Dear Parents and Carers,

As this is the last newsletter for 2019 and the year draws to a close it is timely to say “thank you” to many members of the St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School Ruse community:

• To the parents for all their support of the school in many ways.  We have had a wonderful year with many parents assisting and supporting the school as classroom helpers, through a variety of fundraising activities, at sporting events, on excursions, in the library as well as through their attendance at school functions.  We thank you for your generosity of time and hard work.  
• To our priest, Fr Michael who has guided us and supported us through 2019.  We say thank you for his spiritual guidance, support and assistance in many ways.
• To the students for their hard work, friendliness and their eagerness to learn.  Our school community is fortunate to work with children who love to learn but who are also appreciative of all the hard work that goes into assisting them.
• To the 2019 P&F Association for all of their hard work in raisIng some much needed funds for our school, especially in their support and coordination of the STM Fete.
• To the wonderful staff of St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School.  Their professionalism and dedication to the community is inspirational. Our school is known as a quality school and this is the result of the teamwork of all staff in a variety of roles.
• To the parishioners of St Thomas More Ruse for their prayers and support, particularly with the sacramental programs for 2019.
• To everyone who did anything to assist and support our great school community - we say thank you.

Next Wednesday 18th December, we will say goodbye and farewell to all of the Year 6 children and some children in other grades.  Goodbye and thank you to the following families who leave St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School Ruse: Bastok, Berbari, Bichara, Biju, Broudou, Chan, Fowler, Guinta, Hancock, Harding, Hooton, Iddles, Jenkins, Kelly, Kerr, Kite, Lawson, Lucas, Lumagui, Machuca, McDade, McNamara, Meznaric, O’Brien, Pinzuti, Rathbone, Reilly-Ormsby, Ruggiero, Shrimpton, Strnad, Thammavong and Vardy families.  The traditional ‘STM Guard of Honour’ will commence at 2.15pm on Wednesday 18th December in the school grounds. All are invited to say farewell to those who are leaving St Thomas More Catholic Primary School Ruse.

Congratulations to Mrs Ashlee Ross and her husband Brett on the recent birth of their first baby, a boy named Hudson.

Your child’s Semester 2 Report will be available through Compass.  Paper copies of student reports ARE NOT being sent home. Year 3 to Year 6 reports will be made available for you to access through Compass on Thursday 12/12/19 and Kindergarten to Year 2 reports will be available to you on Friday 13/12/19.  

To access your child’s report:  1. Login to Compass. 2. Click on you child’s portfolio.  3. Click on the Reports Tab 4. Click on Semester 2 2019.

A brief News Bulletin will be sent home next week with a full staff list for 2020.

Best wishes for a joyful and peaceful Christmas.  May it be a special time for being with family and provide you with many opportunities to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL