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.

May today there be peace within

May you Trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith

May you use those gifts that you have received.

And pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God.

Let this presence settle into your bones,

And allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise, and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.

Amen

TERM TWO

Wednesday 14 June - P & F Meeting 7pm

Saturday 17 June - 5:30pm Year Five Parish Mass

Monday 19 June - Robogals incursion (for all Year Four - Year Six girls)

Wednesday 21 June - Kindergarten Library Incursion

Thursday 22 June - Winter Carnival - Year Five & Six

Friday 23 June - School Disco

Saturday 24 June - Men of St Thomas - Dads and kids WAFL match

Tuesday 27 June - EduDance Concert 5.00pm (rehearsal for children); 6:00pm performance, at Loreto.

Monday 26 June - Mid-year reports available to parents through Seqta (in the afternoon)

Friday 30 June - Founders Mass 9am & Celebrations

Friday 30 June - Last day of Term Two

Please remember dates of events can be subject to change

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

Dear Parents and Caregivers

CRAZY SOCK DAY

It was joy to see all the students wearing their crazy socks yesterday. There were lots of smiles and chat about the various designs and colours. Thank you for your support in raising funds for LifeLink, an initiative led by the Archdiocese of Perth to assist those less fortunate.

TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

Yesterday afternoon I attended a meeting with the Town of Claremont with representatives from schools and colleges in the Claremont area, to discuss school traffic management. The importance of following signs and protocols regarding pick up and drop off around schools was at the forefront of safety concerns for our children. Thank you for following our drop off and pick up procedures as outlined our "Drop-off & Pick-up Arrangements at St Thomas" booklet that can be accessed by clicking here.

EDUDANCE CONCERT

All students from Pre-primary to Year Six have been participating in the EduDance program this term. Dance is part of the curriculum, and as such all students from Pre-primary to Year 6 are expected to participate in the whole school concert.

Date: Tuesday 27 June

Venue: Loreto Primary School, Nedlands

Time:

• 5:00pm - Dress Rehearsal & run-through on stage for students only – please drop your child at Loreto at 5pm where their class teacher will be waiting.

• 6:00pm – 6.45pm - Concert

Details regarding meeting points and parking will be forwarded closer to the day.

ST THOMAS' FOUNDER'S DAY CELEBRATIONS

This year we continue to celebrate St Thomas’ Feast Day with the founders of our school, the Presentation Sisters. Students will commence the day with a whole school Mass followed by a day of fun and excitement. Everyone is welcome to join us for Mass in St Thomas the Apostle Church on:

Date: Friday 30 June

Time: 9:00am

Student Dress: Full school winter uniform. In addition, please bring along joggers to change footwear for afternoon activities.

Fun activities have been scheduled for the day, including a STEM incursion by Lego Bricks 4 Kidz which include activities that engage students’ curiosity and creativity using Lego bricks. As such, there will be no scheduled Phys Ed or Sport lessons on this day.

STAFFING

At the end of this term, we farewell Mrs Lisa Keatch. Lisa has been a member of the St Thomas’ Team for the last eleven years and has made an outstanding contribution to the lives of students throughout the school in her roles as Science Specialist, Gifted & Talented and classroom teacher. Lisa is moving south for family reasons. We wish Lisa all the best on her life journey and look forward to welcoming her back to St Thomas’ in the future.

STUDENT WELLBEING

Influenza A and COVID are still prevalent in our school community. Please ensure that you keep your child home if they are unwell to reduce the risk of transmission. At school, students continue to follow safe hygiene protocols.

ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS

Recently, we have received feedback from parents about behaviour that is occurring at events held outside of school hours. At school, student behaviour is addressed in accordance with our Student Code of Conduct which all students are aware of. Behaviour outside of school hours and events, is the responsibility of parents and not a matter for follow up by the school. The Student Code of Conduct can be viewed here.

UNIFORM REMINDERS

As a school, we take pride in our school uniform. When purchasing new items please take note of the following uniform requirements:

• Clarks black joggers are not a substitute for black school shoes. Please check when purchasing new shoes for your child that they are not these joggers.

• School rain jackets may be worn on top of the school maroon jumpers during wet weather. However, they are not a substitute replacement for the school jumper. Each child will require a maroon school jumper for our school photos on Tuesday 25 July.

• When purchasing joggers for the sports uniform, they need to be black, blue, white or a combination of these colours. Joggers with fluoro or other colours are not permitted.

• Hats need to be worn during play times, even during the cooler weather. "No hat, no play" is one of our safety rules.

• With the colder weather, it is important that students bring a school jumper to school with them.

P&F MEETING - WEDNESDAY 14 JUNE

This evening there will be a P & F meeting in the school Library commencing at 7pm. There is an opportunity to join this meeting online via Microsoft teams on this link if you are unable to attend in person. All parents and caregivers are welcome to attend.

Thank you for your continued support and God bless,

Mrs Natalia Thomson

Principal

NAPLAN - RESULTS

We have been advised that NAPLAN results for students who completed these assessments earlier in the year, will be available early in Term Three. We will distribute the reports home as soon as possible after they arrive at the school, as well as make them available for parents to download via Seqta shortly afterwards. Particularly for parents of Year Five students, the individual report will look slightly different to previous years. The reports will indicate student achievement in terms of four proficiencies – Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support. Supporting documentation will be provided by the NAPLAN governing bodies that will explain to parents and students what the proficiencies indicate and where each child sits in relation to their cohort.

SCHOOL PHOTOS

On Tuesday 25 July all Kindergarten to Year Six students will take part in our school individual, class and whole school photos. There will also be an opportunity for family photos at the start of the day. More information will be available soon regarding logins to order packages of photos. Please can I ask parents to ensure their children have the correct uniform sorted well in advance of this day. Maroon jumpers will be required for students in Years One to Year Six, a full St Thomas’ tracksuit for Pre-primary, and a St Thomas’ Kindy t-shirt for Kindergarten students.

SLIP LANE

Once again, thank you for your patience and understanding with the implementation of the College Road slip lane this term. Anecdotally, I have heard from parents the ease of use, and most of all the increase in safety from not having vehicles on the basketball court near students. As has already occured this term, if it is raining at pick-up time, students will relocate to the undercover area, and staff will communicate via mobile phone for students to come to the slip lane as their parent arrives. This process will be slower than usual, but will help students stay drier and warmer than out in the cold. I urge parents to adhere to the Stop Sign and to the 40km/h limit around the school during pick-up and drop-off times. The WA Police have been on-site and have issued fines for speeding and not stopping at the stop sign line at the Warden Street intersection. A reminder that parents are responsible for any infringements, not the school or church. Thank you for helping keep our students and community safe.

Thank you for your support,

Mr Heath Nankivell

Assistant Principal

LifeLink Launch

On Wednesday 7 June, Archbishop Costelloe invited our Year Six Student Leaders and Performing Arts Captains to attend the official launch of LifeLink Day for 2023 at Newman College. Unfortunately, the Archbishop could not participate in person due to Covid, but he delivered an important message via Zoom. LifeLink Day is an excellent opportunity for all Catholic school students in the Archdiocese of Perth to unite and show support for the Church's social service agencies. Many Western Australian families rely on these agencies for assistance each year.

Our community has always been known for its immense spirit of giving, and this year, we can significantly impact the lives of those less fortunate than ourselves, particularly during these cold and wintery times. We at St Thomas' supported LifeLink by organising a Crazy Socks Day to raise money. Students and teachers dug deep into their draws for some of the craziest socks to wear to school.

Congratulations to the MiniVinnies team for organising one of our favourite fundraising events on the school calendar. It is always fun to raise money when you know it will go towards helping so many people in need of some kindness and a helping hand.

Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus – Friday, June 16th

As we approach the Feast of the Sacred Heart, a time of reflection and compassion, I invite you to join hands and hearts in a gesture of kindness and generosity. Students will celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in their classrooms with an activity and prayer reflection. I look forward to sharing with you the photos from the classrooms.

Saturday Parish Mass – 17 June at 5.30pm

Please join us this Saturday at 5.30pm at St Thomas the Apostle Church for mass and a sausage sizzle. Thank you to our Year Five students and parents for organising this, and we look forward to having as many of our school community coming along to celebrate mass with us.

Founders Day Mass – Friday 30 June at 9am

A kind reminder that everyone is welcome to join us on our last school mass for this semester to celebrate Founders Day. Mass will start at 9 am at St Thomas the Apostle Church.

Gross motor play is incredibly beneficial for three-year-old children as it fosters their overall development and well-being. Engaging in activities that involve large muscle movements, such as running, jumping, and climbing, helps strengthen their muscles, improve coordination, and enhance balance. These physical movements promote the development of gross motor skills, enabling children to gain control over their bodies and navigate their surroundings with confidence. Moreover, gross motor play offers opportunities for children to release energy, which can contribute to better focus and concentration during other tasks. It also supports the development of social skills as they interact and play with their peers, promoting cooperation, turn-taking, and communication. Additionally, gross motor play enhances cognitive skills by encouraging problem-solving, spatial awareness, and decision-making. Overall, engaging in gross motor play at the age of three facilitates holistic development, promotes physical fitness, and lays the foundation for various other essential skills. This is one of many domains of development we focus on with our 3yo Pre-Kindergarten program at St Thomas' Primary School.

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.

Please return all permission forms online and all the best to the Year 5 and 6 students participating next week.

RUNNING CLUB

Running club has been a huge hit with large numbers which is fantastic. There are two more weeks left this term and a reminder there will be no running club on Friday 30 June. If the weather is poor, I will send an email out either the night before or first thing in the morning.

RECYCLING REWARDS

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.

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.

Please see the flyer below and any queries contact Sharon Seaman.

Last day to submit bags will be Thursday 29 June as I will need to send them off over east.

Sharon Seaman

Physical Education Specialist Teacher

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.

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