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- News from the Principal
- from the Parents and Friends Group
- 2023 Non-Government Schools Census collection notice
- Reflection on my Jerusalem Pilgrimage - Sue Rickwood
- Education in Faith
- St Michael's Mission Team
- Giving Appeal
- Student of the Week
- Family Maths
- Victorian Premiers' Reading Challenge
- from the Community
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
This week we celebrate the Foundation Students 100th day milestone at school. They have settled into the routine of school so well and it's been a joy watching their confidence and friendships grow. The 100 day celebration is always a fun day for the children and I look forward to seeing what their t-shirts look like!
The Student Mission Team did a great job organising the casual clothes day last Friday and exceeded their target of raising $500 for the people of Timor Leste. Well done to them all!
On Friday our grade 6 boys and girls basketball teams head off to the District Sports Hooptime competition. Thank you to our coaches and the parents who have volunteered to help out on the day. We appreciate your ongoing support with our school sport program - we would not be able to attend these events without the generosity of our parent community.
Don’t forget to follow our school Facebook page! We are sharing updates of what we are up to in our learning spaces as well as providing reminders for upcoming events.
ESAFETY COMMISSION - SUPPORTING YOUR CHILD WITH CYBER SAFETY
As children start to navigate the online world and interact with others more independently, they are more likely to be exposed to risks of bullying or unwanted contact, accidentally coming across inappropriate content or racking up bills through in-app purchases.
Your guidance can help them be aware of the risks and understand what is expected of them. Let them know you are always there to support them.
Advice for parents and carers
Keep the computer or device in an area of your home that can be supervised. And check in regularly with your child to see what they are viewing.
Stay engaged with their online activity. If they agree, consider setting up your own accounts with the sites they use most so you can see how they work and understand the risks.
Explore the online world with them to help establish that this is not just a solitary activity. Play games with them. Do a creative project together.
Think about social media readiness. Most social media sites require users to be at least 13 years of age before they can register, although some sites are created especially for children under 13. See are they old enough?
Encourage respect and empathy. Teach them to avoid sharing or posting things that may upset others. See good habits start young.
Start building resilience. Teach your child that there are ways they can deal with material that worries or frightens them. This includes immediately telling you or another trusted adult of any concerns or uncomfortable material. See good habits start young.
Encourage them to learn about online safety by exploring the kids section of the esafety site.
Review your rules as your child grows older
Be clear about how much time they can spend online, the apps they can use, the websites they can visit and what they can share or post online.
Refer to our advice about https://www.esafety.gov.au/parents/issues-and-advice/screen-time and online gaming if these are of concern.
Technology tips for parents of kids 5 to 12
Ensure your own devices are protected by a password or pin, so your child cannot accidentally come across inappropriate content.
If you are thinking about giving them their own tablet or smartphone, check out are they old enough?
Use parental control tools appropriate for the age and experience of your child. Be upfront and get your child on board. Let them know that these can be reviewed and changed as they get older and they continue to demonstrate responsible behaviour. Consider installing a ‘child-friendly’ search engine that will allow them to explore a limited number of sites. See parental controls.
Check out Raising Children Network's healthy screen time and quality media choices: 6-11 years.
Kind regards,
Jodie
- Thursday 3rd August - 100 days of school
- Friday 18th August - Relax and Read Pyjama day
- Thursday 31st August - Yr 4 Camp to Coonawarra
- Thursday 7th September - Italian Week Dress up day and parade
- Friday 8th September - School closure day
- Monday 11th September - Fairytale day (Foundation only)
- Monday 11th September - Year 3 Camp to Alambee
- Thursday 14th September - Footy Colours day
- End of term -Thursday 14th September at 3:20 pm.
Kind regards,
Jodie
- Friday 25th August - Father's Day Stall
- Thursday 14th September - Footy Day Hot Dog Day
Please note if you wish to communicate with the P&F they have a new email address pandf@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au
The Second Hand uniform shop
The shop will be open every 4th Thursday of the month. The next day it will be open will be on Thursday 24th August from 3:00pm to 3:30pm. The stall is located in the large meeting room at the school, so those wishing to purchase items will need to enter through the main office. Donations and swaps welcome.
It has been 3 weeks since I returned from my pilgrimage to the Holy Land and as I sit and reflect on my time I feel truly blessed and thankful.
My thanks goes to DOSCEL, for the opportunity to participate in the Scripture Course at the Centre of Biblical Formation in Jerusalem, and to the St Michael’s School Community for the support that I was given as I went on my way.
My time in Israel was full of learning and encounter. The learning took place at every moment of the day. My time in the classroom was pivotal as we explored Jewish - Christian relations, Jewish tradition, Islamic culture and the history of the country. All of this information formed the lens with which I explored and encountered the country. As a group, we read, discussed and made connections with the scripture, in particular the Gospel of Mark - all of which made so much more sense with a new understanding of the people and the land.
As I travelled to the many different places both in the Old City of Jerusalem and out into the desert I was in awe of the age of the structures that I saw and the depth of history that we learnt about. This rich history created the setting for the ministry of Jesus. Seeing the actual countryside that these stories took place made sense of the journey that Jesus had during his life.
Visiting the many sites where the stories from scripture happened will forever change how I hear the stories from the Bible; understanding the climate, the terrain, the distance between the towns will create images that I did not have before my trip. During my course I spent 3 days in the Galilee region; this is where most of Jesus’ ministry took place. I was able to hear the force of the wind on the Sea of Galilee, see the waves that it created and it placed me on the boat with Jesus and his disciples during the storm. We visited the site where Jesus delivered the Beatitudes to the crowd, seeing the hillside that naturally projects a voice up the hill. So many different stories and so many different connections.
One of the most powerful things that I was able to experience was to walk the journey of the Passion. Beginning up on the hillside at Mount Zion we walked down the hill to the Garden of Gethsemane and sat among the Olive Trees just like Jesus did on the night he was betrayed. We then walked into the Old City along the same path that Jesus would have with the soldiers. Early the following morning a small group of us walked the Way of the Cross, stopping to reflect and pray at each Station. We continued through the steep city streets until we reached the Holy Sepulcher. This is the church built on the site that they believe Jesus was crucified and then laid in the tomb. Wow, what an incredibly moving experience!
My greatest hope as I share some of my journey with the children is that I can ignite a curiosity about life in another part of the world and share a new insight to the stories that they hear from the Bible.
Thankyou for keeping me in your prayers.
Sue Rickwood
Two themes seem to weave through the readings for last Sunday: treasure and delight. The treasure is the extraordinary gift that comes from God; the delight is the joy that we experience when we realise that the treasure is ours. A third theme, which is found in the first reading, picks up a theme that we have considered regularly, namely, service of others.
The treasure is the kingdom of heaven. It is the prize that gives meaning to the present, and its fullest delight draws us into the future. The reign of God is the fulfilment of our deepest desires and our fondest hopes. Nothing in the world can compare with it, and that is why we are willing to sacrifice everything to attain it. The treasure that we find is really a gift that is given. We need not work to attain the kingdom, nor can we earn it in any way. It is given to us by God. All we have to do is accept it.
On Friday the 28th of July the students had a casual clothes day. Our target was to raise $500 and we smashed that goal and made around $650. The money we raised is for children in Timor Leste that are facing health and wellness challenges. We hope to have more fundraisers this year!
Olivia Wiseewould and Harper Rode
St Michael's Mission Team
St. Michael’s Primary School has a long tradition of supporting our local St. Vincent de Paul Society. Each year we support two collections for St Vinnies: mid year, for the collection of cans for the winter and December, for the Christmas Appeal.
We are excited that this year we will be able to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption with a whole school mass on Tuesday 15th August at 11:30am. Our school community is invited to come along and share the Eucharist with us.
Each child is asked to bring items of non-perishable food to school by Monday 14th August. Any support you can offer at this time would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions please speak with your classroom teacher.
Thank you for supporting this worthwhile cause.
Sue Rickwood
Each week students from each class are awarded Student of the Week certificates. These children are nominated for the example they have been within the school based on the School Wide Expectation focus for that week. The weekly focus will be from Wednesday until Tuesday the following week. Awards will be presented to students at assembly on Friday.
In Week 4 the School Wide Expectation focus is Respect :
I treat my peers, teachers and learning environment with respect.
I show appreciation for the efforts of others.
I speak kindly to others.
I show justice and fairness to all.
I listen carefully to others.
The award winners for Week 4 are:
| Harrison Ingram | Ella Thornton | Lisamaria Thomas |
| Jensen Borg | Cooper Greaves | Ruby Darby |
| Indi Trease | Riley Collins | Clementine Reid |
| Bobbi Heatherill | Tessa Jennings | Maia Bragger |
| Akoldo Manhiem | Edelweiss Vickers | William Do |
| Amaya Freshwater | Isabella Conway | Eden Stewart |
| Leo Rabette | Harry Blomquist | Ekhai Imhagwe |
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and (insert school name) is excited to be participating. The PRC application offers a range of exciting features including:
- access to a library catalogue (including book images and blurbs)
- a modern user-friendly interface
- rewarding students with badges as challenge milestones are achieved
- the option for students to mark books as a favourite, give them a star rating or complete a book review
The Challenge is open to all Victorian children from birth to Year 10 in recognition of the importance of reading for literacy development. It is not a competition; but a personal challenge for children to read a set number of books by 8 September 2023. 39 days left to complete the challenge!
Children from Prep to Year 2 are encouraged to read or ‘experience’ 30 books with their parents and teachers. Children from Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 15 books.
All children who meet the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement signed by the Victorian Premier and former Premiers.
To read the Premier’s letter to parents, view the booklist and for more information about the Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge, visit: https://www.vic.gov.au/premiers-reading-challenge
Deborah Gilmour in the school library is able to help with any enquires.
To participate in the challenge please click on the link below:
