St. Michael's Primary School ~ Term 2 Week 8

IMPORTANT DATES

Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

Today we celebrate the feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Today’s feast reminds us that God’s love is higher, deeper and wider than we can ever imagine. God loves us deeply and truly and showed this by giving us his son, Jesus, to show us how to live.

Here at St Michael’s, I see great examples of God’s love for us through the living out of Jesus’ example with great courage, compassion and community. Our students, families and staff show this each day by helping each other - especially those in need, using kind words, forgiving each other and involvement in building community through groups like Mini Vinnies, Student Representative Council, Parent Representative Group and School Advisory Council. 

Jesus taught us the most important commandments are love as we learn from Matthew’s Gospel - 22:37-39.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind. This is the first and most important commandment.  The second most important commandment is like this one. And it is, “Love others as much as you love yourself.”

This week we were very fortunate to have our new Parish Priest visit our school. We warmly welcome Fr Andrew Fewings and pray that his time in the Tallangatta and Wodonga Parishes is a fruitful and fulfilling ministry. We look forward to Fr Andrew celebrating Mass with us next term here in our faith community. 

I hope you all enjoy the King’s Birthday long weekend and please remember to keep safe. 

Peace and blessings,

Lisa Hitchcock 

Pertussis - Whooping Cough

St Michael’s has received advice today from the Ovens Murray Public Health Unit (OM PHU) they are aware of an increase in pertussis cases in our catchment area and across Victoria. 

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a serious, contagious, respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. The disease begins like a cold and then the characteristic cough (‘whooping’ sound) develops. Although pertussis causes mild disease in many people, it can cause serious disease for infants under 6 months of age.  This cough may last up to 3 months, even after antibiotic treatment is completed and the person is no longer infectious.  Testing to confirm a pertussis infection can be conducted by a GP. 

Pertussis vaccinations are available at GP Clinics and Pharmacies.

Further information can be found at Better Health Channel - Pertussis.  The infectious period of pertussis can last up to 3 weeks and begins from the onset of symptoms which may include a runny nose, sneezing, low-grade fever and a mild occasional cough. Parents and staff should be aware of developing signs or symptoms of pertussis particularly in the coming weeks. 

Please be alert to Pertussis. If you become aware of any child or adult who becomes unwell with pertussis, could you please contact the Health Protection Team, OM PHU on 0456 841 229. 

School Attendance 

In the tapestry of education, each school day weaves a vital thread. It's not just about showing up; it's about the profound impact that consistent attendance has on shaping the trajectory of a student's academic journey and beyond.

The habit of showing up every day, ready to learn, instills a sense of discipline and responsibility in students. It teaches them the importance of commitment and perseverance—qualities that are invaluable not only for education but also in all aspects of life.

School attendance is not just a student’s responsibility; it's a collective effort at St Michael’s. Our families, teachers, staff and communities play crucial roles in supporting students and addressing any barriers that may hinder attendance. By working together, we can create an environment where every student feels valued, supported and empowered to attend school regularly. Please contact Mrs Hitchcock or your child’s classroom teacher if you require any support with school attendance and we can work together to support your child attending school. 

School Uniform Reminder

Please remember the importance of wearing school uniform and following the policy of no make-up, nail polish or jewellery (sleepers or studs for earrings) and wearing the correct uniform each day.

Thank you to our families for their ongoing support in ensuring your child is wearing the correct school uniform.

Junction Support Services Visit

Our Mental Health in Primary Schools (MHiSP) teacher Mr Joe Quinn has been working to share mental health supports that are available in our broader community that can support our school - students, families and staff. Developed by paediatricians, educators, psychologists, researchers, and teachers, the MHiPS program upskills experienced teachers to become Mental Health and Wellbeing Leaders and aims to increase the capacity of Victorian primary schools to support the mental health of their students.

Thank you to Joe we have Junction Support Services visiting our school on Monday 17 June at 8:30am for staff and 9:00am for our families. We invite all our families to come along at 9:00am to hear about what services are available from Junction and enjoy a morning tea with us after the session. Junction Support Services is supported by the Victorian Government and is committed to providing comprehensive and compassionate services to those in need.

We look forward to seeing you Monday 17 June at 9:00am.

Peaceful kids

Junction Support Services is providing a Peaceful Kids program for children in Grade 3 & 4 Class and Grade 5 & 6 Class in Term 3. Information about this program will be provided to these families before the end of Term 2. Thank you to Joe Quinn and Junction Support Services for ensuring this program is available to our students.

​​The 'Peaceful Kids' program is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in children. This program helps children build their emotional resilience so they are better equipped to deal with the day to day stresses that life brings them

School Saver Bonus

Thank you to our community for advocating for our children in making sure the Victorian Labor Government understands how unfair their School Saver Bonus is to students in Catholic, other religious and Independent Schools. Only 13% of Sandhurst students would be eligible for the bonus compared to 100% of State School. The Catholic Education Sandhurst and the Victorian Catholic Education Authority would like to thank all of our families for the work they have done in bringing this unjust treatment of our students to the attention of the Victorian State Government.

Please refer to Dojo for the petition shared by our Member of the Victorian Legislative Assembly -Mr Bill Tilley that you may like to sign. I thank Mr Tilley for his ongoing support in this grossly unfair situation that our students and families have been put in by the Victorian Labor Government.

St. Michael’s Primary School is committed to child safety and the inclusion of all children.

New email address - Office Staff 

With the change in office days for staff, a new email address has been created for all office related school communications at:

office@smtallangatta.catholic.edu.au

Principal and teacher emails are still to be addressed directly to the staff member.

Class 5/6 - Mrs Mez Moffat

Term 2 has brought the Yr. 5/6 class wonderful learning and enriching experiences.

Mini Vinnies Team – we enjoyed hearing from Ann Seal the local St Vincent de Paul representative who
spoke to our class about how St Vincent de Paul help many people. These students would like to organise a blanket and warm clothing collection over the coming weeks so please help them to help others with
donations of clean blankets/quilts/doonas from home OR newly purchased. Warm clothing that we can
collect includes clean coats, jumpers, tracksuits, beanies, scarves and gloves from home or newly
purchased. Clothing can be in children or adult sizes.

Mrs Moffat will deliver them to Wodonga St Vincent’s store each Friday so please be generous and give warmth to others.

Student Representative Council.

This enthusiastic group of SRC Reps from Yr. 1- 6 have met twice this Term 2 and already implanted some students requested ideas.  The SRC are running a Book Club each Thursday lunchtime and many students are coming in to the library to read. So lovely to see them loving books & reading in our terrific new Library space.

The older SRC students have been working with the Sports Captains – Hamish Colclough and Bridie Bowran, to run extra whole school sport activities at lunchtime each Friday.  These are very popular with students of all ages joining in our “Blue Earth” games. Other requests are being organised by the SRC with help from Mr Joe Quinn and Mrs Moffat so stay tuned for move student voice led improvements to St Michael’s.  

Towong Shire Anzac Day - Local Veteran Research Project.  

Yr. 5/6 students worked very hard to research a local war veteran from the names on the epitaph monuments at the Triangles.  After recording all the information, they could on local soldiers and nurses, they produced beautiful posters to turn the story and history of these men and women into a display.  The final results were outstanding on display at Tallangatta Library and we visited to see our work presented so beautifully.  

Anzac Day Memorial Service.

St Michael’s attended the Anzac Day Memorial Service and a special mention to our School Captain Elle Bryant and Sport Captain Hamish Colclough for representing our school by laying the wreath.  Everyone was very respectful and staff were proud of our whole school.

After the Anzac Day Service, we enjoyed some story time with the local Kindergarten children and getting to know these young children was very special.  Thank you to the Kinder for inviting us. 

Legacy 100 Year Anniversary Guest Speaker – Michelle Wyatt.

The Yr. 5/6 class were privileged to hear and learn all about Legacy in their 100 Year Anniversary through our Guest Speaker – Michelle Wyatt.   Michelle is a Legacy volunteer and has served in 

 We all heard her incredible stories and the students asked her some very interesting questions.  Such a rich learning experience for the whole class and encouraging to us all to support this worthy cause. 

National Reconciliation Week.

Year ¾ class joined with Yr. 5/6 class to hear guest speaker Michael Chisholm from Sandhurst Diocese.  Michael is the “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Team Leader” of our Diocese. He taught the students about the history of Reconciliation Week and how this years’ theme: Now More Than Ever holds significance.

Finally, as the Yr. 5 & 6 classroom teacher I would like say how proud I am of this group of learners as we work together every school day to learn the curriculum tasks set. More importantly, the life skills constantly being taught.  We are very blessed and give thanks for all the support our class receives from our families, other staff at St Michael’s and the wider community. We are racing through Term 2 and look forward to lots more memorable learning opportunities.  

Class 3/4 - Ms Jo Hook

We have had a busy Term 2 in Grades 3 and 4. The students have worked together to share some updates 

Kindness – Will and Ella

For those that don’t know we started raindrop for our focus on kindness. Every time you see someone do something kindness you give a raindrop. And if our school gets one hundred raindrops we get 10 more minutes of play for a day.

Maths – James and Milla

In Mathematics have been doing time, fractions and decimals. We have been playing math games. Our favourite is are the fraction game where you flip two cards and put the lower number on top and the higher number on the bottom.

Cooking – Sebastian and Dusty

During our cooking lesson this week we made pizza pinwheels. They were yummy. Lots of the students went home and made them for school lunches.

Writing – Matilda and Daisy Mae

In 3/4 class for writing, we have been working on narrative stories. For example, we have made fictional stories about our made up mythical creatures or monsters. It was great to hear other kids’ stories.

Hockey – Toby and Declan

This term we were coached in hockey. We went to the hockey centre in Albury. We played a full game with our class. 

3/4 went on a trip to the hockey field in Albury and it was crazy fun. Toby and I were taking pictures and videos of our friends playing a game.

The game went for a while I think it went for about 1 hour. After the game our class went over to the athletics.

Athletics – Teghan and Archie

In athletics we did high jump, long jump and hurdles. Everyone enjoyed doing high jump. We also did some throwing which included discus and shot-put.

Sport – Oscar, Xavier and George

In the 3/4 class are doing games that everyone can enjoy. We were put in 4 groups and we each made new game. One was chair ball and another was trampoline bounce.

SRC – Boyd and Gracie

In SRC we have been working on Bluearth games. It is going well and we’re going to keep them running. We are also doing book club. It is successful too.

Art – Charlotte and Lily

For art this term we created self-portraits. We also made paintings with animals on interesting backgrounds as well as leaf pasting.

Warm Clothing Appeal - Mini Vinnies

Dear Families,

The St Michael's Mini Vinnies group  are conducting a Warm Clothing Appeal to collect blankets, doonas, coats, gloves, scarves, beanies for local families in need.  These students will help Mrs Moffat's help to deliver the items into the Wodonga St Vincent dePaul shop each week. 

Please be generous with clean second hard or new items to keep others warm. Any questions please email Mrs Moffat on mmoffat@smtallangatta.catholic.edu.au or call in and chat with your queries.

Thank you everyone. 
 

Labour Government 'Fair Schools Bonus'

A message from State Opposition, regarding the Labour Government's 'Fair School's Bonus' and the absence of Catholic's Schools in this Government Policy. 

We want an equitable “School Saving Bonus”. Thousands of Victorian families choose to send their children to Catholic and independent schools.

These families are not immune to cost-of-living increases.

Whilst every high-income family with a child attending a government school will recieve this bonus, many low-income families attending non-government schools will miss out entirely.

If the Government wants to offer cost-of-living assistance to families, they should do it in an equitable way.

The School Saving Bonus is lazy and inequitable policy-making. We ask you to reconsider the eligibility criteria for the School Saving Bonus to make it fair for all Victorian families.

http://fairschoolbonus.com.au/

School Handbook Update

Wodonga Catholic Parish News

 A few important Parish dates and information:

Parish Movie Night for students Years 4 - 7: Sunday 23 June 4-6pm

Caritas Australia has an urgent appeal for the landslide victims and families of Papua New Guinea. Caritas and partners also support the emergency workers and assist all who have been affected not just in the moment, this support is ongoing.

We also have a new Baptism Preparation Program for children aged 7 years and over, more info in future publications....

Our Tuesday morning tea gatherings are getting quite popular, this Tuesday just gone, we were privileged to celebrate Fr Vin's Birthday, Sr Eileen provided the b'day cake and it didn't last long at all... No leftovers that day!

Kind regards

Sonni 

What's on

Lunch Order  List 2024

Neighbourhood House - Tallangatta

Need help finding work?

Narelle from the Wodonga Skills and Jobs Centre will be at the Neighbourhood House from 10am next Thursday 6 June.  Whether you are looking for work or seeking a career change, Narelle can get you heading in the right direction. Book in for your FREE one-on-one session tailored to your individual needs. Get help with recognising your existing skills; job seeking strategies; writing resumes and key selection criteria; preparing for interviews; navigating Seek or just have a chat if you’re not sure what the next step is in your career journey!   Call or text Narelle on 0436 468 031 to make your appointment. 

Free help with your gizmos!

Do you spend too much time puzzling over how to do things on your digital devices? We are excited to be partnering with the awesome Vocational Major students from Tallangatta Secondary College to deliver the ‘Know Your Gizmo’ program. The students will be at the House to give free one-on-one help on whatever devices you would like to bring along such as your smartphone, tablet or laptop so you can learn how to use them to their full potential.  Sessions will be held on Thursday 6 and 20 June from 1.40pm to 2.40pm.  To book call the House on 0408 573 474 or drop in and see us.  Please help us spread the word by sharing this information with your non-tech savvy family, friends and neighbours.

Games Night

If you love cards and board games, having a laugh and a bit of friendly competition then this event should be right up your alley!  Get yourself up off the couch and out of your pjs and join us at the House for Games Night on Friday 7 June from 6.30pm!  There is no need to book, just come along with a couple of your favourite games and some nibbles. This social night is gaining in popularity with numbers growing every month! It is FREE and all ages are welcome. (Children must have an accompanying adult.) Games Night is held on the first Friday of every month! 

Silk Scarf Marbling – Daytime session!

You ask, we deliver! Recently we held an evening session of Silk Scarf Marbling and following this we received expressions of interest in a daytime session which we have scheduled for Friday 14 June at 10am.  Marbling is a beautiful and fluid artform where floating paints are dotted and swirled to create amazing patterns.  Come and learn step by step the techniques you need to marble a gorgeous silk scarf.  Kylie from Art Starts Here will be there to guide you every step of the way.  See How to Book to below.

Free legal advice

Hume Riverina Community Legal Service will be visiting the House on Tuesday 18 June.   The friendly team can give advice on a wide range of legal issues including credit, debts and fines, separation and divorce, family violence, tenancy, insurance, Centrelink and more.  If you are unsure if they can help with your issue, just give them a call to find out, you will find the team extremely approachable and easy to talk to.  Call 6055 8090 now to book your FREE appointment.  If the dates don’t suit please give the team a call to make alternative arrangements.  The service visits Neighbourhood House on every month or you can arrange a phone call or a visit to their office in Wodonga.

Wet Felting - Coasters

Spend the afternoon with Mary G learning the techniques of wet felting – the process of combining wool fibres, soap and water using friction to create felt.  This versatile craft is both relaxing and affordable and the techniques you learn can be used to create a vast range of items.  In this workshop to be held on Wednesday 19 June at 1pm, you will make a set of beautiful and unique coasters.  This class was a hit last year, so we recommend getting your bookings in quickly for this one!  See How to Book below.

#stuff4teens - Movie Night Madness

Wassup, Friday night crew?! Bored and need some epic plans? Level up your hangout game with your peeps.  Chill for a few hours and grab some grub.  Get hyped for Movie Night Madness happening Friday 21 June at 6pm! You pick the flick you want to watch on the night. Chow down on popcorn, lollies, hot chips and soft drink.  Surprise movie + Free Food = Good times.  For teens 13-17. Fully supervised by TNH volunteers.  This is a FREE event but you still need to book your spot!  See How to Book below.

Community Lunch – Winter Warmer

Join us at the House on Friday 28 June at 12.30pm for a two-course lunch that is sure to warm you up!  A great chance to enjoy a cuppa and a bite to eat for only $5.  Lakaola will be doing the catering and you will be served Beef Casserole with crusty bread and Hot Apple Crumble with custard.  Yummo! Our pop-up lunches are designed to bring our community members together to make new connections.  Bookings are essential!  Phone the House on 0408 573 474 or drop in between 10am and 2pm Monday to Friday to book your seat at the table.  (No Eventbrite bookings for this one.) 

Yarn for a Cause

Our new knitting and crochet group is growing week by week!  Join us for a cuppa and chat whilst knitting beanies for patients of Albury Wodonga Regional Cancer Centre plus other much needed wool items for the homeless.  If you are keen to come along but don’t know how to knit or crochet, we can teach you!  If you are not able to attend but would like to contribute to the cause you can pick up a pack from the House to make at home.  Donations of wool will also be very gratefully accepted!  The group meets weekly at the House on Mondays between 10am to 12pm.  Come along to find out what it is all about or you can call Helen on 0419 571 836 for more information. 

The House is Here to Help

Did you know that we have community volunteers here at Neighbourhood House from Monday to Friday between 10am to 2pm to help you however you may need?  If you have a tricky form to fill in or need help using the internet to research or apply for something online, we can help.  If you have something happening in your life that you need support with and you are not sure who to go to, start with us and we will endeavour to point you in the right direction.  Or if you are at a loose end and feel like a cuppa and chat, we are here for that too.  No need to book, just drop-in. Please help us spread the word to your family and friends and our community.

HOW TO BOOK!

Book in for all Neighbourhood House activities on Eventbrite https://tallangattaneighbourhoodhouse.eventbrite.com.au.  For help with bookings or more information: reply to this email, call us on 0408 573 474 or visit us at 5a Banool Rd from Monday to Friday between 10am and 2pm. 

COMMUNITY INFORMATION

Tallangatta Carer Connections         

Are you a carer for someone who needs extra support? Would you like the opportunity to connect with carers from our community in a supportive and relaxed environment?  The Tallangatta Carer Connections group’s next gathering will be on Thursday 27 June commencing with a cuppa & catch-up at 10am followed by guest speakers from Carer Gateway and NELLEN (North East Local Learning & Employment Network).   See the attached flyer or for more information contact Lucy-anne Cobby on 0488 712 616.

Play-based Early Childhood Intervention Group           

Aspire Support Services are excited to be bringing their Early Childhood Intervention groups to Tallangatta in Term 3.  These groups provide support to children aged 0-5 years and their families through play-based intervention. Groups are planned using your child’s NDIS goals with a focus on communication, social skills, routines and emotional regulation.   Sessions will be held at the Neighbourhood House.  See the attached flyer for more details and for further information contact the Specialist Services Intake Team on 02 6058 4000 or meghan.whitehouse@aspiress.com.au. 

Town Garage Sale – Save the Date!

Start putting aside your trash and treasure ready for the return of the Tallangatta Community Garage Sale on Saturday 5 October.   This event is for households within the township of Tallangatta.  A map of participating houses will be put together so you can find a bargain. Follow the Facebook page to keep updated with event information and to find the link to the registration form.  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558788156993

Playgroup

Did you know Towong Shire Council hosts a supported Playgroup every Tuesday morning here at Neighbourhood House?  If you are new in town or looking to connect with other families, Playgroup is the perfect way to do it!  The session runs from 10am to 12pm and you can stay for as little or as long as you like.  Playgroup provides a safe and happy environment for children to learn, play and develop language, social and motor skills.  No need to book, just come along or if you would like more information contact Family Support Officer, Rebecca West on 0438 959 407.  (Note – the regular playgroup day of Wednesday has changed to Tuesdays)

Tallangatta Community Share Garden update

Have you been wondering what is happening in the garden at Tallangatta Neighbourhood House?  This great little garden space is run by Tallangatta Community Share Garden, a local group of volunteers who are passionate about growing and sharing food. The garden is open to all members of the community and aims to connect community, share knowledge and create positive social change around all things food and health.  The group is looking to expand their reach and welcomes community input, ideas, wisdom and passion.  In addition to growing food, information sessions such as seed raising, seed collecting and composting are held to give people the confidence to grow in their own backyards.   The group meets in the garden at 10.30am on the first Sunday of every month.  This is a social get-together with a cuppa and some morning tea while projects in the garden are worked on together. You do not need any gardening or food growing knowledge to join, and there is no cost involved. To become a member all you need to do is come along (next gathering will be Sunday 2 June), or call into the Neighbourhood House for more information.  

Promote your Community group or event

As your Neighbourhood House we see it as our role to share information about all activities happening in Tallangatta that might be of interest or benefit to our community.  If you are involved in a local community group or organisation and want to let your community know about your groups regular activities or upcoming event, please email us the information.  There are currently around 650 individual subscribers receiving this email and we have 1.1k followers on Facebook, so it is a great way to spread the word!

Neighbourhood House Tallangatta