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Welcome to Term 4! We hope you and your family had a relaxing break and that your children are looking forward to the final term of 2022. It is going to be an exciting term with many school events taking place that haven't been able to occur in the past few years, including our Dance Display, Grandparents Day, Kinder Orientation, Colour Run and Year 6 Graduation. As this becomes our 'new normal' within the pandemic, we will continue to engage in COVID safe practices and would ask families to ensure they do not attend such events if displaying any symptoms of illness.
We will also be recommencing our Centred and Learning and Centred in Faith Gatherings each Friday morning from 8:50 am. Centred in Learning Gatherings will be on odd school weeks and Centred in Faith Gatherings will be on even school weeks. All events are on the Compass app and our school website. Our new homepage even includes upcoming events as a tile when you scroll down the page.
St Thomas More's School Creed
Have you seen our School Creed on the new school website yet? Has your child recited it to you as our school prayer or sung it where it features in our new school song?
Our School Creed is the coming together of all of the aspects of our school that make us St Thomas More's. It gives our students a succinct belief statement of who we are, who we would like to be and how we can go about achieving this. You will hear the language of our School Creed in many areas of our school from learning in Xplore More to supporting students through restorative conversations following social conflict.
Staffing News
This week we welcomed three new staff members to St Thomas More's. Kate McErlean and Savida Tanzer have commenced as our Defence School Mentors. Both Kate and Savida are married to Defence Force Members and bring a wealth of knowledge in supporting children and families. We also welcomed Victoria Davidson who joined the Classroom Support Team each Tuesday.
Dance Display
We look forward to seeing you all at 6:00 pm in the courtyard for our Dance Display. Whilst it is unfortunate that we now could have had the event with our BBQ and indoors, we know it is going to be exciting for the students to share their learning in dance with you. It also seems that our dance routines have grown where they no longer fit on our hall stage. In 2023 we will look to hold the dance display in a theatre of one of our local High Schools so that we can really put on a show!
Grandparents Day
Next Friday from 9:00 am - 11:00 am, we invite Grandparents and special friends to celebrate Grandparents Day with us. Grandparents Day will be an opportunity to hold our first Centred in Faith Gathering for the year where we will launch our School Creed. Following the gathering, Grandparents will be able to visit their grandchildren's classroom/s to engage in an activity breaking open the meaning of our Creed. At 10:15 am we will then invite our visitors to the library courtyard for a special morning tea. It is sure to be a wonderful day for both our students and their special visitors.
Colour Run
On Friday 25 November we will hold our major fundraiser for 2022, a Colour Run. The Colour Run will take place on our school oval and will be an exciting experience for our children and a wonderful opportunity to raise money. Over the coming weeks, we will be working with the community to determine the appropriate use of the funds raised.
To hold an event such as this requires the engagement of many members of our community. We are therefore looking to form a committee to support running the Colour Run; this might entail sourcing sponsors, collecting or purchasing prizes, supporting with logistics of raising funds and/or helping out on the day. Alternatively, you may be a business owner or work for a business that would be interested in sponsoring the Colour Run and/or providing prizes. If you are interested in joining the Colour Run committee or finding out more about sponsorship opportunities please contact Luke Donnelly on luke.donnelly@cg.catholic.edu.au.
Luke Donnelly
Principal
Sacrament of Confirmation- 30th October 2022
Our Year 6 children continue to prepare to celebrate and participate in the Sacrament of Confirmation. The Retreat Day will be held at school on Wednesday 26 October. We are very grateful that our Archbishop Christopher Prowse will speak to the students at the retreat.
RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults)
The RCIA program starts on Thursday 27 October at 7:30pm in the Dickson Parish Hall. The parish has recently had several inquiries from people about becoming a Catholic or completing their Sacraments. This is the inquiry night to find out more about the program. The program is also for anyone who would like to learn more about the riches of their Catholic Faith—through solid adult education. All are welcome. For more info contact Father Emil at emil.milat@cg.org.au
Whole School Rosary
On Friday the students will participate in a Whole School Rosary led by Father Emil. This year we have joined the prayer initiative “A million children praying the Rosary”. The prayer campaign aims to ask for peace and unity throughout the world, while encouraging children and young people to trust in God during difficult times, In his text inviting people to participate in the initiative, international ACN president Cardinal Mario Piacenza writes:
“Looking around at all the wars and wickedness, the persecution, disease and fears that weigh upon our world, people might well ask, ‘Is God really in control?’”
“Yes, He is,” Cardinal Piacenza responds, “but we must also reach out for His outstretched hands and cling to Him. God has reached out to us, through Mary. We believe that if we faithfully recite the Rosary together, then the holy Mother of God will lead us all as one great family into the loving arms of our heavenly Father.”
Yours in Christ,
Samantha Mance
Religious Education Coordinator
We would like to take this opportunity to introduce ourselves as the new Defence School Mentors (DSM) for St Thomas More's. We will work Monday through Friday to specifically support Defence children and their parents.
My name is Kate McErlean and I am a Defence spouse and mother of three primary school aged children. I will be working Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays.
My name is Savida Tanzer and I am also a Defence spouse. I am a mother of two children. I will be at the school on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.
Our role as the DSM’s include:
· assisting with the integration of students into our school community
· supporting students as they transition out of the community when the family relocates
· building relationships with peers
· providing pastoral care throughout times of parental deployment, exercises or courses
· educating the community in matters relating to Defence families
· organising significant events such as ANZAC and Remembrance Day Commemorations
If you require our support or any further information please contact us at school between 9:15am-2:45pm or by phone or email.
Ph: 62498869
Kate.mcerlean@cg.catholic.edu.au M Tu W
Savida.tanzer@cg.catholic.edu.au W Th F
Kate McErlean and Savida Tanzer
Defence School Mentors