Term 2 - Week 8 - Newsletter

Prayer of the Week

Image retrieved from https://www.pinterest.com.au/amandabfuentes/simple-prayers-for-kids/ 

From our Principal

Dear Parents / Guardians,

Congratulations to the over forty students who received the Sacrament of Confirmation last Wednesday evening.

Thanks to Kristin Byrne & Erin McVeigh for their involvement in the preparation of these children. One of the areas listed for improvement in our last school review was Parish / School relationships, and this involvement is one example of steps taken to address this concern.

Other examples include the presence of Fr Michael and Deacon Nathan in the school, more regular family Masses, the presence of classes at Parish Masses  and the involvement of John Briffa, Parish Leader, in our P & F and school board. John and Deacon Nathan were also a supportive presence in the school during our recent time of need. It is pleasing to see the developing collaboration between the school P & F and the Parish’s Care and Concern Committee.

While very different to what it was in the past, the relationship between Catholic Schools and Parishes are still valuable. It is important that we continue to seek ways to foster a positive working relationship.

God Bless.

Mr Michael Cash

Principal

School Renewal and Improvement Process (SRIP)

St Thomas More's Primary School is scheduled for a School Renewal and Improvement quadrennial school review from July 18th, 2022 to July 21st, 2022 (Term 3, Week 2).

The Toowoomba Catholic Schools Office has a School renewal and improvement framework in place which has as a key element a quadrennial school review. In this review, a panel consisting of senior staff from the Toowoomba Catholic Schools (TCS) Teaching and Learning Directorate and a peer principal from another school in the Diocese visit the school for three days.

Through a process of appreciative inquiry, panel members interview staff, parents/carers, students and community members. The questions asked are “In your opinion, what is going well at the school?” and “What could be done better?” The purpose is for the panel to report to the school community its findings and suggested improvement strategies. These inform the process of strategic plan development and the annual action plans which are also linked to the TCS Strategic Plan.

The aim is to assist schools to strategically plan to improve teaching and learning and these reviews occur in all TCS schools.

The review team would like to hear from the school community and I encourage anyone who is interested to have their say. Your feedback is important and will help us to continue to achieve the two pillars of TCS: that all students will come to personally know Jesus and that all students will achieve academic success.

Feedback can be provided to the review panel in person or by telephone. All feedback remains confidential.

Please contact the school office if you are interested in speaking to a reviewer. You may also register your interest by emailing stthomas@twb.catholic.edu.au.

From our APRE

Thank you to Ms Groer and 3 Blue for leading our Upper School so beautifully in prayer last week. It was lovely to be able to reflect on International Children's Day and hear some of the ways we can celebrate the little people who are such a big part of our school community! Mrs Wright and 2 Gold will lead the Lower School in prayer this week. All families are most welcome to attend. 

A big thank you to our Year 6 helpers who helped set up for assembly last week. It's always a treat to walk into the Sportscentre on Friday morning and see most things ready to go for assembly. Thank you for showing great initiative and leadership qualities!

A big congratulations to Mrs Leah and Mrs Heuschele for your Spirit of Catholic Education award nominations! Both Mrs Leah and Mrs Heuschele are valued members of our school community who very much live our school values in all their interactions with others. We are so super proud of you both! 

Report Cards

Our Semester One Report Cards this year will be distributed via the Parent Portal in the last week of this term. If you have yet to start using the portal, it is vital that you make the move to doing so in the next two weeks. If you need any assistance at all accessing the portal, feel free to contact our wonderful staff in the office and they will be more than happy to help you however they can. 

Over the course of this semester, teachers have been gathering evidence of learning for each learning area for each of our students. This process involves gathering, analysing and reflecting on multiple sources of evidence to make an informed judgment about what students know, understand and can do.  

Assessment in the classroom can come in many forms. It can either be … 

• Diagnostic (assessing prior learning) - pre-tests and work samples. 

• Formative (assessing for learning) - observations, group work, individual conferencing, ongoing work samples. 
• Summative (assessing of learning) - tasks, assignments, presentations.

In Week 10, families will receive Semester 1 Report Cards for students from Prep to Year 6 via the Parent Portal. This Report Card is a culmination of your child’s academic achievement throughout the semester, as well as a snapshot of their spiritual and social development. It is just one way of communicating information about student achievement, effort and behaviour.  

The Australian Curriculum is written in such a way, that there is an ‘Achievement Standard’ for each year level for each subject area. It is this Achievement Standard that we report against. The standards are written as a statement of what a student is aiming to achieve by the end of the school year for their year level. A student receiving a ‘C’ standard indicates that they have met this standard, that is, that their work demonstrates a conceptual understanding of the concepts covered and that they can apply this knowledge and skill in familiar situations. Simply speaking, a ‘C’ standard indicates that your child is able to do what is expected of them for their year level. 

To move beyond a ‘C’ standard, a student must demonstrate that they are developing sophistication of conceptual understanding, with a strong application of skills, and that they are beginning to transfer their knowledge and skills to new situations (B standard). For an A standard, students must demonstrate the excellent application of skills and be readily applying the knowledge and skills to new situations. 

Similarly, a ‘D’ standard does not constitute a fail but indicates that a student is continuing to develop their understanding of the expected curriculum, and may be able to demonstrate some of the elements within it, whether with support or inconsistently. A rough outline of these standards is provided below.  

In each KLA, students also receive an effort achievement level. This level is derived by the level of application and study habits during that particular KLA. Please see the table below for the effort achievement scale.



Uniform Reminder 

As we are heading into the cooler months of the year I would like to share a timely reminder about expectations around uniforms in winter. Students are permitted to wear a beanie or scarf on colder days with their winter uniform, but please make sure these are blue. While we certainly won't let anyone go cold, we will be talking with children who are wearing out-of-uniform winter extras over the coming months. Please also be aware that beanies are not replacements for hats in the playground. Children who choose to wear a beanie will need to wear their school hat over the top when they are out playing before school and during break times.  

Matilda Jnr Update

Details of costumes for our Year 4 - 6 classes and our main cast have been shared with our families. With the exception of a few main cast costumes which still need to be confirmed, these will not change now. Please remember if you don't have the items needed at home, please let Mrs Deb or myself know before going and buying anything new as we may have things here you can borrow.  Please note that students can wear parts of their STM uniform as their costume. 

Please see the revised rehearsal schedule for Week 8 below. We have had a few Year 6 children forgetting their rehearsal times, so please make sure the children know when they are expected. I will not be chasing them up in the playground. Rehearsal schedules are sent home in paper form, shared to the Matilda Jnr Team and posted outside my door each week.

Revised Week 8 Rehearsal Schedule

Week beginning June 6th  

Just a reminder that if children cannot make their singing sessions after school, with Mrs Skinner, Mrs Skinner needs to be contacted directly to arrange an alternative time.
You can reach her by email at Elizabeth.Skinner@twb.catholic.edu.au 

God Bless.

Miss Kristin Byrne

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

From our Sport Desk

2022 Athletics Carnival 

This year our athletics carnival is being held on Tuesday 14th June at O’Quinn Street Oval. Students will be participating in sprints, relays, field events and/or modified activities.    

Students can be dropped off at O’Quinn Street by 8:30am by private transport or they can take advantage of a free bus from school. There will be no canteen available therefore children will need to bring a normal morning tea and lunch with them. Students are encouraged to come dressed in their house colours for the carnival. 

Children in Prep-Yr 3 (born 2014) should be finished their events/activities by approximately 12:00pm - 12:30pm. The school is providing a free bus to bring your child back to school at the conclusion of their events/activities. You are most welcome to take your child home or keep your child at the carnival for the remainder of the day, however they will be under the direct supervision of a parent. Teachers in Prep – Year 3 will be travelling back with the bus.   

Children who are in Year 3 and are 9 years old this year (born 2013) will need to remain at the carnival for the entire day to participate in further events. Children in Years 4-6 will also need to remain at the carnival for the entire day. Your child/ren should be finished their events by approximately 2:30pm. The school is providing a free bus to bring your child back to school at the conclusion of the day. However, you are most welcome to pick your child up from O’Quinn Street at 2:30pm. 

To assist with the planning of the day and the booking of buses could you please use the link below to indicate how your child/ren will be transported to/from the carnival. Please ensure you have completed information for all your children.    

Please complete ASAP to reserve a spot on the bus for your child/children. 

https://forms.office.com/r/0uxbXPUYKk 

Athletics Program 2022 

Tuesday 14th June  

*Buses will be leaving school promptly at 8:40am. Please ensure your child/children are at school by 8:30am.  

God bless,

Stacey Hancock

HPE Teacher 

From our Library

God bless, 

Dr Margy Heuschele

Teacher Librarian

From our Service Club

This term our main fundraiser is the Vinnies Winter Appeal. From this week you can start donating tinned goods, dried pasta, long-life milk, biscuits, blankets, beanies, gloves and second-hand winter clothes. Please make sure any second-hand items are in good condition. You can bring these items in until the last day of this term.  

We will also be having a Beanie Day for the Feast Day of St Thomas More. On June 22nd, come along in your school uniform and coolest beanie and show your support for those living rough. If you wear a beanie, make sure you bring in a gold coin donation that we can send to Vinnies to help the homeless. You can donate your beanies at the end of the day if you would like as well.  

We did our second rubbish audit last week. This is what we found.  

In fourth place we had Year 3 and 4 with 62 pieces of rubbish. That was with the Eco Warriors helping as well!  

In third place we have the Quad with Year 1 and Year 2 with 54 pieces of rubbish. Again, this was with the Eco Warriors help.  

In second place we have Year 5 and Year 6 with 36 pieces of rubbish.  

And in first place we have Prep with 5 pieces of rubbish! This was again with the help of the Eco Warriors.  

A special mention to the Eco Warriors for all their hard work! 

Well done Prep. You will get a visit from Olive! Miss Byrne will talk to your teachers to arrange a time for a visit.  

Year 6 don’t forget you can come to Service Club meetings! We would love to have extra help!  

God bless, 

Oliver, Joe and Maria from Service Club 

From our Tuckshop

Open every Friday.  Please place your childs order through FlexiSchools by 12pm Thursdays and please supply a Paper Bag for your childs order.

Awards

Great work from our Week 7 award recipients! 

Enroll Now for 2023

From our Uniform Shop

The Uniform Shop will be back to normal hours this term.

Monday: 8:15am - 8:45am

Wednesday: 2:45pm - 3:15pm

Friday: 8:15am - 8:45am

Email orders are encouraged. You can email your orders through to thouniform@twb.catholic.edu.au

Needs some uniform alternations?

A hem taken up?  A skirt taken down?  Some buttons adjust on a shirt?   Give Mrs Fix It a ring and see if she can help.   

From our P&F

If you can't make it in person, you can attend via Zoom.

Care and Concern committee

Earlier this year our P&F started a Care and Concern committee. The idea of the committee is to provide short term help for STM families in their time of need. This might include when a parent or child or staff member is sick and requires meals, transport or just a supportive hand. It also includes supporting our families in times of grief. We already have a number of volunteers but would love some more so if you would like to join our team of volunteers or even just find out more, please contact Kylie Haywood (kyliehaywoodbusiness@gmail.com).

If you or your family are requiring support, please do not hesitate to reach out to our school leadership team or P&F team and we will discretely and respectfully work with you and your family to provide support and care.

Have you ever wondered what information you should be sharing with your child's teachers? How to help your child through a transition at school? How to build a great relationship with their teacher?

The Catholic School Parent's QLD Parent Engagement website has some great quick reads for parents and teachers to help create a positive and rewarding school journey.

Read them here: https://www.parentengagementcspa.edu.au/

Parent Engagement Day

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!

Parish News

Click on the links below for the latest news from the Parish.

Important Dates to Remember for Term 2

Looking for a Part Time Job?

There is always someone there to help.