Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome back to Term 4.  Each year, Term 4 seems to greet us far too early but always provides us with many wonderful and exciting events for our community.  Over the next ten weeks the following will keep us all very busy:  K-6 school swimming program, Kindergarten 2023 Playgroup transition sessions and Orientation, Year 5 Camp, Christmas Concert, Year 6 Graduation, Semester 2 reports, plus much more.  Please regularly check the school calendar for all school events.  We have so many things to be grateful for in our lives.  Let us hope and pray that Term 4 provides us all with many opportunities to count and appreciate our many blessings. 

Classes 2023
Term 4 is the time when we complete the 2022 school year as well as prepare for 2023.  One of the major tasks this term is to prepare classes for 2023.  Teachers and staff members use their professional expertise in making decisions, seeking to create equitable class groupings considering all students.  All classes/grades will be regrouped for 2023.

Optimising the learning environment is the prime focus when forming new class groups for 2023, not forming friendship groups.  The aim is to provide classes in which each child is able to continue to develop to their full potential.  

If there is a particular issue regarding your child’s optium learning for 2023, please write to Mr Barrington, via email, stating your concerns and requests.  You are invited to be proactive rather than reactive.  Please note that this is not an opportunity to request individual teachers, but an opportunity to state a particular issue that might impact on your child’s learning in 2023.  All requests will be considered but NOT NECESSARILY GUARANTEED.  Please send your email requests to info@stmdow.catholic.edu.au marked to the attention of Mr Barrington by Friday 11th November 2022.  Further requests regarding class placement will not take place after this date.  Please note that because we are committed to the belief that each child begins each school year anew, we do not retain information regarding these requests from previous years.  

This is the time to raise any issues regarding your child’s optium learning for 2023.  After all requests have been considered the school will make the final decision regarding all placements.  

If your child is not returning to St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School Ruse in 2023, could you please notify the School Office as soon as possible.   There is a ‘School Leavers’ form that needs to be completed.

Attention Year 3 Parents (Year 4 2023)
All Year 3 parents and carers are invited to a Zoom parent meeting regarding the Year 4 2023 BYODD (Bring Your Own Designated Device) iPad program.  The Zoom link will be shared with parents in the coming weeks.  This meeting is being held at 7.00pm on Wednesday 26th October 2022. 

Christmas Art 
Congratulations to the six students in Year 5 and Year 6 whose artworks were chosen for the annual Christmas Art Exhibition and Competition conducted by the Catholic Education Office Diocese of Wollongong.  Sierra (Year 5) ‘The Journey’, Lucy (Year 5) ‘Mary Mary’ and Taalia (Year 5) ‘Bearing Gifts’.  Caleb (Year 6) ‘Fingertip to Fingertip’, Aarav (Year 6) ‘Celestial Phenomena’ and Chloe (Year 6) ‘Behold, the Handmaid of the Lord’.  Congratulations and best wishes to Taalia and Chloe whose artworks were selected for the next stage of judging which is being held in Wollongong this evening 12/10/22. 

Swimming Program
The Kindergarten to Year 6 swimming program began today and will continue for the next seven Wednesdays. Congratulations to all students for their behaviour and engagement in the program today. We look forward to seeing some great swimming skills being developed throughout the term.  

Have a great Term 4.

Philip Barrington 
PRINCIPAL