St Thomas More School Newsletter - Term 2, Week 1 2024

Our Newsletter | 2024

Welcome! From Year 3/4 JK 

As we commence Term 2, I extend a warm welcome to each and every member of our school community.

In 3/4JF we enjoyed Term 1, getting to know each other and settling into our classroom. We have had so many great opportunities to learn already this year, and we look forward to everything instore for Term 2.

Here's to a term filled with learning, growth, and meaningful connections.

Sharing our future together, 
Jasmine Fischer
Year 3/4 Teacher

A Message from our Leadership

Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students, and Friends of St Thomas More School Community, 

Welcome back everyone to Week 1 of Term 2!

It was a wonderful sight on Monday morning seeing all the students and families walking through our gates with the biggest smiles on their faces. The students had many stories to share about their holiday adventures and activities, and it was an absolute joy to see the excitement in their faces and hear the thrill in their voices.

We look forward to another exciting and eventful term.

Shaping our future together,     

The Leadership Team

Throw back to Sports Day

Friday 12^th of April, St Thomas More School celebrated Sports Day in perfect weather for outside activities.

It was great to see students demonstrating their agility, coordination, speed, and strength to the best of their ability throughout the day. To see everyone having so much fun and striving to gain points for their team was a highlight.

Thank you to all the staff for their help and support throughout Sports Day. The students appreciated your enthusiasm, encouragement and willingness to get involved and celebrate a day of activity and fun.

I’d also like to congratulate the students on their willingness to demonstrate the Sports Day values of Respect, Effort, Teamwork and Cooperation.  Thank you to all the Sports Captains and Embassadors for their help and support in preparing for and assisting on Sports day.

Congratulations to the MaCkillop House team on winning the Vin Davies Shield and Coolock House on winning the Spirit Cup.

Fantastic Effort Everyone!

Shaping our future together, 
Cristian Morgado
PE Teacher/Coordinator

Book Week

The Children’s Book Council of Australia (CBCA) proudly announces the 2024 Book of the Year Shortlist.

From 656 entries across six categories, 36 quality Australian children’s books are celebrated. This year's shortlist includes a number of dynamic debut authors (including Brisbane’s Megan Williams whose YA novel Let’s Never Speak of This Again won the 2022 Text Prize), alongside some of the most experienced names in Australian children’s literature such as Bob Graham, Jane Godwin, Margrete Lamond, Tristan Bancks, Terry Denton, Briony Stewart, the team behind the hit series Real Pigeons Andrew McDonald and Ben Woods, and the first picture book illustrated by accomplished creative Erica Wagner.

Fifteen expert judges across 6 judging panels carefully considered the criteria and each entry's ability to engage, educate, and entertain a diverse population of young readers. The CBCA Shortlist is perfect for young readers to explore, and an important guide for grandparents, parents, teachers and librarians—anyone interested in well-crafted stories. A critique of all Shortlisted titles has been made available for interested book-purchase decision makers.

Presenting the CBCA Shortlist - 2022 and congratulations to all CBCA Shortlist Authors, Illustrators and Publishers.

Year 4-6 | Soccer and Netball Carnival

St Thomas More is participating in the Catholic Schools Northern Areas Network Soccer/Netball Carnival on Thursday 16^th May at Argana Park, Mavros Road, Elizabeth Downs. 

Students in year 4-6 have chosen to play either Netball or Soccer and will be competing against other Catholic schools in the Northern Area. Students will depart from St Thomas More at 9:15am and arrive back to school at approximately 2:50pm, walking to and from the venue. We ask our students to be at St Thomas More School at 8:45am. More information will be provided in the next few days.

Mid-Year Reception Vacancies

Just a reminder that our school offers 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. 2024 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 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.

Our transition program for Term 3 Reception students will occur this term providing them with the opportunity to meet and get to know their teacher and peers.

Call us on 08 7285 1500 or email info@sttmore.catholic.edu.au 

Learning Conversations

A reminder that Learning Conversations will occur next week during the following dates:

• Monday 6^th May 3.15pm – 5.00pm
• Tuesday 7^th May 3.15pm – 5.00pm
• Wednesday 8^th May 3.15pm – 7.00pm

These conversations are an important time for teaches and families to come together, discuss and celebrate student progress and set further learning goals.

If you haven't already, please make a booking to meet your child's teacher by clicking here. You can also access the link directly from your Szapp home screen (click the first light blue tile *BOOK* Learning Conversations).

Parents and Friends Committee

STM is keen to re-establish a Parents and Friends committee in the school.

The Parents and Friends Committee will work in collaboration with staff to promote a supportive and social school community. The committee will meet informally twice a term to discuss and plan fundraising and social events which best meet the needs of our school community.

All parents and caregivers are invited to be a part of this group. If you are interested, please contact the Front Office on 08 7285 1500 or email.

STM Beanies

Be cool (...or warm) this winter with our brand new STM Beanies. They have just arrived, right in time for the cooler weather - and we love them.  

They are available to order for $25 on Qkr!, with all orders being collected from the Front Office. If you have any questions regarding ordering or collection please contact the Front Office directly.

AGM Confirmed

We invite you to attend St Thomas More School's Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 15th May at 6.00pm. The AGM will be held at St Thomas More staff room. We look forward to seeing then.

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.

This term we celebrate many feast days that occur in our liturgical calendar. A feast day is a day when we remember and celebrate something or someone important to our faith.

Special celebrations that we focus on during classroom and whole school prayer throughout term 2 and those that come up in our liturgical calendar include:

Week 1

3 May | Project Compassion Fundraiser – Walk for Water

Week 3 

12 May | Feast of the Ascension

12 May | Mother’s Day

Week 4

19 May | Feast of Pentecost

Week 5

26 May | Feast of the Trinity

26 May | National Sorry Day

27 May | Reconciliation Week

Week 6

2 June | Feast of the Body and Blood of Christ

5 June | World Environment Day

Week 8 

20 June | World Refugee Day

22 June | Feast of St Thomas More

Week 10 

7 July | NAIDOC Week

Easter

Easter is not just one day! It is a whole season of 50 days of joyful celebration which will last up until the feast of Pentecost. We take even longer to celebrate Easter than we took during Lent to prepare for it. In the early days of the Easter season, our readings from the bible told us about how different people reacted to the wonderful news of the resurrection. The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our faith. Our Easter celebration prepares us for the coming of the Holy Spirit, who helps us bring the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection to everyone we meet.

ANZAC Day

During the holidays we celebrated ANZAC Day. A day when we remember in a special way all Australians and New Zealanders who have died in war. We remember all women and men who served their countries in war, our own relatives and those people whose names we do not know. We remember this history of war, and pray that, in the future, all people will work to make peace not war.

Term 2 | Compassion 

Our theme in Religious Education this term is Compassion.

During staff prayer this week, staff were invited to walk with Jesus in compassion. Jesus’ entire ministry was marked by this capacity for compassion, and it remains central to our ministry too. As we listened to the Gospel reading, staff were invited to listen for any key words that might connect with them in the reading and for the message that might be there for them that day.

Our Year 3/4JF students are focusing on Compassion in their Religion learning this term. They have been reading about Leaia’s story from Project Compassion in preparation for our ‘Walk for Water’ event.

Each student wrote a prayer for Leah and her family. Some of the prayers are listed below:

Dear God, please watch over Leaia’s family and bless the people in Samoa with water. Amen Matilda 

Dear God, we love that Leaia works hard for her family. Please watch over her family. I hope Leaia’s kids stay nice and healthy. Amen Kaylee C 

Dear God, please watch over Leaia’s family. Give them food and water and make rain for them when they need it. Please bless people in Samoa and protect them always. Amen Blessy

Dear God, we hope that you can bless Leaia’s family, and they get more water tanks. Amen Kaidan

Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacrament Program

For those families who have enrolled in the program, please be aware of the following dates:

Confirmation Workshop Session 1

Saturday May 11, 9am to 11am at St Thomas More Church – 19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North.

Confirmation Workshop Session 2

Saturday May 25, 9am to 11am at St Thomas More Church – 19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North.

Reconciliation Workshop Session

Saturday June 15, 9am - 11am at St Thomas More Church – 19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North.

Please contact Melissa Musolino for more information on 08 7285 1500 or email mmusolino@sttmore.catholic.edu.au

School Calendar Term 2

Our School Calendar has been updated to show important days and events scheduled for Term 2. Please keep an eye on this calendar throughout the term, and we will endevour to update you as more items are added. 

View important dates below, or access the School Calendar here or directly through your Szapp homescreen (the tile titled School Calendar).  

May 6 - 8 | Learning Conversations 

May 15 | Annual General Meeting 

May 12 | Mothers Day

May 13 - 17 | Catholic Schools Open Week #ILoveMyCatholicSchool

May 15 | International Day of Families

May 15 | SEDA College Basketball Clinic R-6

May 16 | Northern Areas Network Netball and Soccer Carnival 

May 17 | Assembly 

June 5 | SEDA College Basketball Clinic R-6

June 5 | World Environment Day

June 7 | PUPIL FREE DAY (TBC)

June 10 | Kings Birthday Public Holiday

June 11 | Mid-Year Reception Transition Visit 1 

June 13 - 14 | SACPSSA Basketball Carnival 

June 18 | Mid-Year Reception Transition Visit 2

June 20 | World Refugee Day

June 22 | St Thomas More Feast Day

June 25 | Mid-Year Reception Transition Visit 3

June 26 | SEDA College Basketball Clinic R-6

June 28 | Assembly 

June 28 | Northern Areas Network Netball and Soccer Carnival 

July 5 | Last Day of Term 2

April 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 April this year... 

Mia L

Ziba P

Shayla S

Chikamso C

Leo D

Ryker B

Ashton D

Brody D

Kyle D

Savannah M

Zyon P

Malis B

Jeremiah S

Jake K

Thomas B

Maddison A

Aiden H

Lily-May N

Olivia R-S

Ella L

Deontay E

Bodhi S

Corbyn M

Chase M

Christopher B

Raising Hearts and Minds