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Welcome Back to Term 3!
Can you believe we're already in Term 3? The year is flying by! We've kicked things off with an incredible start thanks to our students' AMAZING Wakakirri performance. Congratulations to the whole Wakakirri team — what a brilliant display of teamwork, creativity, and fun!
A big thank you to the staff who supported and guided our performers: Mrs Augustine, Miss Gabrio, Mrs Harley, Mrs Wells, Mrs Aiken, Mrs Crowe, Mrs Payne, Mr Augustine, and Miss McInerney. We’re so proud of everyone involved! You can read more about Wakakirri in Mrs Augustine’s update later in the newsletter.
Religious Literacy Assessment – Year 4
On Monday, our Year 4 students completed the Religious Literacy Assessment (RLA). This is a Diocese-wide online assessment that focuses on what students have learned in Religious Education from Kindergarten to Year 4. The results help us understand our strengths and identify areas for growth. Well done to our Year 4s for approaching the assessment with such maturity!
100 Days of Kindergarten!
What a fantastic day we had on Wednesday celebrating 100 Days of Kindergarten! Our littlest learners dressed up as 100-year-olds, and they looked adorable!
Thank you to all the Kindergarten parents and carers who joined us for a special prayer and some fun, hands-on activities. After lunch, Kindergarten teamed up with their Year 4 buddies for more celebrations — it’s always such a joy to see these friendships grow.
Year 2 Excursion
Year 2 had such a great time on their excursion to the Rail Museum at Thirlmere yesterday. We saw old mail trains that delivered letters across the country, we saw a carriage for a race horse, and another that delivered biscuits! We learned all about the jobs people had on trains in the olden days, but our favourite part was going for a ride on the steam train and hearing the whistle blow, TOOT, TOOT!
Mary MacKillop Feast Day
Today we celebrated the Feast Day of Australia’s first Saint, Mary MacKillop.
We began the day with a beautiful liturgy attended by our parents and carers — thank you to those who were able to join us. Throughout the day, each grade will take some quiet time to reflect on Mary MacKillop’s life and legacy, with a special liturgy prepared by our wonderful Year 4 team.
God of compassion, God of all people, we praise you for your servant, Mary MacKillop, who gave her life to serve you in the poor and oppressed.
As she is honoured in our world, may we continue to learn to share her vision.
Help us to recognise, as she did, that the poor of our time will hear the gospel in the way we serve them. Be with us as we strive to follow her and carry out our mission of service and care. Amen
Building Update
We’re excited to share that Year 5 & 6 building of our building project is expected to be finished by the end of this term!
As part of this work, the carline shelter and seating near the main entrance have been removed to make way for a brand new and improved entry into the school. While we’ve had some wet and windy weather lately, which has made things a little tricky, we’re doing our best to keep things running smoothly.
You may have also noticed some lovely improvements around the school grounds! The team from Greenworx has been helping with garden clean-ups, rubbish removal, laying new turf and sprucing up existing areas. The school is looking better every day!
Thank you for your patience and support as we continue to improve our school for our students and families.
New Assembly Format – Term 3
Thank you to all the parents and carers who provided feedback through the recent Tell Them From Me survey. Taking your suggestions (and those of our staff) on board, we’re trialling a new format for our Whole School Assemblies this term.
Assemblies will now be held on Friday mornings in Weeks 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10, and will take place in the School Hall.
Each assembly will include a focus on prayer and reflection, birthday celebrations, student awards, PB4L presentations and showcasing student learning from Kindergarten to Year 6.
All parents and carers are warmly invited to attend. If your child is receiving a Blue Award, you’ll receive an email notification in advance.
We’ll be asking for feedback on this new format at the end of the term to help us plan for the future.
New Uniform Proposal
Thanks to those parents/carers who have given feedback on the proposed new uniform. This survey has also been shared with staff and our students from Years 3-6 for their thoughts/opinions.
A couple of points for clarification:
-There is a GIRLS and BOYS uniform that is all year round, this is listed on the document sent as GIRLS Uniform and BOYS Uniform. There are then optional extras for winter. E.g. The skirt for girls worn all year round, with an option for pants in Terms 2 & 3. Essentially meaning we have gone away from a compulsory summer and winter uniform to one compulsory uniform all year round, with optional extras.
-As mentioned, the new uniform will be integrated over a three-year period. Therefore there would be no expectation our current Years 3, 4 or 5 students move into the new uniform if parents/carers did not wish them to do so.
-There is intentionally no ties (for boys or girls) in the proposed new school uniform.
-There will also be a school bag update, this was not sent out in the documentation. Please find below a photo of the updated school bag.
Should you wish to give feedback please complete the STM NEW UNIFORM FEEDBACK form by Monday 11 August at 8:30am.
Wishing the STM community a safe and happy weekend.
Mrs Melissa Vella
Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop
Today our school community celebrated the Feast of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop. As Australia's first saint, Mary MacKillop holds a special place in our hearts and our nation's history.
Born in Melbourne in 1842, Mary MacKillop dedicated her life to God and the service of others, especially the poor and disadvantaged. In 1866, she co-founded the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, an order of nuns committed to providing free education to children in rural areas who otherwise wouldn't have had the opportunity to go to school. St Mary MacKillop's pioneering work in education and social welfare left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire us all.
Today, students gathered in their grades and took part in a special prayer service to honour St Mary MacKillop and reflect on her values of faith, courage, and compassion. We were especially grateful to the parents who joined us for our Parents' Liturgy, making the celebration even more meaningful. It was a wonderful opportunity for our school to come together in prayer and thanksgiving, following in the footsteps of St Mary of the Cross.
Feast of the Assumption of Mary
Friday, 15th August, our school community will celebrate the Feast of the Assumption of Mary. On this important day, we celebrate that at the end of her life on earth, Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken body and soul into heaven. It is a day of great joy and significance for Catholics around the world.
To mark this special occasion, we warmly invite all parents and carers to join us for Mass.
- The Mass will be held in the school hall on Friday 15th August at 12pm and will be led by Fr Healy.
It will be a beautiful opportunity for our students, staff, and families to come together in prayer and celebration. We look forward to seeing you there!
Year 6 Singing Workshop with Tim Hart
Our Year 6 students recently had a fantastic opportunity to participate in a singing workshop with the talented Tim Hart from the Catholic Education Office of Wollongong. Tim, whose beautiful music is well-known and loved by our students, spent the day preparing them for their upcoming Year 6 Mass with the Bishop.
It was a wonderful chance for the students to work directly with the composer of so many songs they sing at school. Tim's guidance and energy was truly inspiring, and the students gained invaluable experience and confidence in their singing. We are so proud of their hard work and dedication and can't wait to hear their beautiful voices at the mass!
Parish Sacramental News - First Holy Communion
The parish Sacramental Program for First Holy Communion is about to commence. Children who are Baptised, in Year 3 or older and have received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, are invited to participate in this preparation program.
This year, there will be no information evening for parents. Instead, the Sacramental Team kindly ask that parents and their children attend and enrol at the first lesson.
Letters with all the details have been sent home with all Year 3 students and were also distributed via Compass to parents with children in Years 3-6. Please refer to these for specific dates and times for the lessons.
Liz Jensen
Religious Education Coordinator
Year 5 Loves a Mathematical Challenge!
This term, Year 5 students have been working with decimal place values to convert measurements between lengths and volumes. They have worked hard to estimate and calculate capacity. The students discovered how volume conservation and displacement works. It has been fun to work cooperatively to problem solve and understand new mathematical concepts and calculations.
Volume conservation, explained by Johnas in 5B, “ When two different containers of different sizes, can hold the same amount of water. A tall cylinder and a short wide jug can both have a capacity of 1 litre of water. From the outside they look different, but actually they are the same.”
On Thursday 31st July, 80 students from Years 3 - 6, participated in a Wakakirri Story Dance Performance at Riverside Theatre, Parramatta. The students displayed excellent behaviour and comradery throughout the day and gave an enthusiastic and entertaining performance. On the evening, St Thomas More was awarded the Spirit of Wakakirri Award, an acknowledgement for great performance and teamwork, both on and off stage.
Since then, STM has received an email outlining the additional awards won, these are;
- Storytelling Award for Great Blockbuster Production Style
- Ensemble Award for Overall Performance
- Production Award for Special Effects
- Storytelling Award for Strong Use of the Festival Motif (Demonstrating Resilence)
- Ensemble Award for Dance Group
- Spirit of Wakakirri Award
Ambassador Feedback -
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"This number was bursting with character and creativity, making the whole stage sparkle from start to finish. The costumes and visuals were striking, and the props and set pieces truly stood out as a highlight. The robot was such a cool surprise, and the neon elements added an extra layer of excitement. Moments like the egg hatching and the alligators rolling were so clever and fun. You could really see the effort and thought that went into every detail, with strong group coordination that brought everything together so effectively." |
Official photos from the evening can be found at www.winkipopmedia.com.au
Go to “Order photos” & “Wakakirri 25” Enter your name & email, Password is: MIND (in capitals)
We would like to remind students and staff of the importance of carrying and correctly tapping on their Opal cards when using public transport services.
Recent observations continue to show low compliance rates among some student passengers, which impacts our ability to accurately monitor patronage and ensure adequate service delivery. Your continued support in reinforcing the following key messages to students is appreciated:
- Students must carry their Opal card at all times when using publictransport.
- Opal cards should be tapped on and off for every journey.
- Tap-on data helps assess demand and plan reliable school bus services.
We kindly ask that this reminder be communicated to students during roll call or via the school newsletter. If you would like support materials or posters to assist, we’re happy to provide them.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership.
