Dear Parents and Carers,

Next week we celebrate our school and parish feast day: the feast of Saint Thomas More.  

All parents, friends and parishioners are invited to celebrate
the feast of St Thomas More and 
200 years of Catholic Education in Australia.
Tuesday 22nd June 2021
12.00pm Mass 
which will be celebrated in the school grounds.
Followed by a BYO shared picnic lunch. 
There will be an opportunity to come view the school’s Art Exhibition.
Please use the QR code that will be displayed around the school.
Children will be permitted to go home with their parents/carers after the picnic lunch.

We can always learn so much from the lives of the saints and Saint Thomas More is no exception.

Some facts about Saint Thomas More...

• Thomas More was born in London on February 7, 1478. 
• It is likely that Thomas More was positively influenced from a young age by his mother and siblings. 
• Thomas More entered Oxford in 1492, where he would learn Latin, Greek and prepare for his future studies. In 1494, he left Oxford to become a lawyer and he trained in London until 1502 when he was finally approved to begin practice.
• Thomas More married his first wife, Jane Colt in 1505. They would have four children together before her death in 1511. Their marriage was reportedly happy and Thomas More often tutored her in music and literature.
• Thomas More was considered a doting father, and he often wrote letters to his children when he was away on work. He also insisted that his daughters receive the same education as his son. His daughters were well known for their academic accomplishments.
• In 1504, Thomas More was elected to Parliament.  During his service to the people of London, he earned a reputation as being honest and effective.
• Thomas More used his skills as a theologian and a writer. Among his most famous works is "Utopia," about a fictional, idealistic island society. 
• From 1517 on, Henry VIII took a liking to Thomas More, and gave him posts of ever increasing responsibility. 
• Thomas More was immediately effective, working with speed and precision that is admired today. He was likely one of Henry VIII's most effective servants, and was fiercely loyal to the king.
• During his tenure as Lord Chancellor, Thomas More prosecuted those accused of heresy and worked tirelessly to defend the Catholic faith in England. However, in 1530, as Henry worked to obtain an annulment from his wife, Catherine, Thomas More refused to sign a letter to the Pope, requesting an annulment. This was More's first time crossing Henry.
• The relationship between Thomas More and Henry became strained again when seeking to isolate More, Henry purged many of the clergy who supported the Pope. It became clear to all that Henry was prepared to break away from the Church in Rome, something Thomas More knew he could not condone.
• In 1532, More found himself unable to work for Henry VIII, whom he felt had lost his way as a Catholic.
• Thomas More accepted Henry's marriage to Anne, but refused to acknowledge Henry as head of the church, or his annulment from Catherine. This led to his arrest and imprisonment. He was locked away in the Tower of London.
• The court sentenced him to be hanged, drawn, and quartered, which was the traditional punishment for treason.  As a final act of mercy, Henry commuted Thomas More's punishment to mere decapitation. 
• Thomas More has been widely remembered as a man of tremendous integrity, and he has since been described as a martyr and was canonized a saint on May 19, 1935.
• Thomas More’s feast day is June 22 and he is the patron saint of adopted children, lawyers, civil servants, politicians, and difficult marriages.

Adapted from https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=324

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.

Congratulations
Congratulations to Mrs Quick and her husband on the announcement that they are expecting their first child later in the year.

Uniform
Thank you to the majority of parents who present their children at school each day in the correct uniform.  It is great to see that so many students take pride in wearing their school uniform each day.  As you are aware we have been experiencing some very cold weather in recent days and weeks and on occasion it has been concerning to note that a number of children are not wearing enough warm clothes to school.  Please ensure that on such days that at least the school jacket and track pants are worn as we encourage the children to stay warm and healthy throughout the day. 

Semester 1 Reports
This week parent/teacher interviews are being conducted.  A large number of parents took the opportunity on Tuesday night to meet with their child’s class teacher and to discuss the Semester 1 report.   If you would still like to meet with your class teacher please contact them so that a mutually convenient time can be arranged.  A huge congratulations to the many students in our school who have worked hard throughout Term 1 and Term 2 which has resulted in some very pleasing results.  Many have made a great start to the 2021 school year which can now be consolidated in Term 3 and Term 4.  To those students who may not have worked or tried hard according to their ability, the time is now to make the most of Semester 2 with your school work.

Late Arrivals 
The number of students arriving late in the morning has slightly improved.  Thank you to those who are now making a greater effort to be on time for school each day.  Parents and carers are reminded that school officially starts at 8.30am each morning. 

Thank you 
As we near the end of Term 2 2021, thank you:  

• to the students who have given their best efforts to their work and have achieved their learning goals.   Many students have had a very successful term of learning which is reflected in their Semester 1 report.   
• to the staff for all of their hard work and professionalism this term, especially at this busy time of assessing and reporting.  Staff work tirelessly in catering for the needs of all of the students in their care.
• to the parents and carers for the support given to the life of our school.  We look forward to many more occasions in the near future to see you in and around our school. 

As usual at this time of year, this term has been challenging for many families in regards to sicknesses and illnesses.  May the coming Winter holiday break be an opportunity for everyone to have a rest and get rid of all those colds and flus.

Wash Hands

Social Distancing

Stay Safe

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL

PB4L (Positive Behaviours for Learning) is a diocesan framework that has been implemented into all diocesan primary schools over a period of 13 years. St Thomas More was one of the first schools to come on board. During 2021 we have commenced a review process of PB4L in St Thomas More and some changes have already been made. Minor notification emails to parents/carers have been turned “off” and the old “3 Minors= a Major” is being revised with notification emails also turned “off”. More information around the review process will be provided next term. Stay tuned…

Mrs McGarrity
Assistant Principal