Book Week

What a wondrous week we are having. We began the celebrations with a Cake and Bake stall. Our 5/6 students cooked up a storm and made cakes to represent a book. Thank you to the 5/6 students and families for their culinary skills. Thank you to all of our community for supporting the stall and feasting on cakes at recess.

Tonight many families will come to the library between 5:30 and 6:45 for Snuggle Up and Read. Stay the whole time or for a short while and read together as a family. Children must be accompanied by a parent. Cost: $5 per family.

Friday of course is our Character Parade in Holy Faith Hall at 9 am. Children will come dressed up as a book character, tell their class what their character’s reading power is and participate in book activities led by 5/6 during the day. Please consider packing suitable shoes to change into for play time if required.

Thanks to Mrs Reid for organising all of the Book Week learning activities.

Father’s Day Breakfast

A reminder 3/4 Green Families are hosting the Father’s Day Breakfast on Friday August 30^th from 8am until 8:45am.

The STM choir (years 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6) will be singing a few songs to entertain famillies at the Father’s Day breakfast . The choir will sing from 8.40am.

Future of ACT Catholic School Soccer and Netball Carnivals

Please read the following message from ACT Primary Principals.

Regretfully, this year is the final year for the ACT Catholic School Soccer and Netball Carnivals.

This decision was carefully considered and was made unanimously at the recent ACT Catholic Primary Principal’s Meeting.

Although these are great community days and have been going for many years, the huge workload on staff, increasing costs, complexity of indemnity and insurance and a lack of volunteers to assist has necessitated the decision to no longer host these events.

Schools are rostered on to coordinate, run and volunteer these events and are run, entirely, by the host school, irrespective of the school size. Parents volunteer on the day and staff work all weekend on these events. In the past few years, some executive staff have worked nearly fulltime in the lead-up to pull off these carnivals, along with many staff who commit their time to support the planning and preparation, all of which is impacting on the teaching and learning agenda of the host school. 

ACT Principals acknowledge that there may be some parents and students disappointed by this decision, however, we have agreed that the future of hosting and leading an event such as this is untenable.

This year, Holy Rosary Watson will host the final ACT Catholic School’s Netball Carnival.

ACT Primary Principals

Read-More-A-Thon

This is the last week for the Read-More-A-Thon. Please send orange logs and donations THIS Friday August 23^rd. Thank you to those families who have already generously donated so we can buy MORE books for our classroom libraries.

Kenny Koala

Kenny Koala came to visit Kinder, Year 1 and 2 today. He told us about how to keep safe as part of our Protective Behaviours Health Program. Does your family a family code word that someone who is picking them up can say? The code word is only known by those people who have permission to collect your child from school.

Yours sincerely

Nicole Mikkonen
Acting Principal

Feast of the Assumption

Thank you to all the members of our community who came along and supported our celebration of the Feast of the Assumption last Thursday. August 15 is a major feast day in our Catholic faith. Father Emil spoke to the children about Mary’s love for her son. Tim, Eva, Dashel, Samson, May and Ashlea read well at Mass and Ewan, Harriet, Amelia and Nathan made us proud by bringing forth the Offertory Procession. Thank you also to the choir who sang beautifully. If you would like to learn more about the Feast of the Assumption the following website has some interesting information https://www.catholicweekly.com.au/the-assumption-of-our-lady-15-august/

Centred in Faith Gatherings

Please join Year 5/6 for our next Centred in Faith Gathering which will take place in the hall at 9:00am on Friday the 6^th of September. There is no Centred in Faith Gathering this Friday as the hall will be used at this time for our annual Book Week Parade.

Prayer Theme for Term 3

We are a Community Living with the Spirit

The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23

Year Two are currently creating artwork to display in the Church. The artwork will illustrate Year Two’s understanding of the fruit of the Spirit. Make sure you look at the finalised product next time you are in the Church.

Samantha Mance
Acting Religious Education Coordinator

Pens Against Poverty

Pens Against Poverty is a creative writing competition seeking to raise awareness for the most vulnerable in our community. It is an official activity of Anti-Poverty Week (13-19 October 2019).

The theme for this year is ‘Courage in Kindness’.

Students in Years 3-10 living in the Canberra and surrounding regions may enter up to three short stories or poems. Entries must be no more than 500 words and will be judged by author Jackie French. Winners will be announced during Anti-Poverty Week. Winning writers will be published online and have a chance to win some amazing prizes donated from key sponsors, Gallagher and Hesta.

This is an optional activity. Please submit entries to Mrs Mingay by Wednesday, 4 September 2019.

Two good websites to look at for inspiration are:

https://pensagainstpoverty.org/resources/

https://antipovertyweek.org.au/resources/poverty-in-australia/

Anti-Poverty Week supports the Australian community to have an increased understanding of poverty and to take action collectively to end it.

Feel welcome to visit or contact me on 6249 8869 or send an email to sonja.mingay@cg.catholic.edu.au .

Sonja Mingay
School Chaplain

Work hours: Thu 11am-3pm, Fri 9am-3pm

Battle for Australia Commemoration National Ceremony

St Thomas More’s Primary School has been invited to participate in the Battle for Australia National Commemoration Ceremony at the Australian War Memorial on 4 September 2019 (Wednesday Week 7). The purpose of the ceremony is to remember and give national honour to those who took part in battles in South East Asia and the Pacific during the Second World War to defend Australia from possible invasion. Years 5 and 6 students have been given the opportunity to attend the event based on completion of optional homework on the topic to be handed to Mrs Mingay by Wednesday, 28 August, 2019.

Defence Community Organisation (DCO) Canberra E-News July/August 2019 Highlights

What  Father’s Day / Family Event

When  Sunday, 1 September 2019, 10am-3pm

Where  Tharwa Valley Forge, 11 Naas Rd, THARWA ACT 2620

Info  Activities, light lunch and entertainment provided. Local and regional sport and community organisations will be present to showcase their organisations. Bring along a picnic.

What  Military Christian Fellowship of Australia, Defence Christians’ Dinner 2019

When  Friday, 27 September 2019, 7-10.30pm

Where  ADFA Cadets Mess, Gallipoli Rd, CAMPBELL ACT 2612

Info  Keynote speaker: Chaplain Gary Stone. Published autobiography “Duntroon to Dili – Mayhem and Miracles, Traumatic stress and Trust in God.” For more information:

phone 6266 4950

email mcf.office@defence.gov.au

website https://mcf-a.org.au/events/defence-christians-dinner-2019-canberra/

Bookings http://www.trybooking.com/508117

DCO Canberra E-news is currently promulgated bi-monthly via email. It includes handy information such as upcoming events, contact details for social groups and links to DCO resources. If you wish to be on the E-News mail out list, send a request to dco.canberra@defence.gov.au . Alternatively, ‘like’ the DCO Facebook Page to receive information and updates.

Soldier On

What  Learn to Surf for current and ex-serving personnel and their families

When  Sundays, 8, 15, 22 and 29 September 2019, 11am-1pm

Where  Broulee Surf School, Coronation Drive, BROULEE NSW

Info  This activity is free. To register your interest email act@soldieron.org.au .

Sonja Mingay
DSM

Work hours: Mon-Wed 9am-3pm, Thu 9-11am

Cookie Time – raising money for the RSPCA

Hi Parents,

My name is Riley Bransdon (year 3),and I love animals. I was thinking about how I could raise money to help the RSPCA, and came up with the idea of Cookie Time. 

On Monday, 26 August (International Dog Day), I will be bringing cookies to school to sell at recess. These aren’t any ordinary cookies, they are the best choc chip cookies in the universe! 

The cookies will be $1 each, and we will also have gluten-free cookies available (ingredients will be provided to the teachers).

It would be amazing if you could let you child bring in a dollar or two so we can then help out the RSPCA.

We hope to present the money raised to the RSPCA at the assembly on Friday, 30 August.

 Kind regards,

 Riley Bransdon

Dad's Night Out

Code Camp