Welcome to St.Thomas'

A Prayer for Mothers

Loving God,

 

We thank You for the gift of mothers and mother figures who nurture, guide, and love us unconditionally. Their kindness and strength reflect Your own love for us.

Bless all mothers in our school community, those caring for young children, those watching their families grow, and those who hold cherished memories in their hearts. May they feel appreciated and uplifted, knowing the joy they bring to others.

Help us to show gratitude not just in words, but in our actions, through love, respect, and kindness. May mothers continue to find strength in You and in the love of their families.

We ask this in Jesus’ name.

 

Amen.

Important Dates

TERM 2

School Calendar

Please remember dates of events can be subject to change

  • Mon 04 May – Mothers Day Stalls 8:15 – 8:45 am
  • Tue 05 May – Mothers Day Stalls  8:15 – 8:45 am
  • Tue 05 May – Edu-Dance
  • Wed 06 May – Mothers Day Breakfast 7:30 am
  • Wed 06 May – Mothers Day Liturgy (Church) 8:45 am
  • Thu 07 May – Water Corporation Incursion PP – Y6
  • Fri 08 May – Cross Country Carnival Yrs 1 – 6
  • Thu 21 May – P&F Meeting 6:30 pm
  • Fri 29 May – Pupil Free Day
  • Mon 01 Jun – Public Holiday
  • Fri 05 Jun – School Disco (PP – Y6)
  • Tue 16 Jun – Edu-Dance Concert (PP – Y6)
  • Tue 23 Jun – Drama Club Production
  • Wed 24 Jun – Drama Club Production
  • Wed 01 Jul – Founder’s Day Mass – 9 am & Celebrations
  • Wed 01 Jul – Kindergarten students – last day of term
  • Fri 03 Jul – Pre Primary to Year 6 – last day of Term 2

2026 Term Dates

TERM DATES:

TERM 2 – Tuesday 21 Apr – Friday 3 Jul (11 week term)
TERM 3 – Tuesday 21 Jul – Thursday 24 Sep (10 week term)
TERM 4 – Monday 12 Oct – Friday 11 Dec (9 week term)

PUPIL FREE DAYS:

Friday 29 May
Monday 20 Jul
Monday 24 Aug
Friday 25 Sep

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

Monday 1 Jun (WA Day)
Monday 28 Sep (King’s Birthday)- in school holidays

From the Principal

WELCOME BACK TO TERM TWO!
Welcome back to Term 2 and a very warm welcome to all our new students and families. It has been wonderful to see the smiles, enthusiasm and positive energy around the school as students reconnect with friends and staff.

Our whole-school value focus for the year is EXCELLENCE, and in Term 2 we are shining a spotlight on academic excellence. This means encouraging every student to do their very best, to take pride in their learning and to strive for personal growth. Academic excellence looks different for every child, and our focus is on supporting each student to challenge themselves, persevere and celebrate their achievements, both big and small. We look forward to a productive and rewarding term as we work together to help all students reach their full potential.

ANZAC DAY
Over the weekend, our community took time to reflect on the importance of ANZAC Day. I would like to thank our student leaders, Adaora and Lucy, who represented our school with great respect and dignity by laying a wreath at the Town of Claremont ANZAC Day service. This morning, our Year 5 students led a meaningful ANZAC Day ceremony at school, reminding us all of the courage, sacrifice and service of those who have served our country. Each class laid a wreath as a sign of remembrance, creating a powerful and reflective moment for our whole school community.

MOTHER’S DAY
We are excited to celebrate Mother’s Day with our school community next Wednesday 6 May. The day will begin with a special Mother’s Day breakfast from 7.30am, providing a lovely opportunity for families to come together. This will be followed by a liturgy in the Church at 8.45am, led by our Year One students, as we honour and give thanks for the wonderful mothers, grandmothers and mother figures in our lives.

Our P&F have kindly organised Mother’s Day stalls to help students find the perfect gift. The stalls will be open before school on Monday and Tuesday from 8.15–8.45am, giving students the opportunity to purchase a small gift and show their appreciation. We thank our P&F for their continued generosity and support in making this celebration so special.

MOVING THROUGH TERM 2
As we move through Term 2, I encourage families to continue working closely with the school to support regular attendance, positive routines and engagement with learning. Please keep an eye on upcoming events and important dates in the newsletter and contact us if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you for your ongoing support, it is greatly valued and makes a real difference to our students’ success.

Wishing all mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures a happy Mother’s Day on Sunday 10 May.

Natalia Thomson

Principal

ANZAC Day

From the Assistant Principal

EDU-DANCE
EduDance rehearsals are now in full swing! It  has been wonderful to see the energy and enthusiasm from students across PP-Y6. Students have been working hard during their weekly practice sessions to learn choreography and prepare for their performance. We are looking forward to showcasing their efforts at the EduDance concert in Week Nine, which again will take place in our undercover area. We have investigated holding the event off-campus, however there are multiple logistical arrangements that have worked against us for our concert. As with 2025, we look forward to a fun community event of dance!

 

IT AND CYBER-SAFETY
A reminder of the brilliant resources located at the eSafety Commissioner’s website https://www.esafety.gov.au/. I encourage all parents to use this site when various resources and information is required.

 

WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL DAY
Friday 22 May (Week Five) is Walk Safely to School Day. This is a wonderful reminder of the importance of road safety, wellbeing, and healthy habits. We encourage families to walk together where possible, practise safe crossing skills, and talk about making smart choices around traffic. Walking to school helps our children arrive ready to learn while building lifelong habits of safety and activity. Please consider how this may work for your family – we understand that some families travel quite a distance! Perhaps park a block or two away, catch the train or bus together, or ride/scooter.

 

HOW WE RESOLVE CONFLICT BETWEEN STUDENTS
It is easy to expect children to respond to situations they encounter, as we adults understand the world. Children learn appropriate social interactions developmentally, and from adult expectations and guidance. This does not mean poor behaviour choices are tolerated – quite the opposite. At St Thomas’, staff take these situations as learning opportunities and assist children develop the strategies and skills needed to resolve conflict and interact appropriately. As adults, we model to children when we seek to resolve disagreements or differences in opinion. If we name-call, are aggressive, or disrespectful to others (whether that person is in our presence or not), it is easy for children to adopt these behaviours in their own lives. When situations warrant it, we use restorative practice approaches to address issues. These allow all students involved to share their perspectives, discuss feelings, and agree on a constructive way forward. When implemented, restorative practices have been shown to support positive outcomes for students and school communities, and they are widely respected and used across Australia and internationally. Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further.

Heath Nankivell

Assistant Principal

Discover the magic of reading

It’s that great time of year again just in time for holidays to register your child for the Premier’s Reading Challenge!

From 23 March to 12 June 2026, students from Kindergarten to Year 12 can discover the joy of reading and log their progress for a chance to win weekly prizes.

Many St Thomas students have already signed up and are in the draw to win prizes. This year included on the website are podcasts including local writers and guests reading some great books. Students can watch the book reading and log the book.

Visit premiersreadingchallenge.wa.edu.au for more information and to register.

 

Immunisation at School – What Parents Need to Know

In Western Australia, immunisation requirements vary depending on your child’s year level.

Kindergarten Children must meet immunisation requirements to enrol in Kindergarten. Families are required to provide an Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) Immunisation History

Statement showing their child is up to date, on a catch-up schedule, or has a valid medical exemption.

Pre-primary to Year 12 Immunisation is not mandatory for enrolment from Pre-primary to Year 12. However, schools are required to keep immunisation records.

During outbreaks If there is an outbreak of a vaccine-preventable disease (such as measles), students who are not fully immunised may be temporarily excluded from school to help protect the whole school community.

School-based vaccinations Free vaccinations are offered at school for some year levels (such as Year 7). Participation is optional and requires parent consent.

If you have questions or need help accessing your child’s immunisation record, please contact the school office or speak with your GP.

Health Alert

We have been notified by a few parents of head lice/nits within our school.  It is a timely reminder to please check your child/ren’s hair tonight and on a regular basis.

If lice/nits are discovered, the Health Department regulations require that your child not be returned to school until appropriate treatment has commenced. Your local pharmacist will be able to advise you in this matter.

Generally speaking, all members of the family should be treated at the same time to stop re infestation. Close friends and in fact anyone who has been in close physical contact with your child should also be advised to check their hair.

If your child needs treatment, upon return to school you are asked to let his/her teacher know that an appropriate treatment has been used.

For further information about detecting and treating head lice you can go to: http://healthywa.wa.gov.au/Articles/F_I/Head-lice

Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

Sports News

INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL
A huge congratulations to our Interschool Swim Team for their efforts at Friday’s carnival. The students gave it everything they had and we are excited to share that we were awarded both the Overall Champion Shield and the Overall Boys Trophy an outstanding result.

Even more impressively this marks our sixth consecutive year winning the Overall Champion Shield. Our girls team also delivered a fantastic performance finishing second overall with only 16 points separating them from first place an incredibly close result.

Every student showed determination teamwork and great school spirit in the pool. Thank you to our families for your support with early morning training and cheering poolside. It makes a real difference and is very much appreciated. Well done to all our swimmers you should be very proud of your efforts.

RUN CLUB
A reminder that Running Club for Years 1-6 begins this Friday, 1 May, from 7:50am to 8:20am at Rowe Park (weather permitting). Please remember to bring a drink bottle and an asthma puffer if required.

Parents are asked to supervise their child/children at Rowe Park until a staff member arrives. Please do not drop students off and leave them unattended. Students will be walked back to school at 8:20am, arriving by 8:30am.

ST THOMAS PRIMARY SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CARNIVAL, FRIDAY 8 MAY (Week 3)
On Friday 8 May, students from Years 1–6 will participate in the St Thomas’ Faction Cross Country Carnival at Rowe Park, Claremont.

The event will run in a morning session with the following format:
· First block: Years 6 and 5 will walk to Rowe Park, compete in their races, and return.
· Second block: Years 4 and 3 will follow.
· Third block: Years 2 and 1 will complete the final races.

A presentation ceremony for all year groups will be held back at school at 2:45pm for those who wish to attend and support. This year, medals will be awarded to the Champion and Runner-Up in each year level from Year 1 to Year 6. Students placing 3rd, 4th, and 5th in Years 3-6 will receive certificates recognising their achievement and selection for the Interschool Cross Country Team.

Catholic Performing Arts

The 2026 Catholic Performing Arts Festival is now open for entries.

The Performing Arts Festival for Catholic Schools and Colleges provides an opportunity for students to share their musical gifts and talents with the community, granting the children the chance to perform in an encouraging public forum.

Application forms are available:  CPAF-2026-copy.pdf

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