Dear Parents and Carers

Well, we certainly have hit the ground running as we commenced a new school year. I hope you are not feeling too overwhelmed by the amount of correspondence which has been sent home during the first three days.

Despite the busyness and the very humid weather our children have made an excellent start. I would particularly like to welcome those families who are new to our school. I know that all new starts are challenging as you learn the systems and communication channels of the new organisation. Please reach out to your child’s teacher or a member of the Leadership Team if you are unsure about any aspect of life at St Matthew’s.

Staffing and Students
We have commenced the school year with strong numbers of students across our school. Our overall numbers are now the highest in my time at St Matthew’s.

On your behalf of our community, I would like to welcome several new staff members who have joined our school community this year.

Welcome to:

• Tamika Norris (Year One), Lara Burch (Year Three), Jessica Norris (Year Five) and Lauren Ogden (Year Six) we hope you enjoy your time at our school.

 COVID Restrictions and Implications
Unfortunately, the COVID restrictions which surrounded schools last year have re-emerged, meaning that essentially children are unable to leave the school site for the foreseeable future. In reality, this means that we are unable to take children on Camp and hold events such as our swimming carnival. Thankfully we have been able to reschedule our Year Six Camp to Term Four.

Once again parents are restricted from entering the school building, thankyou for your support in the following these rules. I do appreciate how hard this is especially for parents of new beginners.

Rapid Antigen Testing
It seems odd to be reconnecting with parents through a Rapid Antigen Test Drive Through, nevertheless it was lovely to see so many parents on Tuesday evening. We will keep you informed during the next few weeks as to the next steps in how this process will be delivered. Please let us know immediately if your child tests positive.

Meet the Teacher

In the meantime, keep up the great work, I can’t recall a more challenging time to be a parent. Your children are a credit to you!

May God bless you and your families.

Graham Pollard

Principal