Dear Families,

It is with great pleasure that I welcome all our families to our 2023 school year.

I hope you all had a restful summer break and you had many opportunities to enjoy fun times with your family and friends. Whatever you did, I hope you experienced great joy and happiness and have returned to school ready for the exciting year ahead.

Our children have returned to school with great enthusiasm and it has been wonderful seeing them catching up with their friends and teachers. They were especially excited to be able to use our new building and to check out our new rooftop playground. Over the next few weeks, each year level will have the opportunity to spend playtime exploring our new spaces. The children were especially excited to play in our new sandpit, it certainly was the place to be!

The beginning of the school year is not only a busy time but also a very exciting time for all of us. Our staff has been preparing their classrooms for the return of the children. They eagerly met their children today and have begun the year enjoying fun activities that will develop positive relationships so they can ensure they can grow and develop throughout the year. Our children are beginning to settle into the routines of their new classrooms with their teachers and classmates. Learning goals will be set, expectations will be explained and learning will begin resulting in a positive ‘buzz’ at our school, bringing such joy to our staff. We are indeed privileged to do the work we do. Thank you to our families for the faith and trust you each continue to place in us to care, teach, guide and nurture your children.

Our St Michael’s school motto is ‘I Am Known’.

At St Michael’s we strive to know each child and to nurture their growth into passionate learners but more importantly kind and caring citizens of our community. Working together with each family will allow our teachers to know each child, so I encourage you to connect with your child’s teacher and share with them any information about your child that you believe will assist them in ensuring your child is known. and work alongside your child’s teacher

I would like to welcome our new families and staff members and hope that you soon feel as though you belong to our school community and are familiar with our routines and expectations. We all look forward to developing positive partnerships with you all. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask your child’s teacher or the administration staff.

Our Prep children have settled into the routine of school. They have been incredible in the way they are adapting to the challenges that school is presenting them with! They came to school on their first day very excited and quickly met new friends. I thank our Prep parents for the way you prepared your child to begin their schooling in such a calm and positive manner.

We welcome the following new staff who have joined us in 2023

Lisa Hood - Deputy Principal & Learning & Teaching Leader

Lyn Nelson - Diversity Leader

Lucinda Goring- Prep

Emily Lyle - Year 3/4

Billy De-La-Warr - Physical Education & Yr 2FS (Tuesday)

Cheryl Dwyer - New Arrivals Teacher

Ashleigh Burton - LSO

Nadera Qaqoz - LSO

Indigo Kuhaupt - Administration

We welcome back Kate Johnston from Parental Leave.

Morning and Afternoon Routines

Our gates open at 8.30am and our children will line up in their class groups at 8.45am and then walk to their classrooms. On Monday mornings, all children will line up on the basketball court and on other days Yr 5/6 & Yr 2 will line up in the new undercroft and all other classes will line up on the basketball court.

We ask that children do not arrive at school prior to 8.30am. If children are at school before 8.00am you will need to enrol them in our Before School Hours Program.

Our school gates are locked at 8.50am. After this time all children will need to enter through the front office and will receive a late pass. Arriving on time for school is very important, so we ask that you assist your child with their morning routine to ensure they are punctual. Families that are regularly late will be called to a meeting with the Principal.

Pick Up and Drop Off/ Parking

We all know that parking around our school is extremely limited, therefore I ask you to be considerate of others and only park in the designated spaces. Cars that line up along the street are doing so illegally and may receive a parking fine.

I ask you all to use the children’s crossing when crossing the road, especially when using the middle carpark spaces.

A good idea is to park in the next street and walk to and from school with your child, alternatively, you can arrive anytime up to 3.45pm as all children are supervised by a teacher until then.

Bikes & Scooters

Children are encouraged to ride bikes or scooters to school but they must wear a helmet when doing so. There are bike racks under the new building and the best way to access these is via the Flemington Rd gates.

Absences

If your children are absent from school due to illness you are asked to contact the school via the Operoo app and complete the Student Absentee Form or leave a message on the school phone. Please do not send this information to your child’s teacher via ClassDojo.

COVID 19

Our school is still required to implement important practices to reduce the risk of COVID 19 transmission. At St Michael’s air purifiers will still be used. Classroom doors and windows will be opened to allow airflow. Children will be encouraged to wash their hands and sanitiser will be available in each classroom. Our tables will be regularly cleaned.

RATS tests will no longer be distributed to families. If your child is not well or showing symptoms, please keep them at home until they recover. We will call parents to collect their child if they present with a cold, temperature, or feeling unwell if they are at school and you are required to collect them within 30 minutes

If your child tests positive please inform us. We no longer have to let the school community know if a child tests positive.

If your child has been ill with vomiting or diarrhea they cannot return to school until 24 hours after the last episode of illness.

Positive Behaviour For Learning - PBL

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL), is a comprehensive integrated whole school approach to student wellbeing and behaviour. It brings together our whole school community to contribute to developing a positive, safe, and supportive learning culture. PBL at St Michael’s assists us to improve our children’s social, emotional, behavioural, and academic outcomes. Our children are clear about our values, their expectations, and follow up rewards or consequences.

At St Michael’s we have four values;

I am Respectful
I am Responsible
I am a Learner
I am Safe

During Term 1 we are focusing on being Respectful.

One way we can do this is to greet people each day by using their name, looking at them, and asking them, “How are you?” As your child enters the school and their classroom each day teachers will be greeting them by name, with the expectation that the children respond appropriately. Maybe you could have a conversation with your child about how they greet people respectfully both at school and at home.

Term 1 Calendar

I ask that you keep up to date with the school calendar which is available in our fortnightly newsletter and on our website.

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.

Prayer

Third Sunday of Advent