St Matthew’s Primary School

Dear Parents and Carer's

I recently heard a person on the radio comment that, despite the changes incurred by the COVID restrictions, workplaces still become very intense in the last few weeks of the year. When you consider that the last weeks are normally comprised of farewells, graduations and changing circumstances it is little wonder that peoples’ nerves and emotions become a little frayed.

I can honestly say to you that schools are certainly no different to any other workplace or community. When you combine tired groups of children, staff and parents often the outcomes can be a little problematic. For that reason, I ask for your patience and support over the next few weeks as we all work together to give the children the best possible end to their year.

We have just completed an Orientation Day welcoming the 2022 Kindergarten intake, and their parents, to St Matthew’s. This is a life-giving experience as a principal because you are quickly reminded that the move to “Big School” is a major milestone in these young people’s lives. There is also a huge leap of faith required by the parents as they entrust their child into the school’s care. Once again, our school will be offering two Kindergarten classes which has been the norm over the past few years.

I have, over many years, asked the parents of our new Kindergartens what is their number one wish for their child. Inevitably parents respond that their highest priority from school is the happiness of their children. It is, therefore, very important that the school can create an environment where learning is encouraged. This also means that children should fall in love with the very idea of learning itself. This prompts them to want to always learn. A child’s happiness is inextricably linked to their self-concept which of course is interconnected with their capacity to grow and improve.

Thank you for your support of the school as we work towards this common goal.

May God bless you and your families

Graham Pollard

Principal

Transition

Our Year 6 students are experiencing one of the most exciting times of their lives – the transition from being a primary school student to being a high school student. Likewise, many of our families have children in preschool who are transitioning to Kindergarten. And, if you’re like me, you might have a child in Year 12 who is now navigating their way from College to the world of adulthood.

Catholic School Parents Australia has developed an excellent resource for parents and carers. This toolkit, 'Gearing Up for Parent Engagement in Student Learning', is designed to assist families make the transition into Primary and Secondary school a great experience for children and young people. The toolkit includes modules on transitions for both Primary and Secondary students.

Some of the advice that I thought was particularly helpful, no matter what type of transition your child is undertaking:

Give your child a couple of weeks to settle in. What seems like a monumental issue in the first couple of days can disappear after a couple of weeks once your child becomes more comfortable in their new environment.
Talk about what to do if they miss a bus or a connection (or don’t have money for an Uber!). It is also a good opportunity to talk about public transport etiquette. For example: Offer your seat to an adult, particularly an elderly person, a pregnant woman, or a mum/dad with small children. It is also important if they are using headphones to ensure they are not too loud. And remind them to be observant to ensure they don’t miss their stop!
The most powerful message you can give your child about their new experience is your own example. How you self-talk, how you respond to ‘bumps in the road’, and how you show anxiety or worry about your child will impact their approach and reactions to school. By staying calm and supportive, you will help your child in the best possible way to adjust to their new routines and surroundings.

Petra Cole

Assistant Principal

Petra.Cole@cg.catholic.edu.au

This week we celebrate the first

Sunday of Advent, which is also the first Sunday of the new liturgical year. The Advent season includes the four Sundays that precede Christmas. Advent is a time of preparation for the coming of the Lord. In this season, we recall two central elements of our faith: the final coming of the Lord in glory and the incarnation of the Lord in the birth of Jesus. The key themes of the Advent season are watchful waiting, preparation, and justice. In this new liturgical year, the Gospel of Luke will be the primary Gospel proclaimed (Lectionary Cycle C).

In Sunday's Gospel, Jesus warns his disciples against the fatigue that can emerge if one becomes consumed by the anxieties of daily life. Many families are too familiar with the kind of fatigue Jesus refers to here. We may be concerned about a family member's health, our job security, our children's education, or any number of other concerns. All these are important matters. Jesus does not promise an end to daily worries and fears, but he does teach his disciples that they will have the strength to withstand anxiety if they stay focused on him, remaining vigilant for his return and praying for strength to endure all tribulations. Through prayer, God helps us stay focused on that which is most important in our lives

This week as a family, set aside some time to voice you anxieties and worries and pray for support fro god to overcome them.

Sacrament of Reconciliation

Year 3 parents are reminded to please save the date: Thursday 2^nd December (Week 9) at 12 noon for your child to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation. All Year 3 students will attend the Sacrament regardless of whether they will be receiving the Sacrament or not. All parents and families are welcome to attend as we are allowed to have 200 in the Church. If you wish for your child's siblings to attend, you will need to collect them from school as they will need to be signed in and out according to our attendance policy.

Year 6 Graduation Mass

Thankfully with Covid 19 restrictions continuing to decrease, we can now confirm that the Year 6 Graduation Mass WILL OCCUR on Tuesday 14th December 2021 at 2pm. This is the same day as the Year 6 Graduation Dinner and the time allows families to finish the day with mass and then take their children home to prepare for the evening celebrations.

Unfortunately due to numbers, only immediate family (parents/step parents) will be able to attend Mass. The rest of the school will be celebrating with Year 6, via a TEAMS Stream in their classrooms, so siblings will still be able to attend in some form.

Archdiocesan Advent Program

Have a great week!

Sharee Thomas

Religous Education Co-ordinator

Dear wonderful St Matthew’s families,

Are you looking for some wonderful ideas for Christmas gifts? Well, look no further! We have lots of great ideas for you.

The Book Cow Bookshop in Kingston is proud to be helping St Matthew's Primary School in Page to celebrate the joy and fun of books with a virtual Book Fair. The Book Fair will be open from Monday November 22^nd until Tuesday November 30^th. Normally, we would be holding this in our school library but this year we are doing things are a little bit differently...

Click here (or use the QR code on the attached document) to find the wonderful books that we have selected as great books to read and enjoy. Of course, you are not limited to only these books. Any other books on the Book Cow’s website are available to buy – you can find the perfect Christmas gift for everyone on your list!

For every book purchased at the fair, St Matthew's will be able to buy more great books for the library from the Book Cow.

We have also put together a wish list of books we’d like to have in our school library. If you’d like to purchase one for us (and you are under no obligation to do so), please click HERE (or use the QR code on the attached document).

You are also able to visit the Book Cow shop (47 Jardine Street Kingston) to purchase books. Please mention that you are buying for the St Matthew’s Book Fair when you do!

Thank you for your support of our school library

2021 St Matthews Book Fair.pdf

2021 St Matthews Book Fair _pdf 594.70 KB

The end of the year is fast approaching, which means it’s almost time for our annual library stocktake. To help this happen smoothly, we’d really appreciate your help.

ALL library books need to be returned by Monday 6^th December.

Take home readers need to be returned to your child’s classroom by Friday December 10^th.

Books can be easily misplaced, so please search your house carefully for any books that may be hiding behind bookshelves, under beds, in the back of the car, down the back of the couch, etc! To avoid having these books charged to your account, please return them on time. If you have any questions about this, please email me (sally.judd@cg.catholic.edu.au).

Sincerely,

Sally Judd

Teacher Librarian

Happy birthday wishes to Charlotte H, Logan M,Daiwik, Prikshit P, Bernard G, Pearleen S, Ariana L, Jackson O, Anya C, Imogen F, Savina B, George M, Elanor G, Max L, Rushard S, Myra S, who recently celebrated birthdays.

Transition Meetings
Teachers at St Matthew’s Primary are currently organising handover meetings between 2021 and 2022 class teachers prior to the commencement of the new academic year. During these discussions, current class teachers share effective teaching strategies that have positively impacted upon learning for each individual student. They also ensure important information relating to Personalised Plans and the welfare of each student is passed on to the new class teacher.

If you have any questions about this process or have any updated information that you would like handed on please contact your child’s Learning Support teacher.

K- 2 - Ms Cathy Talbot catherine.talbot@cg.catholic.edu.au

Years 3 and 4 - Mrs Mary Quinane mary.quinane@cg.catholic.edu.au

Years 5 and 6 - Mrs Petra Cole petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au

Kind regards,

Cathy Talbot

Classroom Support Teacher

WANTED - Holiday Home for our hens
If you are able to look after our seven chickens over the Christmas school holiday period I would love to hear from you.

The girls are laying a few eggs a day, they are very friendly and are fun to have around.

If you are able to assist please send me an email or let the front office know.

Chook food can be provided.

With thanks,

catherine.talbot@cg.catholic.edu.au

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. The Skoolbag app will be discontinued at the end of this year. Once you have your log-in credentials and download the app, you’ll be able to: