Dear Families,

SCHOOL PHOTOS HAVE BEEN RESCHEDULED TO TUESDAY 7TH JUNE

Staff News

With sadness, I inform you of the departure at the end of this term of two very valued staff members.

Meg Phillips our Year 5/6M teacher will be leaving us on Friday 10th June to take up an

Educational Consultant role at the Royal Children's Hospital. Meg joined St Michael's in 2020 and has been our Year 5/6 teacher since then. She has led the implementation of a contemporary learning space for our senior children that is engaging, challenging, and also respectful of their interests and passions. Meg also stepped into the Numeracy Leadership position in 2021 when Andrea took maternity leave and did an exemplary job ensuring our Maths program remained a high focus for our staff and children.

We aim to develop in our children a passion for learning, a desire to challenge themselves, and a willingness to pursue their dreams, and whilst Meg will be greatly missed by the children and staff, we are pleased that she is doing just that, following her dreams and passions. We wish Meg every success and happiness in her new role, she will always be welcome at St Michael's.

We have been fortunate to be able to replace Meg with Illona Kennedy. Illona currently works at St Michael's as a Learning Support Officer in the Prep Learning area. In 2021 she fulfilled that role working in Year 5/6M alongside Meg. Illona has great knowledge of our school and already has good relationships with the children in Year 5/6. Illona will work with Meg over the next four weeks as part of a comprehensive handover and will officially take over as the Year 5/6 teacher at the beginning of Term 3. She will be an excellent addition to our teaching staff and I know you will all make her welcome in her new role.

Erin Jenkins, our Wellbeing and Learning Diversity Leader, will leave us at the end of Term 2 to take up a position as Deputy Principal & Learning Diversity Leader at Queen of Peace Primary School in Altona Meadows. I will speak more about Erin in a newsletter closer to the end of term but of course, she will also be greatly missed. I have advertised this position and hope to have appointed a new Wellbeing and Learning Diversity Leader prior to the end of this term.

Report Writing Day

Our classroom teachers will not be at school on Monday 23rd May as it is their designated Report Writing Day. A limited number of teachers will be here. A note was sent out via Operoo asking families who require their children to come to school to let us know. If you need your children to attend school but have yet to inform us, please do so as soon as possible.

School Advisory Council

Our Term 2 meeting was held on Tuesday evening where we welcomed to the Council our new parent member Mara Tudorovic, mother of Monika (Year 6) and Marko (Year 4). The focus of our meeting was the introduction of the new Child Safety Standards with which all organisations that deal with children have to comply with. The members discussed ways in which they could make this information more available to families in our community so please look out for communication from this group regarding this matter that will come out prior to the Term 3 meeting.

RATs Week 5 & 6

Families should have received their Week 5&6 RATs this week, if your child did not receive their package please speak to their teacher. We are now advised that you are not required to test twice per week but are required to test your child when he/she is showing symptoms such as a sore throat, running nose, headache, cough, or cold.

As you are aware our school along with many workplaces is experiencing high numbers of absences due to COVID or cases of flu and colds. I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping your child at home if they are showing any of the symptoms mentioned above. For the health and safety of others please keep unwell children at home until their symptoms have gone.

Prep 2023

A reminder that if you haven't enrolled your child for Prep 2023, please do so as soon as possible.

School Fees

School fees for Term 2 are now due. I am asking families to please attend to the payment of these fees and if you have any concerns about payment please make a time to see me.

NAPLAN

Our Year 3 & 4 children completed their NAPLAN assessment tasks this week and although we understand it is an important part of their learning we do know that is only one piece of assessment taken on one day, it does not define a child's learning achievements. I have included below a letter to our children regarding their NAPLAN experience and I strongly urge all parents to read it with their children.

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.

Denise's I Spy Great Learners