Term 4 Week 3

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

It has been a wonderful beginning to Term 4 The children have been provided with so many immersive opportunities to engage deeply in their learning Already, we have had visits from Brownes Dairy, author Dr Cameron Stelzer and the Legion of Mary, along with a Teddy Bear Picnic, baby chickens, Edudance and hockey specialist coaching, which all provide the children with opportunities to enrich the hard work they are already doing in the classroom I thank all staff for their efforts coordinating these wonderful learning opportunities

Wellness Week

This week we have been focusing on the wellbeing of children, staff and families. This has involved a Tranquil Minds workshop, no homework and other activities that have encouraged us to reflect on 'What makes us happy?' The wellbeing of all members of our community is paramount to ensure both children and staff are happy and able to learn It is our focus this week, however, it should remain a constant priority for us I thank Mrs Lisa Meuller for her hardwork coordinating this exciting week

3 Year Old Program (3YOP)

We have had a very good initial response to our survey regarding a 3YOP in 2023 and, subject to final numbers, we are hoping to commence the program at the start of 2023 on both Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will be contacting those who have completed the survey next week regarding submission of a formal expression of interest form If you or anyone you know may be interested, please complete this survey to ensure we have your details

Uniform Reminder Conservative Hair Styles and Summer Uniform Including School Hat

As per our enrolment contract and as discussed in all enrolment interviews, acceptance of enrolment at St Michael's means that parents and caregivers agree to follow and support all school policies We have noticed a number of boys who have come to school with mullet haircuts which are not in keeping with our uniform policy (a conservative hairstyle) Parents of these students will be receiving a uniform note from their class teacher.

We are now entering Week 4 and the expectation is that all children are wearing the correct summer uniform In addition, as the weather warms up and the suns impact increases, we ask that all children are wearing a school hat when outside Asking a child to sit in the shade during play time can be detrimental to their learning, so we ask for your support in ensuring they have their hat at school with their name clearly marked so it can be returned if lost.

Fees

A reminder that 2022 school fees were due in full by September 23rd. Please ensure any outstanding fees have been paid. Contact our finance manager, Mrs Peng Kong, if you have any queries regarding your statement.

Departing Families Please Notify the School in Writing

A reminder that, as per our enrolment contract, the School requires written notice one term in advance if students are leaving St Michael's We reserve the right to charge one term's fees if adequate notice is not provided. We have now commenced planning for 2023 including planning the school budget, ordering booklists, leasing of iPads etc If we are not provided with adequate notice of students who are departing and incur costs as a result, these costs will be passed on to the family Therefore, if your child/ren will not be returning to St Michael's in 2023 (unless they are a graduating Year 6 student) please notify us in writing immediately via: admin@stmichaelsbass.wa.edu.au.

Interschool Sports

I'll take this opportunity, on behalf of the community, to give my well wishes to the students representing our school at both the Interschool Athletic Carnival, to be held at Ern Clark Athletics Track on Tuesday November 1st, and the Year 6 Boys cricket team who earlier in the year qualified for the Regional Finals being held at Alderbury Reserve in Floreat on Friday 11th November. It is a wonderful opportunity for these children to demonstrate their skills and talents up against children from other schools and I know they will represent us with pride Please contact me if you have any questions regarding these two events

I look forward to welcoming Dr Siobhan Galos back next week and hearing all about her experience 'Following the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop' I would also like to thank Acting Assistant Principal Miss Natalie Pin for stepping up and supporting me during Siobhan's absence

Warm regards,

Mr Michael Sheridan

Acting Principal

OUR SOCIAL WORKER

URSTRONG Friend-O-Leaders

Last term our year 5 and 6 students were given the opportunity to nominate to be school Friend O Leaders We are trialing a peer mentoring program this term, where Friend O Leaders are available for our younger students, should they need support with making friends, putting out friendship fires, or seeking help regarding mean on purpose behaviour. We envisage that this will reinforce our culture of kindness, help extend our language of friendship from our classrooms into our play areas, and provide students with additional support during their lunch breaks

Thank you to all students who nominated, and to the students who have been selected and are now volunteering during their lunch breaks. Friend 0 Leaders have completed a training workshop and will continue to meet with our social worker, Mrs Lisa Mueller throughout this term for guidance.

Please remember that you have access to the URSTRONG parent portal where you can find information about the Friendology strategies and how you can support your child with their friendships. https://urstrong.com/parents/

During Wellbeing Week it is a good time to reflect on our own self care as parents, and to practice self-compassion I often say that there is no perfect parent, and if I had a better awareness of that when my own children were small I may have been a little easier on myself when days didn’t run as smoothly as I had planned!

Please read the below article written by Turia Pitt, an inspirational person, parent and athlete. I think you will enjoy it!

What to do when life gets overwhelming

Click the title to see the full article

Mrs Lisa Meuller Social Worker

All Saints' Day, Halloween and All Souls' Day: What's the difference?

Long ago in Ireland and Britain, Christians would come together on All Hallows Eve to ask for God's blessing and protection from the evil in the world. The source of the modern celebrations stemmed from the donning of saintly and evil spirit costumes to act out the battle between good and evil.

According to dictionary com, the word "Halloween" is a "direct derivation of All Saints Day" with "All Hallows" in Old English meaning "the feast of the saints." "Halloween" has also been translated to "Eve of All Hallows," which was a holy day celebrating the day before All Saints Day, that Reverend Richard Donohoe, the vicar of Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Birmingham, described as "a celebration of the communion of saints, those people we believe are in heaven, through good works and God's grace." All Saints' Day is celebrated the first day of November while All Souls' Day is celebrated November 2

All Saints' Day is a day Catholics offer prayers to those in purgatory. Reverend Donohoe said, "All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day are related, but they are two separate celebrations. On All Saints' Day there's a call to live as saints, to remind us how we're supposed to live On All Souls' Day, we're talking about all souls and asking God's mercy for them.

All Souls' Day is a commemoration of the faithfully departed and is observed primarily in the Catholic Church. Its origins date back to European folklore related to customs of veneration practiced worldwide through events like the Mexican Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) or the Chinese Ghost Festival.

Each celebration touches on cultural beliefs about the spirit world, honoring the dead and feasts, so if you celebrate Halloween this year remember to prepare for All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day as well.

Sourced from Catholic Online

Student Absentees

Please note it is the parent's responsibility to notify the school prior to the commencement of the school day if their child will be absent from school. Please use the online absentee form from the school website: https://www.stmichaelsbass.wa.edu.au/absentees.html or send an email to attendance@stmichaelsbass.wa.edu.au. Please note the ConnectedApp and Absentee phone number is no longer operational

Uniform

Summer uniform should now be worn. Please also ensure that you are aware of your child's sport days. A number of children are wearing sport uniform on the incorrect day.

Regional Cricket Finals

Earlier in the year, our Year 6 boys cricket team won the Interschool Cricket Carnival and qualified for the upcoming Regional Finals (Friday November 11th).

If they are succesful at this event, they will qualify for the State Finals to be held at the WACA. We wish them well!

St Joseph's Presbytery

The ceiling of the Presbytery is in dire need of repair after collapsing during the recent winter rain. Please see the information in 'Community News' for how to donate.

eceiving the sacrament with mentine, Finn and Jude who t Sunday. Thank you to staff

Kind regards, Mr Michael Sheridan and Miss Nat Pin Assistant Principal and Acting Assistant Principal

School Mural

Our Pre Primary Mural is underway. Students from Pre Primary have designed giant bees which will be painted flying across the wall. Watch this space as they come to life

What's the Buzz in Visual Art?

Congratulations Isla Solomon

Students at St. Michael’s from Kindy to Year 6 have voted for their favourite artwork on display at Open night in Term 3. Well done to Isla from Year 4 for having the most votes from your peers.

Heart Art

This was the first year students were selected for the ‘Heart Art’ immersion. We have had fun designing shoes reflecting our personal strengths and things that make us unique. We’ve ventured into the garden and created Mandala’s. Students have had an opportunity to venture beyond the classroom curriculum and explore materials from clay to paint.

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St Joseph

Presbytery Maintenance Financial Help

The Presbytery, which everyone should know, is right across the road from the church. It was bought in 1988 in Fr. Morahan’s time. Through the 30+ years, there has been some wear and tear. This June, due to the heavy rain the whole lounge ceiling collapsed and we need to return it to a humble decent place for our priest to live in.

The roof, along with some electrical work is estimated to cost $30 000

would like to offer a donation for the presbytery maintenance, you can give the donation either to Fr. Ben, to the secretary Catherine or the Donation Box at the back of the church at each Mass.

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The inclusion of any community advertising does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof by St. Michael’s School.

St. Michael’s does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of these advertisements, sites and the offerings made by the third parties.

Enrolments are now open for VacSwim swimming lessons during the summer school holidays. VacSwim offers fun lessons at beach or pool locations. They are a great school holiday activity and they teach valuable safety skills to help keep your child safe in the water.

Enrol at www.education.wa.edu.au/vacswim

The inclusion of any community advertising does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof by St. Michael’s School.

St. Michael’s does not accept any responsibility or liability for the conduct or content of these advertisements, sites and the offerings made by the third parties.