Dear Parents and Carers,

Spring has sprung!  We have been blessed with some beautiful sunny days for these first few days of the new Spring season.  Although we continue to pray for some much needed rain in many areas of our country, we can still be thankful for the beautiful weather that we are currently experiencing.  On Monday we acknowledged the World Day of Prayer for the Care of all Creation. This world day of prayer was instigated a few years ago by Pope Francis. Pope Francis is asking us to remember the importance of caring for creation and every person living on our planet is challenged to take care of our common home.  We are all asked to take up this challenge in our homes, schools and communities. How are you caring for the environment?   

Last Wednesday evening was a proud moment for St Thomas More School.  Our school performed exceptionally well in the Wakakirri competition. Through song and dance, our students told the biographical story of the life of the famous Australian - Steve Irwin.  Congratulations again to all of the students, parents and staff involved in this event. We have been notified that our school has been invited to perform again in the Performance and Awards Show for the Sydney Region Primary School Challenge in two weeks.  Thank you in anticipation to all parents for their support in allowing the children to perform on the stage again this year. Thanks to our hard working staff team who have organised our school’s 2019 Wakakirri experience - Mrs MacFetters, Mrs Augustine, Mrs Cornett, Miss McKenzie, Miss Figueiras, Miss Clapson, Mrs Ross and Miss Swallow.  Details will soon be provided regarding our school’s performance and the purchase of tickets for the Performance and Awards Show. 

In past months our school has been using a new online portal called COMPASS in communicating with parents.  The newest change to occur this week in COMPASS is that all Major and Minor Behaviour letters that are sent home will now be sent directly to parents’ email addresses via COMPASS.  As you are aware the Major and Minor Behaviour letters are an important form of communication with parents in relation to our PB4L processes (formerly known as SPB4L).

Thank you Mrs Ellis-Donai and Mrs Labib for their organisation and coordination of the recent Father’s Day Stall.  Thanks also to the mums who came along and assisted on the stall. The children truly appreciate the opportunity to purchase something for their father.  I am sure the dads, granddads, stepdads and male carers loved the gifts chosen for them.

A reminder that our next P&F meeting occurs next Monday evening, 9th September at 7.30pm in the Library.

Our school is participating in Mufti/Jersey/Footy Colours Day on Friday 13 September 2019 to raise awareness for Organ and Tissue donation.  This is an extraordinary mufti day, not to raise money donations but to raise our awareness of this worthy cause.  This cause is close to the St Thomas More community as it affects some families in our school.   All children are asked to wear their favourite mufti/jersey/footy colours so that we can raise awareness about the importance of organ donation.

Best wishes for the coming week,

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL