From the Principal

PRAYER

Creator God,

We thank you for the beautiful gift of Creation —

for the earth beneath our feet,

the skies above us,the oceans, 

rivers and forests,

and all the creatures with whom we share our world.

During this Season of Creation,

help us to see the beauty of your handiwork

and to recognise our responsibility to care for it.

Teach us to be grateful for what we have,

to use the gifts of our earth wisely,

and to make choices that protect and nurture our common home.

May we be people of hope and action,working together to care for our environment

and leaving our world a better place for those who come after us.

May we always remember that Creation is a precious gift from you,and that we are called to be its faithful stewards.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Dear St Michael’s School families,

ST MICHAEL'S BIENNIAL ART SHOW

Last week, our school community came together to celebrate our wonderful Biennial Art Show. It was fantastic to see the Hub transformed into a bright, colourful and exciting gallery showcasing the creativity and imagination of our students.

Students from across the school proudly displayed an incredible range of artworks and creations. Each piece reflected the enthusiasm, individuality and effort of our young artists, and it was wonderful to see families enjoying the displays and celebrating the students’ achievements together.

A very special thank you goes to Ms Fary for her dedication in supporting the students with their artwork and for coordinating the enormous task of setting up and displaying all of the amazing pieces. Her hard work and creativity helped make the Art Show such a special event.

We would also like to sincerely thank the many parents who generously gave their time to assist with setting up the displays and packing everything away at the conclusion of the show. Your support was greatly appreciated.

The Art Show was a wonderful celebration of our students’ creativity, imagination and artistic talents, and a very special event for our whole school community.

ART OF THE WEEK

Thank you to our Year Six Arts Leaders for making the arrangements each fortnight for our Art of the Week competition.

THEME: Famous Artists/Art Pieces 

ARTWORK DUE:  Thursday 17th September to be presented at assembly on Friday 18th September.

Prep - Two Melbourne Zoo Excursion

On Monday, our Prep–Year 2 students enjoyed a wonderful day at the Melbourne Zoo. The children loved seeing the many animals, with the beautiful Butterfly House being a particular highlight!

This excursion was a fantastic way to conclude their Science Biology unit, where students have been learning about animals and their habitats. It provided a valuable opportunity to bring their classroom learning to life through a fun and engaging immersion experience.

A big thank you to our teachers for organising the day, and to our parent helpers and Learning Support Officers for their wonderful support.

Boorondara Leader's Day

On Monday, our Year 5/6 students attended the Boroondara Leaders' Day in Hawthorn. Students participated in three workshops focused on developing their leadership skills: Communication and Confidence-Based Leadership exploring public speaking, active listening and interpersonal communication

Collaborative Team Challenges developing skills in teamwork, conflict resolution, negotiation and problem-solving

Storytelling for Change exploring how storytelling can engage others, build understanding and inspire positive action.

Students enjoyed the opportunity to work in mixed groups with students from other schools and put their leadership and teamwork skills into practice throughout the day. It was a valuable opportunity for our students to learn from others, build confidence and further develop their understanding of what it means to be a positive leader.

Salesian College Debating Workshop

A group of our Year 5 students recently attended Salesian College for an engaging debating workshop led by Salesian College alumni. Students learnt how to prepare for a debate, including developing affirmative and negative arguments and using rebuttals effectively. They put their new skills into practice by debating whether primary school students should have homework. The students also enjoyed some well-earned free time on the Salesian football oval, making the most of the sunshine during their breaks!

80TH ANNIVERSARY GALA

It's getting closer and we are all growing with excitement! Check out our 80th Anniversary Gala page for news on what to do to be ready; our Wine Wall; and our next DONUT DAY fundraiser!

DISTRICT ATHLETICS

Our Year 3–6 students who qualified for the District Athletics Day recently represented our school with great enthusiasm and determination. Students competed across a range of track and field events and should be very proud of their efforts and achievements. It was wonderful to see everyone encouraging one another, showing great sportsmanship and giving each event their very best.

Congratulations to all of our competitors on a fantastic day and for representing our school so proudly! An extra special congratulations to the five students who have progressed to Division:

Elyse Arsenis - Shot put

Dominic Jones - High Jump

Max Deschepper - Discus

Edward Betros - Shot-put 

MANDARIN LESSONS

Our lovely Lily Luo, Mandarin teacher, will be taking Tuesdays as Long Service Leave on Tuesdays for the remainder of 2026. Mandarin classes on Tuesdays (Year Five/Six and Year One/Two classes) will be taken by Miss Katrina Balzat for these last two weeks of term and by a new Mandarin teacher, Ms Eva Wang, during Term Four. Ms Wang comes to us with a great deal of experience in teaching Mandarin at both the primary and secondary levels. She has many stories to share and will be a wonderful addition to our staff team.

We wish Miss Luo a wonderful rest on her well deserved LSL time away.

FOOTY COLOURS FRIDAY - 18TH SEPTEMBER

On Friday 18th September, all students are invited to be part of Footy Colours Day! 

Do you need to have a footy team? NO! 

Wear the colours of ANY of your sports favourite team, or a scarf, beanie, whatever!! There will be a kicking competition during the day for anyone to join and a Footy Colours parade in the afternoon.

MACSSIS SURVEYS

A significant and formal way in which we engage and gather data is through MACSSIS, the Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools – School Improvement Surveys. Information about the MACSSIS surveys has been sent home to you in previous newsletters. Over the next three weeks, students in Years Four to Six will undertake these online surveys which gives us valuable information and data about many aspects of our school and what areas we can look to improve.

The portal opened on Monday this week and all families will have received the survey, as well as staff. If you haven't located it yet in your emails, look out for an email from ORIMA research which will contain the link to access the survey.  Your login details will be sent in a separate email from our school. MACSSIS is a key data source so please take the time to complete the survey so that the thoughts and opinions of our whole school community can be used in guiding the ongoing work to improve our school. Some information about what is collected is listed here in the table below.

PLANNING FOR 2027

As we begin planning for the 2027 school year, it is important that we have the most up-to-date information regarding student enrolments for next year.  By gaining an indication of student numbers for the 2027 we can set overall class structures, forecast staffing allocations and negotiate with the school's finance partner our 2027 school year budget figures.

I therefore ask that you please email me at principal@smashburton.catholic.edu.au if your child will not be returning to St Michael’s School in 2027.  Parents are also welcome to make time to meet with me in the coming weeks.  

Thank you for your assistance in helping us plan effectively for the year ahead.

GRADUATION SAVE THE DATE!

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we learn, play, pray, work and gather. 

We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and we honour the ongoing cultural, spiritual and educational contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.