St. Michael's Primary School ~ Term 3, Week 4

IMPORTANT DATES

Principal's Message

Dear Families,

This week, our staff had the privilege of attending a Spirituality Day alongside colleagues from across Sandhurst Catholic Education. The day began with an inspiring plenary session led by Father Jake, titled “Pilgrimage: An Ancient Lens for a Modern World.” He invited us to reflect deeply on the moments in our lives when we are most attuned to listening—those quiet, powerful times that speak to our hearts. We were encouraged to consider the significant ‘others’ who walk alongside us on our journey, and to recognise the gratitude we feel for their presence. These reflections are not only personal but communal, shaping how we walk together as a Catholic learning community.

Our breakout sessions were equally enriching. In our first session, we explored Contemporary Mysticism, discovering the extraordinary impact of everyday people. It was humbling to witness how ordinary lives can radiate extraordinary grace and strength. This session also gave us space to reflect on gratitude, and the beautiful idea that while joy can make us grateful, it is gratitude that truly brings joy.

In our final session, we were deeply moved by the life and legacy of Mother Teresa. Her unwavering dedication to the poor and disadvantaged reminded us of the power of small acts of kindness. Her words, “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one,” resonated deeply. We left inspired by the thought that if each of us did one small thing, together we could create something truly transformative. I’ve included her poem “Life is?” at the end of this newsletter—I encourage you to take a moment to read and reflect.

Bully No Way Week

This week, our students participated in Bully No Way Week, engaging in activities and discussions around bullying prevention. We watched an online lesson from Kids Helpline focused on anti-bullying strategies. Please take the time to continue these conversations at home—your support is vital in helping children feel safe and empowered.

Year 3/4 Camp

Excitement is building for our Year 3/4 Camp next week! Please make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep on Sunday—it’s going to be a fun-filled and busy two days.

Book Week

Next week is Book Week and we’re looking forward to celebrating the joy of reading! Don’t forget to bring money for the Book Fair, which will be open:

• Tuesday to Thursday: 8:30–8:55 AM and 3:15–3:30 PM
• Friday:  8:30–8:55 AM
• Early Years: After the costume parade at 9:30 AM 

This year, we’ll have a school-supplied app available for card payments, and cash will also be accepted. Foundation students will enjoy a special library performance, and our costume parade will be held on Friday at 9:30 AM—we can’t wait to see the creativity on display! Parents and friends welcome.

Volunteers Update

We’ve made some changes to our volunteer process to align with best practices in Child Safeguarding. All volunteers are now required to complete an online form, available on our website. If you need assistance accessing it, please contact the school office.

Warm regards, 

Mrs Marsha Ardern
Principal. 

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

Fundraiser - WILD Juice 

We have an exciting new Fundraiser up & running for our school!  WILD Drinks are organic, no added sugar and preservative free!

Please jump onto CDF Pay (see link below)  to purchase your juices. 

The flyer below indicates varieties and pricing.

Orders close 22nd August & delivery will be the following week.

Wellbeing & Mental Health

Parents and Carers,

This week we have been educating the students about bullying.  We are helping them understand what it is and what to do about it.  The students from year one to year six have watched this video lesson from Kids Help Line. 

You might like to watch it too and find a time to talk about this topic within your family.

Joe Quinn
Mental Health Wellbeing Leader

Grade 5 & 6 - Mrs Mez Moffat

Term 3 has begun smoothly in Yr 5/6. We have a busy Term of learning and new experiences to learn from.

Through Sporting Schools Victoria, we have a coach coming from Volleyball Australia. Tyler is doing a great job teaching basic skills and we have started to play ‘newcome” which allows the students to catch the ball 3 times on each side before passing over the net to the opposition. Next week – no catching the ball; so see how we go with our skills of keeping the ball up in a controlled manner!

Volleyball

Our visit to Bolga Court Nursing Home is always highlight for everyone. This time we helped residents with their exercise class. We enjoyed stretches, balloons, bean bags and games with the very receptive elderly folk who love the children coming.

Bolga Court Visit

Community Engagement

Mini Vinnies

This week is Homelessness Week and the Mini Vinnies students are raising awareness through 2 projects. They have been making origami houses from cardboard that will be sent to Parliament House in Canberra. They are also gathering food and drinks to make some Homeless Packs. Please see the attached flyer that shows the items needed and if able to, please donate some. We also need some re-usable bags to pack the items into so if you have spares, please bring these in.

Mini Vinnies members in Yr 5/6 will be writing letters to business to ask for donations of these items. We hope and pray to create quite a few packs to donate to St Vincent de Paul in Wodonga. Thank you

for your support in any way you can. There is a lot going on, and we are aware of asking families for different support, so please consider how fortunate we are and how we can help others in need.

As always, any questions, please ask Mrs Moffat. HUGE thanks everyone.

SRC - Reading Out Of Poverty ROOP

One of their responsibilities this Term 3 is to help raise awareness of a new Australian reading initiative called : Reading Out Of Poverty = ROOP. This organisation have 3 main goals:

· We provide Books to children to nurture a love and habit of reading every day. (61% of the children don’t own a single book.)

· We support new parents with books, support, resources and baby books, so reading at home starts from day one.

· Our Pop-Up Libraries make children’s books available to those who have little or no access to books at home. We place them in laundromats and similar sites in which children and caregivers spend time waiting. (72% of children from disadvantaged postcodes have never visited a public library.)

From their website – Reading Out Of Poverty – we discover that they are focused on 12 of the most disadvantaged suburbs in Victoria and 8 other communities in QLD, NSW and WA. Please have a look at the website. LINK= ROOP.ORG.AU

The SRC will be collecting good quality books in a Book Drive during Book Week.

On Friday 22nd August, the SRC will hold a Book Sale. Both the $ raise and the books brought in, will be donated to the ROOP organisation. Please support this. Thankyou.

Grade 3 & 4 - Ms Sally Maguire & Mrs Hannah Baker

What a busy and exciting time we’ve had in class lately!

In Volleyball, students have been developing new skills, practising drills, and most importantly, learning about teamwork and being great sports. Their improvement and enjoyment of this new sport has been wonderful to see.

In English, our class has been highly engaged with The Iron Man. It’s a text filled with intrigue, mystery, and just a touch of scariness! The students beg me not to stop reading each day- ask them to give you a quick summary at home. We’ve also had a wave of enthusiasm for finding homophones and contractions, and our class list keeps growing by the day!

In Maths, students have been showing great persistence and pride while tackling new challenges, including division and multiplication with regrouping. Their determination is paying off!

Mr Henderson has brought lots of laughter to Performance, encouraging students to step out of their comfort zones with some acting and script reading. He’s also wowed us with highly engaging Science experiments.

In Religion, we have been exploring Parables and reflecting on their messages. This week, we joined the whole school in a beautiful liturgy to celebrate the life of Saint Mary MacKillop.

And… Camp is next week! It’s shaping up to be a chilly one, so please make sure to pack a warm jacket and a spare set of clothes, just in case. We can’t wait to share camp photos and stories with you! 

The Winter Reading Challenge continues through Book Week next week. So make sure to keep reading and send through photos of any finished sheets for a prize!

Mrs Sally Maguire & Mrs Hannah Baker 

Winter Reading Challenge 

With just over 2 weeks left of Winter,  many students are still working on their Reading Challenge, practising their skills, enjoying incredible stories...and hoping to choose more prizes! Next week is Book Week, so it's the perfect time to immerse yourself in books and work on completing the record sheet. 

Stay tuned for a Reading Challenge celebration at the end of Winter and make sure to send me photos regarding the Pop-Up Challenges! 

Mrs Sally Maguire

Wodonga Catholic Parish News

Hello everyone,

Here it is the Parish News for this weekend, attached

Page 2:
A message/request from our EarthCare Team in regards to the Sesson of Creation.
We have information on the Commissioning Mass coming up for the newly trained Eucharistic Miniters.

Page 4:
Join us for a 30-40 minute session to discover more about our community and the positive effects of foster care and respite services. Even if you're not in a position to provide care for a child, this informative session can equip you to help spread awareness.
Parish communities have traditionally played a significant role in nurturing and supporting families.

Don’t forget to share your smile with a stranger or a friend, they may just need it.

Kind regards

Sonni 🌻

Try not to let the rain camouflage the beautiful colours in your world.  

Information Session from Wodonga Catholic Parish
- Open Your Heart to Foster Care - 

This is an open invitation to the wider community. An information session facilitated by Upper Murry Family Care and hosted by Wodonga Catholic Parish. We encourage you to spread the word!

Parish communities have traditionally played a significant role in nurturing and supporting families.

There is an increasing need for foster carers in our area, as many children are being placed far from their homes, schools, and communities due to a lack of local carers.

This separation can be profoundly distressing for children, particularly during such a vulnerable phase in their lives.

Our goal is to raise awareness and address any questions you may have. We encourage members of our Parish to consider how they might contribute, whether through fostering, respite care, or simply helping to spread the word. Even if you feel you can’t offer guidance and support to a young person in need; we invite you to join us.  Come and discover what’s happening in your community.

Kind regards

Sonni 🌻

What's On

Rosewood Music Camp - Strathbogie Rangers, Victoria

Border Triathlon Squad

The Border Triathlon Squad are excited to offer to you our 2025 Duathlon Series.

Our events are fun, family-friendly community events designed to encourage kids of all ages and abilities to get active, try something new, and enjoy the outdoors.

We’re especially passionate about offering a welcoming option for those who may not be interested in team sports.

It’s a great opportunity for students to build confidence, fitness, and friendships in a supportive environment.
The events are short, safe, and achievable—even for beginners! Below is a flyer for your consideration.

Thank you so much for your time and support in helping us promote healthy, inclusive sporting opportunities for local kids.

Warm regards,
Jeremy Kent
Border Triathlon Squad        0427 314 207 

Dental Services - Wodonga 

Hello St Michael's School Community,

My name is Alyssa Wood, and I’m the Practice Manager of Central Dental Group in Wodonga. We’re committed to supporting families in our community with high-quality, compassionate dental care, especially when it comes to children’s oral health.

We’d love share the awareness about the importance of regular dental check-ups and to inform families about the Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS), which covers up to $1,132 over two calendar years for eligible children.

Our experienced Oral Health Therapist team works closely with young patients and their families to create a relaxed and positive dental experience, whether it’s their first visit or part of ongoing care.

Thank you for your time, and for the wonderful work you do in our community.

Warm regards,

Alyssa Wood