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- From the Executive Principal
- From the Head of Campus
- RE Happenings
- Sports News
- ANZAC Day March
- Spelling Bee 2024
- Creative Writing Oppurtunities
- Disco
- Uniform Changeover Period
- School Photos 2024
- Bright Beginnings Playgroup
- Enrolments for 2025
- St Matthews Social Media Pages
- Lost and Found Items
- Drop Off & Pick Up Zone
- Canteen
- Term Dates
- School Hours
- Midford Uniform Shop
The Parents & Friends Association at St Matthews is an active group of committed parents who strive to find ways to build community and make connections between families. In recent times they have been considering strategies to establish some more personalised ways to share information with families regarding the events they organise throughout the year. To that end, they have been able to identify one parent in each year level who is willing to act as a P&F liaison parent. You may have already received communication from your child’s class teacher regarding who the parent liaison is for their year level. If you haven’t received the email as yet, you can expect to see it come through soon. If for some reason you don’t receive an email by the end of this term, please contact the office and they will be able to provide you with the relevant contact details for your liaison parent.
The role of the parent liaison will be to keep you up to date with all the P&F happenings throughout the year and they may also establish an avenue for other social connections amongst the families in their grade. They will each do this by setting up a group via a social media platform of their choosing e.g. whatsapp. In essence, it is a lovely way for parents to connect socially and keep up with what’s happening at school.
This initiative is not intended to replace the existing communication structures we have in our school, so it remains important that families read the newsletter, utilise Compass, monitor emails from the school and perhaps follow our social media pages. It is also worth mentioning that, if you ever have concerns or questions about school matters, the best way to address these is to contact the school directly so we can connect you with the person best placed to respond. Please don’t put these generous parent liaison volunteers in the awkward position of having to respond to those kinds of matters.
Wishing you a safe and blessed holiday.
Angela Myles
To begin our last week of Term 1, I firstly thank the families for their continued involvement from the very first day of this term. Your presence during every aspect of your child/ren’s school life, from Open Classrooms, Reading Groups, Excursions, sporting events, Masses, Liturgies and Retreats has helped to ensure a very positive and successful start to the year.
Looking forward to Term 2, further information will be shared with families relating to Catholic Schools Week in Week 2, starting Monday 6th May. During this week we start with a special Liturgy and Open Classrooms, and include a number of extracurricular activities that showcase the amazing work of Catholic Schools across Australia. The week concludes with our very popular and well attended Mothers Day High Tea and Liturgy.
I hope that our families and staff will have a safe and relaxing holiday.
Justin Yeo
Head of Campus - Primary
Now into the 3rd Week of Easter, it was great to hear so many stories of time spent over the previous week and Easter break with friends and family.
Easter is a great time to reflect on what Jesus did for us on the cross. God made a way for us to restart by freeing us of the burdens that weigh us down. This transformation happens by the renewing of your mind (Rom. 12:2).
This new start begins with the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus on the first Easter. After embracing that grace, you should allow the Holy Spirit to begin transforming you from the inside – renewing your mind.
● Pin Point Change Needed
● Learn to Laugh
● Grab a New Perspective
● Count Your Blessings
Sacraments
It’s great to see so many students and families at church as part of their preparation in receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation next term.
For Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in Year 3 and up, please keep an eye out for communication for these early next term.
Thank you
Rugby League Gala Day
A great day of rugby league was experienced by 75 of our Year 3–6 students last week in Dunedoo. The annual NRL Western NSW Peachey/Richardson Legends Day hosted teams from Mudgee, Dunedoo, Coolah, Gulgong, and Wellington and was another great success. All the students who attended showed great sportsmanship and had a great day. We thank the mums and dads who assisted in managing the teams on the day.
CPS Swimming Carnival
Last week we had 13 students compete at the CPS Swimming.
Harrison came in 3rd in the 50m Breastroke and our Junior Boys Relay Team consisting of Ruben, James, Jock and Lachlan will represent Polding at the PSSA Carnival this coming Thursday.
Adam Coughlan
K-6 Sports Coordinator
We are invited by the Mudgee RSL Sub-Branch to participate in the ANZAC Day march. We encourage any students who wish to support this day on which we remember all Australians who served and died in war and in operational service to do so by marching as a school community. The spirit of ANZAC, with its qualities of courage, mateship, and sacrifice, continues to have meaning and relevance for our sense of national identity.
We ask those students participating in the march to meet on the corner of Mortimer and Perry Streets at 10.00am on the day in either their full summer or full winter uniform, not a combination of both, and including our school hat.
PLEASE NOTE: At the completion of the march, once we reach Robertson Park, we ask all families to please collect your child/ren. This will be prior to the start of the Commemorative Service at 11:00am.
A reminder from the Mudgee RSL Sub-Branch: if students wear a deceased relative’s medals on ANZAC Day, they should be worn on their right breast.
Each year we participate in 2 rounds of spelling bees to determine 4 students to represent our school at the Diocesan Spelling Bee.
During Week 11, your child/children will take place in a class preliminary Spell-off bee. The two top spellers from each class will then be selected to compete in their Stage Spelling Bee. If your child/children are selected to compete, you will be notified via email. Students will have the holidays to practise before our Stage Spelling Bee in Week 2 next term.
Stage 2 list - Year 3 and Year 4
Stage 3 list - Year 5 and Year 6
Our school timeline is as follows:
T1 W7 - Spelling lists send home via email
T1 W11 - Class Spelling Bee
T1 W11 - Parents of finalists notified via email
T2 W2 - Stage Spelling Bee
If you have any further questions please contact myself via email.
Mell Hunt
Stage 3 Coordinator
Creative Writing Oppurtunities
Are you looking for an engaging way to boost and capture your child’s creativity? Provided below are the details of 2 creative writing competitions for your own enjoyment at home.
Having had such a successful 2023 we are back with more categories and the biggest prize pool to date with over $20,000 in prizes to be given!
So get ready to start writing!
The Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards seek to capture the imaginations of school students across Australia, inspiring them to express their thoughts and feelings through the medium of poetry in their pursuit of literary excellence. The standard of entries year after year is consistently high, yet the winning poems never cease to impress the judges. Kindergarten to Year 12 writers are eligible to enter.
Key dates
- Entries opened on Friday 1 March 2024.
- Submissions close 5pm AEST Sunday 30 June 2024.
- Winners announced at 10am on Friday 6 September 2024.
For more information: Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards
For further support, please email Mellisa
Mellisa Hunt
Stage 3 Coordinator
Students are able to choose to wear either their full summer uniform or their full winter uniform, not a combination of both.
The move to full winter uniforms will begin on the first day of Week 3 in Term 2 (Monday, May 13th).
Secondary School Photos
Secondary photo day will be Wednesday 15th May
Primary School Photos
Primary photo day will be Thursday 16th May
Sibling Photos
Familes are able to order sibling photos. The cut off for sibling photos will be 12am (midnight) Monday 13th May. No exceptions can be made.
We are pleased to once again offer sibling photos for families with children at both campuses. More information regarding this will be communicated to families closer to the date.
Please find below instructions for booking school photos. Envelopes will be available from the front office for those families who are unable to purchase online.
Cindy Freeman
Head of Campus Assistant - Primary
St Matthews Social Media Pages
Our school social media pages are an important source of information/reminders about upcoming events in our school and Church community.
Our lost and found rack is located inside Gate 2.
All labelled items will be returned to students weekly. At the end of each term all unclaimed items will be donated to Vinnies.
- Family names displayed on the dashboards of cars in the afternoon.
- Parents and guardians remain in their cars at all times, no exceptions. If you child needs help entering or exiting the car, or needs a hug to say farewell in the morning, please park and support them away from the zone in front of the school.
- If your child is late to pick up in the afternoon, please do a lap and join the end of the queue.
Lunch Orders
Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays
Students in Kindergarten, Year 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6 have their lunch orders at Break 1 (11.40am)
Fridays
- Students in Kindergarten, Year 1 & 2 will have their lunch orders at Break 1 (11.40am)
- Students Year 3, 4, 5 & 6 will have their lunch orders at Break 2 (1.40pm)
Lunch Orders can not be collected prior to these times, no exceptions.
Alicia Cowden
Canteen Manager
Term 1:
Thursday 1 February - Friday 12 April
Term 2:
Monday 29th April - Friday 5th July
Pupil Free Day - Monday 29th April
Pupil Free Day - Friday 7th June
Term 3:
Monday 22nd July - Friday 27th September
Pupil Free Day - Monday 26th August
Term 4:
Monday 14th October - Wednesday 18th December
Pupil Free Day - Monday 14th October
Primary Campus Times
School Hours: 9:10-3:10 (staff supervision from 8:40)
Break 1: 11:40-12:40
Break 2: 1:40-2:10
*If you need to pick up your child, during break time, please make sure to let the office know at least 10minutes before the start of break*
The Midford Uniform Shop is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8.00am to 4.00pm.
EFTPOS only, no cash.
Enjoy the convenience of online shopping. Save time and energy by ordering your uniforms online in six easy steps:
1. Go to midford.com.au
2. Select St Matthews Catholic School from the Online School Shops tab
3. New users to click the ‘Register New Account’ button
4. Start the registration process by selecting St Matthews Catholic School from the drop-down menu and add the unique school pass phrase: “Matthews1912”
5. Add your personal information, create a username and password
6. Order the items you need, select pick-up in store/deliver to school.
Online orders for Primary will be delivered to the school office on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 1:30pm. Cut off time for ordering is 1.00pm.
Online orders for Secondary will be delivered to the school office on Wednesdays and Fridays at 9.00am. Cut off time for ordering is 3:30pm the day before.
Online orders for shop pick up - pick up only within the shop hours, please allow 1 hour after ordering for collection.
If you have any queries please contact the uniform shop directly:
Phone: 0439 442 509 or Email: st.matthews@midford.com.au
NOTICEBOARD
The 10th Annual Sandy Smith Memorial Photo Competition 2024
We are thrilled to announce that entries have just opened for The 10th Annual Sandy Smith Memorial Photo Competition 2024. This year, we have a fantastic new location at the Mudgee Arts Precinct. We are very excited to use this great new facility to showcase the photography of the photographers from around our region!
Here are some key details you'll want to know:
Competition: The 10th Annual Sandy Smith Memorial Photo Competition 2024
Entries Close: Fri 17th May
Exhibition Open: Sat 1st June – Mon 10th June
Opening Night: Fri 7th June
Location: Mudgee Arts Precinct
Open to: Professional and Amateur Photographers
You can also find more information by heading to our socials or website
If you have any questions about the competition, please don’t hesitate to reach out!
Nick Pearce
Cudgegong Camera Club – Vice President
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