St Thomas More School Newsletter - Term 1, Week 7 2024
Our Newsletter | 2024
Year 3/4 | "The Significance of Lent"
A message from Katelyn Jessop, Year 3/4 Teacher
In 3/4KJ we have been exploring the significance and importance of Lent. We understand that Lent is a time of reflection, growth, and new beginnings. It is a time when people show their commitment to their faith, draw themselves closer to God, and prepare for Easter.
We have spent a significant amount of time reflecting on our Mercy Values and how we can demonstrate these during this time. Students have talked about showing compassion, being kind and considerate, and offering a helping hand. They have talked about showing service, by tidying up our school, offering students a friend to play with or to be a listening ear.
Students worked hard to create a stained glass window during our reflection time, in which they put thought regarding colours, placement, and overall presentation. You can also see these stained glass windows as you walk into our school office.
Katelyn Jessop
Year 3/4 Teacher
A Message from our Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students, and Friends of St Thomas More,
Welcome everyone to Week 7 of Term 1.
Swimming Week
This week our Year Reception to Year 4 students attended swimming lessons at the Gawler Starplex Swimming Complex. The lessons ran smoothly, and the children had a wonderful time, keen each day for another lesson. These lessons provided opportunities to learn about water safety and learn some new skills based of their current swimming capability. We thank all our volunteers for your time and support to maintain the safety of our students.
Volunteers
It is a privilege to have the support of parents and caregivers who are willing to volunteer their time and efforts to support our school. We are looking to increase our pool of registered volunteers at St Thomas More School. Once you are a registered volunteer you can support with excursions, canteen, sports carnivals, School Board, and school events. There is a four-step process for becoming a registered volunteer which will require you to complete:
- A Volunteer Application Form
- WWCC – Working with children check
- Participate in our Induction course (available throughout the year)
- Undertake RRHAN training for voulnteers
We value your contribution to our school community and support of the many events we have planned for this year.
We will be holding induction sessions at the following dates and times so if you would like to attend one please contact our front office staff to book in. If you are unable to attend any of these times and would like to attend an induction session at another time please let us know,
- Thursday 4 April at 9 am
- Monday 8 April at 9 am
- Tuesday 9 April at 9 am
- Wednesday 10 April at 2.15 pm
- Thursday 11 April at 2.15 pm
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month in the Islamic Calendar and is considered the holiest month of the year for Muslims. This is a significant time for a number of families in our school community when they will be fasting from sunrise to sunset, reciting verses from the Quran, and attending prayer sessions. With similarities to our Christian season of Lent, it is a time to become closer to God, spending time with family, and giving to charity and those in need. In Australia, Ramadan 2024 is expected to begin at sunset Monday, 11 March and end at sunset on Tuesday, 9 April – subject to the sighting of the new moon. Eid al-Fitr, known as the ‘Festival of Breaking Fast’, is the celebration that marks the end of Ramadan. The date for Eid al-Fitr 2024 is the evening Tuesday 9 April to 10 April 2024, depending on moon sightings. The staff at St Thomas More send their wishes for a happy and peaceful Ramadan.
School Policy | Arrival times
It has come to our attention that several children are arriving at school after the morning bell. This is very disruptive for classes and not a good beginning to the day for the child. We understand that on an occasional day, things do not run smoothly at home or travelling to school, but we stress the importance of arriving at school between 8.30am - 8.45am to ensure that classes can begin promptly at 8.45am.
Parents/Caregivers should be clear of classrooms by 8.45 am to enable the morning routine to commence. If we truly value children’s learning, then we must make the most of every minute of their classroom learning time.
Gates will be opened at 8.30am and locked at 9.00am in the morning and re-opened at 2.45pm and locked at 3.15pm in the afternoon. We thank you for your support with this matter.
Year 5/6 Camp
Our Year 5/6 students are very excited as they prepare to attend camp next week Monday to Wednesday at Woodhouse. We wish the students and staff attending a very happy and safe time, and we look forward to hearing about all their wonderful experiences and adventures.
Vaping Law
Significant changes to Vaping and E-Cigarette use have been introduced by Government in an effort to address the health concerns of users and the wider community. Changes to the legislation have come into effect from Friday 1st March 2024. These changes include creating smoke-free and vape-free areas at early childhood services premises, and education and children’s services facilities (including schools), and within 10 metres of their boundaries.
We thank you for following this legislation and for your support in building a safer school community for all.
Community | Sports Day
We remind you that our whole school sports day this year will be held in Term 1. Please join us on Friday 11 April (last day of term) to cheer on our students in the various events they will be participating in and support our wonderful sports teams.
Get into the Sports Day Spirit!
Shaping our future together,
The Leadership Team
Faith and Community
Liturgical Calendar
A Liturgical Calendar shows the cycle of seasons in the Catholic Church. The Church year consists of six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. In each newsletter we aim to highlight different events in the Liturgical Calendar that we might be focusing on or celebrating in our school.
Special celebrations that we focus on during classroom and whole school prayer throughout term 1 and those that come up in our liturgical calendar include:
Week 7
- 17th March - Feast of St Patrick
Week 8
- 19th March - Feast of St Joseph
- 21st March - Harmony Day
Week 9
- 24th March - Palm Sunday
- 28th March - Holy Thursday
- 29th March - Good Friday
Week 10
- 31st March - Easter Sunday
For more important dates, please view our School Calendar for Term 1 2024.
St Patrick's Day
On Sunday, March 17, we stop and take a few moments to think about St. Patrick. St Patrick was a faithful follower of Jesus. At an early age, St. Patrick chose to work in the service of God and to bring the message of God’s love to the people of Ireland.
St Joseph's Day
On Tuesday, March 19, we take time to think about St. Joseph. St Joseph was the husband of Mary, the mother of Jesus. According to the earliest Christian traditions, he was a carpenter. The Gospel of Matthew calls St Joseph, “a righteous man,” meaning he was an observant Jew who obeyed God’s law.
Harmony Day
As a school community, we come together to celebrate Harmony Day every year. Created in 1999 to celebrate unity and diversity, Harmony Day was originally an Australian celebration but is now marked worldwide. Harmony Day is all about respect and a sense of belonging for everyone. The colour of Harmony Day is orange and the theme this year is EVERYONE BELONGS.
Lent
STM Mini Market
Don’t forget, if you have any non-perishable items to donate to our St. Thomas More Mini Market, please leave these items in the basket provided in the front office.
St. Thomas More School and Good 360
Good360 connects charities, schools, and society’s most vulnerable with businesses willing to donate unsold or surplus goods, services, and disaster recovery essentials. Their mission is to ensure the excess goods and services businesses produce every year flow to people in need rather than going to waste.
Through the support of Good360, our school has been provided with a range of goods to provide to our families. At Good360, companies Australia-wide donate what they no longer need or have too much of to help both people and the planet. Charities and schools can register and then order goods when they are needed. We would like to share these goods with you!
Join us in the courtyard every day before and after school during Harmony Week (Week 8), to gather some free items for your family. See the flyer included in this newsletter for some of the products available. Don’t forget to bring along a shopping bag!
Holy Week
Join us as we celebrate Holy Week through ‘Story and Song’ in week 9. See flyer below.
Faith | Sacrament Program
- Eucharist Workshop Session 1
Saturday, 23rd March | 9 am - 11 am | St Thomas More Church (19 Laverstock, Elizabeth North) - Eucharist Workshop Session 2
Saturday, 13th April | 9 am - 11 am | St Thomas More Church (19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North)
Important Dates and Events
March 9 | Ramadan Began
March 17 | St Patrick's Day
March 18 - 20 | Camp 5-6
March 19 | Feast of St Joseph
March 20 | World Story Telling Day
March 21 |Harmony Day
March 24 |Palm Sunday
March 27 |St Thomas More School, Elizabeth Park - Annual General Meeting, 6.30pm
March 28 | Holy Thursday
March 29 |Good Friday - Public Holiday
March 31 | Easter Sunday
April 1 | Easter Monday - Public Holiday
April 5 | Assembly, 9 am - Hosted by RSH
Apri 9 | Ramadan Ends - Eid al-Fitr
April 12 | Sports Day and Last Day of Term 1
Out-of-School Hours Care (OSHC)
2024 OSHC runs daily from 6:30am to 8:30am and 3:00pm to 6:00pm. To make a booking, please call our OSHC Director on 7285 155 / 0409 551 699.
Birthdays!
At St Thomas More School we like to take any opportunity we can to celebrate and eat cake! Let's take a look at the special students who celebrate their birthdays in March this year...
Kayson P
Keenan O
Bentley M
Matthew F-J
Jascilla G
Hunter G
Sophia O
Bianca L
Thomas M
Zoraya T
Leo D
Tobias G
Malaky M
Bridget P
Jack S
Jake S
Matilda C
School Life
Safety Before and After School
For the safety of our students the following yard safety protocols have been implemented:
- Before School:
- Gates open at 8.30am
- Students attending before this time will be placed in OSHC and this will also incur a fee
- Students and parents/caregivers meet in the courtyard.
- Play areas are out of bounds - these include playgrounds, nature play space, ovals and basketball courts.
- School bell rings at 8.45am and students should move to their meeting areas to meet with their teachers.
- Parents/caregivers should leave the school grounds before the gates are locked at 9am.
- After School:
- Gates open at 2.50pm
- School bell rings at 3.00pm and students are dismissed from their classes
- Play areas are also out of bounds after school.
- Gates will be closed at 3.10pm.
Teachers have discussed and practiced the procedures involved with these protocols so that the students are very familiar with these. We thank you for your support in following them contributing to a safe and orderly start and finish to the school day.
Absentee Process
If your child is not going to be at school for any reason, you must inform the school by:
- Phone (before 9:00am): 7285 1500
- Schoolzine / Szapp / School Website (before 9am)
In a case where you know your child will be absent the following day please inform your child's teacher and the Front Office directly.
If a student’s name appears on the class roll as Absent without a verified explanation, our Front Office will send an SMS to a parent’s/caregiver’s mobile to confirm the absence, and the absence will be followed up asap.
Late Arrival Procedures
If a student arrives late (after 9am) they must report directly to the Front Office to receive a Late Card. Failure to do so may result in being marked as absent and may mean that an SMS is sent to the parent’s/caregiver’s mobile phone.