Dear Parents and Carers,

Parent "Hour of Power" a Great Success!

A big thank you to all the parents who attended our recent Parent "Hour of Power" - what a fantastic turnout! It was wonderful to see so many of you engaging with the information about how we teach at St Thomas the Apostle. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with many parents finding the session both informative and valuable.

It was also great to see such strong interest in the School Community Council (SCC) discussions. A strong partnership between school and home makes a real difference for our students, and your involvement is greatly appreciated.

Meanwhile, the children were well looked after by our staff and enjoyed a delicious spaghetti bolognaise dinner, lovingly prepared by Victoria Town - thank you, Victoria!

For those who couldn't attend, you can still access the different groups using the attached QR codes. Additionally, we are still accepting Expressions of Interest for the SCC executive. If you'd like to be involved, please follow the link below to register your interest.

Thank you again for being part of our school community - we value your partnership in your child's education!

A Splashing Success at the Swimming Carnival!

What a superb day we had at Stromlo Leisure Centre for our Swimming Carnival! The atmosphere was electric, with students cheering each other on, showing wonderful sportsmanship, and giving their best in every race. It was fantastic to see so much encouragement and support among our students—what a great display of our school spirit!

A huge thank you to the many parents who volunteered their time to help make the day run smoothly - your support is truly appreciated!

Back at school, Kindergarten and Year 1 students did not miss out with their own Water Fun Day! With the sun shining and the temperature hot, it was the perfect day to splash, play, and cool off.

The children had an absolute blast rotating through a range of water activities, but the sprinklers were definitely a favourite. The super dooper treat was also very popular on such a hot day.

A special thank you to Laura Vandenbroucke for her excellent organisation of the day - it was a huge success!

New Executive Director of Catholic Education

The Board of Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited has appointed Mr David de Carvalho as the new Executive Director of Catholic Education following a national and international search.

David brings extensive experience in education leadership, having served as Executive Dean at the University of Notre Dame Australia and held key roles at ACARA, NESA, and NCEC. His work has shaped national education policy, including the National Curriculum, NAPLAN modernisation, and HSC reform. He has also held senior government roles and governance positions in Catholic education.

David is eager to work with leaders, staff, and parish priests to continue delivering high-quality Catholic education, emphasizing both academic excellence and a Christ-centred vision of learning.

Dr McArdle, Board Chair, welcomed David’s appointment, noting his strong leadership and commitment to Catholic identity in education. He will commence mid-year.

David and his wife, Andrea, share a strong connection with our Archdiocese. Andrea previously taught at St Thomas the Apostle, where their three children were students. Their family’s ties to the school continue, with their son Ben and his wife Kelly now part of the St Thomas' parent community. David is looking forward to returning to Canberra and taking on this important leadership role.

Annual Improvement Plan

At the end of every year the leadership team develop an Improvement Plan for the upcoming year. This is based on analysing student data, reviewing school priorities, and setting clear, measurable goals for the year ahead.

This year our school will be focussing on three key improvement goals:

1. Have a whole school approach to teaching and learning, with a reduced variation in resources and pedagogy.
2. Prioritise High Impact Teaching Practice that is backed by cognitive science.
3. Assessment is used to inform practice at the classroom and school level

We have developed improvement targets and specific strategies that will support our teachers and staff in our school to reach these goals.

MATES at St Thomas the Apostle School 

At St Thomas the Apostle, MATES stands for Mates are Thoughtful, Engaged, and Safe. This approach is at the heart of our School Wide Positive Behaviour Program, ensuring that students and teachers can learn and teach in a safe, supportive, and respectful environment.

Our key aim is to help students understand that they are responsible for their own behaviour and the natural consequences that come with it. By fostering this sense of responsibility, we empower them to become respectful and responsible members of the community.

To support this, we create a warm, encouraging, and consistent classroom environment where positive behaviour is celebrated. Students are rewarded with MATES cards when they demonstrate MATES values. These cards can be exchanged in a progressive reward system:

5 MATES cards = 1 Green Band

3 Green Bands = 1 Red Band

3 Red Bands = 1 Blue Band

Earning a Blue Band is a significant achievement! Students who reach this milestone receive a Blue Band Certificate in front of the school and enjoy a special lunch with me as principal to celebrate their efforts.

NAPLAN

In weeks 6 and 7, our Year 3 and 5 students will be participating in the 2025 NAPLAN National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Please see details in the letter further on in the newsletter.  

Principals’ Conference 2025 

Next week, I will be attending the annual Principals’ Conference in Bowral, where I will join colleagues from across our Archdiocese. This conference provides a valuable opportunity for professional development, collaboration, and exploring ways to further enhance our school.

A heartfelt thank you to Susan Chant, our Assistant Principal, for stepping in as Acting Principal during my absence. I truly appreciate her leadership and dedication.

I also want to acknowledge our wonderful leadership team and staff for their ongoing commitment to our students. Their hard work and passion for teaching make a difference every day. We are so fortunate to have such a dedicated and caring team at St Thomas the Apostle.

Yours in partnership,

Ursula Jamieson
Principal