From the Principal

Dear St Michael’s School families,

PRAYER

Next week is National Reconciliation Week in Australia, an opportunity for all Australians to be All In to commiting to reconciliation everyday. Let us pray together for Reconciliation among us all here in Australia and also for divided communities around the world to aim for Reconciliation.

Forgiving God,

We pray for reconciliation among all people throughout our world. 

In places where there is conflict, bring peace. 

Where there is hurt, bring healing. 

Where there is division, inspire understanding, forgiveness, and compassion. 

Help us to recognise the dignity of every person and to work together 

to build communities rooted in justice, kindness, and hope. 

Guide our hearts so that we may be instruments of unity, 

always choosing love over fear and peace over anger. 

Amen.

SACRAMENT OF EUCHARIST

Over the weekend of Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May, we will celebrate our students who are receiving the Sacrament of Eucharist for the first time. We wish the students and their families the very best for this most special occasion and welcome all families to come along and celebrate with them over the two masses. See you there!

80TH ANNIVERSARY GALA TICKETS NOW AVAILABLE

Tickets are selling fast so get in quickly.

Click on the image below to get your tickets.

EARLY BIRD - Book a table of 10 by 30 June and receive 10% off ($1,620 per table)

Excitement is continuing to build for the upcoming St Michael’s 80th Anniversary Gala Dinner, as our community comes together to celebrate this important milestone in the life of our parish and school.

We are delighted to announce Shelter Real Estate as a proud sponsor of this special event. We sincerely thank Shelter for their generous support of our school community and their contribution towards making this celebration possible.

The Gala Dinner will not only honour 80 years of faith, friendship, and education at St Michael’s, but will also raise important funds for the Biggie Project — upgrading our outdoor playground for current and future students.

See more details about the event and how you can support it on our 80th Anniversary Gala Event page!

ART OF THE WEEK

Thank you to our Year Six Arts Leaders to making the arrangements each fortnight for our Art of the Week competition.

THEME: Mother's Day

ARTWORK DUE: Thursday 28th May, to be presented at assembly on Friday 29th May

HOOP TIME

Our recent Hoop Time try-outs were a terrific showcase of motivation, teamwork, and growing skill across all year levels. Students have shown impressive eagerness, with many spending their play breaks training hard on our brand-new courts—practising drills, refining techniques, and supporting each other to improve. The level of commitment and enthusiasm has been wonderful to see, and the skills on display have been outstanding. We can’t wait to head to the event and cheer on our teams as they represent our school with pride.

We warmly welcome parents who are available to assist with coaching or team support on the day. If you are available to help, please indicate this through the form on nForma. 

Parents are also welcome to assist during the team’s allocated practice sessions. Students have been allocated times where they can practice as a team and parent helpers supporting students during training helps reinforce skills, build confidence, and ensure teams are well‑prepared for the tournament. If you are interested in helping at practice, please contact Jordan Lo Ricco (jloricco@smashburton.catholic.edu.au).

DISTRICT CROSS COUNTRY

On Tuesday this week, students from Year Three to Year Six represented our school with determination and perseverence at the District Cross Country. It was fantastic to see every child committed to doing their best—pacing themselves, pushing through the tough moments, and encouraging one another along the way. While no runners progressed to the division level this year, we are incredibly proud of the effort, resilience, and positive attitude shown by all participants. Their commitment reflects the spirit of our school, and we congratulate every student who took part. 

Thank to all the parents who were able to support the event with marshalling and for supporting your children as they took on the challenge!

NATIONAL SIMULTANEOUS STORYTIME

Next week on Wednesday 27th May, St Michael's students will take part in National Simultaneous Storytime (NSS), an annual event that celebrates the joy of reading by bringing children across Australia together to share the same picture book at the same time. Coordinated by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), the initiative promotes literacy, library use, and a love of storytelling in a fun and engaging way. Each year a new Australian picture book is selected, and at 12:00pm AEST, hundreds of thousands of students, teachers, and families read it aloud simultaneously in schools, libraries, homes, and community spaces. The event highlights the power of books to connect us and encourages all children to see themselves as enthusiastic and capable readers.

Be sure and ask your children about Luna Roo on Wednesday when you're on your way home from school!

ST MICHAEL'S KINDER KIDS SESSIONS

We look forward to all our local 3 and 4 year olds visiting us on Friday next week to join us for our Kinder Kids sessions! Get the dates on your calendar!

DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES AT ST MICHAEL'S SCHOOL

Over the past few weeks our classes have been engaging in the termly Inform and Empower Cybersafety webinars. This termly 'top-up' reminds children about how we can stay safe online and who we can talk to about any concerns that may arise. For younger children, the focus is learning about the balance between 'screen time' and 'green time' and how it's important to listen to the feelings in our bodies to recognise the warning signs when things aren't feeling right.

Our middle and senior student explore rights and responsibilities of digital citizens as well as how to build healthy relationships with devices.

Be sure to ask your child about the "Cup Challenge"!

ICAS 2026 ACADEMIC COMPETITION

GARDENING THIS WEEK

Thank you to students from Three / Four G who planted some seeds in our veggie garden this week. Our plants are slowly growing; looking forward to harvesting cauliflower, cabbage, parsley, carrots and coriander later this term! Be sure to have your gold coins ready for when we harvest!! 

PIZZA LUNCH - FRIDAY 29TH MAY

Last year a wonderful new St Michael's tradition was started; the Epic Pizza Lunch! So we have again decided its time for Pizza! The Grade 6 Graduation Committee is holding a pizza lunch fundraiser for $10 per serve on Friday 29th May. 

All orders due ASAP by Tuesday 26th May.

There are four flavours to choose from - Ham & Cheese, Margherita, Pepperoni or Plain Cheese. 

Pizzas will be delivered in time for first break, so you won't need to send lunch in that day if you order a pizza. 

A serve is a small Domino's pizza, delivered individually boxed. Plain cheese pizza is only cheese and pizza base, no tomato. We can organise gluten free options if needed.

Click here to order: https://tinyurl.com/5h25u7a8

Thanks for your support! Any questions, contact: Jo Slykerman 0400 347 149

TEETH ON WHEELS REMINDER

Friendly reminder that Teeth On Wheels will be visiting our school for dental check-ups starting on May 27th 2026.

To ensure your child is part of this visit, please complete the consent form by clicking the link below:

Complete Consent Form HERE!

Once completed, the Teeth On Wheels team will Check your child’s eligibility for FREE care under the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS). If your child is not eligible, Teeth On Wheels is offering a special deal of $125 for a full check-up, clean, fluoride treatment, and any required x-rays (which can be claimed through your private health insurance).

Important: The cut-off date for completing your child’s form is May 20th 2026.

If you have any further questions, feel free to contact the Teeth On Wheels  (03) 9338 1191.

ADVANCED PSYCHOLOGY BLOG

St Michael's School has partnered with Advanced Psychology with a psychologist working onsite weekly. This link takes you to a blog with podcasts / webinars that deal with a variety of topics which might be of interest to parents and teachers. 

https://www.advancedpsychology.net/blogs

We acknowledge the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we learn, play, pray, work and gather. 

We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and we honour the ongoing cultural, spiritual and educational contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.