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Dear Parents and Carers
Yesterday’s carnival was an outstanding success made so by the lovely weather, enthusiastic children, and fabulous organisation. Congratulations to Mr Hunt and his team for their efforts to make the day run so well. Thank you also to those parents who assisted with marshalling and timekeeping.
Those children who performed strongly in events which qualify for district carnival selection, will be notified shortly.
Meet the Teacher Welcome BBQ
Tomorrow night’s Meet the Teacher session will run from 4.45 to 5.30pm. Parents should simply accompany their child to their classroom where they will be greeted by their teacher and given a handout with an accompanying survey. Parents whose children are on existing Personalised Plans will be asked to make an appointment with their child’s teacher later.
Please remember that this is simply an opportunity to meet the teacher and not a formal Parent Teacher interview. Following the session, a complimentary Welcome BBQ will be held on the Belconnen Way side of the school. The BBQ will be a sausage sizzle, please bring your own drinks. Gluten free options will be provided.
Thank you in advance to those parents who have offered to assist with the BBQ. I look forward to catching up with you on Friday evening.
Stage Two Building Renovations
Many parents have commented on the wonderful renovations to our senior classes. The children and teachers are also delighted with the new learning environment.
I have been informed by the Catholic Education Office that interested builders have now been invited to tender for Stage Two. The renovation will include both Kindergartens, both Year Ones, Learning Support and Year 3B.
This stage will be funded via a Block Grant from the ACT Government with support from the Catholic Education Office (CEO). The CEO contribution will be drawn from the Building Levy towards which parents in all catholic schools in our Archdiocese contribute. The school will not be required to make a financial contribution.
As always, I am reluctant to give a starting date, but we anticipate demolition and relocation should begin mid-year.
The final classrooms, excluding the library, (which has already undergone a refurbishment) and storage spaces will be completed once Stage Two is finalised.
May God bless you and your families this week.
Graham Pollard
Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Drive and Park Safely
The start of the school year is a particularly busy time in our school carparks and surrounding streets. To help keep students safe when making their way to and from school, please ensure you drive and park safely and legally at, and around, school grounds. We all have an important role to play in supporting road safety.
Access Canberra has notified us that mobile speed and parking vans will be in operation to support our students’ safety. These enforcement teams play a critical role in supporting our students get to and from school safely and we thank them for their ongoing support. In addition to sticking to the speed limit, please remember to park safely – including not parking across pedestrian crossings, in no stopping zones, on corners, verges and double parking. It’s particularly important that you do not park in the No Stopping Zone of Stutchbury Street. Doing so makes it impossible for buses to turn safely.
Unsafe and illegal parking can reduce visibility of our students and motorists to see each other, creating a significant hazard when students cross the road. Let’s work together to keep our children safe.
Be Allergy Aware
St Matthew’s Primary School is concerned about the safety and well-being of all our students. Many of you will know someone who is affected by anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Our school does its best to be an allergy aware school. Staff have had training in severe allergy management, and we have implemented lots of strategies to help keep students at risk of anaphylaxis as safe as we can. We now have students across every grade who live with the risk of anaphylaxis to foods and insect stings. Whilst these children are being taught to care for themselves at an age-appropriate level, we ask that you help us educate your child on the importance of not sharing food with others, washing hands after eating and calling out to an adult if they think their friend with allergies is sick. With increased awareness and understanding of anaphylaxis, you will be able to help protect those around you.
As the only way to manage a food allergy is avoidance, the school has implemented several strategies to help prevent a severe allergic reaction. We can never totally eliminate the risk of an anaphylaxis but we can all do things that will help lessen the risk. Please consider the child with food allergy when packing your child’s lunch or when sending in food for any occasion, including school excursions. For this reason we are asking you not to pack peanut butter or egg sandwiches for your child’s lunch. Further information can be obtained from www.allergyfacts.org.au
Some children in our school are highly allergic to nuts and eggs. Please do not pack peanut butter sandwiches, nuts, or egg products in your child’s lunch.
GUJARATI
અમારી શાળાના કેટલાક બાળકોને બદામ, કાજુ, અને ઈંડાથી ખૂબ જ એલર્જી છે. મહેરબાની કરીને તમારા બાળકના લંચમાં પીનટ બટર સેન્ડવીચ, બદામ અથવા ઈંડાના ઉત્પાદનોને પેક કરશો નહીં.
HINDI
हमारे स्कूल के कुछ बच्चों को बादाम, काजू वगैरह और अंडों से अत्यधिक एलर्जी होती है। कृपया अपने बच्चे के दोपहर के भोजन में पीनट बटर सैंडविच, मेवे, या अंडे के उत्पाद पैक न करें.
POLISH
Niektóre dzieci w naszej szkole są bardzo uczulone na orzechy i jajka. Prosimy nie pakować kanapek z masłem orzechowym, rownierz innych orzechów, lub produktów jajecznych na obiady twojego dziecka.
SPANISH
Algunos niños de nuestra escuela son muy alérgicos a las nueces y los huevos. Por favor no prepare bocadillos con mantequilla de cacahuetes, nueces, o con productos que contengan huevo para la comida de su hijo.
NEPALI
तपाईंको बच्चाको खाजामा बदाम वा अण्डाका उत्पादनहरू प्याक नगर्नुहोस्। हाम्रा धेरै विद्यार्थीहरूलाई बदाम र अण्डाबाट एलर्जी छ।
DZONGKHA
Petra Cole
Assistant Principal
petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au
Welcome back to a new school year. I trust you had a wonderful holiday filled with fun, adventure and lots of amazing memories were made.
On Tuesday 24 January our staff participated in a Faith Formation Day run by Catholic Education. They day focused on the theme ‘Walking together as people of action and hope.’ The day was focused on theological understanding, reflection, prayer and how we can be people of action and hope as teachers at St Matthew’s.
The theme ‘Walking Together’ was declared by Archbishop Christopher Prowse at the beginning of the Liturgical year after the findings of the Fifth Plenary Council in June last year. We took this theme and our revised school mission to come up with ‘Walking together as people action and hope’.
The staff have been focusing on the key themes of Kerygma, Catechesis, Synodality and Evangilisation. This has transpired into a theme for each term. The students, with their teachers will be exploring Hope, Faith, Community and Joy. We will explore each theme using 5 scripture passages over 2 weeks with a class presenting a Prayer Liturgy at the end of each 2 week cycle. Keep your eye out for when your child/ren are presenting.
Below is the image that encapsulates our theme for the year and our focus for each term. Thank you to our very talented Mariana Rollgejser who designed our learning symbol for this year.
I look forward to sharing more information with you as the term, progresses.
REMINDER
Our Sacramental Parent Information and Enrolment evening for all Sacraments on Thursday 9 February at 6pm in the St Matthew’s Church. Parents/Carers of students in Year 3, 4 and 6, please come along to find out key information and dates and enroll your child/ren into the chosen sacrament.
We would like to acknowledge and thank Corrina for her time volunteering in coordinating the clothing pool. It is a valued service to our St Matthew’s Community.
Please note that this week the clothing pool will open on Thursday 9th February, NOT Friday.
If you have some time free time to be able to volunteer to help Corrina, please contact the front office office.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au
It’s no secret that regular reading has stacks of benefits for your child’s growing mind: development of literacy, imagination, focus, social and communication skills just to name a few. Your child will be carrying books home constantly – that’s where a great kids’ library bag comes in.
A dedicated library bag or satchel keeps your child’s borrowed reads safe and separate from their other belongings whilst travelling to and from school – it’s an important item in their school bag! A library bag needs to be hard-wearing, so seek out something well made with strong materials, as well as one that is waterproof. This helps to keep books protected from drink bottles and food items in school bags.
If your child does not already own a library bag, please purchase one asap. Waterproof library bags can be purchased from shops such as Officeworks (see here), Best & Less (see here), or Kmart (see here). You can also order personalised ones from various online stores.
Thank you for helping to ensure your child has their named library bag ready for each library lesson!
Thank you!
The best gift any parent can give a child is the love of books and the joy and benefits of independent reading for fun. Children who read at home, or are read to, have a head start on reading success in school.Our school is participating in Scholastic Book Club this year. Up to twice a term, during the school year, I will send home a Club catalogue with a different selection of books offered for all ages.
You’ll find award-winning books and bestsellers, as well as old and new favourites. I recommend them because the books span a wide range of children’s reading levels and interests and because they are inexpensive (some books cost as little as $2).
It is easy to order. The Book Club LOOP platform for parents allows you to pay by credit card. Your child’s order is submitted directly to school safe and sound. You can place your child’s order at scholastic.com.au/LOOP or using the LOOP app, which can be downloaded from the App Store or Google Play.
You should already have the first Scholastic Book Club catalogue for this year. The orders for this catalogue are due on Wednesday February 15th. Orders generally take around 2 weeks to be sent out to schools and will be delivered to your child’s classroom when they arrive. If you have nominated your order to be a gift, we will contact you to let you know when you can collect it from the Front Office.
Each order helps earn free books and teaching materials for our classroom, however there is never any obligation to order. I know of no better way to encourage reading than to allow children to choose the books they want to read.
Sincerely,
Sally Judd
Happy birthday wishes to Maxwell B, Zachary L, Nayan B, Lucy C, Charlotte N, Nathalie P, Hugo S, Audrey Z, Chayan M, Zachary F, Matilda K, Rose S, Ryan W, Lola F, Audrey B, Martin E, Hector S, Dechen T, Kassia S, Josephine P, Imogen C, Alessandro F, Ellis B, Arabella M, Lola M, Oliver H, Aiden G, Sherub D, Romeo L, Allegra W and Jemima S who celebrated birthdays in the Janurary holidays and to, Luca F, Roman A, Ethan J, Kael B, Grace D, Willow C, Kayleb K and Ava L, who recently celebrated birthdays.
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICATION
A reminder that all medication (including inhalers, creams and tablets) must be handed into the Front Office to ensure both their safe administration and the safety of all children. Consent forms, which are available on our website or from the Front Office, should accompany the medication. Similarly, current Asthma or Anaphylaxis Action Plans should also be handed into the Front Office so that they can be added to the Student Files.
Lunch Orders
It is very important to update your child/ren’s 2023 class profile when ordering lunches.
This will avoid the lunch order being delivered to their previous class and the possibility of your child getting upset trying to locate their lunch!
All families have received their log in details via email for our new Compass Parent Portal. The Compass Parent Portal is an online portal that allows you to interact with the school and access up-to-date information. Once you have your log-in credentials and download the app, you’ll be able to:
- Enter absence notes for your child
- Give consent for excursions
- View school reports
- Communicate with your child’s teacher
- Book parent-teacher interviews
- Receive communication from staff
If you didn’t receive log in details, please contact our Front Office (office.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au) or check your “junk” mailbox.
Click here to install Compass on Apple devices
Click here to install Compass on Android devices
When prompted: Search “St Matthew’s P” and then you’ll see “St Matthew’s Primary School – Page” as a drop down.