I came across some commentary on social media recently about the relative cost and value of paying school fees. Given that our 2024 school fee accounts have recently been sent to families, I thought it might be a good time to share some of the facts around how funding for Catholic Schools works and also how school fees fit into the mix.

​​All students in Australia are entitled to a government supported education. Families do, however, have the freedom to choose the type of school they want their children to attend. Those choosing a non-government school for their child are required to pay school fees and levies in order to make up for the shortfall in government funding that is provided for a child in a Catholic or other non-government school, compared to funding provided for a child in a State school.

There are significant recurrent costs associated with educating young people in all Australian schools. In 2023, the minimum (or ‘base’) recurrent cost of school education for every Australian student was:

• $13,060 for a primary student
• $16,413 for a secondary student

These recurrent costs include teacher salaries, school excursions and activities, classroom resources and general school operating costs. They do not include capital costs such as the construction of new buildings. Responsibility for the recurrent funding is shared by the Australian Government and the various State Governments and then, through the payment of school fees, families in non-government school communities such as ours, also contribute to covering these costs.

The figure below provides an overview of the sources of recurrent funding for Government, Catholic and Independent Schools in Australia.

St Matthews is a systemic Catholic School. This means that we are part of a system of schools within a region that work together and support one another. In our particular case, the system we are part of is the Catholic Education Diocese of Bathurst. The diocese is always striving to balance the cost of providing high quality, faith-based education in our school communities with the need to keep fees as affordable as possible for families. We also strive to ensure that our fees are ‘all inclusive’ so that families are not regularly asked to contribute more throughout the year for excursions and other activities.

One of our core values as a Catholic community is to support those who are struggling. This means that no child will ever be refused a Catholic education because of genuine financial difficulty. Families in genuine financial hardship can be provided assistance through our confidential fee concession process which is always managed in a supportive and respectful way. If you would like more information about how this process works, please don’t hesitate to contact either myself or our Finance and Operations Manager, Annette White.

We are incredibly grateful for the financial support our families provide. Your contributions through the payment of fees and levies enable our school to provide a high quality learning environment for your children. If you ever have any questions or concerns about what you are called to contribute, I would welcome the opportunity to discuss these with you.

God bless

Angela Myles | Executive Principal 

With Easter fast approaching it brings to an end the liturgical season of Lent. One of the three pillars of Lent is almsgiving, which in essence means to donate money or goods to the poor. As all families would be aware we use the time in Lent to support Caritas Australia, who are an amazing Catholic organisation who do wonderful things both nationally and overseas to improve the lives of those that are less fortunate. All students have been learning about various Caritas Projects during Tutor Group and should be familiar with their work, there is even an article on this topic further on in this newsletter. I encourage parents to have a conversation with their children about Caritas and suggest that they contribute some of their own money to this worthwhile cause. It could be as simple as not spending money at the canteen on a particular day and donating that canteen money to the cause.

There are a couple of capital works projects which are well under way. The hardcourts, which will have both basketball and netball courts on them together with handball courts are at a stage where they are almost ready to pour the concrete after significant earth works were required to ensure the longevity of the courts. The other major work occurring at the moment is the building of a Maintenance Shed, Agriculture Shed and bus parking. The frame is up and the building is currently being enclosed. We are very fortunate to be able to be value adding to our beautiful school.

Have a happy and safe Easter,

Mr Justin McCarney | Head of Campus

Message of Pope Francis for Lent

Invite Us Deeper

Almighty and ever living God,
you invite us deeper into your world, your people, your Lent.
May this time be one of outward focus;
seeking you in those we often ignore.
Help us live a Lent focused on freedom, generosity, and encounter.
Give us hearts hungry to serve you
and those who need what we have to give.

Holy Week

For Holy Week and Easter Liturgies, Recolciliation and Masses in Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos Parishes, please follow the link

Rise Youth Festival for Students

Caratis Australia

Samoa may be a country surrounded by water, but access to clean drinking water is scarce in some areas, with many families facing extreme hardship as a result.

Leaia lives with her five children, husband, brother and sister-in-law on the island of Upolu in Samoa. Not having access to a reliable source of clean water caused Leaia a lot of worry.

Their home is not connected to a piped water system, so they had to rely solely on rainwater collected in old fridges. When their water ran out, Leaia had to walk with her young children to collect water in buckets and containers from a neighbour down the street.

With the support of Caritas Australia's local partner, Caritas Samoa, a water tank was installed at Leaia's home. She and her family now have a steady supply of clean drinking water at home. Next year, they will also have a toilet built, with the support of Caritas Samoa, which will further improve their health and living conditions.

  

“We are very thankful and grateful for the water tank. It has helped us so much and made our daily life easier,” Leaia said.

Please donate to Project Compassion

Together, we can help vulnerable communities face their challenges today and build a better tomorrow for all future generations.
You can donate through Project Compassion donation boxes or online using the QR code:

Belinda Redden | Leader of Mission Secondary

Year 7 camp - a rite of passage for many young students, marking their transition into secondary school with a whirlwind of adventure, challenges, and newfound friendships.

From the moment we boarded the bus last week, excitement filled the air. The journey to Lake Burrendong was filled with chatter and laughter, as we eagerly anticipated the adventures that lay ahead.

The two days that followed were a blur of activities designed to challenge the year 7 students both mentally and physically. From team-building exercises to outdoor giant water slides, each day brought new opportunities for growth.

Our evening activity was a mixture of self reflection, catholic perspectives and an hour of energy burning fun before bedtime.

Year 7 camp taught our students the value of friendships, resilience, stepping outside our comfort zone and embracing new experiences. It was a fantastic time away and one that will be remembered.

Jessica Jenkins | Year 7 Wellbeing Coordinator

We are currently running an Easter Egg guessing competition in the Learning resource centre. We have already had lots of entries. The closest or correct guess will win the jar full of eggs. The winner will be announced Thursday the 28th of March - good luck!

Book review - Showing up by Nedd Brockmann

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable – the story of a 23-year-old tradie who put his body ‘through hell and back 10 times’ to prove that anything is possible when you break past your own barriers.

Nedd Brockmann isn’t afraid to dream big. Fresh after running fifty marathons in fifty days, the twenty-three-year-old had an idea: a 4000-kilometre run across Australia, averaging 100 kilometres per day with the aim of completing it in the fastest known time of 43 days. He wasn’t chasing fame or public recognition. He just wanted to test his limits and raise a million dollars for homelessness in the process.

Understanding the mindset of someone predisposed to such feats of voluntary suffering has been nearly impossible – until now. With his trademark humour and unfiltered style, Nedd recalls the lessons learned on sporting fields that cultivated discipline, the setbacks that tested his resolve, and the relationships that proved most important of all: those who instilled the importance of hard work, of never giving up, and to always give back generously. Available now to borrow from the Learning Resource Centre.

Jacinda Sugden  | Resource Centre | Librarian

Flexischools is St Matthews Catholic Schools preferred way to order from our canteens. The cut-off time is 9am, please allow yourself enough time to complete an order. An order can be placed the night before or even days in advance.

Orders that are phoned through via reception after 9am will be offered a simple sandwich, a drink and snacks only (No Hot Food will be offered, so please do not ask). Credit Card details must be provided at the time, no exceptions. This ensures no further follow up for payment is required.

If parents are experiencing issues with Flexischools, please contact Flexischools directly using the Parent Help Line Number- 1300 361 769 (8am-12pm)

1. Introduction to Flexischools
2. How to Register with Flexischools
3. How to Place an Order (Canteen)
4. How to Place an Order (All Services)
5. How to Top Up Your Flexischools Wallet

A reminder to parents to please update your childs year group to the correct one for this year before placing an order online. This will help alleviate confusion when your child collects their order.

We have a smaller menu that is available over the counter every day but our more comprehensive menu is online. For over the counter purchases we accept cash and Eftpos.

All our food is freshly made on site and we are committed to use locally sourced ingredients.

Slushie Machine

The canteen has been donated a Slushie machine thanks to the 2023 Commerce students fundraining. Slushies will be sold at first break and second break through these hot months.

If you have any queries in regards to the canteen please feel free to call the office at any time.

Mary Holdsworth | Secondary Canteen Manager

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