Social Media is packed with ‘experts’ who are providing advice on everything from how to keep your house spotless to the 5 easy steps you can take to perfect your makeup routine. Occasionally, however, I stumble across someone who has genuinely useful advice, particularly around raising teenagers.

Recently I came across Lisa Damour (PhD) who is the author of several books including The Emotional Lives of Teenagers. I have downloaded the audiobook and am looking forward to listening to it, but in the meantime, I thought I would share a small example of her work.

In a recent post, Lisa shared some tips around ways to speak with your teenager about risky behaviour. As parents, this is something I think we all worry about at some point as we try to strike the balance between allowing our growing children to experience enough freedom and at the same time, keeping them as safe as possible. In reflecting on this struggle, Lisa shared the following phrases that might be useful to keep in mind when these conversations about potentially risky behaviours pop up with our teenagers

• Don’t focus on whether you could get caught - you probably won’t. Focus on whether you could get hurt
• If your friends want to do something that makes you feel uncomfortable, feel free to blame your good behaviour on me
• Call if things get out of hand. I will never make you sorry that you asked for my help
• Just because something is legal doesn’t mean it's safe - take cigarettes and tanning beds for example. You can be on the right side of the law and the wrong side of science
• You want freedom and I want to give it to you. The more evidence I have of your good judgement, the more freedom you can have
• Nothing matters more to me than your safety. I don’t hate fun. I love you

Family life and raising resilient teenagers can certainly be challenging and it can be helpful to read, listen and explore ideas that provide new insights and perspectives. It can also be useful to seek the help of other people who want the best for you and your children. If you are ever struggling or worried about how your child is navigating the teenage years, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us so we can see how we might be able to help, at least with what’s happening in their school life. When we have the fullest picture possible of what is happening for your child, we are better able to provide the support they need at school. If you’re not sure who to speak with, it is always a good idea to just start with a phone call to our amazing reception staff… they will know how to point you in the right direction.

God bless

Angela Myles | Executive Principal

You may also find the following free Webinar for Parents and Carers useful:

Justin Coulson Webinar: Breaking Point - Unpacking the crisis in youth mental health

11 September 2024 @ 7.00-8:00pm

CLICK TO REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR https://ccsp.schoolzineplus.com/form/61

Dr Justin Coulson will host an engaging, professional webinar for parents and carers that discusses mental health issues in our children and young people.

Justin is a captivating speaker who aims to leave his audience with genuine ‘how-to’s’ so they can help their kids right now.

Join Dr Justin Coulson, Australia's leading parenting expert, as he unpacks the mental health crisis enveloping our kids. He'll cover:

• The root causes behind the deteriorating state of mental health, and who (or what) is responsible

• The tools you need to reverse this trend for your children

• Science-backed, relationship-focused strategies to remedy school refusal

• Realistic approaches for managing screen time in a way that protects your child's wellbeing without completely alienating them from their peers

• Creating margin in your home and family life to protect and promote mental wellness  

Our Year 12 students started their Trial HSC examinations this week at our primary school campus. These are a momentous time for our Year 12 students in their educational journey, and for most students signal the end of their formal assessment tasks for most subjects. They provide students with an excellent reference point and opportunity to gain focussed feedback on their growth and areas needing refinement - they are an excellent tool for preparation of the upcoming HSC examinations starting in October. The feedback has been extremely positive with students starting off this exam period well, demonstrating a committed, diligent and settled approach. We continue to have Year 12 in our thoughts and prayers as the examinations continue.

After a two week trial and a review it has been decided to continue with the Night Study sessions offered to Year 12 students on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 4.45 - 7.45pm. Families and students are reminded that the strating and concluding times are firm and no student will be accepted late or permitted to leave early. The two hour sessions are designed to help facilitate a solid time of study free from disturbance and demonstrating a high level of commitment and self discipline. Well done to all students who have taken up the extra opportunity and we are delighted to be able to continue this to further support our HSC students.

This fortnight our students have had the opportunity to engage in a range of extra activities that support their learning and provide opportunities for fun outside the classroom. On Tuesday, 15 students accompanied by Josie and Mrs Jacinda Sugden from the Learning Centre attended Anita Heisse’s book launch in Bathurst. Such a wonderful opportunity for our students to meet and hear from the talented Wiradjuri author. 

Our 2025 Year 11 Subject Selection Expo and Information session was another great opportunity for Year 10 students to talk to teachers about subjects for their senior pattern of study. Thank you to all the families who supported their child in this important stage of their schooling.

We are very proud of the Year 11 Sports Lifestyle and Recreation class under the direction of  Mrs Emma Kurtz who organised and facilitated the Diocesan  Rugby 10’s carnival here in Mudgee. It is a massive undertaking and a wonderful sporting opportunity for our students. Looking forward to seeing all the photos. A big thank you to Mr Barry Neaverson - Smith our newly appointed Sports Coordinator for supporting the carnival to ensure its success. 

I am acutely aware that all these wonderful opportunities for our students aren’t possible without the support and generosity of our staff. Many of these events are in hours outside of regular school hours and involved hours of planning and organising. We are always luck here at St Matthews to have our students well catered for by the St Matthews team who eagerly and enthusaticually make a massive contribution to extra curricular opportunities.

Today we welcomed 104 Year 6 students to their first Orientation Day for Year 7, 2025. Our Transition Coordinator Jacinda Tink organised a wonderful engaging day for all students. We particularly extend a warm welcome to all new families to our St Matthews community who are joining us from other primary schools.

Tomorrow we celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Mary, to be organised and led by Belinda Redden, our Leader of Mission. It is an obligatory day on the Catholic calendar where we celebrate Mary and it is wonderful to come together as a secondary school and pray together. We are grateful for Fr Cong who will come to celebrate Mass with us.

Blaney McCarthy-English | Acting Head of Campus - Secondary

Feast of Saint Mary of the Cross (Mary MacKillop)

On August 8 we celebrated Saint Mary MacKillop’s Feast Day – a day where we pause, reflect, and celebrate Mary MacKillop as Australia’s first Saint.

All Year 7 - 10 students in MacKillop House travelled to St Mary’s Church where they joined the MacKillop primary students. We shared a liturgy together and Fr Cong shared am inspiring homily on Mary Mackillop and how her life modelled the St Matthew’s Way.  After lunch all students were involved in games. It was a wonderful afternoon.

Mary MacKillop helped develop Catholic education and other services to the poor and marginalised, especially in regional areas. Mary embodied the St Matthews Way, particularly through her compassionate service of others and her courageous willingness to endure hardships and adversity. Her Feast Day is an opportunity for students to reflect on how they can follow her example to “never see a need without doing something about it.”

 Prayer

O God, source of all goodness,

who have shown us in Saint Mary

a woman of faith living by the power of the Cross,

teach us, we pray, by her example

to live the Gospel in changing times

and to respect and defend

the human dignity of all in our land.

Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,

who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,

God, for ever and ever. Amen

Youth Group

St Mary’s Parish is excited to announce the start of a Youth Group, open to all young people from from age of 13 to under 18. Those who are 18 years old and above can be volunteers, and will be required to supply WWCC.The group will focus on Faith, Fun and Food. This group is a fantastic opportunity to grow faith, develop leadership skills, build lasting friendships and participate in fun and meaningful activities.

When: 3pm every Sunday.

Start on 28 July

Where: Parish Hall 

Everyone is welcome!! Email Jade if you have any questions: j.newman6@bth.catholic.edu.au 

Pope’s Monthly Intentions

For political leaders

We pray that political leaders be at the service of their own people, working for integral human development and for the common good, especially caring for the poor and those who have lost their jobs.

Belinda Redden | Leader of Mission  

Dillon Price | Leader of Wellbeing

Resilience Project

Gratitude

This week’s presentation from The Resilience Project focuses on Gratitude.

Gratitude is paying attention to the things that we have right now, and not worrying about what we don’t have. We practise this by noticing the positives that exist around us.

Research shows that practicing gratitude rewires our brains to overcome the negativity bias (which can lead to anxiety and depression) and see the world for what we are thankful for. It is also shown to broaden thinking, and increase physical health through improved sleep and attitude to exercise.

View Part 2 of the series here:

Part 2 - Gratitude: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/

There are many ways in which you can practise gratitude, including starting a gratitude journal. You can simply use a notebook to list three things that went well for you each day or use a more comprehensive Wellbeing Journal, like those created by The Resilience Project.

Source: Psychology Today

For mental health resources and support information, visit The Resilience Project’s Support Page.

Emma Nicholls | Wellbeing Support

It was great to see our Year 11 and Year 12 students embrace the 'spirit of the Olympics' on Friday August 2, and dress up in green and gold, supporting some of their favourite Aussie athletes. We held a 'best dressed' challenge and our winners were Tom, Olivia and Alyssa.

Well done all!

Mrs Cass McCarney | Stage 6 Coordinator

As part of the Food product Development unit, Year 12 Food Technology visited 2 factories in Sydney. We toured through the Research and Development section of the Arnotts Biscuit factory looking at commercial equipment used to create new biscuits. The Director of R & D gave excellent descriptions of the processes used to create line extension and innovative new food products. Whilst there, we saw technicians creating new Tim Tam flavours and students were able to create new Shapes flavours. The winning flavours were Honey Soy Chicken and Sweet Chilli together and Vegemite and Cheese. Fun Facts- Original Tim Tam's are the most popular biscuit sold, but they produce more of Jatz by weight (2nd) and a close third is Shapes biscuits. 

We then had a tour through the Food and Beverage sections of Penrith Panthers. The scale of their business is extraordinary. The students loved the Noodle bar for lunch. We studied the Line Extensions at Krispy Kreme, but sadly the process line wasn't working at the time, but we all bought doughnut treats to snack on. 

The last factory was Harvest B,  where they make plant protein from gluten and white flour. They make chicken and beef copycat products that can boost protein levels in the dish. They generously gave each student 6 products that they can try at home. The company is new, but their contracts are starting to roll in. Our canteen will try the "beef mince", to see if it is a viable option to boost protein in some of the meals our canteen serves. Real meat is still used in the dish and the vegetable protein is added in small quantities to boost the protein level. These products do contain gluten so are not suitable for coeliacs. 

The Harvest B factory is located in the old Capral Aluminium site.  A fabulous redevelopment of the site has taken place with murals, new businesses and sympathetic outdoor spaces for people to enjoy. The names of the Aluminium site workers are cut into the picnic tables and old equipment has been repurposed. A Jess Fox mural decorates the side of the Harvest B factory. Very appropriate when I saw her win gold that morning. 

Thank you to Matthew Wilson for making it possible to visit Arnotts and our bus driver Mr Neaverson Smith. 

Mrs Judy Woods | TAS Teacher

Food Technology Practical Lessons with Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk

As part of our practical lessons last week, students made various food dishes using a product called Sweetened Condensed Oat Milk, a new product that has been launched at Woolworths. We have made a video showcasing the product and the video will be entered in the competition to possibly win $1,000. The money, if we won, would be used on purchasing equipment for the Food Technology rooms at school.

As part of this promotion, the video will be loaded to social media and a public voting system would be used. Voting links will be posted when available.

I am very proud of the students and their enthusiasm for this project. Their respect, organisation and creativity shines through in the high quality video thay have produced. 

Judy Woods | TAS Teacher 

On Monday 5th of August, a group of Year 10 and Year 11 students participated in a Zoom workshop with a producer from the ABC to develop submissions for the Heywire Competition. 

Heywire is a lived experience storytelling competition for young people living in regional, rural and remote Australia. Heywire winners work with ABC producers to have their story heard across the country and they win an all expenses paid trip to the ABC Heywire Regional Youth Innovation Summit in Canberra next year.

We wish our students all the best with their entries and will be looking for students in Years 10-11 in 2025 to enter into next year’s competition. 

Rose Gardner | Acting English Coordinator

As the popularity of vaping grows among teenagers, parents are finding it increasingly challenging to address this important issue with their children. Open, honest conversations about vaping can be difficult, but they are essential for helping teens make informed decisions. Understanding the risks associated with vaping and knowing how to communicate effectively with your teen can make all the difference. In this link, from REACHOUT, it provides practical advice on how to approach the topic, drawing on expert resources to equip you with the tools to guide your teen toward making healthy choices.

How to talk to your teen about Vaping - Reachout

Brooke Colley | PDHPE KLA Coordinator 

The Cyber Safety Project

Parents, are you curious about AI and its impact on your child's life? Concerned about the risks of deepfakes and online safety? Join this must-attend webinar to explore the world of Generative AI (GenAI)!

Learn how GenAI is woven into your child's digital experiences and understand its role in potential risks like image-based abuse. Discover strategies to protect your child and gain valuable tips for starting conversations about responsible GenAI use.

This free online event is perfect for parents of children of all ages who want to stay informed about AI's influence on how kids live, learn, and play online.

7.30pm AEST 10th September 2024. Don’t miss out on this opportunity for essential insights and resources.

Register now at bit.ly/AIDEEPFAKES to safeguard your child's future in the digital world!