CLOSURE DAY - Wednesday 29th July

STAFF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING - Team Teach

ALL DAY CARE AVAILABLE WITH THEIR CARE

Dear Families,

Welcome back to Term 3. I hope the holiday break provided your family with an opportunity to rest, recharge and enjoy some quality time together. We are looking forward to another exciting term of learning, growth and community at St Michael's.

As many of you are aware, Mr Damien Murray will commence as Principal of St Michael's in Week 4 of this term. Damien joins our community as an experienced Catholic educator and leader who is passionate about fostering strong relationships, high-quality learning and thriving school communities. Over the coming weeks he will be getting to know our students, families and staff, and I know our community will extend to him the warm St Michael's welcome for which we are so well known.

As I prepare to return to my substantive role as Deputy Principal, I would like to sincerely thank our students, families and staff for the encouragement, trust and support you have shown me during my time as Acting Principal. It has been a privilege to lead St Michael's over the past months, and I have been continually inspired by the kindness, resilience and generosity that define our community. I look forward to continuing to work alongside you in my Deputy Principal role as we support Damien and continue building on the wonderful work taking place at our school.

I wish all of our families a happy and successful Term 3.

Staff Professional Learning – School Closure Day (Wednesday 29 July)

On Wednesday 29 July, St Michael's staff will participate in a full day of professional learning in Team Teach.

Team Teach is an internationally recognised approach to supporting children and young people through positive relationships, effective communication and proactive behaviour support. The training focuses on understanding that behaviour is a form of communication and equips staff with practical strategies to prevent, de-escalate and respond safely to situations where a student may become distressed or dysregulated. The emphasis is always on building trusting relationships, reducing anxiety and creating safe, supportive learning environments, with physical intervention considered only as a last resort when required to keep everyone safe.

This professional learning aligns with St Michael's commitment to fostering an inclusive school where every child feels safe, respected and supported to learn. By developing a shared understanding and consistent approach across our staff, we strengthen our ability to respond calmly, compassionately and effectively to the diverse needs of our students.

We appreciate your support as our staff continue to build their knowledge and skills to provide the very best learning environment for all students.

Swimming Program – Parent Action Required

Our annual swimming program will commence shortly, and we ask all families to please complete the permission and medical information on nForma as soon as possible to allow your child to participate. There is also a paper form from the swim school, sent home with students, that needs to be returned asap.

Swimming and water safety are an important part of the Australian Curriculum and are strongly promoted by governments and water safety organisations across Australia. As a nation surrounded by water, developing confidence and competence in and around aquatic environments is an essential life skill for every child.

Participation in the swimming program is an expectation for all students unless there is a medical reason preventing attendance. The program has been incorporated into the school's fee structure, so there is no additional cost to families.

Thank you for completing the nForma consent promptly to ensure we can finalise arrangements for this valuable learning opportunity.

STAFF NEWS

Celebrating Wonderful News

It is with great joy that I share some wonderful news from our St Michael's community. Georgia Foley and her partner, Daniel, are expecting their first child later this year

Georgia will commence her maternity leave towards the end of Term 4. We know you will join us in congratulating Georgia and Daniel as they prepare to welcome their little one, and we wish them every happiness as they begin this exciting new chapter of parenthood.

A Joyful Arrival

We are delighted to share some wonderful news from our St Michael's family. Hang and Stephen have welcomed a beautiful baby boy, Noah.

Hang has shared that Noah "is just a blessing from God to our family." We know our school community will join us in congratulating Hang and Stephen on the arrival of their precious son.

Please keep Hang, Stephen and baby Noah in your thoughts and prayers as they embrace this wonderful new chapter together. We wish them every blessing as they enjoy this special time as a family.

Australia's Best Teachers Campaign

Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools are again partners in the Australia’s Best Teacher Campaign.

Our teachers are extremely dedicated and passionate about their work, and they spend a great deal of time outside of school hours preparing thoughtful and inspiring lessons for your child to engage with. I encourage you to recognise their exceptional work by taking this opportunity to nominate them for this award.

Australia’s Best Teachers – nomination form

Please take a few minutes to nominate your favourite St Michael's Teacher!

Building Update

We are delighted to share that our new Music Room is now complete and in use. A sincere thank you to Stacey, who worked tirelessly, along with several generous colleagues, to relocate resources and prepare the space for our students. It is a wonderful addition to our learning environment, and we are excited to see it come to life through music and creativity.

The power upgrade works are expected to be completed within the coming weeks, with our new playground scheduled for installation before the end of the term. This week also marked our final site meeting, with builders now focusing on addressing the remaining minor defects.

It has been wonderful to see these projects come to fruition. We are incredibly proud of how our school is evolving and are pleased to provide our students with contemporary, engaging spaces in which to learn, create and play.

Kind regards,

Angela Flint

Acting 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.

Student Awards