PRINCIPAL NEWS
Dear parents and carers
Welcome back to Term 4 at St Michael’s!
We hope all our families enjoyed a restful and joyful September break, filled with special moments spent together and plenty of time outdoors enjoying the beautiful North Queensland sunshine. I was lucky enough to get away to Victoria to enjoy a few days hiking along the Great Ocean Walk.
As we step into Term 4, we’re gearing up for a busy and exciting few weeks ahead. This final term is packed with wonderful end-of-year activities, celebrations, and opportunities for families to join us in recognising the achievements and growth of our students throughout 2025. We look forward to sharing this vibrant and memorable time with you all!
St Michael’s Feast Day – A Celebration to Remember!
We kicked off Term 4 with a bang, celebrating our much-loved St Michael’s Feast Day! This special event honours Michaelmas – a Christian festival celebrating the mighty Archangel Michael, our school’s patron saint and protector.
Our incredible Year 6 student leaders spent weeks planning a jam-packed day of fun and games for everyone to enjoy. From laughter-filled activities to friendly competitions, the energy was electric! Best of all, every dollar raised went to the Sisters of Mercy, helping bring life-changing resources like clean water and sanitation to vulnerable communities around the world.
The smiles said it all – it was a day full of joy, spirit, and community. A huge congratulations to everyone involved, and a special shout-out to our Year 6 legends and their amazing teachers, Mr Coad and Mr Hubbard, for pulling off such a well-organised and meaningful event. We raised $586.70 – what a fantastic effort!
NAIDOC Celebrations – Culture, Colour and Connection!
Our Feast Day celebrations were made even more special thanks to a vibrant morning of NAIDOC activities, brilliantly organised by our amazing Indigenous Liaison Officer, Miss Cassie! The school came alive with colour, music, and movement as we honoured the history, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Students dived into a rich cultural experience through painting, dancing, cooking and storytelling. Uncle Clive shared the meaning behind Aboriginal art symbols, while the Dulabed Malanbarra Rangers whipped up damper, taught us local language, showcased natural artefacts, and wowed us with didgeridoo tunes! We even had high school helpers from Gordonvale State School joining in the fun with face painting.
A huge shout-out to everyone who made the morning unforgettable – the Dulabed Malanbarra Rangers, Uncle Clive, our Gordonvale State School volunteers, and of course Miss Cassie and her superstar son Blake, who had everyone engaged and guessing what animal he was mimicking with his ‘shake a leg’ dance moves and a fantastic language session later. What a brilliant way to celebrate culture, community and connection!
Parent Workshop – Week 8
Get ready for an insightful and empowering evening! Our next parent workshop is happening in Week 8, and it’s one you won’t want to miss.
Our fabulous School Counsellor, Sophie, will be diving into the topic of anxiety – sharing practical tips and strategies to help support your child through common triggers like big changes, sleep struggles, social challenges, and those tricky school drop-offs.
Join us on Wednesday 26th November at 5:30pm in the school staff room. It’ll be a relaxed and welcoming space, with light refreshments on offer and plenty of time for questions and conversation. Let’s work together to support our kids and build their resilience!
Prep Transition – Off to a Great Start!
Our weekly Prep Transition sessions are back, and it’s been wonderful seeing those bright, smiling faces reconnecting with friends and growing in confidence. Our 2026 Preppies are already settling beautifully into the Prep space and showing they’re well on their way to being school-ready!
If you haven’t collected your child’s show bag yet, pop into the office to grab their t-shirt and activity pack.
Next week’s theme is Faith Life at St Michael’s – parents will tour our church and meet Acting APRE Mrs Hitchings to learn about our Religious Education and sacramental program.
Feedback Surveys – You Spoke, We’re Listening!
Last term, parents, students and staff had their say through our Feedback Surveys – and wow, what a response! These surveys gave our school community a powerful voice to share thoughts, ideas and experiences across all areas of school life. Your feedback is pure gold, helping us understand what’s working, what needs tweaking, and how we can keep growing together.
We’ve crunched the numbers and compared them with previous years to see how we’re tracking. Here’s a snapshot of what students and parents had to say about school leadership, expectations, student support, and the learning environment. Your insights are shaping real change – thank you for being part of it!
Strong leadership that is shared
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||
| Parent Giver Survey | Staff at this school are approachable. | 84.8% | 94.9% | 98.1% |
| Parent Giver Survey | This school asks for my input. | 84.8% | 89.7% | 92.0% |
| Parent Giver Survey | This school looks for ways to improve. | 87.1% | 93.0% | 91.3% |
| Parent Giver Survey | This school takes parents' opinions seriously. | 80.0% | 88.2% | 91.5% |
We’re always working with parents through the St Michael’s Community Group, reviewing how we meet and what we discuss to make sure it’s meaningful and relevant. The great news? Your feedback shows we’re on the right track!
We’d love to hear more from you – your ideas, suggestions, and thoughts help shape our school community. Join us at a meeting or workshop, send a message via email or Seesaw, or simply drop in for a chat. We’re here and ready to listen!
Ensuring an orderly learning environment where students are well known
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||
| Parent Carer Giver Survey | Student behaviour is well managed at this school. | 81.5% | 89.7% | 92.3% |
| Parent Carer Giver Survey | The expectations and rules are clear at this school. | 87.9% | 95.0% | 100.0% |
| Student Survey | I feel safe at my school. | 94.4% | 86.8% | 97.4% |
| Student Survey | The expectations and rules are clear at my school. | 100.0% | 88.4% | 97.4% |
Safe, Welcoming, and Focused – That’s St Michael’s!
Students and parents agree – St Michael’s is a safe, welcoming and well-organised place to learn and grow. Our ongoing work with the W.A.L.K expectations is helping create a clear, fair and supportive environment for everyone. We’ll keep listening and encouraging feedback to make sure this positive culture continues to thrive!
High levels of expectation and efficacy
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | ||
| Student Survey | I am encouraged to set learning goals. | 88.9% | 82.6% | 92.1% |
| Student Survey | My teachers expect me to do my best. | 100.0% | 95.6% | 98.7% |
| Student Survey | My teachers motivate me to learn. | 100.0% | 94.2% | 97.3% |
Building Independent Learners
Student feedback shows our teachers are helping students become confident, independent learners by setting high expectations and guiding them to set their own goals. One great example is our parent/teacher/student conferences, where students proudly share their progress and learning goals.
We’re continuing to support teachers in helping students understand what success looks like by focusing on clear learning intentions and success criteria for major projects.
…and that’s it from me for now. Keep checking our Facebook page and Seesaw for regular updates and messages. My door is always open, so if you have any questions or just want to chat, please feel free to talk to Chris or Carlie who can make an appointment.
In the meantime, have a wonderful two weeks!
God bless
Jacquie