Devotion – A story of humility

‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?’ (Matthew 6:25). One lunchtime I was watching children happily playing in the sandpit, burying themselves to their waist, smiling, chatting and having a thoroughly good time. A colleague asked me, ‘When did we stop doing that?’ The children gave no thought as to how much sand was making its way into their socks and shoes and other items of clothing, which they would have to deal with afterwards. There was just the pure delight on the children’s faces as they were enjoying their achievements in the gentle May sunshine. Living in the moment. It is so easy to get caught up in the concerns of tomorrow, especially in the present circumstances. Some COVID-19 restrictions are beginning to lift, but how will it impact us in the future? Is it really safe? Will others adhere to the social distancing measures still in place? What will we do when we have to start paying our loans again? It is hard to focus on today with all this hanging over our heads. Where we invest our time and thoughts makes a big difference. Peter offers some advice: ‘Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you’ (1 Peter 5:7). Notice he doesn’t say ‘some of your worries’. He has promised to be with us, today, tomorrow and the days after that. So it follows that he will be there to guide, sustain, equip, comfort, provide, love and care for us each day. With this confidence, maybe we can notice and enjoy the blessings that are given to us in the moment and allow them to refresh our souls … today. Dear Father God, thank you for holding me close to your heart. Thank you for taking my worries and cares. Thank you for the moments you give me each day. Help me to recognise them. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Prayer Points

We give thanks for the school staff who dedicate their time and effort to providing a safe and enjoyable learning environment for the students

We pray for the members of St Matthew’s congregation as they search for a new pastor

We pray for the vulnerable people in our community and ask that God protects and comforts them

We pray for the Laiteng, Lam and Lian families

Micah Award

To Olivia for showing courage and perseverance

To Eunice for demonstrating a good work ethic and compassion to others

Child Safety

Child safety is one of the school’s highest priorities and obligations. There are many strategies the school has implemented to ensure the physical and emotional safety of your children. One of the strategies used is to educate the students about safe online etiquette. The students are taught from a young age about the importance of keeping private information confidential and not posting information on forums that they visit online.

As parents, you play a vital role in keeping your children safe when they are online. Following are some practical ways parents can assist their students:

• Closely monitor your children when they are online. Keep screens and devices where you can see them. DO NOT allow your child to use devices unsupervised.
• Talk openly with your child about their online activity, ensuring you are both aware of and educated about online dangers.
• Be aware of the websites that they visit and how to use parental controls to restrict access to inappropriate material.
• DO NOT ALLOW your child to create or own any social media accounts. This includes TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, YouTube and Twitter. Children under the age of 13 are not permitted to have social media accounts!
• If you find any material online that you believe is prohibited or inappropriate, contact the eSafety Hotline at https://www.esafety.gov.au/report/illegal-harmful-content.

Prep/ 1

In the Prep/1 classroom we have been practising maths concepts by playing card games. Here we focused on putting the numbers from smallest to largest. We can practise this at home with a normal deck of cards!

Year 2/ 3

In the Year 2/3 classroom we have been learning about Commemorations. Together you can talk about the history and symbols of ANZAC Day. Ask your child to sing the song about the last Anzac.

Year 3/ 4

In the Year 3/4 classroom we have been learning how to use some multiplication strategies to solve problems. You can help us by giving us a 1-digit or 2-digit problem to solve using the strategies we have learned!

Year 5/ 6

In the Year 5/6 classroom we have been learning how to multiply and divide fractions.

How you can help us by giving us some real life problems to solve.