Hello to Students, Parents, Staff and Friends of St Matthew’s,
Just a very brief newsletter this week. As a number of things occur tomorrow and Friday these will come home via the SkoolBag App early next week – The Grade 1’s are on excursion to Scienceworks and there is a Cross Country competition tomorrow and on Friday, our weekly Interschool Sport. Our School Captains, (Alessia Falcone & Jack Reid) with Mrs Spooner are representing our school at Parade College for their 150 Anniversary and a Reconciliation Ceremony in conjunction with Reconciliation Week and “Say Sorry day.” Stay tuned for all the great photos and information.
As is the case in most schools there are a number of COVID cases (some students and staff), but we have been able to keep them at an absolute minimum, which is fantastic. One local school had 100 students away last Friday and another 32 staff. Wow what disruption that must have caused!
REMINDER ABOUT RATs – RAPID ANTIGEN TESTING
Just a reminder that a new box of RATs for each child came home last night. They will continue to be distributed to you as they have been throughout this school year for the remainder of this term.
However, from next Monday 23 May 2022, we do not recommend that your child complete a RAT twice a week as previously advised. RATs will continue to be required by students who are household contacts to attend school (five negative tests over a seven-day period) or who have symptoms.
The ongoing supply of RATs to families in our school will ensure that parents and carers have tests should they need them if their child is a household contact or has symptoms.
Families must continue to notify the Department of Health and the school if their child returns a positive RAT result. Additionally, you should inform us if any of your children are household contacts.
Thank you to all families who have gotten their child vaccinated. Vaccination continues to remain the best way to protect students and staff in our school. Getting vaccinated is easy and bookings can be done via the Department of Health’s website https://portal.cvms.vic.gov.au. If you have any questions about the vaccines, I encourage you to speak to your GP or a health practitioner.
Thank you again for your ongoing cooperation and support during these Pandemic times.
YEAR PREP – 6 ENROLMENTS ARE OPEN FOR 2023
Thank you to those families who have come in and taken an enrolment package and also thank you to those families who have already returned their completed enrolment forms. This already helps us enormously in planning for 2023.
We know that a number of families were unable to attend our school tours during Catholic education week, but we can certainly arrange other times which suit both prospective parents and the school.
So please ring the office on 9359 5423 to book yourself in, ask Almoza and she will confer with myself and I am sure we can accommodate a mutual time for both parties. I look forward to taking existing and new families around our amazing school
ENROLMENTS CLOSE ON THURSDAY 9TH JUNE JUST BEFORE THE LONG WEEKEND.
Once again please remember in your prayers those loved ones affected by COVID and also all the displaced Men, Women and Children (alive and deceased) in the Ukraine.
Yours Sincerely,
Bob Brown - Principal
GENERAL NEWS
Pokémon Cards.
Pokémon cards have made a return to the schoolyard and are causing some issues.
Parents we ask for your assistance!
Many of our younger students are very excited about their cards and can swap with other students without realizing the value of the card that they have swapped. On some occasions, little ones are left crying and then finding that card becomes difficult. The teachers on yard duty are not Pokémon masterminds and often to an adult one card looks the same as another.
We don’t mind having the cards but we ask that you remind your children that swapping them or giving them to other students is not ON. If they wish to swap then please do it when you the parent is around so that you have control of what you have spent many dollars on.
Hoping for your help in this matter
Teachers on yard duty!
