PRINCIPAL: Mr Bob Brown PARISH PRIEST: Father Florentino (Boy) Galdo DEPUTY PRINCIPAL: Mrs Carmela D’Amato SCHOOL PHONE: (03) 9359 5423

R.E. LEADER: Mr Steven Hubbard SCHOOL FAX: (03) 9359 6400 EMAIL: principal@smfawknernth.catholic.edu.au WEBSITE: www.smfawknernth.catholic.edu.au

NEWSLETTER

Tuesday 31st July 2018. No 22. TERM 3 Tuesday 31st July ~ PARISH EDUCATION BOARD MEETING, Tonight 7:15pm in the School Staffroom. Friday 3rd August ~ PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY FOR ALL STAFF (New RE Curriculum). NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS. Wednesday 8th August ~ CONFIRMATION PRACTICE FOR YEAR 6 STUDENTS AND SPONSORS. Friday 10th August ~ SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION FOR YEAR 6 STUDENTS, 6:00pm at St Matthew’s. Wednesday 15th August ~ FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION WHOLE SCHOOL AND PARISH MASS 10.30am Friday 17th August ~ (Please note change of Date) 1P ASSEMBLY, 2:45pm in the Hall. Friday 24th August ~ BOOK WEEK PARADE. THEME – FIND YOUR TREASURE in the morning. (Please see details on the Book Week Flyer on page 8). Friday 24th August ~ 2D ASSEMBLY, 2:45pm in the hall. Tuesday 28th August ~ PARISH EDUCATION BOARD MEETING, 7:15pm in the Parish House. Wednesday 12th September ~ YEAR 3 RECONCILIATION WORKSHOP, 7:00pm in the Library Tuesday 28th August ~ PARISH EDUCATION BOARD MEETING, 7:15pm in the Parish House. Friday 7th September ~ 3V ASSEMBLY, 2:45pm in the Hall. Wednesday 19th September – SACRAMENT OF RECONCILIATION, 7:00pm in St Matthew’s Church. Friday 21st September ~ 4Y & PRINCIPAL’S AWARDS ASSEMBLY, 2:45pm in the Hall. Friday 21st September ~ END OF TERM 3, ALL STUDENTS DISMISSED AT 3:25PM. Monday 8th October ~ FIRST DAY OF TERM 4. School commences at 8:50am sharp. Make sure you are on time. Wednesday17th October ~ YEAR 2 WORKSHOP WITH FACILITATOR PAUL SPENCE, 7:00pm in the Library Thursday 18th October ~ READY SET PREP SESSION 1 FOR 2019 PREPS, 9am – 10am in the Library. Thursday 25th October ~ READY SET PREP SESSION 2 FOR 2019 PREPS, 9am – 10am in the Library. Thursday 1st November ~ READY SET PREP SESSION 3 FOR 2019 PREPS, 9am – 10am in the Library.

Dear Parents, Students, Staff and Friends of St Matthew’s, On behalf of all our School Community I extend a very warm welcome to Mrs Carmela D’Amato our new Deputy Principal who commenced at St Matthew’s yesterday. We look forward to her sharing her expertise and to working

closely with all members (students, parents and staff) of our school community. Welcome aboard Mrs D’Amato. We also extend a warm welcome to Mr Steven Micallef, a retired Parishioner, who will be our volunteer Grounds and Maintenance man on Mondays & Fridays when Damian is not here. What a great help he will be to Damian and the school. Great to have you on board Steven. I know our Students and Parents when they see both of these new staff members will go up, introduce themselves and say Hi. We are very good at making people feel welcome at St Matthew’s.

HELLO FROM MRS D’AMATO Dear St Matthew's School Community, I would like to say thank you to the students, families and staff for making me feel so welcome on my first day. It has been lovely to see so many children come to introduce themselves. I am looking forward to working alongside and learning from the school community. If you see me on yard duty, please come and say hello

LAST REMINDER - STUDENT ABSENCES FROM SCHOOL My sincere thanks to all the families who have done the right thing in reporting their child’s absence before 8:45am. This has made the job for the ladies in the office If you missed it on the hard copy brought home by your eldest and in the newsletter last week, here it is again. A reminder again that all students need to be at school by 8:50am sharp at the very latest to commence their school day in their grade at 9:00am so that they are not behind in their learning right from the start of the day.

If students arrive after 9:00am they will be required to come via the office and register on our VPass IPad just as all visitors, tradesmen and Casual Relief Teachers do, so that we have an electronic record of their attendance at school for that day.

After the roll has been taken in each classroom electronically at the beginning of the day it is then checked in the office by our Admin staff – either by Lina, Zina, Almoza or Nicole. If there are any students absent either of these ladies will then ring the absent child’s parents for an explanation as to why they are away from school.

If your child is away you can avoid this phone call by registering your child’s absence on our Skoolbag App or by calling the school on 9359 5423 by 8:45am before school starts.

As all gates will now be locked at 9:00am at the very latest parents need to start leaving after the first bell at 8:50am. If the gates are locked and parents are still in the schoolyard they will then need to leave through the Office door.

The instructions for downloading the Skoolbag App were sent home last week on the reverse side of the letter. The Skoolbag application is an important tool as it is a primary method of communication between the school and our families. Please download this App at your earliest convenience. If you are experiencing difficulties with your App please delete it and download the latest version available. Please Note: All these procedures are now directives from Catholic Education Melbourne and the Department of Education as a result of our Child Safety Policy. We are mandated to enforce them.

MANY THANKS Anna El-Khoury our Canteen manager would like to sincerely thank the Sesto Family for supplying the school Canteen with their beautiful signs advertising all the available delights to eat. Also if anyone would like some signage done their company name is ENVIROPRINT GROUP, Ph – 03 93039700, enviroprintgroup.com.au.

ANNUAL REPORT TO THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY The Annual Report to the School Community for 2017, which was finalised last term, is now available in hard copy from our school foyer. If you wish to take one, please do. On completion of reading it could you please return it to the school foyer. They are quite a large document and we are trying to save a few trees if possible.

ITALIAN POETRY WINNERS Congratulations to the winners of the Italian Poetry Competition

Congratulations to the winners of the poetry competition who received their certificates last Friday at assembly. The winners in Grade 5 are: The winners in Grade 6 are: 1st Calvin Carpenter 1st Jamilya El-Khoury 2nd Katia Almeida 2nd Jessica Mirabile 3rd Christina Themistokleous 3rd Ariana Demontis Last Friday the Grade 6 winners visited Penola College to participate in the regional final competition where they competed against students from 8 other primary school in our region. We wish Jamilya, Jessica and Ariana all the best in their efforts at this level of the competition. Each of the students named above received a certificate for their accomplishments at Assembly last Friday.

Remember it is still Winter and we need the Rain. Rug up, Stay dry & make the most of it. Bob Brown – Principal “Our School is committed to the safety, wellbeing and dignity of all our children and vulnerable adults.”

EDUCATION IN FAITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

Confirmation is the second of the Sacraments of Initiation. It is closely

related to Baptism and leads to the Eucharist, which expresses full

belonging to the Church, the body of Christ. Hence, it is called a

Sacrament of Initiation. While Confirmation is often spoken of in relation

to the Holy Spirit it is important to realise that the Holy Spirit is alive and

active in all the sacraments. The Holy Spirit is called upon the waters of

Baptism, the oil (Chrism) of Confirmation and the bread and wine of the

Eucharist but each of the sacraments of initiation have their unique

emphasis:

Baptism:

makes us members of the Church

cleanses us from original and past personal sin

makes us sharers in the life and identity of Christ

Confirmation:

seals us with the Holy Spirit

strengthens us for service

invites us to, and equips us for, witness to Christ

Eucharist:

signifies and brings about our unity in Christ

enables our participation in the sacrifice of the cross

feeds and sustains us for continuing Christ’s work in the world

http://www.resourcemelb.catholic.edu.au/

Steven Hubbard

Religious Education Leader

CONFIRMATION PASSPORTS (YEAR 6 FAMILIES) Please keep the Year 6 Confirmation Candidates in your prayers over the coming weeks as they commence Confirmation preparation. The celebration of the Sacrament of Confirmation will take place on Friday, 10th August at 6:00pm. The Passport is to be handed in before the commencement of the mass. The Passport will be returned signed at the conclusion of the mass. A reminder that all Confirmation Candidates should ensure their Confirmation Passport is submitted to Mr Brown by tomorrow Wednesday 1st August, at the very latest. Be sure to attend three weekend masses before Confirmation Day

LIBRARY NEWS - BOOK WEEK 2018 PLEASE BOOK WEEK FLYER ON PAGE 8. Just a reminder that Book Week will be held from the 18th to 24th August. This will be in Week 6 of Term 3.

The theme this year is “FIND YOUR TREASURE.” Children are encouraged to dress as their favourite book character for the Book Parade on Friday 24th, August. Mrs White - Library Technician

STUDENT WELLBEING NEWS MINDFULNESS – ‘SMILING MIND’ APP (Information from the Smiling Mind website) Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment with openness, curiosity and without judgement. There are two parts to mindfulness: The first is learning to pay attention on one thing, and being able to bring the attention back when the mind gets distracted. The second part is about the attitude you bring to paying attention – being open, non-judging, and curious about what you are focusing on. Mindlessness is the opposite of mindfulness: Have you ever: Eaten lunch at your desk, without tasting a single bite? Or been driving from work to home and then all of a sudden realised you don’t actually remember seeing what colour the traffic lights were? These are examples of a state of automatic pilot, where we are going through the motions in our mind and we are disconnected from our body. What’s the difference between mindfulness and meditation? Mindfulness and meditation can be practised in a number of ways. But there’s a difference: Meditation is the formal practice of mindfulness which we sometimes refer to as exercise for the mind. We meditate to strengthen our mindfulness skills. Informal mindfulness is bringing that attitude of paying attention into your daily life. Benefits 2.6 million people are now experiencing the many health benefits of ‘Smiling Mind’. Mindfulness is a tool that can help you to:

Reduce worries, anxiety and distress

Enjoy more energy

Create a sense of calm

Learn how to relax and regulate emotions

Enhance awareness and creativity

Improve concentration and increase productivity

Develop a sense of empathy and connectedness

Enjoy better health and sleep

About the app Smiling Mind offers a unique web and app-based tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to people’s lives. Just as we eat well and stay fit to keep our body healthy, mindfulness meditation is about mental health and looking after the mind. The programs are designed to assist people in dealing with the pressure, stress and challenges of daily life. Programs are offered for:

7-9 years olds

10-12 year olds

13-15 year olds

16-18 year olds

Adults

Sport

Mindfulness in Education

Mindfulness in the Workplace

Download the ‘Smiling Mind’ free guided meditation app today!

A number of the grades across St Matthew’s practice mindfulness at some stage during the week and the ‘Smiling Mind’ app / resource is most commonly used. For more information, please visit the following website: https://www.smilingmind.com.au/ Mr Hubbard Student Wellbeing Leader

Upcoming Parent Information Sessions: Please see attached flyers

Screen time Date/Time: Tuesday 7 August 2018, 7 – 9 pm

Venue: Moreland Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg

Presenter: Early Life Foundations

Cost: $11 per person

Wishing Away Worries (In last week’s newsletter) Date/Time: Wednesday 15 August 2018, 7 – 9 pm

Venue: Moreland Civic Centre, 90 Bell Street, Coburg

Presenter: Parentzone

Cost: FREE

GREAT KIDS HAVE GREAT DADS

A THREE (3) WEEK PROGRAM FOR DADS (On page ???) Date/Time: Wednesday 5, 12 & 19 September 2018, 7 – 9 pm

Venue: Coburg Early Years Centre, 1 Wardens Walk, Coburg

Presenter: Parentzone

Cost: FREE

Bookings are essential as places are limited. For further information or to make a booking please visit: www.moreland.vic.gov.au/community-care/children-and-families/parent-information/ Please promote and advertise the above sessions at your school. Flyers attached.

Regards

Cathy Marinelli

Children's Services Administration Officer Moreland City Council 90 Bell Street, Coburg 3058 | Locked Bag 10, Moreland 3058 9240 2316 cmarinelli@moreland.vic.gov.au

THE MORELAND SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAM brochure will be available for the

September/October 2018 School Holiday Program from Friday 10 August 2018, 5pm,

Families are able to make a casual booking via our online booking system by visiting council’s website from Friday 10 August 2018, 5pm. Bookings will close on Friday 24 August, 5pm 2018. Brochures are available from:

Local Primary Schools in the municipality;

Council’s website and;

Citizens Services Centres – Monday to Friday between 8.30 am to 5.00 pm. o Coburg Offices, 90 Bell Street, Coburg o Brunswick Offices, 233 Sydney Road, and o Glenroy, 796N Pascoe Vale Road, Glenroy

If you have difficulty accessing any information or general queries, please contact Council on Ph: 9240 1111. Regards Mena Matheas School Holiday Program Officer | Moreland City Council 90 Bell Street, COBURG 3058 | Locked Bag 10, MORELAND 3058 Ph: 9240 2427 | Fax: 9240 1212 mmatheas@moreland.vic.gov.au Monday to Wednesday 9.30am to 5pm

EXTEND AT ST MATTHEW’S

We started our week with interesting and challenging board games. We then make our own mermaid and dinosaur

plaster together. We mixed plaster powder with water and stir it gently till smooth. Lastly pour the plaster mixture into

moulding, then wait for 15 mins till it set. We painted our own plaster with colourful paints and everyone was so creative!

Wednesday, we tried new menu, spinach and cheese pastry and we all love it so much! It was so fun to look at it become

puffy in the oven. We also tried science experiment, Hot Ice Tower together. Unfortunately, it did not work in the end.

We were disappointment but will want to challenge it again! We wrapped up our week with outdoor activities. We enjoyed

the sun and games and laugh, what a wonderful Friday! This week we will have more interesting program, hopefully to

see you soon!

Yee Yin, Team Leader Our Extend Superstar is… Gabrielle Lecuru – for being such a helpful, funny, patient and kind friend at afterschool care. She always does her best to help out and care for others. Announcement KIDS CLUB ART COMPETITION – WIN A $200 COLES GROUP AND MYER GIFT CARD Entries are now open for Extend’s Kids Club Competition! Submit your entry online from Monday 23 July to Friday 10 August, 2018. To enter complete the sentence “Gilbert the Gecko’s Best Friend ‘_____’ the Gecko” and submit your matching art entry online at extend.com.au. For further details and terms visit extend.com.au …BUT THERE’S MORE! Help your After-School Care service win a mystery incursion! Be sure to come along to After School Care to enter. What’s on this week? Monday 30th July: Sensory Play: Stress ball making Tuesday 24th July: Baking: Chocalate & Avocado Muffin Art & Craft: Paddle Pop Stick Catapult Wednesday 25th July: Science Experiment: Hot Ice Tower & Volcanoes Art & Craft: Tie Dye bag making Thursday 26th July: Art & Craft: Bird Feeder & Candle Making Friday 27th July: Outdoor Activity: Playground and Sport challenge

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