Dear Parents and Carers,

Parent Survey Report
Last term, you might recall that our parent community was invited to complete the Tell Them From Me Survey. We had 88 parents who responded. Thank you! 

The survey includes seven separate measures, which were scored on a ten-point scale. In six out of seven areas, our school’s mean was higher than the region's mean. Families at St Matthew’s feel welcome and informed, and believe that the school is safe, inclusive, and supports positive behaviour. We also learned that our parents encourage their children to do well, praise children for doing their best at school, and take an interest in their child’s friendships and feelings towards other children at the school. Your support of learning at home increases student engagement and academic achievement. In one area (the school supports learning), our mean was equal to the region’s mean. These survey results are something to celebrate! 

We are so appreciative of the positive comments about our school which were submitted. I include a small selection here: 

• There are so many things I like about St Matthews! The teachers and other staff are welcoming, friendly, approachable and skilled at their jobs. The classrooms are inviting and warm on cold days. The staff are fantastic at keeping parents updated on a weekly basis about relevant topics, reminders, activities, excursions, parenting tips and other information via the Compass portal. Staff help to promote and foster friendships among students, and have monthly award ceremonies for excellent achievement, which encourages a sense of belonging and a boost to self esteem. They run liturgy which helps to develop student relationships with God, and generally encourage a supportive school community. 
• The staff at the school are all so friendly and positive. You always feel welcome and like you want to be part of the community. 
• The school is a warm and welcoming environment, where teachers, vice principal and principal know most of the students by their name and class. Parents are welcome to stay for morning assembly and attend the prayer liturgy which is a wonderful way to include the wider family in the school community. My child’s learning is supported and encouraged, his class work is exciting and sometimes challenging to him, extending his growth and development. 
• My child feels safe and confident at school, and loves his teachers. I especially love how the Year 6 students are kind and friendly to my son who is only in Kindy. They always say hi to him and he feels included and respected. The teachers are doing a great job, and my son’s academic learning has come along in leaps and bounds…. He is engaged and challenged. 

We had a number of very helpful suggestions for improvement, too, which we’ll consider carefully as we make plans for the future of St Matthew’s. We are also appreciative of these recommendations.

It is also apparent that there are some issues which are proving to be confusing for some of you, or which require clarification. This term, I’ll be addressing these in my fortnightly newsletter inclusion. 

Thank you, again, for your responses to our survey.  

Petra Cole
Assistant Principal 
petra.cole@cg.catholic.edu.au