From the Principal

PRAYER

All Souls Day - Tuesday 2nd November

This week we recognised All Souls Day; a day when we remember our loved ones who have passed away.

Loving God,

As we remember All Souls’ Day, 

we pause to give thanks for all those who have gone before us 

and whose lives have touched our hearts.

We remember our family members, friends and loved ones who are no longer with us. 

We give thanks for the love they shared, the memories they created 

and the ways they continue to inspire us.

May they rest in the peace of Your loving embrace, 

and may all who grieve find comfort, strength and hope in the promise of eternal life.

Help us to honour their memory by living with kindness, 

compassion and love, following the example of Jesus each day.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, 

and let perpetual light shine upon them. 

May they rest in peace. 

Amen. 

Dear St Michael’s School families,

2027 SCHOOL FEES AND LEVIES

On Monday this week, an nForma notice was sent to all families regarding the 2027 Fees and Levies schedule. As noted, the proposal has undergone the ratification process with our School Advisory Council and these are set in consultation with our school's Finance Business Partner and our regional Senior Manager from the office of the Melbourne Archdiocese of Catholic Schools (M.A.C.S.). 

I recognise that this time of year can be challenging in so many ways for families, including financially and I thank you for your continued trust in St Michael’s School and for the many ways you contribute to our wonderful community. I am grateful for the partnership we share with families and remain committed to ensuring that our school is a place where every child feels a sense of belonging and has the opportunity to flourish.

REMEMBRANCE DAY

As a school community we will recognise Remembrance Day on Wednesday 11th November at 11am through our prayer meditation. On this day we pause to honour the men and women who have served and sacrificed their lives in wars and conflicts to protect our country and the freedoms we enjoy today. We will observe one minute of silence to remember those who have died, acknowledge the courage and service of our veterans, and reflect on the importance of peace. It is an opportunity for us to show gratitude, respect and remember the sacrifices made by so many, both past and present.

Lest we forget.

ST MICHAEL'S SPORTS DAY

We look forward to our St Michael's Sports Day, to be held next Wednesday 11th November from 1.00-3.30pm on our school grounds. This is a wonderful opportunity for all students to shine, show their House spirit and enjoy a day of fun, friendship and friendly competition. We encourage as many families as possible to come along, cheer on the children and share in the excitement. We would also greatly appreciate a helping hand from family members to assist with the running of events and make the day a success. We look forward to seeing our community come together for a fantastic day!

THANK YOU to the many families who have responded to the WWC Check Notification which was issued through nForma last week (WWCC Status Check Permission form). If you are still able and keen to sign up to help with our Sports Day, you need to give permission to the school to check the status of your WWCC before the event. Please notify Jordan Lo Ricco if you wish to be a "helper" on this day (Sports Day Support form). 

Please note: Further information about the new process invovled in the WWCC clearance before volunteering for an event can be found at: https://www.vic.gov.au/working-children-connect

THE BIGGIE PROJECT

We are absolutely delighted with the incredible fundraising efforts of our school community this year, particularly the significant amount raised towards our much-anticipated Biggie redevelopment. It is wonderful to see our community working together to help bring this exciting project closer to reality!

Over the next fortnight, students will have the opportunity during their Art classes to put their creativity to work by designing their vision for a 'New Biggie'. We are keen to hear their ideas and discover what they would love to see included in their new playground. Having sought quotes for a full redevelopment over recent months, we are now at the exciting stage of bringing together the practical designs and, importantly, the children's ideas and aspirations. Obviously, our next challenge will be achieving these within our budget! There is plenty to look forward to! We encourage families to chat with their children about their playground ideas at home and encourage them to let their imaginations run wild as they bring these to life in their designs. After all, this is a playground for our students, and we want their voices to be part of shaping it!

JUNIOR GIRLS REGIONAL HOOP TIME

We congratulate the following Year Four students who have been selected to represent St Michael’s at the Regional Hoop Time Finals. This is an exciting opportunity for the students to compete against schools across the Melbourne Metropolitan Region. The girls have been training hard and are greatly looking forward to the event. Good luck girls!!

Madison Lepore

Claire Rorke

Addie Klooster

Georgie Fadeyev

Gabby Schmerl

Mia Petrovski

Henley Higgins

Elanor Wall

IMPORTANT STUDENT FREE DATES

We remind all families about some student free dates that are coming up soon.

Please ensure these dates are in your family calendars. A reminder to all families that TheirCare is available for bookings on all closure days (not public holidays) and offer a range of engaging activities. Full or part days are an option. 

MONDAY 23RD NOVEMBER - SCHOOL CLOSURE - Time in Lieu acquittal

TUESDAY 24TH NOVEMBER - SCHOOL CLOSURE - Staff professional learning day

PLANNING FOR 2027

As many will be aware, we are now fully in planning mode for the 2027 school year with the many considerations this requires. I am sure you can appreciate that this is something the staff spend a great deal of time and energy in doing. Placement of students into classes takes many weeks of consideration, professional discussion and deliberation with the following in mind:

• The social and academic distribution of the children within the same level across classes
• A gender balance in each class
• Children’s friendship groupings and their individual needs
• Specific placement of siblings and children with individual needs, inclusive of emotional, learning, physical and behavioural needs
• The social needs of children including the working relationships of all children and the desired separation of children who do not have a positive social or learning influence on each other
• An awareness of teachers in the previous academic year.

As you can appreciate, a significant amount of time and care goes into these arrangements. We are aware that some parents may have valid reasons to have input into the placement of their children for the forthcoming year. 

Should there be numerous requests from parents then the ability for staff to make positive and professional judgements for the best learning environments for our classes is compromised.  Given this, if parents have any relevant information that you believe is essential to the grade placement process, I invite you to make contact with Eloise Ellis eelliss@smashburton.catholic.edu.au or myself, Annie Herbison aherbison@smashburton.catholic.edu.au to share your thoughts for the 2027 school year.  We will evaluate all requests and make a professional judgement on the placement of the child in question. Please note that the final decision must rest with the school in the interests of providing the best scenario for all students. 

PREP 2027 TRANSITION PROGRAM

It was fabulous to see our 2027 Preps join us again this morning for their second Prep Transition session. They entered the school with excitement and delight today and were eagerly looking forward to meeting the Year 5 students who led them so capably last time. I think the Year 5 students were just as eager to see their little friends again too!!

REMINDER: NEXT ENHANCEMENT SESSION

A reminder to all our families that our next school enhancement session will take place on Friday 13th November, 5.00-7.00pm (NEXT WEEK). A form has been issued through nForma so please fill this in via the app. Please come and join us, even if it's only for an hour, we would love to see you. Our focus for this enhancement session will be some clearing of garden refuse, some painting, and cleaning of windows. See you there!

ANNUAL ST MICHAEL'S CAROLS EVENT

It seems like it's forever away but our annual Carols is just around the corner!!

Please keep the date free and please invite family members to join us in the St Michael's Chruch from 5pm for the Carols and directly afterwards for a BBQ and picnic on our school grounds.

Thursday 10th December

5pm

St Michael's Church

Picnic and BBQ to follow

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.