This week, Pat Ellis is attending the Annual CE Principal's Retreat in Bowral. Any issues or concerns, please contact me directly. 

Keys for Learning – Explore

This week, the students at St Michael’s will be breaking open the final of our five Keys for Learning: Explore. The ‘Explore’ key focuses on having our students develop a strong understanding of their sense of self, in order to help form deep connections with Jesus, their spirituality and special people at home and at school. The 'Explore' key will also break open the importance of prayer and look at different types of prayer and how we can live more prayerful lives.

Once this week has concluded, the five keys will be embedded into all classroom practice and students will be encouraged to use the keys to unlock their learning and acquire new skills and knowledge. 

Book Fair - next week

Next week, beginning on Tuesday 10 March, St Michael’s will have its annual Book Fair. All students will be taken through the Book Fair as a part of their library lessons and the fair will be open to students and families to purchase new books and stationery. The Book Fair will be open Tuesday-Friday every morning between 8.20-8.50am and afternoons between 3-4pm. 

The more support that is shown to our school, the more credit that we receive to buy new and exciting recourses. Please come and support our wonderful school.

Sustainability Update 

The Sustainability Action Team, along with Mia and Alan Taylor have had a busy and productive summer in Miss Jordan’s Garden. New plants are starting to flourish and the greenhouse is clean and ready for learning. All classes will begin to timetable in lessons in which students will be able to germinate new seeds, feed the fish, check temperatures and log on to solar panels to see how much energy has been saved.

We are continued to be blessed with this magnificent resource in our school and are able to provide our students with very unique and hands on learning experiences. St Michael’s continued push to be a sustainable and environmentally friendly school is alive and well and with new initiatives being planned by staff and students, we are very excited about the future.  

Thank you for all of the support that has been shown with the greenhouse and our mission of sustainability.

PRNs

Below is a link to a survey regarding our parent representative network. We are seeking information about the most effective way to run this in the future and to see if there are changes that can be made in order to be more effective with the delivering of information from classes to parents and families. Please fill out the survey below, to enable us to gather as much information as possible in order to make an informed decision about the best way to move forward. More information will follow about PRNs in the future and the best structure for our school. 

Kind regards, 

Damien Webb

Assistant Principal

Religious Education Curriculum

3/4  begin to work with Scripture

Last Thursday students in 3/4 had the opportunity to explore the first Creation Story and after planting their ‘intentions’ had some big questions to ask. They learned that the Creation accounts are based on the ancient Hebrew understanding of Cosmology which is, of course, different to our modern understandings. They believed that the earth was flat with 4 corners; an expanse or ‘firmament’ also called heaven separated the waters below the earth from the waters above; the sun, moon and stars moved about in heaven; the earth was supported on pillars, ‘Sheol’ (abode of the dead) was a pit under the earth. With scientific exploration we now know differently but it helps us understand the Creation story better in context. Ask 3/4 students about the images they looked at.

1/2 are coming to know who Jesus is 

Religious Life of St Michael’s School Community

Prayer Bags

Prayer bags are coming home to support family prayer time. Enjoy the opportunity to contribute your own family traditions or special prayers to our books of prayers and reflect on those already in the books. Please return these at the end of the week so others can join in this activity.

Ash Wednesday & Lent

A reminder that the Stations of the Cross are prayed every Friday throughout Lent, in St Michael’s Church from 7:00pm. Maybe this is your opportunity to reconnect with Catholic traditions?

Project Compassion

Swimming Carnival - Winning House

Congratulation to the Green Crocodiles who yesterday morning were awarded the swimming trophy for winning our 2020 Swimming Carnival!  It was lovely to present the ribbons to so many children across the school for their great efforts.  The Belconnen Region team will be finalised next week and all competitors will be notified.

Basketball Clinics

The clinics commenced yesterday with more happening tomorrow.  The clinics will run until the end of this Term.  We were fortunate to have two professional players lead our clinics for our students.

Red Gum Book Fair  - Next Week

10th -14th March

Our first Book Fair for 2020 will take place in Week 6. The Book Fair will be open before and after school each day from 8:20-8:50am and 3:00-4:00pm. We would love your support as this is the major fundraiser for our library and allows us to purchase new material throughout the course of the year. 

Henri Matisse- The King of Colour

In 1889 Henri came down with appendicitis. During his recovery his mother got him some art supplies for something to do. He fell in love with painting and art.

Matisse was intrigued by the power of colour. He painted his first masterpiece in 1897. It was called The Dinner Table.

Fauvism – ‘Fauve’ means wild beast in French

In the early 1900s Matisse developed a new style. A critic said his artworks were like ‘fauves’. The name Fauves stuck for artists who used a lot of bright, bold colours to express their emotions.

Paper Cut-outs of whimsical shapes and vibrant colours

In his later years, Matisse was confined to a wheelchair so he began to experiment with cut-outs. He would cut out coloured paper and make collages. He released a book of these cut-outs called Jazz that was very popular. The book was about the Circus and contained lively paper acrobats, clowns and animals.

He even covered his walls in cut-outs, he arranged and rearranged them until he was satisfied with the composition.

Step into the colourful world of Henri Matisse and his magnificent paper cut-outs in this biography by acclaimed picture book creator Jeanette Winter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9atTgTpUa4

MSP Photography will be taking our school photos on Friday 27th March.  Envelopes went home with your children on Monday and need to be returned to the Front

Office before photo day.  If you would like sibling photos taken, please see the Front Office for an envelope.

If your child will be away on photo day and you would still like their individual photo taken, please contact the Front Office for a list of schools and dates in our area for you to pop in and have their photo taken.

Congratulations to the following children who have achieved a Harmony Award in Week 5 and will receive their award this Friday at morning gathering (weather permitting).  

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

Cameron KL, Matilda 5/6K & Dylan 5/6F

We hope you have a great day!!

DANCECORE -  Dance classes are held on Wednesday’s at recess in the school hall, forms are available at the Front Office. 
Contact Cassie 0417 442 750 (NO CLASSES FOR TERM 1)

CHESS -  Chess classes are held in C Block on Tuesday’s at recess, forms are available at the Front Office.  Contact Sydney Academy of Chess 9745 1170

GUITAR - Guitar lessons with Sam on Thursday's, please contact
Sam on 0408 196 855

PIANO - Piano Lessons with Mary-Liz on Mondays & Tuesdays,
please contact Mary-Liz on 0413 425 753

DRAMA  -  Drama classes are being held on Wednesdays at lunchtime, please contact Elizabeth McIntosh if you are interested on 0408 620 899

SCHOOL BANKING  -  Banking day is Thursday, please leave your books at the Front Office.

REDGUM Book Club -  Redgum Book club runs four times a year.  If you have any queries, contact Mrs Monro or Mrs Hardwicke.

Grace-Lenten Program 2020

The parish will be offering Lenten Groups again during Lent.  The program we will use is called GRACE and is published by the Diocese of Wollongong.  It is perfect for both group or individual reflection.  The daily reflections and Gospel reading (Ash Wednesday 26 February to Easter Sunday 12 April) are accompanied by beautiful artworks.  We hope to offer two evenings (one at Kaleen and one at Evatt) in the parish meeting rooms.  The room at St Monica’s is available on Wednesday night only.  Everyone is welcome to join a group.  Sign-On sheets, indicating your preference, have been placed in the foyer of both churches.  The booklet cost is $5.00 and may be purchased from the church.

The digital book is now available for $69.99 and is regularly updated with new offers.

Please click on the link below to order your 2020 Entertainment Book.

https://www.entertainment.com.au/orderbooks/232g38