Dear parents and carers

Welcome to Term 3 at St Michael’s!

We hope everyone had a restful and refreshing winter break. As we step into the second half of the school year, there’s a real buzz of excitement in the air. This term promises to be a vibrant one, packed with engaging activities, exciting excursions, memorable camps and joyful celebrations. 

Whether you are a returning family or new to our school community, we’re thrilled to have you with us. There’s so much to look forward to, and we can’t wait to share all the fun and learning ahead!

Grandparents’ Day

The fun has already begun this term, with our much-loved Grandparents’ Day, held as part of our celebration of the Feast of Saints Joachim and Anne - Jesus’ grandparents.

It was heartwarming to see our church filled to the brim, with a record number of grandparents joining us for the special mass and classroom visits. The joy and pride on our students’ faces as they welcomed their grandparents into their learning spaces was truly something to behold. 

A huge thank you goes to Ms Kelly Evans (our APRE), for her thoughtful planning and coordination of the event - everything ran smoothly and beautifully, as always. Our student leaders also shone brightly, delivering tuckshop-prepared goodies for morning tea and lending a hand with the clean-up. What a wonderful way to kick off the term!

Docemus Award Nominations - Celebrating Excellence!

We are thrilled to announce our 2025 Docemus Award nominees - outstanding staff who go above and beyond every day! A huge congratulations to Jesse Short, Damien Coad, Dorina Gawley and Chandell Van Rees for being recognised for their incredible contributions.

We’ll be celebrating their excellence during Catholic Education Week, and we couldn’t be more proud. What a team!

St Michael’s Community Group

Our Parent Engagement Meeting last week was buzzing with energy and brilliant ideas! It was fantastic to see so many parents getting involved and sharing ways to stay connected with school life. From fresh ideas for communication to exciting plans for fundraising - like our new nature playground - there’s a real sense of momentum building!

Each term, in Weeks 2 and 8, our St Michael’s Community Group meets to explore ways families can get involved in their child’s learning and help our school’s growth. Whether it’s helping out with events, joining project teams, or simply offering feedback, there’s something for everyone. And don’t forget - Week 8 also brings our popular parent workshops!

This year the session topics include “Literacy Blocks - what are they?”; “How is Maths taught in schools now and how can I help my child?” and “How can I support my anxious child?”. These after-school sessions (5:30-6:30pm Wednesday evenings) are led by our Leadership Team and are a great way to learn, connect and feel empowered. We are so grateful for the enthusiasm and involvement of our parent community - it’s what makes St Michael’s such a special place! Let’s keep the momentum going!

A Friendly Reminder about Stop-Drop-Go and School Safety

At St Michael’s, the safety of our students, staff and families is always our top priority. We kindly ask all parents and carers to help us keep things running smoothly by following a few important protocols:

• Stop-Drop-Go: Please use the designated zone for quick student pick-up and drop-off. If you would like to walk your child in or come in to school to collect your child, please ensure you park in a legal parking space.
• Limited Parking Alert: Due to the Cairns Regional Council’s current works on the Water Security Project, parking opposite the school on Mill Street will be limited in the coming weeks. The street will become a one-way only street running from south to north. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
• Staff and Parishioner Parking Only: Our school carpark is reserved for staff and parishioners. Please avoid using these spaces during school hours.

• Disabled Parking: These spaces are essential for students and staff who need them - please keep them clear at all times.
• Signing In: All visitors (including parents) must sign in at the Front Office and wear a lanyard while on school grounds. This does not apply to parents collecting students at the end of the day.
• Toilets: Please use the adult toilet facilities only - student toilets are for students’ use only.

Thank you for your continued support in keeping St Michael’s a safe and welcoming place for everyone!

St Michael’s WALKs with God

At St Michael’s, our values and expectations are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in creating a safe, respectful and nurturing environment where every member of our community - students, staff and families - can thrive. We WALK with God by choosing to Walk respectfully, Act responsibly, Love learning and Keep safe at all times. These values guide our actions in the classroom, on the playground and beyond. They help us build a strong, supportive school culture where everyone feels valued and empowered.

Be sure to check out one of our posters around the school that shows exactly what WALKing with God looks like in action at St Michael’s!

…phew! Such a lot of great news and it’s only Week 3! I look forward to sharing more news with you in the coming weeks. In the meantime, have a wonderful week!

God bless