Dear Parents and Carers,

🙏Farewell to Father Curran: A Blessing to St Michael's🙏

Last Friday, the St Michael's school community gathered for our end-of-year Mass, which was also a heartfelt occasion to farewell our beloved Parish Priest, Father Curran.

Since 2018, Fr Curran has served the St Michael's Parish with immense dedication and we have been incredibly blessed by his presence and spiritual leadership. His time with us has enriched the lives of countless students, staff and parishioners.

We extend our deepest gratitude to Fr Curran and wish him all the very best for a safe and happy retirement.

Fr Curran will officially depart from St Michael’s Parish in the first week of January as he prepares to settle in West Tamworth.

Following the Mass, staff, students, parents and parishioners joined together for a special morning tea reception. It was a wonderful opportunity to share memories and gratitude as Fr Curran cut his retirement cake, marking the beginning of this new chapter in his life.

🏆Celebrating Student Success at Our Annual Presentation Evening🏆

What a fantastic night! On Monday evening, the Manilla Central High School hall was filled with excitement for our annual Presentation Evening. It was a true celebration of the dedication and hard work shown by our students this year.

We are proud that every student was recognised for their efforts and received an award. The evening also highlighted excellence with academic awards presented in both English and Mathematics across every grade level, as well as the special presentation of the Christian Excellence Award across all grades. Congratulations to all our award recipients!

St Michael’s End of Year Awards

Award Name	Description	Recipient
Year 6 Dux	Highest academic achievement in Year 6.	Jasper
Jereme Doust Memorial Shield	Awarded to a Kinder or Year 1 student for effort and enthusiasm.	Mason
Cathy Vincent Memorial Shield	Recognises a Year 5 or 6 student who "always lets their light shine."	Miller
Father Curran Award	Awarded to a K-6 student who consistently displays Christian Values.	Joe
Chad Memorial Award	Awarded to a Year 3-6 student who consistently gives their best effort.	Sriyan
Manilla RSL Sub-branch Bursary	A $250.00 bursary for a Year 6 student who consistently does their best.	Michael
Manilla Services Club Bursary	A $300.00 bursary for a Year 5 or 6 student showing growth in leadership.	Alice Yr 5
Citizenship Award	Presented to a student who is a fabulous role model for all.	Alice Yr 5
St Vincent de Paul Youth Social Justice	Recognises a committed Mini Vinnies member with a sense of social justice.	Max C

Annual Sport Awards

Category	Recipient
Junior Boy Champion	Joe
Junior Girl Champion	Evie
11 Year Boy Champion	Michael
11 Year Girl Champion	Georgia
Senior Boy Champion	Jack K
Senior Girl Champion	Makayla

Academic Excellence in English

This year, we were delighted to present medals for Academic Excellence in English to a group of students who have demonstrated outstanding literacy skills and a passion for learning. Congratulations to:

Aodhan
Piper
Mason
Max C
Alexander
Kahlani
Alice Yr 5
Michael

Celebrating Excellence in Mathematics

We are thrilled to acknowledge the students who have demonstrated exceptional problem-solving skills, logical reasoning, and a dedicated commitment to their studies in numeracy this year.

The following students were awarded a medal for Academic Excellence in Mathematics:

Liam
Piper
Mason
Max H
Oliver H
Alice Yr 4
Lillian
Jasper

Congratulations to these students for their hard work and for achieving such a high standard in this core subject area.

Honouring Christian Excellence

A core part of our mission at St Michael’s is to walk in the footsteps of Christ, showing kindness, compassion, and integrity in all that we do. We are proud to recognise the students who consistently model these values and contribute to the spiritual life of our school.

The following students were awarded a medal for Christian Excellence:

Bodhii
Dusty
Eadie
Stella
Poppy
Arianah
Georgia
Jack K

We congratulate these recipients for their wonderful witness to our faith and for being such positive examples to their peers.

Staffing Announcement | 2026 Academic Year

We are pleased to share our dedicated staff team for 2026. We look forward to another year of excellence in learning and community.

School Leadership & Specialists

Parish Priest: Fr Damien Locke
Principal: Bronwyn Underwood
Assistant Principal / REC: Jacquelene Cronin
Assistant Principal: Cathy Shepherd
Inclusion Support / Mini Michael’s: Amanda McNair
Leader of Pedagogy / Mathematics Specialist: Leah Summerell

Classroom Teachers

Class / Grade	Staff Member(s)
Kindergarten / Year 1	Leah Downes (with Ellie Davis until 13/03/2026)
Year 2/3 Blue	Hanri Crafford (with Cassandra Lyall until 13/03/2026)
Year 2/3 Gold	Emma Martin (Mon - Thu) & Bronwyn Underwood (Fri)
Year 4	Jacquelene Cronin (Mon - Tue) & Cathy Shepherd (Wed - Fri)
Year 5 / 6	Holly Murphy
RFF Teacher	Bronwyn Underwood

Aboriginal and Learning Support

Aboriginal Education Assistants: Renae Catlett, Ashlen Vaisey, Breanna Todd
Education Assistants: Kristie Mitchell, Michelle Paull, Belinda Williams, Belinda McNeill, Kate Holden

School Services and Administration

Library Assistant: Kate Holden
Administration: Bronwyn Newton, Kristie Mitchell
Groundsperson: Bernard Klasen
Cleaning: Sue Byrnes (Admin Building) & JOSS Group (Classroom Buildings)

Fond Farewells and Future Beginnings

As the school year comes to a close, we find ourselves saying goodbye to some very special members of our St Michael’s family.

We wish our Year 6 graduating class all the very best as they embark on their next adventure in secondary school. They have been wonderful leaders and role models and we look forward to hearing of their future successes. Congratulations to:

Jack
Jasper
Zandah
Beau
Michael

We also say a fond farewell to Charlie in Year 1, who will be relocating to Coolac, a rural area in the Riverina region near Gundagai. Charlie, we wish you and your family a smooth transition to your new home and school. You will be missed!

Whether you are heading off to high school or moving to a new town, please know that you always have a place in the hearts of the St Michael’s community.

Staff Farewells

As we look toward the new year, we also share some bittersweet goodbyes with two valued members of our team.

I would like to express my sincere thanks to Amanda Scott for her incredible contribution to St Michael’s during Term 4. I have especially loved working with Amanda and wish her all the very best as she transitions to St Nicholas, Tamworth, as their new Assistant Principal.

Sadly, we also bid Isabella Rasche farewell as she heads off to St Edward’s, Tamworth. I have had the pleasure of knowing "Bella" since she commenced Kindergarten at St Joseph’s, Taree, in 2003. I was delighted when I was appointed to Manilla and discovered she was on staff here!

I wish both of these ladies all the best for their futures and hope they have cherished their time with us at St Michael’s as much as we have valued having them.

A Message of Appreciation

Finally, I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our parents and carers. Your ongoing support, and the trust you place in us to educate your children, is very much appreciated. It is the strength of our partnership with you that makes our school community so special.

On behalf of the staff at St Michael’s, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday period. We hope you enjoy this time with family and friends, and we look forward to a fabulous 2026!

Merry Christmas

Bronwyn

St Michael's Primary School, Manilla

'Let Your Light Shine'

Issue 19 · 18 Dec 2025

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