Easter Egg Hunts Proof your children can find things when they really want to

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1 29 March Week 8 Term Dear Parents and Carers, St Matthew s Primary School is a school of the Archdiocese of Canberra Goulburn Notes sent home this fortnight Cross Country Carnival Yr 1 Canberra Theatre Excursion Kinder Cockington Green Excursion Yr 4 Canberra Theatre Excursion Holy Week Prayers Reflection Easter Egg Hunts Proof your children can find things when they really want to You will have received an last week announcing Mr Graham Pollard will be the new principal of St Matthew s from the start of next term. We are so delighted with this news; Graham comes to St Matthew s with many years of respected experience as a Principal in our Catholic Education system. In fact, Graham and I worked together in a north Canberra Catholic school for many years when I was a young(er!) teacher and he was first a principal! Graham and I will be working together often during the rest of Term 1 and into the student holiday period so there is a smooth transition from Ms Foley to Mr Pollard as principal. It was with a joy-filled and proud heart that I journeyed with our school community through the Easter Tableau today. We began our prayer celebration at the labyrinth, where Kindergarten and Year 1 told us about Palm Sunday and the important message of love Jesus taught us. We travelled together to the oval where Year 3 shared the story of Jesus last supper and told us how we can be people of action when remembering Jesus. Year 2 led us through Jesus night of prayer and sorrow in the Garden of Gethsemane, reminding us about how important it is to pray. Year 4 and 5 s classic sharing of the Stations of the Cross was a moving and sombre representation of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. We then followed Year 6 into the hall where the glorious story of Jesus resurrection and the joy that comes from celebrating this story was brought to life. This beautiful narrative is the central part of our Christian faith and it was a privilege to watch the children share it with such reverence and respect. Thank you to our committed staff for preparing the children so well for this wonderful occasion, and thank you to all the parents, grandparents and friends who joined us for this event and who journeyed with us in respectful and prayerful reverence. I d like to share with you a little prayer for Easter, penned by the poet and artist Michael Leunig. It is both simple and complex, and provokes some thought! Let us live in such a way that when we die Our love will survive and continue to grow. Amen We have had a very successful start to the re-imaged St Matthew s Canteen. We are really grateful to the Healthy Kids Association for providing the children of St Matthew s with such tasty and interesting foods for their lunches! Thank you to parents and carers for your support; as with many initiatives, success is dependent on usage! Lunch orders will continue to be available on Fridays each week (but not tomorrow of course!) through flexischools.com.au. My sincerest thanks to Kate Hayne (mum of Lara McGuigan Year 5) for her tireless pursuit of a viable canteen option for our school, both during and after her time as Community Council Chair. God bless your cotton socks, Kate! I pray that our God of all Easter joys is with you for the long weekend and that Jesus message of God s unending love is lived in your homes during Easter. Brenda Foley Principal Brenda.Foley@cg.catholic.edu.au P F E office.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au In Truth and Love we Listen Learn Lead

2 Matty s Matters - Page 2 Matty s Matters - Page 2 From Our Assistant Principal The students will be farewelling and thanking our Principal Brenda Foley in Week 9, Friday 6 April. You are warmly invited to join us in the school hall from 1.50 pm 3.00 pm. Therese Nolan Assistant Principal Therese.Nolan@cg.catholic.edu.au

3 Matty s Matters - Page 3 How do Easter, Chocolate, Butterflies, Eggs and Bunnies go together? Chocolate comes from a tree that only grows in tropical rain forests. The tree is named Theobroma Cacao (pronounced theo-broma ca-cow) which translates as Bitter Fruit of God. It seems right that at Easter we exchange eggs made from the chocolate bean with the name that mean the Bitter Fruit of God. For the Easter story is both bitter and sweet: Jesus died and Jesus came back to life, giving us hope that death was not the end. Like the egg, rabbits or bunnies are great symbols for fertility because they have new offspring very rapidly. For the same reason, however, they can also represent the swiftness of the spread of God s truth in the fertile ground of a humble and renewed heart. The beautiful butterfly, with the power of flight, emerging from the apparently lifeless cocoon: what could be a more perfect symbol of the Resurrection The egg is a wonderful symbol of birth and rebirth, an apparently lifeless object out of which comes life. Because of this, it is a symbol of Christ's Resurrection and is seen most often at Easter. Sylvia Campbell Religious Education Coordinator Sylvia.Campbell@cg.catholic.edu.au Confirmation Sacramental Program 2018 The Confirmation Parent and Candidate session will be held in Term 2 on Wednesday 16 May at 6.00 pm in the St Matthew s church. Important dates for the Confirmation program Commitment Masses - Saturday 19 May at 6.00 pm & Sunday 20 May at 8.30 am Commitment Masses - Saturday 16 June at 6.00 pm & Sunday 17 June at 8.30 am Retreat Day at St Matthew s - Friday 22 June Celebration of the Sacrament - Wednesday 27 June 6.00 pm GOOD NEWS

4 Matty s Matters - Page 4 Shave for a Cure Our admiration and congratulations go to Charlotte Lawless and Jack Sciacca (Year 6) on their amazing contribution to Shave for a Cure. They had their hair cut off at Assembly in Week 6 and between them they raised $400 for the Leukaemia Foundation. Well done Charlotte and Jack. You saw a need and did something about it!

5 Matty s Matters - Page 5 From the desk of Mr Stevens Morning Fitness We will start morning fitness every day on the Tuesday of Week 9 (after the Easter long weekend). Please wear your sport shoes to school every day. Don t forget to bring your regular school shoes in a plastic bag on non-sport days. Belconnen Regional Swimming Carnival Well done to all those students who competed at the Belconnen Regional Swimming Carnival on Tuesday. I have heard reports from Ms Foley that you all did a wonderful job representing our school. I will have more information on the success of the individual children who competed as it comes to hand. Mr Stevens word of the week Cacozelia A stylistic use of language, such as throwing in foreign words to appear more cultured or learned. That s it from me, have a great Easter and enjoy the long weekend. Au revoir, Jeremy Stevens Curriculum Coordinator Jeremy.Stevens@cg.catholic.edu.au Happy birthday wishes to Brandon Clark, Dan Pindral, Harry Foster, Alex Lodge, Cooper Wilkinson, Gretel Sawade, Samuel Molloy, Amelia Cooper, Elena-Grace O Connell, Levi Morris, Callum Ernst, Sebastian Palamara, Ruby Murray, Claudia Larobina, Oliver Sedgwick, Amelie Lawless, Charlotte Lawless, Isobel White, Dylan Williams and Mrs Ryan who celebrated birthdays recently. Uniform Shop The uniform shop is open on Thursday afternoons from 2.45 pm. We have a range of fleece jumpers and long sleeve shirts available for the cooler months. Hello School Bankers 2018 has seen a big increase in the number of weekly banking deposits. Congratulations kids at St Matthew s. It s easy to be a part of school banking at St Matthew s. All your child needs is a Youthsaver account, which can be opened at your local Commonwealth Bank Branch, and then deposit your bank book on THURSDAY in the note folder. Each deposit earns a silver token and 10 silver tokens are redeemable for a prize, please remember that school banking is to reward regular saving not size of deposit, you can deposit as little as 5 cents! ALSO in Term 2 St Matthew s will be holding a competition! 5 deposits in term 2 will earn you a ticket in the draw to win!! We would like to Thank Project Lighting for kindly donating a Desk Lamp, to be drawn the first Friday of Term 3.

6 St Matthew s Calendar Term One 2018 Matty s Matters - Page 6 Wk Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday 9 2 April Mrs Johnson s b day Easter Monday Public Holiday 3 April Gymnastics 6.00 pm Community Council Executive Meeting 4 April MSP SCHOOL PHOTO DAY Summer uniform 5 April Gymnastics 9.30 am Daramalan pre-enrolment day Year 6 students 1.00 pm Year 1 Canberra Theatre Excursion 6 April am Year 3 and 4 Canberra Theatre Excursion 1.50 pm Ms Foley s Farewell from St Matthew s 7 April Family Portrait Day (Community Council) 8 April Catholic Soccer Carnival 10 9 April pm Year 6 Leadership Ceremony 10 April 6.45 am for 7.00 am departure Year 6 Camp to Narrabeen Gymnastics 11 April Year 6 Camp 12 April Year 6 Camp Gymnastics 13 April Year 6 Camp 9.00 am Year 3 and Year 4 Kenny Koala Cyber safety Term 1 Ends 14 April 15 April The Easter Triduum will be celebrated at St Matthew s Church: Holy Thursday 29 March Mass of the Lord s Supper 7.30 pm Good Friday 30 March Celebration of the Passion of the Lord 3.00 pm Holy Saturday 31 March Easter Vigil 7.00 pm St Matthew s Church Easter Sunday Masses St Vincent de Paul s Church 8.30 am am Stations of the Cross on Good Friday St Vincent de Paul s Church am

7 Matty s Matters - Page 7 Don t Miss Out! Family Photos Saturday 7 April Our Family Portrait Fundraising Day is Saturday 7 April 2018 and we still have some spaces available. This represents a great opportunity to capture photos of the whole family while raising money for the school. Please return a voucher (found on the bottom of the Family Portrait Flyer) and your $20 payment to the office, and we will confirm the time for your photo during the week commencing 2 April If you need a new voucher, have particular limitations on availability, or have any other questions, please contact Natasha Greagg on tanashamc@yahoo.com.au or Working Bee Our first Working Bee for 2018 will be held: Date: Sunday 6 May Time: 10:30 am to 1:30 pm. Meeting: Netball Courts Lunch and drinks will be provided. Every Working Bee is a great way to meet other families and help maintain/improve the school grounds. Please RSVP to council.stmatts@cg.catholic.edu.au to help us confirm numbers for catering.

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9 Happy Easter to all St Matthew s children, staff, parents, friends, parishioners and community. May the blessings of Easter and the joy of our risen Jesus be in your hearts this Easter and always!