I hope everyone has had a lovely week.

Educational Conference

As mentioned, the executive team (Mr Webb, Ms Younger and myself) attended the Hawker Brownlow Educational Conference in Melbourne last weekend. This was an engaging conference affirming current practice but still challenging some of our current thinking. As a leadership team, it provided opportunity for us to press pause, reflect on how we are travelling this year and where we can push moving forward. Discussions took place regarding the way we feedback to students on their learning, how we engage students, coaching and supporting our peers, promoting student voice more in the planning and development of units of work. Exciting times ahead!

HALT Summit

Tomorrow, I am heading to the HALT (Highly Accomplished and Lead teacher) Summit in Darwin. This is a national conference for educators who are accredited as a HALT. I am nationally accredited as a Lead Teacher and therefore invited to attend this summit. Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn is supporting my attendance. I will share this experience with you next week. I will be away from school on Thursday and Friday. In my absence, please contact Damien Webb.

My Body, My Life

Earlier this week, Year 5/6 students and parents participated in the My Body, My Life program. In line with our Health Curriculum, these sessions explore puberty, body image, change and development. This forms the foundation of the 5/6 Health unit and will continue to be explored throughout the term. 

Community Council

Last night as well as hosting a Community Council Meeting, we opened up the meeting to the wider community. My apologies if this wasn't advertised and promoted as well as it could've been. It was in the newsletter in Week 1, however I forgot to include it in last week's newsletter as a reminder. I did however push it through as a SZApp alert and on Facebook over the weekend. Thank you to those who attended and to those who emailed and messaged through ideas, thoughts and suggestions. Personally, I really value feedback and ensuring everyone has a forum to suggest ideas and ways to continue to move St Michael's forward. If at any time you have an idea regarding a program, an event, a different way of doing things, please email through. You can email me directly, call or pop into see me at anytime. 

Disco Reminder (Friday 31 May)

Just a reminder about getting behind our upcoming disco. Tickets can be purchased through Qkr! or cash at Front Office

Trivia Reminder

Tables are starting to be formed for our Trivia Night later this term. Please see information and booking a table via google doc https://docs.google.com/document/d/1aO1doImU1wc9zZrVx1L-92b8EjeVQfa1gqxL4kQ0RHI/edit?usp=sharing

Reconciliation Week

We will celebrate Reconciliation Week at St Michael's next week. An important week to bring to our attention and to start our journey to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan. 

Enjoy the week ahead.

Kind regards,

Pat Ellis

Principal

The May Community Council meeting was held last night with business as usual up until halfway when we welcomed parents from our St Michael’s community to join us for an open discussion. 

In our regular meeting we focused on the subject

of Miss Jordan’s Garden. It is our goal this year to educate our school community on exactly how much is involved in keeping this project running – both financially and in hours dedicated to its maintenance. It is our hope that more parents will become involved in keeping up this valuable part of our school. We are also aiming to create some events focused on the garden to renew enthusiasm around this wonderful project that we are so lucky to have at St Michael’s. If you or someone you know – listen up Grandma and Grandpa – would like to help out, we would be so grateful to hear from you.  

We then moved on to affirm our obligations as a Council under the Constituent Documents that come from the Catholic Education Office. This will become a regular feature of our meetings to ensure that we are fulfilling this role. Last night we touched on things we do to promote the Catholic ethos at St Michael’s and agreed to incorporate an element of prayer and reflection in all of our events, such as the upcoming trivia night. This is a good opportunity to remind everyone that the trivia night is on 28 June and you can book your table now via the Google Doc that was sent via email recently.

Gabriel Walsh, our finance officer provided an update on the Council budget which is predominantly made up of proceeds from all of our fundraising efforts. Though we are currently in a good place and all fete costs have been paid for, it is important to note that moving to a two-year fundraising cycle which involves a fete and a raffle in alternating years, means we do need to be careful with how we use our money. The fete raised just over $10 000 – which is fantastic – but our raffle next year may not raise quite as much as a fete and we need to keep this in mind. For this reason, the Council is moving to a two-year financial plan.

Open Meeting

A big thanks to the parents who took the time to attend the second portion of our meeting and provide feedback on their experience at St Michael’s. We also had some written correspondence from those who could not attend.

One point which was raised noted that parents had not been sufficiently consulted on fundraising activities for the year, particularly which types of events parents would be willing to volunteer their time to support. The Council noted that last year’s school survey included opportunity to provide this type of feedback but that this concern raised may also be a good catalyst to review the way we communicate Council messaging. We are always keen to hear from parents and wondered if there may be other ways to receive feedback. For example, polling on Facebook. We also want to create resources to demonstrate the new SchoolZine app and how beneficial it is as a repository of information, perhaps removing any barriers for those who are not yet using this system. Any comments or questions about this approach are most welcome via the Council email. 

Another question was raised about what our top three sources for revenue and expenditure are each year for fundraising events. This will be detailed in the upcoming two-year Council financial plan.

Damien Webb then spoke on the school’s commitment to  sustainability and how he is working to incorporate the greenhouse more into the curriculum. Currently there is a plant in almost every plot which is great and fulfils a goal that was set. We hope to reach out to the Parish as well to find more volunteers and bring the garden into the school community’s awareness more regularly. An idea of hosting a coffee there for parents was met with enthusiasm.  

Jessica Lewis then discussed our dedication to the Reconciliation Action Plan. First step will be to put together a working group and we are looking for any parents who may be interested in this endeavour. The goal of the group will be to develop actions stemming from relationships, respect and opportunities around the school. Eg: inviting Indigenous elders to the school or adding a bush tucker garden. We will aim to provide clearer information to parents about exactly how they can get involved in this important activity. 

We hope that anyone with suggestions or feedback who was not able to attend the open meeting will contact us via email and we will be happy to discuss your correspondence at the next meeting council.stmichaelsps@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Whole School Prayer Time

1/2M are excitedly preparing to lead the Whole School Prayer Time this Friday, 24 May where we will celebrate the feast of Mary, Help of Christians. Mary Help of Christians remains Australia’s first patron saint.

First Communion

Our next preparation session is Thursday 6 June at St Monica’s School from 6pm. Parents and children will work together in this one hour session focusing on Eucharist as revealed through the story of the Feeding of the 5000.

If you have not already taken part in a commitment ritual at Mass please ensure you see Father prior to the beginning of the Mass you attend this weekend. Thank you to those families who have already paid the $30 administrative fee for First Communion. If you have not done so yet could you please arrange to have this paid by 6 June. Thanks. 

Mini Vinnies  

On Friday 14 June, Mini Vinnies will be holding their ‘Winter Woolies’ day and hosting a ‘Stay Out’ again. Students are invited to come dressed in warm woollies for the day and bring donations of jumpers, scarves, gloves and blankets. The warm winter clothing will be donated to St Vincent de Paul Night Patrol for use with the homeless and poor in our city.

From 4pm Mini Vinnies will also host a ‘Stay Out’. Students are invited to come back to school between 4pm – 8pm to share in some activities learning about homelessness and life for the poor in our community. We will have a visit from the Night Patrol van, make some food for them and have a small experience of what it is like to sleep outside. Dinner of hot soup and a breadroll will be provided. A note is coming out shortly with details.

Congratulations

Congratulations to Sienna (5/6B) who performed at the Wagga Dance Eisteddfod on 18 May.  Sienna’s group performances (Dance Development Centre, Spence) in 12 & Under Jazz, 10 & Under Jazz and 10 & Under Classical Ballet were all awarded First Place.

Cross Country Training

Training will be provided at school at 8.30am each Wednesday of Weeks 3, 4 and 5. This training session will be held around the school grounds and students are asked to meet Mrs Hardwicke at the oval gates. Please ensure runners are brought to school for the training session.

Belconnen Region Cross Country - 30 May, 2019

We wish all our students the best of luck for next weeks Belconnen Region Cross Country carnival.  Thank you to Matt Gafa for volunteering to be the St Michael's representative to assist on the day.

St Michael’s Athletics Carnival  - Tuesday 4 June

Permission notes and special recess/lunch orders notes were due back on Monday 20 May. If your child's permission note has not been returned to school, could you please ensure it is in by tomorrow. If your child would normally eat more than what is being provided with the special lunch, it would be appropriate to send them with additional food. 

Thanks to all those parents who have volunteered to assist on the day your help is greatly appreciated.

It would be wonderful to see parents dropping in throughout the day to cheer on your children and watch a few events.  Hope to see you there.

ACT Sports Trials
There are a number of ACT trials on at the moment. Football (soccer), golf, touch football, rugby league, tennis, softball and hockey are just a few sports up on the School Sport ACT website. Please see the School Sports ACT section of the newsletter for further information about how to register for these trials.

Reconciliation Week 2019: Grounded in Truth, Walk Together with Courage

National Reconciliation Week was initiated in 1996 to provide a special focus for nationwide activities.

National Reconciliation Week offers people across Australia the opportunity to focus on reconciliation, to hear about the cultures and histories of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and to explore new and better ways of meeting challenges in our communities.

The Week is timed to coincide with two important dates in Australia’s history, 27 May and 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey— the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively.

As a school we will be celebrating and commemorating Reconciliation week with a range of activities held on Tuesday 28th May, in both the Junior and Senior blocks of the school. These activities will explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through religion, art, sport and technology.

Chief Minister's Reading Challenge

If your child is interested in taking part, please see the display in the library.  Congratulations to Josh 1/2W for already reading 30 books.  Completed forms can be placed in the box on the library desk.  The challenge finishes on 13 September.

Overdue Library Books

There are a number of students with overdue library books, if you could please assist us by returning these books at your earliest convenience.

Thank you to all those parents who have kindly contacted new books over the last few weeks.  The new contact has finally come in, please see Erin or Lisa if you can still assist with covering books.

Walk Safely to School Day –Friday 24 May

Students at St Michael’s are invited to participate in the ‘Walk Safely to School Day’. We will be celebrating the day this Friday 24th May.

We will leave from the Kaleen Playing Field on Turon Place at 8:00 am on Friday morning. Please make sure you have your children ready to walk by 7:55. There will be a number of staff members walking to school and we will be wearing our high Vis jackets.

Parents, Carers and other family members are most welcome to join us for a lovely walk, but bring a coat as I am sure it will be very fresh.

Please send me an email if you have any questions or require any addition information 

Many thanks

Damien Webb

Damien.webb@cg.catholic.edu.au

The app of the week is My Script Calculator. Retailing for $4.49 this handy tool calculates, edits, solves, mixes and merges your calculations. Great for younger children when they are learning to form their numbers and older children who are organising long complex calculations.

Collagraph Printing

Collagraph is a print created from a collection of textures that have been collaged onto a rigid surface.

 

Over the next few weeks the students will cut out and glue textured items onto collagraph plates. They will use these to make multiple copies of their design.

 

Change and loss are issues that affect all of us at some stage in our lives. At St Michael’s we recognise that when changes occur in families through death, separation,

divorce or related circumstances, young people may benefit from learning how to manage these changes effectively. We are therefore offering an education program called Seasons for Growth. This program is facilitated in small groups and is based on research that highlights the importance of social support and the need to practise new skills to cope effectively with change and loss. The program focuses on issues such as self-esteem, managing feelings, problem-solving, decision-making, effective communication and support networks.

Seasons for Growth runs for eight weeks and each weekly session is 40-50 minutes. The program concludes with a “Celebration” session.

If there is an interest for Seasons for Growth we hope to commence this term, facilitated by Jo Krippner who has received special training in the use of this program. If you think your child would benefit from Seasons for Growth we would encourage you to talk to them about this. Should they decide to participate please email Jo at jo.krippner@cg.catholic.edu.au

St Michael’s is pleased to be able to offer this important program and we are confident it will be a valuable learning experience for those who request to be involved.

Playgroup is held on Wednesdays in Weeks 2 to 9 from 9am till 10.30am in the School hall.

It is for children ages 0-5 and their parents/carers.  Please contact Kylie Arena or Lisa Monro on 62414022 for any enquires. 

Congratulations to the following children who have achieved a Harmony Award in Week 4 and will receive their award this Friday at morning gathering (weather permitting).

KL	Zanna
1/2F	Jayden
1/2M	Desan
1/2W	Phoenix
3/4AK	Elise
3/4YM	Finley
5/6B	Angelina
5/6FW	Daniel

Lunch Orders are to be placed by MIDNIGHT on Wednesday nights. 

The canteen still require assistance on Fridays from approximately 12.30-1.45 to help pack lunch orders, if you can assist in anyway, please contact Lisa in the Front Office.  Any help is greatly appreciated.  

Please feel free to contact Empire Catering on 0408 200 481 for queries with lunch orders or any constructive feedback you have regarding menu items.  

Special wishes to those children who celebrate their birthday this week:

Michelle 3/4YM, Xanthia KL & Bradley 5/6B

We hope you have a great day!!

The Woolies Earn and Learn program is back running from 1 May till 25 June.  For every $10 spent at a Woolworths store you will be given a sticker, the stickers can then be placed on a sticker sheet (available from the Front Office), or placed in the boxes on display in the Front Office or at the Woolworths store in Belconnen Mall.  The stickers will then be redeemed for resources from Modern Teaching Aids.  Start collecting today to enable us to receive some great resources.

The 2019/20 Entertainment Book is now available to purchase.  Books can be purchased at the Front Office for $60 or digital copies can be ordered through the following link.  Please see Lisa in the Front Office for more information.