TERM 1 - WEEK 9
Front Cover - Reception Arnold
This term we have been working on Recounts in Literacy. We listened to the story The Gingerbread Man and spoke about what happened at the beginning, middle, and end. To finish we decorated gingerbread biscuits with Ms. Theodosi's class.
They looked fantastic and tasted very yummy!
Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students, and friends of St Thomas More,
Staffing News
Term 1 has seen staff changes, especially in the Administration Office.
We welcome Janelle Lieu, John Mathew, Sarah Hardy, Olivia Marshell, and Lisa Welford. Janelle takes up the role of Business Manager working across St Thomas More and St Mary Magdalene’s Schools. John will be also working across both Schools assisting Janelle with Finance. Sarah has accepted the position as Front Office Administrator at St Thomas More School and Olivia will support Sarah in this role. Lisa will be working at St Thomas More and St Mary Magdalene’s as the Communications and Marketing Coordinator.
In other news, congratulations to Cheryl Bielby on winning the Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) Director’s position and to Abbey Washington on winning the OSHC Assistant Director’s role. Both Cheryl and Abbey are familiar with the St Thomas More School OSHC service.
We trust that their time at St Thomas More School will be richly rewarding for them and our school community.
Concerns
Parents are reminded that if you have an issue to be discussed regarding your child or a school matter, please be aware of the following:
- Arrange a time to meet with your child’s teacher
- Forward in writing your concern to your child’s teacher
- Parents are not to approach children directly regarding a school issue.
- The concern is to be discussed directly with your child’s teacher.
Recently we have encountered situations where a parent has directly approached a student and taken the opportunity to speak strongly with the child. This is of concern and not appropriate. Please speak directly with your child’s teacher or arrange an appointment to meet with a member of the Leadership Team.
Traffic Alert
We need to re-visit the dropping off and pick-up of your child/children each day.
Very often Staff on yard duty and some concerned parents witness incidents on the road and pick up areas involving parents and caregivers before and after school.
Sometimes we see:
~ Parking where there are no designated car parks. This means that students and parents who wish to cross the road do not have a clear vision of oncoming traffic.
~ Parents stopping their cars in the middle of the road or across marked yellow lines and calling their children to come to the car and holding up traffic behind.
~ Parents parking on the opposite side of the road and calling their children to cross the road.
Remember there are no lights there and children crossing without parents are at risk because of the illegal behaviour of some parents. Children are dodging illegally parked cars and the cars stop at random in the middle of the road.
~ When dropping children off parents allow them to get out of the car on the roadside instead of the kerb side thus stepping into traffic.
~ Parking at an odd angle so that there is an obstructed view of traffic trying to turn the corner again causing a hazard for the children.
Please take the time to drop your children off safely. While it will take an extra minute or two on some days, it is the safest way for the children to be collected from school. If your child is not ready to be collected, please do not block up traffic waiting for your child. Either drive around the block and go to the back of the queue or park and come into the school.
We constantly talk to the students about making good choices that keep themselves and others safe and we appeal to all parents to follow safe driving practices so that all the children are kept safe. It is also about parents setting good examples for their own children about obeying road rules and responding to requests from the school about engaging in safe practices. Where the safety of all children is concerned, staff on yard duty will be insisting that all in our community follow these safe practices. We thank you for your support in this.
Ensuring Our School is a Safe Place for All
I want to assure all parents and carers of our absolute commitment to ensuring that St. Thomas More School is a safe place for all.
- Our staff is committed and trained to protect the children and young people in our care.
- All staff and regular volunteers have current police checks.
- We teach our children age-appropriate strategies to keep themselves safe through South Australia’s Keeping Safe Child Protection Curriculum.
- Staff complete certification and undertake regular updated training in Responding to Abuse and Neglect in Education and Care Settings.
- We also promote strategies to minimise bullying and help students stay safe online.
You can read more about our commitment to the well-being of your child on our school website.
Additional information about the broader protection policies of Catholic Education SA can be found on their website. http://www.cesa.catholic.edu.au/our-schools/safe-environments-for-all
The website also includes links to online resources for parents and students on a range of topics including anxiety, depression, bullying, and how to support your child.
If you have any questions or concerns about child safety please contact me.
Learning Conversations
Next week you have the opportunity to formally meet your child’s class teacher one-to-one. If you haven’t already done so, I strongly encourage you to book a time via the PTO link on our school website. These meetings will provide opportunities for:
- Families to share with the class teacher/s information about their child.
- Families to see their child’s classroom environment if they haven’t already done so.
- The class teacher/s to share with families how their child has settled at the beginning of the school year and discuss learning goals.
- Families to ask general questions about the year ahead.
I hope you find these opportunities valuable and insightful. The partnership between home and school is a vitally important one as there is concrete evidence that states that high parent engagement supports children in their academic and social development.
Medical Care Plans
If your child has a medical plan, please ensure that the Front Office staff have a copy of this. It is also important that the medical plans we have are current and up-to-date. Thank you for your support with this important health matter.
Term 3 Reception Intake
This is a reminder that we have a Term 3 Reception intake each year. The criteria for starting Reception on the first day of school in Term 3 is that the children will have turned 5 on or before 31 October of that particular year (i.e. 2023 this year). If you have a child who is eligible for this intake, please make a time for an enrolment interview with a member of the Leadership Team. If you are aware of another family who has a child who is eligible to begin in Term 3 and is considering St. Thomas More School, please feel free to encourage them to make an enrolment interview time.
2023 RECEPTION ENROLMENTS
Places are available. If you have or if you know of anyone who has a child turning 5 before May 1, 2023, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
2023 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, 2023, please complete and lodge an enrolment form at the Front Office.
Shaping our future together
The Leadership Team
Religion
Holy Week
Our Lenten season has come to an end, and we enter Holy Week, the most sacred week in the Liturgical Year. A week that begins with Palm Sunday and ends with Easter Sunday.
Palm Sunday is a time we remember Jesus being welcomed into Jerusalem, like a King, by an excited crowd. People grabbed branches and waved them. They laid down clothing for Him to walk upon. I wonder, where in our lives we might have waited in excitement for someone. On Holy Thursday we remember Jesus’ Last Supper. This was the last meal he was to share with his disciples before he died. Before the meal, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples. He held up the bread and then the wine, He gave thanks and blessed them. He asked his disciples to remember Him each time they do this. Today in the Catholic Church, through the celebration of the Eucharist, we are invited to partake in this meal and to remember His story. On Good Friday, we remember Jesus’ journey to his crucifixion. This is a time when we can reflect on the way we or others carry crosses in our everyday life.
Every week, we join with St. Mary Magdalene’s School via Microsoft Teams to lead prayer. We would like to invite you to our Holy Week Prayer Service during week 10 on Wednesday, April 5. Please see the flyer enclosed in this newsletter for more information.
Classroom Learning
Mrs. Theodosi and her Reception students have been thinking about God. Students have been thinking about their image of God and captured this through drawing. Some of their artworks have been included in the newsletter.
Mrs. Arnold and her Reception students have started to explore the Holy Week story. Students worked with Mrs. Musolino and Mrs. Arnold to learn more about Palm Sunday. Students heard the story of Palm Sunday and created their own palm leaves out of coloured paper. They explored the wondering ‘How might you welcome Jesus if he arrived here today?
I would share a meal with him…Ayda
I would give him a high-five…Chase
Project Compassion 2023
You may have received a few flyers via Seesaw in the last week alerting you to some mini-fundraising events for Project Compassion. Please see your child’s teacher if you would like more information.
Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacrament Program
We had our first Sacrament Program session on the weekend with a focus on Baptism and Confirmation. Both candidates and their parents joined us for the session. Included in this newsletter is the outline of sessions, days, dates, and times including the celebrations of Sacraments. If you would like your child to be involved in the program, please contact Melissa Musolino for enrolment paperwork before the start of term 2.
Year 1/2 Carter - Literacy
During Literacy, we have been learning how to write procedures. Procedures are writing instructions to make, do or be something. One of the procedures we worked on was 'How to make Fairy Bread."
We then made Fairy Bread.
Yum Yum!
Swimming Carnival
On Friday, March 31 our school took part in the Catholic Swimming Carnival at Oakland Park Sports & Aquatic Centre. Year 3-6 students participated in a range of events including freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke and relays.
It was a great day and the student's participation and behaviour were excellent throughout the day.
PE Co-ordinator
Cristian Morgado
Humans of St Thomas More School
The kids here at St Thomas More School call me Craig!
I have been working at the school, in OSCH as a Co-educator since November 2020, and I love it!
Being a part of a student’s individual success is something that I love most about my role. The look on their face when they realise what they can achieve! It’s pretty awesome.
The opportunity to inspire a student or colleague every day is a true motivator for me to come in every day and give it my all.
I grew up in Horsham, Victoria. That’s where I did all my schooling, including my stint at Deakin University in Warrnambool. My life to date has taken me down many different roads professionally, before starting this role at St Thomas More School, I was a leading hand at a wine distribution centre, worked in sales roles, and management and even drove a forklift for some time.
I have certainly learnt a lot and acquired a range of skills from the diversity of my roles, especially when it comes to all things logistics and human nature! When I am not working, I love spending time with my wife and two boys, going fishing and gaming.
Both professionally and personally, I don’t shy away from challenges. In my younger years, I loved extreme activities, I have skydived and even bungy jumped! These days, my challenges seem to be more focused on creating the best life for not only my own children but the students that make up our St Thomas More School family.
Though there have been many special moments at school, such as individual students that I have worked with achieving their goals, bringing everyone together at school camps, and the connections I have made with our St Thomas More family, my favourite would have to be having my school photo taken with my amazing son Kyle!
My favourite quote, that I keep coming back to has to be from the great Michael Jordan!
"I can accept failure, everyone fails at something, but I can't accept not trying "
Project Compassion - Casual Clothes Day
Carnevale
Installing SZapp
Please click on the link below for instructions on how to install SZapp on Apple and Android products.
Playgroup and ELY
Postponed until further notice
Out-of-School Hours Care
2023 OSHC runs daily: 6:30am to 8:30am and 3:00pm to 6:00pm
School Access
8:30am to 8:45am
Access via the main front courtyard gate at the school crossing.
8:45am 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.
Advance Notice
Principal's Tour - By appointment only
April 2
Palm Sunday
International Children's Book Day
April 3 - 5
Learning Converstaions
April 6
Holy Thursday
April 7
Good Friday - Public Holiday
World Health Day
April 9
Easter Sunday
April 10
Easter Monday - Public Holiday
April 14
Project Compassion Casual Clothes Day
Carnevale Parade
Last Day of Term 1
Raising Hearts and Minds
