Dear Parents, 

With our recent change of weather, we are thankful for the rain that we have received and hope that it will head towards the drought regions. If the weather heats up again before the student vacation break, summer uniform may be worn. Thank you parents for following our uniform policy. The students take great pride in how they wear their school uniform. 

On Tuesday evening many of the present Year 3 parents gathered for the information session on the ‘ipad 1:1’ program. In 2019, the students in Year 4 have supplied their own ipads to be used in the classroom and at home. The program has successfully connected the students with worthwhile apps and the ability to more fully engage in the digital age. The ipads are used as a learning tool and there is a healthy balance between screen time and traditional good teaching where the ipad is not used. The ipad has numerous child safety features that can be used to ensure the safety of the students. Thank you to the parents who were able to attend the meeting. 

Yesterday Mrs Mathieson, four Year 6 students and I attended the annual launch of ‘Catholic Mission Month’ which will occur in October. The school will have a ‘Mission Mass’ on Friday 18th October 2019, which is the first Friday of Term 4, and use the resources which were provided to us yesterday. The targeted country for this year is Ghana in Africa. 

Tomorrow parents of students in Year 3 and Year 5 will receive an envelope with the NAPLAN results. Our school has continued to make positive gains in literacy and numeracy. Congratulations to our Year 3 and Year 5 students.

Our last whole school liturgy for this term is on Friday 27 September 2019. This is our annual Feast day mass celebrating St Michael, our patron Saint after whom the school and parish are named. The mass will commence in the school hall at 11.30am. Families are invited to join us. Next Friday is also the last day of term. The students and staff will return for Term 4 on Monday 14 October 2019. 

Yours in Faith and Virtue,

Mr Christopher Paton

The Christmas Story Art Competition

This term our Stage 3 students were invited to take part in the Diocesan Christmas Story Art Competition. This competition allowed students to celebrate and explore their creative and artistic ability in illustrating the Christmas Story.  Students also had to include a title and brief explanation on the intention for the artwork, media selected and their spiritual connection.

A panel of judges had the very difficult task of choosing three Year 5 and three Year 6 artworks. Sr Sue, Mrs Butler, Fr Leo and myself choose the following artworks and reflections.

Highly Commended

Callum Lockeridge Year 5

Abby Griffis Year 6

Sent to Wollongong to be judged

Jasmine Edwards Year 5

Liam Balcombe Year 5

Ryder Heming Year 5

Lachlan Campbell Year 6

Justin Monaghan Year 6

Aysha Sanchez Year 6

Well done to everyone who participated and good luck to our six entries sent to Wollongong.

St Michael’s Feast Day Mass and Launch of our New Vision and Mission Statement

Everyone is welcome to join us next Friday 27 September to celebrate St Michael’s Feast Day with mass at 11.30am. During the mass St Michael’s new Vision and Mission Statement will be unveiled.

In honour of Remembrance Day the defence students will be planting a Flanders poppy seed in our St.Michael's garden. You may also be receiving a seed the children will take home with them.  After the October holidays we will be starting a gardening group to make sure our poppies flourish.

During the First World War, red poppies were among the first plants to spring up in the devastated battlefields of northern France and Belgium. In soldiers folklore, the vivid red of the poppy came from the blood of their comrades soaking the ground. The sight of poppies on the battlefield at Ypres in 1915 moved Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae to write the poem “In Flanders Fields”. In English literature of the nineteenth century, poppies had symbolised sleep or a state of oblivion; in the literature of the First World War a new, more powerful symbolism was attached to the poppy – the sacrifice of shed blood.  

The red poppy flowers fragile appearance belies the plants resilience: All those tiny seeds can remain dormant for years until conditions are just right. Then, they'll germinate and form swaths of brilliant red blooms.

More information regarding St.Michael's Remembrance Day Ceremony will be available closer to the date.

Cookie Dough Orders

The cookie dough is due for delivery on Wednesday the 25th of September. If you are available to help sort and pack the cookie dough on Wednesday afternoon from 1pm, we would be very grateful for your help. If you know you have Cookie Dough orders to collect, please make yourself available on Wednesday afternoon to collect your orders. The cookie dough will arrive to us frozen, so it is important you’re able to collect your orders on Wednesday, we will not be able to store them.

2019 School Fair

The 2019 St Michael’s School Fair will be here before we know it!!! Please save the date for Sunday the 10th of November, from 10:30am-2:30pm. Tell your friends, family, colleagues. Help us spread the word by sharing our social media posts and popping aside the date in your diary now, you won’t want to miss it!
If you have any unwanted books, plants, pots or succulents at home, we would love for you to keep them aside. Students should have received their plates by now to fill with goodies and return to school to sell at the School Fair. Our basket stall at the fair is extremely popular each year.

Power FM Breakfast

We are excited to announce that 94.9 Power FM will again be hosting their breakfast show at our school on Thursday the 7th of November, just in time for our School Fair! Stay tuned for more details.

Next Meeting

Last week, we published that the next P&F meeting will be 8th October, however, this date falls in school holidays. There will be NO P&F meeting on the 8th of October.

2019 Year Book
The production of our annual Year Book is well under way, if you have any exciting news, or extracurricular achievements of your child that you’d like to share, please email them through to yearbookstmichaels@gmail.com

CONTACT US:

Got any suggestions? Can you assist us? You can contact the P & F any time.

St Michael’s Parents & Friends Events 

P & F Mailbox is located in the school office 

Email us on stmichaelspnf@gmail.com

Parents and Friends Executive Committee contact numbers: