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 

Prayer for Artists 

(From "Prayers of Our Heart" by Vienna Cobb Andersen)

O God of creation, bless the artists in our world, 

who by their gifts make the world a more joyful and beautiful realm. 

Through their labors they teach us to see more clearly the truth around us. 

In their inspiration they call forth wonder and awe in our own living. 

In their hope and vision they remind us that life is holy. 

Bless all who create in your image, O God of creation. 

Pour your Spirit upon them that their hearts may sing and their works be fulfilling. 

Amen.

Confirmation Reflection Day

We welcome Bishop Les Tomlinson to be with our Confirmation candidates tomorrow as they reflect on their Sacramental journey and engage in deep learning about this precious Sacrament of Confirmation. All the students receiving the Sacrament from the school and Parish will come together tomorrow to meet each other and have time to focus on the final details of the Sacrament before receiving it. They will reflect on Gospel readings, the Gifts and Fruits of the Spirit and what it means for us in our faith to be confirmed. The Sacrament of Confirmation will be held on Saturday 12th October, 2024. Please join with the Parish in praying for our Confirmation candidates and wishing them well.

St Michael's Art Show

This afternoon we are holding our biennial Art Show and I wish to take this opportunity to thank the staff for their amazing work over these past months in supporting the students in their artistic endeavours. A special thank you goes out to Ms Jess Fary, our wonderful Visual Arts teacher, who had the vision for the relevant skills to focus on this year and the associated arts products. She has worked tirelessly this year to bring this show to fruition and we are grateful for her talents and her energy. I also thank the many parents who have volunteered to support the setting up of art works in the hub yesterday and today. MUCH appreciated. We hope you all enjoy the art show this afternoon / evening. 

See Operoo flier for finer details of this event. Sausages and drinks are available from 2.30-6.30pm OR until they run out!

Hot Dog Day - 20th September

On this day the Year 6 parents will be selling hot dogs for any children wishing to order them. This is to help raise funds for the Year 6 students' special Big Day Out which will happen in December. Please see the details about this on the Community News page. Order forms will be coming to you soon.

As a school we also invite children to wear their favourite sports team's colours on this day if they wish. Traditionally this is Footy Colours Day, however if your favourite sport is something else, feel free to wear the colours of your team. Students may wear scarves, beanies, jumpers, tshirts of their favourite teams. 

Boroondara Youth Leadership Day

This week our Year 5 students attended a Youth Leadership Day lead by the City of Boroondara. This is a great opportunity for our Year Fives to consider their leadership path for Year Six and beyond Primary School. Read about what they learned at this event in our Deputy Principal section of this newsletter.

Glen Iris District Athletics - Years Three to Six

Congratulations to Our District Athletics Competitors!

We are incredibly proud of our students’ dedication, sportsmanship, and outstanding performances at the District Athletics this past Wednesday. Thanks to their hard work, we achieved 6th place in the Aggregate Award and 8th place in the Overall Award.

We also want to acknowledge all the participants who gave their best effort and represented our school with pride. Your hard work and enthusiasm are truly commendable.

A special thank you to the teachers, and parents who supported our athletes throughout their training and on the day of the event. Your encouragement and guidance have been invaluable.

Let’s continue to celebrate our students’ achievements and encourage them to strive for excellence in all their endeavours.

Prep Excursion

Yesterday the Prep students went on an excursion to Ricketts Point Marine Sanctuary. This was to further their learning in their Geography Inquiry, where the Preps have been discovering all about special places, their features and how to look after them. Through hands-on exploration and personal observations of the rock platforms, the students discovered the plants and animals that live in this protected place. They saw some sea snails, fish, crabs and birds! They also participated in some games on the sand. This helped the Preps to understand what happens to creatures when human actions change their homes and what can be done to protect these fragile environments. They loved their time at Ricketts Point!

RU OK Day

Today is national R U OK? Day. R U OK? Day is a registered public health promotion that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times. 

R U OK? Encourages people to invest more time in their personal relationships and build the capacity of informal support networks - friends, family and colleagues - to be alert to those around them, have a conversation if they identify signs of distress or difficulty and connect someone to appropriate support.

Our lives, personally and professionally, come with different experiences and perspectives, and it’s important to prioritise our mental and emotional health, for ourselves, our families and ultimately, for the success of our students.

It is a day of recognition of the importance of relationships and connectedness. At St Michael's School, we are encouraging our children to be aware of this national day, but also about how they can be aware of checking in with family members and friends when they need.

Planning for 2025

As we are now commencing the planning of class structures for 2025, we ask that you please email Annie Herbison if your child will not be returning to St Michael's School next year. It is vital that we have this information as soon as possible, as from the commencement of term 4, a great deal of organisation and planning is involved in setting up the following year's classes, staffing, budgets etc. Thank you

About Real Life Sex Education for children (Years Three to Six)

Hopefully by now you have seen the regular feature in our Wellbeing News section about these online sessions which are happening on Tuesday 17th September. These are optional sessions, naturally, however they will give you an opportunity to start some very important discussions with your child in a very sensitive and respectful manner. Sessions are open for registration NOW!