2025 T4W8 – 03 December

AS WE APPROACH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR

Our school is buzzing with excitement and festive cheer as we near the end of the year. Students are eagerly preparing for the Christmas concert, ready to showcase their gifts and talents. The spirit of Advent is alive throughout the school, reminding us of the true meaning of the season and the joy that Christmas brings.

In addition to the celebrations, swimming lessons have been a great success, with students making wonderful progress and improving their skills.

ANNUAL GENERAL COMMUNITY MEETING (AGM) 2025

Last Tuesday evening, I had the privilege of presenting a summary of the year’s school activities at our Annual General Community Meeting. This event was also a wonderful opportunity to express our gratitude to the many parents who generously share their time and talents to support our students’ education.

Reports were presented by Advisory Council Chair Mrs. Rebecca Faugno, Treasurer Mr. Daniel Della Vedova, P&F Chair Mrs. Patrycja Spears, P&F Treasurer Mrs. Sarah Bockxmeer, and Mr. Joep Vaessen from Men of St Thomas (MOST). Each report highlighted the outstanding achievements of our students, staff, and community throughout 2025.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to retiring Advisory Council members Rebecca Faugno, Daniel Della Vedova, and Stashu Powlika for their dedicated service. We warmly welcome Jerry Frewen and Matt Kinder to the Advisory Council. Our P&F Executive remains unchanged for 2026, and we are deeply grateful to all who generously give their time to these committees.

STAFFING 2026

As we prepare for an exciting new year, we take a moment to warmly farewell Mr Liam Godsall, Mrs Nicola MacDonald, and Mrs Anita Carlisle. We are so grateful for the care, dedication, and energy they have brought to our school community. Their contributions have made a lasting impact, and we wish them every success in the next chapter of their journey.

At the same time, we are delighted to welcome Mrs Megan Clarke, Mrs Gemma Roberts, and Mr Josh Antulov to our team. Each brings wonderful experience and enthusiasm, and we look forward to the fresh ideas and positivity they will share with our students and staff.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT -Tuesday 9 December

We warmly invite all parents, grandparents, families, and friends to join us for our end-of-year Christmas Concert. This year’s performance, Once Upon a Starry Night, promises to be a special celebration!

The concert will feature dialogue and narration by our talented Year 5 & 6 Drama Club students, along with musical performances from every class, from Kindergarten through to Year 6.

It’s always a highlight of the year, and we can’t wait to share this festive occasion with you!

Date: Tuesday 9 December

Venue: St Thomas’ Primary – Top Oval. Parents, please bring a picnic rug or very low seats to sit on. (no high back seats please)

Entry: College Road pedestrian gate or Melville Street Kindy entrance.

Who is invited: Parents, Grandparents, families, members of our Parish, community members.
Time:

• 5.30pm: Family Picnic (Optional)
  6.15pm: Students to go to classrooms dressed in their costumes.
  6.30pm – 7.30pm: Concert

Please bring a picnic rug or low back chair to sit on

Parking Information: Please allow extra time to find a parking spot on the night. Park rangers will be patrolling, so check parking signs and avoid parking on street verges. Parking fines range from $150 to $180.

Costumes: Students should arrive at school dressed in their costumes.

Seating for Years 3, 4 & 5: Students in Years 3, 4, and 5 need to bring a small cushion or towel to sit on for the Christmas Concert. Please ensure their name is on it.

Playground Supervision: Between 5:30 PM and 6:15 PM, parents must supervise their children if they are playing in the school grounds. During the concert, please do not let younger or older children play on the playgrounds, as this will distract the performers.

Pick Up After the Concert: At the end of the concert, students will return to their classrooms with their class teacher.

Family and friends are welcome to attend. Students should meet their teacher in their classrooms by 6:15 PM for a 6:30 PM start.

ST VINCENT DE PAUL CHRISTMAS APPEAL

Thank you to the families who have sent in a variety of food items or vouchers in support of this appeal. A representative from St Vincent de Paul will be collecting the donations to distribute to those in need. Many thanks to Mrs Pitcher, Miss Antulov, and the Mini Vinnies team for organising and co-ordinating this appeal.

STUDENT TRANSITION TO 2026: Monday 8 December

At St Thomas’ we have a thorough handover procedure between the staff for the end of the year and also a transition programme for all classes. This transition will take place on Monday 8 December. Children from Kindy onwards, will move up a year level between 9am – 11am and students will have the opportunity to spend some time with their 2026 class teacher. New students to the school have been invited to attend.

END OF YEAR LITURGY – Thursday 10 December

Please join us for our end of year thanksgiving and Graduation Liturgy in the Church at St Thomas’ on Thursday 10 December at 9am. The Liturgy will be followed by our end of year presentations and the announcement of the Year 6 Leaders for 2026. Students from Kindergarten to Year 6 will attend this liturgy. Parents and friends are welcome.

THANK YOU AND BEST WISHES

As the end of the school year approaches, I would like to thank everyone for their contribution to our school this year. It is through the efforts of so many, that we achieve so much. To our Year 6 students, staff and families leaving at the end of this year, thank you for the support you have shown the school during your time at St Thomas’.

Wishing you an enjoyable and safe holiday break.

REPORTS

Next Monday 8 December, End of Year student reports will be available for parents to download through Seqta. A link will be emailed to all parents when these reports become ‘live’ and ready for you to view. Preparation of these reports takes considerable time on the part of teachers, and I applaud their hard work and professionalism, often outside of work hours, to give such a comprehensive overview of individual student achievement across all learning areas of the Western Australian curriculum.

REA REPORTS – YEARS 3 & 5

These reports will be released with the End of Year Reports. This is a CEWA Assessment and shows student performance based on a scale of 6 bands. Parents can access this through Seqta at approximately the same time as the End of Year reports are released.

LOST PROPERTY

There has been a significant amount of lost property recently. Teachers continue to work with students to independently organise and care for their belongings. The lost property container is located outside the library door. Named uniforms and food containers can be returned to students, however, any unnamed items are located in the lost and found container. There are many items with former students’ names on them – please contact the office if these belong to your child. I encourage parents to name their child’s belongings and to remove the names of previous owners on their child’s uniform to help us better track the current owners.

SEASONS GREETINGS

Thank you to all parents in our amazing St Thomas’ community for your support of our mission, vision and education philosophy. We are blessed to be working with our 229 outstanding students and their families, here in Claremont. Enjoy the Christmas break and we look forward to continuing the amazing development of each child and the school as a whole. Exciting times are ahead in 2026!