Dear Parents and Carers,

Mr Pollard’s Farewell Events
As you are aware, Mr Pollard is retiring at the end of the year. We have a number of events planned for him and there are two, in particular, to which our parents are warmly invited:

• An afternoon gathering on Wednesday 6 December from 4 pm to 5.30 pm. Refreshments will be provided. Please RSVP to office.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au or 6254 2653, Please note that this event is only for adults.
• A prayer celebration is planned for Thursday 7 December at 9.30 am in St Matthew’s Church. Join us as we thank God for Mr Pollard’s leadership and service, and pray for his happiness in his retirement.

Inquiry Exhibition This Friday!
We can’t wait to show off our learning! We warmly invite parents, carers, and families to our Inquiry Exhibition this Friday from 1.55 pm to 2.30 pm in classrooms. Our Exhibition this term is a celebration of our learning and teaching in HASS (Humanities and Social Sciences). Students will present their inquiry journey and speak to visitors about their learning. Please see the attached flyer.

TIMMS Reminder – Year 4
As mentioned last week, some of our Year 4 students have been randomly selected to take part in the Main Study of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS). TIMSS is an important educational research project investigating student achievement in mathematics and science. Selected students will bring home information this week.

Sun Smart Advice
Exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun and other sources, such as solariums, is the major cause of skin cancer. Australia has some of the highest levels of UV radiation in the world: in fact, UV radiation is strong enough to cause sunburn in as little as 10 minutes on a fine January day. Your skin remembers and records all the UV exposure you have ever received – all the sunburns, tans, solarium visits or just simple day-to-day time spent outdoors when you have not used sun protection. It all adds up and increases your long-term risk of skin cancer. It’s estimated that if we reduce our lifetime exposure to UV radiation by just 20%, Australia would have about one-third fewer cases of skin cancer. Remember you can still get sunburnt on a cool or cloudy day. UV Protection Times are a daily time period showing when UV levels are predicted to be 3 or above, and UV protection is needed. The forecast UV level on Tuesday was 8! The UV protection times vary according to your location and will change throughout the year. To find the UV protection times for your area, visit www.myuv.com.au

Petra Cole
Assistant Principal 
petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au