From the Principal

Dear Parents and Carers

Please note that weekly Parish mass times will now be located each week on our School Hours / Timetable page in our newsletter. 

Prayer

"Dear God, 

On this Ash Wednesday, help us remember that we are loved by You. 

As we receive ashes on our foreheads, may we be reminded of Your love and forgiveness. 

Guide us throughout this Lenten season to grow closer to You and to others. 

Give us the strength to make good choices and to be kind to one another. 

We pray for all those in need, that they may feel Your presence and find comfort. 

Thank you for always being with us. 

Amen." 

Inform & Empower Digital Technologies Information Session - TONIGHT

We look forward to welcoming you to our parent information session being held tonight from 7pm in the Hub. This is an important session for all parents to have vital information about how we can keep our children safe online and what to look out for. Only one parent needs to attend the session and child minding is available if you have no other option for care for your children. See you there!

Year Three-Six Student Devices

TOMORROW, chromebooks for students in Years Three to Six will be available for collection by parents.

Collection period: from 2.30-4.30pm 

Where: Blackbox Theatre (top floor of the Learning Centre)

What if I can't get there?: Email your child’s classroom teacher before this Friday to give permission for him / her to collect it

Please be aware that the Digital Technology Parent & Student Agreement will need to be signed on Operoo before devices are collected. Parents also need to have attended the Inform & Empower information session or have notified of inattendance and you will be sent the online module.

Please assist your child with a central, safe storage place in your home where the device can be charged each night. Students need to bring devices to school charged each day.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SESSION:

Along with the Inform & Empower Information session which is being held tonight, we invite parents to join us at one of the following two sessions where we will share further details about St Michael's Personal Device Program and having devices at home. This is only if you need to ask questions and gain clarity about having chromebooks come home this year, as it's the first time we are doing this. It is not a requirement that you attend one of these sessions, they are purely to support you if you need:

Monday 19th February, 2.30pm in the school hub 

OR

Monday 19th February, 6.30pm ONLINE

No registration required, please just attend one session that suits you. An online link will be sent on Operoo on Monday.

Year Sixes

What an exciting afternoon we had last week when our Year six students received their leadership badges and were surprised with their Rugby Tops too!  This is a highly anticipated event for our Year Six students as they have matured to the top of their Primary School years and take on the responsibility of leadership of their fellow students.

A special thank you to Shelly Davies and Cheryl Tan for their ongoing efforts to support our community with sourcing and supplying uniforms. We consult with Shelly and Cheryl each year about new designs for the Rugby Tops, as well as with the students to ascertain which designs they prefer. We did well this year everyone!! They look amazing!

Year 3-6 Swimming Carnival

On Monday this week, despite the heat, our Year Three to Six students participated in the annual Swimming Carnival at the Ashburton Pool and Recreation Centre. The heat was not going to deter our swimmers on this day! It was fabulous to see so many students move out of their comfort zone and have a go at the various events. There were cheers in abundance at those who glided through events to finish first as well as students who persevered to the end of their race behind their peers. There were many proud moments to savour on the day!

Thank you to the many parents who assisted with marshalling the events on the day and many who came to spectate. We cannot run these events without the commitment and support of our parent community. A special thank you to Therese Molnar for organising zooper doopers for the children upon their return to school. 

Pancake Tuesday

Our Pancake Tuesday breakfast was a hit again this year with people arriving nice and early. We busily mixed the batter on Monday afternoon in readiness for the 'chefs' to do their best at ladling and flipping pancakes on the BBQ.  As I walked among the families there were lots of "mmmms" and "yums" that could be heard. They were much needed carbs after the exertion of the previous day's swimming.

Thank you to the PFA who arrived early to assist the staff in cooking the pancakes. Your support was greatly appreciated!!

Chess & Digimaker Clubs

Did your child miss out on one of these Clubs for this term??

If so, we wish to give priority to families who missed the first round of these after school clubs for the next time they are available.

Please email principal@smashburton.catholic.edu.au if you would like your child to access one of these afterschool clubs next time. Make sure you let me know which club!

St Michael's School Library

We have commenced our library sessions last week with the classroom teachers taking their students to the library. Our focus in the library is for teachers to share literature with their students, either related to their learning in class, or engaging in genre study or an author study. We hope to share a broad range of literature with our students in these sessions and encourage them to read widely and share reading experiences and ideas with their peers. 

Our school library will be open on Monday afternoons from 3.10-3.30pm for parents to visit with their children.

We are in need of helpers for book covering. If you have time, inclination and the skill in covering books, you can collect a bag of books with contact from the school office and return them to the office when they are done.

GIDSSA Swimming Event

Many of our students qualified for the Glen Iris District School Sports Association Swimming event being held next Monday 19th February at Harold Holt Pool. The event commences from 9.30am and students are required to be at school at their usual time, to be transported by bus to the pool. Families have been notified if their children were successful in this event. We look forward to another exciting day at the pool!

School Photo Day - 19th March

Just a reminder to all families that our school photo day is only a few weeks away. Classes are taken one by one so there are no set times for class or individual photos. We ask that you please ensure your children are dressed in their full Summer uniform on this day, with proper school shoes and long hair tied back. If your children have PE on this day, they may bring their runners to school for their lesson. There will be no running club held on this day.

School Dates

Please check the Term Dates page as more dates for Term 2 have been added

Sunscreen

As you would be aware, we require our children to wear hats throughout terms One and Four. We strongly encourage play in the shade on warmer days and we encourage our children to drink water for rehydration. Another important practice at this time of the year is applying sunscreen. We will now have basic standard sunscreen in classrooms which students will be encouraged to apply as they head out to playtime, which supports children to get into the practice as they grow up. 

As we know, some people's skin is very sensitive to sunscreen! Therefore we ask, should this be the case with your child, that you please send your own sunscreen for your child's use or apply it yourself before coming to school. Please email your child's class teacher by Monday 12th February so we are aware of children who shouldn't use regular sunscreen.

Due to OHS regulations, staff will not apply sunscreen to your child. They will be encouraged to spread it on their arms, face and back of their neck on their own. We understand that most kinders and childcare centres are using this practice so many children will already be accustomed to this.

Parent / Teacher / Student Conversations

On Thursday 29th February we will be holding our Parent / Teacher / Student Conversations. The main purpose of this first meeting of the year is for parents to meet their child's teacher for you to share any important information you have with them. We have held "Handover" meetings with your child's 2023 teacher, however there still may be some information you wish to share. The teacher can share with you how your child has settled into the class in these first few weeks. Students may wish to share some thoughts about what areas they would like / need to develop in their learning this year. 

You will notice that Specialist staff (Mandarin, Physical Ed etc) have not been allocated time slots. If there is something you wish to share this early in the year with a specialist staff member, please email them directly or you may email me and I will forward your email.

On this day, please note that all classes conclude at 12.00 noon so that 'Conversations' can commence from 12.30pm and will finish by 7pm.

Tennis lessons and our Chess after school program will continue on this day so we ask that you please don't book 'Conversations' with your children's class teachers during these times if they are involved in these activities. 

School Crossings

Thank you to our parents for making use of the school crossings which help our children to understand the safety of these measures in our community. Please be mindful when you are crossing to wait for the crossing supervisor to blow the whistle before moving across for the safety of everyone.

Pick up & Parking - Important

We ask parents and carers to please be aware of some of our Pick-Up and Parking procedures:

• The St Michael's Church carpark is available before and after school for parking.
• Please be mindful of parking restrictions on Victory Bld and Morotai Ave. Some areas are for short stays only and please don't park close to the crossing.
• The Drop Off / Pick Up area on Morotai Avenue is NOT for parking. Please do not leave your vehicle in that section. Please be mindful of parking inspectors in this area.
• Please do not drive onto the top courts after school for pick up to ensure the safety of students and parents walking out the gate onto the street.
• Please remind your children to wait with the teachers on after school duty until you have arrived to collect them. Children should not be waiting for parents on the biggie or any part of the playground after school. Parents remaining with their children are welcome to take them for a play - please always remain there to supervise your child.

We appreciate that we are getting back into routine and thank you for your patience and understanding of these procedures.

SCHOOL FEES & LEVIES - 2024

The Annual Fee & Levy invoice for 2024 has been sent out to all families this week via the office baskets with your eldest child. (Please contact the office if you have not received your copy.)Your payment options include fortnightly, monthly, 4 x term payments or payment in full by 28th March 2024.  

We encourage all families to return the completed Payment Commitment Options form to the office as soon as possible.  Please contact Kathy Muhllechner if you would like to arrange an alternative payment plan.

CAMPS, SPORTS & EXCURSION FUND (CSEF)

Families who hold a current Centrelink Card may be entitled to the CSEF payment of $150 per child per annum.  Please contact the school office by Friday 16th February for a current CSEF form.  We will need a copy your current card for our records.

M.A.C.S. CONCESSIONAL FEE DISCOUNT

Families may apply for a MACS Concessional Fee Discount if they hold a current eligible Healthcare Card or a DVA Gold Card.  Families must apply for this discount using the MACS School Fee Concession Application form.  You must bring your valid Healthcare Card/DVA Gold Card into the office to be eligible for this discount.  Families can only obtain this discount if a Direct Debit Plan is established.

CHILD SAFE PRACTICES - Working with Children Checks 

St Michael’s School is committed to providing a child safe environment and takes active steps to ensure any person authorised to conduct ‘child connected works’ does not pose a risk to their safety or welfare. To achieve this, the school implements screening processes, including Working With Children Checks (WWCC), to assess and verify their suitability. 

St Michael’s School ensures that non-teaching staff, contractors, volunteers and visitors are of suitable character and do not have a relevant criminal record that poses an unjustifiable risk to children. 

Teaching Staff & Casual Relief Teachers who are registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT) undergo criminal record checks via their annual registration.

Parents wishing to assist with any of our school activities will need to have a valid Working With Children Check. If you do not have one yet, or if it needs renewing, please visit the Service Victoria website for information.

Hands on Music

Hands On Music is a company St Michael's has been using for some time.  If you wish for your child to learn an instrument this year, please make contact with Jen Capon via email: handsonmusic.j@gmail.com or phone: 0402 910 330

Class Reps and WhatsApp groups for 2024:

As informed in December, every class has a WhatsApp group set up, with thanks to the organisation of the Parents and Friends Association. Please see the links below. We strongly urge you to join your class WhatsApp group, so you can be sure of knowing what is going on.

Each class needs a class rep or two. This important role is the link between the PFA and each class. The main task is to organise and manage a class kitty which covers the teacher's birthday present and Christmas present. If interested, please contact Therese Molnar on 0417.014.772 or via therese.molnar@gmail.com 

Prep 2024: please contact Charlotte Jones on 0431.321.775 if you haven't already joined the group, which was advertised at the Prep information session.

Mrs Erica Cremer Prep Blue:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/J8wnPWVNQMF7TVN72PSQFv

Miss Ally Panas Prep Green:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/J8wnPWVNQMF7TVN72PSQFv

Whole Prep Group:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/CJFJyMImZZ7EOjzUmwotFN

Mrs Lampe's 1/2 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/HC9fTePBBKEGyPdOlJZACP

Miss O'Donnell's 1/2 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/E7pQOXhpy9p2p2YzYb26Pg 

Mr Stent's 1/2 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/DE0t0uIB5z137onLOIRyNp

Ms Balzat and Miss Ann's 3/4 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/FMT6mFh2YQ9LICwzQG19PG

Mrs Harding and Mrs Hedley's 3/4 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/F97XrdW3XSM53uTpoVzpoy

Mrs Imbriano's 3/4 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/GiszikWr8fSDjt8gehl0Qa

Mr Hickey's 5/6 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/I3HbW5rsiRYJESo21NXYCK

Miss Casey's 5/6 class:

https://chat.whatsapp.com/LdDY5mMkLQ1IR5BDxSnm6s

St Michael's Cake Stall

We continue to need helpers on the Cake Stall at the Ashburton Festival on Sunday 25th February. If you're able to assist OR help with some other needs on this day, please see the details in our St Michael's PFA News page.

Final Day of Term 1

Thursday 28th March (Holy Thursday) is our final day of term 1. In order that we can accrue some hours for Time in Lieu (T.I.L.) for the staff, we will be closing at 12.30 on this day. Many of you will be aware that in 2023 a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement was made to address the heavy workload in the teaching profession. So that teachers can be present for the various events we hold throughout the year (eg Sunday liturgies, Twilight Sports, Information nights, Sacramental events, Parent / Teacher interviews, camp etc) we need to provide them with T.I.L. to make up for some of these additional hours they do. 

Given that 28th March is the start of the Easter weekend, we hope that by choosing this day to close early, when many families seek to go away and it leads into the school holidays, it will be less of a disruption to families. We have given notice to Extend that we will be closing early on this day so please make contact with them should you need childcare for the afternoon.

2024 T.I.L. and Closure Days this year:

For your personal diaries and calendars, the following days will be either Staff Professional Learning days or Closure Days to replace Time in Lieu for 2024:

• Wednesday 20th March - Staff Professional Learning - Positive Behaviour for Learning
• Thursday 28th March - School closes at 12.30 noon (T.I.L. hours)
• Friday 26th April - School closed all day (T.I.L. hours)
• Monday 4th November - School closed all day (T.I.L. hours)
• Tuesday 26th November - Staff Professional Learning - Religious Education & Inquiry Learning
• Final School Day for 2024 for students - Wednesday 18th December - TO BE CONFIRMED