Principal's Page - Judy Egan
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome back to Term 3, I hope you were able to enjoy some precious family time over the break.
In my letter to the community on May 5, I shared staffing news for Term 3 including my transition to retirement and long service leave. From 11 August, I will hand over to Bridgette McCann as Acting Principal. Bridgette will hold this position until the end of the year. Erika Tokich will act in the Assistant Principal role and Emily O’Rourke will act as the Religious Education Coordinator. You can have full confidence in this team who have experience in these roles, while a permanent Principal replacement is recruited. Letters to classes impacted by staffing changes have been sent via compass with Term 3 Overviews.
NAIDOC Week Awards
We are excited to announce that following a selection process and panel judgement, Zanna B from Year 6 at St Michael’s has been selected to receive a 2025 NAIDOC ART Award. Zanna will be presented with her award at the Canberra NAIDOC mass at St Christopher's Cathedral, Manuka, on Friday 25th July 2025.
Huge congratulations to Zanna who is a creative and passionate young artist. Mrs McCann, myself and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will be representing St Michael’s at this event.
Refurbishment
We have been working with the CECG maintenance team to put in place plans for ongoing upgrades to St Michael’s. Both toilet blocks will be refurbished, and carpet will be replaced in the Senior Blocks and classrooms. As more information is received, we will keep you informed of updates and planning.
Newsletter Publications
In line with most CECG schools, St Michael’s Leadership have made the decision to publish the Newsletter on a fortnightly basis. Newsletters will be published weeks 1,3,5,7 and 9 of each term. Any necessary messages or important communication will be sent via Compass as per usual. Please reach out to your child’s teacher as first point of contact if you have any questions/concerns. Feel free to email or call our wonderful front office staff Lynda and Maria for any general inquiries.
I hope all our families have a happy, healthy term, I look forward to enjoying these last few weeks with our wonderful community.
Many Blessings,
Judy Egan
Principal
Information from the Director of Catholic Education
The CECG Executive Director, David de Carvalho has recently advised that the ACT Government has increased support for families through the Future of Education Equity Fund. As part of the 2025–26 ACT Budget, the ACT Government has announced a $600,000 boost to the Equity Fund. This will enable an additional 1,000 eligible ACT students to receive financial assistance in the 2025 school year.
The Equity Fund is available to families of students enrolled in preschool to Year 12 in any ACT school—government or non-government—who are experiencing financial disadvantage. Support provided through the Fund assists with education-related expenses and aims to ensure that all children have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their learning.
Funding amounts for 2025 are as follows:
- $400 for preschool students
- $500 for primary school students
- $750 for high school and college students
In 2024 alone, the Fund has supported over 5,000 students across the ACT, distributing more than $3 million to families in need.
Further information, including application details, is available on the ACT Education Directorate website.