St Michael's Thirroul
A Catholic Parish Primary School
Catholic values and traditions are taught within the life of the school at St Michael’s. We are committed to developing faithful leaders.
Religious Education is at the heart of our Catholic education. It informs and influences the life and learning at our school, is integrated throughout the curriculum and is celebrated regularly. Sending a child to a Catholic school involves supporting this religious dimension.
At St Michael's, we believe that through Religious Education in our classrooms, and in partnership with our parents and parish community, students will gain a knowledge and understanding of Jesus Christ the person and the traditions of the Catholic faith.
We believe that this knowledge and understanding must be engaged with contemporary social issues and the life experience of our students. Therefore, we aim to make Religious Education alive and child-centred by employing the best teaching methodologies and sequencing planned activities that reflect the Emmaus process.
The Josephite charism is embedded in many school learning and mission-related activities. Through embracing the mandate of our foundress, St Mary of the Cross MacKillop – "Never see a need without doing something about it" – St Michael’s also provides whole-school activities and other opportunities for our students and school community to support those less fortunate in our local area and care for the environment.
Prayer and liturgy are an integral part of our school life. Our Year 6 leaders have the opportunity to lead the school in prayer, at the morning assemblies.
Formal and informal prayer opportunities are also provided throughout the day. These prayer liturgies reflect the Religious Education (RE) program, church celebrations, feast days and special events.
Within each class, regular opportunities are provided for the children to plan, prepare and participate in prayer, liturgies and class masses. Each classroom creates a sacred prayer space as a focus in the classroom. This sacred space reflects current classroom themes in RE.
Details on special prayer and liturgical events are communicated through personal invitation and via our school newsletter. Parents are warmly encouraged to attend class celebrations.
As a school, we have the opportunity to celebrate significant Church and community occasions together at various times during the year. These celebrations include:
Our Catholic parish primary school is our parish’s most comprehensive faith formation program. Our parish school provides an atmosphere that allows the love of Jesus to be lived out in everyday life. Many hours of the children's lives are spent in school. The faith background of the staff and their dedication to teaching are the basics of a good, holistic education and teachers of the soul. The staff speak of and live their faith in the classroom. Not only are they speaking of how mathematics, reading and health are important but also how we discover God in all aspects of our lives.
The school began over 70 years ago when classes were held in our parish church. The school is very much part of the parish, and every effort is made to further the cooperation between staff, students, families and the general parish community.
The staff of our parish school, in liaison with the Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong, have responsibility for this ministry. The staff have the expertise in the Church and civil requirements of the education of the whole person. Our parish school is strongly supported by the pastor (parish priest) and clergy, by the parish pastoral and finance councils, and by the general parish community – indeed, both parish and school are intimately integrated, both called to minister to love, reconciliation and peace of Christ to our world.
Fr Ken Cafe
PASTOR
Our school is part of the St Michael's Catholic Parish community.
There are many aspects of parish life in which students, staff and families may become involved. All members of our parish school community are actively encouraged to be part of parish and Church life.
Parish sacramental celebrations also provide an opportunity to celebrate students' life of faith with fellow parishioners. The parish provides programs of preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation, Eucharist (First Communion) and Confirmation each year. Enrolment for the sacraments occurs through the parish. The school-based Religious Education curriculum supports and enriches this program of preparation.
Participation in weekend Mass is also actively encouraged. View the Parish Mass Times here.
For more information, visit the St Michael's Parish website or call (02) 4268 1910