It is hard to believe that we have already come to the end of Term Two. It feels like only last week that we were commemorating ANZAC Day in the school hall or gathering for Mother's Day on a chilly May morning.

Thank you to all of those parents in our community who have engaged in the many events we have held both at school, through sports carnivals and in coordinating play dates and get togethers. At our recent Community Council meeting we were so pleased to hear that parents are engaging with each other and setting up social opportunities to strengthen connections. This is an important element of our community that many feel has been lost during the three years of the pandemic. We look forward to seeing you all next term as we wait in anticipation for our bulbs to bloom as we welcome spring!

Cyber Safety - Parental Guidance

The TV series - Parental Guidance has been a hot topic around the staffroom table in the past few weeks as members of staff have discussed the impact the show has had on their own parenting and the themes it encourages viewers to think about. Of particular interest was the cyber safety section halfway through episode one where a mock online chat scenario was created to see how children would respond to engaging with strangers in a commonly used app. The results were eye opening and a timely reminder to us all of the importance of preparing our children for experiences online rather than being unaware of their activity or simply not letting them engage and ignoring that these issues exist. 

Whilst cyber safety is certainly an important part of parenting, it is also part of the Australian Curriculum. Students engage in cyber safety lessons at the beginning of each year and through visits from Kenny Koala. Next term, Samantha Mance, as our Child Safe Advocate, will be scheduling student and parent workshops with the team at ThinkUKnow. ThinkUKnow is run by the AFP and supports students and families in setting up expectations and behaviours for being online. We will let you know as soon as our parent workshop has been booked. In the meantime, you might like to watch episode 1 of Parental Guidance so that you can have some reflection on your own parenting and support of your children online. It certainly has supported many of the staff at home and school. 

Parental Guidance - Online Gaming Challenge

Parental Guidance Episode 1: How safe is your child online? The gaming challenge that every parent needs to see Season 2 of Parental Guidance is not holding back. With hot-button issues like online safety, bullying, res... 9now.nine.com.au

Registration Review Summary

Following on from our School Registration and Improvement Standards process last term, we are pleased to publish the Registration Review Summary. The Community Council heard the summary in full at our meeting last week and was affirmed by the number of high-quality exemplars occurring across all areas of the report. There is much to celebrate, from the strength of our Creed, to the application of a knowledge rich curriculum and the high level of engagement in our community. We would encourage all of our families to sit down and take the time to read about all that is happening at St Thomas More's.

Reports were published on Friday and can be accessed through your child's profile in Compass and by selecting the reports tab. We would encourage you to discuss the Engagement for Learning section of the report with your child as this will give them feedback on their commitment to growth in the classroom. Thank you to the staff for their preparation of the reports.

Absences - Census

We would like to remind families of their obligation to notify the school when their child is absent. This is a legislative requirement of education and of great importance for the staff to be able to ensure continuity of learning for your child. Absences can be completed in Compass App by selecting the blue + shortcut button located in the bottom tabs and selecting submit absence note. Mrs Poole has prepared the attached how-to guide for families signed in on a desktop. 

It is hard to believe that we are fast approaching two years since the launch of our new sports uniform. At the time of the uniform being introduced a sunset period of two years was set for the transition from the old white polo to the new polo. We would ask families to ensure they are dressing their children in the new polo in the coming months.

Dance - Term Three

Next term we will be holding our Dance lessons with Miss Shakiralea on Tuesday. This means that our Wednesday sports uniform day will move to Tuesday. Our PE lessons days with Mrs Dekuyer will remain the same.

Term Three - Commencement Date

Term Three will commence for students on Tuesday 18 July so the staff can have a day of professional learning on the pupil free day. We wish all our families are wonderful holiday and look forward to seeing you in Term Three!