Prayer
This prayer recognises the need for peace in our world:
Father of all mercies, we pray for the families who have fled their homes in fear. We lift up the mothers and fathers who have escaped with only their children, leaving everything else behind. Their country has changed, their lives will never be the same and they are afraid of the future.
Lord, you are the God who heals. Please bring your comfort and healing to those who are hurting.
Father, there is so much pain and conflict across the Middle East. We pray for leaders throughout the region and ask you to turn their hearts towards peace. As our leaders and those around the world consider how to respond, please grant them wisdom and insight.
Lord Jesus, you are the Prince of Peace. We pray for an end to the violence and bloodshed and ask you to bring a new dawn of peace across the Middle East.
Amen
Important Dates
Thursday 19 October - Y6 Surfing
Thursday 19 October - B/ball Sporting Schools Yrs 3-6
Friday 20 October - B/Ball Sporting Schools Yrs 1-2
Friday 20 October - Dad's Golf Day & Dinner
Monday 23 October - Y6's depart for Canberra Tour
Wednesday 25 October - Bunnings Workshop - Early Years
Thursday 26 October - B/ball Sporting Schools Yrs 3-6
Friday 27 October - Y3 Assembly 9am
Friday 27 October - B/ball Sporting Schools Yrs 1-2
Friday 27 October - World Teachers Day 2023
Saturday 28 October - Y6's return from Canberra Tour
Monday 30 October - Y5 WA Electoral Commission Incursion
Tuesday 31 October - Grandparents Liturgy & Morning Tea 9am
Wednesday 1 November - All Saints Day
Wednesday 1 November - P & F Meeting 7pm
Thursday 2 November - All Soul's Day
Thursday 2 November - All Soul's Liturgy Y4
Friday 3 November - Y1 Assembly
Friday 3 November - No Phys Ed today (see Monday 06 November)
Tuesday 7 November - Advisory Council Meeting 7pm
Wednesday 08 November - Friday Phys Ed Lessons (Sport Uniforms required)
Friday 10 November - Kindy Orientation 9 am
Friday 10 November - Remembrance Day Service 11 am
Friday 10 November - No Phys Ed today
Monday 13 November - Y5 AQWA Camp
Wednesday 15 November - Y5 Leadership Speeches
Friday 17 November - PP Assembly
Monday 20 November - Swimming Lessons Commence PP - Y6
Tuesday 21 November - Annual General Meeting 6pm
Thursday 23 November - Keyed-Up Recital 3:20 pm The School Hall (piano & violin)
Friday 24 November - Keyed-Up Recital 3:15 pm The School Hall (Drums, Guitar & voice)
Wednesday 29 November - Night of the Notables @ 5:30 pm
Friday 1 December - 6pm Graduation Dinner
Monday 4 December - Semester Reports Live
Monday 4 December - Transition Morning
Tuesday 5 December - Christmas Concert 6 pm
Thursday 7 December - Graduation Paraliturgy 9 am
Friday 8 December - Y6 Adventure World Excursion
Friday 8 December - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
Friday 8 December - Final day of the year for students
Please remember dates of events can be subject to change
(Full 2023 term dates at the end of this newsletter)
Every day I feel blessed to be living in our wonderful country, where we are safe and loved by our family and friends. Please keep all families living in the Middle East in your prayers at this difficult time.
SACRAMENT OF PENANCE – YEAR 3
Congratulations to our Year 3 students for receiving their Sacrament of Penance. We blessed to have the Very Reverend Peter Whitely, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Perth, administer the Sacrament in Father Wayne’s absence. Father Peter, a past pupil, commenced his education at St Thomas Catholic Primary School in 1952 and received his First Holy Communion at St Thomas the Apostle Church on 30 October 1955. Special thanks to Mrs Nicola Hurst and Sr Catherine for preparing the students to receive this Sacrament.
GRANDPARENTS DAY LITURGY & MORNING TEA
On Tuesday 31 October we are celebrating Grandparents Day. The morning will commence with a gathering and Liturgy in the Church commencing at 9am, followed by classroom visits. Morning tea will follow in the school hall for all Grandparents, generously provided by our school P & F. For catering purposes please RSVP HERE .
YEAR 6 CANBERRA TOUR
Next week, the Year 6 students head to Canberra, the national capital, on a school excursion. A visit to Canberra is an immersive civics and citizenship learning experience that helps students see themselves as part of a broader society, not just of their own town, city, or school community. The visit helps students understand they have rights and responsibilities as citizens of Australia. Mrs Lila Gibbs, Mr Liam Godsall and I, will be accompanying our students on tour.
ROYAL SHOW PARKING
A huge thank you to Mrs Gibbs and our Year 6 students and parents who raised substantial funds through show parking in the school holidays. It was lovely to see the maturity of our Year 6 students as they took on the role of welcoming and assisting members of our community with parking.
ANNUAL GENERAL COMMUNITY MEETING 2023
I invite all parents and caregivers to attend our school Annual General Community Meeting on Tuesday 21 November. There will be refreshments at 6pm followed by a meeting in the school hall from 6.30-7.30pm. The meeting will include a report of activities of the 2023 school year and staffing for 2024 will be announced. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend.
WORLD TEACHER’S DAY – Friday 27 October
Next Friday 27 October, we celebrate World Teacher’s Day. Our staff at St Thomas’ Primary School are passionate and committed to each and every student at our school. They consistently go above and beyond to ensure the students feel safe and supported as they learn to love God and grow through their learning. This is a special day to celebrate.
FROM MY READINGS:
Listening: The heart of connecting
Communication is fundamental to relationships, but listening can be more complicated than it seems. In this article, Dr Deborah Trengove, a former school psychologist and school wellbeing leader, shares how parents can be effective listeners.
Communication lies at the heart of human relationships, no less between parents and their children. And at the core of communication, is listening, a deceptively simple, everyday activity but one which is harder than it might seem.
Communication between parents and kids serves many purposes. These include giving instructions, teaching new skills, giving feedback and encouragement, and exchanging ideas and information.
Another critical purpose of communication is to understand and connect – this is where listening is so vital.
Listening can be superficial or deep. Genuine listening gives us a sense of being cared about but not judged, building trust through the space shared and empathy shown. To view the full article on the power of listening, please click HERE.
FATHER WAYNE
Father Wayne has passed on his thanks for all your prayers and good wishes. Please continue to keep Father Wayne in your prayers.
May God bless your week.
Natalia Thomson
Principal
TERM FOCUS - EXCELLENCE FOR OTHERS
Our 2023 focus value has been ‘Excellence’. It has been so rewarding for staff to see students strive for ‘Personal Excellence’ and ‘Academic Excellence’ over the past three terms. In Term Four, we move our focus to ‘Excellence For Others’. Students are challenged to identify opportunities to: be compassionate, celebrate others’ successes, use positive character traits and show consideration for others. I encourage you to talk with your child about how they can display these skills and qualities for others in their everyday lives.
STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE
The 2022-2026 St Thomas’ Primary School Strategic Plan details the journey our school is on. It is divided into four ‘pillars’ and then into 10 outcomes that we aspire to achieve over the five-year period. These outcomes set a direction for where we hope St Thomas’ Primary School can be in 2026.
We are almost two years into implementing the 28 actions and the linked 49 (yes, 49!) success measures. At this point in time, 29 of the 49 measures have been completed, actioned or embedded, and another 12 are in progress or have been initiated (totalling 83% of all success measures). This is a remarkable achievement at this point in time, and we thank our committed and dedicated staff. Ongoing, our focus is not to view this document as a ’tick-a-box’ exercise, but to embed initiatives and strategies that improve outcomes for all students, staff and our school community. We all look forward to this challenge for 2024 and beyond. You may view the document on our website by clicking here.
STUDENT END OF TERM SURVEYS
A key element of our Strategic Plan and our recent School Registration Audit was finding opportunities to hear from students about things that affect them at their school. At the end of last term, a student survey was completed by students to feedback on their feelings, ideas and suggestions. Some key takeaways from the survey were:
- More than 96.7% of students who completed the form reported they have felt happy, safe, respected and had fun throughout the term (these words are taken from the STPS Student Code of Conduct);
- In regard to our Highway Heroes social-emotional program, 93.4% of students correctly identified a ‘Highway Hero’; 94.1% correctly defined a ‘bump’, and 94.7% correctly defined ’SUPA thinking’.
- ’Teachers’, ‘friends’ and ‘opportunities’ were the top 3 most used words in student responses to the question ‘What do you like about St Thomas’ Primary School?’
- Answers varied for students' responses to improvements the school could make, including installing a pool, longer break times, holding cooking classes, and purchasing a slide and swings!
ICAS
During Term Three, some students participated in the ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) tests. Tests were conducted in Digital Technology, English, Mathematics, and Science. Results of these tests are classified as:
High Distinction (top 1% of participants)
Distinction (the next 10%)
Credit (the next 25%)
Merit (the next 10%)
Participation (all remaining participants)
St Thomas’ Primary School students achieved the following results across the four tests:
2 Distinction Awards
14 Credit Awards
11 Merit Awards
We will present merit, credit and distinction awards at next Monday’s Gathering (23 October). Students receiving participation certificates will also have these available to take home, but not presented at the Gathering. Congratulations to all students who participated.
1:1 iPAD PROGRAM FOR 2024 (current Y2 parents)
Current Year Two parents are invited to a parent meeting to discuss the 1:1 iPad program for Year Three 2024. The meeting will be held on Monday 6 November at 2:30pm in the school library. A Teams link will be sent prior to the meeting for parents who cannot attend face to face. Please RSVP whether you will attend the school or view online, and enter any questions you hope to be answered at the meeting via this link (closes Friday 3/11 - 3pm).
CLUBS
Please click here for the Term Four Clubs offerings. Being a shorter term, and with many end of year activities, Term Four offerings are less than Terms One to Three.
SEASONS FOR GROWTH
A parent info session was delivered last week at school. If you would like more information of this program, please contact Mrs Nicky Sullivan. Information can be located at:
Mr Heath Nankivell
Assistant Principal
Students in Year Three Receive Their First Sacrament of Penance
We are thrilled to share a momentous occasion recently unfolding at our school: the Year 3 students have received their First Sacrament of Penance! It is with immense joy and pride that we congratulate our young students on reaching this significant milestone in their faith journey.
This sacrament represents a moment of spiritual growth and understanding. It marks the first step in their preparation for a life filled with faith, forgiveness, and grace. Throughout this journey, they have been guided by their dedicated teacher, Mrs Hurst and the support of their families and our school community.
The Sacrament of Penance, also known as Reconciliation, is profound and sacred in the Catholic Church. It allows individuals to seek forgiveness for their sins, be reconciled with God, and experience His boundless love and mercy. It is a sacrament that encourages self-reflection, humility, and the path to personal transformation.
The students have prepared for this special moment with great devotion and care. Mrs Hurst and Sr. Catherine have provided them with a deep understanding of the significance of this sacrament. The students have participated in religious education classes, prayer sessions, parent information night and meaningful discussions during their all-day retreat to prepare their hearts and minds.
The celebration of the Sacrament of Penance was a beautiful and solemn event. The students approached this sacred moment with reverence, embracing the opportunity to receive God's forgiveness with open hearts.
Once again, congratulations to our Year Three students on this significant achievement. May their faith journey be blessed with grace and endless opportunities to experience our Heavenly Father's boundless love and mercy.
Date Worth Saving:
· Grandparents Liturgy – Prepared by Year One and Year Five
On Tuesday, 31 October, at 9 a.m., we will come together as a school community to celebrate and pay tribute to grandparents and their role in handing on the faith to their grandchildren and supporting the community of faith at home and in the parish.
In a very real way, grandparents are the face of God’s mercy to their grandchildren. This is shown in the way they love and accept them for who they are and support them in everything they do.
After the celebration, grandparents will have the chance to join their grandchild(ren) in their classroom to witness the wonderful learning activities that have been taking place. They will then have the opportunity to enjoy a cup of tea with our school community.
Sports News
Return it WA - Containers for Change
Thank you to all the children and families who have supported this incentive of how we recycle and make our world more sustainable.
From this term, the purple bins will no longer be in use, however you can still recycle your containers and support our school.
Please use the St Thomas PS Member number C11166766 or the QR Code here and the money will support our green team and other initiatives our children would like to use the funds for.
SPORTING SCHOOLS PROGRAM
Surfing – Year 6
Students in Year 6 have been involved in Surfing on selected mornings in Weeks 1 and 2 before school at Trigg beach. The students have thoroughly enjoyed their Surfing lessons, learning new skills, standing up on a board and surfing waves.
This program has occurred with the assistance of the sporting schools grant that I applied for this term.
Sporting schools is an Australian government initiative designed to help schools increase students’ participation in sport and connect them with community sporting opportunities.
Sharon Seaman
Physical Education Specialist Teacher
Nominations for Two New Members for the Advisory Council for 2024-2027.
We have two members of the School's Advisory Council who will be finishing at the end of 2023. So we will therefore be asking for nominations to join the AC from 2024.
The Advisory Council plays an important role in supporting Natalia, the leadership team and the school with a number of responsibilities
1) Strategic planning
2) Oversight of the financial management of the school
3) Capital development and planning
4) Upholding culture and values of the school.
The advisory council meets at least 6/7 times per year. Meetings commence at 7pm ( either online or face to face) and are held in the school library.
We are only a small team, so we are seeking
One role- Secretary, who will replace Paul Indaimo, who has been the secretary for the past 5 years.
Second position will be vacated by Peter Lorbeer who has also been a member for 5 years. Ideally someone from a legal or finance background would be welcomed as Peter is Chair of the Finance Committee plus provides governance advice to the council.
The term is for 3 years for a maximum of 6 years.
A huge thank you to both Paul and Peter who have provided enormous value through their contribution to the Advisory Council and the progress of the school, since they were elected to the AC in 2018.
If you would like to nominate then voting will occur at the school's annual AGM on November 21st at 6pm. Nominations will close on November 20th at 5pm.
If you are interested in finding more about this or nominating, then please contact Susan Swift ( Chair) on skswift@westnet.com.au or 0427778759 or Natalia Thomson (Principal) on natalia.thomson@cewa.edu.au or 9286 9500.
St Thomas' Primary School
Email: admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au
Website: stthomas.wa.edu.au
Location: 8 Warden Street Claremont WA 6010
Phone: (08 9286 9500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stthomasprimaryschoolclaremont
Twitter: @StThomasCPS