Important Dates
TERM ONE 2022
Monday 07 March - Public Holiday
Friday 18 March - Being a Sporting Hero Free Dress Day
Friday 1 April - Disco K-6
Tuesday 5 April - Parent Interviews Kindy, Years 1,3 & 5
Thursday 7 April - Parent Interviews Pre-primary, Years 2, 4 & 6
(Full 2022 term dates at the end of this newsletter)
Prayer
God our Father, as we begin this holy season of Lent,
help us to see that your merciful love is with us always, even when we wander far from you. With the help of your grace, may our prayers and sacrifices over the next forty days lead us closer to you and to each other, the poor, the sick and the lonely so that together, we can fulfil your promises for all who live in your love.
AMEN
Dear Parents and Caregivers
ASH WEDNESDAY
Yesterday we celebrated Ash Wednesday, the first day of one of the most important seasons in the Church’s liturgical year,. Students participated in an online prayer service in their classroom. As I explained to the children, Lent is a time when we try to get closer to God. The children have been encouraged to think of things they could do to achieve this, for example, to have conversations with God, do good deeds and give to Project Compassion. As adults we understand these acts to be FASTING, PRAYER and ALMS GIVING.
COVID UPDATE
As you are aware, the Chief Health Officer has implemented the wearing of a face mask as an additional physical barrier to COVID-19, to protect you, your child and our community during the current High Caseload environment. Thank you for your support of this evolving COVID situation. The additional measures commenced today Thursday 3 March, with a view to minimising the impact of the COVID-19 disruption to learning, and continuing face-to-face learning for our students.
Families are to provide suitable masks each day. The school will have some reserves, if a student’s mask is damaged or lost during the school day. Each child will be encouraged to take responsibility for their own mask.
EXEMPTIONS
Students may be exempt from wearing a mask at school under the following circumstances:
- the student has a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner confirming a physical, developmental or mental illness, condition or disability which makes wearing a face covering inappropriate;
- when communicating with another person who is deaf or hard of hearing, where visibility of the mouth is essential for communication;
- when engaged in strenuous or vigorous exercise;
- when consuming food, drink or medicine, provided that they are seated at the time.
There are now a number of resources providing child specific information for families, including this video from Perth Children's Hospital and on the WA Health website, HealthyWA here.
QUARANTINING AT HOME
If you or your child are deemed close contacts, you are required to isolate in separate living spaces from your families (e.g. their bedroom). Where a close contact is unable to effectively isolate from siblings or parents, those sharing the living space with the close contact are also required to quarantine.
If your child needs to quarantine and requires your care during this period, you will need to quarantine with them. Families should choose which caregiver is to quarantine with your child for the entire quarantine period. If brothers and sisters cannot adequately separate from the close contact, they should also quarantine with you. Some older children may be able to quarantine independently in a separate area of the house, if they do not require hands-on care. The family needs to ensure they take extra precautions and have no interaction with the close contact.
If your child tests positive for COVID-19, other family members quarantining with them will be at risk of developing COVID-19 and will be required to complete an additional quarantine period, as directed by WA Health. Siblings of close contacts can still attend school if the close contact is able to isolate away from the rest of the household.
As a Catholic school our priority is for the health, safety and wellbeing of our students and all members of our broader community. Thank you for your understanding as we take the necessary steps to keep our school community safe.
If you have queries or concerns regarding your child please contact me. If you have health concerns, please contact WA Health on 1300 316 555 or at PHOpsClinical@health.wa.gov.au.
Have a wonderful week
May God bless you
Natalia Thomson
PRINCIPAL
COVID-19 Coronavirus: Testing and isolation guide
Your guide to the testing and isolation process for COVID-19 in Western Australia in the current high caseload environment.
Please click on the button below to answer any of the following:
- I have tested positive for COVID-19
- I am a close contact and have no symptoms
- I am a close contact and also a critical worker
- I am a close contact with symptoms
- I am not a close contact and I have symptoms
- Testing and isolation payment scheme
Should you or a member of your household receive a positive test result or be considered a close contact please ensure we are notified immediately, so correct guidelines can be put in place for protecting students, staff and the wider school community. Any notifications will be kept in the strictest confidence.
Once isolation has been completed according to Health Department guidelines a negative PCR or RAT test must be shown to the school prior to your child/ren returning : admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au
Thank you for your support and assistance.
From the Assistant Principal
PARENT /TEACHER INTERVIEWS (PTO PORTAL)
Parent-teacher meetings will move to an online delivery through Microsoft Teams during Week Ten of this term. The meetings are scheduled for:
- Tuesday 5 April (Kindergarten, Years 1, 3 and 5)
- Thursday 7 April (Pre-primary, Years 2, 4 and 6)
Parent-teacher meetings are offered to communicate student progress, as well as provide opportunity for open discussion to support individual student needs. The focus of the meetings will be centred upon the Interim report, which will give an indication of student performance being ‘above’, ‘at’ or ‘working towards’ the expected year level achievement, for Religion, English and Mathematics learning areas.
Personal and Social Development indicators will also be communicated in the report, as well as strengths and future focus points. It is anticipated that that the Interim Report will be sent home you’re your child on Monday 6 April. Further information will be provided closer the date, including how to access the video call that will be used to connect parents with their child’s teacher.
NAPLAN
The National Assessment Program – Literacy And Numeracy will take place for all Year Three and Year Five students from Tuesday 10 May to Friday 20 May 2022. All students in Years 3 and 5 are expected to participate in the tests. Assessments are delivered online, with the exception of Year Three Writing which is handwritten. Students may be exempt from some, or all, tests due to language background other than English or students with a disability. I encourage parents to speak with me should you feel your child fits in to either of these categories. More information on this Australia-wide assessment program can be found at nap.edu.au.
GLOBAL OPPORTUNITY - SOFTWARE TRIAL WITH MICROSOFT
St Thomas’ Primary School has been invited to work in partnership with CEWA and Microsoft to test new laptop software. We are the only school in Australia to be selected as part of this trial and our feedback will be used by Microsoft in the USA.
For the remainder of Term One, Mrs Gibbs and the Year Six class will be using Microsoft’s demo Acer laptops alongside their iPads to evaluate and investigate the positive impacts on learning, whilst using the same Office 365 products they are familiar with, as part of their learning activities. With a variety of technology devices used in high schools across Perth, this trial also reinforces important skills for students to be adaptable to different technologies to assist their learning.
SAFETY ONLINE
Whilst the above trial is exciting for our school, it does remind us of the need to help students understand the importance of staying safe online. Just over a month ago, Year 3-6 students signed the ICT Code of Conduct which details expectations of how students use digital technology at school. I highly encourage parents to revisit home expectations of device use for children. My personal favourite ‘non-negotiable’ is the iPad (or laptop) never goes into the bedroom. I understand the limitations of this ‘rule’, however it drastically reduces the opportunity for children to ‘side-tracked’ without the checks and balances of being in a public place where family members may look over their shoulder at any time.
Regular reminders can help reinforce important messages young people need to learn in the digital age. It is never too early to start these conversations. beginning with why we use technology, personal information, promoting the need to ask for help when needed, and moving to topics such as trolling, inappropriate images and videos, and positive use of social media toward the end of primary school and start of high school.
The Office of the e-Safety Commissioner has excellent resources. Some particularly good resources include:
- Family Tech Agreement
- Online safety for under 5s
- Conversation starters (for ‘kids’ and for ‘young people’)
- App checklist for parents
- Mental wellbeing
- Online gaming parent guide
Please visit: esafety.gov.au for these resources and more.
Heath Nankivell
ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL
Change of Date: Pupil Free Day in Term 2
There has been a change in date for our pupil free day in Term 2. It was originally scheduled for the first day of Term 2, Tuesday 26 April however, due to the rescheduling of the Year 6 Camp, this Pupil Free Day has now moved to Term 3 on Monday 22 August. This coincides with a pupil free day at John XXIII.
Thank you
Lets meet our staff
Name: Brendan Evans
Position: Year 3 Teacher
Interests: Camping and 4wding, F1, action sports, e-Sports, ICT and gardening
Football Team: Do not follow
Favourite Food: Spanish Tapas
Currently Reading: Data analytics surrounding e-sports
Favourite Holiday Destination: Camping in Pemberton
3 people you’d invite to dinner: my wife and two extra stomachs for each of us
What would you do with your last $50? Fill up the tank in my car.
Favourite Movie: It changes as I love movies and TV series, currently The Mandalorian and Witcher
Favourite Quote: "I walk slowly, but never walk backward." Abraham Lincoln
Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal
This week the season of Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, which also marks the beginning of the annual Caritas Australia Project Compassion Appeal. Donations to Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia, the Catholic Agency for International Aid and Development, to work with local communities around the world to end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity.
The theme of Project Compassion 2022 is ‘For All Future Generations’ and reminds us that the good that we do today will extend and impact the lives of generations to come. It invites us to make the world a better place by working together now and finding long-term solutions to global issues. We encourage you to put your compassion into action this Lent through your prayer, fasting and almsgiving by supporting Project Compassion. Each family will receive a Project Compassion box and/or a set of envelopes for their donations or you can donate online via the Caritas Australia website at https://lent.caritas.org.au/
First Week of Lent (Week beginning Monday 7th March)
We begin our annual Lenten Project Compassion journey by learning about Anatercia, a 12-year-old girl living in a small village in southern Mozambique. She began to take on more and more adult responsibilities as her mother has chronic health issues. She did most of the household chores and had to travel up to five hours every day to collect clean water. Water scarcity also meant that harvests were poor and there was never enough to eat.
With your support, Caritas Australia’s local partner, Caritas Regional Chokwe, was able to help Anatercia’s family to irrigate their farm to improve their food security. They also improved water access for households in the village, delivered sustainable farming training and provided Anatercia with essential school supplies.
Anatercia’s health, education and quality of life have improved, along with the outlook of her whole community for all future generations. Watch a short film about Anatercia’s story here.
Advisory Council
The Advisory Council met for the first time online in Week 4.
2022 is lining up to be another year full of exciting opportunities for the children at our incredible school and various challenges for our broader community. We tackled a full agenda at our first meeting, which set the ball rolling in a number of important areas.
The Advisory council has a number of key responsibilities.
I. Strategy setting in collaboration with school leadership team
II. Financial management and marketing
III. Planning and development in accordance with the current and future needs of the school
IV. Culture setting and standards
V. Support to the leadership team
Our advisory council is comprised of a dedicated group of parents who have children attending all year levels at the school from Pre-Kindy to Year 6. Most of the members have been contributing to the council and other volunteer positions at the school for over 2 years.
There are 8 meetings planned this year and our key roles are as follows:
School Leadership Team- Natalia Thomson, Heath Nankivell
Chair/Treasurer- Susan Swift
Secretary- Paul Indiamo and another TBC
P&F Representative- Bianca Della Vedova
General Members- Liz Dawson, Chris Adams, Daniel Della Vedova
Grounds and Maintenance- Trish Coniglio (Chair), Frank Di Latte, Brian Douglas
Risk and Audit Committee- Susan Swift (Chair), Natalia Thomson,
Peter Lorbeer and Mary Courtney
Parish Representative- Father Wayne
The agenda at each of our meetings’ is structured around the CEWA strategic framework and our discussions follow themes along these areas:
§ Catholic Identity
§ Community
§ Education
§ Stewardship
Next month, advisory council members will be attending an online course at CEWA. This will be particularly relevant due to the change in Terms of Reference and Delegation of Authority issued earlier this year by Head Office as a result of the incorporation of CEWA Ltd.
We are looking forward to the implementation of the new strategic plan and the launch of a new marketing plan, which we believe will add enormous value to the school and the children’s educational journey.
Susan Swift
ADVISORY COUNCIL CHAIR
Sports News
St Thomas Swimming Carnival 2022
Well done to all the students in Years 3-6 who participated at the swimming carnival last Friday. It was a different format this year seeing the carnival spilt into two year groups at a time. It was pleasing to see all the students’ congratulating others and cheering them on in events even if they were not in your faction. Everyone displayed true St Thomas spirit and the children’s behaviour was immaculate.
Many thanks to the parents who assisted with the running of the carnival. Without your support these carnivals could not happen.
Congratulations to Forrest who was the winning faction and to Sheridan winning the Spirit award.
Results:
1st Forrest 1228 points
2nd Gittens 1184 points
3rd Sheridan 1100 points
Below are the Champion and Runner up Champions for each year group:
Year 3
Champions: Ruby R and Joseph C
Runner Up Champions: Ivy C and Charlie J
Year 4
Champions: Arielle P and Levi L
Runner Up Champions: Maxine S and Parker D
Year 5
Champions: Caoimhe P and Emily C
Runner Up Champions: Hamish L and Jett E
Year 6
Champions: Chloe S and Jack H
Runner Up Champions: Amelie P and Jackson D
Congratulations to the following students for breaking a record this year:
Individual Records
Open Girls 100m Freestyle and Girls Year 6 50m Freestyle – Chloe S
Year 3 Boys 50m Freestyle and Boys 50m Breaststroke – Joseph C
Year 4 Girls 50m Freestyle – Arielle P
Year 3 Boys 50m Backstroke – Frankie P
Year 6 Girls 50m Backstroke – Amelie P
Team records
Senior 50m Freestyle Relay – Gittens: Jackson D, Lucas B, Chloe C and Amelie P
Year 3 and 4 Faction Medley Relay – Gittens; Levi L, Parker D, Arielle P and Joseph C
Year 6 Faction Medley Relay: Sheridan – Harry S, Amelie T, Jack H and Alice R
Interschool Swimming Training TBC
Given the climate we are experiencing with Covid and restrictions, more information will be provided about Interschool Swimming Training and the carnival.
UPCOMING EVENTS ALL TBC
Tennis and Cricket carnival – Tuesday 29th March – Abbett Park Scarborough and Scarborough Tennis Club. We require 2 parents for Cricket and 2 parents for Tennis. If you are available for the day or a small part of the day can you email Sharon.seaman@cewa.edu.au
Interschool Swimming Carnival – Monday 4th April – HBF Stadium Outdoor Pool (Change of pool area).
Sharon Seaman
PHYSICAL EDUCATION SPECIALIST
Be a Sporting Hero Free Dress Day and Sports Equipment Collection in support of FAIR GAME
Students are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite Sporting Hero on FRIDAY 18th March in return for a gold coin donation to support Fair Game, a WA charity that recycles sports equipment and distributes it to children in remote, regional and underserviced communities across the State.
- Come dressed as your favourite sporting hero or in your team colours
- Bring any unwanted or outgrown sports equipment to donate – most needed items are runners, footy boots, footballs, soccer balls and basketballs. Please make sure donations are clean and in good useable condition with plenty of life left in them.
- We are not able to take helmets or clothing.
- Your gold coin donation and pre-loved equipment makes you a sporting hero as it enables another child to enjoy the benefits of playing sport too.
Sporting Communities
UWA Judo Club – Tuesday afterschool
UWA Judo Club is pleased to announce the commencement of judo as an after school activity. Lessons run from 3.20pm to 4.20pm on Thursdays in the school undercover area. The classes commenced on Tuesday 15th February.
Students will be supervised by our experienced coaches from after school until the conclusion of the judo lesson.
The term fees cover training at St Thomas Primary School and unlimited training at junior sessions run at our main dojo in Claremont. We run junior classes 5 days per week – please see the timetable or visit our website at www.judouwa.com.au.
For further enquiries, if you would like to attend the trial class or enrol your child, please email info@judouwa.com.au
Music Tuition in 2022
Application forms are available from the front office or on our website: https://www.stthomas.wa.edu.au/music-tuition/
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