Kindergarten 2023

Over the last four weeks, many of the new Kindergarten students for 2023 have attended a number of playgroups in the school library. Numerous staff have met the new students and their families. These playgroups have allowed our staff to learn valuable information about the students, how they play independently, who they play with and types of activities they like to do. Thank you to all of our staff who have been involved and thank you to the families who attended. 

Grandparents Day Mass

Last Friday our school welcomed our grandparents and families to a special mass which honoured grandparents and also acknowledged the recent feast day of St Michael. Mrs Mathieson and staff prepared the students for the mass. Their reverence was outstanding. After the mass, families went to the classrooms with the students and then joined them for recess. Numerous families visited the parish centre on the way out for scones, jam and tea or coffee. It was wonderful having so many families join us on the day. Thank you to Mrs Royston for turning our hall into a church setting, and thank you to Mrs McMillan and the wonderful morning tea helpers. 

First Holy Communion

On Wednesday 2 November 2022, students receiving the Sacrament of Eucharist (First Holy Communion) gathered in the hall for a reflection evening led by Father Joseph, supported by the teachers and parish helpers. These students will celebrate this Sacrament on Sunday 20 November 2022. Please keep in your prayers these students and their families.

School Visit

On Tuesday, the Director of Catholic Education in Wollongong, Mr Peter Hill visited our school to meet with staff and students. A number of class visits were conducted. Mr Hill thoroughly enjoyed his four hours at our school and commented on the warm welcome given to him by students and staff. Mr Hill discussed the school’s strategic direction as well as Diocesan matters. A new CEO Wollongong ‘Strategic Plan’ is being launched in 2023. Further details will be forthcoming early next year.  

Fun Run

Yesterday we had our first School Fun Run - Colour Run for a number of years and was the first major fundraising event for almost three years. Student fundraising reached over $40,000 with some costs to be deducted for prizes etc. The profit from this event will go towards outdoor facilities. Based on the fun and success of yesterday’s event (many students said it was the best day ever!), it will become an annual event and replaces the old ‘WALKATHON’ as an opportunity to involve all students, families, extended family and friends. Thank you to all students, especially those who were able to raise money for the school. The day was perfect in every way. 

A big thank you is extended to our ‘Colour run’ convenor, Mrs Carina Beattie and the Parents and Friends executive who assisted Carina. To all parents who assisted in any way doing the numerous roles such as cooking, preparing food, assisting on the colour stations, setting up the activities, encouraging the students….. Thank you. To our wonderful staff led by Mrs Rutkowski and Mr Allmark, thank you. The leadership of our Year 6 students yesterday was outstanding. The St John’s students who assisted were great encouragers to the students. Group 7 Rugby League were represented by Ashton Sims and Talia Atfield who started the races and mingled with the students and families. Congratulations all! 

Remembrance Day

Today we commemorate Remembrance Day. Mrs Natalie Hayes, our Defence Mentor, prepared a beautiful slideshow that each class used leading up to 11am. In our local Shoalhaven region, due to our strong ‘Defence’ presence, Remembrance Day is particularly significant. Many families have been and continue to be affected by deployment to all parts of the world in defence of our democratic Australian life. Our service men and women have travelled throughout Australia and the world to uphold the values that we as Australians cherish so much. On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day in the eleventh month of the year 1918, an armistice was signed, ending the “war to end all wars” – World War I. Since then, November 11 has been set aside as Armistice Day, a day to pray for those who have died serving their country.

Remembrance Day reminds us to pray for peace, to think about what we are doing as individuals, as a community and as a country to bring God’s peace into the world. This is a time when a believing community should once again turn towards prayer and the call of the Gospel to love. Today we acknowledge and give thanks to every person who has served our country and those continuing to serve our country. To our ‘Defence’ families, thank you. 

CDF Sports Awards

This evening Mr Allmark and I will be attending The Wollongong Diocesan Sports Awards, sponsored by the Catholic Development Fund. This award ceremony recognises students who have represented the school and Diocese at the highest level. Tonight four students from St Michael’s Nowra will receive awards. Congratulations to Finn Goddard, Taj Goddard, Noah Jamieson and Ella Walsh who will receive the awards. The guest speaker will be Amy Sligar, an elite Netball and AFL player who also attended St Paul’s Camden where I was previously Principal. Congratulations to our three students and their families.

St Michael’s Parish Sacramental News - Reconciliation

For many years, the students at St Michael's Nowra have received the various Sacraments following comprehensive instruction in the classrooms. The celebrations of these Sacraments, especially Confirmation and Eucharist (First Holy Communion) have been coordinated by the school in conjunction with the Parish. Essentially, the school prepared St Michael’s students and the Parish prepared the students in the State and Christian schools. 

From 2023, a decision has been made by Father Joseph and the parish team for all Sacraments to be coordinated by the Parish using a different structure of preparation. All students in the Parish will receive the same Parent/Child booklet which will allow parents to be part of the preparation. Parent enrolment in the Sacramental Programme will occur during one of the masses on specified weekends. In this week’s Parish Newsletter Father Joseph has provided details about the enrolment process for the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) 2022/2023. The enrolment will commence this year and the Sacrament will occur in 2023. It will be necessary to attend one of the designated masses to enrol in the programme. For 2023, the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation) will be offered to the present Year 2 (2022) or older students who have not yet received this Sacrament. This means that from next year onwards, students in Year 3 or older will receive the Sacrament of Penance (Reconciliation), not Year 2 students as has previously been the case. Please call Mr Paton if further clarification is required. 

All St Michael’s Nowra students in each of the Sacramental grades, Catholic and Non-Catholic, will continue to learn about the Sacrament as part of the school’s Religious Education program, ‘To Know, Worship and Love’. 

Here is the Parish announcement about the Sacrament:

Christmas Concert

This year our Christmas Concert will take place on Monday 12 December at 12pm. We have chosen this time to ensure that all students can participate. We have not come together for a number of years due to COVID19. Families are invited to join us for this Christmas celebration.

Christopher Paton
Principal