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- Principal's Report
- RE Week 1 - Who do you say I am?
- February Birthdays
- Library News
- Upcoming Events
- Sports News - Swimming Carnival
- Class Parent Contact
- Awards Term 1 Week 2 2021
- Partners: Parenting Ideas
- School Counselling
- Photos - Meet and Greet Evening
- Photos - Kinder First Days
- Photos - Kenny Koala
- Photos - Award Recipients Term 4 2020
- Merici College - Enrolling now!
- Viking Junior Rugby Union Registration & Try Day
- Guitar Tuition
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,
Ursula Jamieson
Principal
RE Week 1 - Who do you say I am?
RE Week 1 - Who do you say I am?
This Friday we will be celebrating our Mass for the opening of the school year. This will be held outside at the stage are. We encourage you to join us, particularly families of our current school leaders. At the conclusion of Mass, students will receive their Leadership badges.
I recognise that we are all in a different mindset due to the 2020 COVID 19 restrictions but I encourage you to attend our Community Prayer on Friday and Monday if your schedule permits. Joining as a community in prayer is an important part of who we are at St Thomas the Apostle. Please note, however, that there is no Fprayer on Friday due to Mass and no prayer next Monday as we will have Mass on Wednesday for Ash Wednesday.
Mini Vinnies
I have been so inspired by the number of students and parents who have showed interest in Mini Vinnies this year. Our Mini Vinnies team make an important contribution to the life of our school, Parish and to the wider community. I will be talking to the students on Thursday morning and those interested will bring home a permission note. It is important that families support their children in this important commitment and that they are willing to discuss at home issues we are focussing on as a team.
Penny Vanzwol
REC
Happy Birthday to the following students who will cebebrate a birthday this week
It was great to see so many students with library bags this week! A reminder that K-2 and 3/4J have Library EVERY TUESDAY and the remainder of Year 3-6 classes have Library EVERY WEDNESDAY.
I would be very grateful if you could assist your child to get into the habit of ensuring that they have their library books in their library bag each week in preparation for their lesson. This allows the books to be shared between students so that everyone has the opportunity to experience the many great books we have.
Penny Vanzwol
Teacher Librarian
Date |
Event |
Friday 12 February |
Opening School Mass 9:30am Yr 5/6 Assembly |
Monday 15 February |
Monday Prayer |
Sports News - Swimming Carnival
Swimming Carnival - Friday 26 February
Permission note - Years 2-6
Permission note - Kindergarten & Year 1
Please find below the link to the 2021 Swimming Carnival permission slip for students in Kindergarten and Year 1. Please read the information carefully and fill out all relevant sections of the form.
You will need to fill in a separate form for each child.
Matt Lowe
Sports Coordinator
Please email Jacinta Bryce from the School Council on jacinta7538@hotmail.com to express your interest. She will be in touch to confirm and give some guidance. The initial role involves setting up a class contact list for distribution and taking over administration of the closed/private class groups (Facebook/Specialised App) to enable class updates, reminders and school event details across the year.
It’s a fun role, that can fit in nicely around work/life and it’s a neat way to support your child’s teacher!
this week. Photos will be included in the next newsletter.
Kinder | Grace Toleafoa, Damian Olivetti Alice Kuzek, Xavier Lloyd |
Year 1 |
Khaleesi Ebbs, Teekjwock Kwol |
Year 2 | Vincent McInerney, Ryan Salzke Elle Statton, Dean McIntrye |
Year 3/4 | Mikalya Giacomin, Eli Garrett Alyssia Iglesias, Jordon Fraser Raya Vinco, Kallen Ebbs Declan McNamara, Noah Tapp |
Year 5/6 |
|
Principal's Special Award |
Claire van der Linden |
Cultural Award |
Elena Munoz |
Hi everyone, my name is Ima and I am your new Student and Family counsellor! I am enthusiastic about providing personalised and appropriate counselling that empowers students and families.
As part of the pastoral care program for students, St. Thomas the Apostle have access to a Student and Family Counselling service provided by CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn (CCG). CCG are contracted by St. Thomas the Apostle to provide a counselling service to students and their families on site. There is no fee to access this service.
The role of the counsellor is to focus on the emotional, social and educational well-being of the students. Counsellors welcome contact with students having difficulty with some part of their life, whether or not it affects their school work. The problem does not have to be a big one. It is better to seek help sooner than later. Some typical concerns that counsellors work with include: anger, anxiety, behavioural problems, depression, eating problems, family breakdown and family conflict, grief and loss, learning and educational challenges, parenting challenges, peer and other social relationships, school avoidance, stress and study skills. As well as individual sessions with students, counsellors can run groups, do family work, consult with parents and teachers and make referrals to other services and supports.
Student and Family Counsellors subscribe to a set of professional ethics that include duty of care and respect for the individual rights to privacy and confidentiality. The counsellors’ obligation is to ensure the safety, wellbeing and confidentiality of the student they are working with. All counsellors are mandated to report any disclosure or sign of abuse (including self-harm) or neglect to Child Protection Services. Outside of our mandated requirements, all counselling sessions are confidential and the details will not be discussed with other parties unless written consent is given by the client.
2021 has seen some changes to the school counselling service. The biggest change relates to consent and permission. Parent consent is now required for all students under 14 years of age, consent will be sought and provided via email. The other major change is how to make an appointment. Referrals and requests can be made by completing the online referral form accessed via
As we get into the new year let’s remember to be kind to ourselves, don’t forget: “I am loved, I am worthy, I am brave, I belong.”