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.

TERM THREE

03 September - St Thomas' Athletics Carnival (PP - Y6)

07 September - Parents Interviews Yrs Kindy, 2, 3 & 6

07 September - P & F Meeting 7pm

08 September - Parish Mass Y6

08 September - Parent Interviews Yrs PP, 1, 4 & 5

10 September - Year 4 Assembly 9am

12 September - Parent Busy Bee

14 September - Open Morning - Prospective families

14 September - Parent/Student Workshop Maths/STEM in Action 2pm

15 September - Oracy Y3

15 September - Parish Mass Y5

15 September - Interschool Debating

17 September - Assembly Y3

21 September - Interschool Athletics Carnival Yrs 3 - 6

21 September - Advisory Council 7 pm

22 September - Parish Mass Y4

23 September - St Thomas Day Mass 9am

23 September - Last Day of Term Three for all students

24 September - PUPIL FREE DAY

(Please note dates & events are subject to change)

Loving God, look with love and kindness upon all fathers.

May their example be like a beacon that guides to safe water as their children grow and are nourished in their care.

May their love and strength be a blessing upon each member of their family as they share special moments together.

May their openness to your love and understanding continue to nurture their faith and provide a rich example to their children.

May they be blessed today with health, happiness and love as they walk life’s journey with their families.

We ask this through Jesus your Son.

Amen

Father’s Day

It was lovely to see so many of our fathers, grandfathers and family members enjoy our Father’s Day Breakfast on Tuesday morning. A big thank you to our Parents and Friends for organising this event. After breakfast, there was a prayer service in the hall for our Father’s, led beautifully by our Pre-primary students. A big thank you Miss Lee and Mrs Gamble for organising and preparing the children for this special celebration.

Education Assistants Appreciation Week

Today we celebrated Australian Education Assistants Appreciation Week at St Thomas’. Our inspiring Education Assistants were treated to a special morning tea in recognition of the significant contribution they make to student learning and wellbeing.

Athletics Carnival

Our Athletics Carnival commences tomorrow at 9am at McGillivray Oval. Students are required to be at the oval between 8.30-8.45am. Please ensure that you view the email sent to parents yesterday afternoon with the latest information about the event. The weather forecast suggests fine weather however as it will be cold, please make sure that your child has a sports jacket to keep them warm when they are not participating in events.

Drama Showcase

Congratulations to the Year 5 & 6 students who participated in the inaugural Drama Showcase on Monday. These performances were a culmination of all the wonderful skills that students have learned during their after-school Drama Club. Set on stage under lighting in the hall, it was exciting to view the confidence and professionalism of our students throughout the performance. A big thank you to Mrs Herbert, our Music and Drama Specialist for her enthusiasm and for providing this wonderful opportunity for our students.

A big thank you to Mrs Vincent and Mrs Byrne for assisting Mrs Herbert and the students with Drama after school.

Parent Interviews

A reminder that parent interviews are scheduled for next week. If you would like to meet with your class teacher to discuss your child’s progress, and you have not already done so, please view the email sent to you regarding accessing the PTO portal to schedule an interview.

Highway Heroes

Earlier this term parents had the opportunity to attend a parent information session on Highway Heroes our whole school emotional learning program at St Thomas’. If you were not able to attend or would like to view the presentation by Claire Orange for a second time, please click on the link below.

Parent/Student Maths Workshop

Please join us for maths in action from 2pm to 3pm on Tuesday 14 September in the classroom. Parents are invited to join their child/children for some exciting activities.

St Thomas’ Feast Day Mass – Belated celebration

Due to COVID, we were unable to celebrate our St Thomas’ Feast Day Mass at the end of last term. This Mass has been rescheduled to Thursday 23 September at 9am in the Church. Please join us as we celebrate our school and the last day of our school term.

Wishing all our Father’s/Grandfathers and father figures a wonderful day on Sunday.

May God bless your week

Natalia Thomson

Principal

The Importance of Self-talk

This week your child has learned about the HIGHWAY TOOL of Supa Thinking that combats the Stinking Thinking that often occurs when a HIGHWAY BUMP, or a HIGHWAY HAZARD, is encountered. It would be extremely useful to review and discuss their homework, which will help increase awareness of their internal voice - and how it helps, or holds them back.

Parent Information Sheet 1 can be accessed here.

View the presentation that Claire Orange, a Child and Family Mental Health Author, Advocate and Speaker gave to our St Thomas' parents and caregivers on the video link below.

A friendly reminder that if your child is not returning to St Thomas' Primary School for 2022 then a Student Departure Form must be completed giving one full terms notice (not applicable to Y6). This means we need to receive the form by day one of Term Four (Tuesday 12 October 2021). This will allow for planning in staffing and also in accepting new students who have applied and are currently on waitlist..

Should notice be received after this date a full terms tuition fee penalty will apply.

The form is available from the front office or by emailing Julie on admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au.

Parent Teacher Interviews will be held on the following dates:

• Tuesday 7 September (for Kindergarten, Years 2, 3, 6) and
• Wednesday 8 September (Pre-primary, Years 1, 4, 5).

These opportunities offer parents and teachers another opportunity to discuss student progress since the Semester One reports, with a view to celebrate strengths and identify some future focus areas of growth for your child.

If you have any issues booking online please email me: heath.nankivell@cewa.edu.au for assistance.

Mr Heath Nankivell

Assistant Principal

It makes sense for you as a parent to be prepared and ready to make the most of the brief time you have with teachers. Parent-teacher interviews provide a great opportunity for you as a parent to find out how your child is progressing at school.

Many parent-teacher interviews are tightly scheduled and can seem a little rushed. Teachers are generally highly organised so they can make the most of the time you have together. It makes sense also for you as a parent to be prepared and ready to make the most of the brief time you have with teachers.

Here are some guidelines to make the most of these interviews:

1. Prepare well. Before the interview, list any questions that you want to raise. Keep questions short and to the point.

2. Attend with a partner or friend particularly if you are nervous or unsure. It is easy to miss a point and often difficult to relay information to a partner.

3. Give the teacher a chance to make an assessment of your child’s progress. This may seem obvious but some interviews never get off the ground because enthusiastic parents take over.

4. Take notes and clarify information that you don’t understand. “What do you mean by ‘he needs to spend more time reading’...?” Make sure you have a good understanding of the messages your child’s teacher is giving.

5. Be prepared to give an assessment of your child’s performance. You may be asked how you think your child is performing so give an honest, but realistic assessment.

6. Ask how you can help your child if there are any areas that need to be strengthened. No doubt your child’s teacher will have some strategies for you to assist your child, so make sure you have a clear understanding before you leave.

If there are unresolved issues or you wish to discuss your child’s difficulties in greater detail, consider asking for another interview. This is being respectful of the teacher’s time and of those parents who are to follow.

Once the interview is over consider how you will discuss it with your child.

Avoid giving generalisations or simplistic appraisals such as: “The teacher says you are a good girl.” Discuss areas that need work in positive terms.

Talk about strengths or successes first before discussing areas that may need more work. A clear message such as, “We talked about your reading and the teacher suggested that we should try...” is far more helpful. Involve your child in discussing any plans for improvement.

Avoid making big plans for your child to improve in a subject area without consulting him or her.

By involving children and taking notice of their idea's plans are more likely to be successful.

'Parenting Ideas' by Michael Grosse

parentingideas.com.au

Students arrive at McGillivray Oval (10 McGillivray Rd, Mount Claremont) between 8.30-8.45am.

Please ensure that they are marked off the roll with their teacher.

Carnival commences at 9am

Students to wear faction polo shirts and shorts/tracksuits and be prepared for inclement weather.

General Information

All parents and spectators are required to sit in the designated areas. Please observe any COVID-19 restrictions that may be in place, including the 1.5 metre social distancing. Parents are not permitted to enter the faction bays, approach the finish line, or run on the track. Any parents who come into these areas will be asked to move and races will not commence until parents return to the designated area.

We encourage all spectators to please support all participants. The judge’s decision is final. There will be no discussion on final places as all finish line results will be recorded by the timing gates and chief judges.

Photos and Filming

Parents may take photos and film their own child. Please check all photos contain images of your child only prior to posting on social media.

Official Roles

Only parents who are in official roles, are permitted on the track or in the recording tent, when they are performing an official duty.

Lunch Break

During the lunch break, children may sit with their parents outside of the Faction Bays. Please be aware that if you remove your child from the Faction Bay you are responsible for them. Please inform the Faction Bay supervisors if you would like to take your own child from the bay to have lunch. An announcement will be made when children need to return to the Faction Bays for the Carnival to resume.

No lunch orders available.

Coffee Van

Thank you to ‘Crazy about Brew’ who will be attending the carnival. They will have a selection of hot and cold beverages and well as food to purchase on the day for the parents, spectators and younger siblings who may be in attendance.

Parking

Parking is available at HBF stadium and at the carpark south of the oval. Please observe any parking signs in the area.

Coloured Hair Spray and Zinc

Coloured hair spray and coloured zinc must be applied at home. Children are not permitted to bring these items to the carnival and for the use of any other children.

Streamers and Balloons

We have been informed that crepe paper streamers and balloons are not permitted. If children are bringing streamers, they must be made of ribbon or fabric.

Conclusion of the Carnival

All children will gather with their classroom teacher. Parents must see the class teacher and get their name ticked off the roll prior to departing the carnival.

Student must be collected from the oval by 2pm unless prior arrangements have been made with Mrs Seaman.

Setting up from 8am:

If you are available to assist with setting up. Jobs include setting up the large tents, faction flags, bunting and markers from 8am please email http://sharon.seaman@cewa.edu.au

Approximate Times and Order of Events:

8.30-8.45 Students arrive. Please see class teacher.

Commencing at 9am the following events are scheduled:

PP Team Game

Yr 3-6 400m

PP, Years 1 & 2 Team Game

50m Yr 1-2, PP

Years 3 & 4 Team Game

200m Yr 3-6

Years 5 & 6 Team Game

PP Team Game & Baton Exchange

PP’s Return to school @ approximately 11:30 am

100m Yr 1-6

1-2 Baton Exchange Relay

Yr 3-6 4 x 100m Relay

12pm Lunch

12.30pm Open Girls and Boys 800m Years 3-6

1 pm Yr 1-6 Tabloid Games (TBC)

1.30pm Presentations (maybe at Clubrooms)

1.45pm Dismissal

The Advisory Council met for the seventh time this year in a face-to-face meeting on Tuesday 24th August. During the meeting Natalia brought to attention the many significant opportunities and community engagement events that took place in the last few weeks, including the Catholic Performing Arts Festival, Speak Up Awards, Robogals visit and ICAS.

A primary focus throughout much of the meeting was on marketing strategies to keep raising the school’s profile within the wider community and attract new families to the school. Key aspects of this include continuing efforts to increase the school’s social media presence and the development of new scholarships to be offered for 2022.

The Grounds and Maintenance subcommittee is preparing for the upcoming Busy Bee on Sunday 12th September in cooperation with the P&F. In addition to this, the subcommittee is continuing to follow up on some of the flooding issues that have arisen this winter as well as helping to scope some potential future capital development projects.

The Advisory Council is still looking for a new Treasurer. It is an incredibly rewarding and interesting role to be involved in at Advisory Council level. Please contact Susan Swift (Advisory Council Chair) on 0427778759 or skswift@westnet.com.au or Natalia Thomson on 9286 9500 or admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au to discuss the role in further detail.

Thank you to those who joined us for our P&F Father's Day Breakfast. It was wonderful to see over 80 St Thomas men and their children enjoying breakfast, catching up, kicking the footy and having a run with their kids and grandkids while the sun was shining.

A very special thank you to:

- our canteen provider, Lunchbox, for their very generous donation of the delicious breakfast sandwiches and toasties which were thoroughly enjoyed by all;

- Chris Adams and his team at The Good Grocer for his very generous donation of milk, juice and other grocery items; and

- Pete Telford for generously donating all the coffee supplies and ensuring the St Thomas coffee cart was well equipped and free flowing!

We are so very grateful for your donations and the support and generosity you show our St Thomas community.

A special thank you to our wonderful parent helpers, Caroline Rubina, Libby Crawford, Melissa Di Latte, Melissa Trend, Irini McGoldrick and Rebecca Hartley for your tremendous help with the Breakfast and clean up.

Father's Day Stall

The Father's Day Stall was also held this week giving our St Thomas kids the opportunity to purchase a gift for Father's Day. What a fantastic atmosphere! It was so wonderful to see so many children excited to make a purchase, and so many children eager to help behind the stall, serve their friends and wrap some gifts!

A big thank you to Melissa Di Latte for all her hard work at and preparing for the Stall as well as sourcing so many of our wonderful gifts, and our Stall helpers, Carin Penberthy, Sara Leather, Chiara Curnow, Irini McGoldrick, Rebecca Hartley, Sha Ragnauth, all their children and our extra student helpers for ensuring the Stall was a success.

Big congratulations to Karen in Year 3 for winning the Father's Day Raffle! We hope your Dad loves his prize!

Busy Bee

Next Sunday, 12 September is the P&F Family Busy Bee. It is a great way for our community to come together to lend a helping hand with some garden and maintenance jobs around our School. All families, children and grandparents are welcome.

When: Sunday, 12 September

Time: 2 - 4pm

What to bring?: Please bring your handy tools and garden equipment (eg gloves, rakes, brooms, garden shears, shovels etc), a hat, sunscreen and water

Sausage sizzle to follow

For catering purposes, please let us know if your family will be attending by emailing stthomas.rsvp2021@gmail.com

Next Meeting

Our final meeting for this term will be held next Tuesday, 7 September at 7pm in the Library. All welcome.

Have a wonderful week and Happy Fathers Day to all our St Thomas Dads, Grandfathers and father figures!

Bianca Della Vedova

-

P&F President

Facilitated by Mrs Brianna Kirkbride (Early Years Educator) the session for parents and their children between 0-3 years was enjoyed by all. Please feel free to attend these sessions on Wednesday mornings between 8.45 – 10.15am.

Name: Corinna Herbert

Position: Performing Arts Specialist

Interests: Music, Travel, Musical Theatre/Opera

Football Team: None

Favourite Food: Avocado

Currently Reading: Chinese Cinderella (I like to read what my daughter is reading)

Favourite Holiday Destination: Italy

3 people you’d invite to dinner: Gino D’Acampo (so he can cook), Elizabeth Moss, Michelle Obama

What would you do with your last $50? Spend it on my children!

Favourite Movie: I have so many! My favourite childhood movie was Goonies.

Favourite Quote: To make a difference in someone’s life you don’t have to be brilliant, rich, beautiful or perfect. You just have to care.- Mandy Hale

Someone you admire: David Attenborough

What do you love about our school: St Thomas has a warm friendly community atmosphere that has made me feel at home since day one.

Term 3

Tuesday 20 July to Thursday 23 September

Term 4

Tuesday 12 October to Friday 10 December

Pupil Free Days

Friday 24 September

Monday 11 October

Keyed Up Music will be teaching drums and keyboard lessons next term during school. Lessons start at $23.10 for a shared lesson. If you are interested in your son/daughter learning an instrument, ring Savanna on 6107 8841 or 0479 171 424 or enrol at www.keyedupmusic.com.au/enrolment-form

Please also contact the school office to complete a Music Application Form.

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