Welcome back everyone!

This week we welcomed back Kindergarten students on Monday and they will be attending full time as normal moving forward. There were a few tears and a few tired little ones by the end of the day, however, they were all so happy to see their friends and staff. We are so happy to see them back and to get them back into routines and learning at school. 

We also welcomed back Years 2, 4 & 6 on Monday and Tuesday. It was great to see them all and especially to get our leaders back into the school environment for their last year of Primary school. 

We look forward to welcoming back Years 1, 3, & 5 tomorrow and Friday. Those students who have been attending throughout the whole Remote Learning due to their parent's work committments loved to see all their friends back. It has been quite tough for them to attend school everyday whilst their friends are at home learning. 

A reminder, that this transition plan continues for next week. All students are back on Tuesday 2 June (after the long weekend).

Every child is important at St Michael’s and we would like to welcome each of you back by name. Your school is a place where you belong, where you are loved and where you are known. Can you find your name as you walk into school? 

Enrolment

A reminder that our enrolment period for 2021 is now open. Whilst we will of course accept enrolments throughout the year, the official enrolment period closes this Friday. If you have any friends or family interested in enrolling at St Michael's, please point them in our direction. 

Compass

Over the last few days we have rolled out Compass, this will be our system platform. We are focusing on a section at a time and this week has been attendance and roll marking. Nothing really changes for parents at the moment however down the track, once we roll out other sections, parents will have access to a dashboard where you will see absences, send notes, excursions, sick bays notifications plus more. It is going to be a great system for us regarding administration and operational tasks. 

Watch this space!

Enjoy the week ahead.

Take care. 

Pat Ellis

We have had a very successful transition process so far for all our students and we anticipate that this will continue. Class teachers, along with Mr Ellis have spoken (and will speak to the Year 1,3 & 5s tomorrow) to all groups of students regarding the changes that have occurred at school regarding safety and hygiene. The transitioning process for students, whilst ensuring safety measures procedures are one reason, we believe to ease anxiety for students, focus on connecting with all students and assisting staff with workload, as additional reasoning behind our two week transition plan. Please note that all current advice are that school is a safe place and we have taken our safety precautions seriously for students, staff and parents. We look forward to Tuesday 2 June when all students and staff will be back together again for the second half of the term. 

Religious Education Curriculum

World Behind the Text - maps

Often when looking at the world in which Scripture was written, and the geographical context of the stories, we need to have a good understanding of the places we are reading about. Teachers use maps such as these (https://www.bible-history.com/maps/ ) to help children understand the location, terrain and physical spaces we are learning about when we look at Scripture.

Holy Spirit

Whilst deepening their understanding of, and relationship with the Holy Spirit students in 5/6 are looking at inspirational people who have opened themselves to God’s will and have been named as saints in our world. One of these is Mother Teresa of Calcutta, now St Teresa. See her story here: https://watch.formed.org/mother-teresa-seeing-the-face-of-jesus/videos/mother-teresa-seeing-the-face-of-jesus .

Religious Life of St Michael’s School Community

Morning Prayer

Andrew Chinn is a long-time favourite of children and staff at St Michael’s. His music is engaging and inspiring. He has generously put together this website to assist with morning prayers at home in this challenging time. I invite you to explore the site and use some of his offerings for your daily morning prayers. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC12Rjgz6Mo3IF7xvJXORX_g/featured

Ascension Sunday

This coming Sunday is Ascension Sunday. We celebrate in the Church Jesus’ return to Heaven to be with the Father.

Not many years ago we celebrated the Ascension of the Lord on a Thursday, forty days after Easter Sunday. It has since been moved in Australia and elsewhere to the 7th Sunday of Easter.
In marking the ascension on the fortieth day of the Easter season, the church took literally Luke’s account of events in Acts 1:3. Liturgical history indicates that the Lord’s ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit were originally celebrated together on the solemnity of Pentecost. It was not until the end of the fourth century that the Ascension became a separate feast from Pentecost.

Celebrating the Ascension on a Sunday of Eastertime helps give this solemnity its rightful orientation. The Ascension is not a farewell nor a time of sadness at Jesus’ departure from this world. The earlier practice of extinguishing the paschal candle on this day is therefore quite inappropriate. Like every Christian festival the Ascension celebrates the on-going presence of the risen Christ in our midst.

As always the readings and prayers of the Mass help us find the focus of this special day.

The first reading is from Luke’s prologue to the book of Acts. Just as Jesus travelled to Jerusalem to his passion and death, so the Church will take the Good News out to the world, beginning in Jerusalem and reaching to the ends of the earth. The Gospel reading from Matthew reassures the followers of Christ that, although Jesus is no longer physically present, he is with them even to the end of time.

Sewers Needed Please!

We have some stoles that are in need of hemming. They are used for our Year 6 Graduation and Blessing but I’m hopeful of having them finished before the end of September. If you are a sewer and can help out please contact Meaghan at school.

Thank you.

Virtual Cross Country - Results Due Tomorrow

Please email you results to Mrs Hardwicke by tomorrow afternoon. 

It's not too late to join the race. For information on how to participate, set distances, suggested courses and the recording log, see the sport folder on our remote learning site. Any questions feel free to get in touch erin.hardwcike@cg.catholic.edu.au

On behalf of Their Excellencies General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd) and Mrs Linda Hurley, I am writing to invite you and your students to participate in a live reading of Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas as part of this year's National Simultaneous Storytime. 

Written and Illustrated by Lucinda Gifford, Whitney and Britney Chicken Divas takes the reader on a fun-filled discovery about why Whitney and Britney - two seemingly ordinary backyard chickens - sleep all day long. Could it have something to do with them sneaking out at night to a local jazz club?

The reading will take place on 11 am (AEST) on Wednesday 27 May 2020 at  https://facebook.com/events/s/national-simultaneous-storytim/578428786111083/?ti=as

As in previous years, National Simultaneous Storytime aims to promote the value of reading and literacy using an Australian children’s book that explores age-appropriate themes and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6. A large range of supporting teaching resources (including digital copies of the book, video and audio recordings, colouring-in pages and crosswords) can be downloaded free of charge from the National Simultaneous Storytime website.

We have revised drop off and pick up arrangements for all students until further notice.

Morning Drop Off

Parents please drive through staff carpark to drop off. Students are not to get out of the car until they reach the front of school, where a teacher will assist. Staff Carpark is not an area for parents to park.

We understand that some children may be quite anxious for the first few days. In this case, please park on the blacktop and walk your child to the teacher at the front of the school (which will most likely be Mr Ellis or Mr Webb) and they will take your child and assist them to enter into school. For Kindergarten students, Miss Lewis will be in her classroom for the first week to assist with an easier morning transition. We will transition them from the parent to the Kindergarten classroom. 

We are asking for parents to remain outside the school building. 

Afternoon Pick Ups

All Kindergarten students and their siblings, will be walked, by a teacher to the oval pick up area on Tyrrell Circuit. Please wait at your cars and not walk to the school. 

Singles (only child from a family at school), will be picked up via the staff carpark. Parents are asked to drive through (similar to morning drop offs) and pick up these children. A teacher will assist students getting picked up here. This space will need to be quick. Parents please remain in your car. 

All other family groups will be walked by a teacher to the blacktop area. We will use our little side road to wait. Parents park as normal in Blacktop and students will walk to your car. It is important that parents are very conscious of road safety when driving in and out of the blacktop area. 

Walkers and riders will go with the group of students (and teacher) based on their normal route home, whether they go the oval way, front of school or back gate. Any parents who meet children to walk home/ride home together, are asked to wait at the appropriate spot based on which way you travel (eg wait at end of oval area if you walk that way to your home etc). 

It will be a bit messy to start with, but with only half the school at any one time over the next fortnight, we can use this time to perfect these arrangements before everyone is back together in Week 6. 

It is important if parents can remain in their pick up areas and not walk to the front of the school. With a change in arrangements, our priority is moving students safely to their pick up area and having parents at the front of the school will hamper these efforts. Please be patient and please wait in your pick up area and a teacher will walk your child/ren to that area. 

Any questions, please email Pat directly patrick.ellis@cg.catholic.edu.au 

Congratulations to the following children who achieved a Harmony Award in Week 3 and will have their award posted out to them.  Well done!!   

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

Michelle 3/4F & Xanthia 1/2W

We hope you have a great day!!

Parents and carers are welcome to email Jess Dawson (our school counsellor) directly jess.dawson@catholiccare.cg.or.au if they have any questions and/or concerns about their child’s emotional wellbeing.

Remember to take it day by day and be kind to yourself!

Mass

Don’t forget there is always daily mass online available at https://www.catholicvoice.org.au/mass-online/. Our own Father Loi is celebrating Mass each Saturday evening and that is being streamed live on the Our Lady of Perpetual Help –North Belconnen Facebook site.

The digital book is now available for $69.99 and is regularly updated with new offers.

Please click on the link below to order your 2020 Entertainment Book.

https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/232g38