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- Principal's Report
- RE Week 4 - Who do you say I am?
- February & March Birthdays
- Library News
- Upcoming Events
- Sports News - Swimming Carnival
- Partners: Parenting Ideas
- Canteen News
- Awards Term 1 Week 4 2021
- Photos - Farewell to Paula Papandrea
- Photos - Year 1 Maths
- Photos - Year 3/4
- TeamKids Newsletter
- TeamKids Biggest Birthday Party
- AFL Tuggeranong
Dear Parents and Carers,
It’s hard to believe, but we are already almost halfway through Term 1. Thank you for your support in ensuring that the children are at school by 8:50am each morning. We are keeping our morning assemblies short and focused so that the students are in the classrooms and learning by 9:00am. We have also shifted recess by 10 mins (now 11:00am) which means the morning prime time of learning each day is a dedicated 2 hour block. The children have their fruit break at 10:00am which gives them a fuel boost to help them make the most of this learning time.
Assembly
We would normally have an assembly and the presentation of Merit Awards tomorrow, but as the swimming carnival is on, these will be postponed until Monday. Therefore this fortnight's Merit Awards (as announced in the newsletter today) will be presented at Morning Assembly this coming Monday and instead of Community Prayer, the students will stay outside under the trees for the presentation of the Mini Vinnies team for 2021. Parents are welcome come to the morning assembly to attend these presentations.
Catalyst
Last week our teachers worked for a half day with two Maths specialists, Madonna Pianegonda from NumeracyPlus and Chris Higgins from Catholic Education to plan an overview for Maths for 2021. The focus was a combination of curriculum and pedagogy. Madonna and Chris will continue to work with our teachers over the year.
School Community Council
We had our first meeting of the year on Monday night with the following nominations accepted for executive roles. I am pleased to announce the following School Community Council for 2021.
Chair – Carl Jenkins
Deputy Chair – Katherine Hellwig
Treasurer – Michael Giacomin
Secretary – Jacinta Orr
General Members (which some specific roles and expertise) – Corinne Smith, Liz Grellman, Virginia Wilson, Aleks Kalinowski and Edwina Wundersitz
Ex officio – Ursula Jamieson, Susan Chant and Fr Praveen Paul
Congratulations and thank you to these parents for their undertaking of this significant role within the school community. In next week's newsletter, each member of the council will introduce themselves and tell us a little about who they are. There will also be a photo of each of them so you can recognize them and know that they are there to listen to you.
School Photos
Our Annual School Photos have been booked for Thursday March 11th (end of Week 6). We ask that students wear their sports uniform on that day even if it’s not their designated sports day. Yr 6 are to wear their leadership shirts. Weather permitting, we will be taking the photos outside under our big gum tree.
200 Year of Catholic Education in Australia
Yesterday Mrs Vanzwol and I, along with two of our SRC members, Claire van der Linden and Matthew Hoskinson, attended Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral. Archbishop Christopher Prowse celebrated Mass to commemorate the bicentenary of Catholic Education in Australia. Schools from across the Archdiocese joined special guests for this important celebration.
During the Mass, the Merici College choir sang the most beautiful reflection hymn that truly told the story of how we have become who we are. I have included the words below to share with you.
Standing on the Shoulders
by Joyce Johnson Rouse
I am standing on the shoulders
of the ones who came before me
I am stronger for their courage,
I am wiser for their words
I am lifted by their longing
for a fair and brighter future
I am grateful for their vision,
for their toiling on this Earth.
We are standing on the shoulders
of the ones who came before us.
They are saints and they are humans,
they are angels, they are friends.
We can see beyond the struggles
and the troubles and the challenge.
When we know that by our efforts
things will be better in the end.
They lift me higher than I could ever fly
Carrying my burdens away
I imagine our world if they hadn't tried
We wouldn't be here celebrating today.
I am standing on the shoulders
of the ones who came before me
I am honoured by their passion
for our liberty
I will stand a little taller,
I will work a little longer
And my shoulders will be there
to hold the ones who follow me
©1995 Rouse House Music, ASCAP.
Used with permission Once License No:A-730363
Principals Retreat
Next Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I will be in Bowral attending the annual System Leaders Days which includes a faith formation aspect for all Catholic School principals. While I am away, the school will be in the capable hands of Susan Chant, our Assistant Principal.
Yours in partnership
Ursula Jamieson
Ursula Jamieson
Principal
RE Week 4 - Who do you say I am?
Next Monday, 1st March at 9am will be the commissioning of our 2021 Mini Vinnies Team. Some members of the team will be entering their fourth year of participation which is an outstanding commitment. Families are invited to attend the commissioning, however, the members of the Kambah St Vincent de Paul Society usually pin the badges on the students as an acknowledgement of their connection with us.
Community Prayer
This week in Community Prayer we reflected on the writing of St James. St James tells the people of the Early Church that their faith must be seen through action. So it is for each of us. Particularly in Lent, we are encouraged to take time to consider how our beliefs are demonstrated through authentic action. Pope Francis goes even further, confirming that prayer without action is incomplete but also that action without prayer is also incomplete. He suggests that there is an anchoring influence in prayer – that our actions will be most effective after contemplation and communing with the Divine.
Harmony Day/Grandparents Day
We are committed to celebrating this event on Monday 22 March but it may look a bit different due to restrictions.
Please keep an eye out for further details.
Penny Vanzwol
REC
Happy Birthday to the following students and staff who will cebebrate a birthday this week
Book Covering
Last year we had some wonderful helpers who covered new readers for us. If you still have a set of readers at home could you please return them on Monday. Thank you so much.
Penny Vanzwol
Teacher Librarian
Date |
Event |
Friday 26 February |
Swimming Carnival |
Monday 1 March |
Morning assembly 8:55am - |
Sports News - Swimming Carnival
Swimming Carnival
Friday 26 February
Stromlo Leisure Centre
Years 2 to 6: depart school at 9:15am, return to school at approx. 2:40pm
Kinder & Year 1: depart school at 10:30am, will return to school at approx. 1:15pm
Please remember the following for your child:
- towel
- morning tea
- lunch
- drink bottle
(All should be clearly labelled with your child’s name)
THE SCHOOL CANTEEN WILL BE CLOSED ON FRIDAY 26th FEBRUARY
Stromlo Leisure Centre Café facilities will be available for hot food ($10ea) and ice-cream purchases on the day.
Sport Houses and colours
These are named after old homesteads in the Tuggeranong Valley
Cooleman (Green) – Kookaburra
Erindale (Gold) – Koala
Lanyon (Red) – Emu
Riverview (White) – Kangaroo
Kind regards,
Mr. Lowe
Sports Coordinator
I wanted to take a moment to say goodbye, as the time has come for me to start something new.
I have been connected with the community of St Thomas for nine years now and have grown very fond of the students, families and faculty alike.
I depart with mixed feelings but mostly importantly, with warm memories of my time at St Thomas the Apostle Primary school.
Thank you for your support during my time as canteen and uniform shop manager,
Paula Papandrea
this week.
This week's Awards will be handed out on Monday 1 March at 8:55am on the stage (due to Swimming Carnival on Friday)
Kinder | Noah George, Daniel Boban Millie McInerney, Ari Clark |
Year 1 |
Mila Laverty, Daniel Housler |
Year 2 | Anna Mathew Thomas, Sara Geraghty Winifred Gitoes, Lachie Wardell |
Year 3/4 | Mila Sommariva, Jared Earl Talia Ulakai, Maddie Lowes Lilija Sebar, Elijah Greene Penny Warren, Geofferey Booth |
Year 5/6 |
Logan Shingles, Ella Sullivan, Amelie Harris |
Principal's Special Award |
Ahmed Al Shamari |
Cultural Award |
Harry Keough |
TeamKids Biggest Birthday Party
Good Morning STTA families,
TeamKids St Thomas the Apostle PS has decided to throw the BIGGEST BIRTHDAY PARTY TeamKids has ever seen! We will be celebrating all the Birthday parties we missed last year on March 10th, 2021!
And we want to get you all involved!
Not only do we want to celebrate this amazing party with new children as well, I would love any and all contributions anyone could offer.
You may have seen me on Kambah Community Noticeboard and the Buy Nothing Kambah page on Facebook as I have made it my priority to make our program not only as sustainable as I can, but also to get the community involved as much as I can.
Anything you can offer would be so appreciated by us, and of course you would receive gold certificate status in both our newsletter and our community noticeboard!
From suggestions to make our party the best ever, places I could reach out to for donations, any services anyone may be willing to offer, such as face painting, lending out a karaoke machine, balloon twisting, teaching our kids/ putting on some sort of display for karate/rugby/soccer or any other groovy things you could bring to the table?
Please contact stthomastheapostleps@teamkids.com.au, ring or message anytime on 0437 319 357. Also feel free to stop by our OSHC room before or after school to chat with us.
Thank you all!!!