2026 T3W2 – 30 July

NAIDOC WEEK

On Tuesday, we gathered as a school community in prayer to celebrate NAIDOC Week. Our Year 2 students led us beautifully in prayer and song, acknowledging this year’s theme, “50 Years Deadly.” In Aboriginal English, deadly means awesome, excellent or outstanding, and this year’s theme celebrates 50 years of recognising, honouring and celebrating the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Over the past two weeks, students have participated in a variety of learning experiences and activities that have deepened their understanding and appreciation of Australia’s First Nations peoples. These opportunities have highlighted the importance of respect, reconciliation and cultural awareness, while helping students develop a greater understanding of the significance of the land on which we learn and play.

SPIRIT OF THE ARTS FESTIVAL 2026

The Spirit of the Arts Festival commenced last week with the Opening Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, attended by myself, Mrs Nicole Wills our Performing Arts Specialist, and our two Performing Arts Captains, Sophie and Eva. Sophie and Eva proudly joined students from participating Catholic schools in processing into the Cathedral carrying our school banner.

The following day, three of our students participated in the Bible Reading section of the festival.. This week, students have continued their involvement through the instrumental performance categories, and later this term our Dance, Choir and Drama groups will also take to the stage.

The Spirit of the Arts Festival provides a wonderful opportunity for students to share their talents, build confidence and engage with the wider Catholic school community. We are incredibly proud of all students who are representing our school and look forward to supporting them throughout the festival.

SCHOOL PHOTOS – TUESDAY 4 AUGUST

A friendly reminder that school photos will take place on Tuesday 4 August. All students should have received information to take home regarding online photo ordering.

Families also have the option of purchasing a sibling photograph. If you would like your children included in a sibling photo, please collect a sibling photo form from the Front Office prior to photo day.

SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION

Please keep our Year 6 students in your prayers as they prepare to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday 7 August. This is an important milestone in their faith journey, as they are strengthened by the gifts of the Holy Spirit and continue to grow as active members of our Catholic community.

We pray that God will bless our candidates and their families as they prepare for this special celebration.

Congratulations to Elizabeth, Javiera and Sophie, who participated in the Spirit of the Arts Bible Reading section of the festival.

Enrolments are now open for Pre-Kindy and Kindergarten 2027 at St Thomas’ Primary School.
If you have a child who may be eligible, we encourage you to let us know as soon as possible:
· Pre-Kindy 2027: Children turning 3 years of age in 2027
· Kindergarten 2027: Children turning 4 years of age on or before 30 June 2027

As places can be limited, enrolment applications are considered in the following order of priority:
1. Catholic students from the Claremont Parish with a Parish Priest reference
2. Catholic students from outside the Parish with a Parish Priest reference
3. Other Catholic students
4. Siblings of non-Catholic students
5. Non-Catholic students from other Christian denominations
6. Other non-Catholic students

Families applying for enrolment are asked to support and abide by the policies and practices of Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA).
If your family has a younger child who is eligible, or if you know of other families who may be interested, please encourage them to visit our website to book a tour and access enrolment information: https://stthomas.wa.edu.au/our-school/enrolment/

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Photo Schedule: Tuesday 4 August

Uniform Requirements:

· Kindy: Kindy T shirt with regular Kindy clothes

· Pre-primary: White polo shirt plus full tracksuit with tracksuit top.

· Yr 1-6: Formal school uniform including maroon jumper and school tie

· No sports uniform for the day. If your class has sport, please bring joggers to change into after photos.

Sibling Photographs: 8.20 am in the undercover area (Separate form available from the office)

The West Australian Government have once again initiated the West Australian Student Assistant Payment (WASAP) for families with school-aged children.

The program commenced on Monday 20 July and will run until Friday 25 September 2026.

All eligible parents and caregivers can claim: • $150 for every child enrolled in kindergarten and primary school. • $250 for every child enrolled in secondary school.

It is expected that most families will submit their claim through the ServiceWA App, however paper-based forms will also be accessible from the Department of Education. Parents/ Caregivers may contact the ServiceWA Customer Care 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for any assistance on 13 33 WA (13 33 92) or email support@digital.wa.gov.au during business hours.

If you require assistance with your child’s identity verification or locating your child’s West Australian Student Number (WASN) please contact our school office on 9286 9500 or email admin@stthomas.edu.au.