Dear Parents and Carers,

Lent is a time of reflection, renewal, and preparation. As we journey through these 40 days, we are invited to pause, to pray, and to walk more closely with Jesus. It is a season of hope—hope in God’s mercy, hope in new beginnings, and hope that our small acts of kindness and sacrifice can bring light to the world around us.

Pope Francis has called us to be Pilgrims of Hope - people who walk together in faith, trusting that God is leading us to something greater. As a school community, we are on this journey together. Whether it is through prayer, almsgiving, or fasting, each step we take brings us closer to Jesus and to one another.

For our children, Lent is an opportunity to grow in love and generosity. Simple acts - helping a friend, including someone new, sharing a kind word—are all ways of bringing hope to others. As parents and educators, we model this hope by showing patience, forgiveness, and compassion in our daily lives.

At St Thomas the Apostle, we encourage our students to find ways to live out their Lenten journey with hope. Whether through classroom prayer, school initiatives, or small acts of love at home, each child has the opportunity to be a light for others.

As we continue through this sacred season, may we all embrace the spirit of Lent with open hearts, walking together as Pilgrims of Hope, trusting in God’s promise of new life at Easter.

Easter Raffle – Supporting Caritas: Project Compassion

Our Easter Raffle is in full swing, and we are excited to be raising funds for Caritas: Project Compassion, supporting those in need around the world.

There will be two prizes per year level from Kinder to Year 6, so plenty of chances to win some delicious Easter treats!

Tickets are 50c each or 3 for $1. It will be drawn on Thursday morning, the last day of term.

Thank you for your support - every ticket sold helps make a difference to those less fortunate in our world.  

A Wonderful Celebration of Harmony and Grandparents!

Last Friday, our school came alive with joy and togetherness as we celebrated our combined Harmony Day and Grandparents’ Day. It was a truly special occasion that highlighted the strength of our community and the importance of belonging.

The day began with a beautiful Mass, which was well attended by families and friends. It was a heartwarming celebration of faith, love, and unity. Following Mass, grandparents visited classrooms. Seeing the joy on children’s faces as they shared their learning spaces and experiences with their grandparents was very special. The warmth, wisdom, and love of our visiting grandparents made the day even more meaningful.

The final event was the Year 3/4H and 3/4G students captivated everyone with their assembly item, Celebrating Belonging. Their performance perfectly reflected the meaning of Harmony Day - embracing our differences and finding strength in diversity. “Everyone Belongs”

Across the school, the multicultural feast was a highlight! Students, staff, and visitors enjoyed an incredible variety of delicious treats from different cultures, generously shared by our school community. It was wonderful to see students appreciating and learning about the diverse backgrounds that make up our school family.

A huge thank you to everyone who contributed to making this event such a success - our students, staff, families, and visitors. Your involvement and support made it a day to remember!

Working Bee Tonight – Join the Fun!

Our school grounds are about to get a big refresh, thanks to the 20 families who have signed up for the Working Bee tonight! There will be plenty of gardening jobs to tackle - pruning, digging, weeding, planting, and more - as we work together to make our school a greener, tidier and more beautiful space for our students.

We’re keeping an eye on the weather, but unless there’s heavy rain, we plan to push on and get the jobs done. If you haven’t signed up yet, it’s not too late! Bring your gloves, some gardening tools if you have them, and a can-do attitude.

We’ll wrap up the evening with cold drinks and a BBQ to say thank you for everyone’s hard work. It’s set to be a fantastic community event - we’d love to see you there!

Tuggeranong Swimming Carnival 

Yesterday, a group of our students proudly represented St Thomas the Apostle at the Tuggeranong Swimming Carnival. They swam their hearts out, giving their very best in every race. We are incredibly proud of their effort, determination, and sportsmanship throughout the day.

Thank you to Laura Vandenbroucke for supporting and encouraging our swimmers, and to the wonderful parents who accompanied the students - your help and enthusiasm made the day even more special.

Congratulations to all our swimmers for their fantastic efforts in the pool!

Prayers and Support

As you may be aware, this morning two students from St Edmund’s College were involved in an accident on Canberra Avenue. Catholic Education and our schools have been working with Edmund Rice Education Australia who operate St Edmund's College to provide support to students, families, and the communities. We ask you to keep all those impacted by this incident in your prayers at this difficult time.  

Catholic Education will continue to provide pastoral care support to all our schools and will continue to provide support in the days and weeks ahead. If any families would like support or any children are upset or worried please contact the school and we can provide support through our counselling services.  

Student Supervision & Safety Reminder

Student supervision begins at 8:30am. On arrival, students should sit on the stage steps until the duty teacher arrives. To help keep everyone safe, please remind your child/ren to remain seated and avoid running in the quiet area. Bikes and scooters must be walked through the school gates. For those walking or riding to school, please reinforce the importance of using the designated school crossing. Thank you for your support in keeping our school community safe.

Easter Countdown – Just Two Weeks to Go!

With only two weeks left until the Easter holidays, the end of term is fast approaching! It’s been a busy and productive term, and we are so proud of the efforts of all our students.

A reminder that Progress Reports will be available to view on Compass from Monday 7 April. These reports provide an update on your child’s learning and progress so far this year. We encourage families to take the time to read through them and celebrate the achievements of the term.

 Let’s make the most of these final two weeks before a well-earned break!

Yours in partnership,

Ursula Jamieson
Principal

Calendar

To view the Parent and Carers calendar please follow the link below to our school website. This calendar is very user friendly and clear to view on mobile phones.

Hannah D
Ashton H
Evelyn S
Roarke G
Zackary H
Lincoln C