Newsletter Term 3 Week 8 2025

Principal's Message

Spring has sprung and thankfully some warmer weather and sunny days. Hats at school are mandatory once again. If your child needs a new hat, they are available for purchase anytime at the front office for $10.

 Religious Education Coordinator 2026

I am delighted to announce that Jacinta Housler has been appointed as our Religious Education Coordinator (REC) from the beginning of 2026. This is wonderful news for our school community.

Jacinta brings with her a deep faith, strong leadership, and a genuine passion for nurturing the spiritual growth of both students, families and our school staff. She has already shown her dedication and talent within our community, and we are excited to see her step into this important role.

Congratulations Jacinta.

Kind and Connected: Helping Families Grow Health Digital Habits

Tuesday afternoon’s workshop was a resounding  success. The first workshop was well supported, engaging, and full of practical strategies to help families strengthen their digital habits together. A big thank you to Penny Vanzwol from Meraki Community and to all the families who joined us – it was inspiring to see children, teens, and parents learning side by side.  We will be hosting another session next Monday 15 September from 5:30pm until 6:45pm.

Come along to explore family values online, build healthy digital habits, and create your own Family Technology Agreement.
5:30 – 6:45pm (refreshments provided).

Enrol now via the link below.

St Thomas’ Sh.O.W Afternoon

Sharing Our Work! - We are excited to invite parents and carers to our upcoming Sh.O.W (Sharing Our Work) afternoon on Wednesday 24 September (Week 10). This special event will showcase the wonderful projects and learning experiences of our students.

We hope to see as many parents and carers as possible join us for this special occasion. You are welcome to drop in anytime between 3:20pm and 4:30pm to explore the classrooms and enjoy the students' efforts.

For those families coming to the event, some light refreshments will be available from the stage to have before going to the classrooms.

Our Own Little Piece of Floriade

Spring has well and truly arrived at St Thomas, bringing with it our very own burst of colour. The bulbs planted earlier in the year are now beginning to bloom, creating a beautiful display around our grounds. Each flower adds its own splash of brightness, reminding us of the joy and renewal this season brings.

It feels a little like we have our own miniature Floriade right here at school. We have gorgeous tulips, daffodils and other blooms lifting our spirits and bringing smiles as you walk through the gates, drive out of the school and on the nature strip for all of Kambah to see. What a gift it is for our students, staff and families to enjoy such beauty each day

Focus Tools (Fiddle Toys) at School

Sometimes students need a little extra help to keep their hands busy so their minds can focus – that’s where focus tools (often called fiddle toys) come in. When a student needs one, the school will provide it as part of an agreement with their teacher.

We kindly ask that families don’t send in their own toys or tools unless this has been discussed with your child’s teacher. Focus tools are for the classroom only – they’re not designed for the playground.

Thank you for helping us support students in ways that keep learning focussed and fair for everyone.

Carpark concerns

A parent has shared their concern that, on several mornings this week, cars have failed to stop for them and their children at the pedestrian crossings. This is a serious safety issue and a reminder that all cars must stop at the two pedestrian crossings in our carpark. It would be devastating if someone were to be injured simply because a driver failed to stop.

Please also remember:

• Children should not be crossing the carpark on their own

• In the mornings, we have a drop-off zone where children can safely enter the school.

• In the afternoons, we have a pick-up area to ensure an orderly and safe collection.

• If you would like to walk in with your child to the playground in the morning (and you are most welcome to stay for assembly) or collect them from the stage in the afternoon (which is always lovely), please walk with them across the crossing.

• When parking and walking across the carpark while students are out, please set a safe example by always using the pedestrian crossing. Often parents can be seen dodging cars as they walk across the line of traffic.

The safety of all our students depends on every driver slowing down, paying attention, and respecting the crossings. Thank you for your care and cooperation with this matter.

Join the Choir – It’s Not Too Late!

Now that spring is here and the days are warming up, it’s the perfect time for students to join our school choir! Singing together is a wonderful way to make new friends, build confidence, and share the joy of music.

Our choir is currently learning songs to perform at the upcoming school fete, and soon we’ll begin preparing our Christmas songs and carols – always a highlight of the year.

All students are welcome to join, so if your child loves to sing (or would like to give it a try), we’d love to see them come along.

Why not start next Monday September 15^th – Your son and/or daughter will be most welcome.

Farewell to Lauren Holt

It is with mixed emotions that we farewell Lauren Holt, who will be departing at the end of this term. Lauren is embarking on an exciting new chapter, joining her husband in France for an extended period. While we are sad to see Lauren go, we are thrilled for this wonderful opportunity and wish her all the best for her adventures ahead.  Lauren has been a valued member of our school community for the past 6 years, and her contributions will be greatly missed. We hope to stay connected and hopefully see her back with us in the future.

Long Service Leave

I will be taking Long Service Leave for the next two weeks. During this time, Susan Chant will be serving as Acting Principal, and Geoff Ryan will step into the role of Acting Assistant Principal. Both Susan and Geoff, along with Luke are experienced leaders who will ensure the smooth operation of our school. Please don't hesitate to contact them with any questions or concerns during this period.

Thank you for your continued support, and I look forward to reconnecting with you all upon my return.

Yours in partnership,

RE "Jubilee Year - Pilgrim of Hope"

Sacramental Information

The students in Year 5/6 will be participating in the Confirmation Retreat Day on Friday the 19^th September. These students will spend time at Mass, participate in activities and reflect on the gifts and talents that they possess. Year 5/6 students can wear appropriate free clothes and will be provided with recess and a pizza lunch on the day.

Catholic Mission Day

The students in Year 5/6 are beginning to plan activities for students to participate in to raise money for Catholic Mission. We will have a fundraising day on Thursday the 25 September. We ask that each child brings $5 (or $10 per family) to donate. This year we are raising awareness and funds for communities in Zambia, to help ensure children have access to food and education, giving them the chance to build a brighter future. There will also be special items in the canteen on this day.

Be Kind Circles

Last week we began Be Kind Circles at school. The students in Year 5/6 lead the younger students through activities that build confidence and promote kindness. Each week a short outline of the activity and a home follow-up will be shared with parents and carers.

Session 2: Encouragement
Our focus this week was Encouragement. We discovered how powerful it is to give others praise, support, and hope, and how this creates a positive cycle that spreads kindness. We also reflected on the importance of encouraging ourselves with kind words.
Home follow-up: Families could share a personal goal and give one another words of encouragement to keep going.

St Vincent de Paul Society

Kambah SVDP conference, along with the parish, is celebrating 50 years of our faith journey together. To commemorate the occasion for our conference we invite everyone who has been involved with St Thomas the Apostle conference over the years to join us at 10am Mass on 14 September. The invitation is open to previous conference members, new members who may want to join, supporters, door-knock collectors, Night Patrol volunteers, Mini-Vinnies families, etc. Morning tea will follow afterwards. We look forward to sharing the occasion with you.

Geoff Ryan
REC

Upcoming Events

Trivia Night

Awards Term 3 Week 8 2025

Congratulations to the following students received an award this week. The awards were presented to the students at morning assembly on Friday 12 September by Mrs Jamieson.

Lola P

Library News

School Community Council Update

Earlier in August the School Community Council (SCC) held its first meeting for Term 3, and we’re excited to share some highlights with our school community.

Around the Grounds

We’re thrilled to see students enjoying the newly installed covered seating areas and large outdoor settings during break times. These additions have been a big hit!

The weather station has also been installed and will soon be connected to the big screen in the primary area. A big thank you to Ian Jamieson for installing this and to Luke Mooney and  Sam Jenkins for setting this up, and who will demonstrate  to the students how it works. We look forward to incorporating weather station observations into our STEM lessons.

Gardens and Green Spaces

Our groundsman continues to make great progress on the garden and sensory garden areas, working closely with the Garden Club every Monday. Keep an eye out for our mini Floriade beds too – they’re set to bloom soon!

Treasurer’s Report

We’ve moved to a new, transparent system for managing fundraising and expenditure – available for all to view via a new online platform - BizBudg. Parents and carers can request read-only access to stay informed. We’re also exploring ways to gather expenditure ideas from families, staff, and students, with a focus on learning benefits and accessibility. We’ll look to upload expenditure proposals and successful projects on BizBudg and will provide more details at the next open SCC meeting.

Upcoming Events

• Kind & Connected: Helping Families Grow Healthy Digital Habits
  Join us for a special family-friendly workshop presented by Penny Vanzwol from Meraki Community. These interactive sessions are designed for the whole family to explore safe and respectful digital habits together.
• Monday 15 September, 5:30–6:45pm (refreshments provided)
• Trivia Night – Friday 19 September
  A fun adults-only evening to support our 2025 SCC fundraising efforts.
• $10 per person
• BYO food and drinks or pre-order a cheese platter from the canteen (big thank you to Victoria!)
• Payments via CompassTix. This was published as an event on Compass
• Passionist Family Group Movement – 40th Anniversary celebration
  St Thomas is celebrating 40 years of family groups on 19 October. This initiative fosters social connection through a Christian lens, but is open to all. More details and a registration form will be shared soon.

Next Open SCC Meeting

Mark your calendars! Our next open meeting will be held in Term 4 Week 2 Monday 20 October 2025. We’d love to see you there.

Once again, a heartfelt thank you for being part of our vibrant school community.
Until next time, may God’s grace and the joy of spring be with you and your family.

From Angela Schacht on behalf of the St Thomas the Apostle School Community Council

Book Club September

Birthdays

Happy Birthday
to the following students
who are celebrating a birthday

Willow W
Daiva A
Anna M
Esther K
Rita M
Hamish R
Thomas H
Isabel H
Ari C
Georgia C
Jacob P M
Hannah P

Fete Craft Stall

We are in need for people to make handmade items for our craft stall.

We need Christmas decorations, Christmas wreaths and Christmas bonbons. These can be made with felt or fabric.

We also need baby toys – knitted or crotched.

Please help if you can.

We are also in need of helpers on the fete day. If you can spare a 12 hour or 1 hour that would be very much appreciated.

Any craft donations can be left with Elizabeth in the Parish Office.

Please call Trudie on 0419 293 190 if you can help in any way.

We will also have craft afternoons in the Parish Centre. More details to follow.

TeamKids News

TeamKids have another amazing SPRING Holiday program planned! 

-        Learn new skills and make new friends

-        Qualified and REMARKABLE Educators

-        Digital detox with our no screens policy

-        Delicious and nutritious morning and afternoon snacks

-        CCS-approved care            

Click the link below to check out St Thomas the Apostle Catholic Primary's program + secure your spot today!

Photos - Father's Day

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Photos - RUOK Day

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Photos - Kinder visit from the Reptile Zoo

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Photos - Fete Mufti Day

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Photos - Soccer Gala Day

Book about History of St Thomas Apostle Parish

Marymead CatholicCare - Cool Kids Anxiety Group Program

Boomerangs Softball Club

Vikings Basketball U8 Program