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Dear Parents and Carers
Each year at this time we send a call out for any members of our community who may be interested in joining our Community Council. At the end of this year, we will lose two members whose children are leaving the school; however, as well as replacing these people, we are keen to expand the membership of the Council to include up to four new members.
The time commitment is two meetings per term (Tuesday evening Weeks Three and Eight of each term). Meetings are held in the school staffroom and commence at 6.00pm and normally conclude by 7.30pm.
The role of the Council is quite diverse. Obviously, it fulfills a Governance role, by way of example, a member of our Council has joined a committee to review our current Out of Hours Care Provider. Equally though, the Council plays an important role in building community in the school such as leading a committee to help organise the recent Trivia Night. The Council is comprised of three staff members, the Principal, Assistant Principal and staff representative, the Parish Priest and parent representatives.
Could I encourage you to consider joining the Council. In many respects, the school is still suffering from the after effects of the Pandemic. I sense our community is keen to get back to some normalcy and enjoy all the benefits that a well-connected and supportive school community can provide.
Please feel free to email me at graham.pollard@cg.catholic.edu.au or our Chairperson Kylie McNamara kylieamcnamara@gmail.com if you would like to be considered as a prospective member or if you require further information.
May God bless you and your families this week.
Graham Pollard
Principal
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
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 Daniel B, Audrey J, Summer W, Marie B, Joseph I, Lara E, Kuenzang C, Niamh M, Grayson V, Isaac W, Sean O, Jude L, Christian M, Nicholas G, Aarav G, Sasha K, who recently celebrated birthdays.