2025 T4W6 – 19 November

Feast of the Presentation of Mary in the Temple

This special feast on Friday 21 November, celebrates the day when Mary, as a young child, was presented by her parents Joachim and Anne, in the Temple to dedicate her life to God. It reminds us of Mary’s openness and trust in God’s plan.

The Presentation Sisters, founded by Nano Nagle, chose this feast as their name because it reflects their mission of dedication to God and service to others, especially through education. Just as Mary said “yes” to God, the Sisters inspire us to live with faith, courage, and compassion.

As a school connected to the Presentation Sisters, this feast is a reminder of their heritage and the call to live with faith, generosity, and love.

Celebrating Together

The Presentation Sisters will be joining our students from Years 2–6 for  Mass at 9am in the Church this Friday 21 November, to celebrate this important Feast Day. Parents and families are warmly invited to attend.

Network Meeting for Teachers

We are delighted to be part of the ‘Beaches Network’, a collaborative platform for networking and moderation across all learning areas. The Beaches Network consists of five single-stream Catholic schools:

• St Thomas’ Primary School, Claremont
• St John’s Primary, Scarborough
• Holy Spirit, City Beach
• Our Lady of Good Counsel, Karrinyup
• St Dominic’s, Innaloo

On Tuesday afternoon, we were proud to host the Term 4 meeting here at St Thomas’. This gathering gave teachers from our surrounding schools the opportunity to share ideas, discuss curriculum, and plan for the year ahead.

Networking benefits our students and families by:

• Ensuring consistency and quality across schools through moderation of student work.
• Sharing best practices in teaching and learning to enhance classroom experiences.
• Building strong professional connections that support innovation and collaboration.

These partnerships help us maintain high standards and provide the best possible education for your children.

Annual General Meeting (AGM) Tuesday 25 November – 6pm

We warmly invite you to our Annual General Community Meeting next Tuesday, 25 November. The evening will begin with refreshments at 6 pm, followed by the meeting in the school hall from 6.30pm to 7.30pm. During the AGM, we will review the year’s highlights, celebrate achievements, and announce staffing for 2026. This gathering offers a wonderful opportunity to connect, reflect on the year, and look forward to what’s ahead.

Transition Morning for 2026 – Monday 8 December

On Monday, 8 December, students will meet their 2026 class teacher and spend time with their new cohort during our Transition Morning.

Christmas Concert – Tuesday 9 December

We warmly invite you and your family, to our Christmas Concert, One Starry Night on Tuesday, 9 December. Gates open at 5:30 pm for a family picnic on the oval. Students will need to be in their respective classrooms by 6.15pm, with the concert beginning at 6:30 pm. We look forward to sharing this festive evening with our families, friends, and community members.

Christian Service

Next week, we are excited to welcome four Trinity College students who will be joining us for their Christian Service placement. This program is a wonderful opportunity for both our visitors and our school community. The Trinity students will assist in classrooms and school activities, bringing fresh energy and enthusiasm to support learning.

We look forward to welcoming these students and sharing in this meaningful experience.

ICAS Results

A big congratulations to all students who participated in the ICAS tests earlier in Term Three this year. The overall results show some outstanding results, shared with you below:
Digital Technologies: 1 Distinction, 4 Credit, 1 Merit
Science: 3 Distinction, 4 Credit, 3 Merit
English: 1 Distinction, 4 Credit, 3 Merit
Writing: 2 Distinction, 3 Credit, 2 Merit
Mathematics: 1 High Distinction, 1 Distinction, 4 Credit, 4 Merit
Note: High Distinction = top 1% of test participants
Distinction = next 10%
Credit = next 25%
Merit = next 10%

Swimming Lessons

Thank you to PP-Y6 parents for completing the online Swimming Lesson Enrolment form. Lessons will take place from Monday 24 November to Friday 5 December. Students will be bussed to and from their lessons and accompanied by staff. The school will run a slightly different timetable for these two weeks, including altered recess times. If you have any information concerning your child’s participation in these lessons, please contact your child’s teacher so each child can be catered for. Students will require appropriate bathers (including rashie), towel, thongs and goggles. Sport uniform may be worn for the fortnight to facilitate easy changing for students. Teachers will communicate more information specific to each year level. Lesson details are as follows:
– Years 5 & 6 – Cottesloe Beach (both weeks) – leaving school 9:00am, returning at 10:15am.
– Years 3 & 4 – Claremont Pool (first week) leaving at 10:05am and returning at 11:20am and Cottesloe Beach (second week) leaving 9:40am and returning to school 10:50am.
– Pre-primary, Year 1 & Year 2 – Claremont Pool (both weeks) – leaving at 10:45am and returning at 12:05pm.

Reports

End of Year reports for Kindergarten to Year Six students will be available to parents on the afternoon of Monday 8 December through Seqta. Kindergarten students will receive a report that communicates achievement in-line with elements of the Early Years Learning Framework and WA Kindergarten Curriculum Guidelines. Pre-primary to Year Six students will be assessed on curriculum areas of the WA Curriculum, as set out by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) – the independent authority mandated by the government for setting and administering the Western Australian curriculum. Teachers will provide achievement grades and effort indicators for each student in each subject studied across the year. ‘A’ to ‘E’ letter grades are used in Years 1-6 (not Pre-primary), where a ‘C’ grade denotes achievement in-line with the expected achievement level of a student in that year level. They will also communicate progress in personal and social development, and in addition to a grade, make a comment on achievement across the year in Religious Education, English, Mathematics and Personal and Social Development. If you have any questions regarding the reporting process, please contact me.