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THIS WEEK | |
NEXT WEEK | |
9 - 12 March | Book Fair |
10 March | Swimming Carnival Y3-6 - Water Fun Day K-2 |
COMING UP | |
15-17 March | Camp Birragai Y5/6 |
19 March | Vinnies Knock On Effect |
29 March - 31 March | Holy Week Reflections |
30 March | School Photo Day |
1 April | Harmony Day |
1 April | Last Day for Term 1 |
19th April | Pupil Free Day |
20th April | First Day for Term 2 |
- Naplan Note - Yr 3 and Yr 5
Please remember that copies of notes sent home are available on our website. https://www.stmichaelsps.act.edu.au/notes
Dear Parents/Carers
I am currently privileged to be attending the Catholic Leaders’ Day and Retreat Wednesday, 3 March to Friday, 5 March in Bowral. Special thanks to Damien Webb who is capably leading the school in my absence. I include some Lenten food for thought below.
I hope families enjoy the long weekend and travel safely if you are planning a weekend away.
Many Blessings,
Judy Egan
Taking stock of our lives
Once upon a time, an ancient story tells us, the master had a visitor who came to inquire about Zen. But instead of listening, the visitor kept talking about his own concerns and giving his own thoughts. After a while, the master served tea. He poured tea into his visitor’s cup until it was full and then he kept on pouring.
Finally, the visitor could not bear it any longer, “Don’t you see that my cup is full?” he said. “It’s not possible to get anymore in.”
“Just so,” the master said, stopping at last. “And like this cup, you are filled with your own ideas. How can you expect me to give you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
Lent is the process of emptying our cups. Lent is a time for trimming the soul and scraping the sludge off a life turned slipshod. Lent is about taking stock of time, even religious time. Lent is about exercising the control that enables us to say no to ourselves so that when life turns hard of its own accord, we have the spiritual stamina to say yes to its twists and turns with faith and with hope.
from The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century (Crossroad) by Joan Chittister
Hello Everyone!
I cannot believe it is Week 5 already. We are halfway through the term and things are certainly running very smoothly at St Michael’s.
All classes have been working hard to help make the St Michael’s ‘Key’s for Learning’ a big part of the learning landscape for the school and our weekly harmony awards will now be focused around the Keys for Learning and different ways that students are demonstrating their uses in the life of the school. It has been great to see the way that all classes have embraced the Keys and highlighting the different ways they can be used in our teaching and learning
Our Keys are:
- Collaborate
- Perservere
- Create
- Question
- Explore
This week I would like to highlight the key of Collaborate.
“Living out their full potential by being part of a learning community who are engaged, focused in learning, having fun and displaying enjoyment”
Collaboration is a big part of the way that we teach and learn at St Michael’s and it certainly fits in well with us being a school based on ‘harmony.’ We all work together to help reach our goals and we celebrate the success of ourselves and others. Through collaboration we can achieve great things, as the old saying goes ‘many hands make light work’
Have a great long weekend everyone.
Many thanks
Mr Webb
The annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion
Appeal has begun. Donations to Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to alleviate poverty, hunger, oppression and injustice.We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. Each family will receive a Project Compassion box for their donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at: lent.caritas.org.au
Second Week of Lent (school week beginning Monday 1st March)
This week through Project Compassion we learn about 39-year-old Margret, a teacher at a vocational school for deaf students in the Solomon Islands. She was born deaf, so she knows the challenges it poses to education and employment. Apart from the difficulties the students all have, the school also faced water shortages, with not enough to supply staff and students with safe water for drinking, cooking, washing and growing vegetables.
Then Tropical Cyclone Harold damaged the school and its vegetable garden, amidst the threat of COVID-19. Staff and students rely on the vegetable garden to provide food for their meals.
With Caritas Australia’s support, the school installed water tanks, provided cyclone-proof building materials and helped to implement COVID-19 prevention measures. Margret’s school now has enough water for its students and the capacity to cater for more, with plans to boost food security, through increased agricultural production.
- Around 60% of people in rural areas in the Solomon Islands don’t have access to piped water, while about 80% don’t have access to latrines or toilets. (UNICEF, 2019)
- Watch a short film about Margret’s story here.
“Aspire not to have more, but to be more.” Please support Project Compassion: lent.caritas.org.au
VINNIES KNOCK ON EFFECT
The Knock On Effect is a brand-new Vinnies initiative that will replace the Doorknock Appeal. Students are invited to come to school in casual clothes or #DressedbyVinnies for a gold coin donation. This special day is to raise awareness of the vulnerable people in our society and to fundraise for and support Vinnies and the people and communities they assist.
We will celebrate this initiative on Friday 19th March.
Bridgette McCann Acting REC
Sacramental Program 2021 – First Eucharist for students in Y4 from 2021
The Sacrament of First Eucharist will be celebrated in Term 2 of 2021 on the following dates:
- Tuesday 8 June at 6pm in St Michael’s Church
- Wednesday 9 June at 6pm in St Monica’s Church
- Thursday 10 June at 5.30pm and 7pm in St Monica’s Church
Please keep the candidates for First Eucharist in your prayers.
Information Night for First Eucharist – Term 2
The parent information night will be held on Thursday 29 April 2021 at 6pm via zoom (zoom address to be provided closer to the night).
Commitment Masses
Students and parents must attend one of the commitment Masses listed below to make their commitment for the sacrament.
Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 May
Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 May
Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 May 2021
There will be no additional commitment masses beyond these dates.
The Sacrament is available in 2021 for the School of Religion.
For further information please contact the Sacramental Program coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au
Chief Minister's Reading Challenge
The Chief Minister's Reading Challenge kicked off this week! All students were given relevant information during Library lessons this week. Each student has taken home all information they need to participate. While the challenge is optional, we strongly encourage students to get involved. There will be a certificate and prize for all students who complete the challenge.
https://www.education.act.gov.au/public-school-life/additional-programs/chief_ministers_reading_challenge
Scholastic Book Fair 9th -12th March
The Scholastic Book Fair is here! We would love to see you there!
Dates: Week 6 Tuesday – Friday (9th March – 12th March)
Times: 8:30-8:50am and 3-3:45pm.
Location: Library
Please be advised that during the Book Fair we will be adhering to COVID restrictions based on the capacity of our library.
If you haven’t already downloaded the SORA App, we encourage you to do so. It allows students to borrow ebooks and audiobooks from our school's digital library collection. When in the App, it will ask for the school name, please select 'ACEN Member Collection' (this is for various CE schools). If your child logs in from home, student login details are required. Your child's login details are as per the student login used at school. If your child has forgotten their login details please see their classroom teacher.
Looking forward to an exciting year in the library.
Erin Hardwicke
Erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au
Swimming Carnival is Next Wednesday! 10th March at Stromlo Leisure Centre
Please be advised that the buses will be leaving at 9.10am and we are unable to wait for late arrivals.
A canteen will be in operation on the day. The hot food menu consists of four different hot food lunch packs at $10. There will be a selection of drinks and treats available throughout the day.
Please ensure your child brings adequate food and water for the day, also their hat and that they have had sunscreen applied prior to coming to school. All personal items should be clearly labelled.
Parents are welcome to join us as spectators whilst following the pools COVID guidelines. Please sign in upon arrival using the Check In CBR app. There is a spectator fee of $2.55.
We are super excited to be holding our first carnival of 2021!
Erin Hardwicke
erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au
Gymnastics Clinics
Clinics are going well and the students are having a terrific time learning new skills from our wonderful coach Adam.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award in Week 5. Awards will be presented at Friday morning's assembly (weather permitting).
Well done!!
KF | Ashton S |
1/2B | Josip C |
1/2H | Adeline B |
3/4A | Olivia S |
3/4L | Luca F |
3/4Y | Garang D |
5/6F | Orla B |
5/6K | Jayden S |
Special wishes to those children who celebrate their birthday this week:
Cameron 1/2H & Dylan 5/6K
We hope you have a great day!!
DANCECORE - Dance classes are on Friday's at recess in the school hall, forms are available at the Front Office.
Contact Cassie 0417 442 750
CHESS - Chess classes are held in C Block on Tuesday’s at recess, forms are available at the Front Office. Contact Sydney Academy of Chess 9745 1170
GUITAR - Guitar lessons with Sam on Thursday's, please contact
Sam on 0408 196 855
PIANO - Piano Lessons with Mary-Liz on Mondays & Tuesdays, please contact Mary-Liz on 0413 425 753
SCHOOL BANKING - Banking has been suspended for Term 1.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK CLUB - Scholastic Book club is back and runs twice a Term. If you have any queries, contact Mrs Monro or Mrs Hardwicke.
Please see the School Sport ACT webpage https://schoolsportact.org.au/ or Facebook page for the most up to date information.
SCHOOL SPORT ACT TRIALS – Please keep an eye on the School Sport ACT website https://schoolsportact.org.au/ for upcoming ACT trials. The process for registering can be found below. If you need any assistance registering your child please feel free to ask for assistance.
How to register your child with School Sport ACT
School Sport ACT now collects all registration information online – this is to prevent the movement to and fro of a paper note and have all information readily available to officials prior to the trial. As this process incurs a fee for data storage, system maintenance and admin, a small $5 fee payment via credit card will be required.
- Go to the School Sport ACT website – https://schoolsportact.org.au/
- Click Register (top right corner of homepage) for an Account – enter parent details and password
- A confirmation email will be sent to your chosen email that will contain a link that you must click on to verify the email account.
- Click Log In (top right hand corner of home page) enter password then click on top tab My Profile
- You will see a ‘dashboard’ of your information, click green box to Add Student – enter student and medical details and save.
- Go to the Sports Tab – choose your specific sport, click on Trial Information box then click on the Register to Trial link.
- Select your child’s name from the dropdown box and then enter the optional fields for Playing History, Preferred Position (if applicable) and Representative Experience. If you are already in the system, ensure your child’s school is up to date in your profile – have they moved onto High School?
Please contact me via email if you have any questions, feedback or are able to offer your assistance at any of our sporting events throughout the year.
Looking forward to another big year of sporting participation,
Erin Hardwicke
erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au