School Vision
St Matthew’s School empowers children to embrace life-long learning, and grow and develop as God intends.
God of yesterday, today and tomorrow,
we call to mind your presence within us and around us.
Open our ears that we may hear your Word.
Open our hearts that we may understand your Word.
Open our mouths that we may speak your Word.
Inspire us with Your Gospel message,
that we may celebrate all that is life-giving,
restore hope where it has been lost, and work to bring
about change where it is needed.
May we make your love known through our words and actions.
May You reign in our hearts, now and forever.
Amen
Dear Parents & Carers,
Welcome to Week 7. Despite all of our restrictions, I am pleased to say that the children have had a wonderful term so far. Our Year 3 to 6 students have adapted beautifully to wearing the masks and are being very responsible with looking after them. I am so proud of all of them.
COVID-19 Very High Caseload Setting
The latest COVID-19 Update went out via the school app on Friday 11 March. This letter explained the effects of the new very high caseload settings that commenced on Thursday 10 March 2022, as announced by the State Government. This includes information about students who are asymptomatic close contacts. Please read this update to ensure you are up-to-date with this latest information.
COVID-19 Self-reporting Form
It is vitally important that parents and caregivers inform the school if their child tests positive for COVID-19. To support our planning for your child’s classroom attendance, please continue to notify the school if your child returns a negative PCR/ RAT result, after:
· being identified as a close contact (Day 1 test to return to school as an asymptomatic close contact), and/or
· being identified as a household close contact (Day 7 test to conclude quarantine). To help streamline this process a COVID-19 Self-reporting Form for Students and Staff members has been developed by Catholic Education WA (CEWA). Parents and caregivers can now inform the school of their child’s positive or negative COVID result via this LINK. The information will go directly to the Principal, prompting our COVID response.
The link is also available on the St Matthew’s School website under the communication tab.
Please do not underestimate the importance of informing the school of a positive COVID case. Your actions will ensure the risk to others is minimised and that we do our very best to limit the spread of the virus across our community.
Remote Schooling – SeeSaw Class
In the event that your child needs to transition to learning from home due to being deemed a symptomatic close contact or testing positive to Covid-19, St Matthew’s School will use the app ‘SeeSaw Class’ to send, mark, and monitor school work. Most families are using the app: ‘SeeSaw Family’ to view their child’s activities at school, but the app: ”SeeSaw Class” allows students to upload completed work from home to an online private journal to be viewed by the teacher and receive feedback.
Today, a sheet will come home with your child with an individualised code for SeeSaw Class. Please download the app to your preferred device and scan or enter the code on the sheet in readiness for possible remote learning. Alternatively, you can access SeeSaw class via a web browser through: https://app.seesaw.me/#/login
Please contact Mark Tenney on mark.tenney@cewa.edu.au if you require further assistance.
Parent Meetings
Normally, we would be inviting our parents into our classrooms for parent meetings during Week 8 and 9. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are being asked to conduct parent meetings via phone wherever possible. I would suggest that this is preferable; however, if parents or teachers feel they need a face-to-face meeting to discuss specific concerns, these will be able to be scheduled outside in the school grounds. Please keep an eye on the school app for information on how to schedule your meeting prior to Week 8.
Swimming Lessons
Interm swimming lessons commenced today and will continue for Week 7 and Week 8 (14-25 March) for Years 3 to 6.
10:55am – 11:35am Yr 3
11:40am – 12:20pm Yr 4
12:35pm – 1:15pm Yr 5
1:20pm – 2:00pm Yr 6
For the two weeks of swimming lessons, the students are permitted to wear their sports uniform to school each day. Students will walk or bus to and from the pool each day, depending on the weather. They are asked to wear their normal sports shoes; no thongs permitted. Each child will need to bring a carry bag containing his/her bathers, towel and goggles (if normally worn). Please ensure all items are clearly labelled.
Year 6 Easter Hamper Fundraiser!!!
Raffle tickets will be sold each lunchtime for the next 3 weeks from the canteen. There are 10 Easter Hampers full of goodies to be won. Tickets are $1 each and all proceeds go to the Year 6 end-of-year excursion and Graduation. Thanks for your support.
Principal KINDNESS award
On Monday mornings, I present the Principal’s Award for Kindness. Children are able to nominate each other for this award during the week. This week the award went to Estella (Yr 4) for being kind to her brother when he was hurt and scared. Congratulations, Estella.
Principal Focus – The Gift of Giving
Many families would have seen and donated to the Red Cross Flood Appeal on Saturday Night. This incredibly worthy cause successfully raised in excess of $25 million dollars for families affected by the floods in New South Wales and Queensland.
It is always very heart-warming to see Australians pull together in times of need. Maggie Dent, in her article Raising ‘We’ kids, Not Just ‘Me’ Kids explains that it is through witnessing acts of charity that children can develop their social conscious:
Essentially ‘we’ people have a social conscience and they hold an awareness that what we put out to others and our world increases the chances of there being more good to go around.
This is the opposite to fear-based awareness that sees scarcity and separation as the norm.
At St Matthew’s, we value this philosophy and provide many opportunities for our students to participate, witness and acknowledge acts of kindness and generosity. These include writing to Karinya residents, Principal’s Kindness Award, MiniVinnies events, Project Compassion, Winter Appeal and the awarding of the Gotcha Award by the Year 6 students at Friday assemblies. As Maggie explains:
Our children cannot be what they haven’t seen and being a ‘we’ grownup in our homes, schools and communities is all it takes to create kids who care.
Stay generous,
Susan Milton
