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- Principal's Message
- Tombola Stall - Disney Dress Up Day flyer
- RE Term 2 - "Year of the Holy Spirit"
- Awards Term 2 Week 8 2024
- Upcoming Events
- Winter Solstice
- Birthdays
- The Resilience Project
- Bookclub
- Fete: Craft Group
- TeamKids Newsletter
- TeamKids Winter Holiday Program
- Year 1 Artwork
- Student Achievement
- Basketball & Cricket Star Academy Programs
- Canberra Gang Show
- Courage, Conversation & Commitment Flyer
- GKR Karate
- Holiday Happenings
Dear Parents and Carers,
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
The Fete
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.
Yours in partnership,
RE Term 2 - "Year of the Holy Spirit"
St Thomas the Apostle Feast Day
The feast date for Saint Thomas the Apostle is on Thursday 3 July. This year we are fortunate that it is not in the school holidays. We will have a day of activities to celebrate on Wednesday Week 10. We invite all families to join us for 9:30am mass at the church followed by a morning tea at school afterwards. Bring a picnic blanket and something to share with your children as we eat outside and enjoy time together with our great community. Students cam wear Winter Woolies on the day.
Sacramental Information
A reminder that the parent information night for the sacrament of First Eucharist is on Monday 1 July at 6pm in the church. Thank you for all the families who have returned the forms to nominate for family nights. If you have not done so already, please do this by Monday so family groups can be organised.
Information about the sacrament of Reconciliation will be sent in a few week's time.
If you are interested in the sacrament of Baptism, please contact the Parish Office.
Phone: (02) 6231 9219
Email: kambah@cg.org.au
Geoff Ryan
REC
St Vincent de Paul Society
We had about 50 beanies donated last week! This week we have asked families to donate socks and we have had many donations already. ALDI currently have winter clothing items on clearance in the special buys if you are intending to get items to donate. Donations will be collected until Wednesday 3 July (Week 10).
Angela Bartkowiak
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Date |
Event |
Saturday 22 June |
Winter Solstice 2pm - 5pm |
Thursday 27 June |
Class Mass 3/4M & 3/4T & 5/6BR 9:30am |
Friday 28 June |
Disney Dress Up Day (Tombola donations) |
Monday 1 July |
Eucharist Information Night |
Wednesday 3 July |
St Thomas the Apostle Feast Day - Winter Woolies Day |
Friday 5 July |
GWS ALF Women's Team Visit |
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.
Snapshot 7: Empathy 2
Did you know ….
80% of our happiness is derived from:
- Friendship.
- Health.
- Work fulfillment.
- Loving relationships.
- Spirituality.
When you do something kind for someone else your brain releases the love hormone oxytocin. This makes you feel good too. Check out Martin Heppell from The Resilience Project talking about being kind and the benefits of kindness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qO-ja3h5INc
“Kindness is the greatest wealth of all. Small acts of kindness last longer than a lifetime” - Eddie Jaku (Author of ‘The Happiest Man on Earth’).
![Craft_fete_image.jpg](https://prod005-au.sz-cdn.net/sttapkambah/media/15513/240621042057902/200x123/craft_fete_image.jpg)
Our first session will be on Tuesday 23 July at 9:30am in the Parish Meeting room.
No experience is needed – just join us in having fun and enjoying a cuppa and cake.
Contact: Trudie 0419 293 190
Congratulations to Oscar Lindeman who represented his rugby league team for the half time entertainment at the Canberra Raiders game last week.
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Basketball & Cricket Star Academy Programs
Thanks for registering your child's interest to attend our Cricket Star Academy or Basketball Star Academy programs that will launch this month throughout Canberra.
We are delighted to have received such a positive response from you and are excited to announce that your child has been invited to a FREE SESSION on our Launch Day between 9am - 11am on Sunday 23rd June 2024.
You can register for your free session of your chosen sport here:
Basketball Star Academy ? (Free Session): https://bit.ly/BSA_Canberra
Cricket Star Academy ?(Free Session): https://bit.ly/CSA_Canberra
This is a terrific opportunity for your child to kick start their journey in their chosen sport, whether it's Cricket or Basketball. Additionally, there will be lots of goodies and complimentary snacks on offer while the kids enjoy their sessions. It's a perfect chance for parents to relax and socialise while their children have a great time.
We understand that each child has a different pathway. Whether that’s from beginner to elite, shy to confident or solo player to team player, these programs are a child’s pathway to thrive and they are for all abilities. These programs will be open to any of your children - students and siblings!
We look forward to having you join in on the fun!
In the first week of the school holidays, over 100 Scouts and Guides from the ACT will come together to present the annual variety show, Canberra Gang Show. We would love it if you would be able to help us promote the show by including this poster in your newsletter between now and the holidays.
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!