use the dropoff zone in front of the carpark entrance or park over the road. The good news is that our application for a person to work on the crossing has been approved and should commence some time next term.   

During the last few months the school has been reviewing its structure of assisting students who receive a minor or a major as a result of their poor behaviour choices. Previously we had a system where a student would attend a restorative session at lunchtime with a teacher if they received a major. This was known as ‘attention’. After a review of this procedure and in light of recent research, we have revised the process including involving parents in improving behaviour. The following procedures will now occur:

1. If a student receives 3 minors over five consecutive school days, a parent will be contacted by the student’s teacher.
2. If a student receives 6 minors over ten consecutive school days, a parent will be contacted by a member of the ‘Leadership Team’ who supervises that grade.
3. If a student receives a major, the parent will be contacted by a member of the ‘Leadership Team’ who supervises that grade and a collaborative meeting is held with the student.

Yours in Faith and Virtue,

Mr Christopher Paton