St Thomas More School Newsletter - Term 2, Week 3 2024

Our Newsletter | 2024

It's Catholic Eduction Week! 

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

Welcome to a special Week 3 of Term 2 - Catholic Education Week.

Each year Catholic Education Week is celebrated in South Australia and this year it occurred from May 13 to May 18. Catholic Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the excellent teaching and learning that happens in Catholic schools every day and reflect on what makes our schools so special.

Following on from the success of the ‘#LoveMyCatholicSchool’ activity last year, this week schools focused on highlighting the individual things that each community loves about their school. Our students in collaboration with their teachers engaged in various activities based on the theme provided.

While some of the school gathered for our weekly Microsoft teams prayer session, students in Year 3/4 gathered for a liturgy to share what they love about our school and reflect on the wonder and awe of God’s creation. They have also created a video sharing what they love about being a student at St Thomas More, check it out below:

Sharing our future together, 
Leadership Team

Looking back to Mother's Day

"The loveliest masterpiece of the heart of God, is the heart of a mother."
Taken and adapted from Vivian Dean, St. Dominic’s Camberwell, VIC

We trust that all mothers and carers enjoyed a wonderful celebration on Mother’s Day. We were pleased to have mothers and special friends join us last Monday morning for a cuppa and a chat followed by a special liturgy in recognition of this significant celebration. The liturgy presented an opportunity to give thanks for the gift of our mothers, and all those who are like mothers to us. We enjoyed hearing students describe why they love their mothers and carers so much.

Welcome to our new School Counsellor

Last week we welcomed our school counsellor Tess Boyd to our school community. Tess will work at the school on Monday’s, Wednesday’s, and Friday’s. Tess brings many years of experience as a counsellor and a high level of expertise to the role. The students have shown the mercy value of Hospitality as they very excitedly welcomed her.

Year 4-6 | Soccer and Netball Carnivals

Last Friday, 57 of our Year 4 to 6 students participated in the Catholic Schools Northern Areas Network Soccer and Netball Carnivals at Argana Park.

The students enjoyed a day of competitive fun with perfect weather conditions. Games were won and others were lost, all the while students showed being great team players. Congratulations to all the students for their efforts and participation, we were very proud of the way they represented our school.

Assemblies

Each term students engage in a variety of learning experiences in which they collaborate, create and celebrate. As a whole school, one of the ways we celebrate this significant learning is through sharing at assemblies. We hold three assemblies each term providing students with opportunities to showcase their learning.

Please join us at the remaining two assemblies for this term to celebrate their great achievements. Assemblies will be held at 9.00am on Fri 14 June (Week 7) and Friday 28 June (Week 9).

Parents & Friends Committee

Information has been sent home regarding a Parents and Friends gathering which will be held on Tuesday 21 May at 9.00am, in the Jubilee Hall. This will be a wonderful opportunity to meet with other parents and carers over a cup of tea or coffee and share thoughts and ideas for social school community events. We look forward to seeing you then.

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 

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.

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 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

Feast of the Ascension

Through the gospel stories, Jesus reminds his followers that he won’t always be with them in the same way as is he at present. They misunderstand him, thinking he is going away to some far distant country. Jesus reassures them that he will not abandon them. He encourages them to have faith.

We celebrate the feast of the Ascension, a day of great joy! While we do not see Jesus with our eyes, we know that he is still with us. Or perhaps we see Jesus whenever we look at another person.

Project Compassion - Walk for Water

Sending a very big thank you to our families for the gold coins and online donations for CARITAS Australia. With online donations and coins collected on the day, you have helped us raise, $283.40.

See below for some reflections by some students in Year 2 D’Occhio about the day.

We raised money and we raised $76.35. So how we did it is we gave our ice blocks and chips and when no one is near some kids quietly put money in the project compassion box and that is how we got it. We also did walk for water and the money is going to Leaia. We walked with buckets of water. We hope we can get a toilet for Leaia.  Alexander Year 2 MD

Me and my class raised money for the Project Compassion box for Leaia’s family. We also walked for water with heavy buckets too, but not as heavy as Leaia’s family. But it was still heavy. I felt sad for Leaia and her kids. All I did was walk a little way, but Leaia’s family walked a long, long, long way. Imagine how I would feel if I was carrying a heavy bucket a long, long, long way. I did walk for water with my buddy class. We raised $76.35. We are really, really, really, sad for Leaia’s family. We want to get a toilet for Leaia’s family. Leaia lives in Samoa.  Isla Year 2 MD

During Lent we raised $76.35 for Leaia’s family. So here is the story. Leaia’s family lives in Samoa and they had no water. Leaia has six kids and they need water to drink because we are lucky to have water to drink. So the whole school is doing ‘walk for water’ including Year 2 MD. Leaia’s family had to walk a long, long, long way to get water and they had to walk a long, long, long, way back. CARITAS gave Leaia a tank and now they are trying to get a toilet. I hope our money helps Leaia to get a toilet.  Savannah Year 2MD

Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacrament Program

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

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).  

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

Raising Hearts and Minds