Dear Parents and Carers,

A Royal Welcome at Canberra Airport

On Monday morning, six of our Student Representative Council (SRC) students, Mrs. Chant, and I had the privilege of attending the official welcoming of King Charles III and Queen Camilla at Canberra Airport. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to witness this significant moment in history up close.

Our students proudly represented the school and embraced the occasion with excitement and respect. We were among other dignitaries and school groups, watching the royal couple arrive with all the ceremonial traditions. This experience gave us a unique glimpse into both the formality of state events and the warmth of community participation.

It was an honor to share this special event with our students, and a memory that will stay with us for years to come.

School Community Open Meeting:
This coming Monday from 6pm – 7pm

Don't forget that you are invited  to our final open School Community Council meeting! This is a wonderful opportunity to hear about the great work we’ve done this year and to share your ideas for the future of our school.Child minding is available for those requiring it (St Thomas the Apostle students) and will be provided by Team Kids. There will be pizza and fruit for the students (so dinner is covered) and refreshments (charcuterie boards, soda, wine and beer) for the adults. To help us plan, please register your attendance by scanning the QR code attached to this link.

Please take a moment to watch the attached short message from Michael Giacomin, one of our SCC coordinators. Remember, every parent and carer is an SCC member, so your voice matters. I hope to see you there!

Playing First, Eating After: A Successful Change

We are pleased to share that the new schedule of playing first and eating afterward is proving to be a positive change. Students are adjusting well and returning from play ready to eat and are then more settled when they return to class for the next lessons.

Fruit break is scheduled at 10am, and with recess eating time now at 11:30am. It’s essential that students bring fresh fruit or vegetables to have at this time. Some students have mentioned still feeling hungry at the end of lunch, so we kindly ask parents to ensure their children have enough food for both fruit break, recess and lunch.

Class Allocations for 2025

During Term 4, we will be working on finalising our staffing arrangements and class allocations for the 2025 school year. Our ‘Class Allocation Policy’ is designed to ensure a fair, transparent process in which the needs of all students are carefully considered.

As educators, we firmly believe that teachers, who have in-depth knowledge of the students in their classes, are best positioned to make placement decisions. They understand both individual students' needs and the bigger picture across the school. However, we value input from parents and invite you to share any information that you feel may support your child’s well-being or development. If there are specific concerns regarding your child’s educational needs, please communicate them to me directly.

At St Thomas the Apostle, where multiple streams of classes exist for each year group, creating balanced, well-considered class groupings is essential. We consider a range of factors when forming class lists, including:

• Gender balance
• Diverse learners
• Work habits
• Cognitive ability
• Behavioural dynamics
• Health needs
• Religious background (particularly in Sacramental years)

Our aim is to achieve an equal distribution of strengths and challenges within each class. While we strive to accommodate educational concerns raised by parents, it’s important to note that not all requests can be guaranteed.

In line with our policy, the following guidelines will be observed:

Every effort will be made to place each child in an environment that fosters both learning and social growth.

Parents who have concerns regarding their child's placement are invited to make an appointment to meet and discuss these with me or, submit these in writing via email to (ursula.jamieson@cg.catholic.edu.au). This needs to be no later than Friday, Week 4 of Term 4 (8 November).

While parental input is welcomed, final decisions will be made based on a wide range of considerations, including consultation with the Classroom Support Teacher, School Counsellor, Chaplain, and of course, the current classroom teachers.

On Friday, December 13, students will meet their new class teacher and classmates for 2025. They will participate in an activity and enjoy lunch together. New students joining us in 2025 are also invited to attend.

Please note that, after careful consultation, I reserve the right to make final professional decisions regarding class placements to ensure the best outcomes for all students.

Thank you for your continued support in making this process smooth and successful for your children.

World Teachers Day Congratulations

Today, Friday 25October, we celebrate World Teachers Day and honour the remarkable dedication of every staff member at St Thomas the Apostle School. Whether in the classroom, on the playground, in the office, or providing support in countless other ways, every one of our staff plays a vital role in teaching and shaping our students' lives and together, make a positive impact on the future.

A huge congratulations goes to Anne Barbic, who was nominated and recognised with a prestigious TQI (Teacher Quality Institute) award. This morning, at a special breakfast, both Susan Chant and I were privileged to accompany Anne as she received this well-deserved honor. Her dedication and commitment to excellence truly reflect the spirit of teaching that we celebrate today. Congratulations Anne.

Our bike riding program for Years 3 to 6 is going exceptionally well! Even some of the teachers are riding their bikes to school. It’s wonderful to see the bike racks full every day, with so many students involved in the program and also choosing to ride to school. This not only promotes physical fitness but also encourages environmentally friendly habits. We hope to see this enthusiasm continue throughout the term and beyond. Keep pedaling, and let’s keep those bike racks full! We might even need to install more racks.

Congratulations to our Year 5/6 Girls in the Sue Geh Cup!

A massive round of applause goes to our Year 5/6 girls who competed in the Sue Geh Cup basketball competition! Earlier in the year, they were the overall winners for the Southside competition played in June—a fantastic achievement. This week, they advanced to the ACT finals and put on an incredible performance, winning every game throughout the day. While they narrowly missed out on the grand final victory, their efforts and sportsmanship were inspiring.

A big shout-out to the talented team: Lily, Isla, Evie, Pippi, Destiny, Alicia, Delilah, Mila and Mikalya. A big thank you to their dedicated coach, Jonathan Warren, for his guidance and support throughout the competition. Well done, girls!

Chess Finals for St Thomas!

 Along with our Year 5/6 girls' outstanding effort in the Sue Geh Cup, after qualifying through the Tuggeranong Zone Competition we had four talented students represent St Thomas the Apostle in the ACT Primary School Chess Championship Finals.

Congratulations to Vinh, Winnie, Matthew, and Rishaan for their hard work and dedication in the chess finals on Thursday. A big thank you to Leah Godfrey for her time and expertise in coaching and preparing the students.

Boorowa Carnival Success

What a fantastic day our students had at the Boorowa touch and Netball Carnival today! As this newsletter goes out, they are still travelling back to Canberra. A big congratulations to all the students who participated and represented St Thomas the Apostle School with enthusiasm and great sportsmanship. The energy and team spirit were incredible, and it was so good to hear that everyone gave their best on the field and court.

Thank you to the teachers and parents who attended and supported the students throughout the day. A special thank you goes to Miss Vandenbroucke for her organisation of the day that has expanded many previous months. Without her dedication to making this day happen, it would not have occurred. The encouragement and involvement from the parents and teachers made this day so special. Days like this truly reflect the strength of our school community, and we are so proud of our students’ efforts.  Well done to everyone involved!

It's certainly been a big week of sport and finals for our students!

Finally, the weather is beginning to warm up. I hope you get to enjoy the sunshine on the weekend.

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.

Please follow the links below to the Term 3 Information Letters

Kinder

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3/4

Year 5/6

Happy Birthday
to the following students and staff
who are celebrating a birthday 

Anastasia S
Arlen S
Vinh N
Freddy N
Mila S
Benjamin J
Gabriele P
Lachlan W
Evie A
Benjamin T
Sophia F
Leonardo B

Eve T
Aira K
Francis G
Gabrielle H
Mason D

Ms Joyce

Mrs Rastar

Harrison M
Dilshan Sing

Millie McI
Harrison M
Ada M
Clarion C
Marcus N