Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I would like to again extend a special welcome back to an exciting new school year at St Michael’s Nowra! We are pleased to see the way our students have returned, eager to learn, and ready to grow and embrace new opportunities. Our dedicated staff have been working hard to create a nurturing and inspiring environment where each child can thrive academically and personally.

To our new students and their families—welcome! We are delighted to have you join our wonderful school community. As we embark on this journey together, we look forward to fostering curiosity, collaboration, and a love for learning in every student.

Thank you for entrusting us with your child’s education. Let’s make this year one of achievement, growth, and unforgettable moments. Here’s to an incredible year ahead!

To our new families, this is a brief introduction. The school presently employs around approximately 80 staff, including teachers, School Support Officers (SSOs), Aboriginal Education Assistants (AEAs) and Defence Mentors.  The teaching staff for each grade include:

A number of these classes are also supported by leadership team members, additional teachers, SSOs and AEAs.

The Leadership team for 2025 includes:

NEW & RETURNING STAFF

I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new and returning teachers for 2025: 

Marian Crossley, Nathan Ford, Jessica Jory and Caleb Pearman. We have certainly been fortunate to have a strong team of teachers once again in 2025. I look forward to parents working closely with all of our staff in 2025. We are fortunate indeed. I believe we have a wonderful year ahead.

PROFESSIONAL PLANNING TIME (PPT)

Each week the students participate in a number of specialist lessons in the areas of Physical Education (PE), Library and Creative Arts. While the students are receiving these specialist lessons, the teaching staff are given: ‘Professional Planning Time’ referred to as PPT. The students rotate through the various lessons according to the roster which has been shared with you. On their PPT day, students will wear their sports uniform. The students will participate in Library lessons with Mrs Barbara McKenna, Creative Arts with Mrs Victoria Boyton and Physical Education with Mr Christopher Bryant. 

PARTNERSHIPS

As a school we are looking forward to working in partnership with all parents and caregivers to enable all students to reach their full potential. Each classroom teacher will shortly provide you with specific class related information for 2025. Most importantly, I encourage you to develop a positive relationship with your child’s teacher so that true partnership and collaboration can occur. In the next few weeks there will be an opportunity to meet your child’s teacher. As the year progresses after the first meeting with your teacher, I encourage all parents to formally arrange all parent meetings through the school office if required, for an educational or other matter. It is difficult to conduct important meetings when the students are lined up ready to go into the classrooms in the morning. I also encourage families to ensure each child comes to school with healthy food for recess and lunch. Each child will also require a healthy food option (fruit, vegetables) for daily ‘Munch n Crunch’. 

OPENING LITURGY

On Monday 24 February 2025, students will attend an Opening Liturgy for the new school year. Thank you to Mrs Rutkowski, Mrs Mathieson and all staff involved in organising and running this liturgy. During the Opening Liturgy, all students and families will be welcomed back and leadership badges will be presented to the following student leaders;

• School Captains
• Prefects
• Colour House Captains
• All Year 6 students
• Year 6 Aboriginal students
• Mini Vinnies 
• Year 3-6 Student Representative Council 

Congratulations to these students and their families. 

PARENTS & FRIENDS ASSOCIATION MEETING

Tuesday 11 February 2025

Last Tuesday in the staffroom,  the Parents and Friends gathered for the Annual General Meeting and elections for the 2025 executive. This group had a magnificent year in 2024 and has optimistic and high hopes for the 2025 school year. Congratulations to our new President, Catherine Montgomery and those parents who have committed to the committee for 2025. The first function for 2025 will be the ‘Welcome Disco’ on the back oval. There will also be a Working Bee in March. Please see the P&F section of the newsletter for more details about all upcoming events. A special thank you is extended to the new families who attended the P&F meeting on Tuesday night.  All parents and caregivers are invited to assist this vital group achieve their objectives. 

NAPLAN 2025

Students in Years 3 and 5 will sit NAPLAN between 12 and 24 March 2025.

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. It is not a test that requires preparation, and students are not expected to study for it.

NAPLAN forms part of a school’s assessment and reporting process but does not replace ongoing teacher assessments of student performance. Individual results can be a helpful resource for students and parents to discuss progress with teachers.

For more information, visit the Parents and Carers page on the NAPLAN website and download the NAPLAN Information Brochure for Parents and Carers. You can also visit the Public Demonstration Site page to explore the test format.

SCHOOL UNIFORM

The majority of students have returned to school wearing the correct uniform every day. Thank you parents. Over the next few weeks I will be asking teachers to monitor two main areas: black leather shoes and hair grooming. Reminder slips will commence to be sent home if required. The school uniform and grooming policy is attached. A specific Compass alert regarding school uniform and grooming will also be shared with parents next week.

Have a wonderful term everyone. 

Yours in faith & virtue

Christopher Paton

School Principal

Welcome to the new school year! It has been wonderful to see so many of our students return to school enthusiastic about learning and eager to embrace school experiences with a smile and confidence.

While most students have returned to school wearing the correct uniform, we kindly remind you of our school uniform expectations regarding hair and shoes as part of our commitment to maintaining a sense of pride and unity among our students.

To ensure consistency, we ask that all students adhere to the following uniform guidelines:

HAIR REQUIREMENTS

• Hair must be neat and tidy at all times;
• Only red or blue hair ties are to be worn;
• Hair below the collar must be tied back at all times;
• Fringes must be kept above brow level;
• Hair should be the natural colour only;
• No coloured braids are permitted;
• Students are not permitted to have their hair styled in a manner that is considered extreme. 
• Extreme hairstyles include but are not limited to:
• Undercuts;
• Carved hairstyles;
• Rat’s tails or horsies (not permitted even if tied back);
• Mullets with significant differences in length- hair must be blended;
• Mohawk styles.

Shoes for Girls: Black polishable leather school shoes – with black laces, black velcro or buckles (not boots).

Shoes for boys: Black polishable leather school shoes – with black laces or black velcro (not boots).

Shoes for Sport or PE: Predominantly white joggers with white laces or white velcro (not boots). 

Thank you for your support in upholding our school’s uniform expectations.

WHOLE SCHOOL OPENING LITURGY 

ST MICHAEL'S SCHOOL MUSICAL- 'THE JUNGLE BOOK'

Students in Years 5 & 6 are welcome to audition for our 2025 School Musical, The Jungle Book. The performance will be held towards the end of Term 3/Early Term 4, with a date to be confirmed.

Rehearsals will be held after school on Wednesday afternoons during Terms 2 and 3.

Students in Years 3 & 4 will be invited to join the chorus for the show. Details for Year 3 & 4 students will be made available in the near future.

Year 5 & 6 Students- Wishing to Audition?

If your child would like to audition for the musical, they are required to;

• Prepare a snippet of a song, lasting one minute, in the style of musical theatre or an appropriate children’s song. 
• Perform a 30 second poem or monologue to demonstrate character, voice projection and confidence.
• Students will need to inform their own class teacher by Friday 21 February, that they wish to audition.

Auditions will be held in Week 5, on Monday 24 and Friday 28 February, during lunchtime in the Creative Arts Room. Additional auditions may be held during lunchtime on Monday 3 and Friday 7 March, if required.

We look forward to showcasing the students' creativity, talent and passion for the performing arts!

The Jungle Team

Mrs Boyton and Miss Rosskelly

FREE ONLINE RESPECT WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS & CARERS

Do you know what’s influencing your kids? With young people spending so much time online, what they see and do can impact their behaviours and beliefs. Online disrespect is one of the ways violence-supportive attitudes can start to develop. 

Stop it at the Start has partnered with Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow Woman to help parents, carers, and other significant adults of young people aged 10-17 understand how the online world influences views on respect and gender. The workshop also shares practical ways to build relationships and start important conversations.

Join facilitators Ryder Jack and Kasey Miles for a free, interactive, evidence-based 90-minute session focused on connecting with young people, fostering healthier masculinity, and providing families with practical tools for everyday use.

Click here to register.

FREE 'SCHOOLSPEAK 101' WEBINAR: LEARNING THE LINGO OF SCHOOL

Do you ever wonder what some of the words teachers use mean? Things like syllabus, curriculum, KLA, summative assessment?

Let Catholic Schools NSW, in conjunction with The Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT, give you a quick ‘lesson’ in ‘schoolspeak’! Learning the ‘lingo’ of school will help you talk to your child and teachers so you can best support your child’s learning. 

Presented by Mary Ryan, Head of Professional Learning at Catholic Schools NSW, find out about scope and sequence, how curriculum develops, what NESA does, NAPLAN, what’s different about the new K–12 curriculum and how you can work with the school to improve your child’s achievements and wellbeing.

Register now for a day or evening session:

• Tuesday 25 February 2025, 12.30 pm – 1 pm
• Wednesday 26 February 2025, 7.30 pm – 8 pm

Click here to register.

FREE 'DREAM BIG' WEBINAR

The Council of Catholic School Parents are delighted to invite all parents and carers to the first in a series of free online webinars on helping children find their passions, pathways and careers. This is in collaboration with BEYOND, who offer a free, highly personalised careers that helps students discover their interests and pathway.

The first session will kick off with DREAM BIG, a webinar for primary school parents and carers that will help you nurture your child's interests and imagination.

Don't miss this chance to empower your child's future! Grab a sandwich and a cup of tea and sit down to listen and get some great tips at this lunchtime session:

• Wednesday 5 March 2025 | 12.30 pm - 1 pm

Click here to register, or use the QR code below:

We would like to invite parents/carers of Kindergarten 2026 students and families considering enrolment at St Michael's to attend our upcoming Open Night on Tuesday 18 March (6pm - 7:30pm).

Applications for Kindergarten 2026 enrolment are now being accepted on the following link, due by Monday 7 April 2025.

Enrol for Kindergarten 2026

This link is also available on our school website. 

Kindergarten 2026 enrolment interviews will be held on Saturday 3 May 2025. During mid-late April, applicants will be sent an email with an invitation to book an interview time. Invitations will only be sent to applicants who have completed the form, providing all necessary information and signatures. 

If you know anyone considering enrolment for their child, we ask that you please share this information.

Welcome back to a new school year at St Michael’s Nowra!

2025 is set to be an exciting year, filled with wonderful events, community engagement, and opportunities to connect. The Parents & Friends (P&F) Association have already been working behind the scenes to plan a range of activities that bring our school families together and support the students.

We invite you to get involved, attend events, and stay connected throughout the year. Let’s make 2025 a fantastic year for our St Michael’s community!

2025 WELCOME FAMILY DISCO & BBQ
We are kicking off the year with our much-anticipated Welcome Family Disco & BBQ, a fantastic opportunity to meet new families, reconnect with old friends, and celebrate the start of the school year in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. The event will be held on Friday 28 February, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM under the back cola, and we would love to see you there.

This whole-school family event is open to everyone, so bring along your picnic rug, chairs, and dancing shoes, and be ready to enjoy a wonderful evening of music and entertainment.
Our DJ, 'Bop Till You Drop', will be providing plenty of great tunes to keep the kids dancing all night long!
The P&F will be offering sausage sandwiches, cold drinks, and snacks throughout the evening. A price list of available items will be shared via Compass before the event, allowing you to plan ahead. Both cash and EFTPOS facilities will be available on the night.

This year, we are excited to welcome Franks Espresso Bar and bring back the preloved uniform stall, providing families with a great opportunity to stock up on essential uniform items.
The cost of entry to the Disco is a voluntary donation, and donation boxes will be available on the night for those who wish to contribute. This is the perfect opportunity for the children to have a fun night with their friends while parents can relax, meet new families, and enjoy a night without having to cook dinner.

Please note: This is not a drop-off event. Parents and guardians are expected to stay with their children for the duration of the Disco.

Can You Help?
We need parent volunteers to help with cooking and serving at the BBQ. If you’re available to assist, please message us on social media or email to stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in making this event a success!

We look forward to seeing everyone there for an amazing night of fun, food, and dancing!

For more details or any questions, feel free to reach out to us at stmichaelspnf@gmail.com.

LOLLY GUESSING COMPETITION

Starts Monday 24 February

Do you have a keen eye and a love for sweets? Our Lolly Guessing Competition is back and kicks off on Monday 24 February!

For just $1 per guess, students have the chance to win a jar full of delicious treats! This year, we have two jars—one for infants and one for primary—so everyone has a chance to take home a prize.

A Lolly Guessing Table will be set up near the school office, where students can place their guesses before school, during recess, and at lunchtime. There’s no limit to how many times they can guess, so they can keep testing their luck!

Winners will be announced at the Family Disco on 28 February. 

THANK YOU & CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2025 P&F EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
A huge thank you to all the parents who attended our Annual General Meeting and General Meeting on Tuesday 11 February, whether in person or via Zoom. It was fantastic to see so many new faces coming together to support our school community.
We would also like to extend our deep gratitude to the outgoing 2024 P&F Executive Committee for their dedication, hard work, and passion over the past year. Your contributions have played a significant role in strengthening our school community, and we truly appreciate all your efforts.

Congratulations to our newly elected committee members! We look forward to a fantastic year ahead, filled with exciting events, school initiatives, and opportunities to support the students and families.

If you were unable to make it to the AGM but would like to get involved, we encourage you to reach out at stmichaelspnf@gmail.com. There are always ways to lend a hand, share ideas, and be part of the P&F community!

STAY CONNECTED - FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Want to stay in the loop with everything happening at St Michael’s? Make sure to follow our Parents & Friends Association on social media!

• Facebook: P&F Events Page
• Instagram: St Michael’s P&F Association

By following our pages, you’ll get instant updates on;

• Upcoming school events & fundraisers
• Important school community news
• Fun photos & highlights from our activities

Join us online and be part of the conversation! Let’s work together to build a strong and engaged school community in 2025.

We are looking forward to a wonderful year ahead and can’t wait to see you all at our first big event—the Welcome Family Disco & BBQ!

See you there!

St Michael’s P&F Association
stmichaelspnf@gmail.com

STUDENTS REPRESENT AT THE 2025 NOWRA SHOW

• Cooper Lucke - 1st prize for his zucchini
• Imogen Watkinson - 1st prize for her delicious slice
• Dylan Sudikta - Highly commended for his artwork
• Mr Palmer (Mrs Palmer's husband!) - 1st prize for his hand-forged viking ship.

On Friday, Year 6 was lucky enough to go to the Nowra Show. We were very grateful and excited to be going with our grade and our beloved school teachers, even though it was very hot.

 

We arrived at the Nowra Show and walked past all the food and gift shops, to visit the cows, horses and bulls. We saw Mrs Warnes mounted on her horse. Then watched a cow get milked. Thankfully after the milking, we were given flavoured milk to cool us down from the scorching heat. We then sat down in the shade to have some water and food from our lunch boxes.

 

Then we walked to the Pavilion and saw some very creative artworks like cakes, flowers, fruits, vegetables, photos, drawings, and crocheting, they were beautiful creations.  I loved the Pavilion, going inside was much cooler and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful creations that our classmates had made.

 

After that we went to the Science Show to watch someone explain and play around with liquid nitrogen and it was really, really cool and fascinating.

 

Next, we went to the wood chopping to sit down in the shade and watch the competitors chop the wood.  All the people that were representing our school of course won every time.

 

We kept on having fun with our mates walking around the Nowra Show. Before we left, we walked around and made our way down to the petting zoo. There were bunnies and lots of other animals in there.

 

We then left and walked back to our school. The Nowra show was fun. I highly recommend the Nowra Show to anyone who likes fun times and very entertaining things.

ATSUKI TAKES ON THE RUBIC'S CHALLENGE

Thank you to Meagan's Kitchen for providing our wonderful canteen service.

Our school canteen is managed by Meagan's Kitchen, operating four days per week (Tuesday-Friday).

Lunch orders may be placed by online through 'My School Connect' on the following link. (Also available beneath the parent tab on our school website). A reminder for parents/carers, lunch orders for Fridays are to be placed by 1pm Thursday.

School Canteen Online Orders

Year 6 students and their families are encouraged to attend St John's High School Open Night. Two sessions are available on Wednesday 26 February (4pm & 5:445pm). Bookings are requested on the following link;

https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1351519?qr=true&qr=true