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Dear Parents and Caregivers,
As we complete Week 8, there are a number of important events to mention from the last two weeks. On Monday 20 November 2023 and Wednesday 22 November 2023, the Kindergarten orientation mornings for the 2024 cohort were a resounding success, teeming with excitement and enthusiasm. The three classrooms echoed with the chatter of both eager children and their excited parents, all ready to embark on this new educational journey. The atmosphere buzzed with anticipation as interactive activities introduced the students to their new school environment. Teachers and staff with welcoming smiles guided these new students through classroom activities, fostering a sense of comfort and familiarity. Meanwhile, informative sessions for parents provided an overview of the curriculum, school policies, school counsellor advice and opportunities for involvement. The two mornings assured a promising start for the incoming Kindergarten class of 2024
The annual swimming carnival on Friday 24 November 2023 was both a haven of spirited competition and unrestrained fun, catering to both competitive athletes and those seeking a day of aquatic delight. Under the meticulous guidance of Mr. Allmark and his devoted team, the event unfolded seamlessly, ensuring a safe and inclusive environment for participants of all skill levels. The day commenced with exhilarating races, igniting the competitive spirits of skilled swimmers competing to represent St Michael's Nowra in the CEDoW carnival in 2024.
Once the competitive races were completed, it was time for all students to be involved in a spectrum of entertaining water games and activities for those seeking pure amusement, fostering an atmosphere where every participant felt valued and engaged. Mr. Allmark's meticulous planning and the staff’s unwavering dedication, transformed the swimming carnival into a mosaic of safe, exuberant fun, leaving a lasting impression of camaraderie and achievement among all who took part.
On Saturday 25 November 2023, a number of school staff and I joined Year 3 students and their families as they received the Sacrament of Eucharist during their First Holy Communion. It is always such a privilege to witness the students approach the altar to receive the Eucharist for the first time. The solemnity of the occasion was complemented by beautiful hymns and heartfelt prayers, creating an atmosphere where spirituality intertwined with jubilation, marking a poignant and unforgettable milestone in the lives of these young people. Towards the end of the mass, all of the students stood on the altar and sang the ‘Our Father’ in Aramaic, the language spoken by Jesus. Congratulations to our Year 3 teachers, parents, the parish team and Father Joseph for assisting in the preparation of this Sacrament.
During this week our local South Coast region has been affected by unseasonal and relentless rainfall. The school did sustain some water damage which is being rectified. Sadly, our Religious Education Coordinator, Mrs Martine Mathieson and her family woke in the early hours of Wednesday morning to find their house completely flooded. They were evacuated in the clothes they were wearing and have since returned to find all their belongings in the house completely waterlogged. Temporary housing is being sought for the immediate future and I ask our community to keep the Mathieson family in your prayers. Mrs Mathieson is on leave for the next short period of time.
Our Year 6 class have now commenced their last two weeks of school and they have numerous events ahead of them. These include:
- Sport at Nowra Showground each Friday
- Graduation Mass and Award Ceremony - Tuesday 5 December 2023. Mass will commence in the church at 4.30pm, followed by awards in the hall at 5.45pm.
- Yr 6 vs Staff Netball Match Thursday 7 December 2023
- Kindergarten Buddy Farewell (ice block) - Friday 8 December
- Year 6 Family Disco in the hall Friday 8 December 2023
- Yr 6 Pool Day - Monday 11 December 2023. Students will walk to Nowra Pool.
- Whole school ‘Fun Day’ - Wednesday 13 December 2023
- Yr 6 Movie Day - Friday 15 December 2023. Students will walk to Nowra Cinema.
What a wonderful way for these students, teachers and families to finish their 7 years of schooling at St Michael’s Nowra.
Three other important events in the next two weeks include:
- Year 1’s excursion to Hyams Beach on Thursday 7 December 2023.
- The Colour Run and Fun Day on Wednesday 13 December 2023.
- The Christmas Concert and Picnic Lunch on Thursday 14 December 2023 from Midday until 1.30pm
I would like to seriously urge all families to become actively involved in the Colour Run coordinated by the Parents and Friends. This group of parents have had a remarkable year and are hoping to finish it on a huge high, raising much needed funds to improve school playground facilities.There are great class incentives and individual prizes to win!
There will be one final newsletter before the students break up for the summer vacation.
Yours in faith and virtue
Christopher Paton
School Principal
SACRAMENTAL PROGRAMS
Nowra Parish have provided details of the Sacramental programs for 2024, as emailed to families today. Registration for the Sacrament of Reconciliation commences in any of the churches in the Parish this weekend, 2/3 December 2023. Registration will continue over the next couple of weekends at any of the churches in the Parish.
Please contact Madira Arnold, the Parish Coordinator, on 0473 360 183 if further clarification is required.
YEAR 6 GRADUATION & MASS
ST MICHAEL'S CHRISTMAS CONCERT
We wish to invite you to join us for our annual Christmas Concert on Thursday 14 December.
Martine Mathieson
Religious Education Coordinator
| Week 9 |
|
| Monday 4 December | Year 6 Pillowcase Program |
| Tuesday 5 December |
Year 6 Mass 4:30pm & Graduation 5:45pm |
| Wednesday 6 December | |
| Thursday 7 December |
Cleaning Day (Students to bring own pair of rubber gloves) Year 1 Beach Excursion |
| Friday 8 December |
Induction of 2024 Leaders 9:15am |
| Friday 8 December |
Year 6 Family Dinner/Disco 5:30pm - 7:30pm |
| Week 10 | |
| Monday 11 December |
Yr 6 to Nowra Pool |
| Tuesday 12 December | |
| Wednesday 13 December |
School Fun Day & Colour Run |
| Thursday 14 December |
Christmas Concert 12pm & Picnic Lunch 1pm |
| Friday 15 December |
Yr 6 Movie Day Final Day of School for Students for 2023 |
ST MICHAEL’S SWIMMING CARNIVAL
Last Friday marked a momentous occasion, as St. Michael’s proudly hosted its first school swimming carnival in over a decade at Bomaderry Pool! The day was an absolute triumph, brimming with energy, camaraderie, and remarkable displays of aquatic skill by our talented students.
It was a sensational event that celebrated not just prowess in the water, but also sportsmanship and sheer enjoyment.
Highlights of the Day:
Return to Tradition: After more than 10 years, St. Michael’s revived the tradition of hosting a school carnival, igniting excitement and anticipation among students, staff, and families.
Competitive Carnival: The day kicked off with the Competitive Carnival at 8:30 am, where a commendable 50+ students showcased their swimming talents across various disciplines such as Freestyle (50m and 100m), Butterfly, Breaststroke, Backstroke, and the challenging 200m Medley. Every participant exhibited outstanding sportsmanship, with special recognition for Amalie Ellerington, Jack and Sophie Webber, and Havannah Flugler, who displayed exceptional enthusiasm by competing in all events.
Non-Competitive Fun: The fun continued as students for the Non-Competitive segment arrived at 9:30 am, cheering on their peers in the final races of the Competitive Carnival. With the lane ropes removed, Years 2 to 6 engaged in the thrilling Splash and Dash, competing against friends with the freedom to choose their preferred stroke, whether it was freestyle, breaststroke, or even creative strokes like the dolphin or doggy paddle. Years 3, 4, and 5 followed suit, joining in the friendly competition and revelling in the carnival-like atmosphere.
Positive Vibes: Despite initial concerns, the weather remained cooperative for the majority of the carnival, allowing our students to fully immerse themselves in the day's festivities without interruption.
The return of the Swimming Carnival was a resounding success, fostering teamwork, camaraderie, and a celebration of aquatic skills. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all participants, volunteers, and staff whose dedication made this event possible. The results of the carnival are still being finalised.
Regards,
Mr. Andrew Allmark
Sports Coordinator
Dear Parents
As we approach the end of the year, I would like to say a HUGE thank you for your support throughout 2023. We welcomed an entire new Committee to the P&F this year and we all hit the ground running.
This year alone we have managed to raise a total of $16,497.44, not including any of the funds we have raised for our Colour Run major fundraising event.
Funds raised this year, with the inclusion of the 2022 Colour Run profits have funded the following projects in 2023;
- Open Day cupcakes and afternoon tea $932
- Synthetic turf $30,000
- Soccer goals $1720
- Class sports equipment and volleyball kit $4027
- Square POS system and Ipad $623
- Year 6 Graduate Gifts $1242
- 2024 Kindy Orientation Lowe's vouchers $250
- Portable PA System (yet to be purchased $3000)
- DJ for Welcome and Winter Disco $1650
That is an incredible total amount of $43,444 that has been donated to the school just in this past year alone!
None of this would be possible without the support of our generous school community. Thank you! We hope to continue to contribute more resources and upgrades next year.
COLOUR RUN
St Michael’s 2023 Colour Run is off to an AMAZING start with fundraising pledges coming in. We have an EPIC day planned!
The Colour Run will be held on Wednesday 13 December on the back oval as part of the school Fun Day. The proceeds from this year’s Colour Run will fund the future playground improvements.
For every $5000 raised, a staff member will be nominated to be soaked. So far we have managed to raise a whopping $21,870. The 4 teachers that have been nominated so far are:
- Mr Paton
- Mrs Rutkowski
- Mr Anderson
- Mr Allmark
We have the potential to soak at least 2 more teachers with our fundraising efforts.
Who will be next?
Let’s keep the momentum going and add more teachers to the list.
To create a profile for your child follow the link;
Click here to Register Your Child
IMPORTANT: When registering your child make sure YOU ENTER THEIR CLASS! When starting the sign up process for an individual, you will be asked to select a team to join, the Team is your student’s class.
Without this information attached to their profile your child may miss out on the chance of winning some prizes.
After only 3 weeks of fundraising, we are only $8250 away from our target goal of $30,000. How incredible are all the students for this mammoth effort! With just under 2 weeks to go, we are going to smash this goal.
PRIZES:
There are some incredible prizes up for grabs, thanks to the support of our amazing local businesses. Their generosity and support have made these prizes possible. Please support these businesses who are the backbone of our local community.
The major prizes can be won for the highest fundraisers in the category of Infants and Primary. There is also a prize for the Highest Fundraisers per class AND prizes along the way for the class with the most students signed up. (Terms and conditions apply).
Check out the prizes here:
https://st-michaels-colour-run-2023.raisely.com/prizes
If you or a family member are able to help with supervising and assisting on the day, you will be warmly welcomed. Let’s make this a memorable day for all students! Please contact the P&F to assist. For volunteers assisting with the Colour Run or any other School event, we require a completed Volunteer Declaration Form or Working With Children Check. Click here to download these forms
Email: stmichaelspnf@gmail.com or text Carina Beattie on 0402 909 157.
COLOUR RUN 2023- CLASS CHALLENGE WINNERS!
Congratulations to the following classes, winners of the Colour Run Week 2 Challenge of raising the most money in the grade;
- KW
- 1R
- 2W
- 3R
- 4W
- 5B
- 6W
WHO WANTS TO WIN A CLASS PIZZA PARTY?!
This competition can only be won by ONE CLASS!
To be in the running to win your class Team has to have:
● Having raised at least $10 each
Only one class can win! In the instance multiple classes qualify by having met the criteria, the winning class will be determined by a random draw!
Your class will need to work as a team - make sure you set up your fundraising profile and get at least $10 in donations THEN
You only need 20 students in your class to do the same and you could WIN a PIZZA PARTY for your class next week!
The winning class will be announced by Thursday so that the winning class knows that they will be having PIZZA for lunch on Friday 8 December.
UNIFORM SWAP
Warm regards,
St Michael's P&F Committee
Nowra Parish Newsletter 26 November 2023
Click here for details of the Sacramental programs for 2024. Registration for the Sacrament of Reconciliation commences in any of the churches in the Parish this weekend, 2/3 December 2023. Registration will continue over the next couple of weekends at any of the churches in the Parish.
Please contact Madira Arnold, the Parish Coordinator, on 0473 360 183 if further clarification is required.
Father Joseph Pothenparampil
Nowra Parish Priest
WOLLONGONG AQUATHON
Illawarra’s favourite community fitness event, the MMJ Aquathon is now open for entries. A big all age crowd is set to gather once again at beautiful Wollongong harbour on Friday 26 January 2024 public holiday. Come and join in and support the Black Dog Institute.
Billed as a family favourite, kids to adults and beginners to the competitive can all take part.
There are finisher medals, prizes and give aways, lots of safety and professional services.
With a choice of five events, across four Aquathon (swim and run) distances suitable for kids, beginner’s (Mini) to the Short or Long Aquathons. And the popular Blue Mile 5k Funrun is a great option.
You can even split the Aquathon and enter as a tag team, one swims, one runs.
Check out all you need to know and join in: aquathon.com.au
ST JOHN'S YEAR 10 & 11 DRAMA PERFORMANCE
St John's EAT Theatre (Eleven And Ten) students have been rehearsing for the upcoming performance of '3 O'clock Flagpole' by Steve Pirie, with evening performances from November 30 - December 2.
For further details and tickets head to the following link:
https://www.trybooking.com/
