Welcome to St.Thomas
Prayer
Loving God
Bless all grandparents and special people in the lives of these children.
Those gathered with us here today, those who cannot be with us and those who have gone to be with you.
May they heed your call to share their wisdom and faith with us.
May they have courage and confidence to hand on your gifts of experience and knowledge, of stories, songs, and memories.
May they continue to learn and grow with us day by day.
Bless them with length of days and joy at the last.
We make this prayer through Christ our Lord.
Amen
Important Dates
TERM 4
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Friday 18 October | Y6 return from Canberra |
| Monday 21 October | Y3 Penance Retreat |
| Tuesday 22 October | Y3 Sacrament of Penance |
| Wednesday 23 October | Y3 Sacrament of Penance |
| Wednesday 23 October | Grandparents Liturgy & Morning Tea 9am |
| Wednesday 23 October | Y4 Technologies Incursion |
| Friday 25 October | World Teachers Day |
| Friday 25 October | Cross Country Carnival (selected Y3 – 6) |
| Friday 01 November | All Saints Day |
| Friday 01 November | Fair Game Dress As Your Sports Hero Day |
| Monday 04 November | Kindy Orientation 2pm |
| Thursday 07 November | AQWA Y5 Camp 5 pm |
Please remember dates of events can be subject to change
(Full 2024 term dates at the end of this newsletter)
From the Principal
Greetings from Canberra!
It has been a joy to be in Australia’s capital city this week with Mr. Godsall, Mrs. Gibbs, and our Year 6 students. On our flight from Perth, we had a special treat as Annabelle’s Uncle Jeremy was our pilot. Not only did he give a special shout-out to our students, but he also invited them for an exclusive peek into the cockpit after the flight!
We are staying at Westwood Lodge, a working farm surrounded by the stunning Namadgi National Park and the Brindabella Ranges. The lodge offers playgrounds, opportunities to spot different wildlife, and a community hall where we spend our evenings together. We heard that just two weeks ago, snow was still visible on the mountaintops.
Today, we are heading to Government House to see the location where King Charles will be visiting next week. We will also visit the Royal Australian Mint, the Museum of Australian Democracy, the High Court, and the Australian Electoral Commission, ending the day with a fun game of ten-pin bowling. We look forward to hearing all about the students’ adventures when they return to school next week.
Grandparents Liturgy & Morning Tea
Next Wednesday, 23 October, we will celebrate Grandparents Day at St Thomas’ with a special liturgy at 9am in the Church, followed by morning tea in the hall. The liturgy will be led by our Year 2 and Year 4 students.
During morning tea, our Kindergarten students will entertain grandparents while they enjoy refreshments. Afterwards, students will accompany their grandparents to visit their classrooms.
Parents are warmly invited to attend alongside grandparents or, if grandparents are unable to attend, to join us for this celebration.
To assist with catering, please complete the RSVP form using the link below by Monday, 21 October:
[RSVP Grandparents Liturgy & Morning Tea]
May God bless your week.
Natalia Thomson
Principal
From the Assistant Principal
COMPASSION AROUND THE WORLD
On the first day of Term Four, I had the pleasure of working with students in Pre-primary to Year Six, to examine our 2024 Focus of ‘Compassion’ in more detail. Each term we have looked at bite-size elements of Compassion:
- Term 1 – Self-Compassion
- Term 2 – Compassion for Others
- Term 3 – Compassion in our Community
- Term 4 – Compassion Across the World
The University of Berkley’s ‘Greater Good’ Magazine discusses the importance of these elements of Compassion. In regard to Global Compassion, I spoke to the students regarding ‘Learning about the World’, ‘Understanding Cultures’ and identifying opportunities for to show kindness. One of these opportunities is Project Compassion which supports people in countries gain access to essential services and opportunities to improve their communities. I encourage you to talk with your children about this topic at home.
SPECIAL PHOTOS
Special Photo orders have been distributed. If you have any outstanding photo orders, please make contact with the administration.
T4 CLUBS
This term’s Co-curricular Clubs offerings are now available for this term by clicking here.
Heath Nankivell
Assistant Principal
Congratulations to all our Winners
A big congratulations to Mattia and Inderpal from Year 6, and Bailey from Year 5, for their impressive participation in this year’s annual Speak Up Awards. All three students showcased remarkable confidence and poise in delivering their speeches.
A special mention goes to Mattia, who advanced to the State finals and secured an outstanding third place in this highly competitive event. Well done to all!
Merit Award Winners
Catholic Performing Arts Awards
Ministers Running Challenge Participants
Value Awards
Merit Awards
Merit Award at the Catholic Performing Arts Festival
Participation in Think Science Competition
Minister’s Running Challenge Participants
Record Holders STT School Athletics Carnival
Merit Award Winners
Nominations for Two New Members for the Advisory Council for 2025-2027.
The St Thomas Primary Advisory Council is seeking two new members to join in 2025. This is due to my completion of the maximum term of 6 years. Additionally, with some reshuffling of positions, we need a new member for the grounds and maintenance team to replace Trish Coniglio, who is also finishing this year on the Advisory Council.
The Advisory Council plays a vital important role in supporting the Principal, the leadership team, and the school with a number of important responsibilities:
- Strategic planning
- Oversight of the financial management of the school
- Capital development and planning.
- Upholding culture and values of the school.
The Advisory Council meets 5 times per year. Meetings commence at 7pm (either online or face to face) and are held in the school Library.
We are only a small team, so we are seeking hands on new members:
- One role– Member of the Finance Committee, who will work closely with our current Treasurer Daniel Della Vedova. This person will aim to take over as Treasurer from 2026 as Daniel will have reached his maximum term of 6 years at the end of 2025. A background or strong interest in finance and financial management would be ideal.
- Second Role – Member of the Grounds and Maintenance committee. They will be replacing Trish Cognilio who has been an AC member for 5 years. This role will require someone who is committed to supporting the Principal on specific grounds and maintenance projects (i.e. playground development).
The terms are for 3 years, with a maximum of two terms or 6 years.
A huge thank you to Trish Coniglio who has provided enormous value through her contribution to the Advisory Council and especially as Chair of the Grounds and Maintenance Committee. Since Trish was elected, she has been critical to ensuring the works for the school have been implemented and the progress of the school from a maintenance perspective have been upheld under CEWA’s guidelines.
If you are interested in finding out more about this role, or nominating, please complete this form:
2025 Nomination for Advisory Council
Further information on the role can be provided by contacting myself, Susan Swift (Chair) on skswift@westnet.com.au or 0427778759, or Natalia Thomson (Principal) on natalia.thomson@cewa.edu.au or 9286 9500.
Nominations will close on 5pm or sooner on November 8, 2024.
Susan Swift
Chair Advisory Council
P & F Executive – Nominations 2025
P & F Executive – Nominations 2025
Our final 2024 P&F meeting will be held this coming Monday 21st October at 6:30pm, where we hope to debrief on an action-packed Term 3 and look towards Term 4 and beyond.
We welcome your attendance in person and online. Importantly, each P&F executive committee role (Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer) will be available in 2025 and we extend a warm welcome to those who would consider joining the team next year. We will also be introducing two further ancillary roles in the executive, for additional support.
If you wish to nominate for any of these P & F Executive positions or would like to find out some more information, please complete the form below:
P & F Executive – Nominations 2025
We look forward to seeing you there! If you have any queries in the meantime, please do reach out to the team:
Malini De Silva
P&F Chair 2024
Malini De Silva
2024 P&F Chair
Grandparents Day Volunteers required
The Grandparent’s Day Morning Tea will be held after liturgy on Wednesday 23 October starting at 9.30 am. The P&F Group is requesting 2 volunteers to assist with the set up on Tuesday afternoon and then volunteers for set up and serve on the Wednesday as well as pack up for this event. Please click on the image above.
Thank you in advance for your time and support.
St Thomas’ P&F
Help make a difference this Christmas…
As the holiday season approaches, we invite you to dig deep and support the Mini Vinnies Christmas Food Drive in partnership with St Vincent de Paul. This year, we are collecting a variety of non-perishable items to help make a difference in the lives of those in need.
From canned foods and pasta to festive treats like mince pies and bonbons, every donation counts. Please bring in items such as breakfast spreads, healthy cereal, rice, fruit cake, coffee, crackers, teabags, and other non-perishable goods.
Collection closes on Week 8 Monday, and baskets will be available in each classroom for your contributions.
Together, let’s help make this Christmas a little brighter for everyone.
P& F Fundraiser
The final part of the ARTs Show fundraising was always the Crazy Camel. Crazy Camel Fundraising is an Australian-based, family run business offering a wide range of keepsakes featuring your child’s artwork. Perfect as a memory of your child’s art as well as a great idea for Christmas presents. All purchases made from the fundraiser will contribute the final amount raised for this year’s ARTs Fundraiser.
Mrs Byrne worked with the children last term creating special art pieces that have been now uploaded by year group to the Crazy Camel website.
Via the link below, parents can place orders until the deadline of Wednesday 23 October 2024. Selected and paid for items will be delivered to the school and distributed to the children to take home before the end of term 4.
https://www.crazycamel.com.au/38791
A treasured keepsake of your child’s art in the form of:
- Calendars
- Greeting Cards
- Diaries | Notebooks | Sketchbooks
- Pillowcases | Tea Towels
Thank you and kind regards
Patrycja Spears (PK)
P & F Secretary
Sports News
RUNNING CLUB
Running club is back on in Term 4 on Thursday morning from 7.50 – 8.10am at Rowe Park until Thursday 7 November.
Please remember your sports uniform and sneakers/joggers, warm clothes if the weather is a little cool in the morning. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle and your asthma puffer if you need one.
If the weather is poor, I will send an email out either the night before or first thing in the morning.
Student sporting achievements
We are thrilled to announce that one of our talented St Thomas students has achieved remarkable success at the recent National Under 13 Badminton championships. We congratulate Winter (Yr 6) who brought home not just one, but two medals— A Bronze medal from a team event, and in the individual events, he received a silver medal for the boy’s double event.
Please Join us in celebrating this fantastic achievement and congratulating Winter on this outstanding accomplishment! We can’t wait to see what the future holds for this rising star in badminton.
Also congratulations to Luke F (Yr 5) who has been selected in the State league Under 12 Floorball team.
Be a Sporting Hero Free Dress Day and Sports Equipment Collection in support of FAIR GAME.
Students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite Sporting Hero on FRIDAY 1 November 2024 in return for a gold coin donation to support Fair Game, a WA charity that recycles sports equipment and distributes it to children in remote, regional and underserviced communities across the State.
– Come dressed as your favourite sporting hero or in your team colours
– Bring any unwanted or outgrown sports equipment to donate – most needed items are runners, footy boots, footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.
Message from Fair Game:
To make sure that anything we distribute is of a quality that we would be happy to receive ourselves.
Please make sure donations are clean and in good useable condition with plenty of life left in them.
– Please no helmets or clothing.
– Your gold coin donation and pre-loved equipment makes you a sporting hero as it enables another child to enjoy the benefits of playing sport too.
– If you are unable to bring in the items to school there are other collections points – the closest to our school are:
o Revo Sports and the State Netball Centre 37 Lemnos St, Shenton Park WA 6008
o Gold Netball Centre – 200 Selby St, Jolimont WA 6014
Sharon Seaman
Physical Education Specialist Teacher
What’s been happening in Year Two!
In Year 2 this term, we have embarked on an exciting journey exploring the fascinating topic of Space! From learning about the planets in our solar system to discovering the wonders of stars, moons, and beyond.
Students are diving deep into the mysteries of the universe through hands-on activities, and stories. Student have been exploring what makes Earth special, and even imagining life on other planets. From planets to astronauts, there’s so much to discover.
Music Lessons 2024
Instrumental music lessons are available at St Thomas’ Primary. Children can learn voice, keyboard, piano, violin, drums, guitar and flute. Please contact the school office for a music form if your child is interested in commencing music lessons in 2024.
School Community Directory
2024 Terms Dates
| TERM 1 | Wednesday 31 Jan – Thursday 28 March |
| TERM 2 | Monday 15 April – Friday 28 June |
| TERM 3 | Tuesday 16 July – Friday 20 September |
| TERM 4 | Tuesday 8 October – Friday 6 December |
| Pupil free days: | Friday 26 April |
| Friday 31 May | |
| Monday 15 July | |
| Monday 19 August | |
| Monday 7 October | |
| Public Holidays | Monday 4 March (Labour Day) |
| Friday 29 March (Good Friday) | |
| Thursday 25 April (ANZAC Day) | |
| Monday 3 June (WA Day) |
