St Thomas' News

St Thomas’ Primary School is part of a faith community centred on the life of Jesus, as expressed in our Motto, ‘Together in Christ’

Our Vision is to 'Educate the Whole Child' and empower learners as global citizens, to be curious, collaborative, creative and critical thinkers, inspired by Christ.

Dear God,

We who have come from every land give thanks for our country, Australia. This earth that feeds us, the shores that bind us, the skies that envelop our freedom, we give our thanks and praise. Let us look back with courage; See the truth and speak it. Let us look around with compassion; See the cost and share it. Let us look forward with hope; See what can be and create it.

Amen!

TERM TWO

Wednesday 31 May - Visitation of Mary

Wednesday 31 May - Parish Mass @ 12:30 pm Yr 4 & PP

Thursday 01 June - Makuru Season Starts

Thursday 01 June - Netball - Sporting Schools (Yrs 3-6)

Friday 02 June - Pupil Free Day - school closed

Monday 05 June - WA Day Public Holiday - school closed

Tuesday 06 June - Edudance

Wednesday 07 June - Y4 Oracy (all day Library)

Tuesday 13 June - Crazy Sock Day

Wednesday 14 June - P & F Meeting 7pm

Thursday 22 June - Winter Carnival - Year 5 & 6

Friday 23 June - School Disco

Tuesday 27 June - Edu Dance Concert 5.30pm

Friday 02 July - Founders Mass 9am & Celebrations

Friday 02 July - Last day of Term 2.

Please remember dates of events can be subject to change

(Full 2023 term dates at the end of this newsletter)

Dear Parents and Caregivers

I am excited to be back in the principal’s role at St Thomas’ after four weeks long service leave. I am so grateful and appreciative to Mr Heath Nankivell, for stepping into the Acting Principal role during this time.

Exploring Catholic education was a highlight of my recent visit to Ireland. Whilst visiting primary schools in County Cork, it was evident that as schools founded by the Presentation Sisters, we shared the same ethos and charism in conversations with staff and students. Location is no barrier to the beliefs that have been shared amongst our schools. Whilst at the schools, I was able to set up a partnership, where our students at St Thomas’ in Years 5 & 6 will be able to correspond with students of the same age in our Presentation Schools in Ireland. This partnership aligns with our strategic direction of establishing a partnership with an international school overseas to create opportunities for our students to meaningfully connect with children across the world.

National Reconciliation Week

This week we celebrate National Reconciliation Week. As I mentioned to students at morning gathering on Monday, reconciliation is about showing respect to others by acknowledging things that have gone wrong. With a focus on building character and resilience, students have been participating in classroom activities this week.

First Holy Communion

On Friday evening, students in Year 4 received the Sacrament of Eucharist (First Holy Communion) for the first time. By receiving the Sacrament, students are joining the rest of the faith community at the table of God’s family. We thank Mr Godsall our Year 4 teacher, Father Wayne, and Sr Catherine for preparing our students for this special occasion.

Interschool Cross Country

Congratulations to all students who represented St Thomas' in the Interschool Cross Country Carnival on Monday. There were some outstanding results which will be announced by Mrs Seaman at school on Thursday morning. A big thank you to Mrs Seaman for preparing the team and organising Running Club before school.

Raising children in the Digital Age

On Tuesday evening, St Thomas’ P & F hosted Claire Orange, (Child Advocate, Child and Family Mental Health Author, Advocate) and international speaker, to present parents with information on “Raising children in a digital world.” Claire spoke about the impact on children of the digital world today. Whilst this event was recorded, the low-quality of a bright PowerPoint and a dark room meant it was too difficult to read the slides. Claire has offered to send her PowerPoint through with a voice over, which we will share with parents when it is available. Many thanks to the P & F for hosting this event.

Founders Day Mass and Celebrations

Every year we celebrate the Feast of St Thomas' the Apostle, our namesake and the founders of our school the Presentation Sisters. This year we are going to rename the celebrations to Founder's Day. This celebration will take place on the last day of term 2, Friday 2 July commencing with a whole Mass at 9am in the Church. Please place this date in your diary as we would like you to join us in this celebration.

Thank you and God bless

Natalia Thomson

Principal

SLIP LANE

Thank you for your patience and understanding while we continue to establish our process for using this area. Please remember: driveways must never be parked on; there is a 40km/h speed limit (even if you are late or have an appointment!); always have children enter/exit the vehicle from the kerbside - not the road side). Traffic cones have been placed by the Town of Claremont, so that cars do not drive or park on the red faux-brick paving areas.

DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP

After our workshop last night with Claire Orange, I promote two websites: the Office of the eSafety Commissioner and CommonSense media. Both were referred to by Claire last night. These websites may be accessed proactively by parents wanting to establish boundaries with their children, as well as to gain information regarding specific events or issues that have arisen with their child/ren. I also encouraged parents to not allow devices in their child's bedroom... ever.

SIMULTANEOUS STORY TIME

Thank you to Mrs Sullivan, Mr Wray and class teachers for helping our students celebrate "The Speedy Sloth" story in buddy classes. It was great to see students sharing with their peers the joy of reading!

INTERSCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY

Thank you to Mrs Seaman for organising our St Thomas' team at the Interschool Cross Country. A feature of the day was the camaraderie of the students representing the school and each student striving for personal excellence. Please read below for more infrmation regarding the results.

REPORTING

A reminder that the end of year reports will be made live to parents through Seqta on the afternoon on Monday 26 June.

SCHOOL BELL TIMES

Please note:

8:25 - PP-Y6 doors open

8:45 - Kindy doors open

2:45 - Kindy pick-up

3:00 - PP-Y6 pick-up

The gates on College Road are open between 8:15-8:40am, and then from 3:00-3:10pm.

We are thrilled that our before and after school EXTEND co-ordinator, Liezel Menguito, have been nominated for the TEG Shine Awards as "Service Coordinator of the Year" and as a "Hall of Fame" nominee for 2023.

These Awards celebrate Educators who have consistently gone well above and beyond their role. Liezel is to be congratulated for standing out in these category’s and playing a significant part in success of our before and after school program. Liezel will be attending the National Awards Ceremony in Melbourne on the 29 July. We wish her every success.

Congratulations to our Year Four students who received their First Holy Eucharist last Friday! This is a truly special milestone in their faith journey, and it is a joyous occasion that calls for celebration and reflection.

WE CELEBRATE - THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

The visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a significant event and holds particular importance within Catholicism. It refers to the encounter between Mary, the mother of Jesus, and her relative Elizabeth, who was pregnant with John the Baptist. The story is recorded in the Gospel of Luke and serves as a reminder of God's grace and the importance of humility and service.

Mary's visit to Elizabeth demonstrates her humility and willingness to serve others. Despite her extraordinary circumstances, she goes to help her relative, Elizabeth, in her time of need. This act of service and selflessness is an example of how we can, too, reach out to one another and offer support.

Students in Year Four and their buddies in Pre-primary will attend the Feast Day Mass at St Thomas the Apostle Church at 12.30 pm. Parents are welcome to attend.

SAVE THE DATE – Friday, 30 June (Week 10)

A special invitation to join our school community to celebrate Foundation Day, what was once called St Thomas Day!

We are delighted to invite you to join us in celebrating our school's Founders Day Mass on Friday, 30 June, at 9.00 am in the Thomas the Apostle Church. This occasion marks another milestone in our school's rich history and allows us to come together as a community to give thanks and celebrate our shared values.

The Founders Day Mass holds immense significance as it not only commemorates the establishment of our school but also serves as a reminder of the values, traditions, and achievements that have shaped our school over the years. In addition, it is a time to reflect on the journey we have undertaken together and express our gratitude to the Presentation Sisters who have contributed to making our school a nurturing environment for all.

OUR NEXT SATURDAY CHILDREN’S PARISH MASS – 17 JUNE

Thank you Year Five!

Our incredible Year Five students, in collaboration with the Claremont Parish, cordially invite you to an evening of joy and togetherness. Mark your calendars for the Saturday, 17th June at 5:30 pm. Join us as we come together for a mass followed by a sizzling sausage.

We're looking for vibrant voices and passionate choir members to join the spiritual choir.

INTER SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS 2023

On Monday 29 May, 37 students represented the school in the Interschool Cross Country Carnival at Lake Gwelup Reserve, Karrinyup which was a new venue this year. Students ran as a team in their respective year group and competed against seven other Catholic primary schools.

The students tackled the course with great enthusiasm giving everything they had. This year St Thomas’ came 2nd overall and 4th most improved school in 2023 based on our results from the previous year. I congratulate them not only on their results but also on the student’s fantastic behaviour and sportsmanship they displayed on the day.

Thank you to the following volunteers: Carin P and Daniela C for your assistance as a course marshal on the day and to Mr Nankivell and Mrs Hurst for supervising the team as well.

Congratulations to these students who were placed in the top four in their respective year group:

Year 3 - Maddy G – 1st, Isabella B – 4th, James H – 4th

Year 4 - Charlie J – 1st, Luke F – 2nd

Year 5 - Mattia F – 4th

Year 6 - Lily G – 3rd, Caoimhe P – 4th

Placings in Years Groups:

Year 3 Girls – 2nd

Year 3 Boys – 6th

Year 4 Girls – 6th

Year 4 Boys – 1st

Year 5 Girls – 6th

Year 5 Boys – 3rd

Year 6 Girls – 2nd

Year 6 Boys – 3rd

Congratulations to all the runners as these results reflect an awesome team effort and I am super proud of you all.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Winter Lightning Carnival Year 5 and 6 – Thursday 22 June at Wembley sports park from 10am – 2pm.

Netball – Matthews (State Netball Centre)

Soccer – Henderson Park

AFL –Wembley Sports Park.

As we require parents to assist with coaching and/or assisting on the day for Netball, Soccer and AFL. If you can assist or have expertise in those sports, can you please indicate on the permission form that will be sent out or alternately email Sharon.seaman@cewa.edu.au

RUNNING CLUB

Running club starts up again on Friday 9 June as we have a Catholic Day this Friday for Years 1-6, 8am at Rowe Park until 8.20am.

If the weather is poor, I will send an email out either the night before or first thing in the morning.

There will be no running club on Friday 2 July.

Our school" is taking part in the Wonder Recycling Rewards campaign this term. Help us collect bread bags so we can earn points to redeem on new RHSports equipment. It's simple….

All you need to do is keep your empty bread bags and send them to school with your children. Then place them in Wonder's pink collection box and we will post them off to be recycled. The more we collect the more points our school* earns. Collections close 7th July.

Tip for collecting:

Use one empty bread bag to collect a bunch of other bags.

The box is located next to the lost property box near the library.

Thank you,

Sharon Seaman

Physical Education Specialist Teacher

The Kindergarten children have been learning about the Letter A and the season of Autumn. The class went on an Autumn walk, observing changing leaves and collecting them. Back in the classroom, they created individual Autumn illustrations using the leaves as inspiration. Their artwork celebrated the beauty of Autumn and their understanding of the Letter A, fostering a love of learning and nature.

If you have a child who wishes to join St Thomas' Primary in 2024 or 2025 and you haven't already submitted your application please do so as soon as possible. All applications are currently being processed and places are being offered. Waitlists already exist in some year groups.

A big thank you to the P&F for funding the students new bass guitar.

WAFL MOST Event!

Come and join the school’s dads and kids on Saturday 24-06-2023 @11:30 (game starts at 1:10pm) for the WAFL match between Claremont Tigers and West Coast Eagles.

Kids enter free (still need to register a ticket) and dads pay 18$.

Tickets can be bought via this link:

Buy Claremont Tigers v West Coast Eagles tickets

intix.com.au

The MOST dads and kids will be getting together (weather permitting) at the playground near the TeeBox Claremont Golf club for an pre-game sausage in a bun, juicebox and a footy kick in the park. The MOST group will be there from 11:30 onward, to walk to the game at 12:30pm.

Please let Joep know (email: joepvaessen@gmail.com) if you are joining for catering purposes.

Look forward to seeing you all there! It should be a good day out and I’m told the weather is going to turn it on for us!

I’ve booked my tickets and I’m bringing all three kids, we really hope you can make it too!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions!

Regards,

Joep Vaessen

0400401362

With the change of season we have noted an increase of children arriving at school with coughs, sore throats & sniffles. Thank you to families who are keeping their child/ren at home whilst they recover. This helps greatly with stopping the spread throughout the school amongst both children & staff. Although at times inconvenient, we encourage parents to allow your children to spend a few days at home before returning to school, so they are ready and able to fully participate in all activities. Thank you for your support.

Instrumental music lessons are available at St Thomas' Primary. Children can learn voice, keyboard, piano, violin, drums, guitar and flute. Please contact the school office for a music form if your child is interested in commencing music lessons in 2023.

At St Thomas', we are keen to start a school community directory to support the family and friends of our school. If you have a small business that you would like to share, promote and support, please complete the form on this LINK

• TERM 1
• Wednesday 1 February - Thursday 6 April
• TERM 2
• Wednesday 26 April – Friday 30 June
• TERM 3
• Tuesday 18 July – Thursday 21 September
• TERM 4
• Monday 09 October – Friday 9 December

Pupil free days:

Monday 24 April

Friday 2 June

Monday 17 July

Friday 18 August

Friday 22 September

Public Holidays

Monday 6 March (Labour Day)

Friday 7 April (Good Friday)

Tuesday 25 April (ANZAC Day)

Monday 5 June (WA Day)

Monday 25 September (Kings birthday)

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