Dear Parents and Carers,

It’s been a smooth and positive start to the term, with students settling back into routines and classrooms buzzing with energy and learning.

Yesterday, we sent home Term Letters outlining what’s happening in each class this term. These are also included in this newsletter for your convenience. Please take a few moments to read through them so you’re aware of key learning focuses, upcoming events, and how you can support your child’s learning.

Staff News

This term, we’re delighted to welcome Fiona Sedlacek to our Learning Support team. Fiona joins us as a Classroom Support Assistant, bringing with her a wealth of knowledge and experience. We’re so pleased to have her on board and know she’ll be a great asset to our school community.

We also warmly welcome back Jessica Gordon, who is returning from maternity leave. Jess is teaching in Year 3/4H this term while Jacinta Housler takes Long Service Leave. It’s wonderful to have Jess back with us, and I know the students are enjoying having her as their teacher.

Happening Tomorrow

You’re Invited to the St Thomas Community Assembly.

We’re really hoping to hear from our school parents!

We warmly invite all parents and carers to join us tomorrow, Saturday 2 August, for the St Thomas Community Assembly, from 9:30am to 2:30pm.

This is a special opportunity to come together, reflect, and have your voice heard as we shape the future of our parish and school community. Whether you're deeply involved already or just starting to connect, your perspective matters - and we especially want to hear from our school families.

The day begins with Mass at 9:30 am, followed by meaningful conversation and a shared lunch (prepared by Victoria Town) in the school hall. A good number of school staff will be attending - we’d love you to be part of it too.

This Assembly is part of a wider Archdiocesan journey toward a Synod in 2026 - and tomorrow is our chance to contribute.

You can still register using the QR code on the attached flyer. Please join us as we honour 50 years of parish life and look forward with hope and purpose.

Let’s shape the future - together.

Canteen Update – Change to Operating Days

We are so fortunate to have a canteen run by our talented chef, Victoria Town, who prepares delicious, homemade meals and snacks for our children From nourishing lunches to tasty recess treats, all items are made fresh with care – it’s no surprise the canteen is a much-loved part of our school.

Starting Monday 1 September (Week 7), there will be a change to our canteen operations. The canteen will no longer open on Mondays, and will instead operate on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays only.

While the canteen provides an important and valued service to our families, it’s vital that it continues to receive strong support from parents and carers to remain a viable and attractive option for the school community. By choosing to order from the canteen, you are helping us sustain this wonderful service.

As always, coffee will still be available for parents and carers from 8:30am on Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. It’s a great way to connect with other families and start the day.

Worth a Watch: Parental Guidance

Before recommending anything to our parent community, I like to take the time to explore it myself - and I’m so glad I did with Parental Guidance. This show is well worth watching.

Airing on Channel Nine (and available on 9Now), Parental Guidance brings together families with a wide range of parenting styles - from free-range to strict, gentle to routine-based - and puts them through real-life challenges to explore how they respond to the complex situations parents face today. Hosted by parenting expert Dr. Justin Coulson and Ally Langdon, the show is insightful, often moving, and full of practical food for thought.

What makes these shows particularly powerful is its focus on the challenges facing today’s families, including critical issues such as screen time, online grooming, peer pressure, and digital safety. These are topics that every parent needs to understand — and Parental Guidance presents them in a relatable, accessible way that encourages reflection and discussion.

I believe this show is a valuable watch for any parent or carer wanting to feel more informed and confident in navigating modern parenting. It’s a reminder that while every family is different, the safety, wellbeing, and growth of our children is a shared goal.

NAIDOC Week Celebrations at St Thomas 

As part of our NAIDOC Week celebrations, eight of our students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander attended the Canberra NAIDOC Mass last Friday at St Christopher’s Cathedral. Each student brought along a friend to share in this special experience, and together they joined with schools and community members from across the region in a beautiful celebration of culture, Country, and faith. They were accompanied by Anne Barbic and Caleb Piper, who have always and continue to, support and celebrate our First Nations students. 

Today at school, the spirit of NAIDOC continued with a vibrant performance from Dion Drummond, an engaging storyteller, dancer, and proud Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal man. Dion had the whole school captivated with his stories, traditional dances, and the playing of clapping sticks. We learnt about Torres Strait Islander culture and history and were reminded of the strong message of respect—respect for culture, elders, land, and one another. 

There were smiles all around as students joined in the dancing and even the teachers got up and gave it a go! It was a joyful and meaningful way to celebrate the oldest living cultures on earth. 

A Friendly Reminder About Morning Drop-Off

A big thank you to all our families for helping keep our car park safe and calm each morning!

A gentle reminder that our Kiss and Drop zone is designed for quick drop-offs where children are able to independently get out of the car and make their way into the school grounds. If your child needs a bit of extra help in the morning, whether that’s with bags, seatbelts or just a goodbye hug, we kindly ask that you park in the nearby car park and walk them across the pedestrian crossing. This helps keep traffic flowing smoothly and, most importantly, ensures the safety of all our students

Wait, there is more about the carpark ….?

Wet Weather Pick-Up – Working Together to Stay Dry and Safe!

As we all know, wet weather can make school pick-up a little trickier, but we have a plan in place to help things run as smoothly (and the children dry!) as possible.

When we call Wet Weather Pick-Up we send an alert out on Compass. We aim to make that decision before 3:00pm. The plan is parents stay in their cars and drive through the pick-up area, rather than parking and walking to classroom doors. Please see the attached flyer regarding wet weather pick-up later in the newsletter.

Here’s how it works:

• One of our staff members is stationed in the car park with a walkie-talkie, noting which families are arriving.
• They radio through to classroom teachers, who then have your child ready and waiting when you reach the kerb.
• This system allows teachers to keep a clear line of sight on the driveway and ensures students are called safely and promptly to your car.

We do understand that there are times when you may need to walk with an umbrella or collect your child quickly for an after-school commitment, and of course, that’s okay when needed. However, we hope that most families will use the drive-through option, as it helps everything run more smoothly and keeps everyone safer and drier.

We really appreciate your patience and support, especially when the weather isn’t on our side!

That’s it for this newsletter. Thank you for your continued partnership, and together we look forward to another great term.

Yours in partnership,

Ursula Jamieson
Principal