ST MARY OF THE CROSS MACKILLOP
This week, we will gather to celebrate the remarkable life of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – an Australian woman who devoted herself to caring for the poor and defending the rights of all people. Her tireless dedication and trust in God, inspire all Australians and many people throughout the world. 

Mary MacKillop was born in Melbourne in 1842. She was most concerned about the poor and uneducated children, especially in outback areas. Mary attempted to gather the support of friends and some priests to help her set up schools and orphanages, especially in the more remote country areas. With her friend, Father Julian Tennison-Woods, she started the first religious order in Australia, the Sisters of St Joseph, or the “Josephites”. When Mary became a nun, she took the religious name of Mary of the Cross. Mary and the other nuns shared the life of the poor, offering special care to mothers and children who were without food, shelter or education.  Mary’s example was followed by other women. As a community, we especially celebrate her life with the Sisters of St Joseph, who continue her good work today. The Sisters of St Joseph first built our school and commenced teaching here in Mittagong in 1891.

Mary is remembered for her eagerness to discover God’s will in all things and for her trust in God. Mary MacKillop continues to inspire others to help one another. We pray for our school community of St Michael’s Mittagong, that we will follow the example of Mary MacKillop, and be a sign of faith and hope to all who come here.

FEAST DAY EVENTS
A reminder that the canteen is closed on Thursday. The school will be providing a sausage sizzle lunch for the students on Thursday as part of our St Mary of the Cross MacKillop Feast Day celebrations. Students can wear mufti for a gold coin donation to the Maubara Orphanage. Our liturgy will commence at 11.40am. All are welcome to attend.

RETIREMENT
This week we farewell a very special member of our staff and school community, Mrs Jenny Hamilton. Mrs Hamilton has worked at St Michael’s for 11 years, leading our music program and School Liturgy Group. Mrs Hamilton has prepared the musical components of our whole school Masses, liturgies, Year 6 Diocesan Masses, G’Day concerts and Parish Sacramental Masses and liturgies. She has shared her musical talents with both our school and St Thomas Aquinas, Bowral communities. I wish to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Hamilton for her enthusiasm, generous spirit and kindness towards all. She has inspired so many children throughout her years in teaching. On behalf of St Michael’s School, I wish Jenny a happy and adventurous retirement. We will definitely miss you.

I would like to share this lovely thank you note, written by Max Gardiner Year 6, which is a great summation of our appreciation for all that Mrs Hamilton has done for us.

Dear Mrs Hamilton,

Thank you so much for being such an amazing teacher and teaching us so much. The school won’t be the same without you. No one is as skilled at writing and playing music as you are. You care so much about every single child you teach. It is going to be extremely hard to replace you. We will all miss you very much, however, I’m extremely lucky to have had a music teacher as awesome as you… we all are! You knew everyone’s capabilities and made us believe we could do anything. The most important thing, is that you didn’t look down on us… you believed and trusted us. I’ll miss you very much Mrs Hamilton, we all will.

From your student,
Max Gardiner.

Image by Lucinda, Kindergarten

SCHOOL PHOTOS
I thought I would share the feedback that was provided from the photography company last week.  They would like to pass on a message that St Michael's students were the most well behaved students that they had come across.  They were impressed with how well the students were behaved, were quiet when needed to be and listened to instructions.  (And they would have certainly visited a few schools over the year).  The whole photography process ran a lot smoother due to the wonderful organisation and student behaviour.  Thank you.

SOUP
From this week, the Year 6 social group will sell soup at afternoon tea, on Monday and Tuesday for 50c a cup. It would be appreciated if students have the correct money as it is difficult getting change.

SNAPCHAT APP FACTSHEET
Please see attached “APP Facts” sheet on Snapchat.  Please take the time to read the fact sheet. 

DIOCESAN WESTERN REGION ATHLETICS CARNIVAL 
Approximately 28 students will represent St Michael’s at the Western Region Athletics Carnival at Campbelltown Athletics Stadium this Friday. Good luck to all students.

G’Day (Grandparents or ‘Great’ people day) Friday 30th August
G’Day is not far away.  A note was sent home yesterday asking for support with providing lunch and/or morning tea for the day. If you are able to help out with providing food or are able to assist on the day we ask that you please return the note to the school as soon as possible.

Have a lovely week.

Mrs Katrina West
Acting Principal.

Listed below are some important school dates.  The school calendar is updated regularly and can be accessed via the school website and Compass parent portal.

AUGUST

Tomorrow, Wednesday 7^th August, is an exciting day as Year 6 celebrate our faith in a special combined Mass with other Year 6 students in our local area. It will be a wonderful celebration lead by Bishop Brian.

Thursday the 8^th August the whole school will celebrate the remarkable life of Mary of the Cross MacKillop. The day will be filled with lots of activities. The celebrations will start with a visit from ‘The Ned Show’ followed by a Liturgy, a sausage sizzle provided by the school, and to conclude the day with a games afternoon. ALL CHILDREN CAN WEAR MUFTI CLOTHING ON THIS DAY. Year 6 kindly ask for a gold coin donation in support of the Maubara Orphanage

Rebecca Mitchell, Acting REC

Communication

Each week the newsletter is distributed via the Schoolzine platform and Compass Parent Portal. Reading our school newsletter is the best way to stay up to date with what is happening at St Michael’s.

Did you know that when you click on the link and are directed to the online newsletter you then have the option to:-

• Visit the school website
• View previous newsletters
• Subscribe to the newsletter. This is a great way for relatives and community members to keep up to date with the wonderful things happening at St Michael’s school.
• Like us on Facebook
• View the newsletter in different languages.
• Contact the School.
• View the school calendar.
• Print a hard copy of the newsletter.

Please take the time to use the tabs and links to explore features available.  The advantages of this mode of communication is we can include many more photos, videos, pdf flyers, links to the school calendar and a direct link to our school website.

Our School Newsletter and Compass Parent Portal are the most important forms of regular communication with parents and families. Our school Facebook page is regularly updated with photos and updated information regarding events. 

Cyber Safety
Over the past few newsletters, parents have been provided with "app factsheets" which outlines things to watch out for when children are using technology.  The link below is a great way for parents to explore strategies to support the safe use of technology with their children at home. We highly recommend accessing this content to develop a range of skills and strategies to assist your children with developing safe practices when using technology in all environments.   The esafety government initiative aims to support all Australians in accessing the digital world in a safe and positive way.

https://www.esafety.gov.au/education-resources/iparent

Social Media facts:

On average, children aged 10 to 14 years have 2 active social media accounts. Outside of school, 10 to 14 year olds spend 23 hours online per week.

1. Talk regularly with your child about privacy settings on social media. Updating your own privacy settings sets a great example and helps you understand potential safety issues. Be aware of any minimum age requirements.
2. Keep your ears and eyes open. Other parents and the media can be a great source of information when it comes to the latest or most preferred app.
3. Let your child know that you’re really interested in how they’re connecting with friends. They might be more inclined to talk openly about social media if you talk about what others (their friends and peers) are doing online.

Screentime

There is a lot of conflicting advice and emerging research around screen time. But, the right amount of screen time can depend on a range of factors like your child’s age and maturity, the kind of content they are consuming, their learning needs and your family routine. It can be easy to focus only on the clock and how long your child is spending in front of the screen, but the quality and nature of what they are doing online, and your involvement are just as important. 

1. Be involved. Sharing screen time and online activities like gaming with your child helps you gauge the appropriateness of what they are doing and manage potential risks. It’s also a great way to start conversations with your child about their online experiences. 
2. Work with your child to set boundaries for screen use.  If you decide that setting screen time limits is right for you and your child, discuss these new rules with your child. Older children are more likely to cooperate if they have been part of the decision making process. Colourful pictures or charts of daily limits and other important activities is a fun way to get younger children on board. 
3. Be clear about the consequences of not switching off.  Part of our role as parents is to set clear limitations and boundaries. The same applies to technology limitations so, being clear and consistent about the consequences for your child if they do not stick to these rules is paramount. 
4. Set device-free zones and times at home.  Device-free zones can help you manage your family’s digital use. Here are some ideas for setting digital boundaries within your home:
   • no devices in the bedroom for younger children
   • all screens off in bedrooms after a certain time for older children
   • all screens off at least one hour before planned bedtime
   • all family members switch off at dinner time
   • charge devices overnight in a place your child cannot access
5. Ask your child to explain their screen use.  Get your child in the habit of explaining why they want to be in front of a screen or online. It’s a great way to get them thinking about their own digital habits and balancing screen time with other activities. 
6. Use tech tools to help manage access.  There are robust products and device functions which allow you to see which apps are being used in your home and for how long. But try not to use these tools to secretly monitor your child. Instead, be open about the process and check the whole family’s usage, including your own. Start with Google Family Link for Android devices or parental controls and Screen Time for iPhone/iPad. 
7. Lead by example. Your behaviour is one of the most effective ways to help your child develop a positive digital mindset. Show your child you can put down your device too.
   
   

NED is back!

Never Give Up (N)     Encourage Others (E)        Do Your Best (D)

This coming Thursday as part of our Feast Day celebrations, we will host the NED Show, a character education program centred around a lovable cartoon character whose name is Ned, an acronym for Never give up, Encourage others and Do your best. Ned’s adventures are narrated by a very talented Ned Ambassador using a yo-yo as a prop.

The Ned Show uses a system of ‘pay it forward’. Our school receives this assembly at no-cost because another school community has paid-it-forward to us. Now it’s our turn—you can help by purchasing a NED-messaged yo-yo and accessories. During lunchtime over Friday, Monday and Tuesday, students are able to purchase a range of yo-yos and other merchandise from the show. The proceeds from those sales will enable other schools to enjoy their own Ned show.   A yo-yo is both a mindset tool and tangible reminder of NED’s message. While learning to yo-yo, children will make mistakes, try again, and improve. Read more at www.MindsetMission.com/yoyos.

Please find attached an information and order sheet.

Library News – Celebrating Children’s Book Week

Each year across Australia, the CBCA brings children and books together celebrating CBCA Book Week.  The theme for book week changes each year.  This year’s theme is ‘Reading is my Secret Power’.

We will be celebrating Book Week on Tuesday 20th August 2019. We are asking the children to come to school wearing a cape, which your child can create and make at home or buy if you wish. Please do not go to any expense in costume dress up. Children are allowed to wear mufti clothes to school on that day.  Activities are planned for the middle session of the day.

Thanks
Mrs Sewell

Wednesday 28th August - P&F Father's Day Stall

Friday 20th September - P&F Walkathon

Happy birthday to the following students who celebrate a birthday this week:

Elijah W,  Micah Y and Hayley R