TERM 2 - WEEK 3
Front Cover 1/2 Mannella/D'occio
Our Garden
At the beginning of Term 1, our class prepared our two garden beds by digging and turning the soil. Then we planted herbs, vegetables and perennial shrubs. We watered them every day and gave them some plant food that was really smelly! We gave our plants lots of love and care and waited patiently for them to grow. They slowly started to grow! Now we can see capsicums, yellow tomatoes, bok choy, parsley, rosemary, lavender and beautiful petunias. But sadly our cucumbers didn’t grow!
Our Garden Photos
Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students and friends of St Thomas More,
As we come to the end of the third week of term, classes are in full swing with our students seeking to build on the success of Term One. From the beginning of the term, we have continued to develop our emphasis on a strong learning culture where everyone strives to achieve their personal best.
While our teachers do a remarkable job in staying abreast of the latest educational trends and implementing them into their daily practice, your assistance is also vital. You can never underestimate the impact of parents in developing a learning culture.
Here at St Thomas More, we commit ourselves every day to the aims of all Catholic schools:
“We don’t just know students by name, we know who they are by heart”.
“Our community is underpinned by a spirit of openness, sensitivity and respect, which generates a real sense of inclusion and belonging. It’s these everyday connections between faith and action that let every child know they matter”.
“We work in partnership with families to educate and nurture the whole person, helping them to be thriving, capable learners as well as extraordinary human beings.”
“Inspired by Jesus, our Catholic faith and spirituality, we instil values that last well beyond the schooling experience, they’re ingrained for life.”
“We believe that each child has an inherent goodness that can change the world and it’s our privilege to be a part of their journey - because an intangible piece of your school lives with you forever”.
NAPLAN
This week the Year 3 and 5 students participated in the following NAPLAN tests: writing, reading and language conventions. Next Tuesday they will participate in the Numeracy test and on Wednesday students who were away on test days will have the opportunity to complete them. For further information on NAPLAN please follow this link which also contains information in various languages.
Attached with this newsletter is a Privacy Collection Notice which discusses data privacy and data sharing. NAPLAN reports will arrive from mid-August to mid-September.
Australian Early Development Census (AEDC)
The Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) is a nationwide data collection of early childhood development at the time children commence their first year of full-time school. The AEDC highlights what is working well and what needs to be improved or developed to support children and their families by providing evidence to support health, education and community policy and planning.
The AEDC is held every three years and this year teachers will be completing a research tool, the Australian version of the Early Development Instrument. The Instrument collects data relating to five key areas of early childhood development referred to as ‘domains’, these include:
- Physical health and well being
- Social competence
- Emotional maturity
- Language and cognitive skills (school-based)
- Communication skills and general knowledge
The AEDC domains have been shown to predict later health, wellbeing and academic success. Further information will be sent home soon.
Eid al-Fitr
The holy month of Ramadan on the Islamic calendar concluded on the evening of 12th May with a celebration known as Eid al-Fitr. During Ramadan, many Muslims fast, not eating or drinking anything between sunrise and sunset reminding those that practice the faith to appreciate their blessings and to help those in need. At the end of Ramadan, after 29 or 30 days, Muslims celebrate the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Eid al-Fitr in Arabic literally means "festival of breaking the fast". To all our families who have celebrated this significant event, we say “Eid Mubarak”, wishing you a “blessed Eid.” May Allah bring you joy, happiness, peace and prosperity on this blessed occasion.
National Sorry Day - 26 May
National Sorry Day is an Australia-wide observance held on May 26 each year. This day gives people the chance to come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities. Stolen generations refer to Indigenous Australians who were forcibly removed from their families and communities.
National Reconciliation Week - 27 May to 3 June
This year, 2021, marks twenty years of Reconciliation Australia and almost three decades of the Australian formal reconciliation process.
Over this time, support and engagement with reconciliation have steadily grown, with far greater awareness of the complexity and magnitude of First Nations cultures and knowledge.
Today, many more Australians now understand and acknowledge the brutal impact that British colonialism and the modern Australian state have had on First Nations families, communities, and ways of life.
After three decades of a formal process, reconciliation is now at a tipping point.
In 2021, reconciliation is more than just raising awareness and knowledge. The theme is More than a word. Reconciliation takes action, urges the reconciliation movement towards braver and more impactful action.
While we see greater support for reconciliation from the Australian people than ever before, we must be more determined than ever if we are to achieve the goal of the movement - a just, equitable, reconciled Australia.
What Reconciliation Australia does
Reconciliation Australia is the national body for reconciliation. We are an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes and facilitates reconciliation by building relationships, respect and trust between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The organisation focuses on influencing organisations, people and policies.
Three program areas deliver services, resources and advice to support reconciliation action within Australian businesses, schools, community groups, and government organisations - the Reconciliation Action Plan program, the Narragunnawali: Reconciliation in Education program, and the Indigenous Governance program.
Influencing people is conducted through a range of activities, using tools to educate, inform and engage all Australians in reconciliation, with National Reconciliation Week the flagship event.
Influencing policies involves producing authoritative research to inform the national conversation, including through the State of Reconciliation in Australia Report and the Australian Reconciliation Barometer.
What is National Reconciliation Week?
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia. The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey - the successful 1967 referendum, and the High Court Mabo decision respectively. Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
At its heart, reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
2021 TERM 3 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before October 31, 2021, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
2022 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before May 1, 2022, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
2022 TERM 3 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before October 31, 2022, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
Working in Partnership,
Chris Platten, Vicki Rubino, Leah Williams, Melissa Musolino
Religion
Feast of the Ascension
12/05/2021
Today is the feast of the Ascension. Although we do not see Jesus with our own eyes, this feast reminds us to see Jesus in others.
During the forty days since his resurrection, Jesus made frequent appearances and continued to speak to his disciples. Today’s Gospel reiterates Jesus’ message to evangelise. Jesus' final words before he ascends to heaven are a call to the Church to become the Body of Christ. This week we pray that we always seek Jesus’ presence here among us as we continue his work.
Catholic Education Week
Last week we celebrated Catholic Education Week with the theme: Raising Hearts and Minds to the Wonder and Awe of God’s Creation. Classes continued their practice of saying grace before eating recess and lunch using two compositions of grace which focused on our shared commitment to ecological conversion and action. (See below)
Loving God,
We ask you to bless this food which comes to us through the work of many people, from the sowing of seeds in the earth to our table here today.
We pray for those in our world who do not have enough food. Help us to always care for people and your beautiful creation.
Amen.
Some classes engaged in a mindful creation walk where they focused on being present and capturing details or beauty in God’s world.
Class Mass
Next week year 1/2 D’Occhio and Manella will be celebrating Mass with the theme Mary, Our Mother. Students have been exploring various images of Mary and captured this within their very own artwork.
School Holiday Fun
Wow! What an amazing and enjoyable time we had at OSHC during the school holidays! We travelled to places like the Plaster Fun House, Gawler Cinemas and Fremont Park (for our annual colour run). We also had Radicool Reptiles come and visit us where children learnt about snakes, lizards, turtles and crocodiles and even held a giant python! Children participated in an I’m an OSHC student . . . Get me out of here day where children had ice thrown on them, battled in challenges with their friends and even ate their way through a food trial. Every day brought us something new and exciting and we all had such a great time.
We cannot wait for what’s in store for us during the next holidays!
Holiday Fun Photos
Have you thought about high school options?
Is your child enrolled?
Some schools have waiting lists, to avoid disappointment it is recommended to have your child enrolled at least 18mths prior to starting.
Elizabeth Community Connections
Playgroup and ELY
Brain Teasers
Can you solve them?
Out of School Hours Care
Daily: 6:30am to 8:45am and 3:00pm to 6:00pm Wednesday: 2:30pm to 6:00pm
School Access
8:30am to 8:50am
Access via the main front courtyard gate at the school crossing.
8:50am to 2:45pm
Access via green front pool gate in front of the administration building. You will need to lift the pool gate lock at the top of the gate to open and please ensure the gate is closed securely.
2:45pm to 3:15pm
Access via the main front courtyard gate at the school crossing.
Children dropped off before 8:30am and not collected by 3:15pm will be sent to OSHC and caregivers will be invoiced for the service.
School Banking
School Banking at our school is on Wednesdays.
For every deposit made at school, students will receive a silver Dollarmites token. Once students have individually collected 10 tokens they can redeem them for an exclusive School Banking reward item in recognition of their regular savings habits.
School Banking is also a great fundraiser for our school. Our school receives a Regular Savers Contribution of $5 for every 10 deposits processed per student as well as an Annual Contribution which is based on the number of students who made at least one School Banking deposit in the prior year.
If your child has lost their book, please contact your School Banking Co-ordinator for a replacement or visit any CommBank Branch.
If you would like to know more about School Banking, please ask for a 2020 School Banking program information pack from the school office or visit www.commbank.com.au/sbc
Advance Notice
Every Tuesday
Parent Coffee/Tea chat 8:30am in Jubilee Hall - Postponed
ECC Playgroup 9:15am to 11:15am
Principal's Tour (first Tuesday of the month) 10:00am - By appointment only
Every Wednesday
ECC Early Learning Years (ELY) 9:15am to 11:15am
School Banking
May 18
Class Mass 2/3MD
May 22
World Bee Day
May 23
Pentecost
May 26
National Sorry Day
May 27
National Reconciliation Week Begins
Raising Hearts and Minds
