Principal's Report
Dear Parents and Carers,
Welcome to the 2020 school year! A special welcome to new staff, students and families who are joining the St Thomas More’s Primary School community for the first time. I would like to formally welcome Brittney, Kaitlin and Brenda to the STM staff group. Brittney is teaching 3/4G; Kaitlin is teaching Yr 2 (Thurs & Fri) and Yr 5/6G on Wednesday; and, Brenda is our Defence School Mentor and School Chaplain. Unfortunately, Brenda has not been able to start the year with us but should be here on Monday. I hope everyone’s time at STM is exciting, rewarding and happy.
You may have noticed that there seems to be more children at the school – that’s because there is! We have 20 more students this year compared to last year, with 29 new students in total. Unfortunately, that also means that we have waiting lists in most classes. The new students have settled in really well and I am always so amazed at the generosity and kindness of their classmates in making each of them feel valued and included.
Last week staff participated in a week of professional learning. Together we looked more closely at being “centred in learning” through Mathematics and Inquiry Learning. We also spent a day in prayer and being “centred in faith”. Fr Josh celebrated Mass with us, which was the perfect opportunity to come together as a staff community in prayer. We also participated in some PL from the legal team at Catholic Education and also had our annual First Aid training. It was a very busy week! I am excited about the year ahead and feel so privileged to have dedicated and hardworking educators in our school. Your children are very fortunate!
Newsletter
The newsletter is emailed out to families every Wednesday. On odd weeks, we have “More News” and on even weeks we send out “More Reminders”. The electronic copy can be accessed through our Schoolzine app, via email and on the school website.
School Expectations
At all times, we expect students to respect more, think more and encourage more. Perhaps families could discuss these expectations at home. We also have the “No hat; No play” expectation. It might be a good idea to have 2 hats at school – one in your child’s bag and one that can be left in the classroom.
St Thomas More Parish
Mass times and other parish information can be found by clicking on the link below -
http://www.stthomasmore.org.au This Sunday staff will be commissioned at the 9:30am Mass.
School Counsellor
Our school counsellor is Sarah Foley; Sarah will work every Friday, 9am to 1pm.
Parent Information Night
Parent Information Night is in Week 3, on Tuesday the 18th of February. Please come along at to visit your child’s classroom and to meet their teacher. We are offering 2 sessions with the same information; First session will be at 5pm; second session at 5:40pm.
Email Correspondence
I would like to advise that staff will respond to emails during professional working hours (8am to 5pm) across the working week. For emergencies, please email me on julie.wiley@cg.catholic.edu.au.
Class Contacts
On Monday a letter was sent home about the St Thomas More’s Parent Network. This network provides an opportunity for all parents to be connected with other families. We encourage all families to provide their details for the class contact list to promote communication and being kept informed of important class events. Please complete the form and return it to your child’s teacher by the end of Week 2.
We are also looking for one parent volunteer to be the “class contact” for each class. Being a class contact is a great way to get to know families in your child’s class and be involved in the school community. If you are interested in being a class contact or have any questions, please contact Julie Ogden at the Front Office.
Supervision Hours
Students are supervised each day from 8.20am until 3.30pm. I would like to remind parents of the importance of ensuring that children are not dropped at school prior to 8.20am. Before and After School Care is available at our school.
Uniform
Thank you to families for ensuring students are in full school uniform. P.E. days are Wednesday and Friday. Boys are to wear navy socks with their summer uniform (not white). White socks are to be worn with the PE uniform.
Leadership Badges
Our Year 6 leaders will be presented with their badges during our assembly on Friday, February 14th (Week 2). Parents are warmly invited to join us for this special assembly.
Did you know we have a Facebook page? Find us @stmcampbell.
Yours sincerely,
Julie Wiley
Principal.