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Dear Parents and Carers
It has been a busy two weeks for the school with several whole school events taking place.
Tuesday’s Athletics Carnival, held at the Australian Institute of Sport in magnificent weather, was an outstanding success. Congratulations to all children who enjoyed the experience of running at such a prestigious location.
Thankyou to the many parents who assisted with officiating on the day. We certainly could not have held the carnival without your good will and expertise.
Finally, congratulations to Ms Judd and her team for their fabulous organisation. You made the day very special for the children.
Ranger Jamie
We received very positive feedback from the children following the visit of the Ranger Jamie leaders last week. The activities were essentially “hands on science-based” and thoroughly engaging.
The Rangers wrote a lovely thankyou note, which is reproduced below, and were effusive in their praise of the staff and students at our school.
Dear St Matthew’s,
We are truly grateful for the time we have spent with you all this week. St Matthew’s has shown us nothing but kindness, care, and hospitality. Every day we have been greeted by the beautiful office staff, welcomed by the teachers, and smiled at by all your wonderful students.
Our first thankyou goes to Mr Payne and Miss Levi for your immediate warmth and hospitality. You foreshadowed what an incredible week we would have.
Another thank you is owed to the teachers of Years 5 and 6. Your humour and kindness was very appreciated. Your passion for teaching is truly admirable and is something you should highly value. We wish Mr Hunt a quick recovery from his monkey-bar induced injuries. Ms Zaja’s wisdom and thoughtful feedback are some of the kindest words we have ever received, and we will carry with us.
The teachers from Year 2 and 3 were very patient, and your care for your students is so evident. We had such a lovely day with you all. Mrs Johnson is also to be commended on her sophisticated choice of perfume.
We had a truly incredible day with Kindergarten and Year 1. The respect the students have for their teachers is incredible.
A major thankyou to Sally for your organisation and providing us with such a lovely school to work with.
The students from St Matthew’s are to be commended for their curiosity and vibrancy. The culture and values your school implements are truly unmatched. Your staff and students’ approach towards education and development is truly something to be proud of.
Between us, we have visited over 400 schools, and St Matthew’s is a truly special cohort. We’ve had a lovely week, and we hope this is not our last. We look forward to seeing you all again!
Warmest regards,
Cammy, Ellie, and Lauren (The Ranger Jamie Team)
Congratulations Nick
Congratulations to Nicholas Marks who represented the ACT Brumbies U12’s over the holidays at the Rugby Union Southern States Championships. He was selected as vice-captain for his team who were undefeated champions over the two days of competition.
May God bless you and your families this week.
Graham Pollard
Principal
Dear Parents and Carers,
Parent Survey Report
Last term, you might recall that our parent community was invited to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey. We had 88 parents who responded. Thank you!
The survey includes seven separate measures, which were scored on a ten-point scale. In six out of seven areas, our school’s mean was higher than the region's mean. Families at St Matthew’s feel welcome and informed, and believe that the school is safe, inclusive, and supports positive behaviour. We also learned that our parents encourage their children to do well, praise children for doing their best at school, and take an interest in their child’s friendships and feelings towards other children at the school. Your support of learning at home increases student engagement and academic achievement. In one area (the school supports learning), our mean was equal to the region’s mean. These survey results are something to celebrate!
We are so appreciative of the positive comments about our school which were submitted. I include a small selection here:
- There are so many things I like about St Matthews! The teachers and other staff are welcoming, friendly, approachable and skilled at their jobs. The classrooms are inviting and warm on cold days. The staff are fantastic at keeping parents updated on a weekly basis about relevant topics, reminders, activities, excursions, parenting tips and other information via the Compass portal. Staff help to promote and foster friendships among students, and have monthly award ceremonies for excellent achievement, which encourages a sense of belonging and a boost to self esteem. They run liturgy which helps to develop student relationships with God, and generally encourage a supportive school community.
- The staff at the school are all so friendly and positive. You always feel welcome and like you want to be part of the community.
- The school is a warm and welcoming environment, where teachers, vice principal and principal know most of the students by their name and class. Parents are welcome to stay for morning assembly and attend the prayer liturgy which is a wonderful way to include the wider family in the school community. My child’s learning is supported and encouraged, his class work is exciting and sometimes challenging to him, extending his growth and development.
- My child feels safe and confident at school, and loves his teachers. I especially love how the Year 6 students are kind and friendly to my son who is only in Kindy. They always say hi to him and he feels included and respected. The teachers are doing a great job, and my son’s academic learning has come along in leaps and bounds…. He is engaged and challenged.
We had a number of very helpful suggestions for improvement, too, which we’ll consider carefully as we make plans for the future of St Matthew’s. We are also appreciative of these recommendations.
It is also apparent that there are some issues which are proving to be confusing for some of you, or which require clarification. This term, I’ll be addressing these in my fortnightly newsletter inclusion.
Thank you, again, for your responses to our survey.
Petra Cole
Assistant Principal
petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au
Last Friday, students from our Culture Club were invited to attend the Catholic Education NAIDOC Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral. During Archbishop Christopher’s Homily, he explored how some Catholic Aboriginals understand the Gospel through their traditional understanding of the land.
The school will celebrate NAIDOC Week in Week 3, with the Culture Club concluding the week with a NAIDOC Prayer Liturgy.
Sam Hornby
Acting Religious Education Co-Ordinator
Term 3 School Fees were distributed via email this week.
Fees are due by August 18 (Week 5) unless payment is being made by instalments.
Please contact the front office if you haven’t received your fees or have any questions.
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.
Happy birthday wishes to Aidan C, Adorable A, Lullaby L, Eloise C, Luka K and Georgia R, who recently celebrated birthdays.