Dear Parents and Carers,

Well, here we are at the end of Term 1 for the year already. It’s been a busy and exciting term with so many events happening. Term 2 is shaping up to be just as lively.

Easter Liturgies

This week, our school community has journeyed through the stories of Holy Week with reverence, reflection, and prayer. Each liturgy has offered a special opportunity for us to enter more deeply into the events of Easter.

On Tuesday, our Kinder and Year 1 students shared the story of Palm Sunday, joyfully reminding us of Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. Their enthusiasm and waving palms really brought the story to life.

On Wednesday, our Year 3/4 students led us through the solemn moments of Holy Thursday, including the Last Supper and Jesus’ Agony in the Garden. Their thoughtful retelling helped us reflect on Jesus’ love and sacrifice.

This afternoon, our Year 5/6 students led a moving and powerful Stations of the Cross. The beating of the drum between each station created a sombre and reverent atmosphere, inviting us to pause and consider the journey Jesus took to the cross.

When we return to school on Tuesday 29 April, our Year 2 students will complete the story by leading us in a celebration of the Resurrection, sharing the joy and hope of Easter Sunday.

We are so proud of all our students for the prayerful way they have helped us walk through Holy Week together as a community of faith.

Easter Raffle

A big thank you to all our families for supporting this year’s Easter Raffle by giving money to your children to purchase tickets. Your generosity helped us raise just over $1,000 for Project Compassion - a tremendous effort that will make a real difference to communities in need.

We had 15 fantastic Easter hampers, filled with eggs, chocolate bunnies, easter egg hunt kits, activity books, and more - all generously donated by our wonderful staff. The excitement among students was contagious, and the raffle was a fun and meaningful way to end the term.

A special shout-out to Geoff Ryan, Morgan Murray, and Angela Bartkowiak, along with our awesome Year 5/6 'Mission and Service' team, who gave up their time before school and during morning tea to sell tickets. Your effort, energy, and teamwork made it all happen. Thank you again for your continued support and community spirit!

Congratulations Lauren Jameson

We send our warmest wishes to Lauren Jamieson as she prepares to celebrate her wedding over the upcoming Easter holidays. Lauren will be marrying her partner, Cameron Holt, and we couldn’t be happier for them both! We pray that their special day be filled with love, laughter, and beautiful memories.

Thank You for a Wonderful Working Bee! 

A heartfelt thank you to all the parents and staff who rolled up their sleeves and pitched in at our Working Bee two weeks ago. It was a big afternoon of hard work, and so much was achieved around the school grounds - jobs that make a real difference to the environment our children learn and play in every day.

What a list of families we had. I hope I haven’t missed any. Thank you to the Simson, Kalla, Greaney, Alagappan, Woolnough, Fullgrabe, Spencer, Arnel, Smyth, Bhargavi, Ryan, Jenkins, McInerney, O’Brien, Goodwin, Dunn, Rootes, Housler, Machin, Trussler families for their time, energy, and effort. Along with the parents we had great staff support from team Thomson, Murray, Gallagher, Mooney, Chant and Jamieson. We also extend our gratitude to Victoria Town for providing a delicious BBQ to finish off the evening - it was the perfect way to come together and celebrate a job well done. It really was a tremendous display of community spirit. Thank you again to everyone who contributed!

Election BBQ

After missing out on being a polling place for the 2023 local election, St Thomas the Apostle School will once again be a polling place for the upcoming federal election. This presents a wonderful opportunity for our school community to come together in a vibrant and supportive way.

Our Election Day BBQ is always a crowd-pleaser - it's a fantastic chance to connect with others, show our school spirit, and raise valuable funds.

We’re calling on volunteers to help out between 7:00 AM and 3:00 PM. Whether you can lend a hand cooking on the BBQ, making coffee, serving customers, or helping with setup and pack-down, every bit of support makes a big difference.

Click the link below to let us know when you're available - we’d love to have you involved!

SCC News

Our wonderful School Community Council (SCC) executive works hard behind the scenes to make a real difference at St Thomas the Apostle. A big part of their efforts goes into fundraising - and now they’d love to hear from you!

We want to make sure the money raised is spent in ways that benefit our children and reflect what matters most to our community.

Got an idea? Big or small - we want to hear it!

Scan the QR code below to share your thoughts. It only takes a minute, and your input will help guide future decisions. Remember every parent and carer is a member of the School Community Council.

Working Bee - Thank you to all the parents and staff who helped out at the working Bee

Mother’s Day Breakfast

This will be on Friday 9 May from 8am until 8:45. Put the date in your calendar and there will be more about in (including getting the dads to help out), once we get back to school next term.

Playground use after school

We love seeing our students and families enjoying the school grounds after the bell rings in the afternoon! Students are welcome to play after school under the supervision of their parents and carers, providing a great opportunity to connect and be part of our wonderful school community.

To ensure everyone’s safety, we ask that the same playground rules apply after school as they do during the school day:

• Students must not climb trees or the tops of the cubby houses in the Junior Playground.
• The Ninja Playground is designed for students in Years 3 to 6. For safety reasons, younger children should not play on this equipment.
• ​Students must be supervised at all times and be in line of sight of parents or carers.

Thank you for your support in keeping our school a safe and welcoming place for all. We encourage families to take this time to connect while ensuring children are playing safely and respectfully.

School Choir

We’ve had an excellent response to our 2025 School Choir, and we’re thrilled to see so much interest already. However, we’d love to see even more of our Year 5 and 6 students get involved!

We’re incredibly fortunate to have Sonia Anfiloff, Head of Choirs at Canberra Girls Grammar School, leading this exciting new choir for our Year 3-6 students. Sonia brings a wealth of experience as both a choir director and a professional singer, having spent 10 years performing in Vienna. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to build their vocal skills and be part of something truly special.

Sonia shares: "Music is a great way to start a school week, opening and creating neural pathways. Choirs teach teamwork, listening skills, and self-confidence; they can slow the heart rate and calm breathing, help with reading and language, and create a sense of community and belonging. Singing, in particular, can help with speech difficulties, anxiety, depression, and a wide variety of mental and physical health issues.
This new choir will focus on learning fun music, making stacks of weird sounds, and bringing more music into the students' weekly routine."

The choir will rehearse on Monday mornings before school, from 8:10am to 8:45am, starting again in Week 2 next term – Monday 5 May. To participate, students must be registered, and there is a small fee of $50 per term to help cover resources. Parents are warmly welcome to stay and enjoy the sessions too!

If you would like your child to be part of the STTAP School Choir, please complete the registration form below.

Final Message

As we reach the final day of Term 1, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our families for your ongoing support and partnership throughout the term. It has been a term filled with learning, growth, and community spirit.

With Easter upon us and Holy Week beginning with Palm Sunday, this Sunday, I wish every family a blessed, holy, and safe Easter break. May it be a time of peace, reflection, and joy with your loved ones.

Please note that tomorrow, Friday, is a pupil-free day. All staff will be off-site attending professional development.

We look forward to welcoming students back for the start of Term 2 on Tuesday 29 April.

Yours in partnership,

Ursula Jamieson
Principal

Calendar

To view the Parent and Carers calendar please follow the link below to our school website. This calendar is very user friendly and clear to view on mobile phones.

Elijah G
Jack S
NoahT
Bonnie  B
Mia H
Arthur S
Sofia T
Zoe G
Imogen W
Phoebe TB
Samuel B
Blue M
Oliver L
Jack N
Delilah C
Oliver L
Angus S
Ujjwol S
Georgina T
Miss Maher
Miss Doszpot

After a very successful Craft Stall at the Fete in 2024 our supplies are depleted.

We are now looking for any crafty people who can:

• Knit or crochet
• sew (both machine and by hand)
• make Christmas decorations
• baby stuff
• or who have other talents to share

We would appreciate your contributions and donations to help make our Craft Stall a success this year.

If you are able to help us out with craft donations or for further craft information, please contact Trudie on 0419 293 190

Thank you
Trudie

• Unique daily experiences
• Value-packed program
• Screen-free FUN! 
• Delicious and nutritious morning & afternoon snacks
• CCS-approved care

Palm Sunday

Last Supper

Trials of Jesus

Stations of the Cross

Congratulations to the Rockets indoor soccer team (which included a number of St Thomas students) who recently celebrated their first grand final win with a 1-0 victory in the U8 Division 1 competition at Kambah Indoor Sports. Thanks to teachers past and present for your support throughout the year.