Filter Content
Dear Parents and Caregivers,
Welcome to our final term for 2024. The last two weeks have been a smooth transition for the majority of students. Unfortunately sickness in the form of COVID and respiratory issues, continues to affect numerous staff and students. Thank you to families who have kept their children at home when they are unwell.
Teaching staff are in the process of accumulating final assessment data to assist them to provide a student progress report which families will receive at the end of Week 9. These reports will be in the same format as the one all families received in June, 2024.
The big event for this term will be the Colour Run - School Fun Day to be held on Friday 15 November. This event is also the school Parents and Friends (P&F) major fundraiser for the year. All funds raised by the school P&F go directly towards providing students with enhanced facilities and additional resources. The Colour Run is progressing well and looks like being a huge success if the current rate of sponsorship continues. A sincere thank you is extended to our P&F and the wonderful work they do. We would also like to thank the sponsors of the event. If you have not registered your child for this event, please click here.
Last Saturday I postponed the scheduled Working Bee due to the small number of volunteers. To make an impact on the various areas I described in the Google Form invitation, many more families were required to assist. I will reschedule to another date this term, but thought it worthwhile to briefly explain the need for Working Bees. The school presently has over 350 families. Schools in the Wollongong Diocese and around the world, hold Working Bees to beautify and maintain school playgrounds, while also fostering community spirit, allowing parents, staff, and students to work together on a common goal. These events help create a safe and welcoming environment for children to play and learn, enhancing the school's overall atmosphere.
By maintaining and improving outdoor spaces, schools can offer more engaging and enjoyable areas for physical activity. Financially, Working Bees reduce maintenance costs, allowing schools to focus resources on other educational needs. At present all of the maintenance budget is fully spent on emerging and ongoing maintenance needs and basic gardening such as lawn mowing and hedges. Since the postponement of the Working Bee, a few parents have offered to come into the school during the day to assist with gardening. Any assistance you can give will be gratefully accepted. I will send out a new Working Bee invitation early next week. Please consider. If each of our 350 families was able to volunteer one or two hours a year as part of a Working Bee, the playground would be maintained beautifully. Thank you to those families who have assisted so far this year.
The month of October is historically known as ‘Mission Month'. For the last few years the school has hosted a Mission Fair, run by the Year 6 students. This fundraiser for Missions was postponed through October due to the absence of key staff who were organising and facilitating the event. The Mission Fair day will take place towards the end of the term. The students look forward to this day and a substantial amount of money is raised for local and overseas families who are not as fortunate as ourselves. More details will follow.
There will be a Staff Development Day on Friday 22 November 2024. This is at the end of Week 6. It is a Pupil Free Day and I thank families for their support in keeping students home on this day.
• Wherever possible, cross the road at a designated pedestrian crossing facility
• Stop! Look! Listen! Think! when crossing the road.
• Take care whenever you cross.
• Don’t run across the road.
School Photos will occur this coming Monday 28 October 2024. Ordering of school photos is through the Compass Parent Portal with MSP Photography. Students are to wear Summer uniform. Long hair is to be tied back. Sibling photos will be taken from 7.45am to 8.45am in the Hall, then continue at lunch. Please note, Student supervision will not occur until 8.15 am so parents will need to remain with their children until 8:15am.
Enjoy this final term for 2024.
Yours in faith and virtue
Christopher Paton
Principal
SACRAMENT OF FIRST HOLY COMMUNION
Father Joseph Pothenparampil
Nowra Parish Priest
WEEK 3
| Monday 28 October |
School Photo Day (MSP Photography) Kindy 2025 Playgroup (9:15am - 10:30am) |
| Tuesday 29 October |
Year 1 Intensive Swimming Program (Day 2) AFL Afterschool 4 Week Tuesday Program commencing 3:10pm |
| Wednesday 30 October | Year 1 Intensive Swimming Program (Day 3) |
| Thursday 31 October | Year 1 Intensive Swimming Program (Day 4) |
| Friday 1 November |
Year 1 Intensive Swimming Program (Final Day) School Assembly 8:45am (Primary Awards) Kindy 2025 Playgroup (12pm - 1:15pm) |
| Monday 4 November | Kindergarten 2025 Orientation Day (9:15am-10:30am) |
| Tuesday 5 November |
AFL Afterschool 4 Week Tuesday Program (Week 2) 3:10pm |
|
Wednesday 6 November |
Kindergarten 2025 Orientation Day (9:15am-10:30am) Year 6 Cupcake Day |
|
Thursday 7 November |
|
| Friday 8 November | School Assembly 8:45am (Infants Awards) |
UPCOMING DATES FOR THE DIARY
| Tuesday 12 November |
Year 7 2025 St John's Orientation Day |
| Thursday 14 November |
Power FM Breakfast & Broadcast from St Michael's |
| Friday 15 November |
P&F Colour Run |
| Friday 15 November |
Nominations for Diocese Rep Sport close (Yr 4 & 5 2024 students only) |
| Monday 18 November |
Year 2-6 Swimming Carnival (Bomaderry Pool) |
| Friday 22 November |
Staff Development Day (Pupil Free Day) |
| Saturday 23/Sunday 24 November |
Year 3 Sacrament of First Holy Communion |
| Tuesday 10 December |
Year 6 Graduation Mass (5pm) & Award Ceremony (6pm) |
| Wednesday 18 December |
Students Final Day for 2024 |
| Thursday 19 & Friday 20 December |
Staff Development Days |
| Friday 31 January |
Staff return to school for 2025 |
| Monday 3 February |
Staff Development Day |
| Tuesday 4 February |
Years 1-6 2025 Return to School for Day One |
| Wednesday 5 February |
Kindergarten 2025 Commence School |
INTERSCHOOL EQUESTRIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
During the recent school holidays, Torah Winchester (3B), Charlotte McMillan (3W) and Savannah McMillan (5R) proudly represented St Michael’s at the Interschool Equestrian Championships.
The three-day event, held from 5-7 October, provided an opportunity for our students to compete alongside skilled riders from across the state in a variety of disciplines including including hacking, pairs, canter, sporting, cross country, dressage and leading.
The girls' hard work and dedication were evident as they achieved exceptional results.
Torah’s performance earned her several prestigious titles, including Year 3 Champion, Highest Point Score, and Best Local Rider in the Primary Category.
Savannah also had a successful competition, achieving 1st place in Best Mounted, 2nd in Handler, Best Horse and Rider, 3rd in Best Presented, and 4th in Pairs.
Charlotte competed in the lead, walk, and trot disciplines, securing a 1st place finish, two 2nd places, two 3rd places, and one 4th place.
Congratulations to Torah, Savannah and Charlotte for their impressive accomplishments!
NSW ALLSCHOOLS ATHLETICS
This week, Finn Goddard of Year 4 continued to add to his outstanding athletics achievements by representing our school at the NSW PSSA Track and Field Championships in Sydney. The competitive carnival included over 40 competitors in each event, from all private, independent and public schools throughout NSW. This was Finn's first track experience at this level. Finn is to be commended on placing 13th in the 1500m and remarkably backing up the same day to finish 14th in the 800m. Finn represented with great sportsmanship and has developed lots of friendships through this system. Well done Finn!
BASKETBALL REP- KOBE WEIR
This month Kobe Weir of Year 5 competed at the Basketball NSW John Davidson Southern Country Jamboree, after being selected earlier this year.
The Jamboree was held in Griffith and offered NSW country players an opportunity to develop and showcase their skills in a high performance basketball environment.
Kobe played outstanding basketball, proving himself as an exceptional representative! Congratulations Kobe!
ST MICHAEL'S YEAR 2-6 SWIMMING CARNIVAL
St Michael’s Swimming Carnival is scheduled for Monday 18 November, at Bomaderry Pool. All students in Years 2-6 will be transported to and from the venue by bus. The event will begin with the Competitive Events, followed by the Non-Competitive Carnival.
The Competitive Swimming Carnival is for students in Years 2 - 5 who are serious and strong swimmers who wish to trial for representing the school at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival in 2025. All swimmers must be able to swim 50m unaided. If you wish to enter your child in the Competitive Carnival you must fill out the following form by Friday 1 November. Students will arrive at school as normal and will travel to and from Bomaderry Pool for the carnival. Click here for the Competitive Swimming Carnival entry form
The Non-Competitve Carnival will take place at the conclusion of the Competitive Carnival. Students will arrive at school as normal and will travel to and from Bomaderry Pool. All students who are competent swimmers will compete in this carnival. There will be no formal races and no ribbons presented. Students will be given the opportunity to swim against their friends across the width of the pool in freestyle, breaststroke, and if time permits, relays. Those students who are not competent swimmers will participate in activities in the shallow end of the pool where they will be able to stand up. All children are to complete the following form for the Non-Competitive Carnival by Friday 1st November. Click here for the Non-Competitive Swimming Carnival Form.
PLEASE NOTE, IN ADDITION TO FILLING OUT THE CARNIVAL ENTRY FORM, PARENTS/CARERS ARE TO PROVIDE PERMISSION ON COMPASS.
SPORTING OPPORTUNITIES IN 2025
Throughout 2025, students in the Wollongong Diocese will have access to a variety of sporting opportunities within the school environment. These include school sports carnivals such as swimming, athletics, and cross country, as well as gala days for netball, soccer, basketball, and cricket. These events offer all students the chance to develop their skills, enjoy the benefits of teamwork, enhance their overall wellbeing, and contribute to the positive school spirit.
Through the Diocese of Wollongong Sports Council, select students will have the opportunity to trial for Wollongong representative teams. This opportunity is available to students in Years 5 and 6 in 2025 and provides access to higher levels of sporting pathways and potential state representation. Nominations for these 2025 representative pathway selection trials are now open. Parents may nominate their child via the Compass letter sent on 19th September 2024. Entries for sports such as AFL, Rugby League, Netball, Hockey, Football, Touch, and Rugby Union close on 22nd November. Please note that some trials for 2025 teams will commence in Term 4 of 2024, so timely nominations are essential. No late entries will be accepted.
Upcoming Events;
Monday 18 November: Year 2 – 6 Swimming Carnival (All students)
Friday 22 November: Yr 5 and 6 2025 Diocesan Sport nominations close
If you have any questions about sport or upcoming events, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kind regards,
Andrew Allmark
Sports Coordinator
PB4L FOCUS: TERM 4 WEEK 2
Frozen Items at the Canteen
The PB4L team would like to inform students and families at St Michael’s that frozen items will no longer be sold at the canteen during eating time, right before students return to class. Frozen items will continue to be made available for purchase at the canteen, however, if students wish to purchase a frozen item, they will need to go to the canteen during lunch play-time. This will allow students an adequate amount of time to eat the frozen item and not interfere with their quality learning time.
No Hat - No Play
As we move into Term 4 and the hotter temperatures that come with this time of year, the PB4L team would like to take this opportunity to remind students and parents about the necessity of having their school hat each day. St Michael’s Catholic School has a no hat, no play policy in place to ensure students are sun safe. We ask students and parents to please ensure their school hat is with them each day. School hats may be purchased for $15 at the school office via EFTPOS and phone payments accepted.
Defiance & Disrespect
To begin this term, the PB4L team have noticed an increase in behaviour involving defiance and disrespect. This has involved incidents like, not following instructions, calling out, talking over others and not completing learning tasks. Being defiant and disrespectful is in direct opposition to two of our core school rules of 'Respecting Others' and 'Respecting Yourself'. We encourage parents & carers to talk to students about how to show respect and the importance of following the school’s rules. The PB4L team will be working closely with the St Michael’s school community to improve this area.
In Week 1, many parents returned after months of deployment. Students were so excited to make welcome home cards for their parents.
Also, it was a time when several parents were deployed.
It's impressive to see all of our students supporting each other.
I am away on Long Service Leave for Weeks 3 & 4 and will return in Week 5 this term.
Recently NSW Health released an alert encouraging the community to be aware of symptoms of gastroenteritis. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, headache, and muscle aches. Symptoms can take up to three days to develop and usually last between one or two days, sometimes longer. Hospital data has shown a significant rise in cases in recent weeks across the state.
As we begin Term 4, it’s important to take the necessary precautions to protect one another within our school community.
Below are a few key steps to prevent the spread of the viruses that cause gastroenteritis:
- To help keep our school community healthy, students or staff members with symptoms of Gastroenteritis should stay at home until 48 hours after their symptoms resolve.
- Everyone should wash their hands thoroughly and regularly for at least 20 seconds using warm water and soap. While hand sanitiser can be helpful, washing hands is more effective!
- If you are dealing with a suspected case of gastroenteritis, please wear a mask and gloves to prevent the spread.
- If surfaces are contaminated, clean them as soon as possible with hot, soapy water, then disinfect them.
For further information please see NSW Health Fact Sheet – Viral Gastroenteritis.
We would also like to advise you to be on alert for symptoms of Covid-19 as several members of our school community are currently isolating with this virus.
We thank you for helping to keep our school community safe.
We are very grateful for all of the parents, carers, grandparents and friends who volunteer to assist with various school events.
To ensure childrens' safety, all volunteers are required to provide the school with their details and a Working with Children Clearance or signed volunteer declaration. To streamline this process, the following QR code may be scanned to register your details with the school. Once registered, you will be provided with a digital token (number) to be used for signing in at the school office.
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/
We are now at the end of Week 2 of our Colour Run, with only 3 weeks to go until the big day on Friday 15 November! The excitement is building, and so are the donations!
Last year’s Colour Run was an absolute blast, with students, staff, and families all joining in the fun! The day was filled with laughter, colour, and unforgettable moments. We’ve included a few photos from last year to bring back those wonderful memories – and to get everyone excited for what’s to come this year!
EXCITING NEWS!
We’re excited to announce that Stolzy from PowerFM will be broadcasting from St Michael's on the Morning Show, the day prior to our Colour Run Day! Get ready for an action-packed morning on Thursday 14 November, filled with fun and energy – you won’t want to miss it! 
Congratulations to KB, who won last week’s challenge and enjoyed their Calippo Ice Blocks – well done! But the fun doesn’t stop there!
This week, we are thrilled to announce that, as of 9:15am this morning, the following classes have raised the most money in their grade and were treated with Zooper Doopers and Zappos today:
Kindergarten (KB) – $2,430
Year 1 (1B) – $746.50
Year 2 (2B) – $1,015
Year 3 (3R) – $675
Year 4 (4R) – $460
Year 5 (5B) – $505
Year 6 (6W) – $805
Amazing job, everyone!
Top Individual Fundraisers So Far
The competition is fierce among our top individual fundraisers, who have been putting in a fantastic effort:
-
Top 3 Individual Fundraisers:
Infants:
Cordelia D- KB - $850
Billie L- 1W - $350
Leo S - KW - $345Primary:
Lucas D - 6W - $400
Amelia J- 3W - $330
Ari S - 5B - $315
Well done to these amazing students for their hard work and dedication to their fundraising!
And the soaking continues... we now have two teachers ready to be soaked – Ms Rosskelly and Miss Van Eeden! But who will be next? We need to raise $35,000 to see Mr Paton take the plunge! Keep those donations coming!
We couldn’t do this without the support of our generous sponsors, who have helped make this event possible. Your commitment to our school community is greatly appreciated, and we thank you for making a difference!
Congratulations, St Michael’s! We’ve raised an incredible $13,571 so far and are well on our way to reaching our fundraising goal of $35,000. Let’s keep the momentum going!
Check out our school’s fundraising page to see the most up-to-date totals:
https://tinyurl.com/StMichaelsColourRun
Haven’t set up a profile yet?
It’s not too late to join in and support our Back Oval Redevelopment Project! Simply click the link below to get started and help us reach new heights:
https://tinyurl.com/StMichaelsColourRun
We’re also seeking parents, carers, and grandparents to volunteer for the event to ensure its success. Please mark Friday 15 November in your diaries and consider joining us for this fun-filled day that promises to bring our school community together.
The P&F Committee, in partnership with our school and CEO, has developed an exciting concept plan to upgrade our back oval over the next five years. 100% of the funds from this year’s major fundraiser will go directly toward making this vision a reality, enhancing the space for all our children to enjoy!
Thank you, St Michael’s, for your incredible support so far – let’s keep pushing to make this year’s Colour Run the biggest success yet!
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POSITIONS VACANT
Our P&F Committee currently have two Executive Positions available;
Assistant Vice President
This role supports the President and Vice President for all official business and steps in if either are unavailable. eg. chair P&F meetings, award ceremonies, etc.
Grants Officer
This position is ideal for someone who is eager to help identify and apply for grants to support various school projects. The role involves collaborating with the P&F and the school to secure funding for identified projects.
If you are interested and able to assist, please send your expression of interest by completing the Google form: https://forms.gle/1Q878XBh4th9eAj1A
If you have any questions please email stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.
Grants Officer Nomination Form
Warm regards,
St Michael's P&F Committee
Click here to view some healthy Halloween snacks and treats that are all simple and easy recipes to make!
If you're hosting a party or want to make healthier treats for your kids, these delicious Halloween recipes are just the thing!
There are some savory options and sweet options, which are healthier than regular Halloween candy.
https://thishealthytable.com/blog/healthy-halloween-recipes/
NIPPPERS
Nippers registrations remain open throughout the duration of the season.
