Last week we held the Annual General Meeting of our Parents & Friends Association. 

In the past, one of the major roles of school P&F Associations was to raise funds to support the needs of the school. In more recent times, with all of us becoming increasingly time poor, many P&F’s have moved away from a pure fundraising model by introducing a  P&F levy. At St Matthews, this levy is itemised on your school fees as a voluntary annual contribution of $50.00. Applying this levy enables the small group of parents actively involved in our P&F to allocate funds specifically to areas that directly benefit your children. It also means that parents are not regularly asked to be involved in fundraising activities such as fetes and food stalls. 

The funds generated by the P&F levy can support student-led spending initiatives as well as the purchase of other items that improve student experiences at school. Each year we strive to find out what particular things students would like us to invest in that will make their life at school a little better and then we work with the P&F committee to fund those initiatives. The levy also supports the purchase of important resources that fall outside of our annual school budget. Examples of resources that the P&F has funded in recent years include cool, filtered bubblers, additional seating for students, CO2 dragster equipment and much, much more. The levy also covers the cost of glue and tissues for primary students each year, so parents don’t have to worry about purchasing and sending those items to school.

Our Parents & Friends Association also does an amazing job of organising events designed to connect families to each other and to the school. Last Sunday, for example, they organised a P&F Family Picnic Day at Lazy Oak.  It was a wonderful opportunity for families to connect with one another in a relaxed, enjoyable environment. 

The following parents have been elected to the 2023 P&F Executive Committee at this weeks AGM:

President - Jacqueline Cooke

Vice President - Jillian Lee

Secretary - Bec Quilty

Treasurer - Annette Halpin

Executive Committee:

• Bek George
• Jennifer Walter
• Adelle Minahan
• Mick Dunn

If you would like any more information about the great work being done by our Parents & Friends Association, I am sure any of these wonderful people would be happy to speak with you.

God bless,

Angela Myles

Executive Principal

It was so great to see the turf getting laid last week. You can see the oval well and truly taking shape in the top left of this photo. We are now hoping for rain to assist in establishing the turf so that our students can start benefiting from this wonderful resource.

Romero Day - Friday 24th March

This Friday we celebrate the feast of St Oscar Romero. Like St Matthew who turned from tax collecting to the message of the Gospel, Romero had a radical transformation from a safe conservative Archbishop to a prophetic voice challenging the social injustices of his time. His opposition to the military dictatorship of El Salvador and advocacy of the voiceless is the embodiment of courage. Despite his assassination, Romero’s witness of the Gospel lives on. We will now watch a short video exploring the life of this great man. Romero’s most well known quote challenges the material pursuits of our modern society and encapsulates the St Matthews Way. Romero said: “Aspire not to have more, but to be more.”

Romero Students are to dress in RED on Friday. Students in Years 7-10 will depart for the primary campus at 12.40pm where they will celebrate with Romero students in primary. Please bring a hat, water bottle and lunch (afternoon tea will be provided).

A reminder that students will be dismissed from the primary campus at 3.10pm

Year 10 Retreat 

Last Friday Year 10 had their Reflection Day facilitated by Real Talk. The day provided an opportunity for students to reflect on body image, relationships and their own dignity. Students positively engaged in the day and found it a rewarding experience reaffirming their own self worth.

Project Compassion

Dillon Price

Leader of Wellbeing K-12

University Roadshow

It was impressive to see so many students attend the recent University roadshow despite being on a ‘pupil free day’. The roadshow showcased Cahrles Sturt; University of Southern Cross; the University of Armidale and the University of Newcastle. Students found the time with representatives useful as they researched and explored university options.

University Early Entry programs Open for 2024

Year 12 students will be participating in a range of workshops to guide them through the University application process including early entry schemes (another session in Assembly Lesson Week 10 - in time for the holidays!)..

Some Universities have opened up their Early Entry programs - getting in VERY early! 

It is critical that students start to think about what their plans are for 2024 and keep all options open - including applying for early entry schemes and places at a variety of universities. 

We are currently trying to find a date on the calendar for a Parents session at the end of this term. This will be communicated when finalised. 

Refere to the UAC link below for some basic Early Entry Offer information including links and dates for specific universities (UAC aligned uni’s only NOT an exhaustive list). 

UAC - Early Entry Schemes

Australian Defence Force (ADF) Recruitment Day - 5 April

Year 11 Physics

Attention all science enthusiasts! Year 11 Physics students have been hard at work on their depth study project, which involves designing, building, and modifying a Speed Racer to travel in a straight line. But that's not all! These ambitious students will be taking their projects to the next level by either modifying or completely rebuilding their Speed Racers to make them even faster. With a hands-on approach to learning and a passion for science, these students are sure to make some exciting discoveries along the way. Stay tuned for updates on their progress and see what they're capable of achieving!

Year 12 Science Extension

We are thrilled to share with you the recent success of our Year 12 Science Extension students! These bright young minds recently traveled to Charles Sturt University in Bathurst to present their research pitch for a scientific paper to a group of esteemed university academics.

Each student was given three minutes to showcase their research and impress the audience with their findings. Afterward, they had the opportunity to participate in a question-and-answer session with the academics, where they were able to demonstrate their in-depth knowledge of their respective fields.

We are incredibly proud of our Science Extension students and the hard work and dedication they have put into their research projects. It is inspiring to see young individuals so passionate about science and committed to making a difference in the world.

We wish them all the best as they continue their scientific endeavors and look forward to seeing the impact they will undoubtedly make in the future.

Science Extension research project

Lara - I am looking at the wave/particle duality of electrons within the realm of quantum mechanics.

Mackenzie - I will be looking at detached eclipsing algol-type binary stars and their stellar parameters, before extrapolating this to explore the evolution and behaviour.

Mia - I am investigating the correlation between gender and the ability to cooperate in group situations. I am doing this using a classroom version of the ‘tragedy of the commons’ game. 

Min - Due to a lack of evidence regarding the effect of different factors on the mechanical properties of the printed dental restorations, the Flexural strength and Vickers hardness test of the 3D printed dental resins were conducted and studied for better dental restorations. 

Geo - Investigated the impacts of high heat exposure on the baby mouse to determine whether global warming will have an impact on the next generations.

Sam - There are many ways to process data, by determining the most accurate data mining algorithms data can be better understood.

Mx Nicole Jelbart

Science Coordinator 

Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science

Year 11 Earth and Environmental Science students have been conducting research into the fascinating world of soils. In their investigations, they have explored the four laws of Stratification, which are key principles that explain the formation and layering of soils. Through this research, the students have gained a deeper understanding of the intricate processes that shape our planet's surface and influence the health and productivity of our ecosystems. Join us in celebrating the hard work and dedication of these young scientists as they continue to push the boundaries of knowledge in the field of Earth and Environmental Science.

Miss Yasmin Wallis

Science Teacher

St Matthews Catholic School Agricultural students are participating in the Merino Wether Trial again this year and welcomed six Merino Wethers from Egelabra Merino Stud last fortnight. Students in years 9, 10 and 11 have been busy halter training the wethers and learning about their nutritional requirements. 

We would also like to thank Wilpinjong Coal Mine for their generous donation of two water pods, allowing our wethers to have a continuous supply of fresh water.

Kim White & Judy Rohr

Agriculture Teachers

Recently our Senior Visual Arts students travelled to Sydney for an overnight excursion. 

We attended an Art Express Case Study session at the Art Gallery of NSW and meandered through the exemplary HSC student work that was exhibited. We continued gallery hopping through the Museum of Contemporary Art, the White Rabbit Gallery and the Brett Whiteley Studio, after spotting some inner city street art. 

Thank you to those students who attended the excursion, for being so respectful throughout the trip. It was lovely to see so many of you become inspired and we look forward to seeing how that influences your own artmaking practices.

Ms Elise Freeman

Art Teacher

House Leaders

A big shout out to our House Leaders Sophia, Thomas, Zara, Connor, Lily, Toby, Maddy and Jaxon for a terrific start to the year. Our leaders have kick started the year with enormous efforts assisting in Secondary Sports Carnivals and Primary Swimming. They have also done a tremendous job at organising assembly items and creating outstanding war cries for their houses. We cannot wait to see our leaders continue to develop in excellence and serve our school community. 

Swimming Carnival

In the previous newsletter we announced our age champions, however, we did not share the house champions for the carnival.

Congratulations to ROMERO who won the House Champion Title at the 2023 Swimming Carnival.

   

ROMERO

SWIMMING HOUSE CHAMPIONS

  

      

        

    

Dio Swimming Carnival

On Tuesday 7th March, 26 students represented St Matthew’s Catholic School in Dubbo at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival. A big congratulations to all of these students who represented our school with excellence. A special mention and congratulations to Bryce Bollinger, Jake Martin, Edith Keightley and William Letham who have been successful in qualifying in individual events to compete at the upcoming CCC Swimming Carnival. Phoebe Forrester, Chloe Palmer, Sienna Pettitt and Edith Keightley also qualified for the Senior 4 x 50m medley relay. We wish these students the best of luck at the next carnival on Friday 31st March.

 

CCC Football Trials

A big congratulations to our Secondary students who attended the Diocesan Football Trials in Bathurst in week 7. The convenors were very impressed with the level or skill displayed on the day. It was a great day out and we are super excited for Addison Bailey, Bessie Nicholson, Zacharie Nipperess, Isaac Whan and Flynn Warren who were selected to represent our Diocesan at the CCC Touch Carnival next month.

 

Secondary Cross Country

St Matthew’s Secondary College ran their School Cross Country a little differently this year, with the excitement of being on a new campus and new track showing through each of the competitors' smiles. All students ran a course incorporating areas of the school grounds such as the Ag plot and the surrounding roads to complete 4kms. Due to the significant works this year, however, the carnival had to be run as competitors only with the vision of a whole school carnival next year. All competitors should be commended for their excellence and enthusiasm. We wish to thank all teachers and 10PASS1 and 10PASS2 for volunteering to help run the carnival. It was such a huge success. We also want to wish all students who made it through to the Diocesan carnival the best of luck.

 

 

Cross Country Age Champions

We wish to congratulate the following students for the efforts in gaining Cross Country Age Champions. These students will be awarded their certificates during Assembly in week 8.

 

Age Group	Boys Age Champion	Girls Age Champion
13 year old	Max Atkinson	Meilana Tavita
14 year old	Joshua Williams	Ruby George
15 year old	Darcy Rayner	Leihena Tavita
16 year old	Ronan Croft	Sophie Marchant
17+ year old	Jim McCarney	Mia Geddes

  

Australian Triathlon Championships

Congratulations to Halle Potter who competed at the Australian Triathlon Championships in Tasmania during week 7. She represented the Diocesan in NSW All Schools team placing 21st. This is such a huge feat for any individual and we wish to congratulate Halle on her outstanding excellence in such a high level of competition.

 

 

Manly Sea Eagles Game

The Manly Sea Eagles are returning to Mudgee and are going to work alongside the NRL staff to run a clinic at Glen Willow Sporting Complex on Field 2 starting at 5.30pm on Thursday 30th March. Please use the link below to register your interest.

2023 Manly Sea Eagles Clinic Mudgee Registration Link

 

Upcoming Sporting Opportunities 

With loads of sport coming up we ask all students to please keep an eye on compass notices for any sign up sheets and team trials to ensure no one misses out. 

Coming up in sport we have

• Western League Trials (U15 & Opens)
• Futsal Gala Day (Boys/Girls U14 & U16)
• Bill Turner (Boys/Girls U15 soccer)
• Dio Basketball Gala Day (Boys/Girls Junior, Intermediate, Opens)
• NSWCCC Rugby Union Trials (Girls 18 years 7’s, Boys 16 years and Boys 18 years)

Emma Nicholls

Sport Coordinator Secondary

 

Every Tuesday during break 1 the wonderful Nancy Miles (crochet/knitting extraordinaire) has been facilitating a crochet/knitting group. Each week the group has been working on some individual projects and some beginners projects. Some popular projects have been learning to crochet “granny squares” and how to read project patterns. Each week new members are joining so if you are interested we would love you to join!

Mrs Sugden

Learning Resource Centre

A reminder to please order on Flexischools by 9am. (Give yourself enough time before 9am, to complete an order, to ensure you do not miss the cut off time).

Mobile phones and smartwatches may not be used at the canteen, at any time by students (this includes transferring of funds).

A limited amount of hot food is heated every day for purchase by secondary students over the canteen's counter.  To avoid missing out on hot food an order must be placed by 9am via Flexischools for collection at Break 2.

Mary Holdsworth

Canteen Manager - Secondary