Dear Parents and Carers,

Teachers were observed using explicit direction and were given excellent feedback from Lorraine, several of our staff are being videoed to show other schools what great practice looks like, I am immensely proud of our staff team.  Our next Staff Development Planning Day will be on Tuesday the 26th April, this will be a Pupil Free Day at St Michael’s. On this day we will look at vocabulary and writing and how we can ensure our students become more efficient writers.

Highly Accomplished Teachers

Congratulations to Laura Frogley who received notification this week that she has achieved the status of a ‘Highly Accomplished Teacher’ many hours of work and evidence goes into this classification, Laura joins Jess Hallahan in this status and Damien Webb who is completing the process. We are incredibly fortunate to have wonderful and professional teachers at St Michael’s who are always looking to improve their practice.

Year 5/6 Excursion to Parliament House

The Year 5/6 students and staff thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Parliament House and the Australian Electoral Commission on Monday this week. They have gained valuable insights into democratic processes such as elections. Thank you to the Year 5/6 team for organising this off-site learning.

We have had a busy and productive start to this year and it is great to see so many happy faces each morning. Thank you for the way you have communicated with us around your family’s health and wellbeing. We hope that the Easter season will provide some quality time together.

May you be truly blessed this Easter with the life and joy of the risen Lord.

Happy Easter to all,

Judy Egan

For all parents/carers at St Michael’s

Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn (CSPACG) Council Update

The Catholic School Parent Council for the Archdiocese (CSPACG) has produced a short video with an update following their Term 1 meeting.

Information for Parents and Carers about children and how to speak to them about Vaccines

Catholic Education have advised that we include information in this newsletter from the Australian Government to assist parents in “How to speak to kids about COVID-19 vaccines.

Term 2 School Fee Statements

Please note that Term 2 School Fee Statements will be sent by email to your home email address. Please contact the school if your home email address has changed.

Recording of Student Absences

A notification went home via Compass reminding parents/carers to ensure the school is provided notes for absences. It is a legal requirement for schools to ensure they have documentation around student absences, and we need your help. Please follow the instructions on the Parent Portal to send an absent note or email the front office and let us know.

office.stmichaelsps@cg.catholic.edu.au

We will be sending reminders each Thursday to any families missing notes, this is a generated email from compass, please email or phone the front office if you have any concerns. 

Kind Regards

Judy Egan
Principal

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

Tiwalolu O 1/2H, Charlotte M 3/4F, Tom P 5/6Y, Yuhansa K 1/2H, Matteo L 1/2H.

Special wishes to those children who will celebrate their birthday in the school holidays:

Aryan G 1/2B, Alexander F 3/4L, Nina K 3/4L, Kai W 5/6S, Stella B 5/6S, Avi Tiwari 5/6H, Ruby C 1/2H.

We hope you have a great day!!

Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award in Week 10.  Awards will be handed out to students during the day on Friday.

Well done!!   

Parish Sacramental Program 2022

If you have a child in years 3, 4, or 6 in 2022, this is 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.

Sacrament of First Eucharist - will be celebrated on the weekend of 18 and 19 June 2022 (Corpus Christi Sunday) across the four Parish Sunday Masses.

5pm - 18 June at St Monica’s Church – Evatt;

8am - 19 June at St Michael’s Church – Kaleen;

10am – 19 June at St Monica’s Church – Evatt; and

5.30pm – 19 June at St Michael’s Church – Kaleen.

Registration for the Sacrament of First Eucharist

Registration must be made via the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Qkr! App (NOT the school app).

Registrations opened on Monday 4 April 2022 and will close by Friday 29 April 2022.
No late registrations will be accepted after the closing date.

Commitment Masses
Students and parents must attend one of the weekend Masses at either St Monica’s Church (5pm Saturday or 10am Sunday) or St Michael’s Church (8am or 5.30pm Sunday) on one of the dates listed below to make their commitment for the Sacrament.
Saturday 30 April and Sunday 1 May
Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 May
There will be no additional commitment masses beyond these dates.

Purchasing a stole for First Eucharist
Purchasing a stole is optional and is not compulsory. If you wish to purchase a stole, please make a payment of $20 through the Qkr! App and then send an email to sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au and arrangements will be made for delivery/pickup.

Confirmation will be celebrated in term 3, 2022.

Reconciliation will be celebrated in term 4, 2022.

For further Information regarding the Sacramental Program – 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

Project Compassion boxes / Lenten Appeal

Thank you to so many of you for your wonderful support of Project Compassion once again. It delights me to see the bulging little boxes coming in already to the Front Office. Thank you!!! The money you raise goes to support so many amazing projects Caritas runs. Check out below to see some of the amazing stories of support from years past.

To help with getting these donations to Caritas promptly, please return your money boxes by the end of Week 10 to assist Mrs Logan in banking it all together before Easter. Thank you again.

Week 6 Caritas - Where are they now?

Meet some of the past faces of Project Compassion campaigns whose lives have been transformed thanks to your generous support. With your generosity, Caritas Australia has been able to help millions of vulnerable people around the world, through Project Compassion. From Thandolwayo in Zimbabwe, to Halima in Bangladesh and Shirley in the Philippines, your generosity  gives vulnerable people across the world the support they need to face the challenges of today and build a better tomorrow.

Thandolwayo, Zimbabwe - Project Compassion 2019

Life wasn’t easy for Thandolwayo. Every morning she would walk seven kilometres and risk being attacked by crocodiles, as she collected clean water for her family

With your generous support, Caritas Australia’s partner, Caritas Hwange, helped the community to install two solar-powered pumps and two 10,000 litre water storage tanks.

Now 14-years-old, Thandolwayo, is excelling at school, particularly in English and Maths. She can concentrate on her studies instead of spending hours collecting water.

Shirley, the Philippines - Project Compassion 2020

With your generous support, through Caritas Australia’s local partner, the Socio Pastoral Action Center Foundation of Daet, Inc. (SPACFI), Shirley trained to become an indigenous health worker. She has now taken over her father’s role as tribal chieftain and has been able to lead her community through the pandemic.

Halima, Bangladesh - Project Compassion 2021

For Halima, a Rohingya refugee, living in the world’s largest refugee camp in Bangladesh, the past year has been particularly tough. Widowed at just 21, she fled escalating violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, arriving at the camp with nothing. She is caring for her two young children, as well as for her mother who has a disability. 

Halima is now earning an income from her hygiene training role with Caritas Bangladesh. Through this role, she is helping the community to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as best they can in the crowded conditions with limited access to water, soap and masks.

Thank you for your support for Project Compassion – past, present and future! Together we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for future generations.

To see more of their stories view https://youtu.be/v8ao2iyxsSg

Celebrating Holy Week

Students across the school have been enjoying looking at the events of Holy Week in a variety of ways. We have taken part in a shared liturgy, made Easter books and examined the stations of the cross.

If you would like to join our parish next week in celebrating our most holy of times of the year below is a list of times and locations of the various liturgies/masses across Holy Week.

LENT AND HOLY WEEK CEREMONIES

• Stations of the Cross at  St. Michael's Church, Kaleen ( 7:00 pm, each Friday of Lent) 

Holy Thursday, 14 April 2022

• Mass at  St. Michael's Church, Kaleen ( 7:00 pm)

Good Friday, 15 April 2022

• Stations of the Cross at  St. Michael's Church, Kaleen ( 10:00 am)
• Passion of the Lord at  St. Monica's Church, Evatt ( 3:00 pm)

Holy Saturday, 16 April 2022

• Reconciliation at  St. Monica's Church, Evatt ( 10:00 am to 12:00 noon)
• Easter Vigil Mass at  St. Monica's Church, Evatt (7:30 pm)

Easter Sunday, 17 April 2022

• Mass at  St. Michael's Church, Kaleen ( 8:00 am)
• Mass at  St. Monica's Church, Evatt (10:00 am)

Chief Minister’s Reading Challenge

Students are encouraged to continue their reading challenge over the holiday break!

Overdue Library Books

Overdue notices came home with all students today. Please feel free to return any library books this term that you do not want to keep over the holidays. If there is a book incorrectly still showing on your child's notice, please return the slip to school indicating this is the case. 

St Michael’s Cross Country Carnival - Save the Date!

Our cross country carnival will be held on Thursday 28th April (Week 1)!

Thank you to the parents who have already volunteered to assist. We still need a couple of additional helpers. If you able to volunteer, between 9:15-11:00am, please contact Erin Hardwicke via email.

All students will participate in the carnival and students aged 8 years and above will compete to represent our school at the Belconnen Region Carnival later in the term. 

The carnival will proceed in a way that aligns with the COVID regulations at the time of the event. We are hopeful that students will be able to gather in house groups – fingers crossed!

Belconnen Regional Cross Country - Save the Date

The Belconnen Region Cross Country Carnival will be held on Thursday 26th May at Mt Stromlo. Our team will be determined from our own carnival in Week 1. 

Term 2 Tennis Clinics

Next term we are fortunate to offer tennis lessons to all our students from K-6. The lessons will be run by Get Set Tennis who are the coaches at Kaleen Tennis Club. The program will run from Weeks 2-5.

Years K-2 - Tuesday (at school)

Years 3-6 - Thursday (at the Kaleen Tennis Courts)

Erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au

Parent Support Network

Dear Parents

We are calling for nominations for parents to be the class representatives on the Parent Support Network.

This network would help support communication between the classroom teacher/s and the parents in the class. These networks have proven very successful in past, but with the interruptions of the past 2 years, we haven’t called for parent volunteers since 2019.

We are looking forward to getting this network up and running again and helping everyone stay connected and continuing to build our wonderful school community.

Parents on the network will receive a copy of the email address of the families in the class and there will be a short digital meeting in the coming weeks with Mr Webb to discuss the simple duties of the role and the ways that you can support the class. It is not a time consuming role, so the commitment to role is certainly not demanding 

If you are interested please email Mr Webb, damien.webb@cg.catholic.edu.au and include the following information

• Your name and name of child
• Class of child
• Email address
• Best contact phone number

Once again, thank you all for the continued support

Many thanks

Mr Webb