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Dear Parents and Carers
With just over two weeks of the school year left, 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. I think these students are taking to heart the words of Socrates: The secret of change is to focus all of your energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new. I know that our Year 6 students are ready to embrace this new adventure with a positive outlook and grateful hearts, and we’re hopeful they take this and learn from it as they experience transitions throughout their lives — big and small, planned and unplanned.
Some of the challenges of transitioning to a new school, or even transitioning to a new year level, include adapting to a new environment, making new friends and meeting new teachers. Our school understands that relationships are central to the success of any student's transition. To start this process, we’ll have a Meet the Teacher session on Wednesday of Week 10 from 2pm. Students in Years 1 - 6 will have a chance to meet their teacher, get to know each other, and get a little bit excited about what they’re going to achieve in 2023.
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. Parents and families are children’s first teachers and they continue to help their children to learn and thrive throughout the school years. When a family’s love and support is combined with the expert knowledge of teachers, it can have a significant and lasting impact.
Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day Picnic 25 November
Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ Day Picnic was a wonderful and joyful celebration of our beautiful community! We welcomed our families to picnic with us and enjoy the beautiful sunshine. Thank you to all our grandparents and grandfriends who donated books to our library on the day. Through your generosity, we have many new books to add to our collection.
Staff Development Day 16 December
A reminder that a pupil-free, staff development day has been set for Friday 16 December. This day will allow our staff to be involved in professional learning and planning to improve our curriculum delivery and our implementation of the Catalyst teaching and learning approach that will benefit all the students at St Matthew's in 2023. Students should not come to school on that day.
NSW and ACT Health recently advised that they are starting to see a rise in COVID-19 transmissions within the community, with a peak of cases expected in early December. COVID-smart measures continue to be in place and are vital in allowing us to keep our school operational while prioritising student and staff wellbeing.
These measures include:
- staying home if unwell and/or showing any symptoms
- mask-wearing strongly encouraged, particularly when indoors and/or when physical distancing is not possible, and on public transport
- using rapid antigen tests (RATs) when showing symptoms or exposed to COVID-19
- encouraging all students, staff, and families to keep up-to-date with their vaccinations, including COVID-19 booster shots if eligible
We thank you for your cooperation and willingness to assist us with these measures.
May God bless all of our families this week.
Petra Cole
Principal (Acting)
Dear Parents and Carers,
Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself using mantras as a way to manage tricky situations, in both my personal and professional life. I think sometimes, we need to talk ourselves into doing the “hard things”. Things that we would like to put on the backburner and not deal with straight away… Unfortunately, that’s not how life works. It keeps rolling on, whether we decide to jump onboard or stand still.
Dr Siggie’s words this week resonated strongly with me. It’s worth the five-minute read.
A mantra is a personal affirmation that you say to yourself during tough moments. It’s a way to encourage yourself and cheer yourself on. You can create one for yourself or use one of the below. Here are some of my favourite mantras, including the one I use.
"It's ok. We are ok."
"Breathe. I've got this."
"This is hard. I can still do this."
"I can stay calm… I can stay calm.”
"I believe in myself and I know what to do."
"I am the lighthouse and my child is the storm… I am the lighthouse…”
“This too shall pass.”
“I am my child’s mentor.”
“Slow down… slow down.”
In moments of frustration, you want to use a personal mantra that really encourages you and you want to really believe in what you’re saying. Let’s put all these steps together and see how this can work out in a real life scenario.
You’ve really thought deeply about your triggers and you’ve come to recognise that a messy house really gets to you. You like things done your way, you like to feel in control and it makes you feel out of control and overwhelmed when your house is messy. You’re working to continually understand and manage your triggers. You wanted to clean up a bit but didn’t have the time. You’ve checked in with yourself a handful of times throughout the day and you recognise you’re feeling stressed because you weren’t able to achieve what you planned to. Your kids come home from school and there are immediately shoes, socks and bags thrown about. You look inward once again and feel a tightening in your chest and a shot of anxiety. Instead of immediately reacting, you slow down and again, check in with how you’re feeling:
“I really don’t like messes. They make me feel out of control… I also wanted to clean up earlier and wasn’t able to and it’s been bothering me all day… this is about me and not about my kids…. breathe… breathe… slow down…” “breathe…. ok, I can do this… I’m ok, I’ve got this.”
You walk over to your kids and let them know, calmly and confidently:
“Time to pick up your shoes and socks and put them in your room. Yes, right now… I know you don’t want to… I know it feels hard… still, that’s what we’re doing right now. Go ahead, you can do it. I’ll get your socks and you get your shoes. There you go.”
And throughout your conversation with your children you’re breathing, looking inward and checking in and encouraging yourself with your mantra.
Do you see how easily and quickly this scenario could have taken a different turn… and ended in yelling and threatening. The more you practise, the more this becomes a habit for you and you’re moving through these steps in mere seconds.
Rachel Powell
Assistant Principal (Acting)
rachel.powell@cg.catholic.edu.au
Second Sunday of Advent
Gospel Reading
Matthew 3:1-12
John the Baptist appears in Judea preaching a message of repentance.
Background on the Gospel Reading
In this week's Gospel Reading and next week's, our Advent preparation for Christmas invites us to consider John the Baptist and his relationship to Jesus. In this week's Gospel, Matthew describes the work and preaching of John the Baptist.
John the Baptist appears in the tradition of the great prophets of Israel, preaching repentance and reform to the people of Israel. In fact, the description of John found in this reading is reminiscent of the description of the prophet Elijah (2 Kings 1:8). In this reading, John directs a particularly pointed call to repentance to the Pharisees and Sadducees, parties within the Jewish community of the first century.
John marks the conversion of those who seek him out with a baptism of repentance. Other groups in this period are thought to have practiced ritual washings for similar purposes, and John's baptism may have been related to the practices of the Essenes, a Jewish sect of the first century. John's baptism can be understood as an anticipation of Christian baptism. In this passage, John himself alludes to the difference between his baptism and the one yet to come: “I am baptizing you with water, for repentance . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.” (Matthew 3:11).
In this reading, John makes very clear that his relationship to the Messiah yet to come (Jesus) is one of service and subservience: “. . . the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals” (Matthew 3:11). In the context of Matthew's Gospel, today's passage is followed by Jesus' baptism by John, an event that is attested to in all four of the Gospels and appears to have been the start of Jesus' public ministry.
John's preaching of the coming of the Lord is a key theme of the Advent season. As John's message prepared the way for Jesus in the first century, we, too, are called to prepare ourselves for Jesus' coming. We respond to John's message by our repentance and reform of our lives. We are also called to be prophets of Christ, who announce by our lives, as John did, the coming of the Lord.
Family Connection
We do many things to get ourselves ready for our celebration of Christmas: purchase gifts, prepare Christmas cards, decorate our homes. John's call of repentance in preparation for Jesus reminds us that our repentance is another way in which we can prepare for the Lord's coming and our celebration of Christmas. Parish communities often offer a communal celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation during the Advent season. Your family might choose to participate in the communal celebration of the sacrament, or you might seek out the sacrament on an individual basis.
Read together today's Gospel. Talk about how John reminds the people that they prepare for the reign of God by reforming their lives. As a family, prepare a simple reconciliation service in preparation for Christmas such as the following: Gather in a prayerful space, perhaps around your family Advent wreath. Read again today's Gospel: Matthew 3:1-3. Invite each family member to pray silently, asking God to forgive their sins. Pray together an Act of Contrition. Then celebrate God's forgiveness by sharing a Sign of Peace with each other.
Thank you for all your kind and generous donations to our St Vincent de Paul Christmas Hamper Appeal. Your children can start to bring those into their class teacher, and they will be placed in a hamper tub. Donations will be collected on Tuesday 13 December, Week 10. Please bring in your items at the latest, Monday 12 December.
On Friday November 18, Year 6 Youth Ministry students participated in an Illuminate retreat at Good Shepherd Primary School, Amaroo. There were over 200 other Year 6 Youth Ministers there. It was a day focused on sharing God’s light with the world through all we do and say. It was also a blessed celebration of all the work these students have done to minister to younger students throughout the year.
Grandfriend’s Day
It was such a lovely day celebrating all the special Grandfriend’s in our lives. I shared a quote from Pope Francis about how ‘Grandparents’ and Grandfriends’ are the cornerstones of our families. They hold our rich history and traditions. They transmit their faith to us…’ The weather was perfect and it was so lovely to have our community celebrating together.
Louisa Mitchell
Religious Education Coordinator
Dear Parents
Thank you to all our wonderful grandparents and grandfriends who so generously donated books to our library last week. Through your donations, we have 64 wonderful new books to add to our collection!
Sincerely,
Sally Judd
Teacher Librarian
2023 School Fees
2023 School Fee schedule was distributed November 16 via the note bag. This information pack included:
- 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 AS SOON AS POSSIBLE)
- Current Fee Statement Balance (Pink Sheet) for your information.
Please complete and return the 2023 Systemic Letter to the Front Office as soon as possible.
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 Ariana L, Jackson O, Finn W, Anya G, Savina B, Nixon P, George M, Eleanor G, Max L, Rushad S, Myra S, Daelin R, Benjamin L, Samuel C, Archie R, Will M, Gemma M, Claire W, Charlee D and Jensen B, who recently celebrated birthdays.
