Dear Parents and Carers,

This week we celebrated the feast of Saint Thomas More.  We gathered together to pray and then immersed ourselves in activities based on the life of this great saint.  Donuts and pizzas were shared throughout the day to mark this special occasion in the life of our school.  A huge thank you to the P&F for organising and donating the donuts to the children.

During our prayers for our feast day, we listened to a reading from Luke’s gospel which contained a message about lighting a lamp and then letting it shine it - we likened that to all of us having special gifts and talents that we must all share with each other.  We must all let our own lights (our gifts and talents) shine.  We acknowledged briefly how our patron saint, St Thomas More had many gifts and talents and that he found opportunities in his life to share these with others.  One of St Thomas More’s talents was the ability to have courage and to speak up and speak the truth.  St Thomas More used this talent when he spoke up against King Henry VIII.  St Thomas More’s gift of courage was displayed through him speaking the truth with others.  We also watched a short clip about a man (Wally Eastwood) who has a special and unusual talent of being able to juggle while playing the piano.

Gifts and talents can come in a variety of forms.  

• What is your special gift and talent?

• Is your gift or talent having the ability to play a musical instrument?  

• Are you good at reading and writing?  

• You might be great with numbers. 

• Or are you good at sports? 

• Your special gift or talent might be simply just being a good friend to others.  

• You might be good at helping others.  

• You might be good at singing and dancing. 

• Your special gift or talent might be that you have a great sense of humour.  

Every single one of us has many gifts and talents.  We have a duty to share these with others just like God asks us to.  We have to let our candle burn and not let it go out.  You can be like St Thomas More and Wally Eastwood and find ways to share your gifts with others.  

St Thomas More School Prayer

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.

As the 2020 school athletics carnival has been cancelled we are replacing it with a STM Sports Day on Friday 3rd July.  Students and staff will be the only people present for this event being held in our school grounds.  The children will participate in running races, field events and ball games.  All children are to wear their sports clothes and house team colours and are to bring plenty of drinks for the day.  The school canteen will be open as usual. 

A reminder that the teachers are currently conducting all parent/teacher interviews via the phone.  All students in Years 1-6 received their interim Semester 1 report last Friday.  Thank you to our hard working staff who are making themselves available to speak with you about your child’s progress during a very unusual Semester 1 of learning.

As we are still currently in Phase 3 with restrictions on events and face to face meetings particularly with parents, the Term 3 P&F meeting on Monday 27th July at 7.30pm will be via Zoom.  You might like to attend this meeting via Zoom and make links with some of the P&F members.  The Zoom code will be sent out on the morning of 27th July 2020.

At this stage our current morning and afternoon dismissal procedures will continue.  Parents are still not allowed to enter and congregate on the school playground.  Once the rules regarding parent access have eased, you will be notified of the new changes.  All of these rules are aimed in keeping our community safe at all times.  As previously stated, the children are demonstrating very good hygienic practices in regularly washing and sanitising their hands as well as maintaining social distance.  Thank you again to those parents who have kept children at home who are displaying flu like symptoms and to those who have been prompt in collecting their children when they have been ill at school.  This term has been extraordinary for all of us in many ways.  We hope the upcoming two weeks holidays are another opportunity for everyone to rest and get rid of any lingering coughs and colds.

As this is the last newsletter for Term 2 a huge thank you to everyone in our community for your help, support and patience with everything that has occurred and changed this term.  We began Term 2 with two weeks of remote learning, then we had two weeks of partial attendance and now we are back to full time face to face teaching, although still coping with some mandatory restrictions.  Thank you for your support of the school as safety for our entire community is at the forefront of our minds with all that we do.  May everyone have a restful two week break so as to prepare for whatever Term 3 may bring.

Wash Hands
Social Distancing
Stay Safe

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL

Please note information regarding the sacramental programs and dates (First Holy Communion and Confirmation) for the rest of the year will be sent home once all decisions have been finalised.