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- Principal's Message
- RE Term 4 Week 9 - "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6)
- Library News
- Upcoming Events
- Birthdays this week
- Uniform Shop Opening Times
- Photos - Carols Night
- Photos - Kinder Nativity
- TeamKids Summer Program
- YWCA Summer School Holiday Program
- Two Sheds Woodworking Workshops
Dear Parents and Carers,
I don’t know about you, but I think this has been one of the busiest weeks I’ve ever had at school (I am sure many of you are thinking the same thing).
We started off the week with the Colour Run. Although it had been a wet weekend, the children managed to have a spectacular time negotiating the obstacle course while being sprayed with colourful powder. There was also a lot of mud sliding which meant not only great fun but also very dirty clothes! I hope you only sent old clothes for the day's event.
On Monday afternoon, the staff and former staffs of the past 32 years at St Thomas the Apostle, came together to celebrate the retirement of Patty Porteus. Colleen Mulheren (who our library book award is named after) was one of the many special guests who travelled from far and wide to be with Patty on this very special occasion. During the afternoon, we announced that The Studio building was being renamed “the Patty Porteus Studio”. A new sign was unveiled with this name on the building. There will be a school celebration next Wednesday morning for our current families to say farewell. There is more about that further on in the newsletter.
Monday night was the final SCC meeting for the year. At this meeting, our chair of the SCC, Angela Schacht gave us an update on where we are with our Parent Engagement Grant. In the future, the SCC will be reporting to the school community, the week after our regular meetings. I would like to thank the members of the SCC for their work this year. You are so appreciated. I would also like to give a special mention to one of our members, Corinne Smith, who will be leaving her role as an SCC member and also as a member of the school community as her daughter is finishing Year 6. Corinne has been on the SCC for the past 4 years and alongside of that, has been a tireless worker for the “Pick a Prize’ at the fete. Thank you, Corrinne, for all you have contributed to our school. You will be missed.
To cap Monday off, the SCC and the fete committee had dinner together. At this gathering the announcement was made that the fete made just over $40000 for the St Thomas the Apostle community. What an incredible result! This was a fitting end and thank you to both the SCC and fete committee for their tremendous work over 2023.
Last night we held our annual Carols and barbeque / picnic. This was organised and run by the SCC. It is one of the highlights of the year to see so many families come along, set up a picnic blanket and enjoy the singing and musical instrument playing. Along with that was the fun and friendship of families being together. This event is such an integral part of the St Thomas the Apostle culture.
And today, we had the most beautiful Kindergarten Nativity play. Every parent and carer in our school knows how special this event is. The Kinder children took it all very seriously which meant that they were outstanding in their telling of the story of the first Christmas. Thank you Lauren Jameson and Amy Gallagher for the way you prepared your children for this magnificent story.
Farewell for Patty Porteus
As you know, we are very sad to be saying goodbye to Patty after 32 years of being an exceptional teacher at St Thomas the Apostle. We are having a special assembly for Patty on Wednesday morning, 20 December. It will be in the school hall commencing at 9:15am. Parents are most welcome to come to this special farewell.
Staffing for 2024
Following is the staff list and class teachers for 2024
Kindergarten: Lauren Jameson and Georgia Croker
Year 1: Laura Vandenbroucke and Monique George
Year 2: Anne Barbic and Tona Tallarida (Thursdays)
There will only be one Year 2 class for 2024. We have had several students leave Year 1 during this year. This have been all for good reasons, such as going overseas to live or moving interstate. This means we only have enough students to make up one class next year. Anne Barbic and Tona will be a great team on Year 2. Tona will release Anne on a Thursday. Anne will still be at school on that day and part of this time will be used to spend time doing assessments and working with individual children and engaging the students in small group work. There will also be a fulltime Classroom Support Assistant (CSA) in the class. As you know, our CSA’s are exceptional and 4 of them are training to be primary school teachers. It will be like having a second teacher in the room.
Year 3/4: Morgan Murray, Jacinta Housler, Amber Thomson, and Amy Gallagher
Year 5/6: Angela Bartkowiak, Jessica Salcedo, Tathra Kennelly (Monday and Tuesday and sharing Wednesday) and Natasha Pank (sharing Wednesday, Thursday and Friday) and Jasmine Fisk (Semester 1). Leyrizza Nyunt (Semester 2)
Principal: Ursula Jamieson
Assistant Principal: Susan Chant
Religious Education Coordinator: Geoffrey Ryan
Coordinator and STEM teacher: Luke Mooney
Teacher Librarian: Kelli Rootes
Music Teacher: Geoffrey Ryan
Visual Arts (K-6) and Spanish (3-6) Teacher: Bianca Breen
Auslan and Spanish Teacher: Vanessa Miller (Kinder to Year 2)
Classroom Support Teacher: Cathy Duffy and Susan Chant
Classroom Support Assistants: Nicole Joyce, Karen Bruce, Lynette Wilson, Sally Cameron, Janelle McCabe, Chiara Strmota and Emerson Sherwood
Wellbeing Officer: Susan Harris
Catholic Care Counsellor: Alannah McGee
Office and Finance Manager: Naomi Trussler
Publications and Office Support: Lynette Wilson
Canteen Manager: Victoria Town
Youth Minister: Chiara Strmota
Class placements for 2024
Teachers have been working on class lists for many weeks. This is not an easy job and takes a considerable amount of time and careful consideration. While teachers have the main responsibility for placing their current students in the most appropriate class for next year, in consultation with them, I have made the final decision on all class placements. There will be no changes to the classes.
Students will be informed of their class placement for 2024 on Thursday next week and will have the opportunity to spend some time with their new class teacher and the students in their class for the following year. They will do an activity and have lunch together. You, as parents and carers, cannot always shelter and protect your child or choose their teachers for them. Your child may not get into the class they want or be with the friends they want to be with. While there will be many smiles there can also be some tears. Life is full of disappointments, challenges and upsets. A big part of life is learning to deal with a range of people, whether it be other children or adults. It is about building skills and resilience that can be used in later life. How your child responds to the news of their class teacher for 2024 can often depend on your own response. Whether it is the teacher you were hoping for or not, you need to be positive and encouraging. If your child sees that you are upbeat, then they will be confident and optimistic about the future. I have faith and trust in all the teachers at our school and firmly believe we are blessed with the wonderful staff that we have.
Classroom Mastery
There has been a lot of talk in the media lately about the need for schools to have a Behaviour Curriculum. I couldn’t agree more and I am so pleased to say that St Thomas the Apostle school will be taking on ‘Classroom Mastery’ next year. This essentially is all about building a Behaviour Curriculum.
Classroom Mastery creators say the following. Effective classroom management is integral to the development of positive learning environments where children are engaged in meaningful learning. Calm and orderly classrooms are a precondition for learning and enable students to focus and pay attention.
Classroom Mastery is a program based on knowledge, leadership, research and practice. We help teachers and schools change behaviour with the Positive Learning Framework (PLF). The PLF incorporates effective instructional strategies that engage students in learning and provides teachers with the skills needed to positively respond to misbehaviour and de-escalate conflict.
Informed by strong evidence bases in neuroscience, humanistic psychology and cognitive science, Classroom Mastery will support you to build a behaviour strategy for long-term student success and flourishing that suits your school culture and provide teachers with the knowledge, practice, demonstration and coaching they need to get the outcomes they desire.
This is a comprehensive program, and the leadership team have already begun their training to introduce Classroom Mastery into the school. In order to do this properly, staff will be doing professional development at the beginning of the school year and then will combine with 3 other schools in the Archdiocese for an intensive professional development day at the end of Term 1 2024, Friday April 12th. This has been granted by the director of Catholic Education as a Pupil Free Day.
Personally I am very excited about introducing the program to St Thomas the Apostle School. We have done so much work and made progress in subject area curricula, and having a behaviour curriculum that supports student engagement and progress can only see further improvements for all out students and staff as well.
School Shirts, Skorts and Shorts
If you need new school polo shirts for 2024, they are only available for purchase from the school and are not available in shops. They are for sale from the front office for $20.
As mentioned in the newsletter last week, we are changing to sports shorts and skorts that are printed with the school logo. This move will be over the next 2 years with the expectation that by the beginning of 2026 that these items will be the sanctioned sports uniform. They are currently in production and will, like the school shirt, only be available from the front office or the clothing pool, from the beginning of the school year. The opening of the school office and the clothing pool will be advertised separately. Both the skorts and shorts will be $25.
End of Year
Next week is another busy week with the Year 6 Graduation on Monday and the Year 5/6 fun day on Tuesday. Year 5 are off to the movies with Mr Ryan and Mr Mooney. Year 6 are going to “Big Splash” with the Year 5/6 teachers.
Our Candle Ceremony, the handing of leadership from Year 6 to Year 5 will be our final event on Thursday afternoon. This will be at 2:30 pm.
School finishes for the students on Thursday 15 December.
Many blessing on you and your family in this season of Advent.
Yours in partnership,
RE Term 4 Week 9 - "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life” (John 14:6)
Term 4 – The Truth
Advent
As we enter the second week of advent, we ready ourselves to receive Jesus at Christmas time. We take time to think about the many opportunities there are to see something special among the ordinary parts of our life. Today the Kindergarten students did an excellent job presenting the Nativity, the true message of Christmas.
Isn’t it amazing that the most important person and amazing embodiment of love was born is a manger? A setting that was simple, and that embodied what is both fully human and divine. A family setting that is evident in our homes, especially over Christmas.
Christmas mass times at Kambah Parish
All masses will be celebrated in the Church this year. Bring the family and come celebrate Christmas together!
Christmas Eve (24 Dec) – 7pm and 9pm
Christmas Day (25 Dec) - 9am
Vinnies Christmas Appeal
Thank you to all families who have already donated their items for the classroom Christmas hampers.
Please bring nominated items into school by Monday 11 December, Week 10.
If you would like to donate further, there is a collection point in the front office. You can donate gifts of a toy or activity for a child of any age. These gifts will be passed on to Vinnies to hand out where needed.
Global School Partner Calendars
A reminder that there are calendars in the front office if you would like to purchase one. All funds raised will go to our partner school in Kenya.
Geoff Ryan
REC
Date |
Event |
Monday 11 December |
Year 6 Graduation Mass 9:30am |
Tuesday 12 December |
Year 5 Movies |
Thursday 14 December |
Meet the teacher 12:30pm |
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.
The Uniform Shop will be open on Tuesday 30 January 2024 from 9:00 - 11:00 am.
If you have any donations, please bring them to the front office.
Also, we have a very large amount of lost property. If you are missing items could you please visit the lost property area next to the canteen.
YWCA Summer School Holiday Program
As we approach that time of the year again, I just want to share with you our Summer School Holiday Program – YWCA Canberra Youth Programs provides a free school holiday program to young people aged 10 – 25 years old.
For more please hit on the link below.