Welcome back everyone to school for 2019. A big welcome to our new students/families in Kindergarten and across the school.

I hope everyone has enjoyed some time with family and friends.

2018 was a big year for St Michael's with many successes. In 2019, we will consolidate all that was implemented and achieved, and continue to move forward supporting and challenging all to reach their full potential.

We welcome new staff members Bridgette McCann (1/2M), Sarah Anderson (3/4AK), Natasha Kapatanis (3/4AK), Jessica Figura (5/6FW) and Jacqui Ramesh (Indonesian) to the team.

Over the break, our teachers have been busy planning and setting up ready for an engaging school year. I would like to say thank you to them all. The dedication and passion that teachers have for their profession is to be commended. 

Please know that I can be contacted at anytime. If there is anything that I, or the team at St Michael's can do to assist your child/ren, please let us know. It is really important that we all work together in the best interest of each child. 

Looking forward to an amazing 2019!

We will see you all when school starts back on Monday 4 February. 

Enjoy the week ahead,

Pat Ellis

Principal

In 2019 we will continue to unpack our Mission and Vision statement through our school theme. 'Growing with the Spirit' will be our 2019 School Theme. This will underpin all that we do throughout the school. We will explore this through a specific focus each term. Term 1 we will 'Include with the Spirit'. Term 2 we will 'Engage with the Spirit. Term 3 we will 'Support with the Spirit' and Term 4 we will finish our year to 'Empower with the Spirit'. Each term we will bring focus to certain values that are the foundation of the St Michael's Community. Those being; acceptance, empathy, belonging, challenge, creativity, curiosity, compassion, kindness, forgiveness, respect, responsibility and harmony as referenced in our Mission and Vision statements. 

Our school theme will connect with Scripture through reference to Matthew 13:32 - 'Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree'.

Pope Francis is quoted saying 'Education enables us to love life and opens us to the fullness of life'. This will also inform our direction for 2019. 

An exciting year ahead!

Fete news and dates for your information. 

Term 1, 2019

• Friday 8 February (Week 1) - Uniform Free Day - please bring in a packet of lollies for our Tombola stall
• Friday 15 February (Week 2) - Uniform Free Day - please bring in blocks of  chocolate for our Chocolate Trailer
• Friday 22 February (Week 3) - Uniform Free Day - please drop off a bottle of wine for the Tombola stall (adults only draw)

Other information...

If you have some jars that can be donated, please send those to the Front Office. These will be used for craft/cake store.

Any craft items you could donate including made items, please send to the Front Office.  Some suggestions include:

* harry potter knitwear, e.g. gryffindor scarves

* other knitwear e.g. beanies

* bath bombs

* jewellery

If you have any second hand books to be donated (in good condition), these can start coming into school also. Tables will be set up on the stage in hall from Week 1, and books can be placed in these containers. 

In the week before the fete, information will come home regarding baking items for the cake store. 

Donations

If any parents are in a position with their business or company to be able to donate any vouchers, services or products, we would be very thankful. We will heavily promote these businesses/companies throughout the term via our Facebook page, newsletter and website.

Any support you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

As we start the year, we wanted to flag dates for our Sacramental program for 2019. 

First Eucharist

Parent Information Night - Thursday 2 May 6pm at St Michael's

Parent/Child Preparation Night - Thursday 6 June 6pm at St Monica's

Retreat Day - Thursday 13 June at St Michael's School

Sacrament of First Eucharist - Saturday 22 / Sunday 23 (Parish Masses)

Confirmation

Parent Information Night - Thursday 25 July 6pm at St Monica's

Retreat Day - Thursday 8 August at SFX

Parent/Child Preparation Night - Thursday 22 August 6pm at St Michael's

Sacrament of Confirmation - Tuesday 10 September 6pm at St Michael's Church

Sacrament of Confirmation - Wednesday 11 September 6pm at St Monica's Church

Reconciliation

Parent Information Night - Thursday 19 Septemeber 6pm at St Monica's

Retreat Day - Thursday 24 October at St Monica's

Parent/Child Preparation Night - Thursday 24 October 6pm at St Michael's

Sacrament of Reconcilation - Tuesday 12 October 6pm at St Michael's Church

Sacrament of Reconciliation - Wednesday 13 October 6pm at St Monica's Church

Any questions you may have, please contact Meaghan Younger (REC) at school.

As mentioned last year, we are adjusting our break times to better assist our planning opportunities, increase engagement and utilise optimum learning time and shorter the afternoon session. The start and end of school times will remain the same. The times for 2019 will be as follows;

8.50 - Start of school day - Morning gathering and class time

(late arrivals will need to be signed in at the office)

10am (approx) - Fruit/Veg/Water break

11.00 - Recess eating

11.10 - Recess Play time

11.40 - Class time

1.40 - Lunch eating

1.50 - Lunch Play time

2.20 - Class time

2.50 - Pack up / Clean up bell

3.00 - Dismissal / end of the day

This year we continue with a whole school focus on Prayer, particularly with Christian Meditation. This will occur on Tuesday and Thursday mornings straight after morning assembly at 9am for 5 minutes. 

A fitness program will begin this year on Monday and Friday mornings after morning assembly. Students will participate in a short 5 minute physical activity before the day of learning begins. Once set up, our Year 6 student leaders will lead these sessions. 

All are invited to join us in prayerful celebration as we mark the beginning of the 2019 school year. Our Opening School Mass will be on Thursday 7 February at 9.30am in St Michael's Church. We hope to see you there.

This year we will continue our traditional leadership ceremony which started last year for our Year 6 students. 

Our Year 6 students will receive their Leadership Badge and Shirt on Monday 11 February at 9.30am.

We hope you can all join us for this special occassion.

The school calendar has been updated (access via Schoolzine app or our website). Some dates to note are as follow (more will be added in coming weeks);

• Tuesday 12 March - Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival at Queanbeyan Pool and K-2 Water Fun Day at school.
• Saturday 16 March - School Fete
• Monday 18 March - School Photos
• Thursday 4 April - Cross Country Carnival
• Tuesday 7 May - Catholic Schools Week Breakfast
• Thursday 9 May - Mother's Day Mass & Morning Tea
• Tuesday 4 June - Athletic's Carnival
• Tuesday 20 August - Book Week Dress Up Day
• Thursday 29 August - Father's Day Breakfast & Mass
• Friday 27 September - Walkathon
• Thursday 17 October - Grandparent's Mass & Morning Tea
• Friday 13 December - Year 6 Final Assembly
• Monday 16 December - Passing the Light Ceremony
• Tuesday 17 December - Year 6 Graduation

# note separate section regarding Sacramental program dates

Just a reminder that we are no longer using Skoolbag. We have moved to Schoolzine for all our online communication. Please register with SchoolZine http://www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation

Online absentee notes can be completed through this app also. Alerts will be sent out via this app, along with our weekly newsletter. 

Please note that our weekly newsletter will now be going out on a Wednesday instead of a Thursday. 

As mentioned last year, our canteen ordering system will move from Flexischools to Qkr! This will assist us to streamline and have one online payment option. More information will follow including our new 2019 Menu!

I am pleased to let everyone know this will continue in 2019. The school library will be opened at 8am for students to come in early and do some quiet reading, drawing or playing games. Formal supervision on the playground follows at 8.20am. A gold coin donation for accessing this before school service would be appreciated. 

A reminder that supervision at the end of the day concludes at 3.30pm.

On Wednesday 13 February, we will host an informal Meet and Greet for parents to come to school and introduce themselves and meet their child/ren's class teacher in classrooms. There will be no formal presentation. This will be an informal event with drinks and nibbles occurring in the tuckshop area following. We hope to see you there. 

At the end of 2018, we phased our our Gotcha Band System. This system was difficult to monitor, wasn't valued by our older students, was becoming inconsistent and relied heavily on an extrinsic reward instead of an intrinsic motivation.

This year we will introduce a 'Rainbow Award'. These will be awarded to 2 students from each class every term. These awards will be for those students who have consistently displayed our school values, working hard, being a good friend and promoting a place of harmony. There will be a special awards assembly held toward the end of each term where class teachers will present these awards to the students of their class. Parents will be notified via a letter home should their child be receiving a Rainbow Award prior to the assemby. At the end of the year, all students who have received one of these awards we have a celebration afternoon with Mr Webb and myself. 

Our Harmony Awards will continue, however these will be presented every Friday at morning assembly. Names of students receiving a Harmony Award will be published in the school newsletter for that week on Wednesday.