2026 T2W8 – 11 June

Last Friday, 5 June, we celebrated World Environment Day, a global occasion dedicated to raising awareness about the importance of protecting our environment. At St Thomas’, sustainability is a key focus in our Strategic Plan, and we are committed to nurturing a culture of care for our Earth.

Staff were recently reminded of the deep connection between sustainability and our Catholic faith, particularly through the teachings of Pope Francis and the example of St Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ calls us to care for our common home by showing kindness to nature and to one another. In Visual Arts, students explored the story of St Francis of Assisi, creating thoughtful artworks that reflect his journey and his commitment to living simply and sustainably. These pieces were recently showcased at a parish Laudato Si’ event and will also feature in our bi-annual Arts Show in October.

Alongside our focus on environmental stewardship, we continue to strengthen learning through classroom enrichment. At St Thomas’, enrichment is embedded in everyday teaching and learning, it is not an ‘extra’, but an approach that ensures all students are challenged, extended and inspired. Through differentiated tasks, open-ended learning opportunities, and opportunities for creativity and critical thinking, every child is given the chance to deepen their understanding and pursue areas of interest.

Importantly, enrichment at St Thomas’ is inclusive. Every student, in every classroom, has access to opportunities that stretch their thinking and celebrate their unique gifts. This might be through inquiry-based learning, problem-solving in Mathematics, rich discussions in Literacy, or creative expression in the Arts. Our teachers work thoughtfully to provide meaningful learning experiences that encourage curiosity, independence and a love of learning.

Together, these two focus areas, care for our environment and rich, engaging learning, reflect our commitment to nurturing the whole child, grounded in faith and inspired to make a positive difference in the world.

Last Friday evening, our school disco was a wonderful celebration of fun, music and creativity, with this year’s theme of Favourite Movie Characters. It was fantastic to see so many students embracing the theme, with a wide range of marvellous costumes on display, truly a highlight of the night!

There was plenty of energy on the dance floor, with students enjoying time with their friends. A big thank you to DJ Shaun for providing the music and keeping everyone entertained throughout the evening.

We also extend our sincere thanks to the Year 6 parents for their generous support in setting up the event and organising the pizza, it was greatly appreciated and helped make the night such a success.

It was clear that the children had a great time, and we look forward to many more joyful community events like this in the future.

During 2025 and 2026, we are continuing to implement the revised WA Curriculum. As part of this, we share information about your child’s learning and progress in a variety of ways.

How We Communicate with Families
We report to parents and carers through:
· Formal reports – mid-year and end-of-year reports
· Informal updates – via SEQTA, Seesaw, emails and conversations
· Parent meetings – including scheduled and requested appointments

What You Will See in Reports
In both mid-year and end-of-year reports, your child will receive a grade for each learning area (such as English or Mathematics).

This grade:
· Reflects your child’s overall achievement in that subject
· Is based on a range of assessments and classroom work
· Is determined against the WA Achievement Standards, which describe what most students are expected to achieve by the end of the year

Whole Learning Area Approach
In the past, reports sometimes included separate grades for areas such as reading and writing.
Catholic Education WA schools are now adopting a whole learning area approach, meaning:
· Students receive one overall grade per subject
· This reflects how different skills (e.g. reading and writing) are connected and used together in learning

Understanding Your Child’s Progress
Teachers gather evidence through a range of assessments and use professional judgement to determine grades.
More detailed information about your child’s progress in specific skills (such as reading, writing, or maths concepts) will be shared during:
· Parent–teacher meetings
· Ongoing communication throughout the year

Mid-Year Reports
Mid-year reports show your child’s progress based on:
· What has been taught and assessed so far
· Their achievement in relation to the expected standard at that point in the year

Supporting Individual Learning Needs
Some students follow a modified or differentiated curriculum to support their individual needs. For these students:
· An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is developed
· Reports will reflect their progress against personalised learning goals

We are pleased to offer families the opportunity to apply for a Presentation Foundation Bursary for 2027.
This bursary provides a 50% reduction in tuition fees at St Thomas Primary School.

Key details:
· Applications close 30 June 2026
· Open to students enrolled for at least six months
· Awarded for one year only (2027)
· Outcomes advised by 30 September 2026

To apply, please complete the application form on the link below and submit it with supporting documentation by the closing date. All applications are treated confidentially.

Bursary-application-form-St-Thomas.pdf
Program-framework-St-Thomas.pdf
For further information, please contact victoria.mcdonald@cewa.edu.au.

Pre-Primary to Year 6 Tuesday 16 June
We warmly invite all families to join us for our EduDance Concert, featuring performances from our Pre-Primary to Year 6 students. The concert will be held in the Undercover Area at St Thomas’ Primary School, and promises to be a joyful celebration of movement, music and student creativity.

Program
· 5:00pm – Students (in costume) arrive at their classrooms for dress rehearsal and preparation Parents are invited to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee near the library entrance during this time.
· 5:30pm – Concert begins (order: Year 5, Year 2, Year 1, Year 3, PP, Year 4, Year 6).
· Approx. 6:05pm – End of Concert (students can then be collected from their classrooms).

Students Departing After Their Performance (before the end of the concert)
· Students may be signed out after they have performed if families wish to head home.
· Performances will be live-streamed to the hall for students to continue watching, under teacher supervision.
· We kindly ask families to be respectful of all performers and the audience when exiting the undercover area.

Venue
· The concert will be held in the school undercover area.
· Seating is available, with standing room toward the basketball court – please be considerate of others viewing their child’s performance.

Parking
Please ensure you:
· Follow all road rules and signage
· Only park on neighbours’ verges with their permission
· Allow extra time to find parking before the event

Photos & Videos
We understand that filming this performance is important for many families. We ask that if you film and/or photograph any children, these images are NOT placed on social media. Unfortunately, as the school does not administer WhatsApp, images of students should not be shared through this platform, as well as through Instagram, FaceBook, X, and similar sites.

Please refer to the email sent to parents regarding specifics about the concert.

Our 2026 ARTs Show, on Wednesday 21 October, will celebrate the incredible talents of our students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 6. This year’s theme, “Birds of a Feather,” reflects the rich diversity and shared spirit of our school community.

The event will feature a vibrant showcase of visual arts and musical performances, including both 2D and 3D artworks created using recycled and repurposed materials. From sewing and embroidery to sculpture and textiles, our students’ creativity will be on full display.

Aligned with our school values of inclusivity, excellence, truth, compassion and community, this special event is a wonderful opportunity to come together and celebrate student learning.

For new families especially, this is a wonderful occasion to connect with the school community, visiting classrooms, viewing your child’s artwork, and sharing in the joy of their learning journey.

We warmly invite all parents, families and community members to join us for this special day. The day will begin with our Grandparents Liturgy and morning tea at 9:00am, followed by the ARTs Show from 1:00pm.

More information will follow, please save the date!

This Saturday 13 June, our Year Five students will lead us in our next parish mass. Please feel free to join us for Mass at 5:30pm, and then for a sausage sizzle outside the church straight after. Thank you to all the parent organisers for coordinating the sausage sizzle, and for our Year Five students ina dvance for leading the mass with Fr Garner.