Dear Families,

There will be a school closure day on TUESDAY 11TH MARCH. On this day, all St Michael's Staff will attend a Professional Learning Day focusing on Faith Formation. There will be NO school for children, and our office will be closed. Our Parish Priest will lead part of the day, focusing on learning about The Year of Jubilee and preparing us for our Lenten time and the Easter Holy Week. During the day, staff will also deepen their understanding and knowledge of the charism of our Mercy Sisters. I look forward to sharing what we have learned.

If you require care for your child on this day, please contact THEIRCARE

to make a booking with their all-day program

Toni Williams

Saturday, March 1st, marks one year since the passing of Toni Williams. Toni was a deeply valued and beloved Learning Support Officer at St Michael’s for over a decade. She dedicated herself wholeheartedly to supporting the children in their learning, always striving to help them engage and grow. She understood the power of nurturing relationships and had a deep love for the students, staff, and families of St Michael’s.

We keep Toni, her family, and all who loved her in our prayers, hoping they have found comfort in cherishing her memory throughout the year.

May she rest peacefully in the loving embrace of God.

Pope Francis

The Holy See Press Office informed journalists on Wednesday morning that Pope Francis had another good night at Rome's Gemelli Hospital and continues to rest, as his condition remains critical but stable while receiving treatment for double pneumonia.

We continue to keep our much-loved Pope in our prayers.

St Michael's School Open Day

Our Open Day will be held on Wednesday, March 19th. This is a wonderful opportunity for families considering St Michael’s to see our school in action, especially those looking to enrol their child in Prep for the 2026 school year.

If you know family or friends searching for a school for their child, please encourage them to register via our website.

For families with a child starting Prep in 2026, we kindly ask you to complete an enrolment form on our website to secure a place—we would hate for you to miss out!

Welcome BBQ

Our Welcome BBQ last week was a fantastic evening, and everyone enjoyed it! The sausages were a crowd favourite, as were the Zooper Doopers and refreshing drinks. It was wonderful to see families reconnecting with old friends and warmly welcoming new ones. Picnic blankets were spread out, treats were shared, and laughter filled the air, creating a true sense of community.

We look forward to more opportunities for families to come together, strengthening our shared commitment to our motto: Where I Am Known.

Please enjoy some photos from the evening in the General News section of this newsletter.

School Advisory Committee

Last night, our School Advisory Council's Annual General Meeting was held, and we had many parents attend. At this meeting, we shared information about how our school performed across all areas. Our Chair of the Committee will share a report with you all via our next newsletter, where all contact details for the SAC members will be shared. If you would like any issues or questions raised by them at our next meeting, please feel free to contact one of them.

I look forward to working closely with our 2025 SAC throughout 2025.

Parent & Friends Group

As a community, we all enjoy coming together to celebrate special events such as our Welcome BBQ, Mother's Day, and Father's Day and also raising money to support our school through fundraisers such as the Easter Raffle, Hot Cross Bun Drive, special food days, Mother's and Father's Day Stalls and the Colour Run.

For such events to occur, we must have active Parents who are not only willing to help out on these days but are also willing to be a key part of the organisation. Unfortunately, our staff will not be able to lead such events in the future, so I am asking families to seriously consider being a part of a P&F group that will lead such tasks with the support of school staff.

Interested parents and friends are invited to attend a meeting on Wednesday, March 5th at 9am. If you are unable to attend this meeting but want to be an active member of this group, please leave your name with Sam or Michelle in our office.

To be a member of this group, you must have a Working With Children's Check. Please find the link to this application below.

https://service.vic.gov.au/services/working-with-children

Beginning of Day Start Time

Our school day officially begins at 8:45 am. Between 8:45 am and 8:55 am, our educators take attendance and guide students through the daily schedule and preparatory activities to set them up for successful learning.

To ensure a smooth start, children now line up at 8:40 am and move into their classrooms, ready to begin at 8:45 am. Students are not marked late until 8:55 am. Our gates close at 8:50 am, after which entry must be through the office.

Stage 2 Building - Tender Meeting

Our building project has now gone out to tender, attracting interest from multiple building companies who have inspected our school to assess the scope of work and submit competitive quotes.

Next week, I will meet with MACS consultants and our architects from ClarkeHopkinsClarke to review the tender applications and begin the process of appointing the successful builder.

NCCD Information

The Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD) is an Australian government initiative that helps schools access disability funding and support for students with additional needs.

What is the NCCD?

The NCCD is a process where schools collect information about students with disabilities to ensure they receive the support they need. It helps the government determine funding for schools to support students with disabilities. Each year, schools report data on students who receive adjustments due to disability. This includes:

- The level of support a student needs (e.g., supplementary, substantial, or extensive).

- The type of adjustments provided (e.g., extra time in exams, modified curriculum, assistive technology).

- The evidence supporting the need for adjustments (e.g., teacher observations, medical reports, learning plans).

The funding provided through the NCCD is used by schools to hire additional support staff, provide specialised learning resources, and offer professional development for teachers.

You will find an information sheet in the General News Section of this newsletter that provides further information to help you understand the data collection process.

Rare Diseases fundraiser

Today, our students and staff came together to raise funds for Rare Disease Day, which takes place on February 27th -28th.

This year, our school has chosen to support this important cause as it holds a special place in our hearts. Stephanie Raymond, our Year 1/2 teacher, recently received the heartbreaking news that her daughter, Mila, has been diagnosed with Infantile Neuroaxonal Dystrophy (INAD), a rare neurological disease. Mila is one of the few children known to have this diagnosis.

As a community, we stand with Steph and her family during this incredibly difficult time and ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Today, we raised $273 to support this charity, and we are grateful for everyone's generosity and kindness.

Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday, 5th March, marks the beginning of our Lenten period.

Our school will mark this day with Mass at 10am for our Year 3-6 children and with an Ash Wednesday liturgy for our Year 1&2 children at 12.30pm. Families are more than welcome at both of these ceremonies. Ash Wednesday for our Prep children will be marked with a prayer service in the Adoration Chapel at 12pm.

NAPLAN

NAPLAN assessments take place from 12th-24th March for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. The areas assessed are Reading, Writing, Language Conventions (Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation), and Mathematics. Families with children in these levels will receive more information next week with more details.

Student News

This week, we are excited to introduce the new Student News Section in our newsletter!

This section will feature articles written by our Student Leadership Team, as well as highlights of student achievements beyond the school community.

In our first edition, we celebrate the outstanding achievement of Ajdin Cosic (Year 6) -congratulations, Ajdin!

If your child has celebrated a great achievement in one of their passion areas outside of school, please let us know so we can all celebrate along with them.

Denise Hussey

(Principal)

'The most simple thing I can do is to be good today but better tomorrow'

Catherine McAuley - Mercy Sisters Foundress

All students attending St Michael's Primary School have the right to feel safe. The care, safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility of all within our school.

Learning News