2026 Term 1 Week 2

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

I hope that you all had a wonderful break with your loved ones and found opportunities to enjoy the simple things in life. Life is all about experiences, and I know these experiences are what your children will remember about their time growing up. May 2026 be a year of renewal for you and may our community continue to shine in High Wycombe.

There’s something wonderfully hopeful about the first weeks of a new school year—the labels are still sticking, the lunchboxes still close properly, and the pencils are (mostly) the same length. More importantly, our vision as a Catholic community is renewed: to be Christ‑centred and child‑focused, shaping a place where every learner is known, valued, and loved. We take our cue from Bishop Matthew Gibney, whose legacy was courage, compassion, and a roll‑up‑your‑sleeves commitment to serving others. That’s the spirit we want alive in our classrooms and playgrounds this year—a community that looks outward with faith and inward with care, so every child can flourish.

As we begin this new year at Matthew Gibney, I’ve been reflecting on a word that I think will help guide us through 2026—coherence. I discussed this word with our staff at our first meeting for 2026 and how I want it to drive our community. Now, before you picture a stack of policy documents, a strategic plan, and me waving a highlighter around, don’t panic! Coherence is really just this: making sure that what we believe, what we say, and what we actually do all match up.

(Think of it like telling your kids you love healthy eating… and then not hiding in the pantry eating chocolate. That kind of coherence.)

At school, coherence means our vison statement isn’t just hanging on the walls looking pretty—they’re alive in our classrooms, our decisions, our interactions with one another. It means your child experiences consistency, clarity, and care, no matter whose classroom they walk into. We want learning to feel the same way a well‑packed lunchbox feels; organised, intentional, and not filled with complete surprises.

Coherence doesn’t mean we all have to be identical. Our staff bring different strengths, experiences, styles, and talents—and that’s the beauty of teaching. When we work together toward a shared purpose, the impact is stronger than any one of us could achieve on our own.
(Kind of like a good coffee—the beans, the milk, the temperature, and the person operating the machine all matter!)

When a school is coherent:

• Students feel secure because expectations actually make sense
• Staff feel confident because we’re walking in the same direction
• Families feel reassured because our actions reflect our values

This year—and for years to come—we’ll be working intentionally to strengthen this coherence between what we believe and what we do each day. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen together. In 2026, we have been intentional in our planning through our School Improvement Plan where it is hoped by the end of the year we have developed and embedded our school values, our school’s Vision for Learning and Early Years Philosophy, and know Matthew Gibney the person and what he stood for. These things will become our cornerstone for who we are as a community and what we stand for whether as a staff member, student or parent.

My commitment to you is to lead with clarity, care, and collaboration. And in return, I ask that we all—staff, students, and families—walk this journey with openness, trust, and a spirit of partnership.

Together, let’s build a Matthew Gibney community that is united in purpose, strong in values, joyful in learning, and authentic in our Catholic identity. Here’s to a year of coherence, community…and hopefully fewer lost lunchboxes and jumpers!

Seesaw @ MG

We would like to inform you of some updates to our communication systems at MG.

Seesaw will continue to play an important role in connecting with our school community. It will be used for the following purposes:

• Students sharing their work with families, who are welcome to view and comment.
• Teachers posting class announcements and general messages.
• Teachers setting learning tasks and assignments for students.
• Administration sharing notices with the whole school community.

Please note that parents will no longer be able to message teachers through Seesaw using the chat function. If you need to contact your child’s teacher, we kindly ask that you do so via email. Email allows parents and teachers to write clear, structured messages that include important context, questions, and attachments. This helps teachers respond thoughtfully and accurately.

By moving communication to email, we ensure teachers can manage messages within their professional workday, supporting a healthier balance and ensuring more consistent responses.

Seesaw will continue to be a tool for showcasing learning, celebrating achievements, and sharing classroom updates. Turning off the chat feature helps keep Seesaw focused on its intended purpose while ensuring that communication channels remain streamlined and effective.

Parent Teacher Communication

As your child enters this new year, if you have any concerns about them make sure you make an appointment to see their teacher as they are eager to work with you.  As Principal, I am always there to assist you during your time at MG, however, your child’s teacher should always be your first contact regarding your child and their learning.  Maintaining open and honest communication is important for us at MG as it is a way to help alleviate some stress for you.  Parents are encouraged to notify your child’s teacher of any concerns you may have and to make an appointment at a mutually convenient time before or after school. The easiest way to make an appointment is to email your child’s teacher directly.

When emailing please consider what is appropriate to be emailed and what needs to be discussed face to face. In relation to emails, I need to reinforce that there is no expectation from me that staff members are to be communicating via email during the school day or after school hours or the weekend. Likewise, questions or requests sent via email cannot always be answered or responded to immediately. My expectation is that some kind of response, even if it is pending further follow up, should be received within a maximum of 24 hours of sending an initial enquiry, not including weekends. Our staff are very professional, and service focused, but their role involves them wearing multiple hats throughout the day. I ask that you allow them time to address your questions professionally and in a realistic timeframe.

Child Safe Framework

Have you heard of the CEWA Child Safe Framework?

Our CEWA Child Safe Framework help us to make decisions surrounding child safety in the school using nine elements.

These nine elements include:

Support and Healing: Responding to those who have been injured or hurt through abuse and harm and to assist them to heal.

Voice of the Child: Recognises each child and young person’s right to be heard and to have a voice in all that happens to them.

Culture: All members of the school community share responsibility for, and actively promote an environment that prioritises the best interests of children and young people.

Governance and Leadership: School leaders understand, create and promote environments that are safe, supportive and engaging. They make their decisions based on the best interests of students.

Policy and Procedures: Structures and processes that are accessible, consistent and transparent. Policies must be understood, implemented and actioned everyday.

Human Resource Practices: These practices assist our schools and care centres to identify the most suitable people to work with our students and to provide appropriate training.

Risk Management: Proactively identifying and limiting potential risks.

Investigation and Reporting: The development and implementation of processes that are transparent, fair and clearly understood by the school community.

Quality Assurance: Systematic, continual improvement is evident through ongoing evaluation and assessment.

Code of Conduct

At Matthew Gibney, all staff, parents, and visitors adhere to our school Code of Conduct.  This year, we will be reinforcing our Code of Conduct with all families and at our Catholic School Advisory Council meetings.  The code is outlined below:

Conduct Statements

1. You act safely and competently.
2. You give priority to students’ safety and well-being in all your behaviour and decision making.
3. You act in accordance with the values of the Gospel as defined in the Code of Ethical Conduct.
4. You conduct yourself in accordance with laws, agreements, policies and standards relevant to your relationship with the school community.
5. You respect the dignity, culture, values and beliefs of each member of the school community.
6. You treat personal information about members of the school community as private and confidential.
7. You give impartial, honest and accurate information about the education, safety and well-being of students.
8. You support all members of the school community in making informed decisions about students.
9. You promote and preserve the trust and privilege inherent in your relationship with all members of the school community.
10. You maintain and build on the community’s trust and confidence in Catholic schools and the Church.
11. You act reflectively and ethically.
12. You allow students to have a voice in their education, safety and well-being.

Should any member of the school community have concerns about someone not adhering to the Code of Conduct, please make a time to see me.

Parent Dispute and Complaint Resolution Procedure

At Matthew Gibney, we are committed to handling complaints and concerns effectively and efficiently.  Our full procedure can be found on our school website.

Student Code of Conduct

Our Student Code of Conduct developed by our students presents the Code of Conduct in language that is easily understood by them.  Their Code of Conduct also provides them with avenues to discuss concerns or suggestions.

P&F Meeting

Please note that the first P&F Meeting of the year will take place on Tuesday 17^th February at 3:30pm in our Library. It is always great to see new faces and hear new ideas. This is a wonderful way for you to contribute to your children’s education. So please come along and join in the planning for the year ahead and invite other parents to come along with you.

This year, we are offering two alternating times for meetings which hopefully encourage more parents to attend.  Our meeting dates and times are as follows:

• 17^th February (3:30pm)
• 18^th March (9:00am)
• 12^th May (3:30pm)
• 10^th June (9:00am)
• 11^th August (3:30pm)
• 9^th September (9:00am)
• 10^th November (3:30pm)

Matthew Gibney’s Catholic School Advisory Council

The Matthew Gibney Catholic School Advisory Council is a great example of how our school and parents/caregivers work together to make our community the great place it is.  We will be holding our first meeting on Wednesday, 18 February.

In 2026, our School Advisory Council members are:

• Emma Brierty (Chairperson)
• Sarina Massang
• Stephanie Gullotto
• Sarah Young (P&F Rep)
• Kaitlyn Gelmi
• Caris Smith
• Ryan Harnett
• Dianne Cook (Parish Rep)

I look forward to working with these people and utilising their gifts and strengths to benefit our school and our improvement journey, and I thank them for their commitment in 2026.

Holiday Works

Our school is looking amazing with all the works being completed over the holidays, including our new Library which is 90% ready!  As well as this, our vacation clean and garden maintenance that took place ensures our school is looking fantastic.  Stay tuned for lots more exciting things happening this year at MG.

Uniform

I would like to thank the students for wearing our uniform with such pride each day.  Thank you for your support with maintaining such a high standard at Matthew Gibney.  Students in Year 1 and 2 are to wear the following:

Monday, Wednesday and Friday: Sports Uniform with REP SHIRT

Tuesday and Thursday:  Sports Uniform with FACTION SHIRT

**Students in Year 2 may choose to wear the Formal Uniform if they want to in 2026 on Monday to Wednesday, however, from 2027 all Year 2 students will wear the Sports Uniform on a fulltime basis**

Students in Year 3 to 6 are to wear the following:

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: Formal Uniform

Thursday:  Sports Uniform with FACTION SHIRT

Friday:  Sports Uniform with REP SHIRT

Carpark Drive Through

Thank you to all of you for being so patient as we get back into the swing of things especially in our Drive Through.  Staff are on duty until 3:20pm each day so there is ample time for you to collect your children.  The more families we have spreading out their pickup means we have less banking of cars creating issues for our neighbours.

Our full Traffic Management Procedure can be found on our school website.

Merit Awards will be given out at our Friday Merit Awards Assembly. If your child is receiving an award, an email will be sent to you prior to the event so that you may attend if you wish.  Our Merit Awards Assembly commences at 9.00am sharp.

Finally, as a staff, we have been looking forward to the beginning of another year, and I must say that as parents you should be very proud of the way your children have settled into their new classes. The children at Matthew Gibney continue to set such a high standard and I encourage them to continue this.  I would also like to acknowledge the staff for the care they show our students each day.  How lucky am I to be working with such a great bunch of people.

I am looking forward to seeing you all over the coming weeks.  Thank you for making this community so special.  Goodness your way.

Clinton Payne
Principal

Concession Card School Fee Discount Scheme

If you hold a Health Care Card or other concession card you may be entitled to the School Fee Discount Scheme.

Please can you complete the Parent Application Form and return it to admin as soon as possible so the discount can be applied to your fees before the Tuition Statements will be sent out later this month? We will also require a copy of your card, both front and back.

Parent Application Form

Canteen News

Order Forms for next Friday’s Lent Special went home with Children today.

Please complete and return the form, with correct money or EFTPOS Payment, to the office no later than TUESDAY 17th FEBRUARY.

As this is a pre-ordered event, late orders cannot be accepted after Tuesday and no refunds can be given if children do not attend school on Friday.

Spare forms are available from the office.

SCHOOL DENTAL SERVICE, REMINDER TO ENROL!

Recently your child may have brought home an envelope with an enrolment form, FAQ and reply-paid envelope from Dental Health Services. Please remember to fill in the enrolment form, pop it in the reply-paid envelope, and put in in your nearest post box.

Once we receive your form at DHS our team will register your child and arrange for you to receive an appointment in the mail.

If you would like further information on DHS services or to find your nearest SDS Dental Therapy Centre, please visit our website: www.dental.wa.gov.au or just scan the QR code.

Book Club News

Issue one has gone home students in week one (Week 2 for Kindy students). The cut off date is today, Friday 13th February.

Please place any orders using the LOOP website which can be found here.

Term 1 2026 Parent Planner

Please click here for the Term 1 Parent Planner.

IF YOU HAVE COLLECTED ANY PRINTED TERM PLANNERS FROM THE OFFICE BEFORE TUESDAY 10TH FEBRUARY, PLEASE AMEND THE P&F MEETING DATES AND TIMES AS PER THIS PLANNER, THANK YOU.

This week, the Year 6 students created their very own time capsules to be opened at the end of the year when they graduate from primary school. Each student included special memories, personal reflections and hopes for the future. We can’t wait to open them later this year and see what the future holds for our amazing Year 6 cohort!

Please click on the link below to access the calendar for the Term 1 Parenting Program from South East Metro Parenting Support Service.

Term 1 Parenting Program

Children’s Liturgy at St Francis of Assisi Parish

The Children’s Liturgy Program at St Francis of Assisi, Maida Vale, has started for the year.  Children from Pre-primary to Year 4 are welcome.  Please bring your children to the old Parish Hall before the 9.30am Mass on Sunday.  The children sing and pray and listen to the Gospel at their level.  They then do an activity about the Gospel, before coming over to the church after the Homily.

For enquiries please contact Philomena on 0417 936 757.

For links to the booking pages, please click on the relevant link below:

Central Location

Northern Location

Southern Location

Our Tours offer a fantastic opportunity to explore the college and its facilities firsthand.

Registrations are essential – please visit the link to secure a place: https://mc-au-wa-980.app.digistorm.com/forms/morning-tour

Book a La Salle College Tour Today!

La Salle College Tour dates are now available for Term 1, 2026.

Join us on a student-led tour of the school and get to know the amazing people that make up our
vibrant Lasallian community.

You will explore our incredible facilities, expansive outdoor spaces, modern learning environments
and have the opportunity to speak with our senior leaders about our dynamic academic pathways
that inspire our students to be lifelong learners.

At La Salle, we believe that education extends beyond the classroom and through our innovative
teaching and learning, we aim to transform tomorrow’s hearts, minds and lives in all that we do.
With limited spots available, visit our website today at www.lasalle.wa.edu.au/book-a-tour/ and
book a spot on our next College Tour.

If you would like more information about our tours or enrolment process, please contact our
Enrolments Registrar Ms Susan Firth at enrol@lasalle.wa.edu.au.