Filter Content
- Important Dates & Events
- St Michael's Enrolment Open Days
- Principal's Page - Judy Egan
- Religious Education News - Erika Tokich
- Parish News
- Sport & Library News - Erin Hardwicke
- Harmony Awards
- Happy Birthday
- The Resilience Project
- RSPCA Sleep Out For Strays
- Catholic School Parents Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
- School Counsellor News
- Menslink
- Parentline
- School Sport ACT - ACT Teams Selection - 2024
- Merici Open Days
- SFX Open Day
- John Paul College II Open Events
- Daramalan Open Day
- St Clare's College Open Day
| Important Dates & Reminders | Time | Event |
| Sunday 5 May | 9am - 1pm | Working Bee |
| Wednesday 8 May |
9am - 1pm & 4pm -6pm |
Open Day |
| Thursday 9 May | 9am - 1pm | Open Day |
| Thursday 9 May | Mother's Day Stall | |
| Thursday 9 May | 6pm | First Eucharist Formation Evening |
| Friday 10 May | Walk Safely to School Day | |
| Friday 10 May | 8.30am | Mother's Day Classroom Visits |
| Friday 10 May | 9.30am | Mother's Day Liturgy/Assembly & Awards |
| Thursday 16 May | Athletics Carnival @ Merici College | |
| Friday 3 May | No Assembly |
Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope you were able to spend some family time over the break and enjoy the beautiful Canberra Autumn colours!
I took this photograph on ANZAC Day last year.
As part of our pilgrimage to the Holy Land, we attended the Dawn Service at Mount Scopus CWG Cemetery at the Jerusalem War Cemetery.
It’s tragic that the relatively peaceful lands we visited in 2023, where Jesus walked, continue a sad history of violence and war. Who knows when it will be safe again to visit this special part of the world.
Last Thursday, I attended the National ANZAC Day Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral. The photograph shows the Ensign Party entering the cathedral.
ANZAC Day reminds me of the sacrifice of those who have served and the courage of those who continue to put themselves in danger for our safety. I pray that we will build the Kingdom of God by seeking gentleness and peace in our hearts and committing to living in harmony with others.
I would like to share with you the moving words of the Processional Hymn, composed by Cecil Arthur Spring-Rice (1859-1918).
I VOW TO THEE, MY COUNTRY
I vow to thee my country-all earthly things above-
Entire and whole and perfect the service of my love;
The love that asks no question, the love that stands the test,
That lays upon the altar the dearest and the best;
The love that never falters, the love that pays the price,
The love that makes undaunted the final sacrifice.
And there’s another country, I’ve heard of long ago-
Most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her king;
Her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
And soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase
And her ways are ways of gentleness, and all her paths are peace.
Thank you to Mrs Tokich for organising our ANZAC prayer yesterday. It was great to see family members able to attend in uniform and join us for this important reflection. I look forward to catching up with families at our Working Bee this Sunday,
We need your help for our Working Bee this Sunday 5 May.
Click on the Insight Cycle in Compass so we have numbers to cater for lunch or please call the Front Office on 6241 4022.
An opportunity to give to our community, spruce up our grounds for Open Days, meet other families and help Mr Kennedy!
Time: 9am-1pm (Or drop in for an hour if you can)
Entry: via Back gate, pick up area, park on basketball courts
Bring: Your garden tools! Shovel, rake, weeding tools, gardening gloves.
Jobs:
- Mulching under play equipment
- Weeding, mulching garden beds
- Cleaning up front of the school
- Cleaning and weeding around the Greenhouse
- Raking and sifting the sand pit
- Picking up leaves
- Planting seedlings
Enrolment Period Monday 29 April-Friday 31 May (Don’t miss out)
Do you have a pre-schooler ready to start school?
Do you have family or friends wanting to join our wonderful community?
Please invite families with 2025 Enrolments to get in touch.
Our Open Days
Wednesday 8 May: 9am-1pm and 4pm-6pm
Thursday 9 May: 9am-1pm
If you can distribute some promotional leaflets in your suburb that would be a great help!
Recognising Mother’s at St Michael’s (Mother’s Day Sunday 12 May)
All children at St Michael’s will be making a special Mother’s Day Card.
Next Wednesday and Thursday 8, 9 May the Parent Fundraising Committee is holding a Mother’s Day Gift Stall, this is optional for families to participate in.
Your child is welcome to bring money to school to purchase a small, wrapped Mother’s Day Gift.
Items are priced at $6, $8, $10. It would greatly assist if your child could bring the correct amount of money.
Our budget has allowed the purchase of 1 item per child.
We invite our Mother’s and carers to our prayer liturgy and awards on Friday 10 May at 9.30am in the Church. Prior to this, all Mothers and carers are welcome to visit classrooms from 8.30am.
Many blessings,
Judy Egan
Principal
MONTHLY SCHOOL FEE STATEMENTS
(INCLUDING ACT BUILDING FUND AMOUNTS)
Please note Families who have a zero balance and no current transactions will not be issued a statement. Where we have received payments for School Fees since the last statement, a statement will be issued displaying the movement in their account.
BUILDING FUND OPT IN RESPONSES
Your continued support is important of the building fund as this funding is vital for the maintenance and upkeep of our school facilities.
Please read the following information:
- An email has been sent from donotreply-accounts@cg.catholic.edu.au email address. This is an authentic CECG email address and is not SPAM.
- The Opt-In email will be sent to both parents and take the option chosen by the first parent. Split families will receive separate emails for their portion of the split.
- Each family will be requested to either select “Yes” or “No” regarding their intention to contribute to the Building Fund.
- The amount and frequency will be locked to $210 per Term, however an additional area has been included that will enable a family to contribute an additional amount if they wish to do so.
- Families can amend the Receipt details if they are contributing, i.e., for tax purposes.
ANZAC Day Liturgy
This week we gathered as a school community to commemorate ANZAC Day. During the liturgy we reflected on John’s Gospel; John 15:1-17. This scripture is part of the Farewell Discourse in the gospel when Jesus was preparing His disciples for His death. Jesus says ‘There is no greater love than giving life for others’ (John 15:13), these words gave meaning to His death. Jesus died for our sins, so we could have eternal life. Just as God sacrificed His son for us, on ANZAC Day we reflect and give thanks for the sacrifices made by many so we can live in peace and freedom. We continue to pray for peace in our community and the world. Thank you to all who were able to take part in the liturgy.
Eucharist
We are currently in the enrolment period for the Sacrament of Eucharist. If you have a child that has been baptised and is in Year 4 or above, you have until Friday the 3rd May to register. Following registration, there is a Parent Formation Evening at St Monica’s Church on Thursday the 9th of May at 6pm. Commitment masses will then follow on the 11/12 May and the 18/19 May. Please keep our Eucharist candidates in your thoughts and prayers.
Parish Sacramental Program 2024
2024 Parish Sacramental Program – for students who are baptised and in years 4-6 in 2024.
Sacrament of First Communion – will be celebrated during the four Parish weekend Masses on 15 and 16 June 2024.
Registrations will close this Friday 3 May. Registration for the Sacrament must be made via the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Qkr! App (NOT the school app).
If you are registering more than 1 child you will need to fully complete and pay for each separate registration.
No late registrations will be accepted after the closing date.
Parent Formation – will be held on Thursday 9 May 2024 at 6pm in St Monica’s Church, Evatt.
Commitment Masses – Commitment Masses for the Sacrament of First Communion will be on the weekends of 11 & 12 May and 18 & 19 May 2024.
Sacrament of Confirmation – will be celebrated on 17, 18, and 19 September. Registrations will open on 24 June 2024.
For further Information – please contact the Sacramental Program Coordinator at sc.belconnennorth@cg.org.au or check the parish website at www.cg.org.au/belconnennorth
Athletics Carnival Reminders
Our athletics carnival will beheld on Thursday 16 May at Merici College. All students from K-6 will travel to and from the carnival via bus. Please see the Compass event for details about the day.
Please provide consent via Compass as soon as possible. If consent is not provided, students are unable to attend the carnival. If you need assistance with Compass, please contact your child’s teacher.
A sausage sizzle and fruit box can be purchased on the day for lunch. All other food and drink will need to be sent to school as usual.
Volunteers Needed
If you are able to assist at the carnival from 9:30am-1:30pm we would greatly appreciate your help. At this stage we are looking for at least 6 more volunteers. Please contact Erin Hardwicke if you can help erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au
Regional Cross Country
Thursday 23 May at Stromlo Forest Park, Dave McInnes Rd, Stromlo ACT. The program of events has been added to the ‘resources’ tab on Compass. Please meet Mrs Blakey and Mrs Hardwicke when you arrive to collect your competitors sticker.
AFL Gala Day
We are looking forward to participating at this year’s Paul Kelly Cup on Tuesday 14 May. Please see the Compass Event for all details. The draw will be made available in the ‘resources’ tab on Compass once we receive it.
Library
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
This year we will again support the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) by hosting a Great Book Swap. The Great Book Swap will be held next term as part of our CBCA Book Week celebrations. To help make the day a success, we are asking each child to donate a book in good, second-hand quality. Books can be donated at any time this term and can be dropped at either the Front Office or given to your child’s teacher. On the day of the Great Book Swap each class will visit the book stall and be able to choose a book for a gold coin donation. All money raised will then be used by the ILF to purchase books for Indigenous children in remote communities. We hope you will help us to support this great initiative.
Book Covering
We are using the new InitialLit resources in out K-2 literacy programs and thank the parents and grandparents who assisted in covering the hundreds of readers. There are a few books that have not been returned yet. If you still have any of the InitialLit reads at home, could they please be returned as soon as possible so as we can use them in classes.
Erin Hardwicke
Library Teacher/Sports Lead
Please note there are no Harmony Awards this Week.
Congratulations to the following students who achieved a Harmony Award this week.
Well done!!
| K Yellow | |
| 1/2 Blue | |
| 1/2 Red | |
| 3/4 Green | |
| 3/4 Orange | |
| 5/6 Indigo | |
| 5/6 Pink |
Special wishes to those children who will celebrate their birthday this week:
| Zara C | 3/4O |
| Isabella P | 5/6P |
| Benjamin F | 1/2B |
| Sarisha S | 1/2B |
Birthday certificates will be handed out at the Mother's Day Liturgy/Assembly.
Throughout 2024, we will be working closely with The Resilience Project to support the wellbeing of our school community.
The Resilience Project delivers emotionally engaging programs and provides evidence-based, practical strategies to build resilience.
Our Partnership Program consists of online presentations and weekly lessons for students, professional development for staff, and Parent & Carer Hub (inc. digital presentations) for our parent and carer community.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the Parent & Carer Hub with you. The videos are 5-10 minutes long and will walk through the key pillars of resilience: Gratitude, Empathy & Mindfulness. You’ll hear stories and be introduced to activities to show how these strategies can support our kids' learning and development, and also support you as parents and carers.
This program is an important part of our school’s effort to look after the mental health of our community.
View the first presentation of the series here:
Part 1: Meet Hugh and learn about The Resilience Project - https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/
In this presentation, Hugh shares a personal experience about his sister's battles with Mental Illness.
Note: This video contains a story about an Eating Disorder that may be triggering. Please consider this before watching. For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.
We will be in touch fortnightly to share the remainder of the program, including research and wellbeing activities to integrate into day-to-day life.
Any questions regarding the Resilience Project Program can be directed to Shianne Sahariv, the school's ambassador for the program.
shianne.sahariv@cg.catholic.edu.au
In the school holidays, Madeleine 5/6S and Lillian 3/4G participated in the RSPCA Sleep Out For Strays event. The girls abandoned their beds and slept in their garage for a night in solidarity with the animals that don’t have a safe place to sleep. The girls raised over $900! What an amazing achievement for a wonderful cause.
My name is Jo, and I am happy to be back as the School Counsellor at St Michaels in 2024.
I have a psychology and counselling background and I have a great passion in working with young people. I feel it is a great privilege to be able to support them with their growth, emotions, relationships, and any other concerns they might be experiencing.
The school counselling program is a first port of call in supporting your child’s mental wellbeing within the school environment. I am able to provide short-term counselling intervention sessions over a few weeks and provide support and guidance in accessing external services if required. Feel free to touch base with any questions or concerns relating to the counselling service at your school, happy to chat through the program and the support I can offer in this role. I am at the school on a Monday each week.
If you would like to make a referral for your child, please use the link below to access the form – once the referral has been put through, I will be in touch as soon as possible.
https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form
I look forward to working with you and your school throughout 2024!
For 20 plus years, Menslink have provided free counselling to young guys throughout Canberra and the surrounding region.
If your young guy is having a hard time and could really use someone to talk to, get in touch with Menslink. Now conveniently located in Holder (with some sessions also available at Kippax & Lanyon), our wait times are currently low so we’re ready to help when he needs it.
We provide a welcoming and supportive environment for young guys to share their concerns and worries with a male counsellor who will hear them out, work alongside them and provide tips and strategies to get them through those tough times.
Our Counselling sessions are completely confidential and are available to any male aged 10-25. There are no fees or charges or limits to the number of sessions. You don’t need a mental health plan and we are available during school terms and school holidays. The only prerequisite is that he is willing to give it a try.
If you think your young guy will benefit from chatting to one of our counsellors, have a chat with them and head to www.menslink.org.au, hit the ‘Get Help’ button, fill in the form and we’ll get back to you, generally the same or next business day.
If you need more information on how to have that chat with them, just email admin@menslink.org.au or call 6287 2226.
School Sport ACT - ACT Teams Selection - Important Information
Please see the School Sport ACT webpage http://www.schoolsportaustralia.edu.au/stateterritory-school-sport-offices/school-sport-act/ or Facebook page for the most up to date information.
SCHOOL SPORT ACT TRIALS – Please keep an eye on the School Sport ACT website www.schoolsportact.asn.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 fee payment via credit card will be required.
- Go to the School Sport ACT website – www.schoolsportact.asn.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?
