Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope you are managing to deal with whatever ups and downs are coming across your path and that you are staying positive and well. St Michael’s community has certainly been impacted by COVID over the past few weeks including myself and other staff members. I am deeply grateful for the way staff and families have supported each other.

Before coming to St Michael’s, I helped set up a school garden and one year we grew sunflowers (Helianthus Annuus).  The Latin name of Helianthus Annuus comes from a combination of Greek words, Helios translates to sun and anthos means flower. The sunflower is often seen as symbolic of faith, as it turns towards and follows the sun across the sky, always seeking the light.

The sunflower leads us to reflect on true faith, loyalty and a willingness to trust in something far bigger than ourselves. I was moved to read this piece in a recent email and thought the connection worth sharing.   

“As we see the devastating and heartbreaking events unfold in the Ukraine, we know that now, more than ever, education must equip the next generation of children and young people to lead with conviction, courage, and compassion. The national flower of Ukraine is the sunflower, also known as the peace flower. We share it in solidarity.” (Australian Council for Educational Leaders)

In the spirit of harmony, faith and hope, thank you for your continued support.

Many blessings,

Judy Egan    

Parent/ Teacher Interviews

This week parents and carers have had the opportunity to participate in an interview with teachers via TEAMS. Normally in Term 1 we would have held our meet and greet evening which is more of an informal get together for parents and teachers to welcome everyone to a new year of learning. As this was not a possibility due to restrictions, we hope that you took the opportunity to make a connection with your child’s teacher and discuss some learning/social goals for your child.

NAPLAN

Tomorrow students in Year 3 and Year 5 will sitting a practice NAPLAN assessment. No data or results are collected from this assessment. It’s a low-key practice for the NAPLAN assessments, which will be occurring next term. Attached to the newsletter is additional documentation around NAPLAN. Over the coming weeks, teachers will be preparing students for the assessment, but at the same time we aim to keep students calm and relaxed about the process. Please contact Damien Webb if you require additional information.