From the Principal

Dear St Michael’s School families,

We wish all our families a happy, safe and restful break over the next two weeks.

PRAYER

Feast of John the Baptist

Yesterday was the Feast of John the Baptist, a special messenger sent by God to prepare people for Jesus. He told people to turn back to God and live with love and kindness. John baptised Jesus in the Jordan River and helped others recognise that Jesus was God’s Son.

Loving God,

we thank You for the example of St John the Baptist,

who listened to Your call and prepared the way for Jesus.

Help us to be brave and faithful like John,

sharing kindness, truth and joy with others each day.

May we always use our words and actionsto point others towards Your love.

Bless our school community

and help us grow as followers of Jesus.

Amen.

STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY - FRIDAY 31ST JULY

A reminder to all our families that our school will be closed on this date so that our staff can participate in one of our professional learning days. On this day, our focus will be on Christian Meditation through the example shown by Mary Mackillop. Please note that TheirCare will be providing care on this day for children.

HOMEWORK POLICY

After extensive research and consultation with staff and our School Advisory Council, the Leadership Team has developed an updated Homework Policy, which will come into effect at the beginning of Term 3. This has been a thoughtful process over several months, with careful consideration given to creating a homework approach that supports all students while also being manageable for families at home.

Over the coming weeks, I encourage you to take some time to read through the policy and discuss with your child how homework will be approached in your home. As outlined in the policy, homework will be checked by classroom teachers on either a weekly or fortnightly basis, although it may not always be formally marked. Parent support remains an important part of this process, particularly in helping children establish when, where and how homework will be completed. Developing these routines and habits will support students in building responsibility, organisation and commitment to their learning as they grow.

Please speak to your child's classroom teacher about any questions or concerns regarding homework at our upcoming Parent / Teacher / Child Learning Conversations.

KINDER KIDS SESSION

A special thank you to Caitlin O'Donnell and Eloise Ellis for leading last Friday's Kinder Kids session. It was wonderful to see our pre-schoolers arrive at St Michael's full of excitement and enthusiasm as they joined our Year 5 students for a morning of fun and learning. Together, they enjoyed a range of engaging games and puzzles before gathering in our beautiful library to share a story. The joy, confidence and connections on display highlighted the strong sense of community that makes St Michael's such a welcoming place for these young learners. We look forward to welcoming our Kinder Kids back again soon!

YEAR THREE / FOUR INCURSION

Yesterday, our Year Three/Four students participated in the 'Mind and Body' incursion presented by Supreme Incursions. The program provided valuable links to the wellbeing learning that students have been exploring throughout this semester.

The incursion demonstrated how calmness and stillness can enhance attention and mental clarity. Through a teacher-guided program, students engaged in breathing techniques, relaxation activities and basic poses designed to support emotional regulation, concentration, strength, coordination and flexibility. A variety of activities allowed students to explore strategies that worked best for them while encouraging them to try new experiences.

The program also focused on recognising emotions, building healthy relationships and promoting overall wellbeing. A unique feature of the incursion was the use of silent headphones, which created a calm and immersive environment for students to fully engage in the breathing and relaxation activities. Guided instructions and soothing music were delivered directly to each student, helping to enhance focus and minimise distractions. The personalised experience allowed students to adjust their own volume levels, making it particularly beneficial for those who preferred a quieter atmosphere.

As students explored mindfulness practices and movement activities, they were able to immerse themselves in the moment, fostering greater emotional regulation and an increased sense of wellbeing. It was a valuable and enjoyable experience for all involved.

YEAR THREE / FOUR HOOP TIME

Our Year Three/Four students took part in Hoop Time this week and brought fantastic energy to every game. From the first tip‑off to the final siren, they showed growing confidence, teamwork and a willingness to give their best against a range of schools.

One of the standout moments of the day was the effort of our Three / Four All Star Girls team, who progressed all the way to the grand final. They played with determination, supported one another throughout the day and finished as admirable runners‑up — a wonderful achievement for the team.

All of our students represented the school with pride, showing great sportsmanship and encouragement for their teammates. A big thank you to the parents who helped with training during playbreaks, and to Mr Lo Ricco for organising and supporting the event.

PARENT / TEACHER / CHILD CONVERSATIONS TERM THREE

A reminder to please ensure you have this date in your calendar:

Wednesday 29th July, from 1.30pm 

School will finish on this day at 1pm and child minding will be available at TheirCare should you need. 

Students will attend the beginning of the meeting for up to five minutes, during which time they will take part in the discussion about their learning for Terms Three and Four. Following this, parents will have at least five minutes of time with the teacher alone for further discussion.

BOOK THROUGH NFORMA NOW 

REMINDER: STUDENT LEARNING PORTFOLIOS

On Friday 26th June (TOMORROW) your child's Learning Portfolio will be sent home, which has the writing piece from Term One that you have already seen. This term the student learning portfolio will also contain two more work samples to show your child's learning:

• A writing sample from Term Two  - this sample will be accompanied by an assessment rubric indicating the areas in which the work demonstrates achievement below, at, or above the expected standard. A reminder that this is only one piece of writing from earlier in the term and may not fully reflect the Semester One Report Progression Point (dot point).
• A Maths sample from Term Two - this will be one example of your child completing a Maths task from some time during this term. It will contain teacher feedback about the finished piece of work. Again, this one sample will not be fully reflective of your child’s Semester One Report Progression Point (dot point).

The learning portfolio will be accompanied by an updated letter. We ask parents to please take time to read through the letter as it details what to expect from the work samples. As the year progresses we will increase the number of student work samples that will go home.

FRIDAY 26TH JUNE - WORLD CUP DAY

Tomorrow, 26 June, we wish to take the opportunity to celebrate World Cup Day. This is an opportunity to join in the World Cup festivities and finish the term on a high. We welcome students to come to school on the final day of term dressed in the colours of their chosen country if they wish. This could be their country of origin or the country they are supporting in the World Cup. On this day we may watch some of the Australia v Paraguay match and we'll look to hold fun, class-based shoot-outs during the day.

CONGRATULATIONS LEO CASSE

Congratulations to Leo Casse (5/6G) on achieving 2nd Place at a recent Le Mans Driver Academy go-karting race. Competing as one of the youngest drivers in his category, Leo delivered an outstanding performance to secure a well-deserved podium finish. 

Well done, Leo!"

BOOK WEEK 2026

This year the Children's Book Council of Australia's (CBCA) Book Week Theme is Symphony of Stories. This wonderful image has been specially created for Book Week by author, illustrator and composer, Matt Ottley. At St Michael's School, we will hold our Book Week Parade on Monday 24th August, 9am and we invite children to come dressed as any book character they would like. Our focus for Book Week is always for children to delve deeply into the books and characters that they love and hopefully learn a little about other children's interests as well.

BOOK CLUB ORGANISER

St Michael's is incredibly grateful to Therese Molnar for the donation of her time and effort to Book Club. Her passion for reading and desire to make it such an exciting time for our children shone through in all she did. Thank you Therese!

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: Extinct Animals

ARTWORK DUE:  TODAY to be presented at assembly TOMORROW

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.