Important Dates
2024
TERM 1
Friday 22 March - Y6 Assembly @ 9 am
Monday 25 March - Holy Week
Monday 25 March - Morning Gathering PP - Y6
Tuesday 26 March - Parent/Teacher Meetings K, Y1, Y3 & Y4
Tuesday 26 March - Advisory Council 7 pm
Wednesday 27 March - Surf Lessons Y5 & 6
Wednesday 27 March - Parent/Teacher Meetings PP, Y2, Y5 & Y6
Thursday 28 March - Stations of the Cross 9 am
Thursday 28 March - Term One Concludes
TERM 2
Monday 15 April - First day of Term 2 for students
INTERSCHOOL SWIMMING CARNIVAL (Years 3-6) RESCHEDULED - New date TUESDAY 16 APRIL
Please remember dates of events can be subject to change
(Full 2024 term dates at the end of this newsletter)
STAFFING
We wish Mrs Thomson well on her international travel, currently walking the Camino de Santiago (or 'Way of St James the Apostle') through Spain and Portugal. Mrs Thomson will return for the start of Term Two.
Sadly, Mrs Brianna Kirkbride has resigned from her position as Kindergarten teacher at St Thomas', to take up a position as Kindergarten teacher at Aquinas College. Please join with me in congratulating Bree and we wish her well for her exciting opportunity. We currently in the process of recruiting a replacement teacher for Term Two, and I will share this information with the parents and guardians of Kindergarten students as soon as we can.
We welcome Mrs Victoria McDonald and Miss Emily Della Bona to our staff over the past few weeks. Victoria is our Finance Officer, and can assist parents with fee related queries, as well as looking after the school's finances. Emily is working as an EA in the Pre-primary class. The Pre-primary students have very much enjoyed Emily's enthusiasm and involvement in their learning through this week, and look forward to her contributions in the Pre-primary class. Welcome to our St Thomas' community Victoria and Emily.
PARISH PRIEST
We welcome the news that Fr Richard has been officially announced by the Arch-diocese as the Parish Priest of St Thomas the Apostle, Claremont. A big, official, welcome to Fr Richard who we have come to know toward the end of last year when he assisted us during Fr Wayne's illness. Please join with me in celebrating Fr Richard joining our parish community.
HARMONY DAY
Today we celebrated Harmony Day, where we put on hold the regular timetable of lessons, to take part in a prayer service, buddy activities and reflections on the importance of respect, recognition of cultures, our school value of inclusivity, and celebrating differences using the model of Jesus. Thank you to the staff for activities devised to prompt this thinking in the students, to Fr Richard and Mrs Gibbs for the running of our prayer service, the P&F group for the icy-pole treats at lunch times, and to the students for embracing the day! We celebrate the day earlier than the official 21 March date so that our Kindy students can also take part in the excitement.
PARKING
There have been multiple reports from concerned parents and neighbours regarding the parking in the streets surrounding the school. Although National 'Walk Safely to School Day' is not until 17 May, I encourage any families who live within walking distance to the school to do so to reduce parking space pressure, however I understand this is not always possible. Please be considerate of our neighbours by not parking in front of driveways or in such a way to not enable them to drive out. The parking signs must be adhered to, with Town of Claremont rangers issuing fines according local by-laws of between $50 - $500 depending on the infringement. Please be considerate when parking - particularly given Pre-Kindy to Pre-primary students must be dropped off by a parent/guardian at the classroom door.
UNIFORM
I refer you to the St Thomas' Uniform requirements, available through our website by clicking here. In readiness for Term Two and Three uniform changes including Year Ones to Year Sixes wearing a tie with their formal uniform. If you require any items, please order early to ensure your child has the correct uniform to begin Term Two. Ordering can be through the Perm-a-pleat website at the above link, or through the second hand shop.
NAPLAN
A massive congratulations to all Year Three and Year 5 students for completing their NAPLAN assessments. Whilst these test offer a snapshot of one test on one day, a more specific gauge of your child's progress against the Western Australian Curriculum is given by Interim Reports, a Mid-Year report and an End of Year report, as well as conversations with your child's teacher. When the school receives NAPLAN results, we will distribute to parents.
ARTS SHOW
Advanced notice of our St Thomas' Arts Show which will take place on Thursday 12 September, and the Arts Show parent night on Friday 13 September. More information will follow via school, class and P&F communications closer to the date.
P & F MEETING
Thank you to the P&F Executive and all those who joined face-to-face or online for our meeting last week. We are so lucky to have such a committed parent community here at St Thomas, and I encourage parents to attend the next meeting on Monday 22 April.
PARENT TEACHER MEETINGS - K to YEAR 6
Thursday at noon the PTO website will be live for parents to book appointments for the parent-teacher meetings. These meetings will be conducted online only, with a link being available on the PTO site, as well as shared by the teacher closer to the date. These meetings give parents and teachers an opportunity to come together to discuss the academic and pastoral development and progress of each student so far this year, using the Term One Interim Report (available through Seqta in thew afternoon of Monday 25 March) as a point of celebration and future focus. Please refer to the email sent to all Kindergarten to Year Six parents Wednesday 20 March.
TERM TWO
With our focus value for 2024 being 'Compassion', our move from 'Self-Compassion' to 'Compassion for Others' will be our term focus in Term Two. The term begins on Monday 15 April, as we move in to the Noongar season of 'Djeran' which sees a break in the hot weather, cool nights that bring a dewy presence in the early mornings, and cooler southerly breezes.
Heath Nankivell
Acting Principal
Religious Education
Harmony Day – What a Day!
Central to Catholic social teaching is the belief in the inherent dignity of every human person, regardless of their race, ethnicity, or background. Harmony Day celebrates this dignity in all individuals, fostering mutual respect and understanding.
Our school was adorned in a vibrant orange hue. The Harmony Day aims to promote cultural understanding and appreciation among students by exposing them to the diverse traditions and heritage of their peers. It is a beautiful celebration of the beauty and value of different cultures.
Jesus taught his disciples to love one another as he loved them (John 13:34). By celebrating Harmony Day, students can put this teaching into practice by showing kindness, empathy, and acceptance towards others, regardless of their cultural background.
Father Richard and our Year Four students led the liturgy to celebrate Harmony Day. We were invited to pray for respect, inclusion, and belonging among all people. This spiritual dimension helped deepen everyone's appreciation of the value of diversity and their role in promoting harmony in the world.
A big thank you to Father Richard for visiting our school. We are excited to see his future visits.
Save the Date!
Stations of the Cross – Thursday, March 28
Next week is the beginning of Holy Week, an essential period in the Catholic faith. It commemorates the last week of Jesus on earth before his resurrection on Easter Sunday. During this time, we will focus on the Stations of the Cross, a prayerful meditation on the Passion of Christ.
Christians have been making pilgrimages to Jerusalem since the earliest centuries to retrace the steps of Jesus during his suffering, death, and resurrection. Walking the Stations of the Cross became popular in the 15th century, allowing Christians to reflect on the Passion of Christ more personally and intimately.
Although we will not be walking, our Year Six students will recreate this 'mini pilgrimage' for our students, enabling them to reflect prayerfully on the Passion of Christ.
Parents and our Parish community are invited to join us at school on Thursday, March 28, at 9 am.
Sports News
Interschool Swimming Training
Final trainings are on Thursday mornings 7.30 – 8.10am for the remainder of this term.
Parents are to ensure that their child/children are not dropped off before 7.25am if so, parents are responsible for their child until a staff member arrives.
Only Interschool swimming squad members are invited to attend swimming training.
We kindly ask for your support and encouragement ensuring that your child attends these training sessions regularly and on time. This is to verify that all students understand the rules and requirements for the interschool swimming carnival, especially those in relay teams as this is an important part of the Interschool swimming program.
Please ensure the students bring their swimwear, towel, and goggles to each session.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Interschool Swimming Carnival – Tuesday 16 April (NEW DATE) – HBF Stadium, Spectators $2.60 entry.
Sharon Seaman
Physical Education Specialist Teacher
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