Dear parents and carers

The countdown is on to the end of another action-packed term and towards the September break. Our students have certainly packed it in with their learning and celebrations this term and I am sure will be in need of a well-earned break! The celebrations continue over the coming weeks as we close off what has again been a wonderful term for St Michael’s…

Sacramental Celebration at St Michael’s

Last Sunday was a truly special day for our St Michael’s community as we celebrated Confirmation and First Communion of our young candidates. We were deeply honoured to have our new Bishop Joe preside over the ceremony, alongside our beloved Father Sabu.

The candidates were beautifully prepared, having journeyed through the sacramental preparation programme with the loving support of parishioners, parents, teachers and our dedicated APRE, Ms Evans.

It was heartwarming to see our church filled with proud parents, sponsors, siblings and friends, all gathered to witness and celebrate this important milestone in the children’s faith journey. 

Congratulations to all the children who participated - your reverence and joy made the day truly unforgettable!

Prep Circus Extravaganza - What a Show!

St Michael’s traditions are something to be treasured and enjoyed by the whole community, and the famous annual Prep Circus is one of the most popular.

The Prep Circus is in town - and what a spectacular event it was!

After weeks of planning, practice and careful attention to detail, our two Prep classes presented their circus extravaganza for us all to enjoy last week.

I swear this colourful show gets more sophisticated and professional every year! The school hall is decorated with brightly coloured banners, flags and props and even the teachers and school officers join in! Thank you, Cat for your music coordination,  Bri and Giovanna for mustering the students for each ‘act’ and Adrienne and Anne for your endless energy as the clowns.

A huuuuge and very special thank you to the head roadie, set designer, choreographer, chief script writer, producer and executive director Adrienne Marino who has coordinated this St Michael’s event for many, many years and kept the tradition alive. You are an absolute legend!

The loudest applause of course is for our very talented and confident little ones who worked so hard to present an entertaining presentation for us all! Your enthusiasm and energy lit up the stage and warmed every heart in the room. And thank you to our wonderful parents for your support with costumes, and for being part of the celebration. Great job everyone!

We were absolutely thrilled to welcome our local kindergartens, Gordonvale C&K and Natural Beginnings, to witness the magic of our Prep Circus Extravaganza. The joy and wonder on the little ones’ faces as they watched our talented Preps perform was simply priceless!

The audience was buzzing with excitement, filled with our older students, teachers, school officers, parents, friends and families of children who will be starting Prep in 2026. What a fantastic way to show them the fun and creativity that awaits at St Michael’s for them next year!

All in all, it was a brilliant learning experience and definitely a day filled with laughter, pride and community spirit. The Prep Circus was a rip-roaring success - and we couldn’t be prouder!!

Prep Transition

A couple of weeks ago, we began our Prep Transition programme for families enrolling their little ones in Prep for 2026.

Each week, on Friday mornings, our parents visit our Prep classes with their children for an hour of play and ‘getting to know you’ activities. Children get to meet new friends and learn a little about what ‘big school’ is all about, while parents and carers are treated to a cuppa and a chat about all the great things we can offer at St Michael’s school. From Playgroup to Tuck Shop and Learning Support to Specialist lessons like the Arts, Sport and Instrumental Music, all we have on offer for families is showcased with opportunities for questions throughout.

If you have not yet enrolled your Prep aged child for 2026, please contact our friendly office staff and they will arrange an interview and tour of the school. Please hurry though, places are filling fast!

St Michael’s Rugby Team Hits the Field!

On Wednesday this week, our spirited St Michael’s Rugby Team took to the field to compete in the Gala Day at Jones Park in Cairns. Backed by the energy and expertise of Mr Mafua, our year teacher and dedicated team coach, the players gave it their all and held their own against some tough competition. The event showcased the talents of students from Catholic and State schools from across the Cairns area and was a wonderful demonstration of  teamwork, resilience, and school pride. 

Mr Mafua commented that “Watching the kids put things together and grow in confidence over the course of the day was unreal and all of our spectators were very proud of the boys and our one girl on the team, PK.” 

Special Awards for the day went to:

Ben Ganley - Sportsmanship Award

Pikaila Demas - Best and Fairest

Other standout performances on the day were Hezron Murgha for his pure footy talent and natural play. Hezron played the day in school shoes and still managed to split teams through the middle of the park!

Koen DeBusch was aggressive in defence and attack. He took on the opposition and gave our team a massive advantage in the middle of the field making some gritty and tough tackles on much bigger boys.

Logan Azzopardi - the captain of our team, leads by example, scores tries, makes important tackles and doesn’t take a backward step, a true leader.

Well done to all our players! We are super proud of you all.

ST MICHAEL'S FOOTBALL TEAM FOR GALA DAY

Pies in the Playground - A Heartwarming Father’s Day Celebration

What a joyful morning it was on Wednesday this week as our Prep students celebrated the special love shared with their dads and grandads during our much-loved Pies in the Playground tradition.

It was so wonderful to see so many fathers and father figures playing with their children, enjoying puzzles, crafts, and outdoor fun in the playground. The smiles on the children’s faces said it all - they were absolutely thrilled and proud to have their dads spend such meaningful time with them at school. After the activities, families gathered to enjoy some delicious savoury treats together. We hope everyone enjoyed the day and that you have a Father’s Day weekend filled with love and laughter!

Father’s Day Stall Fun!

Excitement was in the air as students from every year level visited the Father’s Day Stall this week, carefully selecting the perfect gift to surprise Dad this weekend. A huge shout out to our amazing school officers and parent volunteers who made the stalls sparkle with goodies - thank you for helping create such a special experience for our kids!

St Michael’s students W A L K with God

Many parents will have already seen the various signs outlining the Expected Behaviour in various settings around the school. These signs describe the social behaviours we expect from our students when they are in that setting (e.g. the classroom, playground, library, church).

Posting and displaying expectations is a simple but very effective strategy for enabling students to “do the right thing’ and follow our school values, reminding everyone that, at St Michael’s

We respect everyone  

Act responsibly  

Love learning 

Keep safe

It’s also built on a very simple but crucial idea – the need to put the thought of the appropriate social skill into their heads, rather than its opposite!

This is the reason why we avoid using ‘Don’t…rules’ – for example: “Don’t run on the Concrete”, “Don’t Call Out”, Don’t throw your rubbish on the floor”. Sometimes using these phrases has the opposite effect and there are times when they even give students ideas that they hadn’t considered in the first place!

Knowing this, our values are positively phrased – focusing on what we want students to do instead. So for example:

This also allows staff to prompt students to stop, think and then state what the rules are. It also allows the language to remain positive – for example: “remember our rule for walking on the concrete” is much more instructive and easy on the ear than the negatively phrased “Don’t Run!”

Still to come in Term 3…

• St Michael’s Spelling Bee - Wednesday 17th September
• Jim Graham Cup (Rugby) - Thursday 18th September
• Mary Mills Cup (Netball) - Friday 19th September

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. I hope you all have a great Father’s Day on Sunday.

God bless,

Jacquie

Measles Alert for Cairns - 4 September 2025

Information for Parents and Carers – Contagious Conditions and School Attendance

Time Out Poster

Parent-Teacher-Student Conferences will be held for Prep to Year 6 as per the below timetable. Bookings are to be made via PTO. Bookings are now open.

If you are unable to attend in person, please contact your child’s teacher, either by email or Seesaw to arrange a time on the designated interview date below to have a phone interview. (See attached PDF for a list of class teachers and their respective email addresses).

Interviews will be of 10 minute duration and they can be either Face to Face or via a phone call on the designated date.

For these interviews we are using our online booking system called Booked (formally known as Parent Teacher On-Line (PTO)).

Using this system, you will be able to book the interview times that suit you best from any internet enabled device. Booked (PTO) also has its own free app for Apple and Android devices.

Booked (PTO) can be accessed through the MyCE App or St Michael's Parent Portal. 

https://bookings.parentteacheronline.com.au/Logon2

See attached instructions on how to access the Booked (PTO) system.

St Michael's School is seeking applications for a Casual School Learning Officer to join their school community.

https://careers.cns.catholic.edu.au/jobs/4a7ef4f4-d0fb-4cb3-b4f7-613f18885101

Commencement Date: On Demand

Employment Type: Casual

Closing Date: 5pm Friday 12 September 2025 unless filled prior

CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW TO REGISTER

From Pressure to Possibility: Strengthening the Child, Youth & Family Workforce Together

Launch of National Child Protection Week

Unpacking Netflix’s Adolescence: Building healthier masculinities in today’s online world

Preventing Childhood Emotional Abuse: Prioritising Action

Power, Shame & Screens: Protecting Young People From Image-Based Abuse

What Children Tell Us: Listening, Trusting and Taking Action

Student birthdays 25th August to 7th September 2025

Term 3, 2025 – School Fees & Levies

Please contact accounts.gordonvale@cns.catholic.edu.au if you have not received your Term 3 fee statement by the mentioned date below.

Please do not hesitate to contact accounts.gordonvale@cns.catholic.edu.au for any queries regards to payment plans, direct debits, financial hardship, concessions,  or Centrepay.

Kind Regards, Justine Hind | Finance/HR Officer accounts.gordonvale@cns.catholic.edu.au

Upcoming Events

SEP 12 - Under 8s Day

SEP 17 - St Michael's Spelling Bee

SEP 18 - Jim Graham Rugby League Cup

SEP 19 - Mary Mills Netball Carnival

SEP 19 - Last day of Term 3

SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

OCT 06 - Public Holiday King's Birthday

OCT 07 - First day of Term 4

OCT 10 - NAIDOC/St Michael's Feast Day/Mercy Works

OCT 22 - Year 6 Camp Tinaroo (Wed-Fri)

OCT 31 - Day for Daniel

NOV 11 - Remembrance Day Liturgy

NOV 20 - Bump Up Day

NOV 26 - SMG Chess Tournament

NOV 28 - Christmas Carol Concert

DEC 02 - Year 6 End of Year Awards

DEC 03 - Year 6 Liturgy & Celebrations (evening)

DEC 04 - Year 6 Excursion

DEC 05 - Last Day of School (12pm finish)

Check the MyCE app Calendar for all calendar events.