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| WEEK 4, TERM 1 | |
| Thursday, 27 February |
Sacrament of Reconciliation Parent Information Evening 6.00pm via Zoom https://cgcatholic.zoom.us/j/64251875983 |
| Friday, 28 February |
Year 6 Leadership Induction Ceremony (Jersey Distribution) Flexischools Lunch Order https://user.flexischools.com.au/login Clothing Pool Open from 3.00pm |
| Sunday, 2 March |
SCC Bunnings BBQ Sushi orders due by 8.00pm (see ordering information in this newsletter) |
| WEEK 5, TERM 1 |
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| Monday 3 March |
Year 5 National Zoo and Aquarium Excursion Mrs Lowe at ACPPA Meeting |
| Tuesday, 4 March |
Sushi Tuesday Mrs Lowe at ACPPA Meeting |
| Wednesday, 5 March |
Ash Wednesday - Mass 12pm at St Matthew's Church Mrs Lowe at CECG Leaders Day |
| Thursday, 6 March |
Mrs Lowe at Archdicoesan Principals Retreat |
| Friday, 7 March |
Swimming Ribbons Presentation 8.50AM |
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Saturday, 7 March Sunday, 8 March |
Reconciliation Commitment Masses |
| WEEK 6, TERM 1 |
FAMILY WEEK |
| Monday 10 March |
Canberra Day Public Holiday |
| Wednesday, 12 March |
NAPLAN Years 3/5 |
| Thursday, 13 March |
NAPLAN Years 3/5 SCC Welcome Event - Family BBQ 5.30 PM |
| Friday, 14 March |
NAPLAN Years 3/5 |
Year 6 Camp
Our Year 6 students had a wonderful time at camp last week. They participated in activities such as sliders, initiatives, mountain biking, archery, games, and trivia. It was wonderful to see them challenge themselves, build teamwork skills, and create lasting memories.
A huge thank you to our amazing staff who made this camp possible—Year 6 teachers Daniel Hunt and Hannah Beissner, along with Dillon Payne and Mrs. Cole, for their guidance and supervision. A special thanks also to Chris Answerth for assisting with the planning and organisation. Their hard work and dedication ensured a fantastic experience for our students!
Well done to our Year 6s for their enthusiasm and positive attitude—you represented St Matthew’s beautifully, and we are so proud of you! Many of the camp staff also commented on our students' consistently beautiful manners and behaviour, which is a true credit to them and our school community.
Thank You for Attending Meet the Teacher
Thank you to everyone who attended our Meet the Teacher sessions this week. These meetings were very productive and provided a valuable opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school.
We appreciate your time and commitment to supporting your child’s learning journey. Open and ongoing communication is key to a successful year, and we are grateful for the conversations that have helped build those connections.
Learning Beyond the Classroom: Supporting Social Development at St Matthew’s
At St Matthew’s, learning extends beyond the classroom walls. While academic success is essential, we also prioritise the development of social skills, ensuring that students grow into respectful, resilient, and empathetic individuals.
During structured learning time, students excel at following instructions, engaging with their teachers, and collaborating with peers in a closely guided environment. However, the playground presents a different kind of learning—one where students take greater responsibility for their social interactions. This unstructured time allows children to practise negotiation, problem-solving, and conflict resolution. For some, these skills come naturally; for others, they take longer to develop.
As Dr. Albert Bandura, a Canadian-American psychologist and professor of social science in psychology at Stanford University, said, “Most human behaviour is learned observationally through modelling: from observing others, one forms an idea of how new behaviours are performed.” Just as students learn academic skills by watching and practising, they also learn social skills by interacting with their peers, making mistakes, and reflecting on their actions.
At St Matthew’s, we guide students through this process using restorative practices. This approach focuses on helping children understand the impact of their actions, repair harm, and rebuild relationships. Instead of simply punishing misbehaviour, we facilitate meaningful conversations where students can express their feelings, listen to each other, and take responsibility for making things right.
Through restorative practices, we teach students to:
- Reflect on their choices and their effects on others
- Develop empathy by considering different perspectives
- Find constructive ways to resolve conflicts
- Strengthen friendships and build a positive school culture
By supporting children in both their academic and social learning, we are preparing them for success not just in school but in life.
Support for Families – Multicultural Hub Canberra
At St Matthew’s, we value the diverse backgrounds of our school community and understand that settling into a new country can come with challenges. The Multicultural Hub Canberra offers a range of services to support migrant and refugee families as they navigate life in Australia.
The Multicultural Hub provides assistance with:
- Settlement support and community connections
- English language programs
- Employment and training opportunities
- Housing and financial advice
- Health and wellbeing services
For more information about the services available, visit Multicultural Hub Canberra.
We encourage families to reach out and take advantage of the support available to help make the transition smoother and more connected.
Drive-Through Pick-Up Reminder
As we work together to ensure a smooth pick-up process, we kindly ask all families using the Drive-Through area from Chewings Street down Stutchbury Street to keep residential driveways clear. Our neighbours need to be able to enter and leave their homes safely during afternoon pick-up time.
A reminder that supervision is provided until 3.20pm. Arriving around 3.15pm helps ease congestion, providing a clear drive-in without waiting in line.
Online Lunch Orders at St Matthew’s
At St Matthew’s, we understand the challenge of packing lunches every day, especially without an onsite canteen. To support our families, we offer online food ordering options twice a week.
Sushi orders are available every Tuesday through Sushi Sushi Belconnen 2. To ensure your order is placed correctly, please follow these steps:
- Go to Sushi Sushi Belconnen 2 Online.
- Sign in and set up an account.
- Order from the WHITE RICE HANDROLLS or DELUXE ITEMS menus.
- Click on the item name (not "Quick Add") to select.
- Click "+ Add Special Instructions" and enter:
- Your child’s name
- St Matthew’s and their class (e.g., Jane Brown - St Matthew’s - 6M)
- Any preferences for soy sauce, wasabi, or ginger.
- Add item to bag, order more if needed, or proceed to checkout.
- If ordering for multiple children, repeat step 5 for each.
- Select "YOUR ORDER SUMMARY" and choose SCHEDULED ORDER for a Tuesday at 12:45 pm.
- Orders must be placed by 8:00 pm on Sunday for delivery the following Tuesday. Orders can be scheduled up to a month in advance.
- Before ordering, always confirm you are on the "Sushi Sushi Belconnen 2" site.
Download the instructions here
Thank you for supporting this initiative—we hope it makes lunchtime a little easier for our families!
Week 6 – Family Week: A Time to Pause and Connect
At St Matthew’s, we know how busy family life can be. Between school, work, extracurricular activities, and daily routines, it can sometimes feel like there’s little time left for simply being together. That’s why Week 6 is Family Week—a special opportunity to pause, reconnect, and focus on the people who matter most.
During Family Week, there will be no formal homework or staff meetings. Instead, we encourage everyone to spend time together in meaningful ways. This might mean:
- Helping more with household chores
- Cooking a meal together
- Playing a board or card game
- Taking a walk as a family
- Reading a book together
We see this as a fallow week—a time to rest, refresh, and nurture the relationships that support our children’s growth and well-being. By slowing down and making space for connection, we build stronger families and a stronger school community.
We would love to hear about how your family chooses to spend this special week. Feel free to share your Family Week moments with us!
Catholic Education's Complaints Policy
Any person may make a complaint and Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn takes all complaints seriously. All complaints are dealt with fairly, impartially, and confidentially. People raising complaints can expect to:
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Be treated respectfully and fairly
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Have the matter dealt with as soon as possible, and
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Be informed of progress.
Upcoming Principal's Meetings and Events
I have accepted a position as a Director on the Australian Catholic Primary Principals Association (ACPPA) Board, representing the ACT. This role provides a wonderful opportunity to advocate for Catholic primary education at a national level and collaborate with school leaders from across Australia. Our first board meeting will take place next week, and I look forward to contributing to the important work of the association.
Following this, I will be attending the CECG Leaders Day (Wednesday) and Archdiocesan Principals’ Retreat (Thursday/Friday) in Bowral, joining 55 colleagues from across our diocese—from Pambula in the South to Lake Cargelligo in the North West and Crookwell in the North. This retreat is always a valuable time for collaboration, sharing ideas, and deep reflection on our leadership and mission in Catholic education.
I look forward to bringing back insights from both of these experiences to continue strengthening our wonderful school community at St Matthew’s.
In Truth and Love,
Sarah Lowe
Principal
Child Safeguarding Commitment
The safeguarding of our students is a key priority of St Matthew’s.
Safeguarding is a term used to describe the protection of the human rights of vulnerable people. This may be due to their age, culture or trauma background, or they may be at risk of abuse, neglect or exploitation. Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Anyone who comes into contact with children and their families has a role to play.
Here is our Child Safeguarding Commitment:
- St Matthew’s Primary School is committed to child safety.
- We support and respect all children, as well as our staff and volunteers.
- St Matthew’s is committed to our children being safe, happy and empowered participants of our community.
- We have zero tolerance of child abuse, and all allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently in accordance with our robust policies and procedures.
- St Matthew’s is committed to preventing child abuse and identifying risks early, and removing and reducing these risks.
- We have legal and moral obligations to contact authorities when we are worried about a child’s safety.
- St Matthew’s has robust recruitment practices to reduce the risk of child abuse by new and existing School Community Council members, school staff and volunteers.
- We are committed to regularly training and educating our School Community Council members, staff and volunteers on child abuse risks.
- St Matthew’s is committed to the cultural safety of Aboriginal children, the cultural safety of children from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds, and to providing a safe environment for children with a disability.
- We have specific policies and procedures in place that support our School Community Council members, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments.
Protective Behaviours
This year, students will be learning about Protective Behaviours. Protective Behaviours is a way of looking at personal safety to develop life skills to recognise safe and unsafe situations. They are the things we say and do to keep ourselves safe. The two key themes we teach our students are:
Everyone has the right to feel safe all the time.
We can talk with someone we trust about anything.
Everyone has the right to feel safe from all types of abuse, including bullying and violence, both in person and online. We encourage our students to develop and identify a network of safe and trusted ‘go to’ people. These are the people our children can go to if they have a problem. Asking for help from this network is about taking steps to ensure our children are listened to and someone can take action to keep them safer.
For more information, you might like to read this document, published by the ACT Government, Protecting Your Kids: Personal Safety Education for Parents
If you would like to know more about Child Safeguarding, please email me (petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au).
NAPLAN TESTING
NAPLAN testing will occur in our school between 12 and 24 March 2025 for students in Years 3 and 5.
Online NAPLAN tests provide more precise results and are engaging for students. The tests are tailored (or adaptive), which means that each test presents questions that may be more or less difficult depending on a student’s responses. This helps students remain engaged with the assessment. Tailored testing allows a wider range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway. All Year 3 students will complete the writing assessment on paper.
NAPLAN provides valuable information to schools and parents about literacy and numeracy achievement. It supports school improvement processes by enabling teachers to monitor student progress over time and to identify areas of strength and development. All eligible students are encouraged and supported to participate in NAPLAN testing. Visit www.nap.edu.au to see interactive versions of the test and for more information.
If you have any questions about your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please contact me.
Petra Cole
Upcoming Events
Term 1 boasts a wonderful time of reflection and celebration. We always warmly welcome you to our school events. Please add the following to your calendar.
Ash Wednesday Mass - 5th March @ 12pm for students in Years 1-6. All welcome!
Holy Week Reflection - 10th April @ 9:30-11:00am
Sacramental Program
As our Sacramental Program starts again, we invite you to enrol your child in the upcoming Sacrament of Reconciliation. For Baptised Catholic students, this is an important step in their faith journey and will help them experience God's loving forgiveness.
Please enrol your child via the QKR application through the St Matthew’s and St Vincent’s Parish page.
Thursday, 27th February @6pm will be our online parent information session for enrolled families of students undergoing their Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Link to Zoom https://cgcatholic.zoom.us/j/64251875983
Smart Watches
At St Matthew’s, we recognise that many families rely on smart watches for communication and safety, particularly when students are travelling to and from school. However, while students are under our care during the school day, we aim to create an environment that minimises distractions and supports students’ focus on learning.
A smart watch is any watch that has messaging, calling, gaming, or internet capabilities. While some smart watches can be placed in ‘parent mode’ or restricted settings, managing which devices are in this mode would place a significant responsibility on teachers. To ensure consistency and fairness for all students, St Matthew's has implemented a blanket rule across the school.
Students are welcome to wear their smart watches to and from school. Upon arrival, we ask that they check in with parents if needed and then place their smart watches in their school bags for the remainder of the day. This approach enables us to prioritise both learning and student safety while maintaining the convenience these devices offer for families.
In addition to reducing distractions, this guideline is in place to support student wellbeing. Constant connectivity can sometimes lead to anxiety, social pressures, and interruptions to learning. By limiting access to smart watches during the school day, we encourage students to be present in their learning, engage in face-to-face interactions, and develop independence in problem-solving and communication. Furthermore, it enables us to uphold our duty of care by ensuring that all communication between students occurs through appropriate school channels, rather than unmonitored personal devices.
We appreciate your support in reinforcing this expectation with your child. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Swimming Carnival
Thank you to all the parent helpers for making the swimming carnival a great success!
Ribbons will be distributed at the morning assembly on Friday, 7 March. Parents of students who are receiving their ribbon will be contacted by the school and are welcome to attend from 8.50am.
As there are close to 200 ribbons being awarded, errors occasionally occur, particularly beacuse the results are recorded manually. If you do come across any mistakes, could you please send your child to me? I will fix the error and reprint the label. Many thanks for your understanding with this.
Cross Country
The annual Cross Country Carnival has been set for the 28th of March (Friday). If you are available to assist out on the track, directing students and cheering them on, could you please email me at dillon.payne@cg.catholic.edu.au. A big thank you to the parents who have already offered their assistance.
Rugby Clinics
St Matthew’s has been enjoying rugby clinics held by the Wests Lions and ACT Brumbies. For the next 4 weeks, students will participate in touch football clinics with ACT Touch Football.
Sports Superstars
If your child has any sporting accomplishments outside of school or would like to share a sports story with the school, please feel free to email me a picture and a blurb that will feature in the newsletter.
ACT FUTSAL Gala Day
Thank you to everyone for sending in your child’s expression of interest form for the upcoming gala day. We have had an overwhelming number of students who are interested. Because of this, we will be going ahead with the day. A Compass event will be posted this week. Please ensure you click the consent button on the event.
Book Cow Book Club
Our first edition of The Book Cow’s Book Club is available online. The physical catalogues will be coming soon.
Please go to https://www.bookcow.com.au/schools to order. Remember to:
- Choose our school under 'Store pick up'
- Add your child's name and classroom details in the notes at check out
Missing Library Book
One of our new library books, ‘Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World’ (pictured below), has gone missing. Can you please check at home to see if it might be at your house? If found, please return to the library. Thank you!
Thank you,
Miss Judd
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Name
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Position
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Year Commenced
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Monsignor John Woods
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Parish Priest
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2025
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Sarah Lowe
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Principal
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2024
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Petra Cole
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Assistant Principal
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2020
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Jessica Levi
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Staff Representative
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2024
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Nadia Butler
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Chair
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2024
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Cody Robertson
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Treasurer
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2023
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Larissa Woolfield
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Secretary
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2024
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Kylie McNamara
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Parent Representative
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2022
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Michael Shelton
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Parent Representative
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2022
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David Jepsen
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Parent Representative
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2024
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Cheryl Toussaint
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Parent Representative
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2022
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Mel Guyatt
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Parent Representative
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2025
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Upcoming Events - Call for help:
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Event
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Date
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Volunteers Needed
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Clothing Pool
Location: St Matt's
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Friday 28 Feb
2:30pm - 3pm
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1 - to help sort through donations
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Bunnings BBQ
Location: Belconnen
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Sunday 2 March
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All covered.... thank you community!!!
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Welcome BBQ
Location: St Matt's
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Thursday 13 March
5:30-6:30 pm
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Yes
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Election BBQ
Location: St Matt's
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TBD
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Will need many
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Bulb Drive
Online orders
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Term 1 - info coming soon
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n/a
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Welcome BBQ & Family Picnic
Join us for a relaxed evening to connect with other families and staff in our school community!
When: Thursday, 13 March
Time: 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Where: K/1 Junior Playground
What’s on the menu?
Sausage sizzle (gluten-free & vegetarian options available)
A refreshing Zooper Dooper
Bring a picnic rug and any extra snacks or picnic items you’d like. We look forward to seeing you there!
Hi, parents and carers,
My name is Jo, and I am happy to be returning to St. Matthew's as the school counsellor this year.
The school counselling program can be used as a first port of call in supporting and addressing your child’s mental well-being within the school environment. As the school counsellor, I can work with your kids using a short-term, child-led intervention model to support them in addressing any concerns relating to big feelings, relationships, growth and emotional regulation and expression. Through sessions that involve a lot of play, art and talking – I aim to facilitate a safe and objective space for children to explore their feelings and provide guidance and strategies for them to learn to manage and regulate themselves in different contexts.
Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or would like to enquire further about the service and whether it might be helpful for your child.
If you would like to make a referral for your child, please use the link below to access the online form. Once this referral has been made, I will be in touch as soon as possible to discuss your concerns and how the service might be helpful to support your child.
https://catholiccare.force.com/housing/s/school-referral-form
I look forward to working with you and your school throughout 2025.
Merici Open Day
TEAM Kids - Term 1 Fun
