Filter Content
Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,
Congratulations to our School Captains who were great representatives of the school at the Anzac Day Parade. It was also lovely to see so many happy faces and waves from the students watching the parade as we walked past. Thank you for your support!
We have been in discussions with some before and after school care providers regarding the possibility of engaging them to run a program here at St Michael's Traralgon. We are exploring both before and after school services as well as a school holiday service. You will have received an email yesterday (Monday 28th April) with a survey link. Please complete the survey so we can collect data about the viability of such a program.
STARTING LATE AND FINISHING EARLY
Last term we stated in our newsletter the importance of children being at school on time and how leaving early severely impacts their learning routine. We again need to raise this with families.
There are many reasons why arriving late after the morning music is not okay, these include:
- Children are rushed, therefore feel out of sorts to start their learning
- Children do not get time to run outside and get rid of excess energy
- Children do not get time to connect with their friends
- Children miss key information relating to the structure of the day and this upsets their routine
There are also several reasons why collecting your children early is not okay, these include:
- Children miss out on key learning instructions - they then come back to school having missed the instructions for the tasks and feel overwhelmed because they are behind everyone else.
- Children miss out on key learning concepts - we still teach in the afternoon!! Please don't think that the afternoons are chill and cruisey; they are not. Children are still expected to learn maths, literacy and other key concepts.
- Children miss out on key messages, notes, and reminders for the following day or week.
We understand that for some students coming to school is hard - please speak to your child’s teacher or a member of the learning adjustment team if your child is displaying school refusal or “school can’t“ so that a support plan can be discussed. We also understand that medical appointments such as doctors or offsite therapist appointments cannot be avoided during the school day.
However, we do ask that NON URGENT appointments be scheduled outside school hours. Reasons such as getting a haircut, avoiding traffic, difficulty parking, avoiding wet weather will not be accepted.
Further to this, if you arrive at the school office at 3:15pm or later asking to collect your child, you will now be asked to wait until the bell goes at 3:20pm.
Frequent absences - these not only impact your child’s learning they also influence their ability to form connections with their peers. By having continual absences they may also find it hard to return, creating anxiety as they need to reconnect with their friends and teacher, relearn the routines of the classroom and establish themselves back into the games on the yard during break times.
SCHOOL ADVISORY COMMITTEE
The School Advisory Committee operates as the principal consultative and advisory body in the school. We are seeking more parents who are interested in being a part of this committee, thank you to those who have already indicated they would like to be a part of this committee. Days and times for the meetings will be decided once a committee is formed based on the availability of those elected.
Please email principal@stmtraralgon.catholic.edu.au ASAP if you would like to be a part of this committee.
The School Advisory Committee is advisory to the School Principal. This body acts as an adviser on strategic planning, support to the Principal, school improvement and development, policy and general leadership, the sole purpose ultimately being to serve and work toward the mission and vision of the school.
The responsibilities of the School Advisory Committee are to:
- promote the Catholic ethos of the school
- provide feedback on and review of school policies
- plan for the future of the school and its ability to accommodate future enrolments
- provide advice on budget planning and finance-related matters
- contribute to the selection process for the school principal
- provide advice on the appropriate provision of faith development and Religious Education programs
- promote child safety in the school
The School Advisory Committee has no responsibility for the internal management and administration of the school, which are the responsibility of the school principal under the supervision and direction of DOSCEL.
Membership of this committee comprises of:
- the School Principal (acts as chair, unless the Principal nominates a chair)
- the Parish Priest/priests (if they wish to be on this committee)
- four (4) parents of children attending the school elected by the parents of the school, including a nominee of the parent and friends association
- up to three (3) parishioner representatives nominated by the parish priest
Kind regards
Jodie
We will be having a Mother's Day Stall on Friday 10th May. Further information will be sent home tomorrow.
1st in pole pending
1st in milk bottle race
1st in golf ball race for her age group
4th in beginner show jumping
4th in obstacle course
3rd in handy mount
Well done Ivy!
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” The vinedresser of this passage cuts away the dead branches and prunes back those that are not bearing fruit. At first glance, it appears that there is a certain ruthlessness about the image of the vinedresser pruning the vine: perform or perish! However, the process of cutting away and pruning branches is an incredibly nurturing action; it is removing the unproductive portions of the plant so that the vine has an even better opportunity to produce fruit in the next season. It is an act of love; not an act of economic rationalism.
Within our own lives we are called to make decisions about which of our thoughts and actions are life-giving (fruit-bearing) and which are unproductive; negative; crippling; life-diminishing. If we are able to ‘prune’ our life-diminishing thoughts and actions we allow ourselves the freedom and the ability to really flourish. Feelings of jealousy, greed, resentment, self-doubt and lack of confidence can limit our ability to be fully alive just as addictive and harmful behaviours can physically take away our ability to perform at our best.
In what way do we bear fruit in our lives? It is only through a process of cutting away and pruning that we can nurture ourselves to realise the beauty of our potential.
Tomorrow evening preparation begins for the Sacrament of Confirmation. For the parents of the children enrolled to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, there is a meeting in the church at 6pm Wednesday. This is an important part of the preparation for the sacrament.
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 in the classroom on Friday.
In Week 3 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.
| Keegan Rice | Rose Calabro | Jaxon Nachorny |
| Ella Hogan | Jordan Blake | Claudia Blomquist |
| Sophie Taylor | Anna Witte | Braith McNeill |
| Bodhi Roper | Amaya Freshwater | Austin Freshwater |
| Harley Benbow | Isabella Constantinou | Isaac Huffer |
| Liam Eccles | Lachlan Moon |
Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge
The Victorian Premiers’ Reading Challenge is now open and St. Michael’s Primary School 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 6 September 2024.
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
To register to be part of the challenge, please click on the link below:
Victorian Premier's Reading Challenge 2024
We are excited to offer hot lunches weekly on a Monday with Munch Lunch. They are a local company that offer a variety of lunch items.
Ordering is simple, download the Spriggy Schools app via your App Store or Google Play store, select St Michael's School, add your children and their class to the app and place your order! Lunches will then be delivered to school. Orders need to be placed by 9:00am on the day. You can pre order lunches 2 weeks in advance.
Contact: Munch Lunch 0459 220 445 or hello.munch.lunch@gmail.com
