2025 Term 1 - Week 7 - Newsletter

Prayer

From our Principal

Last week we began the season of Lent. Ash Wednesday begins our Lenten journey. Similar to how the children began their academic year journey by proudly wearing our uniform they identify themselves as members of our school. They carry the school’s message in the actions of their lives and give those with whom they make contact an insight into the school’s behaviour expectations, its values and its ethos.

We can begin our Lenten journey as a means to reassert the presence of Christ within our lives and not allow the ashes to be simply an outward symbol with no inner significance. Ashes on our foreheads mark us as Christians, as followers of Christ, as the people who carry His message in the actions of our lives, actions that give those with whom we make contact an insight into Christian behaviour. We can enter into the spirit of Lent and focus on an area of our life that needs rebuilding; we can monitor our usual behaviours to check if they are negative or positive expressions of our calling to be a Christian.

Of course, we can simply skip along through Lent, turn up for each day of it but give it no recognition. We can ignore this opportunity to advance our sense of who we are and neglect the occasion on offer to become more compassionate, more tolerant, more courageous or more forgiving.

Our children can begin their new school year in a very positive manner by being prepared with books and materials and wearing their uniform in a manner that indicates total identification with their school. They can participate as fully as possible in the everyday life of the school, including its sporting and cultural activities, and focus on behaving in a responsible, cooperative manner. They can celebrate fellowship with other students by respecting their rights and feelings, whilst following instructions and rules that enable the ordinary conduct of the school. At the end of the year, they can emerge as the beneficiaries of having done their best at all times and having participated enthusiastically in the life of the school.

The alternative is they could choose to simply doodle and dawdle their way through the school year, turn up each day but make little effort at self-improvement. They can refuse any responsibility for their learning, homework and assignments and close their mind to encouragement and motivation. They can neglect opportunities to develop self-esteem, to advance academic skills, to broaden social interactions, to cultivate and absorb Christian values.

From what I have witnessed over the past few weeks the children have chosen to start off the year in a positive manner. The smiles are infectious, the students are getting in and having a go at schoolwork and other pursuits on offer, and that is a very encouraging sign indeed, they are ‘living life in all its fullness’ and ‘never seeing a need without doing something about it’. 

On Saturday we celebrated International Women's Day.  This day is more than just a day to feel inspired and empowered; it's a day to remind your children — girls and boys — that women matter, that women are important, and that women deserve to be recognized. If you're wondering how to explain International Women's Day to your child, I get it. Maybe you're worried that your kids will ask why the world doesn't celebrate women every day. Maybe you're nervous that your son will ask when he gets to celebrate being a man, and then you'll have to refrain from making a Samantha Bee joke. Maybe you're just not sure how to approach the topic of sexism, of the patriarchy, and of the importance of feminism right now.

But hey, it's time. And there's no better way to start those conversations than by explaining International Women's Day to your child.

Originally created in the early 1900s, International Women's Day, according to the official website, is "a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women." Because the day doesn't belong to any specific group or government entity, it's the perfect way to celebrate all women from all walks of life and to unite them together to reflect on the strength and perseverance of women.

If your children are old enough to go to school, they can probably name a few important figures in history. George Washington, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thomas Edison — all incredibly important to the world, but all men. To begin explaining International Women's Day, ask your children to name some women who have made a difference in the world. Hopefully, they can shout out Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, Rosa Parks, Helen Keller, but they may not. Being a Catholic school, they might even be able to recall Mary (the Mother of Jesus) and St Mary of the Cross MacKillop.  And that right there is the lesson in why International Women's Day is so important.

Explain to your kiddos that there have been times in history, both recent and not-so-recent, when women have made huge contributions to the world and their achievements were not celebrated as much as a man's contributions. Talk about the challenges women face, like having to balance motherhood and work (when men aren't expected to juggle both) and having to fight stereotypes. Explain that when a woman is misheard in the boardroom and tries to speak up, she's often called "bossy" or "loud" or "rude." Teach them that for a long time, society valued a woman based on how well she could birth children and run a home, but that men were expected to make the bigger contributions to society. Talk about the women in their life that have influenced them and how their stories are often lost in history.

And combine all of that information into a succinct explanation: much like a birthday that is all about one person, International Women's Day is dedicated to all women. It's to celebrate the lives and achievements of women, whether they've been recognized for it or not.

When you put it like that, your child should understand. Like blowing out the candles on a birthday cake for their grandpa and sharing stories of his life to celebrate him, let International Women's Day be explained as a giant birthday for all the women of the world. Blow out some candles, appreciate those women, and feel grateful for another year of celebrating them.

Thanks for reading. 

God Bless,

Duane Wann

Principal

2025 School Priorities

At the commencement of every school year, the teaching staff gather to consider and develop priorities for the year. For 2025, the focus of our practices will centre on the following:

2025 Theme:

2025 School Goals:

Before School Supervision

Before school duty commences at 8:00am. Children who arrive at school before 8:00am are kindly asked to sit in the ‘Quad Area’ until teacher supervision commences at 8:00am.

Process for Late Arrival, Early Departure and Collection Areas:

This is a valuable opportunity to remind families of the requirements pertaining to late arrival to school and early departure from school. Our aim is to safely account for all students while minimising disruption to teaching for the staff and learning for the students.

Late Arrival

• a student is considered to have arrived late any time after the 8.30am bell on a school day
• all students arriving late must sign be signed in by a parent, family member or themselves. Children then transition to the classroom by themselves.

Early Departure

• a student is considered to have departed early any time before 2.55pm on a school day
• Parent/Guardian to call, email or present to the School Administration Office to inform School Administration Staff their child/children will be departing early and offer the reason for the early departure
• the School Administration Staff will contact and advise the Class Teacher of an early departure and request for the child/children to present to the School Administration Office at a prescribed time
• Parent/Guardian to collect child from School Administration Office and sign child out
• Parents/Guardians are not permitted to attend the classrooms and withdraw children directly
• Parents/Guardians are not permitted to visit the classrooms between the hours of 8:30am and 2:55pm unless invited to do so. This is to avoid disruption to teaching and learning. Should there be a need to visit a classroom or drop something off to a child/children, this can be arranged through the School Administration Office.

Collection Areas for Families (End of School Day)

As part of the afternoon end of school day collection of children, parents/guardians are always invited and encouraged to collect children within the confines of the school in places that do not disrupt teaching and learning.  In doing so, we respectfully ask families to wait in the following areas:

• Drop Off/Pick Up Area on South Street (outside the Prep collection area)
• The Quad Area (the collection of children in Years 1, 3 – 6)
• The seats outside of the Year 2 classrooms (Year 2 children).

Communication Protocols

St Thomas More’s Primary School recognises and respects the right of employees to disconnect from work and not respond to work-related electronic communications outside of designated hours. St Thomas More’s Primary School staff will reply to electronic communication within the hours of 8.00am and 5.00pm Monday to Friday. Where contact is made outside of this span of hours, employees will respond within two working days of the employee’s next designated working day considering weekends, leave, other non-working days, vacation periods and holidays.

Grooming Expectations

Please be mindful, hairstyles which draw attention to the individual, including but are not limited to: mullet, scullett, mohawks, tracks, tails, hair colouring etc. are not permitted.

Student Phones

Student mobile phones are to be signed in at the School Administration Office each morning and collected at the end of the school day.  Children are not permitted to text or make calls from phones or smart watches during the school day.

From our APMI

I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the parents for their generous donations of pancake mixes and condiments, and for supporting our Shrove Tuesday event by purchasing pancakes. A massive thank you and special acknowledgement to all the staff and parents who cooked pancakes for the day. Your contribution was greatly appreciated. Together, we raised $331.40 for Caritas' Project Compassion.

On Wednesday, March 5, our school community came together to celebrate Ash Wednesday with a beautiful Prayer Celebration in the Hall. We were honored to have Father Brian preside over the service, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to him for leading us in this meaningful observance.

Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a 40-day period of reflection and preparation leading up to Easter. During the service, we received ashes on our foreheads in the shape of a cross. This tradition symbolises repentance and reminds us of our mortality and the need for reconciliation with God.

The ashes used on Ash Wednesday are made from the blessed palms used in the previous year's Palm Sunday celebration. As Father Brian explained, the act of receiving ashes is a call to turn away from sin and to live in accordance with the teachings of Jesus.

Our Prayer Celebration was a time for quiet reflection, prayer, and community. It was a wonderful opportunity for students and staff to come together, contemplate the significance of Lent, and renew our commitment to living a life of faith and compassion.

You may have noticed that our prayer cloths have been changed to purple. This colour is used during Lent to symbolize penance, preparation, and sacrifice. Purple is a reminder of the solemnity of this season and encourages us to reflect on our spiritual journey.

We are grateful to everyone who participated and helped make our journey into Lenten so special.

God Bless

Donna Barlow 

Assistant Principal Mission & Identity

School Calendar Information

To view our school calendar, please download the Sentral for Parents App to receive up-to-date information about upcoming school events. You can download the Sentral for Parents App from the App Store or Google Play. If you have any questions regarding the Parent Portal, please contact the School Office.

From our Middle Leader

Dear parents of students in Year 3 and Year 5. 

NAPLAN 2025: for students in Years 3 and 5, NAPLAN will begin in Week 7 of this term. Our test schedule is as follows:

Wednesday 12th Writing

Thursday 13th Reading

Monday 17th Conventions

Tuesday 18th Numeracy. 

NAPLAN Tests must be completed in the order shown above. If a student is absent on one of the test days, they will be required to sit the missed test on the day they return and may do a second test on the same day so they have then caught up with the test schedule. Students will complete tests as soon as possible on their return to school to allow ample time within the test window to complete all testing.

As part of our preparation for NAPLAN, families may be contacted to discuss adjustments that can be provided to support children. Students will also engage in online practice tests in the lead-up to the NAPLAN test dates. Parents can also have students complete practice tests at home by heading to https://nap.edu.au/naplan/public-demonstration-site

 Please click on the button below for more information regarding the NAPLAN assessments for 2025.

NAPLAN Information for parents and carers.pdf

If you have any questions, please contact Patricia Wardle - patricia.wardle@twb.catholic.edu.au

Regards,

Trish Wardle

Middle Leader

From the Library

Book prize:

Week 5 

Mia 3 blue

Neil 2 blue

Week 6 

Treasure box prize: 

Week 5 

 Beau 1 gold

Flynn prep gold

Chris 3 gold

Boston prep blue

Mia 3 blue

Week 6 

Student Protection

From our Sports Dept

Cross Country 2025 

Our annual Cross Country will be held on Tuesday 25th March at Anderson Park. All children from Prep-Year 6 will participate in this carnival.  

All students will require a water bottle, sunscreen and hat. Children can come dressed in their house colours.  

Hall – Blue 

MacKillop – Yellow 

Finbarr – Green  

Leonard – Red   

Before school cross country training will continue this Friday morning (14th March) for anyone interested in Years 3-6 at Anderson Park 7:20am-7:50am. We will also aim to train on Monday 17th March and Friday 21st March. 

Representative Swimming Carnivals 

Congratulations to Tyrell W on being selected in the Darling Downs Swim Team to compete at the upcoming State Championships. Tyrell was selected for 50m Backstroke, 50m Butterfly and 100m Breaststroke. Well done Tyrell

2025 South West Schools Futsal Titles 

Well done to Tyrell W, Nicholas C, Darcy R, George T, Rhythm N, Leon M, Fletcher W on competing at the South West Schools Futsal Titles last week. They represented our school with pride, giving it their all on the court. The team narrowly missed out on proceeding through to the finals round, however they won 3 out of their 4 games during the day. A big thank you to Joe Crichton for coaching the boys!  

NRL Gala Day – Years 3 & 4 

Unfortunately, due to the weather conditions the NRL Rugby Gala Day has been postponed. Hopefully a new date will be set in the near future.  

Year 4 T-Ball Gala Day 

All Year 4 children will participate in the upcoming Year 4 T-Ball Gala Day. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to put their t-ball skills into practise against other local Catholic schools. Classroom teachers will provide more information about the day as it becomes available.  

DATE: Tuesday 1st April 2025 

VENUE: Kearney’s Spring Reserve, Ruthven St Toowoomba 
STARTING TIME: Opening – 9:15 am - Competition Commences - 9.40am 
FINISHING TIME: 12:50pm (approx.) 
 

Stacey Hancock

Health and PE Teacher

From our Uniform Shop

P & F News

Tuckshop News

Opening Wednesday, Thursday and Friday

Order via Flexischools App.  If you need help to navigate the App or to adjust your order, please feel free to pop into the tuckshop and chat to Jemma or email jemma@archerscateringandevents.com.au 

Cut off of Online orders...
Order before 7am for Wednesday and Thursday orders.  For Friday orders, please order by 1pm Thursdays.

Tuckshop Email:  jemma@archerscateringandevents.com.au 

NEW Tuckshop Menu

REMINDER - IF YOU CHILD IS SICK, PLEASE CONTACT THE TUCKSHOP BEFORE 9AM TO POSTPONE YOUR ORDER!

Thank you!

A huge thank you to Westridge Fruit and Vegetables for their continued support with the donation of fresh fruit every week for our students!

Notice Board

Tennis Coaching

Tennis Coaching will not be available for Term 1 2025.

Could you use an extra $500 for education costs?

What is Saver Plus?

Saver Plus is a program for people on lower incomes. It’s about bolstering their financial skills, so they can develop (and keep) good savings habits.  Since 2003, Saver Plus has supported more than 62,000 people to start saving.

It’s helped overcome the barriers around education expenses. And it’s set them up for a brighter future.

What are the eligible savings goals?

Eligible savings goals are education related products or services that:​

• Assist a primary or secondary school student’s education; laptops, tablets, books, uniforms, sports fees and gear, music tuition, camps and excursion

I have attached some flyers that you might like to put into your school newsletter and or send directly to families (PDF file). We also have a new Social Media video that you may like to use also on your schools Facebook page.

If you would like to know more about how the program works or how to promote it to your school community, please feel free to contact me on the details below.

Warm Regards,

Peta Bergan
Community Liaison, Saver Plus | The Smith Family

Darkinjung Country
Mobile: 0466 474 584