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- Principal's Message
- Booking Parent Teacher Conferences Guide
- Health Fact Sheet on Mycomplasma Pneumoniae
- RE Term 2 Week 2 - "Year of the Holy Spirit"
- Upcoming Events
- Awards Term 2 Week 6 2024
- Child Safety
- Safe on Social Flyer
- Library News
- Winter Solstice
- Birthdays
- TeamKids Newsletter
- The Resilience Project
- Bookclub June
- Photos - Year 3/4 Excursion to National Museum of Australia
- Courage, Conversation & Commitment Flyer
- GKR Karate
- Lisa Clarke Dance Centre Flyer
- Musical Theatre School Holiday Workshop
Dear Parents and Carers,
We are now into the second half of the term and the teachers are deep into assessment and reporting for Semester One.
We are pleased to invite you to our upcoming Parent-Teacher Interviews, a pivotal opportunity to strengthen the partnership between home and school. They are in Week 8 from Monday 17 June.
Why Attend?
- Insight into Your Child's Progress: These meetings provide a comprehensive overview of your child's academic growth, behaviour, and social development. It's a chance to celebrate their achievements and identify areas for improvement.
- Personalised Communication: Face-to-face conversations allow for meaningful dialogue. Teachers can share specific examples of your child's work and behaviour, offering a deeper understanding than a report comment can do.
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: If your child is facing challenges, this is the perfect time to discuss strategies and resources. Working together, we can develop plans to support your child's individual needs.
- Building Relationships: Strong relationships between parents and teachers foster a supportive learning environment. When parents are involved, students often feel more motivated and confident in their schoolwork.
- Being Informed: Being informed helps you be involved and engaged in your child's school life.
These interviews will be face to face meetings, however if you would like to have it remotely via teams, book a time via the online system and then email the teacher directly and they will set up a TEAMs invite.
Interviews will be scheduled for 15 mins slots with the length of the interview time being up to 13 mins. This gives teachers 2 mins in between to get ready for the following interview.
We look forward to seeing you at the Parent-Teacher Interviews. Your involvement is crucial to your child's educational journey, and we appreciate your commitment to their growth and development.
For further information on booking and interview for your child/children please read the flyer at the end of my message.
Winter Illness
We have had a prevalence of flu, covid and even pneumonia in the school in the past weeks. Please do not send your children to school if they are unwell. Sick children at school only spread illness to other students and staff. Please see the fact sheet in the newsletter about mycoplasma pneumonia.
Safe on Socials
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.
Kirra comes with a wealth of experience. The following blurb can be found on her website:
A Career dedicated to Cybersecurity and Online Safety Kirra Pendergast’s career has been deeply intertwined with the evolution of the internet. From the early days of widespread online adoption, she has been a leading voice in promoting cybersecurity and online safety. With over three decades of experience, Kirra’s work has spanned from high-level government advisory roles to grassroots educational outreach. Her commitment to the field is evident in her hands-on approach to teaching internet users about the potential risks of online life. By prioritising knowledge-sharing and skill-building, Kirra has helped to sculpt an online environment that prioritises the well-being of its users. Through Safe on Social and The Online Safety Agency, she has crafted training programs and resources that offer practical solutions to everyday digital interactions, ensuring that individuals and organisations are equipped to navigate the complexities of the online world with confidence and safety.
This is so important as you would undoubtedly know from the constant stories in the media.
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:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81085932784
Meeting ID: 810 8593 2784
Passcode: 721528
Pie and Footy Night
We had a great roll up of dads for our Pie and Footy Night on Wednesday. Whether they went for NSW or QLD, they all agreed that the pies made by Victoria were delicious and the company was good too! Thank you to those who were able to come along and support the fact that we are community of families, not just a school of students.
Every Day at School Matters
There is a clear link between your child's school attendance and their academic progress. Regular attendance is a key factor in achieving growth while frequent absences can hinder their educational progress.
Beyond academics, attending school regularly also impacts social and emotional development. Interacting with peers and teachers on a daily basis helps children build social skills, emotional intelligence, and a sense of belonging. On the other hand, chronic absenteeism can lead to feelings of isolation, difficulties in forming positive relationships, and challenges in developing essential life skills. School provides an important support system where students receive encouragement from both educators and their classmates.
Research from around the world supports the idea that every day counts.
Missing multiple days of school can create significant challenges. While an occasional day off might seem harmless, it can disrupt the learning process and create extra work for teachers who need to help students catch up. Regular attendance helps maintain consistency for students and allows parents to fulfill their responsibilities while children are at school.
When children ask for days off, it's important to understand the underlying reasons. If they're frequently "sick," it might indicate deeper issues either at home or school. Approach these situations with curiosity rather than frustration. Ask yourself:
Are they seeking attention due to problems at home or school?
Are they struggling with a relationship at school?
Are there specific circumstances, such as feeling unwell during their period, that make school attendance challenging?
Taking the time to explore these questions can provide valuable insights.
To address requests for days off, adopt the approach of exploring, explaining, and empowering. Understand the root causes, communicate why regular attendance is important, and work together to find solutions. If there are deeper issues at play, this process can help identify them more quickly.
By fostering open dialogue and understanding, we can support our children in maintaining regular school attendance and setting them up for long-term success.
Source of information – Dr Justin Coulson happyfamilies.com.au
No hats for June and July
Following advice from the ACT Cancer Council, our school will be 'hats off' for the months of June and July. This means that students will not be required to wear a hat outside during the day at school. It is safe to relax the requirement for students to wear hats, so they can maintain adequate Vitamin D levels over the winter months.
With a long weekend ahead, I hope you all get to have some down time and sleep-ins.
Yours in partnership,
RE Term 2 Week 2 - "Year of the Holy Spirit"
All classes have the opportunity to lead our community in prayer throughout the year. 1G shared a special message about encounter in week 5 and 2BT taught us about reconciliation today. It has been lovely to welcome parents to the church for these community events. All families are welcome to attend Community Prayer when it is celebrated. 1V is leading our prayer in week 7 and 5/6G is leading in week 9.
Sacramental Information
Information regarding the upcoming sacrament of First Eucharist has been sent on Compass today to enrolled families. Please notify Mr Ryan (geoffrey.ryan@cg.catholic.edu.au) if you did not receive this information. The important dates for the sacrament are below.
- Parent information Night – 1 July @ 6pm (Church)
- Attending a presentation Mass – Weekend Masses of 6 and 7 July
- Family Night – Week beginning 22 July (School)
- Family Night – Week beginning 29 July (School)
- Family Prayer Night – 7 August @ 6pm (Church)
- First Eucharist Retreat Day – 16 August (School)
- Celebration of First Eucharist – 21 August @ 6pm (Church)
Geoff Ryan
REC
St Vincent de Paul Society
![St_Vincent_de_Paul_image.jpg](https://prod005-au.sz-cdn.net/sttapkambah/media/15450/240607015057529/100x100/st_vincent_de_paul_image.jpg)
At St Thomas the Apostle we have started the annual collection of all the winter woolies. A BIG thank-you to all the families who have already so generously donated to this great appeal. We already have socks, beanies, gloves, jackets and other warm items. This week (Week 7) coming we are doing a beanie hunt. While you are out shopping this long weekend could you add to your trolley a child beanie? Or an adult beanie? How many beanies can St Thomas collect in a week? Let the challenge begin.
Angela Bartkowiak
Date |
Event |
Monday 10 June |
King's Birthday (Public Holiday) |
Thursday 13 June |
Class Mass 3/4H & 3/4G 9:30am |
Friday 14 June |
ACT Cross Country (12 &U and 13 &over) |
Sunday 16 June |
Winter Sotstice Baking Day 10am - 2pm |
Monday 17 June |
Parent Teacher Interviews begin |
Friday 21 June |
Assembly 3/4M & 3/4T 2:30pm |
Saturday 22 June |
Winter Solstice 2pm - 5pm |
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.
The Awards were presented to the students at morning assembly on
Did you know that Catholic Education and our school has a Child Safe Policy which outlines our approach to child safety. This can be accessed on the Catholic Education Safeguarding Page. We encourage you to visit this page and review our policy. As part of our approach to child safety Susan Chant is also our schools Child Safe Advocate who works closely with our school regarding our approach and response to child safety matters. This approach involves proactive strategies to safeguard our students as well as responding to areas of concern. The area of child safety includes many parts of a school's operation such as day to day activities, school events and school camps. We encourage you to contact us should you like to discuss this further.
Snapshot 6: Gratitude 2
Some benefits of practising gratitude are:
- After 21 days, you start to scan the world for positives.
- After 42 days you become:
- More optimistic, energised & focused.
- Less likely to get sick.
- You will sleep better.
- Anxiety and depression decreases.
A few quick and simple ways to practise being grateful are:
- Journaling; each night write down 3 things that went well for you that day or purchase a gratitude journal with gratitude prompts.
- Write a gratitude letter to someone special, telling them why you are grateful they are in your life.
- Have a family discussion on the way home from school or around the dinner table about the things that went well that day or made you smile.
You can purchase 21-day, 6-month, and family journals from The Resilience Project website if that is something you’re interested in.
Courage, Conversation & Commitment Flyer
Meraki Community Projects
Workshop for boys in Year 5/6 and a significant adult.
The workshop runs over 2 consecutive Wednesday evenings will provide an opportunity for you to have meaningful conversations with your child in a safe and supportive environment.
The workshop will finish in perfect time to watch the State of Origin! What a fabulous evening!