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| THIS WEEK | ||
| 31 January | First Day for Term 1 | |
| COMING UP | ||
| 8 April | Last Day for Term 1 | |
| 27 April | First Day for Term 2 | |
- Book Club - Issue 1
Please remember that copies of notes sent home are available on our website. https://www.stmichaelsps.act.edu.au/notes
Dear Parents/Carers,
A HUGE welcome back to all our families and students and a special hello and welcome to our wonderful new families.
As we begin a new year that presents its challenges, I wanted to share some thoughts with you. On our school crest the rainbow is a symbol of hope and forgiveness and a sign that no matter what hardships we face, the sun will always come out.
At St Michael’s we are profoundly invested in the values of compassion, kindness and forgiveness.
As a community we live in harmony with each other when we truly enact these values. I have focused on Faith, Learning and Collaboration when chatting to staff and families. I highlight who we are (faith), what we are trying to do (learning) and the connections (collaboration) we will continue to nurture in 2022.
This week as well as continuing our Catalyst Professional learning journey, staff looked together at what we value most and how we can truly enact these qualities with each other, our students and families and the wider community. This year holds many possibilities with the introduction of 2 Kinder classes and further enrolments and some wonderful new families joining us.
COVID has bought the element of crisis into our lives. After a crisis we can never be the same, we make choices that reveal who we are and the depth of our hearts. My hope is that we grow together through the challenges COVID presents, and that we come through the other side a more compassionate, more forgiving, and kinder community.
I focus on the concept of TRUST, as I profoundly believe that with faith, hope and trust our hearts open to the power of the Holy Spirit we will chart a steady course through 2022.
As Pope Francis says in; Let us Dream, the path to a better future.
“We are filled with hope that we might come out of this crisis better. But we have to see clearly, choose well and act right…let’s allow God’s words to Isaiah to speak to us
Come let us talk this over. Let us dare to dream…”
Blessings for 2022,
Judy Egan
Principal
Staff 2022
A warm welcome to the new staff joining us this year. Lynda Logan will be our new Office Manager and will be doing a handover with Lisa Monro later in February. Lisa’s last day will be March 4. We will let you know about a farewell for Lisa when arrangements are finalised.
We welcome Daniel Host, Shianne Sahariv and Victoria De Mattia to our teaching staff and Rhys Mooney, Maria Sanchez-Worsnop and Shahenie Burns to our Classroom Support team. Congratulations to Bridgette McCann as she takes on the Coordinator role this year in addition to her Classroom Support Teacher duties. We also welcome a new school Counsellor Soraya Fisher.
Staff 2022
The Leadership Team
Principal: Judy Egan
Assistant Principal: Damien Webb
Religious Education Coordinator: Meaghan Younger
Coordinator/Classroom Support Teacher: Bridgette McCann
Class Teachers
KD: Victoria De Mattia
KK: Natasha Kapantais
1/2B: Shannon Blakey
1/2H: Jessica Hallahan/Damien Webb
3/4F: Laura Frogley
3/4L: Jessica Lewis
5/6H: Daniel Host
5/6S: Shianne Sahariv
5/6Y: Meaghan Younger/Erin Hardwicke
Specialist Teachers
Library: Erin Hardwicke
Visual Arts: Jane McKeough
Indonesian: Jacqui Ramesh
Classroom Assistants
Kylie Arena
Shahenie Burns
Sharon Friend
Rhys Mooney
Melissa Morella
Maria Sanchez-Worsnop
Unnati Shah
Sonja Vocisano
Administrative Officers
Office Manager: Lisa Monro (till 4 March) / Lynda Logan (from 24 February)
IT/Office Support: Maria Papasidero
Welfare Officer
Shahenie Burns
CatholicCare Counsellor
Soraya Fisher
Maintenance Officer
Kim Kennedy
A Covid Safe Return to school/COMPASS
Information was provided via COMPASS last week about how we are returning safely to school including pick-up arrangements. We will attach these to the newsletter. It is crucial for families to download the COMPASS parent portal via the App as all our communication will come through this point. This includes a daily update regarding cases in your child’s class. ACT Health is providing RAT tests to our families and staff 2, tests per week. We will send these home in the eldest child’s school bag this afternoon. I want to thank staff for coming in to school last Sunday to ensure our families received their tests. Please know that we are doing everything possible to ensure we support families and ensure school is a happy, social and wonderful learning environment. A letter and will come home this afternoon with further COVID information.
2022 Theme
Our theme for the 2022 year will be ‘faithful in prayer’. During PD week Staff explored prayer in our own lives and how we live out effective prayer lives in our school community. We will be working with classes to learn more about prayer, different ways to pray and why it is important in the year ahead.
The inspiration for this theme comes from St Paul’s Letter to the Romans (Romans 12:9-21). Many people consider the Letter to the Romans, the deepest expression of Paul’s thinking. This was the only letter Paul wrote to a community he had not visited. The letter to the Romans contains many comforting words.
- It tells us that when we don’t know how to pray, God prays for us with sighs too deep for words (8:26)
- And it says that all things work together for good for those who love God (28)
- And it asks, if God is for us who is against us? (31)
The full Scripture from where our theme is sourced is: Romans 12:9-21 - Love in Action
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position.[c] Do not be conceited.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.
In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.”
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Masses/Liturgies
At this point as we are unable to gather as a whole school, we are working with Fr Loi to develop some ways in which we can celebrate the opening of the school year and Ash Wednesday in the coming weeks. Stay posted for more information! ?
Sacramental Program 2022
If you have a child in Years 3, 4, or 6 in 2022, this will be a Sacramental year.
This also applies if your child is in Year 5 and he/she has previously missed the Sacraments of Reconciliation and/or First Eucharist.
A Parish Sacramental Program Information Evening will be held on Thursday 17 February 2022 at 6pm in St Monica’s Church for the families of students in Years 3-6 in 2022. You are very welcome to attend the information evening where all the relevant information will be available.
First Eucharist will be celebrated in Term 2, 2022.
Confirmation will be celebrated in Term 3, 2022.
Reconciliation will be celebrated in Term 4, 2022.
For further Information – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or check the parish website for updates at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth
St Michael's Swimming Carnival and Regional Swimming Carnival
Unfortunately, we were notified during the holidays that Catholic Education have cancelled school swimming carnivals for 2022. Additionally, we have been notified by School Sport ACT that the regional swimming carnivals have been cancelled. At this stage, ACT Championships will proceed in early Term 2. The nomination for ACT will be a different process to previous years, with students needing to nominate themselves in order to participate. Nomination will require an official time to be provided.
Tennis Clinics
We had planned to offer tennis clinics this term, but due to the current restrictions we will postpone them to later in the year.
Please be reminded that students are not permitted to bring their own sports balls to school to use during recess and lunch play. Handballs are permitted. We have a wide variety of sports equipment available for the students to use during break times. We thank you for your support as it creates a more harmonious play time for all our students.
Welcome to the Library for 2022!
Student Borrowing
Library lessons for each class will be on either Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. On library days students can return books and borrow new ones for the week. If you wish to return books at other times, they can be placed in the returns slot on the front of the library desk. I look forward to working with all the students to develop their love of reading and literature throughout 2022!
Library Days
Monday 3/4L, 3/4F, KK, KD
Tuesday 5/6H, 5/6S, 1/2H, 1/2B
Wednesday 5/6Y
SORA Library App
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
My name is Soraya Fisher and I work for the CatholicCare Student and Family Counsellor Team. I am the new School Counsellor for St Michaels Primary, and I will be at school each Tuesday to provide counselling support to students.
I am a Social Worker and I have worked in a variety of government and community organisations. Most of my experience over the last eight
years has been in the mental health field with children, young people and their families. I am very passionate about my work and about supporting young people.
Please feel free to get in touch with me with any questions or enquiries, or to refer your child to school counselling soraya.fisher@catholiccare.cg.org.au
I look forward to working with you and your school throughout 2022!
Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award in Week 1. Awards will be handed out to students during the day on Friday.
Well done!!
| KD | Eliza D |
| KK | Angus H |
| 1/2B | Sofia S |
| 1/2H | Stuti S |
| 3/4F | Zanna B |
| 3/4L | Nate B |
| 5/6H | Ella A |
| 5/6S | Seb R |
| 5/6Y | Jackson M |
Special wishes to those children who celebrated their birthday in January:
Shivi 1/2H, Marissa 5/6H, Alana 1/2B, Valentina KD, Ana 5/6H, Grace 1/2B, Maria 1/2H, Ishika 5/6H, Josiah 5/6Y and Chiara 3/4L
Special wishes to those children who will celebrate their birthday this week:
Vihana 1/2H, Jimmy 5/6Y, Jordan 5/6H, Eden 1/2H & Maya 5/6Y
We hope you have a great day!!
