Welcome to Term 4!

Where has the year gone?

It's been a wonderful week and it has been great to see everyone refreshed and ready to learn. I am very much looking forward to the wonderful opportunities and challenges that this term will bring. I know that Term 4 is always very busy, so it's important we all remember to look out for each other and remember to find time for ourselves, especially in the rush towards the end of the year. 

Construction Work

Thank you to all families for being so patient while the construction is being finalised out the front of the school. There have been some slight changes to morning and afternoon pick up with the interruptions of trucks and construction workers. Hopefully this should all be completed by the end of the week. This construction will allow for much greater access between the school and church. Thank you all for your understanding with this matter.

Class Placement for 2021

At this time of the year, we begin to plan and form our classes for 2021. As you can imagine there is a lot to consider from academic, social, emotional and behavioural needs as well as friendship pairings and separations.  

I fully understand that there may be certain personalities that clash from time to time and for this reason, if parents wish to request a certain placement regarding their child, I would ask that you email me directly at damien.webb@cg.catholic.edu.au

Only requests send to myself by Friday the 23^rd of October will be considered. There are no guarantees because of the complexity, however I will do my best to accommodate these requests. The final decision on classes sits with me.

If you are intending on leaving St Michael’s at the end of year (apart from year 6 students), could you please email the Front Office with that information. This will assist with our planning for classes for 2021.

Step Up will occur on Friday the 18^th of December. This is a chance for students to get to know their new classes and new teacher. Class lists will not be placed on the library windows. For any parents, whose children will be away on the last day of the term, please email the Front Office so that we are able to indicate the class teachers for 2021. This information will be email out on Friday the 18^th of December at 3:00pm  

Technology at School

There have been an increasing number of students who are pushing the boundaries with the incorrect use of technology around the school. It is important that we all constantly remind students that these are tools and that we are using them to enhance their learning and providing them with new and exciting learning opportunities. I would suggest that all parents talk to their children about the ICT agreements that students sign at the beginning of the year, to reconfirm the expectations around the correct use of technology within the school.

Kind regards,

Damien Webb - Principal (Acting)

Religious Education Curriculum

St Michael’s Primary aims to educate our students about sacraments in a curriculum framework that is sequential and age appropriate, provides sound teaching and learning experiences that meets the needs of individual learners and is in keeping with archdiocesan policy.

The focus for our school is not merely to provide a formal education in faith but to nurture our students in an environment that leads them to develop their personal relationship with God.

This term the students will be learners who inquire and discover. The following big ideas will be explored across K-6.

K - Jesus was a Jew who came from a Jewish family

1/2 - How do we show respect for self, others and creation?'

3/4 - Who do you say Jesus is?

5/6 - Justice creates harmony in our world

Religious Life of St Michael’s School Community

Grandparents’ Day Whole School Prayer Time

This Thursday, 15^th October, our school will hold a WSPT to reflect on the wonderful gift of Grandparents and older people in our lives. 3/4 staff and students have been busy organising this celebration for us. Due to COVID19 restrictions we are still unable to celebrate this special occasion with our Grandparents but know that you will be in our hearts and prayers especially at this time.

Catholic Mission

October is Mission Month in the Catholic Church and as such we turn our thoughts to the missionary work being done here in Australia as well as overseas, helping those in poverty. Catholic Mission works in countries all around the world helping with food, education, health services and evangelisation. Learn more about their wonderful work here: https://www.catholicmission.org.au/

WSPT & Socktober

This Friday, 16^th October, we will hold a Whole School Prayer Time for Mission Month. Students in 1/2 are busy preparing for this special celebration. Children are also invited to take part in our annual Socktober campaign. For a gold coin donation students can wear socks as creatively as they like. Have you tried making a crown out of socks? What about a scarf? Money raised will be donated to Catholic Mission to support their on-going charitable works around the world.

Confirmation

How are you going with working through the Confirmation preparation book? Weeks 1-3 have looked at our Baptismal promises, keeping promises and our hands and oil. Remember to set aside some time each week to sit with your Confirmation candidate and work through the activities in the preparation book. This is possibly the most special part of the preparation for Confirmation – spending time together reflecting on the importance of your faith in your everyday life.

Parent / Child Formation Evening

Our Parent/Child Formation Evening for Confirmation will be on Thursday 29^th October from 6:00pm. It will be held via Zoom. The link for this is: https://cgcatholic.zoom.us/j/94273514916

Please remember all candidates and a parent/sponsor must be present for this special part of the preparation for Confirmation. Resources to support you for this session will be sent home on Thursday 29^th October.

Bridgette McCann Acting REC

Sacramental Program – Confirmation Liturgy 2020
The Sacrament of Confirmation is to be celebrated on:
Tuesday 10 November in St Michael’s Church at 6pm
Wednesday 11 November in St Monica’s Church at 6pm
Thursday 12 November in St Monica’s Church – 2 liturgies at 5.30pm and 7pm.

All families should have now have booked their date/time for the sacrament through ‘Trybooking’ on the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth

Purchasing a stole for Confirmation
Purchasing a stole is optional and is not compulsory. If you wish to purchase a stole, please make the payment of $20 through the Qkr! App (parish app) and send an email to sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au Arrangements will then be made for delivery/pickup. Parish stoles are available for loan on the night.

Parent/Child Formation Night
The parent/child formation night is compulsory and will be held on 29 October 2020 via zoom.

Home Booklets
Families should now be working through the home booklets with their children in readiness for the Sacrament of Confirmation.

The home booklets should be completed following the parent/child Formation night on 29 October 2020 and the booklets are to be returned to the school no later than Monday 2 November with the ‘Parent’s Discernment of Readiness’ (the last page of the booklet) completed and signed ready for Fr Loi to also sign. The booklets will then be returned to the candidates on the night of the Sacrament liturgy along with their certificates. 

For further information please contact the Sacramental Program coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au

Book Fair

Good news St Michael’s are still having a Book Fair but this year we will be holding it online starting Monday 12 October till Sunday 25 October, 2020.  Simply click on this link and you will be directed to our school’s fair page.

In class students will complete their wish lists which they will take home.   It is just a wish list, not an order form.  The site can then be accessed and browsed from home with all orders then entered online.  Instruction sheets are available from the library for anyone who needs them.

You can choose from all the books on the site with your purchases being delivered to your front door.  Postage is $6.50, but orders over $40 qualify for free delivery.

As well as books, there are a variety of craft and activity kits (usually on display at the Fair).

Our Library will receive commission for our sales which we will take in the form of new books for our Library so don’t forget to nominate our school when you buy.

This is a wonderful opportunity for students to own new books and for our Library to put more books on the shelves for our school to enjoy.

On behalf of our students, we thank you for your support.  It is much appreciated.

Book Week

We are looking forward to celebrating Book Week next week.  The students are excitedly planning their costumes for the Book Week dress up parade on Thursday 22nd October.  Please note that the dress up day is NOT on Friday.

On Thursday we will also be holding our Giant Book Swap to support the Indigenous Literacy Fund.  We are still accepting donations of preloved books in good condition which will form our Giant Book Swap.  Student wishing to participate in the Book Swap will need to bring a gold coin to school on the day.

For the Love of Literacy – Bridgette McCann

Did you know that Sounds Write is the spelling program we use at St Michael’s? It is a highly structured, cumulative, sequential, explicit and code-oriented instructional programme for teaching all children to read and spell.

Sounds-Write provides the classroom practitioner with rigorous training in how to teach reading and spelling from the moment children begin their schooling in the Foundation Stage, throughout Key Stage 1 and into Key Stage 2. In addition, the programme also provides a highly successful intervention for Classroom Support Teachers working at primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

Sounds-Write’s instructional method works effectively because it:

• can be easily implemented in the classroom with the minimum of planning and preparation
• provides clearly structured, easy-to-follow lesson plans
• is developmentally appropriate for beginning readers in YR, Y1 and Y2
• offers fast and highly effective intervention for children at all levels who have fallen behind in their reading and spelling
• is a real phonic programme that teaches in simple steps how the sounds of the language are represented by the writing system
• places emphasis on giving practice that is grounded in physical, concrete experience of the ideas and conceptual understanding the pupils need to assimilate
• teaches the three essential skills of segmenting, blending and phoneme manipulation necessary for reading and spelling throughout the programme on a daily basis until all pupils achieve the
• automaticity that underlies the fluency of every successful reader.

School photos will be taken on Friday 6 November (Week 3).  New envelopes will be sent home next week to those families that havent already sent in an envelope.  All payments are now processed online and envelopes do not need to come back to the school.

Sibling envelopes are available from the Front Office and need to be returned to the school before photo day.

If your child has not ordered their photo's before photo day they will still have their photo taken and you will be able to order direct from MSP at an additional cost.

Any queries, please see Lisa in the Front Office.

Bread Tags for Wheelchairs 

3/4FR have been busy collecting breadtags. We have been creating art from these single use plastics which is a great way to work on developing spatial reasoning and mindfulness. When we finish with the breadtags we will sent them to #Thebreadtagproject where the tags are recycled locally, raising funds to buy wheelchairs for disadvantaged people in South Africa. So instead of throwing out these breadtags please send them into Miss Frogley or any member of 3/4FR  - We appreciate your help with this.

Special wishes to those children who celebrated their birthday in the holidays:

Ned 1/2B, Owen 5/6K, Madison 3/4A, Allegra 1/2B, Hamish 1/2B, Amelie 1/2W & Massimo 1/2W

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

Miriam 3/4FR, Jett 5/6K, Elliot 1/2W, Coco 3/4A and Sierra 3/4A

We hope you have a great day!!

Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award in Week 1.  Awards will be presented at Friday morning's assembly (weather permitting).

Well done!!   

CHESS!!

Learn to be a chess champion! Coaching for students at St Michael's Primary School (Kaleen,
ACT) is held on Tuesdays from 11:00am to 11:40am, starting on 13 October 2020.

Learning and playing chess helps children develop their logical thinking and problem solving
skills, improves their concentration and focus, while also being a great source of enjoyment.
Activities include group lessons on a demonstration chess board or interactive whiteboard,
puzzle solving and fun practice games.

Students earn merit awards by making checkmates, or by displaying skills and positive
qualities, which all good chess players strive to develop.

If your child is interested in taking part, you can collect an enrolment form from the school
office, or email enrol@sydneyacademyofchess.com.au for a copy. For all enquiries, please
contact Sydney Academy of Chess on (02) 9745 1170.