Dear Families,

Staff News

We will be sad to say goodbye to the following staff at the end of this year. Each of them has served our St Michael's community with professionalism, dedication, passion, and great care for every child. We thank them for their years of service and wish them well in their new adventures.

Gabby Paul: Gabby has been a valued member of St. Michael’s for three years. She initially stepped in as our PE teacher during Sarah’s maternity leave, then took on a Year 5/6 teaching role in 2023, and this year has been with our Year 1/2 students. In 2025, she’s chosen to explore new travel and work opportunities abroad.

Indi Kuhaupt: Indi joined us from Perth in 2023 as our Administration Officer, a role she has continued through this year. She has now decided to broaden her horizons, spending 2025 traveling around Australia and then venturing overseas.

Tameka Lewis: Tameka joined us at the beginning of 2024 as one of our Year 3/4 teachers, bringing a wealth of experience from her teaching roles overseas, in the Northern Territory, and country Victoria. She has now decided to relocate to the Bellarine Peninsula to be closer to her partner.

Sarah Nicol: Our PE teacher, Sarah, will be taking maternity leave for the 2025 school year as she prepares to welcome her second child. We look forward to her return and wish her all the best during this exciting time.

St Michaels 2025 Staff

We’re in the final stages of setting up our staff and class arrangements for 2025. I look forward to sharing our 2025 staff list with you in the next newsletter.

End of Term Important Dates

As we approach the end of the school year, we encourage families to mark the following important dates on their busy calendars.

Monday 13th November - St Michael's School Sports Carnival

The Sports Carnival will be held across the road at the Flemington Oval starting at 10am and concluding at approximately 2pm. Come along and support your child and their team as they compete in a variety of fun events.

Tuesday 19th November - 2025 Prep Orientation

Our 2025 Prep children and their families will join us on this day as they begin their Orientation Program. We welcome them and wish every best wish as they join our St Michael's community.

Thursday 21st November - School Mass

On this day we celebrate a special day in our church calendar, The Presentation of Mary with mass in our St Michael's church. All children will be attending and we invite all families to join us at 10am for mass.

Friday 29th November - SCHOOL CLOSURE DAY

All day care will be available via TheirCare

St Michael's is closed on this day as our staff spend time reviewing 2024 and preparing for 2025. A new curriculum has been introduced and will be implemented in 2025. Staff will spend time getting familiar with and planning for its implementation throughout 2025.

Thursday 5th December - Christmas Carols

Details will be shared with families shortly

Tuesday 10th December - School Awards Ceremony

Details will be shared with families shortly

Wednesday 11th December - Year 6 Ceremony

Details will be shared with families shortly

Tuesday 17th December - End of School Year 1pm

Saver Plus Program

Saver Plus is a free financial education program that helps families develop positive savings habits and improve their financial skills, with the added bonus of a matched savings reward. When participants reach their savings goals, they receive up to $500 in matched funds, which can be used for essential school costs such as uniforms, books, laptops, and other education-related expenses.

Please find more details in the Community News section of this newsletter.

School Fees and Levies 2025

In consultation with our MACS Business Manager and our School Advisory Council, the School Fees and Levies have been finalised for 2025.

In a time when the cost of running a school have increased substantially, we were very conscious to ensure that any increase in fees and levies would be a reasonable one.

As you can see below:

Curriculum & Book List Levy - increase of $20
Excursion Levy - increase of $5
School Fee - increase of $100

There has been no increase to:

Camps
Capital Improvement Levy
Swimming Levy

I trust you understand the need for the increase in fees and levies, and I want to assure you that we have kept this increase as minimal as possible.

A reminder to families who are eligible to receive the Concessional Fee consideration, you must have a valid 2025 Health Care card and must reapply to receive this Concessional Fee each year.

School Saving Bonus

Late in Term 3, the Victorian State Government announced that all students in government schools would receive the $400 School Saving Bonus. This decision initially excluded families who chose to send their children to non-government schools, creating a disparity. After significant feedback, the Government has decided to extend this bonus to families in non-government schools who qualify for CSEF funds. We will share further information with these families once we receive guidance from MACS regarding distribution.

We encourage families to reach out to their local parliamentary representatives to seek clarification on why this bonus was initially limited to students in government schools, while students in Catholic schools were excluded.

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