Dear Parents and Caregivers

I hope you have all had an enjoyable week.

The news last week of the conviction of Cardinal Pell has been deeply distressing for our community, particularly for those whose lives have been impacted by sexual abuse. Out of respect for the ongoing judicial process, Catholic Education Western Australia will not be providing comment on the conviction and upcoming appeal at this time, other than to say that we must continue to acknowledge the pain of all victims and survivors of abuse, and provide support to them and their loved ones wherever and however we can.

As a school community, this is a reminder that every student and staff members need a safe and supportive learning environment, and that the wellbeing of all in our school remains our highest priority, as evidenced by our school code of conduct statement (https://www.stmichaelsbass.wa.edu.au/policies.html). This is indeed an extremely difficult and confronting time and I encourage you to contact our school social worker, Mrs Lisa Mueller, if you or your child requires support in dealing with this.   

Leadership Team Away Monday to Wednesday Next Week

When a principal of a Catholic school commences at a new school, the leadership team of that school must attend a three-day workshop with Bishop Gerard Holohan to update the school evangelisation plan. As a result, next week from Monday 11^th to Wednesday 13^th March, the leadership team will be offsite. Mrs Marina Thompson will be in charge in our absence.

Locking of Gates

To ensure student safety, there is a growing need for us to lock our school gates during the day. Hence, our gates on James and Hamilton Streets will be locked around 9am each day and opened just prior to the end of the school day. Any parents or visitors entering or exiting the school during the day will need to do so via the office. We remind visitors to please sign in at the office. Many of our gates have important reminders to close them behind you. Please assist us to ensure student safety by keeping these gates closed and being aware of who may be following you out – our community understands that we need shut gates for the safety of our little ones so you do not need to be concerned that others approaching will consider you rude. Our students generally have beautiful manners but we do not encourage them to hold the gates open for others for this reason. Remember – student safety comes first!

P & F

We are thrilled that we have now had some volunteers for our vacant P & F roles. These volunteers will be officially accepted at the next P & F meeting.

Strategic Planning

At our next Board and P & F meetings on Monday 18th March, we will be seeking community input into our next school strategic plan. Please mark this date in your diary and endeavour to come along and provide your thoughts and ideas about the direction of the school over the next three years. For those who are unable to attend the evening meetings, we will hold another session in the staff room on Tuesday 19th March at 8.50am.  We are looking for big picture ideas about where we head as a community under the following domains: Catholic Identity (Discipleship), Education (Learning), Community (Engagement), Stewardship (Accountability).

Parent Information – Teaching Children Resilience and Online Safety

From time to time we include some articles from our school subscription to ‘Parenting Ideas’. I have included an important article in the Parenting Ideas section of this newsletter on teaching children resilience and I would encourage you all to have a quick read. It provides some simple, practical strategies for parents. I would also like to direct you to the link in the Assistant Principals’ section of the newsletter which provides some practical strategies for ensuring your child’s online safety. Both are a quick and easy read and well worth your time.

Project Compassion

Given that we are in the season of Lent, our first fundraising initiative to support those in need has commenced. Project Compassion demonstrates how love for our neighbours can transform lives. It is run by Caritas, a Catholic organisation which ensures that around 90% of funds raised reaches those in need. Each class has a Project Compassion box and donations will also be accepted at reception. We encourage you to donate generously during Lent to help those less fortunate than us.

Thank you and have a wonderful weekend!

God bless.

Dr Siobhan Galos
Principal