Principal Talk with Mrs Lowe
Bullying No Way Week at St Matthew’s – 11–15 August 2025
St Matthew’s is proud to be part of Bullying No Way Week, Australia’s national initiative to prevent bullying in schools. From 11–15 August, all classes across the school will participate in engaging activities that promote kindness, courage, and respectful relationships.
This year’s theme, “Be bold. Be kind. Speak up.”, encourages students to take positive action against bullying and support one another in building a safe and inclusive school environment. Through creative classroom projects, discussions, and collaborative learning, our students are developing a shared understanding of bullying behaviours and how to respond effectively.
Together with schools across the country, St Matthew’s is committed to fostering a culture where every student feels safe, valued, and heard.
St Matthew’s is a Nut-Aware School
At St Matthew’s, the safety and well-being of all students is our highest priority. We are a nut-aware school, which means we take thoughtful and practical steps to reduce the risk of allergic reactions, particularly anaphylaxis, which can be life-threatening.
While leading health and education bodies no longer recommend blanket food bans, we ask families to avoid sending nuts and nut products to school, especially in classes where students have known allergies. This is particularly important for younger students who may not yet be able to manage their allergies independently.
Our staff complete annual anaphylaxis training, and emergency medication is available on campus and at all school events. Students with known allergies have individual care plans in place, and we continue to educate all students about allergy awareness, including the importance of not sharing food and washing hands after eating.
Thank you for your continued support in helping us maintain a safe and inclusive environment for every child.
Morning Supervision Reminder
We’d like to remind all families that morning supervision at school begins at 8:30am. For the safety and well-being of all students, no child should be at school before this time unless they are enrolled in the Before School Care program.
The school does not have a duty of care for students prior to 8:30am, and staff are not rostered for supervision before this time. Arriving early can pose safety risks, as there is no formal supervision to ensure students are safe and supported.
If you require care before 8:30am, we encourage you to make use of Team Kids, our Before School Care service, which provides a safe and structured environment for students in the early hours.
Thank you for your cooperation in helping us keep all students safe.
Staffing Updates – Term 3
Next week, we warmly welcome Mr Darren Roberts as the full-time teacher of 5B and Coordinator. We’re excited to have him with us every day.
I will be on leave during Weeks 5 and 6 to attend two major professional conferences: the National Catholic Education Conference and the Australian Primary Principals Association Conference. These are part of my role as Director of the Australian Catholic Primary Principals' Association, and I look forward to sharing valuable insights with our school community.
During my absence, Mrs Cole will be Acting Principal, continuing to support our students, staff, and families with her usual care and dedication.
Other upcoming staff leave includes:
- Chris Answerth (Office Manager): Weeks 5–7
- Mrs Johnson (2M): Long Service Leave, Weeks 8–10
- Miss Murdock: Week 10 (wedding celebration)
- Mrs Cole: Week 10
We’ve arranged appropriate cover to ensure smooth operations and continuity for students.
Term 3 is often a preferred time for staff to take leave, as it typically involves fewer reporting and assessment demands. This helps minimise disruption to learning while allowing staff to recharge and celebrate personal milestones.
New Readers
We’re thrilled to share that many of our classes have received a generous delivery of 1,140 new decodable readers from the Catholic Education Office. These high-quality texts are designed to support early reading development and will serve as a valuable resource for our students.
A big thank you to our Year 4 students, who have done a wonderful job helping to stamp and prepare the books for distribution to classrooms this week.
We look forward to seeing these books in action as our young readers continue to grow in confidence and skill.
School Fees
Just a reminder that your Term 3 2025 School Fees are due this week (15th August) unless payment is being made by regular instalments.
Please contact the front office if you haven’t received your fees or have any questions.
Thank you for your attention to this.