A Message from the 

Assistant Principal

Welcome back to 2024, a special welcome to the new families who have joined our school. I wish them a rewarding and fulfilling experience at St. Martha’s.

School Times

Supervision begins at 8:15 am. All students must be at school by 8:45 am. We understand that on occasion the morning routine may not run as smoothly as you would like. If you arrive after 8:45am when the gates are closed, please bring your child to the office and sign them in. 

Compass

Please ensure that you continue to check the Parent Calendar on COMPASS for important information and dates as well as our school newsletters. If you do not have COMPASS access, please download the app or visit www.stmstrathfield.catholic.edu.au/compass for further instructions. If you are new to the school and have not received your username and password, please contact the school office. We will be holding Parent Information Sessions on our Compass Portal in the coming weeks for families new to the school or any parent who would like a ‘refresher’ course. 

Curriculum Overviews

Each term, the teachers prepare a Curriculum Overview which outlines the topics and areas of the syllabus that will be covered in each Key Learning Area for that term. 

Communication

It is important that parents and teachers have good communication opportunities. Good communication means speaking and listening actively and respectfully and not making assumptions. When problems arise they do not have to be stumbling blocks, instead they could be opportunities to work together to find positive and creative solutions. Solutions that will benefit our children. If you have any questions or concerns throughout the school year, your child's teacher should always be the first point of contact. The best way to make contact is via an email to the office.

Sports Days

‘GotGame’ will continue to provide our sport lessons. We welcome back Mr. Bart and Coach Christian. 

Students are required to wear their sports uniform on the following days

Kindergarten:  Tuesday

Year 1: Tuesday

Year 2: Tuesday

Year 3: Wednesday

Year 4: Tuesday

Stage 3 (Years 5 & 6): Tuesday

Students will also be attending a 10-day swim program this term and fitness lessons in terms 2-4.

Mandarin Lessons

Mandarin lessons will recommence next week for Yrs 1 - 6. The program is being run by MEG Languages. Each week, students will have a 25min lesson with a Mandarin teacher via Zoom from China. Our classroom teachers remain in the classroom to support the students' learning. Students will also have a follow-up activity each week based on either language or Chinese culture which helps students to contextualize their learning. The program meets the NESA Chinese K-10 syllabus requirements. Our Kindergarten classes will commence the program in Term 2. 

Anaphylaxis

In order to ensure the good health of children who have a severe allergic and potentially fatal reaction to nuts, St Martha’s is an Allergy Aware school. Please do not send PEANUT BUTTER, NUTELLA, OR ANY NUT PRODUCT in your child’s lunch box.

Several students have a severe allergy to these products. This allergy is known as Anaphylaxis.

School-Wide Positive Behaviours for Learning (SPBL)

The school-wide rules at St. Martha’s are:

• Be Responsible
• Be Safe
• Be Respectful

As part of these rules, we use a matrix, with a clearly defined set of expected behaviours

Throughout the term, students are actively engaged in lessons and activities that define our school rules and encourage expected behaviours. Teachers will offer tokens when they see expected behaviours on the playground. Tokens are then added to the token containers, leading toward a whole school reward.

We encourage you to ask your children, “Did you receive a token today?” and find out what it was for. This dialogue will help reinforce the expected behaviours and develop the intrinsic motivation for your children to continue showing these behaviours.

A reminder that in this warm weather, children should have a labeled school hat and a drink bottle filled with water every day at school. St. Martha's has a 'no hat no play' policy. New hats can be purchased at the school office.

Steven Belcastro

Assistant Principal