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Mother's Day and Cross Country Carnival
What a wonderful morning we all had to celebrate our Mum's last Friday! It was so lovely to have the community come together in the courtyard for breakfast followed by our Cross Country Carnival.
Thank you to Mhanda and the team of parents who put together our raffle baskets, organised food and the setup. Thank you also to those families who donated prizes to the baskets. Our efforts have resulted in $1157 being raised for the school!
Grounds Renewal Project
Our final murals have been completed by Stylised Impact. We have a beautiful Fairy Wren under the pergola near our new picnic tables and a Defence inspired mural incorporating the existing mosaic of Australia. It was so rewarding to overhear a member of our community exclaim 'It's like the school has come to life'.
In addition to our murals, we have also had the lines for the handball and basketball court remarked and two dead trees removed.
Battle of the Coral Sea
On Friday, 06 May 2022, Lisa Holl (DSM), myself and 7 of our Year 6 students along with Australian and United States military personnel and veterans gathered at the Australian-American memorial in Blamey Square at Russell Offices in Canberra to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Coral Sea (4–8 May 1942).
The Battle of the Coral Sea was a decisive World War II naval battle for control of the Pacific Ocean, where Australian and American naval forces and aircraft halted the advance of the Imperial Japanese Navy and their attempt to capture the then Australian protectorate of Papua. The battle was the first naval action between aircraft carriers, with the USS Lexington and USS Yorktown supported by the Australian and American cruisers HMAS Australia, HMAS Hobart and USS Chicago.
This commemoration also pays homage to the strategic partnership between Australia and the United States.
Parent Communication of Concerns
We would like to remind parents of the best approach when addressing concerns for their child, particularly following a conflict with another student. In order to come to a resolution, it is vital that the classroom teacher is initially notified via a phone call to the office or an email. The teacher will then follow up on these concerns involving necessary members of the school's leadership team.
At no point is it appropriate for a parent to contact another student's parent with allegations of incidences that have occurred at school. Please notify the school if you are aware of any ineffective communication between our parents regarding incidences at school.
Enrolment Period
Enrolment Period will continue for two more weeks. Please consider supporting us in sharing all that our school has to offer:
Social Media: Have you seen our ad circulating on FaceBook or Instagram? We would love you to share, like or comment on our enrolling now ad or any other social media posts the school make.
Parent Advocates: Do you have a great story or sentiment about our school that we can share on social media and our website? We are looking for parent advocates who can help promote our school with enthusiasm and pride. If you have any words you would like published or are interested in helping please contact me.
Preschool Aged Siblings: We would love our families with Preschool aged children to come for a tour at one of our Open Days. This is a great opportunity for your preschooler to begin the transition to school and see all the exciting things their siblings encounter every day. If you are a current family with a Kindergarten enrolment for 2023, please email Julie at the front office to book in for one of our Open Days.
NAPLAN TIMETABLE
Our NAPLAN testing started today. The children were very settled and we ensured they had the best available testing environment for their success. We will complete the whole class testing this week and conduct any make-up tests next week.
Writing: Wednesday 11 May from 9:00 am
Reading: Thursday 12 May from 9:00 am
Conventions of Language: Thursday 12 May from 11:30 am
Numeracy: Friday 13 May from 9:00 am
Luke Donnelly
Principal
Sacrament of First Holy Communion
An information session will be held for those students interested in preparing for the Sacrament of First Holy Communion after the 9:30 am Mass at St Thomas More’s Church on Sunday 15th May. Reception of the Sacrament of First Holy Communion will take place on Sunday 19th June at 9:30am. A retreat day will be held for students on Wednesday 15th June.
Project Compassion
Thank you to all of the families who have returned their Project Compassion boxes. If your Project Compassion box is still at home please return it to the front office so we can finalise our payment to Caritas.
Religious Education Curriculum
During Term 2 classroom teachers are reviewing their Religious Education units to ensure the inclusion of the High Impact Teaching Strategies that we have been implementing into our lessons as part of our ongoing Catalyst journey. Staff are also working on aligning their Religious Education Units with a whole school scope and sequence.
Yours in Christ,
Samantha Mance
Religious Education Coordinator
Congratulations to the following students who will be presented with a certificate which reflects an affirmation from their teacher. These affirmations will highlight their application to their learning as well as affirm how they have been a person of Wisdom, Courage or Peace.
Affirmations will be handed out at 8.50am on Friday Morning. Parents are welcome to attend.
Riley Bransdon 5/6W, recently represented St Thomas More's in the ACT Swimming Championships. Riley came 2nd in the 11yr old girls 50M Freestyle and 50M Backstroke, both with personal best times. This makes her eligible to represent ACT in the National Schools Swimming Championships in August in Brisbane.
Congratulations Riley!