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- Religious Education News
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- News from Year 6
- PB4L News
- P&F General Meeting Minutes - Monday 12 May 2025
- P&F Disco - Friday 23 May 2025
- Clothing Pool - Term 2
- Parable of the Lost Sheep: A book reading by Bishop Brian Mascord
- So, You’ve Watched Adolescence... Where to Turn for Advice
- ABCD's of anxiety - Free webinar
- National Reconciliation Week 2025
What a busy start to the Term we’ve had, and it’s only the end of Week 3!
Some staffing updates:
We wish Mrs Morris all the very best as she starts her maternity leave for the preparation of the newest addition to the Morris family.
We welcome three new school support staff to STM this term. Miss Muir and Mrs Taylor who will be working with students across the school and Miss Dacich who has joined our administration team.
Substantive (Permanent) Principal:
A reminder as part of the recruitment process for the substantive (permanent) Principal of St Thomas More, the Catholic Education Office would like to invite parents & carers to attend a consultation session to discuss the current context of the school and what the parent/carer community believe is important for the substantive Principal to demonstrate.
The details of the consultation session are:
Date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
Time: 2.00pm - 2.30pm
Location: Library - St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School, Ruse
Tell Them From Me Survey:
The school invites parents and carers to use an online survey to provide feedback on their experience of our school. The surveys are an important part of our whole-school evaluation and planning process.
The survey is anonymous and will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You are able to access the parent/carer survey on your computer or mobile device by using the URL http://tellthemfromme.com/stm2025
The survey window will close on Wednesday 28th May.
Kindergarten Enrolments 2026:
We have started interviewing students for Kindergarten 2026. If you have a child ready for school next year and haven’t put in your application yet please get it submitted online ASAP so you don’t miss out.
Supporting Students With Injuries:
Please note if your child suffers an injury that requires them to be assisted by an aid which can include but is not limited to crutches/moon boot/plaster/sling you must communicate this to the school prior to their return so that a Safety Plan can be developed and put in place. Students without a safety plan will not be able to return to school until one has been developed.
World Support Staff Day:
Today, we celebrate the incredible contributions of our support staff—the quiet champions who work tirelessly behind the scenes and alongside our STM children every day. Their dedication, compassion, and unwavering support create a safe, welcoming, and nurturing environment where young people can thrive.
Whether they work in Admin, the Classroom, the Library and/or the Canteen we thank them for being the backbone of our community. We see you, we appreciate you, and we couldn’t do it without you!
Entry and Exit to School - Side Gate
This term the side gate entry on Cardew Way has been reopened. There has been minimal use of this entry so far. We encourage parents to use this gate as another way to drop off and collect your children from school.
- Morning opening hours - 8:00am - 8:27am
- Afternoon opening hours - 2:40pm - 2:55pm
Please watch our Sidge gate video to gain a better understanding of how this entry/exit works.
Lunch Orders and Office Notes
There has been a change to these morning processes. All notes for the office and lunch orders that are sent into school need to be put into the letterboxes when students arrive at school. These are on the wall in the Undercover area.
Please remind your child to put notes or orders into these if you give them one to bring to school.
ALL NOTES & ORDERS MUST BE IN BY 8.30am
A Time of Prayer and New Beginnings
Our school community joins Catholics around the world in mourning the passing of Pope Francis. We give thanks for his years of faithful service, humility, and leadership, and we remember him in our prayers with love and gratitude.
At the same time, we welcome and pray for our new Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV. Chosen by the College of Cardinals, he now leads the Church as the successor of St. Peter. As the students learn about the papacy in class, we are reminded that the Pope is a shepherd for the whole Church, guiding us in faith, hope, and love. May the Holy Spirit bless Pope Leo XIV as he begins this important mission.
Liturgical Season of Easter
As we begin this term in the beautiful season of Easter, our school community rejoices in the hope and renewal that the Resurrection brings. Easter is the longest season in the Church’s liturgical calendar, lasting 50 days and culminating at Pentecost.
During this time, we reflect on the joy of new life in Christ and the promise of God’s love. During class Religious Education lessons, students are exploring the stories of the risen Jesus and learning how to live as Easter people—spreading kindness, peace, and joy each day.
Thank You for a Beautiful Mother’s Day Liturgy!
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who joined us for our Mother’s Day Liturgy last week. It was a special opportunity to come together in prayer and gratitude for the wonderful mothers, grandmothers, and mother figures in our lives.
We extend a big congratulations to our Year 1 students and their teachers for leading us so reverently in the liturgy. Your thoughtful prayers, readings, and reflections helped make the celebration truly meaningful.
A special thank you also to our Parents and Friends team for organising the lovely afternoon tea before the Liturgy. Your time and effort helped create a warm and welcoming atmosphere for all.
Project Compassion
Thank you to everyone for their support of Project Compassion last term. As a community, St. Thomas More raised a total of $570 through our Pancake Breakfast, as well as our class collection boxes. These funds will now be used by Caritas to fund projects across the world.
ANZAC Day Commemorations
Thank you to those students who represented St. Thomas More at the Campbelltown ANZAC March and Service during the holidays. We always receive many compliments from the public on how respectful our students are during this service.
Thank you to the Year 6 students and teachers who, during Week 1, helped us to remember the sacrifices many Australians made to protect our way of life. The students led the school in prayer, remembering those who have gone to their eternal rest, as well as those Australians involved in conflicts around the world.
Parish Sacramental News
The preparation lessons for Confirmation will commence on Sunday 25th May. Lessons will run for 4 weeks and will be held on Sunday afternoons or Wednesday evenings. Baptised children in Year 6 or older are invited to join this preparation program.
- A Parent Information and Enrolment Evening will be held at the Parish Church (43 Acacia Avenue, Ruse) on Monday 19th May at 7pm.
We thank all the team who will be working with the children from our school and parish to prepare for this sacrament. We hold the children, and their families, in our prayers during this time. Any enquiries about the Sacramental Programs should be directed to the Parish Office (4628 2967).
Liz Jensen
Religious Education Coordinator
NSW Premier's Reading Challenge
The NSW Premier's Reading Challenge is now open and St Thomas More is excited to be participating!
What is the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge?
The PRC is a statewide Challenge that encourages students to develop a love of reading for leisure and pleasure and enables them to experience quality literature. It is not a competition, but a challenge to encourage each student to read, to read more, and to read more widely.
All students who complete the challenge and have their reading record validated by the school’s PRC coordinator will receive a certificate signed by the Premier of NSW.
How many books do students need to read?
Students in Kindergarten to Year 2 are challenged to read or experience 30 books. 20 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books. Books can be read with a parent, carer, teacher or another student.
Students in Year 3 to Year 10 are challenged to read 20 books independently. At least 10 of these books must be from the relevant Challenge booklists, and up to 10 books can be personal choice books.
If a book is from an approved PRC series, students can enter up to 5 books as Challenge books, and can read up to 10 other books from the same series as Personal Choice books. More information on the rules of the Challenge can be found on the PRC website.
Books must be added to a student’s online reading record by Friday 19 September 2025 in order for their reading record to be validated and receive a certificate. This is the new extended date as the PRC website was experiencing technical difficulties.
How do students log their reading?
Students can access the PRC’s Student Experience site using their DoE username and password, or can log into the site via the Student Portal. There is a video guide explaining how to use the Student Experience on the site.
How can students find books on the NSW PRC challenge lists?
The PRC books in our Library have a PRC sticker on them to guide the students when choosing which books to borrow.
Are you up to the Challenge?
If your child would like to participate in the PRC, please contact me and I will send through their username and password. I will upload all K-2 students using the books read to them by their classroom teacher. However, if you would like to read to your child, or listen to your child read, then when completed, you can go online and enter the books read.
National Simultaneous Storytime
This coming Wednesday 21 May our school, along with thousands of other students around the country, will be participating in (NSS) and listening to this year’s chosen picture book - The Truck Cat written by Deborah Frenkel and illustrated by Danny Snell.
“NSS is held annually by the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA). Every year a picture book, written and illustrated by an Australian author and illustrator, is read simultaneously in libraries, schools, pre-schools, childcare centres, family homes, bookshops and many other places around the country. Now in its 25th successful year, it is a colourful, vibrant, fun event that aims to promote the value of reading and literacy, using an Australian children's book that explores age-appropriate themes, and addresses key learning areas of the National Curriculum for Foundation to Year 6”.
Ms Santa Maria
Library Manager
Year 6 Poised to Champion Peer Support Initiative!
The energy and enthusiasm were palpable as our Year 6 students recently embarked on an exciting training day to become our school's newest Peer Support Leaders! This dedicated cohort of students actively participated in a series of dynamic and engaging activities meticulously crafted to give them the proficiencies required for their forthcoming leadership roles.
The comprehensive training program deliberately concentrated on cultivating crucial attributes such as astute listening, empathetic understanding, articulate communication, and collaborative efficacy. Through collaborative challenges and engaging discussions, our Year 6 students learned valuable strategies for supporting their peers and creating a positive and inclusive school environment. Judging by the smiles and laughter echoing throughout the day, it's safe to say they thoroughly enjoyed the experience!
The Peer Support Program will officially kick off on alternate Fridays, commencing in Week 3 of Term 2. In this rewarding initiative, each Year 6 leader will be thoughtfully paired with another student within the grade, providing a friendly face, a listening ear, and positive guidance.
The Year 6 students demonstrated remarkable maturity and a genuine desire to take on this responsibility. They are incredibly excited about the opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of their fellow students. We have no doubt that they will be fantastic Peer Support Leaders, and we look forward to witnessing the positive impact of their leadership throughout the year. A sincere expression of gratitude is extended to all the staff who be involved in this leadership program!
Exciting News: K-6 Peer Support Program Kicks Off This Week!
We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Peer Support program TODAY! Over the next eight sessions which occur fortnightly on a Friday, all students from K-6 will participate in a 30-minute session each week, where they will engage in meaningful activities to develop key social and emotional skills.
In each session, small groups of 10-12 younger students will be guided by 2-3 Peer Leaders, who are trained to facilitate and support their group’s activities.
This term, we are focusing on a module called Living Positively, which helps students explore the concept of optimism. In the first session, students will engage in activities designed to help them get to know each other, establish how to work well together, and begin thinking about what it means to be optimistic.
We strongly encourage you to talk to your child about their Peer Support sessions each week. Discussing what they've learned will help reinforce these important concepts and provide valuable opportunities for reflection and growth.
Thank you for your support as we work together to foster a positive and collaborative school community!
Ms Fajloun
Leader of PB4L
The Council of Catholic Schools Parents (CCSP) warmly invites all families to join Bishop Brian Mascord in a very special online reading of the classic Bible story ‘The Parable of the Lost Sheep’.
This unique online event, organised as part of the Jubilee Year of Hope, will take place on Tuesday 27 May from 7.00 pm to 7.30 pm. A flyer promoting the event is linked here.
Action: Schools are asked to promote the event with parents and carers via your usual channels.
The first 100 registrations for the reading will be posted a free copy of the book to read along with Bishop Brian!
A link to Bishop Brian’s statement on the passing of the Holy Father, Pope Francis, is also available here.
Action: Where relevant, please consider sharing this update from the eSafety Commissioner, eSafety News, in your newsletter or via a COMPASS alert to parents.
For any parent who has watched the Netflix drama Adolescence and was left highly disturbed by the harmful impact that social media is having on young men and boys, you are not alone.
It’s hard to think of a show that has captured the world’s attention so fully and shone a much-needed light on the dangerous impact of misogynistic content, algorithms and influencers on the minds of young men and boys.
Shockingly, despite our best efforts as parents to raise great kids, it is not a fair fight when tech companies and algorithms can influence our teenagers within seconds.
As Australia’s national online safety educator, nothing is more important to us than ensuring young people are safe to create, connect and explore the wonders of technology and the internet.
It’s what motivates us in every aspect of our work, whether we’re connecting with educators, parents and young people to develop digital literacy and resilience resources, encouraging the tech industry to take a Safety by Design approach by putting safety at the forefront of the design, or developing guidance to prevent under 16-year-olds from having accounts on certain social media services.
eSafety Resources
eSafety resources to help you and your community navigate the risks facing young people online:
- Register for our free 45-minute parent webinar, exploring the online experiences of boys and young men, to understand the impact of social media, gaming, and influencers on attitudes, behaviours and sense of identity
- Listen to ABC Fran Kelly and eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant unpack the themes of Adolescence, including toxic masculinity and the online manosphere
- Listen to ABC Big Ideas! to hear eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant and other experts in their fields discuss how parents can better support young people to navigate the risks and threats online
- Read our blog about how eSafety is shining a light on the dark forces manipulating our teenagers
- Read eSafety's young men online research series which explores young men's experiences and how they can be supported to develop healthy and positive masculinities
- For the young person in your life: explore our resources for young people.
