REFLECTION
Last Friday evening, Mr Tuckwell presented the Diocesan Social Media Policy to a group of parents from our school. Thank you to all of those who came to hear these very important messages. As part of the presentation, Mr Tuckwell highlighted how social media can be used to inform and spread messages of goodwill and important information about the world we live in.

The Social Media Policy and Statement from our Diocese expresses that social media in the context of CEDoW :

• Is a  place where we communicate with respect – upholding the dignity of all in our interactions
• Is a place to do good in the world – to promote our values, Catholic social teaching and to be welcoming and inclusive of all
• Is an important tool to support the learning and wellbeing of students
• Is a valuable tool in building and maintaining our school communities in this modern world.

Pope Francis has a quite a presence on Social Media, in fact, he is the second most followed leader in the world (behind former US President Barack Obama) with 25 million followers.

Pope Francis states “The digital world, can be an environment rich in humanity; a network not of wires but of people”. In his message for the World Day of Social Communications 2019, Pope Francis urges responsible use of the internet, saying it should be used to liberate not to entrap. The Pope concludes his message by saying, that by acting responsibly to promote the positive use of the Net, we can “move from diagnosis to treatment: opening the way for dialogue, for encounter, for “smiles” and expressions of tenderness... This is the network we want, a network created not to entrap, but to liberate, to protect a communion of people who are free.”

More information on Pope Francis’ message can be found on this link below:

https://thepopevideo.org/social-networks/

I would like to thank all those who attended our meeting and to Mr Tuckwell, for his preparation in presenting this important information. 

The Diocesan Social Media Policy can be found on the CEDoW website at :

https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/about-us/policies/social-media-policy/

SCHOOL/PARISH MASS
This Saturday is our School/Parish Mass. It will be held at St Michael’s Church at 5:30pm. I encourage all families to attend if possible. It would be lovely to see you there. Thank you in advance, to our Liturgy Group and to Mrs Mitchell and Mr Tuckwell, who have been preparing this Mass.

REMEMBRANCE DAY
Next Monday is Remembrance Day, a day to honour all those who have served our country. In 1997, the then Governor-General Sir William Deane issued a proclamation formally declaring 11 November to be Remembrance Day, urging all Australians to observe one minute's silence at 11 am on 11 November each year to remember those who died or suffered for Australia's cause in all wars and armed conflicts.

On Monday our students and staff will participate in a Remembrance Day Liturgy.

DISCO
Thank you to everyone who attended the disco on Friday night and to the wonderful parents who organised the event. All of the children, parents and teachers enjoyed the music and had lots of fun.

YEAR 5 AT CHEVALIER COLLEGE
This Thursday, Year 5 classes from the three local Catholic Primary Schools will visit Chevalier College for a day of learning experiences. Students will experience activities in a variety of subjects: Science, Performing Arts, PDHPE and Technology. Chevalier has kindly offered to provide bus transportation from and to St Michael's Mittagong. We thank Chevalier College for their generous offer.

KINDERGARTEN PLAYGROUP
Last Friday, our new Kindergarten class for 2020 began their transition to school. Thank you to the many students and parents, who made our new parents and “Kinders-to-be”, feel so welcome. The children had a great time becoming familiar with their Kindergarten setting. The second playgroup session will be conducted this Friday at 2:20pm.

Thank you to Vanessa Tasker who has kindly offered to help with the setting up, serving and cleaning at the Kinder Orientation Information Day on the 19th November.  If anyone is able to help Vanessa, please let contact the school. 

Have a lovely week.

Mrs Katrina West
Acting Principal

Term 4 

• • School/Parish Mass Saturday 9^th November 2019 at 5:30pm, St Michael’s Church, Mittagong
  • Remembrance Day 11^th November 2019, School Liturgy 9:30am
  • Year 5 Mini Fete, Maubara Fundraiser, 22nd November 2019
  • First Holy Communion Sunday 24^th November, St Thomas Aquinas Church, Bowral
  • St Vincent De Paul Winter Appeal Christmas Hampers collection 18^th November 2019
  • End of Year Mass Tuesday 17^th of December 2019 at 9:30 am, St Michael’s Church, Mittagong

Parish/School Mass
Our Parish/School Mass on this Saturday the 9^thof November at 5.30pm. It would be lovely to have many of St Michael’s Families in attendance. The Liturgy group will lead the singing, so it will be a joyous occasion. 

Catholic Enrichment Programme
This Wednesday night (13th October, 2019) in the Parish Hall at Bowral at 7:15 pm, there will be a Catholic Enrichment evening where different aspects of our faith will be discussed. This week’s topic will be “The Problem of Evil”. All are welcome to attend.

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.

Thank you to everyone who attended the P&F Disco on Friday.  The children were well behaved and had lots of fun. 

A special thank you to the many parent volunteers who helped out on the night:-

Vanessa Tasker, Cassandra Kenna, Donna Walker-Smith, Kylie Goodfellow, Kristylee Robertson, Liz Martinovic, Sasha Haynes, Kelly Gould, Fiona Manouk.

School Fees
Please ensure that your school fee payments are up to date to have your school fees paid by Friday 6th December. Payment of school fees are part of your enrolment obligation and receiving these are imperative for the running of the school.  If you are having trouble paying your school fees, please contact the school office to make an appointment to see Mrs West.

• All absences should  be entered on Compass by parents—please check for any outstanding absences needing explanation.
• Make sure you have notifications turned on for Compass in your phone settings.
• Full access to Compass parent portal on your phone or ipad can only be achieved by opening in your browser. To do this, open the Compass app
  on your device and click into the 3 horizontal lines that appear in the top left hand corner. Click on 'Open in Browser'. The Event alert should now
  be visible in your newsfeed. This is not an issue when using a desktop computer or laptop.

HELP NEEDED - YEAR 5 MISSION FETE

Every year, Year 5 organise a Fete which raises money to support Maubara Orphanage (East Timor) as well as Sr Anna Warlow’s Indigenous Outreach Mission in Western Australia. For many children, this is one of the highlights of the school year.

The Year 5 students are in the process of organising some fun and varied activities and games for the fete which will take place on Friday 22^nd November (Week 6) between 11.40 am and 1:10 pm.

As we did last year, we are asking for some help with the ‘White elephant’ stall. Our supply of items to sell at the moment is quite small. It would therefore be appreciated if children across the school could donate to Year 5 any toys, games, dolls etc that you have at home and no longer really use or need. If they are in a reasonably good condition we can sell them for a small cost to other children in the school. Your child as well may be then able to buy something fun to bring home!

From tomorrow onwards Year 5 children will bring a plastic tub to each classroom for donations. We would really appreciate your help! A successful stall will not only provide a lot of enjoyment for our children at St Michael’s, but also raise money for people who really need our help.

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

Mannat K, Matilda Mc, Reeve C, Jett C, Allie C and Imogen L.