Our recent Parent-Teacher Interviews provided a valuable opportunity to discuss your child's progress in detail. These meetings are essential for:

Gaining Insight - Teachers get to share your child's work and behaviour, offering a deeper understanding than the end of Semester report alone can provide.

Collaborating on Strategies - If your child is facing challenges, this is the perfect time to discuss strategies and resources that can support their learning and development.

Building Strong Relationships – We believe at St Thomas the Apostle school that strong partnerships between parents and teachers are essential as they create a supportive learning environment for your child.

We sincerely thank all the parents and carers who took the time to attend these interviews. Your engagement and commitment to your child's education are greatly appreciated and play a significant role in all aspects for their development and school life.

As the we draw closer to the end of term and half way through the year, we approach the time for semester reports to be distributed. In Australian schools student performance is assessed using a grading scale. Kindergarten use a grading system ranging from Experiencing Difficulty to Working Above Expectations. Years 3 to 6 use an A to E grading system. Understanding this system and maintaining a positive outlook on your child's grades can greatly influence their academic journey and self-esteem.

What is A to E Reporting?

A (Excellent): Your child is excelling in the subject, demonstrating a thorough understanding and advanced skills.

B (Good): Your child shows strong performance, with a solid understanding and good skills.

C (Satisfactory): Your child meets the expected standard, showing adequate understanding and skills.

D (Developing): Your child is approaching the expected standard but needs more support in certain areas.

E (Emerging): Your child is beginning to develop understanding and skills but requires significant support.

It's essential to approach your child's grades with positivity and encouragement. Here are some tips on how to do this:

Celebrate Effort and Improvement: Focus on the effort your child has put into their learning and any progress they've made. This reinforces the value of hard work and perseverance.

Understand the Context: Grades provide a snapshot of your child's performance in specific areas. They are not a reflection of their overall potential or worth. Understanding this can help you and your child keep a healthy perspective.

Discuss the Learning Journey: Use the report as a starting point for conversations about what they've enjoyed learning, where they felt challenged, and how they can continue to grow. This encourages a growth mindset. Teachers constantly do this with their students.

Set Realistic Goals: Help your child set achievable goals for the next semester. This can be based on areas where they can improve, and also where they are already doing well.

Encourage a Balanced Approach: While academics are important, remind your child that other aspects of school life, such as social skills, creativity, and physical activities, are also valuable.

By maintaining a positive attitude towards grades and focusing on continuous improvement, we can help our children develop a love for learning and the resilience to face challenges. Together, we can support their educational journey and celebrate their achievements, no matter where they are on the A to E scale.

Winter Solstice

Tomorrow (Saturday 22 June) we will be holding our Winter Solstice (almost Christmas in July). Last year was our first year of holding this event and it was a huge success.  We are anticipating a big roll up of people to come and enjoy a warm mulled wine around the fire pit and some of the delicious treats that will be on offer (hot roast beef and pork rolls, Belgian waffles, hot sticky date or chocolate pudding cups, and toffee apples just to name a few of the delights)! There will be food, drinks, stalls, music and festivities.  We hope you can come along.  Victoria Town, our chief coordinator has done an exceptional job organising this event.

Do not miss this important event - Safe on Social

On Thursday 27 June, at 7:30pm we are hosting Kirra Pendergast, founder of 'Safe on Social' via an online webinar. This cyber safety webinar is only available for our St Thomas community and can be accessed via the Zoom meeting details below. It is specifically for audiences 18 years and over containing adult content, and as such, is unlike any cyber safe presentation that you may have heard before. It is interactive and you will have opportunities to ask questions via the chat function.

See the flyer below for details about the evening.

We hope that you can block out your calendar and join us from the comfort of your homes.  We hope to see you online, 7:30pm Thursday 27 June! 

The zoom link is:

Kirra Pendergast is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: St Thomas the Apostle Primary School - Parents

Time: Jun 27, 2024 07:30 PM Australia/Melbourne

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81085932784

Meeting ID: 810 8593 2784    Passcode: 721528

We are starting to get things rolling in preparation for the annual St Thomas the Apostle Community fete on Saturday 9 November. This is a joint event with our parents and carers and parishioners working together to be the ‘best fete’ in Canberra. Proceeds are split equally between the school and parish. It is a truly community building event that brings so many families together. 

Our first event towards getting ready will be a “Disney dress up day”. This will be on next Friday 28 June. Students can dress up as their favourite Disney character and in return, bring something along for the Tombola stall. Please see the flyer below for details about what to bring.

I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow.