St Thomas More School Newsletter - Term 2, Week 7 2024
Our Newsletter | 2024
Year 5/6RT are tackling new experiences with a positive mindset!
In 5/6RT we have settled into Term 2 with ease and learnt many new skills.
During Literacy, we have published our own balanced arguments and are at the beginning of the planning process for our narratives.
World Environment Day was an excellent opportunity for our class to highlight the importance of looking after the world we live in through individual booklets that we have displayed around the classroom.
This term we are extending our knowledge in Science to learning about chemical and physical reactions. We are creating volcanoes and selecting a chemical reaction to experiment its explosion.
I'm looking forward to seeing each child grow and tackle new learning experiences with a positive mindset.
Shaping the future together,
Rosealyse Trimboli
Year 5/6 Teacher
A note from our Leadership
Dear Parents, Caregivers, Students, and Friends of St Thomas More School Community,
An exciting beginning for new Receptions
As we approach the final weeks of this term, we have begun to plan for our new receptions that will commence school at St Thomas More in Term 3. The little ones have already had their first Transition Session on Tuesday of this week, which was a successful and exciting morning for all.
Transition sessions provide the children with opportunities to become familiar with the school and their classroom environment, as well as their teachers and peers.
As part of our Transition program, Reception teacher Brittney Hills visited the children in their current Kindy environment. This provided the children with a familiar face when they arrived for their first transition session at the school. Moreover, at these Kindy visits, information was provided by the Kindy educators which was shared and discussed with all the Reception teachers to inform planning for individual children.
We look forward to the next two visits.
Did you know?
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 encourage them to contact the school.
Shaping our future together,
Leadership Team
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 8.45 am.
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.
Observing "No Standing" Areas
A reminder to all families to please observe the ‘NO STANDING’ areas and ‘YELLOW LINES’ around our school.
These areas are designated to help provide a safe environment for the students. We ask and expect that all members of the St Thomas More School community follow the road rules associated with the ‘School Crossing’ (on Yorktown Rd) and all road signage (both Yorktown Rd and Shillabeer Rd) stringently. They are also monitored by the police and council.
Please ensure children are dropped at the front gate or office if arriving after 9am to sign in to ensure they enter their class safely.
Vacation Care Bookings
A reminder to ensure your Vacation Care bookings are made before the end of Week 8 (next week). All bookings made before this deadline will be guaranteed. However, we cannot guarantee places after this date.
Our Vacation Care programs can be viewed below. To make a booking for your child, please phone our Director, Cheryl Bielby on 7285 1555 or 0409 551 699.
Pupil Free Days!
Please take note of the following dates for the remaining Pupil Free Days this year:
Friday 5 July
Friday 23 August
Monday 14 October
Thursday 12 December
Friday 13 December
To make an OSHC Booking for any of these days, please phone our Director, Cheryl Bielby on 7285 1555 or 0409 551 699.
Parents & Friends Committee
To get involved in our developing Parents & Friends Committee please contact our Front Office!
We look forward to seeing you at our next gathering.
St Thomas More Feast Day
Who was St Thomas More?
Thomas More was a statesman, scholar and author. A highly respected intellectual, he wrote extensively on matters of law and theology, and was befriended by some of the best academics of his time. He was also noted for his wit and, of course, his devotion to religion.
He is certainly a great choice for Patron of our school, given that he was a man who spoke up for what he believed was right and just. His work and actions were always guided by steadfast moral principles.
Let's Celebrate
Thomas More was canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1935, and his feast day is celebrated on 22 June. To mark the occassion, next Friday 21 June we will be celebrating the Feast Day of St Thomas More. A flyer describing the activities planned for the day and a consent form for the walk to Fremont Park has been sent home, you can also read the flyer via the link below.
Please join us for a whole school liturgy on Friday 21st at 9.15am in the Jubilee Hall.
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 8
20 June | World Refugee Day
22 June | Feast of St Thomas More
Week 10
7 July | NAIDOC Week
World Refugee Day
On World Refugee Day we remember the millions of displaced people – refugees and asylum seekers around the world. We see the great courage and perseverance of many of these people who have lost everything. Often facing injustice, misunderstanding and prejudice, these people show us how to stay strong and hopeful even when everything seems to go wrong.
This year, World Refugee Day focuses on solidarity with refugees – for a world where refugees are welcomed. Refugees need our solidarity now more than ever. Solidarity means keeping our doors open, celebrating their strengths and achievements, and reflecting on the challenges they face. Solidarity with people forced to flee also means finding solutions to their plight – ending conflicts so they can return home in safety, ensuring they have opportunities to thrive in the communities that have welcomed them, and providing countries with the resources they need to include and support refugees.
This year we will celebrate World Refugee Day on Thursday June 20, by sharing a range of picture books in our classes as we reflect on a world where everyone feels welcome.
STM Feast Day Celebrations
We will celebrate the Feast of St Thomas More in Week 8, on Friday June 21. Our theme this year will be ‘St. Thomas More, ‘truth and love’. Please see the flyer below for more information.
Would you like to Volunteer?
If you would like to join us as a volunteer for our walk to the park, please see your child’s class teacher.
Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacrament Program
Students in the Sacrament Program have been engaging in a variety of activities in their sessions to deepen their understanding of the Sacraments of Confirmation, First Eucharist, and Reconciliation.
In their recent session about the Sacrament of Confirmation, students had the opportunity to share information about their chosen saint’s name. As part of the Confirmation celebration, students are asked to choose the name of a saint as their Confirmation name. Choosing a Confirmation name is an opportunity to choose a name that has special meaning to the student, a name that will help them in their journey of faith.
Evie in Year 2 D’Occhio, has chosen Saint Catherine of Alexandria.
Ejike in Year 2 D’Occhio has chosen St. Emmanuel.
I wonder what saint you would choose.
For those families who have enrolled in the program, please be aware of the following dates:
Reconciliation Workshop Session
- Saturday June 15
- 9am – 11am
- St. Thomas More Church – 19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North
Reconciliation Celebration (TERM 3)
- Friday August 2nd
- 6pm
- St. Thomas More Church – 19 Laverstock Rd, Elizabeth North.
Practice for Confirmation and First Eucharist (TERM 3)
- Saturday September 7
- 9.30am – 11am
- St. Ann’s Church – Midway Rd, Elizabeth East
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 18 | Mid-Year Reception Transition Visit 2
June 20 | World Refugee Day
June 21 | St Thomas More Feast Day (June 22nd)
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 4 | Last Day of Term 2
July 5 | Pupil Free Day
Raising Hearts and Minds
