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Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Today the students in Years 3-6 participated in the school’s annual ‘Cross Country’ carnival at Willandra. This is always a wonderful day which gives all students an opportunity to participate though running or walking. Mr Allmark and the Year 3 team facilitated the day. The senior students ran an extra kilometre as the requirement for representative selection is to run a 3km course. Stage 2 students ran the 2km track. Thank you to all staff parents and students who assisted in any way. There will be additional information about this day in the next newsletter.
On Friday 15 March 2024, students and families are invited to join us for the annual Parents and Friends (P&F) ‘Welcome Disco and BBQ’ in the back playground. This our second attempt to have this social event. Thank you to our P&F for their meticulous preparation for this event.
During the last few weeks the Year 4 students have received their iPads. These are supplied by the school to all Year 4 students and are paid for by parents during Year 4 and Year 5. The iPads are managed by the school and have all learning Apps installed, along with cyber safety features and time restraints. The iPads are used as a learning tool and are a very valuable resource for the students. Since introducing the school managed devices, the potential for online bullying is manageable and has been greatly reduced.
Over the next two weeks the Year 3 and 5 students will use iPads to complete most of the NAPLAN tests which commence this Wednesday 13 March 2024. NAPLAN assesses the literacy and numeracy skills that students are learning through the school curriculum and allows parents/carers to see how their child is progressing against national proficiency standards. NAPLAN is just one aspect of a school's assessment and reporting process, but is a very useful way of assessing both individual and whole group growth. Please keep the Year 3 and Year 5 students and staff in your prayers during this two week period.
Advance notice: On the first scheduled day for Term 2, all staff will participate in a Spirituality Day. As we are a Catholic school, it is very important to provide opportunities for staff to deepen their spirituality. All Catholic schools in the Diocese of Wollongong engage in one of these days each year. As the Spirituality Day will occur on 29 April 2024, the first day for students and parents in Term 2 will be Tuesday 30 April 2024.
Yours in faith and virtue
Christopher Paton
School Principal
| Monday 11 March | |
| Tuesday 12 March |
P&F Meeting 6pm (Library & Zoom). All Welcome. |
| Wednesday 13 March | |
| Thursday 14 March | |
| Friday 15 March |
8:45am School Assembly - Primary Awards |
| Friday 15 March |
Year 4 Grade Mass 10am Church |
| Friday 15 March |
School Welcome Disco & BBQ 5-7pm |
| Monday 18 March |
K-2 AFL Skills Day |
| Tuesday 19 March |
St Michael's Open Day 6pm - 7:30pm |
| Wednesday 20 March | |
| Thursday 21 March |
Year 3 Sacrament of Penance |
| Friday 22 March |
8:45am School Assembly - Infants Awards K-2 School Cross Country (11:30am)- Back Oval P&F Wrapping Easter Hampers - Hall Foyer |
| Friday 22 March |
Year 3 Grade Mass 10am Church |
| Monday 25 March |
P&F Easter Raffle Drawn 9am Palm Sunday Liturgy 8:45am (Kindergarten) |
| Tuesday 26 March |
Holy Thursday- Washing of the Feet Liturgy 8:45am (Year 4) Year 3 & 4 AFL Gala Day |
| Wednesday 27 March |
Holy Thursday- The Last Supper Liturgy 8:45am (Year 3) |
| Thursday 28 March |
Good Friday- The Arrest 8:45am (Year 5) -The Crucufixion (Year 6) |
| 13-25 March |
NAPLAN (Years 3 & 5) |
| Friday 29 March |
Good Friday Public Holiday |
| Monday 1 April |
Easter Monday Public Holiday |
| Tuesday 2 April |
Easter- THe Resurrection Liturgy 8:545am (Years 1 & 2) |
| Friday 5 April |
Year 2 Grade Mass 10am Church |
| Monday 8 April |
Yr 7 2025 St John's Applications close |
| Friday 12 April |
Final Day of Term 1 |
| Tuesday 30 April |
Students return for Term 2 |
| Saturday 29 & Sunday 30 June |
Sacrament of Confirmation Nowra Parish |
SACRAMENT OF PENANCE
PROJECT COMPASSION
Thank you for your generous donations during Lent to Project Compassion. We have another three weeks of the Lenten Season, so let us continue our mission of supporting those in need to build a brighter future.
Nowra Parish Newsletter 18 February 2024
| Parish | Time |
| Nowra | Sunday 9:30am (Main Parish Mass) |
| Sunday 5pm | |
| Wednesday 8am | |
| Friday 10am (School) | |
| First Saturday 10am | |
| Berry | Sunday 8am |
| Tuesday 5:30pm | |
| Bomaderry | Saturday Vigil 5pm |
| Culburra | Saturday Vigil 5pm |
| Thursday 5:30pm | |
| Kangaroo Valley | Sunday 11am |
| Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 9am | |
| Vincentia | Sunday 9:30am |
| Tuesday, Thursday, Friday 8am | |
| Wednesday 5:30pm |
Father Joseph Pothenparampil
Nowra Parish Priest
The Year 3-6 School Cross Country was held at Willandra today with perfect weather conditions. The day commenced with an exhilarating course walk, where students, brimming with a mix of excitement and nerves, experienced the challenges firsthand.
As the races kicked off, a wave of house pride and sportsmanship swept through the event. War cries echoed, punctuating the day, as students passionately cheered on their fellow runners from start to finish. The remarkable behaviour and enthusiasm displayed by all students didn't go unnoticed, drawing praise from both teachers and parents throughout the day.
A heartfelt thank you extends to the dedicated parents and teachers whose unwavering efforts made this carnival an exceptional experience. Their support was instrumental in ensuring the smooth flow of the day, and without their commitment, this event wouldn't have been as successful. Equally deserving of applause are the students, whose outstanding efforts and exemplary behaviour contributed to the overall success of the day. The results of the carnival will be published in the Week 8 newsletter.
DIOCESE SWIMMING TRIALS
On Tuesday 5 March, the following students represented our school at the Diocese Swimming Carnival. We await the official results, however have been advised of an outstanding achievement by Sophie Webber, to qualify for the next event.
- Morten Ellerington
- Mila Bozikov
- Marlee Bormley
- Jesse Crangle
- Ava Edwards
- Havanah Flugler
- Makai Flugler
- Finn Goddard
- Liam Green
- Flynn Green
- Sachin Hill
- Avery McIllvride
- Havana Miglionico
- Grace Seller
- Annabelle Seymour Munn
- Jack Webber
- Sophie Webber
DIOCESE BASKETBALL TRIALS
On Friday 23 February, Grace Seller (Year 6), represented the Wollongong Diocese in the MacKillop Basketball trials held at the Snakepit, Wollongong. Grace showcased her remarkable skills, playing in four intense 24minute games amongst some of the state's most talented players. With just 30minutes rest between games and scorching outside temperatures of 39°C, Grace demonstrated exceptional resilience and determination. Fantastic work Grace!
LITTLE ATHLETICS SUCCESS
During the Summer holidays, Finn Goddard (Year 4) achieved outstanding success in the Regional Little Athletics Carnival at Beaton Park. Demonstrating remarkable athletic prowess, Finn clinched two first-place finishes and a third including;
- 2-second Personal Best in the 400m with a time of 1 minute 06 seconds
- 6-second PB in the 800m with a time of 2 minutes 32 seconds.
- Shoalhaven Junior Boys 4x100m relay team, securing a 3rd place finish
Finn's impressive performance has earned him a spot in the State Little A's Competition on 23-24 March at Sydney Olympic Park. We wish Finn the best of luck!
UPCOMING EVENTS
K-2 Infants School Cross Country: Friday 22 March on the School Back Oval
Regards,
Mr Andrew Allmark
Sports Co-ordinator
INFORMATION FOR PARENTS & FAMILIES
Parent Talk newsletter aims to provide parents and carers with relevant and timely information about parenting, education, wellbeing, upcoming Council of Catholic School Parents (CCSP) events and webinars for parents, and significant Catholic news and events.
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT represents all parents and carers of students in our Catholic schools. We value and promote the critical role that parents play in the education of their children, and provide leadership, advocacy and support for parents and carers of children in almost 600 Catholic schools. Parents and carers are invited to subscribe to CCSP’s Parent Talk newsletter to receive future editions keep up to date with how our Council supports Catholic school parents to support their children’s wellbeing, faith journey and academic outcomes. Click here to subscribe.
The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT is conducting a survey to gauge parental involvement in their child's school including their learning. They are looking to receive feedback on areas that are really important to parents. Participants have the option to receive a 2024 Faith Diary as a token of appreciation by providing their name, address, and mobile phone number at the end of the survey.
The survey link is provided: CCSP Survey.
Year 6 students have installed our new composting bins around the school. These bins compost all food scraps reducing our school waste. Seth, Sachin and William worked hard to place the bins and instructed classes on how to use them correctly. A big thank you to Mrs. Warner and Mrs George for assisting in this project.
PREMIER'S READING CHALLENGE
We would like to invite and encourage students to participate in the 2024 NSW Premier's Reading Challenge. The challenge is an initiative of the NSW State government, aimed to encourage students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and to enable them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition but a challenge to each student - to read, to read more and to read more widely.
Students who complete the challenge by reading the following number of books before 23 August 2024 are acknowledged with a certificate.
The website and booklist can be found on the link below;
K-2 students will complete the challenge in class.
Students in Years 3-6 are invited to join the challenge and time will be provided in Library lessons for students to borrow and record their reading. Students will be provided with a PRC username and password to record their progress online. Students will be asked to validate their reading with an activity or parent signature in their reading journal/diary entry.
How can parents help?
The school library has many of the books and can be found on the Oliver library page Oliver /PRC books. However, we encourage you to visit the Public library in Nowra to supplement your child's reading interests if particular books are not in the school library. Please listen to your child read and talk about the story/ characters/ information before signing their reading journal/diary.
Looking forward to a wonderful year of reading!
Barbara McKenna
Library Teacher
March is filled with events and opportunities to get involved! Here's a glimpse of what's coming up.
EASTER RAFFLE
As previously announced, the draw for our Easter raffle is just around the corner! We kindly ask all children to start bringing in donations for this egg-citing event.
We are also seeking parent helpers to assist with wrapping the Easter Raffle Hampers on Friday 22 March in the School Hall Foyer. Please email us if you would like to lend a hand.
LOLLY GUESSING COMPETITION
With the support from the Student Representative Council, the Lolly Guessing Competition has started! For just $1 per guess, students can participate before school, during recess, and at lunchtime. Winners will be revealed at the Family Disco.
P&F MEETING
Mark your calendars for our next P&F Meeting on the Tuesday 12 March at 6pm in the School Library and via Zoom for those unable to attend in person. Whether you're a parent or a friend of our school, everyone is welcome! This is a space where you can connect with others, share ideas, and contribute to the growth of our school community. Let's come together and make a difference!
FAMILY DISCO & BBQ
Get ready to dance the night away at our Family Disco & BBQ on Friday 15 March! Bring along your picnic rug and enjoy fantastic entertainment by Stella Studioz. Please remember, this is not a drop-off event; parents please plan to stay and enjoy the evening with us. Any funds raised from this event will be donated to the purchase of NEW printed Marquees – proudly displaying our school emblem, for use at school and sporting events. Bumpy Road Coffee Van will also be on site selling coffee.
We're calling on parents and friends to lend a hand with BBQ cooking and event setup/pack down. Let's make this disco a night to remember!
Where: on the back oval, under the cola
Who: All students and their families!
Cost: Entry is a gold coin donation
CAN YOU HELP?
We need parent helpers to help us cook and serve at the BBQ, if you are able to assist please get in contact with us via email stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.
We are thankful for all our volunteers and sponsors who contribute to the success of our events.
For more information on how you can get involved, reach out to us via social media or email at stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.
Warm regards,
St Michael's P&F Committee
ANZAC DAY AWARDS
The Department of Veterans Affairs is proud to host the ANZAC Day Awards, a National competition recognising the work of students, teachers, and schools who engage in Veterans and honour Australians' wartime history. The theme for 2024 is 'Discover the Stories of Veterans in Your Local Community'.
Entries must focus on learning about the experiences, service and stories of veterans from your local community. This project will support students as they develop a deeper understanding of Australian involvement in wars, conflicts and peace operations.
Year Six are preparing to participate in the competition to pay tribute to the local veterans. This year, we honour Len Seyffer, an essential member of our school community who attended all our Anzac ceremonies, including those at St John's, for many years and was a vital parish member at St Michael's. Len passed away on April 24 2023, at age 99.
Year six will honour Len's memory by showcasing his life and legacy by making small presentations to each school year group. It is an opportunity for the students to commemorate Len's contribution to our community and celebrate his remarkable life.
ANZAC MARCH- THURSDAY 25 APRIL 2024
- Greenwell Point Dawn Service 5.00 am
- Bomaderry March at 9.15 am
- Nowra at 10.20 am
We are delighted to invite you to St Michael's Catholic School's ANZAC Day Service. The service will be held on Friday 3 May at 9.30 a.m. Please arrive fifteen minutes earlier to be seated.
A morning tea will follow the service in the Parish.
Please RSVP by 29 April 2024.
Julie Lawrence
Defence School Mentor
Our school canteen is available for ordering four days per week (Tuesday-Friday).I would like to remind parents/carers wishing to place lunch orders for their children for Friday to please place their order online prior to 2pm Thursday.
The link for ordering online may be found on our school website;
https://smndow.catholic.edu.au/parents/canteen/
ILLAWARRA SHOALHAVEN LOCAL HEALTH INCENTIVE
Parents and Carers may sign up to receive 8 weeks of healthy lifestyle text messages (5 messages each week), with ideas on family activities and tips on healthy eating. Everyone who signs up receives a chance to win a $50 supermarket gift voucher.
SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WITH NDIS PLAN
Students may choose whichever programs they are interested in, whether that be one or more activities. Eligibility requirements for this program are students need to have an up to date NDIS Plan, and be under the age of 18.
MOTHER RUTH SCHOLARSHIP FUND
THEATRE GALA- "EXIT LAUGHING" COMEDY
When? Wednesday, 13 th March, 2024, at 7.30 for 8pm
What? A funny, outrageous comedy performance
Where? Nowra Players Theatre, Bomaderry
Cost? Adults $45, includes Green Ginger Wine/Sherry on arrival and extended interval supper.
Tickets? Contact Denise Jones on 0419 248889. Tickets need to be paid for to guarantee a seat.
FREE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS SEMINAR
Maria and Josie are Community Engagement Officers from headspace Nowra, which is a youth mental health service for people aged 12-25.
Join Maria and Josie in this community information session about the mental health of young people, and making it accessible and engaging for the young people of the Shoalhaven, as well as tips on maintaining your wellbeing in times of stress and hardship.
Monday 26 Feb 2024
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Nowra Library 10 Berry Street Nowra, NSW 2541
Click here to register
TENNIS LESSONS
For more information on tennis lessons please contact Pritchard Tennis Academy. Mark 0427 961 101 or Vicki 0412 134 840.
SAINTS NETBALL CLUB
SOCCER
