Being a parent of a child in Secondary school presents different joys and challenges to those you may have encountered when they were in Primary. One of the frustrations I frequently hear from parents is that their child doesn’t tell them anything about school and consequently, it’s difficult to know how things are really going with their learning and their wellbeing. I recently read an article by Jennifer Oaten that provided a number of useful tips to help families overcome this particular challenge. Jennifer accurately pointed out that, although we all want to have meaningful conversations with our children about school, it can be hard to know the right questions to ask our teenagers, especially when the standard “How was your day?” often results in a mumbled reply of “good.” 

Showing interest in and curiosity about what your child is learning can make a real difference in how your children feel about the importance of school. Using open-ended questions to stimulate a bit more conversation can sometimes be a helpful way to get things moving. Perhaps you might consider trying some of the following:

• What was the most interesting thing you learned today?
• Was there anything in class that didn’t quite make sense? How can I help?
• If you had to teach someone what you learned today, how would you explain it?
• Who is a teacher you really respect or enjoy learning from? What makes them great?
• If you could change one thing about your day today, what would it be?
• What’s one challenge you faced at school this week, and how did you handle it?
• Is there a subject or topic you are struggling with? How can we work through it together?
• What’s something you are proud of accomplishing at school recently?
• What’s one goal you want to achieve by the end of this term? How can I support you?
• What is something you want to improve at, and what is your plan to get better?
• How are you feeling about your workload at the moment
• On a scale of 1-10, how stressed are you about school right now? What is contributing to that?
• If something at school is bothering you, who do you feel comfortable talking to about it?
• If you could design your dream class, what would it be about?

Students should have received their Assessment Information Booklets last week. These booklets are a great source of information about the work they will be engaging with during the year. The Assessment Schedule for their year group is an especially helpful page that you might like to stick on your fridge at home to prompt timely conversations about what assessment tasks they have due over the course of each term.

If you have any questions about what you read in the Assessment Booklets, please don’t hesitate to reach out via our school office.

God bless

Angela Myles | Executive Principal 

Parent Information Sessions Year 7, New Families & Year 11

 Thank you to all those from Years 7 and 11 and new families that attended our parent Information sessions held last week in the Secondary Hall. Parent engagement is a critical component of our success to ensure all parties can support our students with their learning. The sessions including information on Assessment and Reporting were extremely valuable and I hope families found them helpful.

Duke of Edinburgh Award at St Matthews

We are thrilled to be able to offer the Duke of Edinburgh again at St Matthews for 2025. We have had a wonderful response from interested students and a great number of families who attended the information session last week. A letter has been sent home to the families of the interested students which outlines the process for registration. A copy of the slides from last week's presentation was also attached. If your child does want to participate in the Duke of Ed and you did not  receive a letter please ask your child to see Mr Manwaring or myself and we will arrange for a letter with registration instructions to be delivered.

Year 7 & Families Welcome BBQ - Friday 21 March 5.30 - 7.30pm

This year we are hosting a welcome BBQ to all the Year 7 families. We are hoping this opportunity provides a chance for families to connect with each other in a social setting. A formal invitation with all details will be coming out later this week. I really hope this event is well supported, and look forward to meeting many of you.

Blaney Mccarthy- English | Head of Campus - Secondary

O’Connor Feast Day

On Wednesday February 26, we celebrated Eileen O’Connor’s Feast Day. The day included a liturgy, organised by our House Captains, acknowledging the work of Eileen O’Connor followed by lunch, cake, buddy reading and activities amongst the students of O’Connor House to build the identity of one of our House Patrons.

Eileen O’Connor’s legacy is one of deep faith, resilience, and dedication to serving the poor and sick in Australia. Despite suffering from a severe spinal condition that left her in constant pain, she co-founded Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor in 1913, a ministry that provided free nursing care to those in need. Her unwavering trust in God and commitment to social justice continue to inspire many, and her cause for canonisation has gained significant support. O’Connor’s life serves as a powerful testament to the transformative impact of compassion and service, leaving a lasting imprint on Australia’s Catholic mission.

Year 12 Retreat

The Year 12 Retreat took place at the Edmund Rice Retreat and Conference Centre in Mulgoa. As a Catholic community, we recognize the importance of stepping away from daily life to reflect, strengthen our faith, and deepen our relationships with God and one another. This year’s retreat centered on one of St Matthew’s core values: Courage.

Throughout the retreat, students explored the meaning of courage in their own lives, reflected on their unique gifts, wrote letters to their future selves, and engaged in activities such as drumming and ice baths. They also developed a deeper appreciation for family and friends, culminating in a Eucharistic celebration. A heartfelt thank you to Fr Cong, Mrs. Kurtz, Mr. Neaverson-Smith, Ms. McCarthy-English, and Mrs. Myles for their invaluable contributions to the retreat.

Year 12 Prayer Partner Program

Each year, members of our parish commit to being prayer partners for our Year 12 students, supporting them through prayer as they journey towards completing the HSC. During this time, students and their prayer partners come together twice to celebrate Mass and share in a morning tea. If you would like to be part of this meaningful program, registration forms are available at the back of St Mary's Church or from the Parish Office.

Pope’s Monthly Intention

FEBRUARY

For Vocations To The Priesthood And Religious Life.

Let us pray that the ecclesial community might welcome the desires and doubts of those young people who feel a call to serve Christ’s mission in the priesthood and religious life.

RCIA Program for students

Answering the Call: Invitation to Become Catholic

Is your child curious about the Catholic faith? Are they interested in the rich traditions, the sense of community, or the deep connection with God that Catholics experience? We are excited to extend an invitation to all students to explore the path to becoming Catholic and discover the beauty of this sacred journey.

How Can They Start the Journey?

If they are interested in exploring the Catholic faith, we invite students to join our RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults) program. While it is typically for adults, our school offers a special opportunity for students to walk alongside others who are interested in becoming Catholic. In these sessions, they will learn about the sacraments, prayer, and the core beliefs of the Church in a supportive and engaging environment. Fr Cong will lead the program.

Please contact Ms Redden for further information.

Belinda Redden | Leader of Mission 

The NSW Premier Reading challenge is up and running for another year.

The students have the opportunity to participate by reading a total of 20 books. The entries for the challenge close on the 22nd of August. The students can read 10 free choice books and 10 Premier reading challenge books to make their total. There are a number of Premier’s reading challenge books at the Learning Resource Centre to borrow.

Students who complete the challenge will have the opportunity to attend a movie afternoon with snacks in the learning resource centre to recognise and celebrate their efforts at the end of term 3. You can pick up your personal reading log from the Learning Resource Centre. Once the students have completed the challenge they will need to hand in their reading log into the Learning Resource Centre.

If you have any questions please ask

Happy reading!

Mrs Sugden | Teacher/Librarian

We are now taking names for this year for private tuition lessons in various instruments.

Welcome Back Students,

Important Notice: ALL students must update their year in Flexischools when placing your lunch order. This makes the process much quicker for order delivery if this can be done  please.

Flexi Schools is the preferred method for lunch ordering in our school to ensure your childs lunch is available, as we only have limited quantities for sale over the counter.

Please see the below flyers with some helpful tips from Flexischools.

Remember all orders need to be placed before 9am. 

If you have any problems or questions for the Canteen, please do not hesitate to contact me through the School Office.

Thank you

Mary Holdsworth | 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