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Dear Parents and Carers
As they learn, our children make approximations toward proficiency in all areas of life - walking, speaking, and sporting endeavours are good examples. In order to become proficient, children need good models for demonstration, high expectations, responsibility, time and opportunity. Students at St Matthew’s are learning how to communicate respectfully with each other and with adults, as they play, learn and live peacefully as members of the St Matthew’s community.
Recently, I attended a Principal’s Retreat with the theme of mercy and an opportunity for prayer, listening and conversation. As part of our learning, we explored an Instruction issued earlier this year by the Congregation for Catholic Education, called The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialogue - a wordy title, no doubt, but a document with some wise advice from Pope Francis about how we might interact with one another. Pope Francis suggests three fundamental guidelines to help dialogue: the duty to respect one’s own identity and that of others, the courage to accept differences, and the necessity of communicating with sincerity of intentions. Dialogue isn’t a strategy for achieving predetermined goals; instead, it’s a path to truth and cooperation.
Together, teachers and families can educate young people about how to communicate and learn from each other in a way that favours peace and dignity, giving witness to the Gospel message of love of God and neighbour, and service to the world. The way we communicate with each other should be a model for our children, and I thank you all for the way in which you demonstrate this every day in your polite greetings to staff, your formal and informal conversations with teachers and our front office personnel, and your email correspondence. The behaviour of your children is a reflection of this, and it’s something that is central to the way we do things here at St Matthew’s.
Upcoming Events
We have our Kinder Orientation and Parent Information Session on 23 November, which is an exciting time for all of us here at St Matthew’s as we welcome new children and families into our community.
On 25 November, our Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day Picnic will be held. Flyers for this were sent home last week. Please contact the Front Office if you didn’t receive one. Let’s pray for fine weather so that we can enjoy ourselves outdoors.
Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on 28, 29 and 30 November and booking information will be sent home next week through Compass.
Year 6 Camp
Our Year 6 students had a terrific experience on camp at Jindabyne - including a snowy Wednesday morning! Thank you to our Year 6 students who represented St Matthew’s with respectful participation, good humour and joy. On behalf of our parents, I wish to also express my appreciation to all of the adults who accompanied our students, giving up time with family and the comforts of home to ensure that camp was a success.
Crossing and Car Park Safety
It’s come to my attention that some students are not crossing Chewings Street in a safe manner. If your child uses the pedestrian crossing in the afternoon, please have a chat with them about the importance of following the instructions of the two teachers on duty. Likewise, it is very important that families refrain from walking students through the staff car park before or after school. This area is very busy at these times. It’s vitally important that our children learn to use the stairs at the front office and then choose a safe pathway around or across the ‘blacktop’ to reach parked cars.
St Matthew’s School Spirit
This week, I was reminded, yet again, of the spirit of St Matthew’s that is exhibited by our families and students with correspondence from a Year 1 parent who explained that, as a result of our 2022 OzTag clinics, a group of Year 1 parents have entered a Year 1 team for the summer OzTag season:
It was such a joy to have eleven Yr 1 parents, carers and kids excited to join and create a fabulous team named ‘Marvellous Matty’s’. Not all the kids play together at school, or are in the same Yr 1 class, but they have all embraced the team sport making their parents and carers proud and showing beautiful St Matty’s spirit. Ultimately if you hadn’t organised for OzTag to be a part of the St Matty’s sport program we wouldn’t have this amazing team. So thank you for making such a difference to my family life in such a positive way.
Petra Cole
Principal (Acting)
Dear Parents and Carers,
Thank you to all of the parents who gave us valuable feedback on our Behaviour Management Policy at St Matthew’s. It was wonderful to hear the positive things you have all experienced.
This week Dr Siggie talks about “validation of feelings”.
You know how you’re going about your day and seemingly within an instant your nice family dinner turns into a screaming match? Or after school pick up starts off ok and then suddenly you and your child are yelling at each other.
You think to yourself “What just happened!? Things were going so well.”
These moments feel like they go from zero to full blown meltdown in an instant, but in actuality, there were signals along the way that you may not have noticed. That’s why it’s incredibly important to take a moment to pause and look inward throughout the day. Looking inward means to check in with yourself and ask yourself:
“How am I feeling right now?”
It’s as if you’re stopping for a split second and taking inventory of your own emotions. Practice doing this throughout your day, during all types of moments: calm moments, anxious moments, angry moments. Start by asking yourself 2 or 3 times a day: “How am I feeling right now?” And build up from there. You’d be shocked to find how common it is to walk around and interact with the world without having a clear picture of how you’re feeling.
The more you practise looking inward, the more you’ll be able to instinctually do this during triggered moments. And that’s your goal: awareness. You want to get to a place where the moment you begin to feel triggered (or feel
anything), you notice it. Once you’re aware of what you’re feeling, you’re then able to validate and manage those feelings. There is a lot of talk about validating your child’s feelings. Don’t forget to also validate YOUR OWN.
Here’s how it can work….
You look inward and check in with yourself throughout the day. You notice that you’re feeling a little extra sensitive and on edge. You validate to yourself: “I’m feeling a little on edge today… it’s ok for me to feel this way sometimes. won’t feel like this all the time, but right now that’s how I feel.” Later in the day you look inward and feel yourself starting to get angry and overwhelmed with your child, you pause and validate these feelings: “I can feel myself starting to get angry… it’s ok, I can feel this way sometimes… I’m in control of my emotions and I can do this.” Realisation of your own feelings in the moment helps to reduce your reactivity. When your own emotions are recognised and validated, you are able to be a more grounded and responsive parent.
Rachel Powell
Assistant Principal (Acting)
rachel.powell@cg.catholic.edu.au
Gospel Reading
Luke 23:35-43
Jesus is crucified under the title King of the Jews.
Background on the Gospel Reading
Today as a Church, we conclude our liturgical year and celebrate the Feast of Christ the King. The Gospel we proclaim shows the great mystery of our faith: In the moment of his crucifixion, Jesus is shown to be King and Saviour of all.
Luke's Gospel has been loaded with surprises: the poor are rich, sinners find salvation, the Kingdom of God is found in our midst. Here we see the greatest surprise of all. We are confronted with the crucified Jesus, whom faith tells us is King and Saviour of all. The irony is that the inscription placed on the cross, perhaps in mockery, contains the profoundest of truth. As the leaders jeer, the thief crucified by his side recognises Jesus as Messiah and King, and finds salvation.
Jesus is King, but not the kind of king we might have imagined or expected. His kingship was hidden from many of his contemporaries, but those who had the eyes of faith were able to see. As modern disciples of Jesus, we, too, struggle at times to recognise Jesus as King. Today's Gospel invites us to make our own judgment. With eyes of faith, we, too, recognise that Jesus, the crucified One, is indeed King and Saviour of all.
Family Connection
Understanding today's Feast of Christ the King may be particularly challenging. While we may not have a direct experience of kings or royalty, we have some sense of what these mean. We know that royalty have sovereignty over their kingdom. We know that those who are subjects to royalty offer them allegiance and Honour. Christ is King in a way that is different from traditional understandings of royalty. Christ's kingship extends to all places, all people, and all times. Christ manifests his kingship through his death on the Cross, in which he offers salvation to all.
Recall with your children stories that you may have read about royalty. Talk with your children about what they have learned from these stories about what it means to be a king. Talk about what they have learned from these stories about what it means to be a subject.
Tell your children that this Sunday is the last Sunday in the Church Year, and on this Sunday, we celebrate a special feast called the Feast of Christ the King. Read Sunday's Gospel, Luke 23:35-43. Reflect together on how the various people in this Gospel respond to Jesus on the Cross. Who in this Gospel recognises Jesus as King? (the thief) What does Jesus promise the thief as a result? (The thief will be with Jesus in paradise.)
Talk about how your family will recognize and honour Christ the King. Pray together the Lord's Prayer and ask God to help your family to act in ways that show you recognise and honour Christ as King.
Advent – Week One – hope
First Sunday of Advent (Year A)
“So too, you also must be prepared, for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” Matthew 24:44
On Sunday 27 November we enter into the holy season of Advent. Advent, more than anything else, is a time of spiritual preparation to receive the greatest Gift we could ever receive: Christ Jesus Himself!
The readings for this First Sunday of Advent remind us that the Savior of the World will one day return to earth. We are reminded that He will return in all His splendour and glory and that this coming will be “at an hour you do not expect…”
My ever-present Lord, You constantly come to me at an unexpected hour to pour forth Your grace and mercy into my life. Help me to form within me a permanent habit of preparedness by which I continually open myself to You and to Your perfect will for my life. May this Advent be a true time in which my readiness to meet You increases a hundredfold. Jesus, in hope I trust in You.
2023 School Fees
2023 School Fee schedule has been distributed this week via the note bag. This information pack includes:
- 2023 School Fee Schedule.
- Fee Repayment Worksheet (for your personal record to keep at home)
- 2023 Systemic Letter (to be completed and returned to the Front Office by 02.12.22)
- Current Fee Statement Balance (Pink Sheet) for your information.
We are committed to our policy in the Archdiocese that no student should be refused enrolment, excluded, or disadvantaged because of their inability to afford the fees. If you are experiencing financial hardship and the 2023 fees are a concern for your family, I would encourage you to arrange a meeting with me to discuss how we can help and the financial assistance available. Any discussion about fees would be strictly confidential.
If you have, any questions regarding school fees for 2023, contact Chris Answerth (Finance Manager) or Petra Cole (Principal - Acting).
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 Nathaniel D, Claudia M, Jemma H, Parinaaz K, Logan G, Tyler C, Maithili B, Georgia M, Logan M, Daiwik S, Prikshit P and Pearleen S, who recently celebrated birthdays.
