Harmony Day at St. Matthew’s – A Celebration of Diversity and Inclusion

Kuzuzangpo la, Namaste! Halo! Xin chào! Nnọọ! Sawubona! Hallo! Grüß Gott! Namaste!

What a fantastic Harmony Day we had at St. Matthew’s last Friday! It was great to see so many of our students proudly wearing their national dress or attire, dressed in their national colours, or embracing the spirit of the day in orange. It was lovely to see the pride on their faces as they shared their cultural heritage with the school community.

With 30% of our students either born overseas or with parents who have moved from another country, we are blessed to be part of such a culturally rich community. At St. Matthew’s, we celebrate this diversity, knowing that it strengthens our understanding, respect, and unity as a school.

Term 1 School Fees

Term 1 school fees were distributed via email on February 26, 2025. Fees were due last Friday, March 21 (Week 7), unless you make payments through regular instalments.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with the front office if you have not received your fee statement or have any questions. If you are experiencing financial difficulties, we encourage you to reach out to the school office for a confidential discussion about support options.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring timely payments.

Publicity 

We would love your help in spreading the word about how great St. Matthew’s is! If you live in Page, Scullin, Hawker, Weetangera, Strathnairn, North Molonglo, Latham (TBC), Higgins (TBC) or the Belconnen Town Centre areas, consider volunteering to do a letterbox drop in your neighbourhood. It’s a simple but powerful way to share what makes our school such a wonderful community.

If you’re able to help, please call the Office 6254 2653 and we will send home some flyers for you to distribute. 

Best Wishes to Sarah Lawson!

We would like to extend our warmest congratulations to one of our Classroom Support Assistants, Sarah Lawson, as she prepares for her wedding this weekend! 

Sarah, we wish you a beautiful day filled with love and joy.

From all of us at St. Matthew’s, best wishes for your special day, Sarah, and the exciting journey ahead!

Lenten Reflection: Lost and Found 

“What About Me” was a popular song by the rock band ‘Moving Pictures’ back in the early ‘80s. The title would have been a good description of the feelings of the righteous who could not reconcile Jesus eating with tax collectors and sinners while they observed the law and yet seemed to be on the outside. What about me? What about us? As always, it helps to situate the Gospel. Today’s Gospel of the so-called Prodigal Son follows two parables that also address the apparent reckless hospitality of God. The first speaks of a shepherd leaving the ninety-nine sheep in search of the lost one. The second is of a woman who ransacks her house in search of a lost coin. Today, we see a father defy convention and, moved with compassion ‘deep in his guts’, welcome home a son who had as good as wished him dead. “In the culture of the time, for a middle-aged man of means to run in public, to display extravagant signs of affection to a son who had caused the family disgrace is foolish behaviour in the utmost degree – as the older brother will soon so “reasonably“ point out" (Brendan Byrne). The father puts on a big party to which all are invited. The older son and all righteous folk to whom the parable is addressed have a problem with this. Mary Coloe, Scripture scholar and Religious Sister of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary, points out they have missed the point. “The older son has been living a sterile life, not really in relationship with his father. He had been like a ‘slave’, and he distances himself from his father and his brother – ‘this son of yours’. Even though he stayed at home, his relationships are dead. It is the younger son who discovers a living and loving father when he knows he doesn’t deserve one,” Byrne insists, “and that is the real bite of the parable. Are you inside with the younger brother joining in the celebration of God’s mercy, or does anger and resentment keep you stamping your foot with the older son outside? Like so many of Jesus’ parables, this is one basically saying, “Come to the feast”. The only blockage is what may lie, unconverted, in your heart.” That is true, but I would suggest that we are both variously sons. As Pilgrims of Hope in this Jubilee Year, the call of Lent is away from self-sufficiency to awareness of and the sharing of God’s compassion. 

Holy Week-Easter Timetable

The Chrism Mass or Mass of the Oils will be celebrated at St Christopher’s Cathedral, 5:00pm, Monday, 14 April.

The Regional Second Rite of Reconciliation will be celebrated at St. Matthew’s, 7:00pm, Tuesday, 15 April.

The Holy Thursday Commemoration of the Lord’s Supper will be celebrated at St Vincent’s, 7:00pm, Thursday, 17 April.

The Good Friday Stations of the Cross will be celebrated at St Matthew’s at 10:30am, Friday, 18 April, and the Commemoration of the Lord’s Passion will follow at 3:00pm at St Vincent’s.

The Easter Vigil will commence at 7:00pm, Saturday, 19 April, with the lighting of the Easter fire outside St Vincent’s.

Easter Sunday Masses, 20 April will be 8:30am at St Matthew’s and 10:00am at St Vincent’s.

 Fr John

South Belconnen Parish Priest

Stepping Stones Triple P

This is a free online program to help parents of children with developmental disabilities, neurodiversity, or additional needs

Families of children with disability currently face long wait times for diagnosis and support. They can now access Stepping Stones Triple P Online, a free evidence-based parenting program funded by the Australian Government. The course has been found to provide significant benefits to families, including improved family relationships, reduced parental stress, increased parenting confidence, and improvements in children’s emotional and behavioural well-being. The program produces benefits for families with children who have developmental disabilities, and neurodiverse children who have different thinking patterns to neurotypical children. This includes children diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

When parents and carers feel confident and empowered to support their child with managing daily routines, building connections, and being independent, the entire family benefits!

Parents who have completed the course say that that they continue to use the tools that they learned in the course, even years after participating. They also have the confidence of a toolbox to help navigate parenting. 

At-a-glance:

• Free, for all parents and carers in Australia who have children under 12 years, thanks to funding from the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care. 
• Online and available to you 24/7. Stop doomscrolling, and use your phone to learn valuable parenting skills. 
• Tools and strategies for supporting positive emotional, behavioural and social development of your child. 
• Ten interactive modules to complete when you can. Each take about 30 - 60 minutes to complete. 
• Proven effective in supporting children with developmental disabilities, neurodiversity or additional needs
• Helps parents and carers to: 
• use positive, practical strategies to manage everyday life with more ease and confidence, like daily routines, socialising, mealtimes, communication, and family outings/car trips
• encourage their child’s independence and self-care skills, like teeth brushing and getting dressed
• confidently respond to their child’s needs and behaviours and support their overall development and wellbeing
• learn strategies to look after themselves as a parent and feel less stressed in their parenting role
• communicate better with each other, including when their child has an alternate communication style
• build their child’s social skills 
• adapt and enjoy life more!

Parents and carers can sign up for Stepping Stones Triple P Online now at: https://www.triplep-parenting.net.au/au/triple-p/

If your family is going through separation or divorce or if you have a child who is having trouble managing anxiety, there are also free courses for you! 

If you sign up and complete any of the courses, I’d love to hear about the benefits for your family! 

Petra Cole

petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au

Journey with Jesus Retreat – Year 6

Last week, our Year 6 students participated in the Journey with Jesus Retreat, a meaningful experience run by the Canberra-Goulburn Archdiocese Youth Ministry Team and Luke Maher. The retreat provided a space for students to reflect, ask important questions, and personally explore what faith means to them. Through this opportunity, they were able to connect on a deeper spiritual level, sharing their thoughts and experiences.

As a result of this retreat, we are excited to launch a new group of students for our Youth Ministry program soon. This will allow them to continue their spiritual journey and connect with their peers across the school. We look forward to seeing how this program will help strengthen our faith community and support our students in growing closer to one another and God.

Project Compassion in Lent – Fundraising through Read-a-thon and Class Donations

During this Lenten season, our school is proudly supporting Project Compassion, a global initiative by Caritas Australia aimed at helping those in need. Our students are participating in a Read-a-thon to raise funds for this important cause, as well as making class donations to contribute to the efforts.

Next Friday, we will be holding a Project Compassion Fundraiser Day. Students are encouraged to wear purple clothing or accessories to symbolise Lent and bring in a gold coin donation. 

Through their reading achievements and generous donations, our students are learning the true meaning of compassion and giving while helping those less fortunate. We are grateful for the support of our school community as we come together to make a positive impact during this season of reflection and generosity. Thank you for your continued contributions to this wonderful cause.

Please read more about Project Compassion here.

Or access our online donation page here.

Holy Week Reflection

Join us on Thursday, April 10th, for a meaningful Holy Week reflection. We will gather in the K/1 playground at 9:30 AM, beginning with K-2's presentation of Palm Sunday. Year 3 will then guide us through the Garden of Gethsemane, followed by Year 4's depiction of the Last Supper. We will conclude in the hall with the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

Students are encouraged to wear accessories over their uniforms to signify the times that Jesus lived (e.g., a tea towel, dressing gown, etc.). Due to Easter aligning with the school holidays, we are reflecting on the entirety of Holy Week, including the Resurrection. It is important to understand the somber period between the Crucifixion and Resurrection that would usually occur.

We also invite you to join our parish for these events during the school holidays. The dates for these will be provided in the next newsletter. We look forward to sharing this special time with you.

Prayer for the Sacrament of Reconciliation

Heavenly Father, we ask for Your blessings upon those receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation next week. May they feel Your loving guidance on their spiritual journey and grow ever closer to You. Grant them peace, forgiveness, and the strength to follow Your path. Amen.

Parental Controls

Devices that connect to the internet in your home offer benefits. But have you considered the risks associated with these devices and how to protect yourself and your family? 

• Parental controls can help keep children and young people safer online by preventing access to harmful content, managing time spent online and who your child communicates with.  
• To be most effective, parental controls need to be set up on all devices your child accesses. They should be revisited and maintained regularly. It is also important that controls are set on devices your child may access while in the care of others (family, friends).
• Parental controls are most effective when used alongside supervision and other online safety strategies.

What are parental controls?

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.  

They can be set up to do things like: 

• Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera or the ability to buy things). 
• Filter inappropriate content.
• Limit who can communicate with your child, and manage the apps they can use to communicate with others.
• Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, as well as how often and for how long.  
• Set time limits, blocking access after a set time. 

Applying parental controls to desktop and laptop computers

PC/Windows 

Microsoft FamilyExternal link provides the ability to manage your children’s online activity on Windows devices through website blocking, checking in online at any time, and viewing activity reports on sites, apps and games visited. You’ll need to set up a family group of at least one parent and one child, each with their own Microsoft account.  

Mac OS 

The OSX Parental ControlsExternal link allows you to set profiles for each child to do things like limiting access to websites or apps, restrict functions like Siri or the iTunes store, set time limits for days of the week and for bedtime, and hide profanity in the dictionary and other sources.  

Applying parental controls to mobile devices

iPads and iPhones

Apple operating systems from iOS12 enable you to restrict access to browsers and applications, in-app purchasing, social networking, non-child friendly internet content, sharing of data (including photos and location), media streaming and online gaming. Find out how here. 

If you are concerned about your child seeing unwanted nude images and videos, consider turning on the 'Sensitive Content Warning' on their Apple device. It is available to users of all ages. Access it by searching for 'Communication Safety' or 'Sensitive Content' in settings.

Android tablets and smartphones 

Although Android has no general built-in parental control features, Android devices can be controlled using Google Family Link. See using third-party software. 

You can also set up parental controls on Google PlayExternal link to restrict the content your child can download or purchase.

Other mobile devices

They may not be the first devices that come to mind when you think about online safety, but it’s important to consider all online devices your children might use, including wi-fi enabled sound systems, fitness trackers and smartwatches. Garmin fitness trackers have parental controls, and Fitbits allow parents and carers to manage children’s accounts.

Smartwatch settings are connected to the user account, such as Apple or Google. Some e-readers, such as Kindle, also include parental controls. 

Remember, you will need to set up your parental controls on these and other devices – they are not usually automatic. You should also check them from time to time to be sure your settings haven’t changed if the device software has been updated.

For more information about parental controls, please visit the eSafety Commissioner website.

Belconnen Regional Swimming Carnival – Well Done!

Congratulations to all St. Matthew’s students who competed in the Belconnen Regional Swimming Carnival this week. You gave your best effort and displayed great sportspersonship.

Thank you to the parents who came along to support our team – your encouragement was greatly appreciated.

Once the results are finalised, we will announce the students who have qualified for the ACT-level competition. Stay tuned!

Cross Country Carnival Tomorrow

• JUPITER – Blue
• NEPTUNE – Green
• MARS – Red
• MERCURY – Yellow

Mr. Dillon Payne
Sports Coordinator