School Vision

St Matthew’s School empowers children to embrace life-long learning and grow and develop as God intends.

Lenten Prayer

During Lent, 

teach us to be true friends of one another and especially those who are in need. 

Guide us in being generous and forgiving. 

May we follow faithfully, tell courageously and live joyfully the Good News of Jesus Christ who came to bring love, justice, and peace to our world.

Amen

Dear Parents/Guardians

I was thrilled this week to open the West Australian and discover a feature article on an ex-pupil of ours, Adam Edwards. Dr Edwards is a postdoctoral researcher at Perth’s Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science. Many of the St Matthew’s staff members remember Adam and his siblings fondly. We are so proud of him and wish him all the best with his very important research into brain cell death in infants. Congratulations, Adam!

I would also like to congratulate another ex-student of ours, Laney Birrell. Many of you would have seen the story about Laney in the Narrogin Observer this week. She independently raised over $700 to help families devastated by the Kangaroo Island bushfires. Well done, Laney – we are all very proud of you.

As we begin this special time of Lent this Wednesday, I think it is inspiring to hear how two people, in two very different ways, are using their gifts and talents to spread love and hope to others in their time of need.  Please feel free to share stories of how past and present pupils are leading lives that empower all of us to be, as St Teresa shared, the hands and feet of Christ.

New Families

We are very pleased to welcome two new families to St Matthew’s. We hope Arabella,

Kamsi, Uzoma, Ifeoma and Nnaemeka settle in quickly and enjoy all that St Matthew’s has to offer.

First Friday Assembly

I would like to congratulate our Year 6 students who led the first school assembly for 2020 last Friday. They all conducted themselves beautifully and led with confidence. All of them were rightfully awarded with their senior badges. Bailey was also awarded his IT Monitor badge. Congratulations, Bailey; I am confident that you will do an amazing job helping all of us with our IT challenges.

Ash Wednesday/Opening Mass

Our beautiful Father Jay is returning to us soon and will be leading our Opening Mass on Ash Wednesday, 26th February at 9.30am in the St Matthew’s Church for all students. All family and friends are welcome.

Health & Wellbeing

The health and wellbeing of our students, parents and staff is of paramount importance to us all. For this reason, each newsletter contains information about local events that focus upon health and wellbeing topics. These are listed under the ‘Community News’ section of our newsletter and website.

Principal’s Focus – Healthy Lunchboxes

This week, I would like to focus upon the importance of healthy lunchboxes for our kids. Our school nurse,  Lana Grznic, has sourced the following information:

Healthy lunches and snacks are important for keeping active kids alert and focused and providing them with the nutrition they need every day. A healthy lunch box should include:

• Fruit – at least one serve of fresh seasonal fruit. If you don’t have fresh fruit, canned (in natural juice) is a good substitute. Dried fruit is high in sugar and should be avoided
• Vegetables – vegetable sticks, salads or a mix of raw (with dip) or grilled vegetables
• Dairy – one serve of milk, yoghurt or cheese supports optimal growth and development in children. If your child can’t tolerate dairy provide a suitable alternative.
• Protein – lean meat or poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes/beans, or seeds.
• Grain foods – wholegrain and high fibre varieties are best.
• Water – the best drink to keep children hydrated.

Remember, children who help plan and prepare their own lunch are more likely to eat it. Your child might like to try out this fun, ‘Interactive Lunchbox’ website: www.goforyourlife.vic.gov.au/hav/articles.nsf/html/index.html

Published Date: 23 May 2018 Content Custodian: Bradshaw, Susan

I appreciate that it is not always easy to keep the cupboard stacked with fresh food choices. One option is to freeze suitable food options. Vicky Eckersley has taken this idea one step further and is offering the following service to busy families:

I would also like to take this opportunity to remind parents that we are a nut aware school. We have several students within the school who have a serious allergy to nuts, and as such, would greatly appreciate it if parents could refrain from sending any foods that contain nuts (including nutella and some muesli bars) in children’s lunchboxes.

If you have any concerns about your child’s diet, or would like some more information regarding healthy lunchboxes, please do not hesitate to contact Lana Grznic through the school.

Best wishes for the week ahead,

Susan Milton
Principal