Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers, 

This week marks the beginning of Lent in the Catholic Church. Today, students will have the opportunity to eat pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. Thank you to Sue Rickwood for organising this special treat. 

This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the official first day of Lent. On Wednesday we will have a whole school mass at 11:30am in our Church. During Mass, ashes are placed on the foreheads of those attending to signify forgiveness and new beginnings. Ash Wednesday means that it is 40 days until Easter. 

The sun was shining for Friday’s 3-6 Athletics Day and I’ve heard the results so far are very close. Thank you once again to Michelle Coates, and to all parent helpers who assisted on the day. You are all very much appreciated. A big shout out to the Lavalla students who also supported the running of events. Results of the day will be shared at assembly next week (Friday 14th March). 

I’d like to warmly invite all parents, carers and guardians to our St Michael’s Parents and Friends Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday 27th March at 9am in the staffroom. We are looking for new members to join the group who are a very important part of the St Michael’s school community. Many events and fundraisers would not occur if it was not for the P&F group, so come along and consider how you could contribute to the success of St Michael’s school. 

Email contact with teachers 

At St Michael’s we promote and encourage an open and respectful line of communication. The teachers at St Michael's welcome and value the communication between parents and teachers, however, we ask that parents be mindful of the timing of an email being sent to teachers, inclusive of weekends. We ask that any email communication between parents and staff is sent at an appropriate and respectful time. This is particularly important during the school holidays, when our teachers are spending time with their own families and children. 

Most often it is not possible for teachers to respond to parent emails during the school day as they are in class, have yard duties or have meetings. Therefore, we ask that parents allow a period of 24 hours until a response is received. To help, where possible, please keep your emails brief and concise.  We all, parents and teachers alike, have families and outside of school, our day to day lives continue. 

NAPLAN

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is a literacy and numeracy assessment that students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 sit each year. It is the only national assessment all Australian students have the opportunity to undertake. The NAPLAN test window is over 9 days. This is to accommodate schools that may not have the capacity to complete the tests in a shorter time frame. The NAPLAN test window starts on Wednesday 12 March 2025 and finishes on Monday 24 March 2025.  Schools will schedule the tests within the testing window. 

Further information can be found in this pamphlet from VCAA:

NAPLAN information for parents

Please speak to your child's teacher if you have any further questions about this. 

Lia DiCorleto 

Important Dates - these dates are also located on the school website 

• Wednesday 5th March - Ash Wednesday whole school Mass 11:30am (all families are welcome) 
• Friday March 7th - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Development Day 
• Tuesday 11th March - School Closure Day - Staff Professional Development Day 
• Wednesday 12th March - NAPLAN begins 
• Wednesday 12th March - Andrew Chinn performance
• Thursday 13th MArch - Regional Swimming 
• Friday 14th March - Year 5/6 Mass at 9:30am 

Dear Parents, Guardians and Carers,

St Michael’s Parents and Friends Annual General Meeting Invitation

The St Michael’s School Parents and Friends is an important part of the school. The group generates much needed funds which are used to enhance and beautify the school grounds, to purchase playground equipment, furniture and educational programs.   

The P&F group meets monthly to coordinate fundraising activities and social gatherings like the Mothers’ and Fathers’ day stalls, hot cross bun fundraisers and pie drives. There are lots of lots of opportunities to be involved – no matter what your interest is, how much time you have to spare or the skills you can offer.  All of our children benefit from our fundraising activities, but we require parental support through initiatives such as this group.  

The meetings are quite informal and are a good opportunity to hear about developments within the school.  Lia (Principal) or Sharon (Deputy Principal) attend each meeting. 

Our Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 27^th March 2025 at 9:00am in the staffroom. You will be warmly welcomed to join us for a coffee and chat.  All roles will be vacated at the AGM and it is vital that passionate people fill them.  Please see the attached Nomination Form.

Kind regards,

The Parents and Friends Group

Roles within P&F Committee

President

The President’s position carries a task of trust and responsibility and requires skill and time. The President should exercise authority with tact, be impartial and open to other points of view. The main role of the President is to:

• Be the main representative/spokesperson for the P&F
• Liaise with the Committee members and set the agenda for meetings
• Be the main contact for agenda items
• Open the meetings punctually and ensure the agenda is followed
• Ensure those present at the meeting have the opportunity to discuss each item on the agenda prior to a decision being made
• Make sure, particularly on contentious matters, as many points of view as possible are expressed
• Make sure everyone is given an opportunity to speak and encourage members to speak by addressing questions to them
• Work towards a collaborative approach with other members of school community
• Be mindful of timelines, keep discussions on track and keep meetings moving
• Be mindful of the role of the Education Board and refer any contentious issues the board for discussion
• Liaising with the school principal in relation to any issues or concerns
• Is a core member of the Parents and Friends Association

Vice President

The Vice President plays an important role by assisting the President with P&F responsibilities such as:

• Replace and chair meetings in the absence of president.
• Is a core member of the Parents and Friends Association

Secretary

The Secretary is very important to the efficient operation of the P&F. The Secretary will work with the President and Committee members. Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Taking minutes at P&F and Committee meetings
• Photocopying and distributing minutes to Committee members along with agenda approximately one week prior to the next meeting
• In consultation with the Principal and President providing a summary of the matters discussed at the meeting for display on a parents notice board and/or in the school newsletter
• Dealing with any incoming/outgoing correspondence
• Is a core member of the Parents and Friends Association

Assistant Secretary

The Assistant Secretary plays an important role by assisting the Secretary with P&F responsibilities such as:

• Taking minutes at P&F and Committee meetings
• Photocopying and distributing minutes to Committee members along with agenda approximately one week prior to the next meeting
• In consultation with the Principal and President providing a summary of the matters discussed at the meeting for display on a parents notice board and/or in the school newsletter
• Dealing with any incoming/outgoing correspondence
• Is a core member of the Parents and Friends Association

Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer

The Treasurer carries a task of trust and responsibility. Duties and Responsibilities include:

• Taking charge of monies of the P&F
• Keeping accurate financial records of all receipts and expenditure
• Banking all money regularly
• Reporting monthly on the P&F’s financial position at meetings
• Preparing a financial report for the Annual General Meeting
• Is a core member of the Parents and Friends Association

In our post-modern world, the lesson of the hypocrite seeking to remove the speck from their neighbour’s eye before removing the log from their own has at times been taken too far and too literally. We are often confronted with a minimalist notion that nobody can be corrected or criticised because one person’s opinion is just as good as the next person’s. In this view, there is no room for universal truths; no room for authority; no room for an over-arching view of the world or a meta-narrative – an underlying ‘big picture’ story for life.

On the surface, the idea that one person’s opinion is as valid as any other’s seems very democratic and sociable. However, it is fundamentally not true. Someone who has spent a lifetime studying and practising in a particular field of endeavour cannot be lightly dismissed as ‘that’s just your opinion’. Yet, all too often, such learned knowledge and experience is given the same weight as ill-informed and sometimes mischievous opinion – frequently in the name of ‘balanced’ discussion.

‘The good person out of the good treasure of the heart produces good.’ What makes a person good? Is it that they have had good things happen in their life? There are plenty of people who have had good things in their life but they remain cynical and spiteful people. Similarly there are plenty who have had the hardest of circumstances yet goodness constantly flows from them. It’s not the external influences but what we do with them that determines whether we are nurturing ‘good treasure’ or harbouring ‘evil treasure’. This is not just sugary sweetness but a deliberate decision to be a person of hope.

On Wednesday 12th March, Australian religious songwriter and singer, Andrew Chinn, will be visiting our school to share his songs with our children. Andrew’s songs, such as “These Hands”, “Rainbow”, “An African Blessing” and “Rise Up!” are used in classrooms and liturgies around Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. 

During the days the children will participate in workshops with Andrew in their year level. We will conclude the day with a whole school concert. Families are welcome to come along and join us for the concert. The concert will take place in the school hall, at 1:50pm.

The School Savings Bonus is a State Government initiative designed to assist families with cost-of-living pressures. Under this funding, each eligible student is entitled to a $400 bonus for application towards activity levies and uniform purchases from approved supplier. Within our school, all CSEF applicants are eligible to receive this funding. All families who have a Centrelink Health Care Card and have not applied for CSEF in the past are encouraged to contact the school office and initiate an application this year. Please refer to the below link for more information:

https://www.vic.gov.au/receiving-school-saving-bonus#non-government-school-information

All 2024 CSEF recipients and new 2025 recipients have received a letter and DOSCEL Funds Allocation Form for SSB via email. Please complete and return the form as soon as possible. If you would prefer to complete a paper copy of the Allocation form they will be available at the office.

Good News: New CDFpay mobile app available to download

St Michael’s School will be using the new CDFpay mobile app for uniform shop, events, fundraising, and special lunch days at our school from the start of Term 1 2025. 

How to register for a new CDFpay account

1. Download the CDFpay mobile app on the Apple or Google store, then click ‘Sign up now’.
   No app? Register here

Important:

• You will not be able to use your existing CDFpay credentials to log in to the new CDFpay mobile app. You will need to follow these steps to create a new CDFpay account (you can use the same email address if desired).
• Register for a new CDFpay account before the start of Term 1 2025 and we will transfer any remaining balance on your account before the end of March 2025.

2. Enter and confirm your email address, then click ‘Sign up’.
3. Check your email inbox and follow the prompts to complete your account registration (check junk/spam if lost).

After you have registered and entered your child’s details, you can:

• Top up your parent wallet.
  • To avoid card surcharges, top up $50 or more using a debit card or bank transfer any value.
• Order and pay in seconds!

Have questions? View CDFpay powered by Flexischools Help & Support for detailed FAQs or chat to the Flexischools Digital Assistant. If you cannot find what you are looking for, please complete the online Contact Form and Flexischools will get back to you directly.

We 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

The second hand uniform shop will be open Thursday 27th March from 3pm-3:20pm. Uniforms can be purchased or you may swap items in reasonable condition for another size or item.