Dear Parents and Carers,

Each day as a school we take the opportunity to pray our school prayer as a faith community.  On Mondays the Year 6 students lead us all very prayerfully at the morning assembly.  Our school prayer is a wonderful reminder to us of the things that we value most and that we need God’s help always in all that we do.

Dear Jesus,
Help me today at school to show respect to all those who work with me.  
To do my best in class and to play fairly with my friends.  
Help me to make this a happy day for myself and all those I meet.  
Thank you for parents who look after me, friends who play with me and teachers who are patient with me.  
We ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Enrolling now for 2024
The enrolment period for 2024 has opened.  If you have a child who is to start Kindergarten in 2024, please collect an enrolment form from the School Office or download a form from the St Thomas More School website https://www.stmdow.catholic.edu.au/  We ask everyone in our community to promote our school.  Families enrolling in our school assist us to maintain our enrolment numbers so as to operate each day as a two stream school (two classes in every grade).  We have so much to offer.  Please spread the word about our great school.  Siblings are also required to collect and submit a complete enrolment form.  The enrolment period for Kindergarten closes on Thursday 6th April and interviews will be conducted early in Term 2.

Representative Sport
Congratulations and thank you to those students who have represented St Thomas More School in recent diocesan representative sports opportunities.  Students have represented our school in Swimming, AFL, Rugby League, Netball, Soccer, Cricket and Hockey.  Special congratulations to the following students who now progress through to the next round in a variety of sports.  

Swimming =   Sophia (Year 5), Zac (Year 2) and Emily (Year 5) 
AFL = Lennix (Year 6)
Rugby League = Elijah (Year 6) 
Netball = Avah (Year 6)

Congratulations also to Lucy (Year 6) who played recently in the Primary Schools Sports Association Cricket competition.

Parents and Friends Association
Thanks to those parents who were able to participate in the coffee morning last Monday.  An opportunity to connect with other parents in our school community.  All are reminded that the next Parents and and Friends Association meeting will be held on Monday 13th March at 7.00pm in the School Library.  Any items for the agenda can be emailed through to info@stmdow.catholic.edu.au  

Please see the flyer attached in this newsletter regarding the 2023 STM Fete.  It is going ahead.

NAPLAN 2023
The official dates for Year 3 and Year 5 NAPLAN 2023 is Wednesday 15th March to Monday 27th March.  St Thomas More School will be conducting the NAPLAN tests on the following dates:

Wednesday 15th March - Writing (Year 3 and Year 5)

Monday 20th March - Reading (Year 3 and Year 5)

Tuesday 21st March - Conventions of Language (Year 3 and Year 5)

Wednesday 22nd March - Numeracy (Year 3 and Year 5)

Best wishes for the coming week,

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL