I have just spent the last week reading all 194 Student Reports for Semester 2. I would like to thank the classroom teachers for the countless hours taken to form these reports. I was pleased, now in my second year at St Michael's and knowing all the students more, that the reports I read I feel reflect their growth and development over the course of the second half of this year. 

I am extremely proud of the school I am fortunate to lead, a school which embraces each child, their needs, their strengths, their abilities, their differences and their voice. Much of what we implement and do at St Michael's comes directly from feedback from our students. So, to every 194 students we have at present in our care, thank you!

Whilst no formal parent-teacher interviews occur at the end of the year, please feel free to contact your child's class teacher directly should you wish to sit down and discuss anything from this year. Reports will come home with students on Monday 9 December. 

We have been busy over the last two weeks forming Classes for 2020. Whilst this is nearly complete, students and families will have to wait until the last day of term. There is a significant amount of work that goes on behind the scene to transition students. This includes teachers meeting with each other, visiting classrooms of their future students and looking closer at each child's journey this year and what is needed for 2020. 

There has been a bit of discussion in the media lately regarding class requests from parents at schools. Whilst I was happy to receive any specific parent requests for class placement, I am pleased that the St Michael's community, respect us and trust that the decisions we make are the best educational decisions for their child/ren.

Students will find out their new teacher and classmates for 2020 on the last day of school during 'step up'. This will occur just before lunch. As mentioned previously, class lists will no longer be posted on the library windows, instead, I would encourage you to talk to your child about their new class when they arrive home on the last day.

A reminder that if your child will be absent on the last day of school and you would like to be notified of your child's class teacher for 2020, you are asked to let Lisa know in the Front Office. She will email these parents after school on the last day. 

A reminder that THURSDAY 19th December is the last day of school for 2019, school resumes for all students on Monday 3rd February 2020.

K-2 Swimming has begun this week. I was fortunate to head to the pool with them on Monday. Whilst the first day always presents a few administrative issues, I am pleased with the program and the engagement of students. 

Tomorrow afternoon and Friday morning, our hall will be open displaying St Michael's Archies. This art show will display student artwork from throughout the year. Thanks to Mrs McKeough for her leadership in this area. 

Tuesday 10 December we will hold our 2019 Giving Mass. Our last whole school Mass of the year. We will present St Vincent de Paul with their Christmas Hampers. Please continue to bring in non-perishable items to donate to these hampers.

Tonight, the last Community Council meeting will occur for 2019. We have had another successful year which is evident through the results of our annual survey. Overwhelming results that parents feel connected and involved in the school life. Our Community Council play a big part in that. I would like to thank each member for the time, energy and passion displayed this year. 

I am pleased to let everyone know that Jariah Education Centre has recently installed the water tank from the funds we raised at JumpFest. A huge thanks to the St Michael's School Community and Canberra Jumping Castles, along with our sponsors. Please see the latest newsletter from Jariah Education Centre. 

Final touches are coming together for our Christmas Carols night happening on Monday 9 December. Please pray for good weather. We have sourced the services of Alex, The Pizza Guy and the Gelato Limo. Both companies will be selling products on the night. Alex, The Pizza Guy will be selling 4 types of pizza (10 inch pizzas) for $15 each along with soft drinks. The Gelato Limo will also be attending and selling gelato. These items will be ready to buy from 6pm. Of course, you can bring your own food on the night if you would rather. Alcoholic drinks are permitted in moderation only.

Each grade will be leading us in singing two Christmas Carols beginning at approx. 6.15pm. We will have little breaks in-between each grade performance.

The Community Council will also be holding a Cake Store to raise funds for Companion House at this time of year. Companion House is a community based organisation who work with adults and children who have sought safety in Australia from persecution, torture and war related trauma. We need the help of our parents and community to fill our stall with delicious goodies!

We ask that you please bring in either…

- Something that can be sold in individual portions on the night (slices, cookies, cupcakes, cut-up cakes etc.) OR 

- Something that is packaged up as a Christmas treat to take home or gift (jars filled with cookies, Christmas cakes, packages of rocky road etc.)

All items can be brought to school on Monday or given directly to the stall on the night.

So, come along, anytime from 5.45pm in the Tuckshop area (in the event of bad weather, we can move into the hall like last year....fingers crossed for great weather this time, the forecast is looking good at the moment), bring a couple of drinks and get into the festive spirit as a community.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Just a reminder about treating each other respectfully in the carpark. We have had a couple of incidents the last fortnight where assumptions are made by parents about everyone knowing what to do. Please be aware that we have new families who are still learning about where to park and where to drop off, parents trying to drop off whilst babies are sleeping in the car, students who will not get out of the car without some help etc, lots of things happening that people aren't aware of. Please look out for each other and help each other out. If there is an issue happening in the carpark that you are upset about, it would be most appropriate to come and see me about it so I can follow up. 

Please don't forget to complete the Before School Care survey by Friday this week (6 December). As mentioned, the current early before school arrangement in the library from 8am-8.20am was only a short term measure while we explore more formal Before School Care options and will not continue to operate long term. The need for formal Before School Care is needed from 7.30am. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/H7SS7QW

A reminder for our Year 6 Graduation Liturgy (Tuesday 17 December) and Dinner which is fast approaching. Notes have gone home with students.  Thank you to those families that have already returned them. Our Graduation Liturgy starts at 5.30pm in the Church. This a lovely tradition of farewelling our Year 6 students as a Catholic community in Prayer. Following the Liturgy, we will make our way down to the school for a celebration dinner. At the dinner, Graduation certificates will be presented along with the Year 6 photostory. 

Our Year 6 Final Assembly will occur next week (Friday 13 December) at 12.40pm. During this assembly our Year 6 Awards will be presented (those parents have been notified already), presentation of Maths Olympiad certificates and awards and a final Year 6 item. Unfortunately our K-2 students will be at swimming during this time (a clash in dates) however, our Year 6 students will be able to present their final assembly item to the our infants students the following week. 

Unsung Hero - Leadership Award

A reminder to vote for Damien who has been shortlisted for the EducationHQ Unsung Hero Leadership Award. Damien goes above and beyond, particularly with leading Sustainability at St Michael's. There were hundreds of nominations, so for Damien to be one of 5 shortlisted is a massive achievement. In order for Damien to get across the line and take out the award, he needs your vote. Please click the link below to vote. Share with others and spread the word. The link is also on our Facebook site. Good luck Damien!

https://educationhq.com/unsung-heroes/unsung-heroes-leader-vote/

Please ensure that your 2019 school fees are paid up to date before the end of the year. Also, if you are currently paying school fees by Direct Debit, please see Lisa in the Front Office to increase your debit to ensure you cover the total amount before the end of 2020. 

Enjoy the week ahead. 

Kind regards,

Pat Ellis

Principal

Advent Whole School Prayer Time

Thank you to Mrs McCann and 1/2M for your beautiful Whole School Prayer on Monday. Next week 1/2W will lead us in prayer as we prepare for the third week of Advent which will be held on Monday 9 December directly after morning assembly. All families are warmly invited to join the whole school in our prayer preparations for the coming of Jesus at Christmas. In Week 10 Kindergarten will lead us in our final Whole School Prayer Time on Monday 16 December.

St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hampers

We are still gathering food and drink to be given to St Vincent de Paul for Christmas Hampers for local families in need. All gifts of non-perishable food/drink can be sent to your child’s class for storage until our Giving Mass on Tuesday 10 December. Our local St Vincent de Paul people have asked for food items as a priority please rather than toys and gifts. Thank you in advance for your generous support of our local families in need of a little extra at Christmas.  

Giving Mass

Come celebrate the wonderful year that was 2019 with the whole school on Tuesday 10 December from 9:30am in our St Michael’s Church. We will also be presenting representatives from our local St Vincent de Paul Society with the wonderful donations of food and drink for Christmas Hampers.

Light Ceremony

Our Year 6 Student Leaders will participate in a special prayer ritual of passing on the light to the current Year 5 students as a symbol of handing on the leadership role for 2020. This special prayer Liturgy will take place in St Michael’s Church on Monday 16 December at 1:00pm. All families are welcome to share in this special ceremony with the whole school.

Graduation Liturgy

Our Year 6 students and their families will be celebrating a special Graduation Liturgy on Tuesday 17December from 5.30pm in our St Michael’s Church. Please keep the Year 6 students and their families in your prayers as they prepare for celebrating this special milestone.

Triathlon ACT

Please visit the Triathlon ACT website https://bit.ly/37zIzhO to find out more about their upcoming events. Early bird entry is now open for the 2020 Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon. There are great resources and an opportunity to score awesome prizes for our school - definitely worth checking out! 

Tennis

Tennis ACT are looking for students who are interested in being part of the  BALLKID SQUAD FOR THE APIS CANBERRA INTERNATIONAL 6-12 JANUARY 2020. Please see the attached flyer if you are interested. ACT Tennis will host a range of come and try sessions after school leading up to the event.

Sporting School Holiday Programs

From time to time we are notified of sport-based school holiday programs or activities. We will place flyers for these programs on the display board in the courtyard (immediately to your right as you enter the courtyard).

If your child has interest in a specific sport, information about holiday programs can also be found on the webpages of local sports groups or by contacting the sports directly.

Save the Date – St Michael’s 2020 Swimming Carnival

Our carnival will be held on Tuesday 25^th February at Gungahlin Leisure Centre.

K-2 Swimming Program 

All classes in K-2 have started their two week program, the swimming lessons are at Gungahlin Leisure Centre between 12.30 and 1pm. The children have been having a wonderful time with lots of learning happening. 

School Sport ACT Trials

Please check the School Sport ACT website https://www.schoolsportact.asn.au/ for information about current and upcoming trials.  The process for registration can be found in the School Sport section below.

End of Year Borrowing & Returns

Thank you to all those students that have returned their books.  We ask that all library books be returned by this Friday as this will greatly assist us with stocktaking during Weeks 9 & 10.  If you have misplaced any books, please contact erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au so they can be deleted from student accounts.

Congratulations to the following children who have achieved a Harmony Award in Week 8 and will receive their award this Friday at morning gathering (weather permitting).

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

Evie KL, Katija 3/4YM, Caitlin 5/6FW, Landon 1/2W, Tayla 5/6FW, Ryan 1/2F, Jemima 5/6FW & Natasha 3/4YM

We hope you have a great day!!

There are lost property items on the bench going into B Block. Please check items if you are missing something.  All unclaimed items will be disposed of at the end of Term.

Please ensure that your children's belongings are clearly labelled at all times.  As the weather has warmed up, there are still quite a few jumpers discarded in the playground and unclaimed at the end of the day, please remind your child/ren to collect them at the end of playtime. 

Lunch Orders are to be placed by MIDNIGHT on Wednesday night. 

This is the last fortnight of Empire Catering servicing our canteen.

As of 2020 - we will hold special lunch order days (Week 3 & 8 each term). More information to follow at the start of next year.  

Playgroup is held on Wednesdays in Weeks 2 to 9 from 9am till 10.30am in the School Hall. It is for children aged 0-5 and their parents/carers.  Please contact Kylie Arena or Lisa Monro on 62414022 for any enquires. 

Changes to School Sport ACT

From the commencement of this year there will no longer be Belconnen Region level trials for specific sports. To replace the regional level completion, many sports are holding gala days for schools to attend. We will enter teams in these gala days where there is student interest. The pathway for selection to an ACT sporting team is through trials offered in the same way as they have been previously. Please see the information below in relation to the process of registering your child for ACT trials on the School Sport ACT website.

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 $5 fee payment via credit card will be required.

1. Go to the School Sport ACT website – schoolsportact.asn.au
2. Click Register (top right corner of homepage) for an Account – enter parent details and password
3. 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.
4. Click Log In (top right hand corner of home page) enter password then click on top tab My Profile
5. You will see a ‘dashboard’ of your information, click green box to Add Student – enter student and medical details and save.
6. Go to the Sports Tab – choose your specific sport, click on Trial Information box then click on the Register to Trial link.
7. 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?
8. Make the $5 credit card payment then click to register.
9. An automated email will then be sent to your Principal/School Approver for their approval to trial (no need to take anything to school for the Principal to sign).
10. You will be able to see the process has been complete back in My Profile – once your Principal/School Approver has completed the approval process your child’s information will be collated onto a list for the Team Manager and Coach prior to trial.
11. Note the registration process closes two days before the first trial date to allow sufficient time for approval and sharing of collated information.

Looking forward to another big year of sporting participation,

Erin Hardwicke
erin.hardwicke@cg.catholic.edu.au