This is our final newsletter for this year, and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for all of the wonderful support you have given to our students, our staff and to myself. It has been wonderful knowing that everyone cares for each other and will help out in many ways. This time of year, provides an opportunity for the school community to reflect upon, celebrate and share the significant achievements that have occurred during the 2020 school year.

Our school and parish community was significantly affected by the impact of the bushfires at the beginning of the year and the COVID 19 pandemic, yet through all this uncertainty, students, teachers, parents and parish supported each other and the community bond was greatly strengthened. During a part of this year, as we all remember well, remote learning was required and preparation for online curriculum delivery and support, played a significant part of the planning for all staff and was greatly supported by our students and parents. Although many opportunities for Diocesan representation were postponed this year due to Covid 19 restrictions, the students were able to participate in school organised events via online and small group initiatives.  Our Mission and Outreach programs enabled the school community to support people in need, especially in the local area, through our St Michael’s Bushfire Appeal, St Vincent de Paul Winter and Christmas Appeal as well as the school’s ongoing support of the Maubara Orphanage in East Timor, Sr Anna Warlow’s Good Samaritan Rural Outreach Program and Caritas.

Even though this year commenced with uncertainty, it has been a memorable year filled with great success, happiness, special moments and personal gains. A snapshot of some of the events of 2020 can be seen here below: 

• Sacraments of Penance, Eucharist and Confirmation
• Beginning of the School Year Mass
• Highland Gathering for staff
• Catholic Schools Week Liturgy
• Ash Wednesday Liturgy
• St Joseph’s Feast Day Liturgy
• Holy Week and Easter online liturgies during remote learning
• St Michael’s Feast Day online liturgy
• World Environment Day activities
• Outdoor Classroom Day activities
• St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day- with online classroom liturgy; children dressing up in “olden day” clothes and class activities
• End of the School Year Mass with Year 6 and their parents
• National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week- with rotation of activities across the school
• ANZAC Day online liturgy
• Grandparents’ Day (G Day) online liturgy
• Grandparents’ Day (G Day) online concert
• All Saints’ Day classroom online liturgy
• Remembrance Day activities
• Year 6 ‘Activate the Fire’ Day, led by the CEO Youth team
• Fundraising for the St Michael’s Primary School Response to the Bushfires Appeal; Caritas; Australian Catholic Mission; St Vincent de Paul Society; St Therese Orphanage in Maubara and Sr Anna Warlow’s Indigenous Outreach in Western Australia
• Year 6 representatives attending the Caritas Launch
• Welcome to new Kindergarten students, new students Years 1-6 and families
• Father’s Day Stall
• Year 6 visiting the Abbey nursing home at the beginning of the year
• West Tigers NRL (whole school)
• Book Week- Parade and Book Fair
• Gymnastrix program
• Year 6 High School visits
• Year 5 Fete
• Year 4 Busking Day
• End of year Talent Quest
• Kinder orientation and playgroup
• Kinder Ebook
• Premier’s Reading Challenge
• Diocesan Christmas Art Competition
• One student winning the Bishop’s Art Prize for the Christmas Art
• Sporting experiences at carnivals for cross country and swimming
• In school Athletics Carnival events
• Gala days for AFL
• Some students were able to progress to representation at the Diocesan Carnival for swimming
• ‘The Best Me I Can Be’ program
• Year 5 Leadership Day
• The VegePods vegetable garden and harvesting/cooking the vegetables
• Year 6 three days of fun: Moss Vale Basketball Stadium; Mittagong Swimming Pool; Movie afternoon; PCYC Mittagong.
• Online Christmas Concert (next week0
• Kinder buddies
• Annual Talent Quest (next week)

Just to name a few …… 

Thank you to our Parish Priest, Fr Sean for his wonderful support and guidance, the staff for their expertise and generosity of spirit, the Parents and Friends’ Association (P&F) for their resolute commitment to supporting the purchase of learning resources and most importantly, thank you to the students who have worked hard to achieve their personal best in all areas.

COMMUNITY GRANTS FOR 2020
During this year, our school was successful in obtaining the following grants:- 

• $2,970 Sporting Schools Grant which supported the Gymnastrix program for students in 2020.
• $1,988 Wingecarribee Community Assistance Scheme - to purchase subpod organic waste systems to support sustainable waste management within the school.
• $10,000 Local Schools Community Grant - supporting the creation of an outdoor playspace.  The school has committed additional funds to complete this work.  The playspace is currently being built this week. Our students are very excited to be able to play on that space next week.

During 2020, we have committed to the upgrade and improvement of the school playground facilities.  This included the purchase of playground equipment, painting of the existing fence, walls and seating to enhance the Quiet Area Playground and sandpit area. Next week we will see the installation of sensory playground markings and the relining of the hopscotch and handball courts.  Another exciting event for the students.

We continued IT upgrading with the purchase of technology to replace the  three interactive whiteboards which were no longer working.  These were replaced with 75” televisions,  Apple TV and stand.  The P&F contributed $3,300 towards the cost of one TV set, the school funded one TV set and the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong kindly agreed to fund the third TV set.   The P&F donated the sum of $1,000 towards library resources for 2020.

Funds were set aside to pay for:-

• three TV’s and a new laptop order that is yet to be filled;
• the completion of the nature playspace;
• the installation of the sensory playground and asphalt markings.

END OF YEAR MASS
On Tuesday 8th December, we celebrated our End of Year Mass. This Mass recognised especially our leaving students and families, our Year 6 class and we farewelled Mrs Petzer. Thank you  to  Fr Sean all of our Year 6 students and their families who were able to attend our Mass at St Thomas Aquinas Church Bowral. 

During the Mass, some of our students were awarded special awards:

• Principal’s Award for Outstanding Service to the School: Mitchell King
• Fr Sean’s Award for Parish Involvement: Sophie Taylor
• The Country Women’s Association Award for a positive attitude to enhancing learning- Olivia Dulhunty
• The Catholic Women’s League Award for Christian Attitude: Jane Yap
• St Joseph Award for Application to School Life: Brayden Fox
• The Mary MacKillop Award for Leadership: Emily Putland

During Mass, Year 6 presented our school with a special gift. This year, Year 6 created a beautiful handmade cross that will be hung on our school playground wall to remind us of Year 6 and the many gifts they have shared with us. Each child made a tiled square, that when joined together, represents their journey in faith. Fr Sean kindly blessed this cross for our school.

FAMILIES WHO ARE LEAVING
Every year we sadly say goodbye to some of our families whose youngest child or children are leaving our school. We say a huge thank you to the following families, for your continued support of your child and our school. We hope you have found the years as part of our St Michael’s community, ones to remember and cherish. And remember, once you are part of our St Michael’s school family…. You are always a part of our St Michael’s school family.

We say thank you to the following families:-

Karwii Fair-Townsend and Family
Taylan Lopes and Family
Daniella Padovana and Family
Abigail Sawaqued and Family
Claire Storer and Family
Emily Putland and Family
Sophie and Family
Kiara Wills and Family
Melinda Walker-Smith and Family
Matilda McCarthy and Family
Billy and Imogen Lyons and Family
Arpit Kaur and Family
Kobi and Holly Noble and Family
Willow Purdon

ST MICHAEL’S CHRISTMAS STORY AND CAROLS
This year our St Michael’s Christmas Story and Carols will be online, as we still cannot have our full community on site. We have been preparing this event all this term and I think you will love it. All classes have participated. The St Michael’s Primary School Christmas Story will be shown to the children on Tuesday and then uploaded to their SeeSaw pages for the families to view.  A big thank you to Mrs Erin Whipp, Ms Keva Abotomey, Mrs Rebecca Mitchell and Mr Richard Tuckwell for the preparation of this online event, along with all the students and teachers who helped create it. 

P&F CHRISTMAS RAFFLE
Thank you to everyone who has supported the P&F Christmas Raffle. It will be drawn on Tuesday next week, so if you wish to get any more tickets, please contact the school office. All raffle tickets need to be back to school by Monday. 

FINAL THANKS
Thank you to our Parish Priest, Fr Sean for his wonderful support and guidance, the staff for their expertise and generosity of spirit, the Parents and Friends’ Association (P&F) for their resolute commitment to supporting the purchase of learning resources and most importantly, thank you to the students who have worked hard to achieve their personal best in all areas.

Our school could not be the great St Michael's Mittagong that it is, without the generous support we receive from our parents and wider community. Thank you for the honour you bestow, in providing our staff with the opportunity to guide and teach your children. Each day is a special day at St Michaels because of this.

I wish all families a wonderful Christmas shared with family and friends. May 2021, bring an abundance of happy moments and special times with family, friends and our school community.

A CHRISTMAS PRAYER

“May you be filled with the wonder of Mary,
The kindness of Joseph,
The joy of the angels,
The eagerness of the shepherds,
The determination of the Magi,
The peace of the Christ child
And may almighty God, Father and Son
Bless you now and forever”

Merry Christmas everyone.

Best wishes and God Bless
Katrina West