Principal's Message

SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY TUESDAY, 10TH MARCH

STUDENTS NOT IN ATTENDANCE

STAFF INVOLVED IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING 

ALL DAY CARE AVAILABLE WITH THEIR CARE - PLEASE BOOK ONLINE

Dear Families,

Autumn is my favourite time of year in Melbourne. There is something special about the gentle change in the air, the cooler mornings, the golden light in the afternoons, and the sense of calm that seems to settle across the city.

Nothing is better than walking through one of our many beautiful parks and gardens, enjoying the changing colours of the leaves as they transform from deep green to shades of red, orange and gold. The crisp leaves underfoot and the fresh, cool breeze make even a simple walk feel restorative. It is a season that invites us to slow down, reflect, and appreciate the beauty around us.

As we come to the end of summer, we also warmly welcome our Prep children to full-time school. Throughout the month of February, they have enjoyed Wednesdays at home for a well-earned rest. This time has also provided an opportunity for our Prep staff to meet individually with each child to complete assessment sessions.

Our Preps have made an excellent start to their school life, and we look forward to watching them grow and flourish as the year unfolds.

School Advisory Council Annual General Meeting

Thank you to the parents and carers who attended our SAC AGM last night. It was pleasing to see so many families willing to give their time to support our school and help it to live out our motto of, "Good Today, Better tomorrow".

Please go to our SAC page to see the details of our SAC members.

We have included their email details for you to contact them with any questions or queries you might like them to raise on your behalf at our SAC meetings.

Cross Country Carnival

Congratulations to the following children for their excellent performance in our Cross Country Carnival. Each of them will go on to represent St Michael's in the District Cross Country event, competing against children from other Catholic and Government schools from the north west suburbs:

Amelia O'Keefe, Abigail Jugo, Sanna Ong, Lily Christian, Aria Ganad, Aurora Murphy-Robinson, Darii Kryretski, Benjamin Danny, Benjamin Escobar, Alex El-Assad, Ivan Triat, Zachary Mckenna, Evelyn Van Rensburg, Anysia Sharshun, Lucy Lockyer, Illaria Surianingrat, Elisa Uchyama, Margaux Vargus, Orlando Passmore, Oliver Folino, Saxon Brown, Jacob Ly, Aryton Ong, James Duane, Marta Rubaniak, Iman Abdul Rahman, Ari Tran, Jasmine Jones, Esther Alexander, Emmy Schulthesis, Alexxander Machot, Sebastian Hunziker, Hudson Brown, Samuel Chen, Jordan Pettigrew and Aydin Donmez.

Congratulations also to the McAuley House Team for winning our inaugural Cross Country trophy.

District Swimming Carnival

Today, 17 of our Year 3-6 children travelled to Coburg Pool to represent St Michael's in the District Swimming Carnival. We wish them well and congratulate them on taking part. Look out for an update on their performance in our next Newsletter. 

School Photos

Annual school photos will be taken on Thursday, 5th March. All children are to wear their full summer uniform, including black school shoes. If your child has PE on this day, they may bring their runners in a bag to change into. 

Orders can be placed at www.advancedlife.com.au - entering the code 8GF KY4 56L. 

Please note the ordering deadlines:

• Midnight Wednesday, 4th March for sibling photos
• Sunday, 15th March for all other photos

Bikes, Scooters, Skateboards

We encourage our children to get to school by riding bikes or scooters, but it is important to remember that they must wear a helmet at all times. Children are required to walk their bikes or scooters through the yard to the storage area. Bikes. Scooters and skateboards are not to be ridden in the school playground at any time. Please do not allow your child to bring their bike, scooter or skateboard to school unless they are riding it to school, and if so, that they are wearing a helmet which meets the Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 2063:2008

Mobile Phones and Smart Devices

A reminder to families that if your child brings a mobile phone to school, it must be handed in at the office upon arrival and collected again at the end of the day.

It’s also important to note that smart watches or other devices that can connect to the internet or be used to make or receive calls should also be handed in to the office each morning, or prevented from using the internet and making calls.

Students are not permitted to make or receive mobile phone calls, texts or messages through devices during the school day. If you need to contact your child, please do so through the school office. 

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation in helping us maintain a focused and respectful learning environment.

Local Cafe & Hot Drinks

As part of our commitment to ensuring our children’s safety, not only while they are at school, but also in the time leading up to the school day, I strongly recommend that children are not permitted to visit the local café before school without parental supervision. It is a public place, and no supervision is provided for children.

I have also noted children bringing hot drinks into the yard before school. Children who do so must sit on the playground bench to finish their drink and are not permitted to take hot drinks into the school building/classroom.

Arrival At School 

Our school gates open, and supervision of children by school staff starts at 8:30 am. Children should not arrive or be left unsupervised at the front of the school before this time. If you need to bring your child to school before 8:30 am, please remain with them until the gates open or use our Before School Care Program.

It is not the responsibility of other parents to supervise your child while they are waiting with their own children, unless you have made prior arrangements with them. Thank you for your support in maintaining a safe environment for all members of our community.

Inform & Empower

As you know, your children have been participating in incursions led by Inform and Empower to strengthen their understanding of online safety. We are now able to offer a session for parents and carers to learn how to help their children stay safe online at home. I strongly encourage you to participate in this session, as research is telling us that the place where children are most vulnerable and where they are more likely to experience abuse is online. Claire will share details with you about this session shortly via Class Dojo

Stage 2 Building Program

The Building program is continuing to progress, and as with all renovations, the end just can't come soon enough. As you can see from the photos, the building and the playground space are starting to take shape, and I can now visualise what it will look like. We are now in the process of selecting furniture and planning for the move into our new spaces.

Enrolment - Prep 2027, Year 7, 2027 and Year 7 2028

Enrolment is currently open for children commencing Prep in 2027*, Year 7, 2027 - current year 5 children, and Year 7, 2028 - current Year 6 children.

If you have a child beginning Prep in 2027 please complete the Application for Enrolment  and register for our Open Day on Wednesday, 18th March. Please share details with family, friends and neighbours with children commencing in Prep next year. 

Catholic secondary school enrolments are open for current Year 5 children. If you have a child in Grade 5 and wish for them to continue their Catholic education, please contact your preferred catholic secondary school (links in school names below) to arrange a tour, or complete an enrolment application. 

• St Aloysius
• Simonds Catholic College
• Academy of Mary Immaculate

Children in Year 6 should already have their enrolment confirmed if attending a Catholic secondary school. If you intend for your Year 6 child to attend a catholic secondary school and have not yet made an application, please do so as a matter of urgency. 

Families of Year 6 children seeking Year 7 placement at a Government/State school should visit Moving from primary to secondary school for information on state school enrolment. 

*To start Foundation (Prep) in 2027, children need to turn 5 years old by 30 April 2027. School is compulsory for children who have turned 6 years old.

Principal Pilgrimage (Just A Reminder)

I am extremely privileged to be attending a pilgrimage to Greece and Turkey with fellow principals from the North West region, walking in the footsteps of Saint Paul. I will depart on Wednesday, March 18th.

During the pilgrimage, we will retrace Paul’s missionary journeys (circa 49–50 CE), visiting significant biblical and historical sites including Philippi, Thessaloniki, Athens, Areopagus, Corinth and Ephesus.

Saint Paul is regarded as one of the most significant contributors to the New Testament and founded several early Christian communities across Greece, Turkey and parts of Europe. I look forward to deepening my faith through this experience and sharing my learnings with the St Michael’s community.

I will be on pilgrimage for the final two weeks of Term 1 and will take leave for the first two weeks of Term 2. During this time, Angela will step fully into the role of Principal.

Kind regards,

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.