TERM 2 - WEEK 9
Front Cover - Reception Appelbee
Swimming Week
For all of week seven, students from Reception to Year four attended a swimming program at the Starplex. Throughout this time the students engaged in a number of swimming techniques, survival skills and water safety for a variety of environments.
This was especially important for Reception Appelbee as one of our Developmental Learning Intentions is: How can we use big muscle groups? Through the use of swimming, students were given an opportunity to unpack this idea further with an experience that is outside of their own classroom. It was wonderful to see how excited all of the students were throughout the week.
Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students and friends of St Thomas More,
Staffing News
This week we farewell Ms. Brianna Galvin. Brianna will be leaving the St Thomas More School community. Brianna began at St Thomas More School at the beginning of Term 2, as our Year 1/2 teacher, replacing Lisa Crossley who was on Long Service Leave. Brianna has won a position at St Augustine’s Parish School, Salisbury. Lisa will be returning at the beginning of Term 3. On behalf of the St Thomas More School community, I would like to thank Brianna for sharing her gifts and talents and extend our gratitude to her. I wish Brianna every blessing and success in her new adventure.
Congratulation to Ms. Zolotovs and her partner Tim who are getting married during the July holiday break. We wish them a lifetime of happiness and joy.
Naidoc Week – Sunday 4 July to Sunday 11 July
The NAIDOC 2021 theme – Heal Country! – Calls for all of us to continue to seek greater protections for our lands, our waters, our sacred sites and our cultural heritage from exploitation, desecration, and destruction.
NAIDOC 2021 invites the nation to embrace First Nations’ cultural knowledge and understanding of Country as part of Australia's national heritage and equally respect the culture and values of Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islanders as they do the cultures and values of all Australians. Healing Country means finally resolving many of the outstanding injustices which impact on the lives of our people. It is about hearing and actioning the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples which are the culmination of generations of consultation and discussions among our nations on a range of issues and grievances.
Heal Country, heal our nation.
During Week 10, our school will be involved in a variety of activities which will be communicated through See Saw and we will conclude the week with a whole school liturgy on Friday 2 July at 9.00 am. All parents/caregivers are invited to attend.
Mid Year Reports & Parent-Teacher Interviews
On Wednesday 30 June you will receive your child/ren’s Mid-Year Report. These will be given to your child in a sealed envelope. We do this to protect your child’s privacy and so that you (the parent/s) will be the first to read the report and discuss it with your child. These reports are a descriptive summary of your child’s progress for this year and should also point out to you and your child, the specific areas needed for ongoing learning improvement. It is essential to your child’s ongoing learning that both you and your child know of the achievements that they have made and what they need to do to continue this progress.
If there is anything in the report that comes as a surprise to you or your child, or you do not understand some of the comments made, then please make an appointment to see your child’s teacher.
How to Stop Literacy Loss Over the Holidays
As children’s first and most important teachers, families have a major role to play in motivating children to read during the holiday period. There are many ways that families can use to encourage holiday reading.
Combine activities with books
Holidays leave lots of time for children to enjoy fun activities, such as going camping, fishing or seeing a movie. Why not also encourage them to read a book about an activity? If you’re going to a sports game, suggest that your child read a book or article about a favourite player or about the game beforehand. In the car, you’ll have lots of time to talk about the book and the game.
Lead by example
Read the newspaper at breakfast, pick up a magazine at the doctors and pack a paperback book into your travel bag. If children see the adults around them reading, they understand that books and other reading material are a fun and important part of their holidays.
Talk it Up
Talking with your children about what you have read also lets them know that reading is an important part of your life. Tell them why you liked a book, what you learned from it, or how it helped you. Soon they might start doing the same.
Help children find time to read
By the end of a long day, children may be too tired to pick up a book. Make some time for reading, such as before bedtime or after breakfast.
Relax the rules for holidays
During the school year, children have busy schedules and often have required reading for classes. Holidays are a time when children can read what, when and how they please. Don’t set daily time requirements or decide the number of pages they have to read. Instead, make sure they pick up books for fun and help find ways for them to choose to read on their own.
Have plenty of reading material around
Storybooks aren’t the only thing that children can read for fun. Newspapers, magazines and information material can spark the interest of a young (and old) reader. Encourage them to read about an interest or to extend their knowledge.
Use books to break the boredom
Without the regular school regimen, adults and children need more activities to fill the hours. Books that teach children how to make or do something are a great way to get children reading and keep them occupied.
Read aloud with children
Take your children to see a local storyteller (local library) – or be one yourself. The holidays leave extra time for enthusiastic read-alouds with children, no matter their age. Find your inner actor and improvise different voices or wear a silly hat to make the story that much more interesting! Starting an engrossing book at the start of the holidays can become a highly anticipated part of the day for all the family.
(Acknowledgement: Reading is Fundamental)
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.
END OF TERM ARRANGEMENTS
Term 2 finishes on Friday 2 July at 3:00 pm
Term 3 commences on Monday 19 July at 8:50 am
On behalf of the Staff, we hope you all have a peaceful and safe holiday with family and friends.
Working in Partnership,
Chris Platten, Vicki Rubino, Leah Williams, Melissa Musolino
Religion
Feast of St. Thomas More
This week we celebrated the Feast of St. Thomas More with the theme ‘Faithful Friend’. Friends were very important to Thomas. He was supportive, kind and inclusive. He was friends with famous people and ordinary people, with rich people and poor people. Students from across the school helped to lead our liturgy where we remembered many qualities of St. Thomas More including his loyalty to God, fondness of laughter and for being a faithful friend to many.
Students spent time with their buddies between recess and lunch reflecting on the ways they could support each other and be ‘faithful friends’ throughout the school week. They put together a buddy ‘action plan’ responding to the following questions.
What is one thing I can do each day?
What is one thing I can do each week?
What could I do during recess and lunch?
I can say to my buddy ‘can we play together?’ I could also eat lunch with my buddy…Harper 1/2 BG
I can give my buddy a highfive…Sylis R/1 CC
I can ‘check in’ with my buddy at recess or lunch by saying ‘how are you?’…Mercedes R/1 CC
Students then created artworks of their buddy as part of our Buddy Portrait competition. You will see these on display in the front office.
A big thank you goes to Mr. Platten, Ms. Williams, Mrs. Rubino and Andrew for cooking our feast day BBQ.
Refugee Week
This week we celebrate Refugee Week. We remember the millions of displaced people – refugees and asylum seekers around the world. We see the great courage and perseverance of many of those people who have lost everything. Often facing injustice, misunderstanding and prejudice, these people show us how to stay strong and hopeful even when everything seems to go wrong. When we are willing to learn from them, they are a great blessing for us.
The theme for Refugee Week 2021 is Unity.
St. Vincent de Paul Winter Warmer Collection
The St Vincent de Paul Society started when a 20-year-old man named Frederick Ozanam decided to do something about the poverty he saw in his community. Today, St. Vincent de Paul Society or ‘Vinnies’ works with people across Australia to continue this legacy, and to continue the fight for a more just and compassionate society by providing clothing, food, furniture and housing assistance to those who are most in need.
In the last newsletter, we shared information about our St. Vincent de Paul Winter Warmer collection. The donation bins will be at our school until Thursday June 24. Thank you to those who have already provided donations.
St Thomas More Feast Day Photos
COVID - Check-in
School Photos
School photos will be on Friday 13 August. Payments can be paid via credit card to MSP prior to the day using the student's code on the envelope or the correct money in the envelope (no change will be given) on the day.
No money will be taken through the office.
Canteen Specials
OSHC Vacation Program
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
June 18-24
Thinking of You Week
June 20
Refugee Week Begins
July 2
Last Day of Term 1
July 4-11
NAIDOC Week
July 11
World Population Day
July 19
Term 2 begins
Raising Hearts and Minds
