TERM 3 - WEEK 9

Front Cover - 1/2 Mannella/D'Occhio

The Power of  Yet

During our Health lessons this term, we have been learning about "The Power of Yet". Adding the word yet to anything makes it possible. It might not be easy, but it's possible. All we have to do is think about how we might achieve it.

Adding the word "YET" to the end of a sentence helps students to develop a growth mindset in their learning.

‘Peaceful Classrooms’ is a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program that introduces mindfulness to children. Mindfulness is simply noticing our thoughts, what our body feels like, what our ears are hearing, what we can see and everything that is around us and happening right now.

Peaceful Classroom Program

Science has proven that mindfulness reduces anxiety and stress and increases resilience in children. The program is run in the classroom on a daily basis and with weekly input by myself, the school counsellor. As parents and caregivers, your involvement and commitment to supporting the strategies at home will help your child to gain further benefits.

Research

If you would like to learn about Mindfulness and Positive Psychology and their benefits, the following links may be useful to outline the science and evidence-based research that the program is based on. 

http://au.reachout.com/what-is-mindfulness

http://www.umassmed.edu/cfm/research/

http://www.mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness/research

http://www.mindful.org/the-science/medicine/the-science-of-mindfulness

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144007.htm

http://www.actionforhappiness.org

http://mindfullearning.com.au/about-mindful-learning/authors/

http://www.mindfulness.net.au/what-is-micbt.html

Breathing Buddies Photos

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Breathing Stars

Leadership

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students and friends of St Thomas More,

Keys to Strengthening Self-acceptance

It is important for children and young people to recognise that they are not their behaviour and, similarly, to distinguish between being ‘a failure’ and struggling with a task. Children and young people should ideally be aware of and value their positive characteristics, skills and character strengths in all areas of life including work and family relationships. If children and young people are able to value these strengths, then, when faced with difficulty or negativity, they are better able to remind themselves why they’re proud of who they are. Children and young people can generate and practice using self-accepting self-talk when confronted with criticism, imperfect performance, negative self-perceptions of body image, or other events they experience as troubling.

Examples of self-accepting self-talk include:

• “I accept myself no matter what”
• “I prefer people to like me, but I can live without their approval”
• “Mistakes and setbacks are inevitable. I will accept myself while disliking my mistakes and setbacks.”
• “My performance – perfect or otherwise – doesn’t determine my worth as a person.” “I accept who I am, even though I may not like some of my traits and behaviours.”

To learn more about how you can help build resilience in your children visit Be You (formerly Beyond Blue) https://beyou.edu.au/fact-sheets

Staffing News

We farewell Mr. Michael Higgie. Michael concludes his time of service as Work Health and Safety coordinator to the St Thomas More School community. Michael has been a valued and important part of the school, seeing changes and someone who has always been friendly, caring and welcoming to staff, students, parents and visitors. On behalf of our school community, I’d like to thank Michael for his work and commitment to St Thomas More School and wish him every success and blessing as he embarks on this new chapter of life.

2022 Class Placements

Staff have begun to plan for next year and will soon begin to consider class allocation for students. Often at this time of the year parents become anxious about their child’s placement for the ensuing year. Often this is because parents have varied perceptions, some positive, some not so, about particular teachers. We all need to remember that, because God has made every one of us individually, unique and special, during the course of each child’s life at school there will be some teachers they gel brilliantly with and other teachers with whom they feel less at ease. Our experience suggests that children do adjust to their new teacher and settle into a productive year in that class. Our views on class placement are relatively simple and are premised on the following principles:

The child’s needs come first.

These needs include:

• Social - maximising each child’s potential to be happy and have positive self-esteem is essential. Consequently, there may be reasons for ensuring that certain children are, or are not, placed in the same class.
• Educational - different children and teachers have different learning and teaching styles.
• Other considerations might include whether children have previously had certain teachers, the mix of learning needs in a class, etc. The ultimate responsibility for assigning class placement rests with the school.

The staff spends much time considering the social, peer group and learning needs of the children and, within the practical constraints of numbers of children, numbers of teachers, etc, allocate children to classes.

Parents are welcome to write to me regarding particular learning needs or particular social and peer group needs they may have. I am not prepared to consider requests for or against individual teachers. All correspondence regarding information for 2022 class placements should be addressed to me and be received by Friday 24 September, 2021.

School Uniform

Staff have noticed incorrect school uniform items are being worn, especially in regards to items such as jumpers and pants. If students are not wearing the correct uniform, a uniform note is sent home from the class teacher identifying the uniform area to be addressed. All St Thomas More School students are required and expected to wear the correct uniform. Please ensure your child is in CORRECT SCHOOL UNIFORM.

St Thomas More School uniform items can be purchased using the St Thomas More School QKR app. Ordered items will be either be left at the school front office for you to pick up or we will have them delivered to your child’s classroom.

With only 1 week remaining until the end of Term 3, please plan to ensure your child is prepared to wear correct uniform in Term 4, 2020.

School Hats

From Term 4 (October 11) hats will again become compulsory for all playtimes and learning activities outdoors. It is compulsory for all children and staff to wear hats when outdoors. No Hat - No Play will apply to all children not wearing a hat for playtimes and they will also have to “sit out‟ outside activity lessons. Please ensure your child is wearing the CORRECT SCHOOL HAT.

End of Term Arrangements

Term 3 finishes on Friday 24 September at 3.00 pm

Term 4 commences on Monday 11 October at 8.50 am

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.

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

Liturgical Events and Celebrations

Over the next few weeks, we celebrate International Peace Day and Mercy Day.

September 21 is International Day for World Peace. This was established by the United Nations in 1982. It is a day when individuals, communities, nations and governments highlight efforts to end conflict and promote peace.

September 24 is Mercy Day. This is an important day for all of us who belong to schools founded by the Sisters of Mercy. It is also a day to remember and give thanks for the life of Catherine McAuley. On this day in 1827, Catherine’s House of Mercy in Baggot Street in Dublin was opened. Catherine would have been delighted to have a place where her work with the poor could be done.

In our celebrations this year we think about how we live our call to be merciful people through our head, heart and hands. We will celebrate Mercy day with a whole school Mass on Tuesday, September 21 at 9am in Jubilee Hall. We will also have a Casual Clothes Day on Friday, September 24  with a gold coin donation to raise money for Catholic Charities.

This week your child will bring home a brochure containing information about Catholic Charities. The brochure contains stories from the agencies supported by Catholic Charities.

Sacramental Program 2021

We have now come to the end of our Sacramental Program for 2021. If your child would like to be involved in the Sacramental Program for 2022 or you would like to find out more about the program, please email Melissa Musolino.

mmusolino@sttmore.catholic.edu.au

SAPSASA

Congratulations to Tahni Porter and Jordan VanDam who were selected to represent the Playford District at the Year 6 SAPSASA State Soccer Championships earlier this month.

The boy's team finished with a Gold medal and the girl’s team a Silver medal which is an outstanding effort.

It was wonderful to hear about the positive experience from both players. Congratulations on a fine achievement!

Catholic Schools Football & T-ball

Term 3 has been a busy one with Catholic Schools and SAPSASA events back up and running. Over the last two weeks, we have had a number of teams represent St Thomas More in a variety of sports. We would like to congratulate all of the students that displayed fantastic teamwork, skill, knowledge and dedication throughout these events. Congratulations to all the students who participated in the SAPSASA Athletics Carnival, Catholic Schools Football Carnival and the Catholic Schools T-Ball Carnival. Thank you to all the teachers and parents that assisted with the smooth running of each event.

Working in Partnership,

Fabian Chevalier

PE Teacher/Coordinator

Football and T-ball Photos

Secondary School Tours

Little Athletics

Little Athletics is a great sport for children of all ages and ability and we are a club that focuses on Family, Fun and Fitness.

Our centre is participating in the Grow for Gold campaign run in collaboration with the Playford, Salisbury and Port Adelaide Enfield Councils. These sessions are free for children aged 3 to 16 yrs to come along and give athletics a go, see what it's all about and have some fun. These will be running in the last weeks of September and early October.

Why not come and give it a try?

Netball

COVID - Check-in

Elizabeth Community Connections

Playgroup and ELY

Canteen Specials

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

September 17

Australian Citizenship Day

Clean Up the World Weekend

September 21 

International Peace Day

Class Mass

September 24

Mercy Day

September 29

World Heart Day

Raising Hearts and Minds