If you have been to the Secondary Campus recently, you may have noticed that there has been some development at site over the course of this year. The outdoor courts and the installation of the goal posts on the oval have been a really positive addition for our students. Additionally, sheds have been constructed to provide much needed storage for sport, agriculture and grounds and maintenance. The senior construction students have built various small shade structures for the sheep and our Parents & Friends Association has provided funds for extra seating and trees. 

One of the other areas where we have been keen to make improvements for our students has been the provision of additional shade and shelter structures. I am very pleased to be able to share the news that we have recently received funding approval for the construction of a large shade area in the main quadrangle at the Secondary Campus. The structure will greatly improve student access to shelter and protection in all weather conditions. 

The Catholic Education Office Diocese of Bathurst is supporting us with a significant funding investment for this project. The designs have been finalised and structural engineering will be completed by the end of August. An Expression of Interest process will commence in the second week of September, with a 4 week tender period to commence late September. Construction is anticipated to commence in the first week of the Christmas holiday period with an expected completion date of late January 2025, ready for the start of the 2025 school year.

I look forward to being able to share more details about the project with you in the coming months.

God bless

Angela Myles | Executive Principal 

It has been great to welcome Year 12 students back into the classrooms after their two weeks of the Trial HSC examinations. As they receive their results and enter into their final phase of classes we hope they use this time to consolidate on their learning and use their teachers and class time wisely to make final preparations effective and purposeful. A reminder to families that university applications through UAC are drawing to a close under the ‘early bird’ timeframe and early entry schemes should also be prioritised for consideration as those end dates are also approaching.

Our Night Study sessions have been well supported and we have made the decision to continue offering these on a Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night from 4.45 - 6.45 in the Learning Centre. We are thrilled to announce that Year 11 students have now been invited to join the sessions in preparations for their End of Course examinations held in Weeks 9 - 10.

Again there have been so many opportunities for our students to engage in outside of the classroom. Currently we have both boys and girls netball teams in Sydney at the CCC Championships in Penrith, the Year 9 and 10 Elective Agriculture class in Dubbo at the Wether Challenge, and the Year 11 Biology students at Mt Tomah. On Wednesday evening our Max Potential students Sophie, Eliza, Elizabeth and Amelia are celebrating another wonderful program where they developed their leadership skills and will showcase their community based project. Additionally our public speaking students continue to progress with Liana competing in the Rotary Regional finals in Dubbo and TK continuing through the Diocesan pathway. Well Done and Good Luck to both girls and thank you to Tim Doyle and Maria Starick for facilitating the Public Speaking program at St Matthews and engaging preparing all students so successfully.

A few reminders as we approach the second half of the term of the importance of maintaining our high expectations in regards to attendance, uniform and behaviour. As we pass the midway point of term and  the holidays approach, the weather heats up and we get tired, it can sometimes be a challenge to continue well. It’s important that all students maintain wearing their full winter uniform until an official announcement of a changeover occurs; that students are at school before the morning bell at 8.50am and classroom work and striving for excellence is evident in the classroom and beyond. Hopefully in Wellbeing Week last week families had an opportunity to recharge and calibrate to finish off the term successfully.

Thank you to all families who supported us as a staff on our Retreat Day on Monday 26 August. We had a wonderful K-12 staff Retreat with Br Damien Price facilitating. A big thank you to our Leaders of Mission Belinda Redden and Ross McKeown for organising a fabulous day. A highlight however was watching the faces of the many many secondary students trying to tee off on the 18th hole only to see the entire K-12 staff watching them! Good times.

Ms Blaney McCarthy-English | Acting Head of Campus - Secondary

Restorative Practice for Parents

Keeping Your Child Safe Online

Our young people are becoming increasingly exposed to harm online that we would have thought impossible even just a few years ago. Unfortunately, there has been a spike in sextortion with young people. This is particularly more prevalent in Christmas period where gift vouchers are given to young people as gifts. 

Sexual extortion, also known as sextortion, is a form of online blackmail where someone tricks or coerces you into sending sexual images of yourself and then threatens to share the images unless you comply with their demands. Usually, these demands are for more images, payment or sexual favours.

Offenders may even attempt to capture sexual images of a young person while they are on live stream or video, sometimes without their knowledge. This is also known as ‘capping’.

To find out more and explore tips on how to keep your young person safe online visit https://www.accce.gov.au/sextortionhelp

   

Dillon Price | Leader of Wellbeing

   

The Resilience Project

Empathy and Kindness

This next presentation from The Resilience Project is all about Empathy and Kindness.

Empathy is our ability to put ourselves in the shoes of others to feel and see what they do. We practice this through being kind and compassionate towards other people.

Brain imaging data shows that being kind to others registers in the brain as more like eating chocolate than like fulfilling an obligation to do what’s right (e.g., eating brussel sprouts)!

Research shows that practicing empathy, such as performing acts of kindness, taps into our brain’s ‘mirror neurons’, builds compassion and our behaviour becomes more social and community-based.

View Part 3 of the series here:

Part 3 - Empathy: https://theresilienceproject.com.au/2023-parent-carer-hub-inspire-hugh/

Here’s an activity to practise empathy and kindness:

1. Reflect on someone in your life who could benefit from an act of kindness today. It could be a friend who would love some affirmation about their work, your pet who deserves an extra treat, or a family member who would love a phone call or text message.
2. Make a plan for who you are going to give an act of kindness to, and what you are going to do.
3. If you want to add accountability to your plan, share it with someone else and encourage them to do the same thing.
4. Follow up with each other in a few days time, to ask how it went!

Sources: Psychology Today, UC Berkeley, Greater Good Science

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

Emma Nicholls | Wellbeing Support 

During week 5, our wonderful Year 11 students who are currently undertaking SBAT or TVET courses, came to speak to our year 10 students about their experiences in completing a certified course for part of their schooling at St Matthews. They shared their valuable knowledge and skills in the areas of Hospitality, Construction, Tourism, Allied Health, Nursing and more. Our year 10 students were able to ask questions in regards to ATAR’s, work placement and future career opportunities. I would like to thank Maddi, Zara, Tabitha, Harrison, Toby and Connor for giving up their time to speak to us.

University Of Newcastle

Open Days

Early Entry Applications – Don’t forget to apply! The University of Newcastle’s Early Entry Program is for domestic Year 12 students completing either the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) or the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate (ACT SSC) in 2024. Early entry takes into account your Year 11 results, allowing you to secure an offer before your exams begin. For those completing an IB in November, please ensure you are uploading your results for consideration in the rounds. Important dates: OFFER DAY 1 – Round one early offers will be released on 5 September 2024 (for applications submitted by 29 August). OFFER DAY 2 - Round two early offers will be released on 19 September 2024 (for applications submitted by 12 September). OFFER DAY 3 - Round three early offers will be released on 4 October 2024 (applications closed for Current School Leavers on 26 September). Find out more and apply today!     Ma & Morley Scholarship Program Information Sessions Calling all prospective 2025 Ma & Morley Scholars! Join the Ma & Morley Program team for our information sessions, where we'll provide an overview of the Scholarship Program and guide you through the application process. You'll have an opportunity to ask any burning questions! We are hosting two face-to-face sessions (Callaghan and Ourimbah) and one online session via Zoom. Applications are now open and close midnight, Monday 30 September - don't miss the chance to apply for this life-changing Scholarship! CALLAGHAN ●      WHEN: Tuesday 3 September 1:00pm-2:00pm ●      WHERE: VG07, Callaghan Campus OURIMBAH ●      WHEN: Wednesday 4 September 12:00pm-1:00pm ●      WHERE: CN2104, Ourimbah Campus ONLINE ●      WHEN: Wednesday 11 September 4:30pm-5:30pm Zoom links will be sent via email Register Here    ATAR myths busted HSC students hear a lot of confusing messages about the ATAR, so UAC’s ATAR expert, Dr Helen Tam, has busted the top 5 ATAR myths. Read them below.   Myth 1: The HSC and the ATAR are similar Fact: HSC marks and the ATAR have different purposes: The HSC mark for each course shows your performance in the exam and assessments for that course. The HSC mark shows the standard you achieved. The ATAR shows your position or ranking compared to other students in NSW and takes into account their achievement in the best 10 units of their HSC courses (including at least 2 units of English and no more than 2 units of Category B courses). Its only purpose is to help universities select applicants for their courses.   Myth 2: My ATAR should be close to my HSC marks Fact: Your HSC marks (your performance) and ATAR (your position) are different measures of achievement and therefore should not be compared. However, if you’re in the middle group of students in all your courses (with marks typically in the late 70s), you may receive an ATAR of around 70.00, which is also where the median (or middle) ATAR usually lies. Sometimes marks in the 70s can mean a much lower ATAR depending on your courses and your position in those courses.   Myth 3: I’ll get a better ATAR if the course I’ve chosen is scaled up Fact: How a course is scaled depends on the marks achieved by the students in that course, along with the marks they’ve achieved in all their other courses. Courses studied by students who perform well in all their courses will be scaled highly. Courses such as Mathematics Extension 2 and Physics traditionally scale well because of this. However, that doesn’t mean every student in that course will get a high scaled mark; you need to achieve high HSC marks to gain any benefit from scaling. Scaling is done afresh each year. When looking at choosing a course, there’s no guarantee that the academic ability of the students this year is the same as last year or that the course will scale the same way.    Myth 4: If I choose a particular combination of courses, I’ll get the best ATAR Fact:  Just about any combination of courses can lead to a good ATAR; it all depends on how well you’ve done in all your courses compared with other students. Your course choices should be based on your interests, demonstrated abilities and the value of courses for your future career plans, not on what you believe are the likely effects of scaling.    Myth 5: The school I attend affects my ATAR Fact: No, the school you attend doesn’t feature in the ATAR calculation. The ATAR calculation is based only on the exam and moderated school assessment marks for each of your courses, as provided by NESA; no other information is used. Find more tips and tricks to help you do your best in this year’s exams from the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).        Australian Catholic University Year 12 Revision Webinars Join the free online webinars that will help you succeed in your Year 12 exams    English Standard Revision Webinar Monday 9 September, 7 - 8.30pm Module C: The Craft of Writing Register   Business Studies Revision Webinar Tuesday 10 September, 7 - 8.30pm Topics 3 & 4: Finance & Human Resources Register   Biology Revision Webinar Wednesday 11 September, 7 - 8.30pm Module 5 & 6: Heredity and Genetic Change Register   Studies of Religion Revision Webinar Thursday 12 September, 7 - 8.30pm One unit topic: Religion and Belief Systems in Australia - post 1945 Register Year 12 revision webinars        Sydney ADF Careers Expo The Sydney ADF Careers Expo is fast approaching. Don't miss out on the opportunity for you and your students or job seekers to discover what a career in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is like. They’ll get to speak with current ADF personnel about a career in the Navy, Army or Air Force and experience a variety of Defence displays, including: Augmented reality and flight Simulators Weapon and vehicle displays Military equipment displays Access to Lancer Barracks and the Military Museum Military band performances ADF Careers promotions team on hand to answer all your questions At the Sydney ADF Careers Expo students can discover the rewards of working in the ADF and what type of job they might thrive in. With over 200 different roles available, there’s sure to be one to match their skills, interests and education. Those who work at a high school, this event is aimed towards students in years 10, 11 and 12.     Sydney ADF Careers Expo Date: Friday 13th and Saturday 14th September 2024 Time: 9:00am-3:00pm Where: Lancer Barracks - 2 Smith Street, Parramatta, NSW 2150 Register now- link     Experience first-hand what it’s like to live and study at the University of Canberra. Get a taste of student life, explore our beautiful campus, get hands on in our cutting-edge facilities, workshops, and labs, or take in the high-energy sporting options available through UC Sport. When you need to refuel, grab a coffee, a bite to eat, or track down some of our famous blue donuts! Saturday, September 14- Register here now     Mrs Jacinda Tink | Transition Coordinator

Term 3 School Fee payments are now due, please finalise your account as soon as possible.

Annette White | Finance and Operations Manager 

Year 11 Legal Studies students recently attended list day at the Mudgee Local Court house to hear cases heard before the magistrate. Students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to witness the legal proceedings, seeing first hand the concepts and processes they have been learning about in class. Students heard a variety of summary offences and were privileged enough to have the opportunity to speak with the magistrate while the court was adjourned. 

Mrs Karla Croake | Year 11 Legal Studies Teacher 

On Tuesday 20th of August the St Matts Public Speaking team ‘Speakify’ attended a Rotary Public Speaking challenge at Club Mudgee. Students spoke on a topic of their choosing for 5 minutes whilst incorporating the Rotary 4-way test into their speech. 

In a compelling competition, Liana of Year 11 was successful in progressing to the next round. Year 9 students Tariro and Lilly gave great speeches on their respective topics and have continued to improve their skills as they hone them for the St Matts in-school Public Speaking competition. 

This competition was an amazing development in Public Speaking for the students because they were able to start forming a community beyond the boundaries of their school and were so well supported by both the Rotary Community and their peers, teachers and friends. It was noted by the Rotary team that the students all represented themselves and their schools with absolute aplomb with demonstrated preparation, dedication, and passion. 

Well done girls! 

Mr Doyle and Ms Starick | English Teachers

Congratulations to our HSC Drama class for performing with skill and courage in their Trial Examination last week. Thank you to the accomplished Mudgee performer and director Sam Paine who attended as an audience member and provided students with valuable feedback and encouragement.

Best of luck to our Year 12 students who perform their final HSC exam on the 5th of September here at St Matthews Catholic School.

Mrs Kirsty Skinner | Drama Teacher

Dio Basketball Gala Day

On Monday, 19th August, the Junior and Intermediate Boys basketball teams embarked on an exciting journey to Bathurst to compete in the Diocesan Basketball Gala Day. It was a day filled with intense competition, teamwork, and impressive displays of sportsmanship.

The Intermediate Boys team started the day on a high note, dominating their early matches with convincing victories against La Salle, James Sheahan, and St Mary's. As they progressed, they faced a formidable opponent in St John's, where they were handed their first defeat, with a score of 22-34. Despite this setback, the team rallied for their final game, which was a must-win situation. After a slow start to the game, the team secured a decisive victory against Red Bend and earned a well-deserved second place in the Year 9/10 Boys Division.

The Junior Boys team had a challenging start to the day, facing off against St John's in a tough opening match, which they lost 15-30. However, they quickly regrouped and claimed a victory against St Marys. In their final pool game against  La Salle it was a nail-biting encounter. With the stakes high, the team managed to edge out a 2-point win, securing their place in the semi-finals. In the semis, they faced James Sheahan in another tightly contested match that ended in a draw after regular time. In a dramatic 5-minute overtime, the boys once again triumphed with a 2-point victory, progressing them to the final. There they met a physical Dubbo team. Despite their best efforts, they were defeated, finishing the day with a commendable second place.

A special thanks to coaches Jim Disher and Julian Geddes, whose guidance, patience, and calm presence during tense moments were instrumental in the teams’ successes. Throughout the day, the boys displayed outstanding sportsmanship, a true credit to themselves, their school, and their families. 

Brooke Colley | PDHPE KLA Coordinator

Rugby 10's Gala Day

On the 14th of August St Matthews held the annual Bathurst Dioesican Rugby Gala Day. The Year 11 Sport, Lifestyle and Recreations (SLR) class assisted with the organising and running the carnival as part of their Sports Management unit. Teams travelled from Forbes, Cowra, Bathurst, Wellington and Dubbo with teams from years 7-10 competing on the day. 

St Matthews entered six teams on the day: Two Year 7/8 Boys teams, one 7/8 girls team (combined with other schools), Two Year 9/10 Boys teams, one 9/10 girls team (combined with other schools).

The students all put in their best effort for the day and are to be commended on their efforts. 

Emma Kurtz | PDPHE Teacher

During Week 3, our PDHPE department proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week with all Year 7-10 students engaging in Traditional Indigenous Games. The activities aimed to honour and immerse students in the rich cultural heritage of Australia's First Nations people, fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of their history and traditions.

The games provided a unique opportunity for students to experience the physical activities that have been passed down through generations of Indigenous communities. These games not only offered a fun and engaging way to stay active but also highlighted the importance of community, teamwork, and respect—core values deeply embedded in Indigenous culture.

PDHPE Team

Book Week was celebrated in week 5 of the term and was full of great events and student participation.

Book week is celebrated each year and provides the opportunity to draw attention to the joy of reading and for advocating the importance of literacy in student’s lives.

This year's theme was, “Reading is magic!”

Each year the Children’s book council of Australia awards authors books  to highlight and promote quality Australian literature and content to Australian students.

During Book Week there were several events throughout the week to celebrate this important event. These included virtual guided drawing with author/ illustrator Sami Bayly,  book trivia and an escape room challenge. The students also enjoyed participating in several competitions such as guess what your teacher is reading and the tutor group photo challenge. It was so wonderful to see the students getting involved in all the events. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated this booktastic week!

Jacinda Sugden | Teacher/Librarian

In honour of her son and our former student Beau, Jade Trevithick is participating in the Out of the Shadows Walk for World Suicide Prevention Day.

The walk takes place on September 10.

Jade will be walking 15km to represent the 15 years we had Beau on Earth and the 9 Australians lost to suicide every day.

Sadly, over 3,000 Australians lose their lives to suicide every year. These people are our family, friends and loved ones.

Jade's goal is to raise funds to support Lifeline's suicide prevention services to save lives.

If you are able to, please donate through Jade's fundraising page and support her walk to help Australians in crisis.

https://www.outoftheshadowswalk.org.au/fundraisers/jadetrevithick

Together, we can ensure that no one has to face their darkest moments alone.

Rural Road Safety Month 2024 is next month 1 - 30 September 2024! 

Rural Road Safety Month

Brooke Colley | PDHPE KLA Coordinator 

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