Dear Parents and Carers

Welcome back to school! Our students are settled and ready for another exciting term of learning.

Term 4 Events
We look forward to several events at school this term. These include author visits, the Readers’ Cup Challenge, excursions, Day for Daniel, our Inquiry Exhibition, Grandparents’ Day Picnic, Year 6 Graduation celebrations, and our Kindergarten Nativity. As we confirm dates, we’ll provide you with more information. Stay tuned!

Catalyst
You may have noticed Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn’s approach to teaching and learning has been featured in the Canberra Times recently. Teachers at St Matthew’s engage in Catalyst professional learning with our expert facilitator and consultant, Toni Hatten-Roberts. We are also undertaking important professional learning in the next few weeks about assessment. We will build a shared understanding about the theory underpinning formative assessment and learn more about how to embed formative assessment strategies into our classroom practice.  You can find out more about the Catalyst teaching approach here: https://catalyst.cg.catholic.edu.au/

Congratulations
Our congratulations to our beautiful bride, Miss Lara Burch, and her husband, Josiah Eteuati, who married during the holidays. We wish them every blessing as they begin married life together.

Miss Tamika Norris also had some exciting news to share on Monday morning. She and her fiancé, Daniel, were engaged during the holidays. Our congratulations to Tamika and Daniel!

COVID-19 Information Term 4
As you’d be aware, over recent weeks, many COVID-19 restrictions have been removed. All CECG Schools, Early Learning Centres and Out of School Care Services will return to normal activities, subject to any adjustments that may be required to be made from time-to-time due to staffing shortages or any COVID-19 requirements that are implemented. Positive COVID-19 case requirements continue for students and staff until midnight 13 October 2022. From 14 October 2022, there will no longer be any requirement to quarantine where a person tests positive to COVID-19.  Students and staff who are COVID-19 positive should not attend school when they are unwell as they would if they had flu-like symptoms. Further information will be made available to you as we receive it.

Term Overviews
Our most recent Tell Them From Me surveys indicated that parents are eager for more communication about what’s happening at school. To facilitate this, later in the week, you'll receive a Term Overview about the learning that’s planned for Term 4 in your child’s classroom.

Absentee Children
A reminder to all parents and carers that if your child is absent, please log onto the Compass Portal and complete an Absence Form.

Swimming
Our Learn to Swim provider, AIS Aquatic & Fitness Centre, indicated to us last term that due to staffing issues related to COVID-19, they would be unable to provide our scheduled lessons for Term 4. We will, therefore, reduce the Student Resource Levy in our Term Four School Fees to reflect the costs normally incurred by the program.

School Arrival and Dismissal
I’d like to remind parents that supervision of students at school begins at 8.30am and concludes at 3:20pm. Students arriving late to school often miss important messages and key learning time. It’s important that all students are at school by 8.50am, when we gather on the K/1 playground to pray together as a community before moving off to classes to begin learning. Parents and carers are warmly welcome to join us each morning for prayer and morning assembly.

May God bless you and your families.

Petra Cole
Principal (Acting)