Thank You to Our School Community Council

Last Friday, on the 1st of March, our School Community Council hosted the 2024 Welcome Barbecue. It was lovely to have so many families attend and to meet many parents and carers.

This event wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of our School Community Council. I would like to thank, in particular, Kylie McNamara, Cheryl and Dean Toussaint, Michael Shelton, and their assistants Andrea Stweart and Tracy McKee for their hard work.

School Leaders

Did you see St Matthew's promoted in the School Leaders feature in the Canberra Times on Friday?

At St Matthew's, we are proud of our Year Six leaders and impressed by their skills and initiative in performing important roles in our school.

We believe that in primary school, all students need to learn about and practise leadership skills, not just a selected few. At St Matthew's, we nurture our students to develop these skills while serving others. 

So far this year, our Year Six leaders have set a fine example for our younger students by supporting them in their play.

Smart Technology at School

We would like to clarify our policy regarding the student use of personal internet-connected devices, such as smartphones and smartwatches, during the school day.

At St Matthew's, our policy is that student internet-connected devices, such as smart phones or smart watches, are prohibited during school hours. This includes all sessions in the school day, including breaks and lunchtime.

If your child possesses a smartphone, smartwatch, or similar device, we kindly ask that it remain securely stored in their school bag throughout the day. Under no circumstances should these devices be taken out, accessed, or used during school hours. We believe that maintaining this policy will help cultivate a focused and respectful atmosphere, allowing students to maximise their learning potential.

It's important to note that we provide internet-connected technology for educational purposes when needed. Our teachers carefully program and monitor these devices to enhance the learning experience and facilitate academic progress. 

We appreciate your cooperation and support in enforcing these policies. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Together, we can ensure that our school remains a place of focused learning.

New Decodable Readers 

I would like to thank the Catholic Education Office for providing funds to increase our stock of decodable readers. A school purchase matched the Catholic Education contribution, increasing our range of these readers.

Decodable readers are specially designed books or texts structured to align with students' phonics skills and letter-sound correspondences. They are typically used in early literacy instruction, particularly in programs emphasising systematic phonics instruction.

The term "decodable" refers to the fact that the words in these readers are composed of phonetically regular letter-sound relationships. In other words, the words can be 'sounded out' and decoded using the phonics rules and strategies that students have learned.

Decodable readers typically start with simple, one-syllable words and gradually progress to more complex words and sentence structures as students develop their phonics skills. They often feature repetitive and predictable text to provide practice and reinforcement of specific phonics patterns.

The primary goal of using decodable readers is to help students apply their phonics knowledge in the context of reading connected text. By practising with decodable readers, students can gain fluency and confidence in their reading abilities while reinforcing their understanding of phonics principles. They are a valuable tool for helping beginning readers build a strong foundation in decoding skills and develop into proficient readers.

In truth and love,

Mrs Sarah Lowe

Principal

St Matthew’s Year 3 and 5 students will participate in NAPLAN Online testing next week from Wednesday to Friday, with ‘catch up’ sessions held the following week on Monday and Tuesday. 

NAPLAN Online allows for tailored testing. This means that a student is presented with sets of questions based on their performance during the test. This model provides students with the opportunity to better demonstrate their range of literacy and numeracy skills and it is more engaging for students. 

As a parent, you can become familiar with NAPLAN Online tests by visiting the public demonstration site. The purpose of the site is to familiarise students with the type of items they will see on NAPLAN Online and related functionalities. This level of familiarisation is worthwhile to help students understand and be comfortable with the format of the test.

Students are not expected to study for NAPLAN. You can support your child by reassuring them -  as their teachers do - that NAPLAN is a part of their school program and they should simply do their best. Encourage your child to get a good night’s rest and have a healthy breakfast on NAPLAN testing days. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the types of questions in the tests and will provide appropriate support and guidance. 

NAPLAN results are used to: 

• help identify students who need greater challenges or extra support. 
• identify strengths and areas of need to improve teaching programs and to set goals in literacy and numeracy.
• review the effectiveness of programs and support.

If you have any questions or wish to discuss your son or daughter’s participation in this event, please contact me (petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au) as soon as possible.

Christian Meditation

As mentioned previously, at St Matthew’s, we are working towards our whole school focusing on Christian meditation. The term meditation is rooted in ‘mindfulness’ where it is about letting things go and quieting your mind. Christian Meditation, however, is focused on sitting in silence with God to fill your heart and mind with His presence. This practice is about learning how to listen to God’s voice to allow us to grow closer to Him. 

Our whole school enters this practice three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday after lunch. Teachers guide students through Christian Meditation, often starting with around one minute and building up to the age of the students in the class. It has been an amazing experience to see all of our students join in this prayerful state together across the school. 

We have found our students love the opportunity to slow down, reflect and be with God. This links perfectly with our theme of the Holy Spirit, as we use Christian meditation to feel the Holy Spirit working within us. 

Here are some reviews from our students - 

‘I like it because I get to speak to God when I’m silent’ - Athena 1B

‘I like it because I pray to God and I can feel the Holy Spirit’ - Jeth 2M

Retreat Opportunity - Cursillo

This Retreat is held by the Australian Catholic Cursillo Movement and is supported by the Archbishop. This 3-day event has been prepared for months by enthusiastic men and women of the Cursillo group. The sessions will be led by the Spiritual Director, Fr Mick MacAndrew. 

A Cursillo covers what it means to live an authentic Christian life. The retreat is suited to people who are searching for faith or seeking to deepen their faith life. The opportunity to nurture your own faith life significantly contributes to your child’s understanding of how to live out our lives, following in the footsteps of Jesus. 

Upcoming Religious Events

Week 6 

Friday 8th March - Year 4 Prayer Celebration 9:00 am

Week 7

Friday 15th March - Year 5 attending Mass at St Matthew's Church

Saturday 16th / Sunday 17th of March - Commitment Masses for Reconciliation

Week 8

Friday 22nd March - Year 6 Prayer Celebration

Week 9

Tuesday 26th March - Year 6 ‘My Body, My Life’ Presentation

Wednesday 27th March - Project Compassion Fundraiser - ‘Crazy Hair Day’

Thursday 28th March - Holy Week Re-enactment (parents welcome) - 9:00 am-10:30 am 

Week 10 

Friday 5th April - First Reconciliation Retreat Day at St Vincent's Primary School and Year 4 attending Mass at St Matthew's Church

Week 11 

Wednesday 10th April - Sacrament of Reconciliation at St Matthew’s Church at 6:00 pm

Every class has a donation box for students to make any contributions. Parents, we would appreciate your support with this cause. Using the QR code below or via the link, you can donate, read stories of those supported by Caritas, and find out more information.

Lent

As we are halfway through Lent, it is a good reminder for us all to give ourselves time for silence and reflection. 

This week there are a few reminders about all things sports-related. 

• There has been a Compass event created for a FUTSAL gala day for Years 5-6 students. If your child would like to participate in this event, please select 'attending' when the Compass Event is sent out. There is a cost of $18.00 per student to cover the cost of registering the team.
• For the students who are attending the Belconnen District Carnival, permission and payment of $10.00 need to be made via Compass as soon as possible. 
• We require a parent helper for the Belconnen District Carnival. If you are able to help out please notify us through the Compass event or email Mr. Payne at dillon.payne@cg.catholic.edu.au
• Wests Rugby has sent through a flyer detailing player registration for the new season. Please see the flyer attached below. 
• Well done to all the Year 5-6 girls on their tremendous effort and fairness at the Canberra Raiders Meninga/Daley Shield Gala Day. The girls displayed excellent skills and communication on the field. 

Gala Days and Representative Sport for Senior Students

Gala Days

St Matthew’s offers participation in Gala Days for Years 5 and 6 students. Entering students for Belconnen Gala Days will be the responsibility of St Matthew’s. Students can opt in for Gala Days based on interest.  The focus of these days is on participation and competition. Students participating in these teams represent St Matthew’s at the Gala Day. These competitions are made up of Catholic schools and public schools from the Belconnen Region. School Sport runs these events in consultation with individual schools. 

St. Matthew’s will consider entering teams in Gala Days based on student interest and the availability of coaches, managers, and teachers to attend these events. However, the focus must always be on what is best for the learning needs of the students at our school. Where we feel that sporting commitments, such as these Gala Days, impact the ability of teachers to teach and students to learn or clash with school-based events, we will make a decision not to enter teams. 

If teams are to be entered in a Gala Day, an Expression of Interest will be sent out via Compass, and if there are sufficient numbers of students interested, a Compass Event will be created and sent to the parents of students in Years 5 and 6.  A good way to keep track of upcoming Gala Days is via the School Sport Facebook Page. St Matthew’s will also include dates of upcoming Gala Days in the newsletter each fortnight. Year 5 and 6 students will have the opportunity to participate in two Gala Days per year. This will ensure that students and teachers are not overburdened. 

ACT Representative Sport

School Sport ACT runs selection for ACT representative sports. They run trials and students are selected from those trials to be part of the ACT Team. Parents are expected to enter their children through https://schoolsportact.org.au/. The calendar is attached below for your information. Students selected through this pathway represent the ACT at a national level. Students are selected on skill level, and the focus of these events is high-level competition. St Matthew’s places no restriction on how many ACT Representative Sports students compete in. These days do NOT affect a student's ability to participate in Gala Days. Please let us know if your child is selected for an ACT Representative team.

2024_School_Sport_ACT_Calendar

Regional and ACT-level Sporting Events

Regional-level sporting events feed on from our school carnivals; Swimming, Cross Country & Athletics. ACT-level carnivals are then fed on from the regional level. St Matthew’s does not place restrictions on this level of competition. Students who participate in these carnivals are still eligible to participate in two Gala Days per year. 

Sports Stars of the Week!

Congratulations to Everly P, Matilda K, Eloise C, and Mya F for their amazing win over the weekend for their FUTSAL Grand Final! The girls came away with a 7-2 win, with Everly picking up the Player of the Match Award! Well done, girls!