Dear Parents and Carers,

I'm pleased to share that our return to school has been smooth and filled with joy for both students and staff. We have warmly welcomed 46 excited Kindergarten students, along with 24 new students across Years 1 to 6. We also extend a heartfelt welcome to our new staff members, Cathleen Feerick (Year 1) and Emily Tankey (Year 2), as well as our new Classroom Support Assistants, Olivia Maher, Lucy Gildea, Issy Doszpot, and Samata Mohamed, who have quickly become part of the St Thomas the Apostle community. Next week, we will welcome Caleb Piper to our Learning Support Team.

School Year Opening Mass

Our School Year Opening Mass will be next Thursday 20 February, at 9:30am in the church. We would love for you to join us for this special occasion. Your child is welcome to sit with you during the Mass, and your presence will help make this a truly meaningful community gathering. Our Year 6 SRC and school leaders will be presented with their badges.

Meet and Greet on Tuesday

Thank you to all the parents and carers who joined us for our "Meet and Greet" afternoon on Tuesday. It was wonderful to see so many families connecting with teachers and each other in a relaxed and welcoming setting. We appreciate your time and the feedback that having the event after school, rather than in the evening, worked well for many. The afternoon tea was also a great success, providing a lovely opportunity for conversation and community building. Your involvement and support help make our school a great place for our students to learn and grow.

School Choir

I am delighted to announce the return of our school choir, and this year, it’s set to be better than ever! We are incredibly fortunate to have Sonia Anfiloff, Head of Choirs at Canberra Girls Grammar School, leading a brand-new choir for our Year 3 to 6 students. Sonia brings a wealth of experience as both a choir director and a professional singer, having spent 10 years performing in Vienna. This is a fantastic opportunity for our students to develop their vocal skills and be part of something truly special!

Sonia says:  "Music is a great way to start a school week, opening and creating neural pathways. Choirs teach teamwork, listening skills, and self-confidence; they can slow the heart rate and calm breathing, help with reading and language, and create a sense of community and belonging. Singing, in particular, can help with speech difficulties, anxiety, depression, and a wide variety of mental and physical health issues.

This new choir will focus on learning fun music, making stacks of weird sounds, and bringing more music into the students' weekly routine.

The choir will rehearse on Monday mornings before school, from 8:10 am to 8:45 am. To participate, students must be registered, and there is a small fee of $50 per term per singer to cover resources. We will begin in Week 5, on Monday, March 3rd, with a special Term 1 fee of just $30 for the six-week program—an incredible value for this high-quality opportunity! Parents are also welcome to stay and enjoy the lessons.

If you would like your child to be part of the STTAP School Choir, please fill in the attached form.

There will also be a lunchtime choir club for Kindergarten to Year 2, so our younger students don’t miss out!

‘Parent Hour of Power’

We warmly invite all parents and carers to our Parent Power Hour on Monday 24 February. This will be an engaging and informative evening designed to give you a deeper understanding of how we teach at St Thomas the Apostle. Our staff will present insights into our approach to teaching reading and maths, including Explicit and Direct Instruction, and how these methods support student learning.

Following this session, we invite you to stay for an open meeting of the School Community Council (SCC). This is a great opportunity to learn how you can be involved in the life of the school, hear about current initiatives, and share your ideas for the future.

We are looking for new members for our SCC Executive. If you are interested in joining the team, an Expression of Interest form can be found here. You can also wait to hear more about the SCC on the night and submit an EOI afterward. Dan McInerney, our SCC Chair, has some words to share about this further along in the newsletter.

To make it easier for families to attend, childcare and dinner will be provided for students, along with refreshments for parents and carers. If you would like to book your child / children in for care please fill in the attached form. We hope to see many of you there for this valuable and informative evening!

Yours in partnership,

Ursula Jamieson
Principal