Dear Parents and Carers,

It was great to see so many families attend our Meet and Greet community gathering on Tuesday night. It has been such a long time since we have had a gathering like this.  Information letters regarding what’s happening in each year level were sent via the app and email. They are also on the school website. We will have Parent Teacher Meetings in Week 8 but if in the meantime you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact the teachers or myself. We are here to support you and we know and trust that you are there to support us.

As I said last week, I will be giving you regular updates about Catalyst and what we are doing here at St Thomas to work towards the two bold goals: 1) That every child is a competent reader and (2) That High Impact Teacher Practices are evident in every classroom.

As part of the Catalyst Initiative, St Thomas the Apostle, St Michael’s Kaleen and Holy Spirit Nicholls have been selected to be part of a Pilot Program to develop High Impact Teaching Practice for all teachers. We will be receiving coaching in Explicit Direct Instruction from Dr Lorraine Hammond AM. Dr Hammond will be visiting us from Perth this term to work with teachers in K-2. This is an exceptional opportunity for us that has grown out of research into the best pedagogy teachers can utilise to support student progress. The Pilot involves multiple forms of Professional Learning and our teachers are enthusiastic and committed to being involved. At some stage during the year, teachers from St Thomas’ will travel to Perth to see Lorraine in action. It was going to be next week, but due to travel restrictions related to COVID 19, we would have had to quarantine in Perth for 14 days on arrival. This is a very exciting time for Catholic Education, and we are thrilled to be at the forefront in this Pilot.

Tomorrow is our Opening of the School Year Mass. Weather permitting, it will be held outside under the big gum tree with parents and carers welcome to attend. If it is raining we will need to have it in the hall and unfortunately will only be students and staff in attendance. We will let you know in the morning via the app if this is going to happen.

Yours in partnership,