From the Principal

Please note that weekly Parish mass times will now be located each week on our School Hours / Timetable page in our newsletter. 

Prayer 

A Prayer for Advent: Preparing Our Hearts for Christ’s Coming

Heavenly Creator

As we enter this holy season of Advent, 

we turn our hearts toward You with longing and hope. 

We thank You for the gift of Your Son, Jesus Christ, 

who came to dwell among us, bringing light to the darkness and salvation to the world.

Help us to prepare not only for the celebration of His birth but also for His glorious return. May we live each day in readiness, with hearts that are watchful and spirits that are awake. Teach us to let go of distractions and seek the eternal, setting our sights on Your kingdom above all else.

Lord, cleanse us from things that make us sad and angry, 

renew our faith, and fill us with the joy of Your promises. 

In this season of waiting, help us to walk in love, share Your peace, and serve others as Christ has shown us. 

May our lives reflect the hope we have in Him, and may we be found faithful when He comes again in glory.

Come, Lord Jesus, and make all things new.

In Your holy name, we pray. 

Amen.

St Michael's Carols Night

We are all excited and eagerly awaiting our annual Carols event. Classes have selected their songs and they are busily practising for Thursday 12th December. There has been one minor change to the evening this year, after feedback from parents and staff in 2023. We will commence the Carols event from 5.30pm instead of 6pm. The PFA will commence serving sausages for the BBQ from 4.30pm if you wish to avail of these - further details will be available. See you there with your picnic rug and your Christmas colours! 

Just a reminder that this is an alcohol free event under Child Safety regulations as children will be present. Thank you for your understanding.

St Michael's Christmas Raffle

Join our Christmas Raffle and you could win one of our AMAZING 6 prizes with a total value of over $1200! Come and see them in our school office.

Best part? All funds go towards building a veggie garden for the kids - let’s grow something great together!

Tickets coming home today!

Year Six Mini Fete

Last week, St Michael's School came alive with energy and creativity as the Year Six students hosted the annual Mini Fete! The event, which showcased the talent, innovation, and teamwork of our students, was a resounding success. Not only did it help to raise funds for their upcoming Big Day Out, it also taught them vital skills in business development and finances. 

The Mini Fete featured a multitude of booths such as Fairy Floss, Lob-O-Choc, Lucky Dip and Popcorn. The students certainly didn't go hungry after attending this Fete!!

Well done to the Year Six students and their supportive Year Five buddies! The Big Day Out will be held on Monday 16th December this year.

Prep Incursion

This week, the Prep students had the opportunity to make wooden cars! Anatoli from ‘CraftPower’ showed them how to safely use hammers, nails, and pliers to join pieces of wood together. The students practiced hammering and selecting the right pieces of wood to build their own model cars. This hands-on activity connected to the Prep's Inquiry unit, which explores how children's freedoms have changed over time, as students looked at how toys from the past were often made with simple tools and materials. It also linked to their Design Technologies learning, where students used tools safely to create their designs and developed skills in visualising, generating, and communicating their ideas through hands-on modelling.

Hands On Music Concert next Monday

Just a reminder to all our budding musicians that the Hands On Concert is being held next Monday in the hub. Each year, all the students who have instrumental lessons perform some of their pieces at the annual concert. We look forward to hearing your wonderful works of art next week.

Year Five Leadership Presentations

This week Eloise and I attended the Year Five Leadership Speeches to hear every student put forward their proposal for a leadership role for 2025. Each child was tasked with preparing and delivering a two minute speech, stating why they believed they suited a particular leadership role. To say they were impressive does would be an understatement! 

Eloise and I were both amazed at the confidence and eloquence of every student. The impact of the Public Speaking Course they had completed the previous week was unmistakable. Many demonstrated an excellent balance of eye contact and room scanning, ensuring they engaged with everyone present. They were also mindful of their posture, voice projection, and fluency. 

I was also impressed with the students' thoughts about what made them suitable for the various leadership positions. Beyond simply naming their skills, they highlighted how they strive to uphold the SMASH expectations, providing clear and relevant examples. It was truly inspiring to witness their growth and dedication to becoming effective leaders. I have no doubt that this year's voting will be extremely close with the compelling cases for leadership made this week!

2025 Prep Transition Session 

Yesterday we again welcomed our 2025 Preps for the third transition session!

There is one final transition session left to go, on Wednesday 4th December.

This is when the children will be presented with their St Michael's school bag by their Buddy as well enjoy a very special treat!

2025 School Fees and Levies

Tomorrow the 2025 Tuition Fees and Levies letter along with payment options will be sent to all families via the eldest child. For 2025, payment options have changed from previous years so please read through the options to see what can work for you. Please look out for this letter with its attachments.  Please send any queries to Kathy at kathym@smashburton.catholic.edu.au

New PFA Members needed

A number of our longstanding PFA members are retiring at the end of this year and this means we need new people to join the team.  Join the Parents and Friends Association to help decide the direction and schedule of family fun and school fundraising events in 2025. 

Join with Friends, or come along yourself. All welcome! ....If you're interested to run the Ashburton Festival Cake stall in February -we'd love to hear from you now!

Also, if you are interested to be a Class Rep in 2025, please let us know.

For more information or to express your interest, contact Annie OR outgoing committee member, Jo Slykerman 0400 347 149.

Calling back all school library books

It's that time of year where we need to call back all our school library books so that we can ensure they are all shelved, checked and ready for 2025! Could we ask over the next week that you please look in bedrooms, on bookshelves, in cupboards and behind the couches and return all St Michael's library books no later than FRIDAY 29TH NOVEMBER - next week! Books can still be borrowed from the classroom and we strongly that you attend our local Ashburton library throughout the Summer as they have an excellent collection of children's books as well as various activities to be involved with.

Thank you for your support of the school library!

TheirCare Summer Holiday Program

We are so excited that TheirCare will be offering a Summer Holiday program at St Michael's School! Here is the first glimpse of the program. Hard copy fliers are on their way!