St Thomas' News
06 May 2021
St Thomas’ Primary School is part of a faith community centred on the life of Jesus, as expressed in our Motto, ‘Together in Christ’
Our Vision is to 'Educate the Whole Child' and empower learners as global citizens, to be curious, collaborative, creative and critical thinkers, inspired by Christ.
Important Dates
TERM TWO
11 -21 May - NAPLAN Years 3 & 5
14 May - National Walk Safely to School Day
14 May - St Thomas' Cross Country Carnival
18 May - Strategic Plan Workshop for parents 7 - 9 pm
21 May - Assembly Y2 - 9am
25 May - Our Lady Help of Christians Liturgy Y3 - 9am
26 May - Whole School Photographs
31 May - Interschool Cross Country Carnival - selected Yrs 3 to 6
01 June - Advisory Council Meeting 7 pm
02 June - Lifelink Launch 2021 & School Mass Y2
04 June - Pupil Free Day
07 June - WA Day Public Holiday
08 June - P&F Meeting 7 pm
09 June - Interschool Chess
11 June - Assembly Y5
16 June - School Mass Y1
18 June - Winter Lightning Carnival Yrs 5 & 6
18 June - St Thomas' Quiz Night
23 June - Academic Allstars Y5
25 June - Sacrament of Eucharist Y4 @ 5:30 pm
29 June - Advisory Council Meeting 7 pm
01 July - St Thomas' Feast Day
02 July - Final day of Term Two
03 - 18 July - School Holidays
TERM THREE
19 July - Staff PD - Pupil Free Day
20 July - Students Commence Term Three
Mother's Day Prayer
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Parents and Friends
This Sunday we celebrate Mother’s Day. A special day to highlight the central roles our Mothers play in our lives. We also celebrate all the other women in our lives such as grandmothers, stepmothers, aunts, cousins, teachers and special friends who have helped to shape and form us into the person we are today. I would like to especially thank the Parents and Friends Committee for purchasing and organising the gifts for the Mother’s Day Markets which were held this week. Thank you to all the volunteers who helped on each day. The students loved shopping for their mum and choosing a special gift.
May is the month of Mary so we pray to our Mother Mary to bless all the mothers of St Thomas’ School community. May Mother Mary bless you all, inspiring and energising you by her gentle example of love and perseverance. May she guide you each day as you care and guide your child/ren to grow and flourish.
Mother’s Day Liturgy and Devonshire Morning Tea
Our Mother’s Day Liturgy will now be celebrated this Thursday 13 May at 9am in the Church. The Year One students will lead this prayer service. This will be followed by a Devonshire Morning Tea in the school hall. All mothers, grandmothers and mother figures are invited to celebrate with us. Please RSVP for the Devonshire Tea to stthomas.rsvp2021@gmail.com.
School Vision and Mission
At St Thomas,’ staff recognise the ever-changing landscape of education in the state, nationally and internationally. Using the most up to date research in education on how students learn, it is important to review our vision and mission statement regularly, so that all stakeholders understand the importance of preparing students for the future. Staff at our school have been involved in the review process in their professional learning meetings, and have generated a new vision statement to lead us into the future:
St Thomas’ Primary School is part of a faith community centred on the life of Jesus,
as expressed in our motto ‘Together in Christ’.
Our vision is to 'educate the whole child' and empower learners as global citizens,
to be curious, collaborative, creative and critical thinkers,
inspired by Christ.
Strategic Plan Parent Meeting
As key stakeholders in our school, we would like to invite all parents and caregivers to a Strategic Planning Workshop facilitated by an independent Education Consultant Mrs Carlyn Dyer, on Tuesday 18 May at 7pm in the Library. All parents/carers are welcome to attend. Please RSVP stthomas.rsvp2021@gmail.com to receive further information on the requirements for the workshop.
Parent Survey on School Climate 2021 - now active
The school climate survey produced by National Schools Improvement Partnerships (NSIP), is an opportunity to provide feedback to teachers on how your child experiences life at St Thomas'.
The data collected from this survey will be used by the school to monitor and inform decisions about school improvement. Together with data collected at our student, staff, and parent workshops on Tuesday 18 May, these survey results will be used to formulate our new Strategic Plan.
To access this survey please view the information on: https://www.stthomas.wa.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/St-Thomas-Primary-2021-Parent-Survey-National-Schools-Improvement-Partnerships.pdf Hard copies of the survey are available from the front office if you would prefer to use this method for completing the survey.
Our school values your feedback, so I invite you to participate in this survey before Friday 14 May.
St Thomas’ Combined 3 / 4 Year Old Program - Fridays
St Thomas' is introducing a combined 3 & 4 year old program on Fridays commencing 14 May. This is an opportunity for Kindergarten child to attend a fourth day at St Thomas'. This fourth day is not an extension of our current Kindy program but a separate program. Mrs Kate Bryne will be our specialist early years educator facilitating a program that is play-based and designed to meet the children's interests and needs.
NAPLAN
NAPLAN (National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy) assessments commence next week for our Year 3 and Year 5 students. This is just one of the many assessments used throughout the year to evaluate student progress. Further information for parents & caregivers can be found below and on the website: https://nap.edu.au/naplan
Covid update
COVID updates continue to be issued by our Premier each day. The wellbeing and safety of everyone in our school community is of the highest priority, so thank you for your cooperation and continued support in abiding by the regulations in place.
Wishing all our mothers and grandmothers a very 'Happy Mother's Day'.
God bless
Natalia Thomson
Principal.
Congratulations to all our Merit Winners
Kindergarten 2022
Enrolments for Kindergarten 2022 are now open.
Children born between 1 July 2017 and 30 June 2018 are eligible for enrolment. Enrolment packages are available from the front office or by email: admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au.
New Garden Beds
Helpful Dads!
Green Team
Celebrations with the 'Green Team.'
Kindy Herb Garden
Kindy Herb Garden
Edu-Dance
Students enjoying their first Edu-dance lesson.
Let's meet the staff at St Thomas'
Name: Heath Nankivell
Role at St Thomas': Assistant Principal & Year Four Teacher
Where have you worked before: St Mary MacKillop College, Aquinas College, Holy Rosary School, St Simon Peter Ocean Reef, St Paul’s Karratha & St Mary’s Merredin
Family: Married to Hayley, with 2 children (Adeline and Wilfred)
Born in: Mt Lawley, Perth
Hobbies/Interests: Football, tennis, guitar, gardening
Favourite Food: Venetian biscuits
Favourite Music: The Waifs
Football Team: Fremantle Dockers & Claremont Tigers
Currently Reading: ’The Resilience Project’
What I like about St Thomas': Community feel and how students love to try the best across all curriculum and co-curricula areas
Mother's Day Liturgy & Devonshire Morning Tea
NAPLAN
NAPLAN
Starting Tuesday 11 May, Year Three and Year Five students will participate in the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Teachers have worked with their classes on preparing students for these assessments. Due to some changes with other school events, we have revised the schedule – please see below. Results of these tests will be sent to parents at some point from the end of Term Two, into Term Three. Unfortunately, being external tests, the school has no control of when these results are released.
SCHOOL PHOTOS
School photos will take place on Wednesday 26 May over the duration of the day. More information regarding ordering and package information appears below. Please can parents ensure that students are in full winter uniform (including maroon jumper) and are well presented on the day.
REPORTING – YEARS ONE TO SIX
Following the introduction of an Interim Report for Term One this year, the End of Semester One reports will look slightly different to the reports of 2020. The descriptors used last semester will not be used, instead strands within each learning area will be reported on. For example, English will have an overall grade reported, as well as grades for the strands of Writing, Reading & Viewing, and Speaking & Listening. Teacher comments communicating your child’s progress in Religious Education, English and Mathematics will be made, and these will incorporate many descriptors used last year. Personal and Social Development reporting will be consistent with last year’s report, including a general comment.
REPORTING – PRE-PRIMARY
Refined descriptors from the Western Australian Curriculum will be used to report student achievement to parents. Comments will be given that elaborate on these descriptors in Religious Education, English and Mathematics. An adjusted achievement scale (not A-E) will be used for Pre-primary reports. Personal and Social Development will also be reported to parents through descriptors and a general comment.
Students working from a modified programme will have this noted on the report.
Please note that all St Thomas’ reporting procedures are in line with the School Curriculum and Standards Authority’s reporting requirements. If you wish to discuss these changes in further detail, I encourage hearing your thoughts via email, phone or in person. Thank you for your support.
Mr Heath Nankivell
Assistant Principal
Winter Appeal for St Vinnies
I have just returned from two weeks Long Service Leave and enjoyed time in Adelaide with my daughter and caught up with many jobs that have been on my to do list for a very long time. I enjoyed the extra time, but it is wonderful to be back at school seeing the children so happy and enthusiastic to learn.
Mini Vinnies
The Mini Vinnies are busy organising the Winter Appeal of blankets and socks to assist those in need during the winter months.
We have also started sewing felt creatures and making Friendship bracelets for a fundraiser. It is great to see the children so engaged learning new skills together.
Waste Wise Grant
We have received a Waste Wise Grant that we have planned to use for extending our recycling and sustainability program. These items will be purchased soon to support our focus of reuse, reduce and recycle.
Recycling
There is an excellent website called TerraCycle which is a social enterprise eliminating the Idea of Waste. In 21 countries, we tackle the issue from many angles. We have found that nearly everything we touch can be recycled and collect typically non-recyclable items through national, first-of-their-kind recycling platforms.
Leading companies work with us to take hard-to-recycle materials from our programs, such as ocean plastic, and turn them into new products, and our new Loop platform aims to change the way the world shops with favourite brands in refillable packaging offered with convenience and style. Check below to where you can recycle hair bottles, aerosol bottles and all the things that you can stop going into landfill. We can all do our bit to make the world a better place for future generations. https://www.terracycle.com/en-AU
Student Wellbeing
The student wellbeing site below is a great resource for parents to find information and advice on important topics like friendships, online safety , communicating with your child and the school and much more to help make your child’s learning journey a safe and positive one.
https://studentwellbeinghub.edu.au/parents/
Wishing you a safe and blessed week.
Kind regards
Mrs Nicky Sullivan
Assistant Principal
Advisory Council Meeting 4 May 2021
The St Thomas' School Advisory Council met for the fourth time in 2021 on Tuesday, 4 May via a Teams meeting.
The meeting was highly productive and we commenced with a discussion of the current School Climate Survey, the upcoming Strategic Planning Workshop on 18 May and recent marketing initiatives.
Much of the meeting’s focus was on how COVID-19 has made a difference to student enrolments, therefore impacting the school’s finances. Whilst the school remains in a financially robust position, the Advisory Council discussed the need to boost student numbers over the course of 2021 and 2022. Plans to increase enrolments include the greater use of print media through advertisements and articles in The Post and Western Suburbs newspapers, a local billboard campaign and improved signage around the school.
The Advisory Council also discussed the proposed introduction of scholarships as another way of increasing student numbers. The council members believe that this strategy will bring St Thomas’ into line with other schools in the Western Suburbs. The initial focus of these scholarships will be on attracting new students to the school (both Catholic and any denomination), but the school will also seek to offer scholarships to existing students under certain conditions.
The Grounds and Maintenance Committee updated the Advisory Council on recent works carried out including the completion of the netball court markings, long jump pit edging and sensor lighting in the Early Learning area. It was confirmed that the Town of Claremont has agreed to fund a slip-lane and upgrade the surrounding roads, which will occur in 2023. The Committee also indicated that this year’s busy bee is likely to be a big one as we look for ways to manage maintenance expenses wherever possible!
P&F News
We are delighted that our Mother’s Day celebrations will proceed next Thursday, 13 May, including our P&F Devonshire Tea, to celebrate all our wonderful mothers, grandmothers and mother figures who we are so lucky to have within our St Thomas community. In light of the date change, we ask all parents to please RSVP for the Devonshire Tea, even if you RSVP'd for the initial date.
The P&F Mother’s Day Market has been open this week and what a delight watching all the children choose something special for their loved ones. The Market will be open tomorrow morning so it’s not too late to get something special for Mum or grandma. All money raised will go towards some great initiatives for our School. A big thank you to Mel Trend and Belinda Hammond, and their wonderful team of helpers, for organizing and running the fantastic market stall! Such a great selection of gifts and lots of excitement and fun in the air.
A big thank you to Joep Vaessen and Pete Telford for helping our Green Team assemble our new garden beds, which were kindly donated by Bunnings. This marks the start of our community garden renovation project and we’re excited to see what fantastic things our Green Team and students do with this space and we look forward to continuing to support this project.
The next big P&F event for Term 2 is our Parent Quiz Night! Save the date of 18 June, round up your friends (out of school friends also welcome) and stay tuned for further details! Tickets on sale soon.
We’ll shortly be sending out a sign up sheet for opportunities for parents to help our P&F with upcoming events and initiatives, please keep an eye out for it - we’d love you to get involved!
We hope to see you at our Strategic Planning Meeting on Tuesday, 18 May.
Warm regards
Bianca Della Vedova
Upcoming Sport Events
(information to be sent to families tomorrow Friday 7 May)
Interschool Cross Country Yrs 3 - 6 Monday 31 May
Winter Lightning Carnival Yrs 5 - 6 Friday 18 June
Parent Cyber Safety Hub
A reminder that as a part of our partnership with ySafe, we have our very own Parent Cyber Safety Hub. This Hub is a rich source of live information directly from ySafe’s multidisciplinary team of cyber safety experts. You can access our Cyber Safety Hub using the link below: https://stthomas.cybersafetyhub.com.au
200 Years of Catholic Education
Library Borrowing Policy
Books are borrowed by students for a weeks' duration. Children are expected to return items on their next borrowing day (Wednesday each week). When a book becomes a month overdue parents or guardians are requested to assist in returning the overdue items or remit at the cost of replacements. A current loans statement is sent home or emailed showing the overdue item/s and their replacement cost. There are no fines for overdue items, just a replacement cost of the purchase price if the book is not returned.
Lost Items
Thank you very much.
Flower Roster
Uniform Shop Open
2021 Term Dates for Students
Term 2
Tuesday 20 April to Friday 2 July
Term 3
Tuesday 20 July to Thursday 23 September
Term 4
Tuesday 12 October to Friday 10 December
Pupil Free Days
Monday 19 April
Friday 4 June
Monday 19 July
Friday 24 September
Monday 11 October
Judo Term 2 at St Thomas' Primary School
UWA Judo Club is pleased to announce the commencement of judo as an after-school activity. Lessons will run from 3.20pm to 4.20pm on Thursdays in the school undercover area. The classes start on Thursday 22nd April.
Students will be supervised by our experienced coaches from after school until the conclusion of the judo lesson. An initial free trial lesson is available for interested students. Students can join at any stage through the school term.
If students wish to enrol, the cost is $150.00 for the term (10 lessons) with an optional $20 for judo suit hire. All participating students must purchase a compulsory $60/year club membership. This covers student insurance, access to internationally recognised gradings and competitions.
The term fees cover training at St Thomas Primary School and unlimited training at junior sessions run at our main dojo in Claremont. We run junior classes 5 days per week – please see the timetable on our website at www.judouwa.com.au
For further enquiries, if you would like to attend the trial class or enrol your child, please email Peter Swan at info@judouwa.com.au
Keyed Up Music Lessons
Keyed Up Music will be teaching drums and keyboard group lessons this term during school. Lessons start from $23.10 for a shared lesson. If you are interested in your son/daughter learning an instrument, ring Savanna on 1300 366 243 or enrol at www.keyedupmusic.com.au/enrolment-form
St Thomas' Primary School
Email: admin@stthomas.wa.edu.au
Website: stthomas.wa.edu.au
Location: 8 Warden Street Claremont WA 6010
Phone: (08 9286 9500
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stthomasprimaryschoolclaremont
Twitter: @StThomasCPS