Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been a busy start to Term 4. I hope you all enjoyed your holiday break and any time you were able to spend with your children. For some families this is the last term of their child’s first year at school and for others their final term at St. Martha’s as they prepare for the high school transition.

As always our school is a busy place with so many wonderful learning activities for the children to enjoy. Please read the 'Dates to Remember' page and the Curriculum notes on the Assistant Principal page to see some of the events and learning opportunities that our students will be engaged in this term.

As World Teacher's Day is coming up, let us pray for our teachers.

God of Love,

Thank you for every teacher who notices a child’s special gift.

Thank you for teachers who are listeners and gentle guides.

Thank you for teachers who expect much and love enough to demand more.

Thank you for the special teacher each one of us remembers.

God of Mercy,

Sustain teachers who give everything they have.

Strengthen teachers who assume the blame for so many problems beyond their control.

Help exhausted teachers rest.

God of Strength,

Encourage teachers to care and inspire them to nourish.

Motivate teachers to keep on learning for the fun of it and to make learning enjoyable for children.

We wonder at teachers who know how to quiet a class of five year olds or help fourth graders be empathetic.

We admire teachers who enjoy middle school writers, or teach physics or math of history.

Bless the people who are expected to accomplish these miracles and who know how to comfort children when miracles don’t happen.

God of Justice,

Help and support teachers in their special calling, wherever they teach and whatever obstacles they must face.

We pray these things in the name of our great teacher, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

World Teacher’s Day - Friday 31st October

Internationally World Teachers' Day is celebrated on the first Friday in October. However, as this is usually during Australian school holidays, Australia celebrates the day on the last Friday in October of each year.

Everyday, teachers are making a difference educating and inspiring young people across our world. World Teachers' Day is an opportunity to acknowledge our teachers and say thanks for the significant contributions they make in our classrooms and communities.

Celebrated in more than 100 countries world-wide, World Teachers' Day was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in 1994 to recognise the role of teachers in society. If you were able to read this newsletter, please take this opportunity to thank a teacher.

Social Media Delay

From 10 December 2025, children under 16 will no longer be able to have accounts on major social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat and YouTube. The aim is to give young people more time to grow and develop before facing the pressures of social media.

What’s Changing

Under-16 accounts will be deactivated, and new ones blocked.
Messaging apps, online games and education or health platforms are mostly not affected.
Kids can still view public content (like YouTube videos), but without the personalised feeds and notifications designed to keep them scrolling.

Why the Change?

This 'delay' is about protecting young people from harmful content, addictive design and the mental health impacts of too much screen time. It also gives families more space to build healthy digital habits.

What Parents Can Do

Talk to your child now about how they use social media and what will change.
Show empathy, it may feel like a big adjustment.
Explore safe alternatives for connection and creativity.
Use the time to set family rules for when they are old enough.
Taken from Council of Catholic School Parents 'Parent Talk' Newsletter

Grandparents Day

On Monday 27th October we will celebrate Grandparents Day. This will be a special time for the students to show their appreciation for all that their grandparents do in supporting them. More details can be found on the Religious Education News page. Hope to see you there.

Have a great fortnight,

Steven Belcastro

SCECS

Christmas Toy Drive