Term 1 - Week 7 - Newsletter

Prayer of the Week

Prayer retrieved from https://sharecatholic.com/blog/a-prayer-for-lenten-grace 

From the Principal’s Desk…

Much has been made of student attendance and absentee rates in the past few years, and deservedly so!  The television advertisement of Rugby League great Johnathon Thurston perched up in the classroom screaming out ‘HERE’ during the class role call has helped raise much needed attention and urgency around this concerning trend.  Although on the surface the concept of attendance and absentee rates appears to be rather simplistic, there now appears to be much deeper ramifications and lifelong issues concerned with missing school. 

Attendance at school is the foundation of student engagement, learning, wellbeing and achievement. Learning gains, engagement to school and retention have all been strongly correlated with regular student attendance.

Current research and practice indicate that an individual student’s attendance rate of 90% or less is correlated with potential problems for the student in the short, medium and long terms. Such a rate has been described as Chronic Absenteeism (CA) and needs to be identified and responded to from the earliest indications. Put simply, an attendance rate of 90% equates to the following: 

Ninety percent (90%) attendance (aka “regular attendance”):
= 1 day/fortnight absent
= 1 week/term absent
= 1 month/year absent
= 1 school year/P-9 absent
= almost 1 ½ years instruction lost P-12

The research is clear and extremely concerning, children with less than 90% attendance are:

• achieving lower levels of literacy and numeracy;
• achieve lower performance and learning grades/reports;
• reportedly experiencing more problems with peers (ie. poor sense of belonging, peer conflict;
• reporting higher levels of disorganisation and anxiety;
• reportedly experiencing less success in the classroom compared to their peers;
• more likely to experience unemployment, mental health difficulties, not complete Year 12, lower life expectancies and more likely to be involved in criminal activity as an adult.

Chronic Absenteeism in the first term of a student’s schooling has been directly correlated with present and future problems. These findings can be used as a reliable and useful early warning signs for future adverse outcomes well in advance of the analysis of any formal learning achievement data – whether in school or system wide. As such, it provides especially powerful alerts in the early years of a student’s schooling, secondary as well as primary. Studies from both WA and Qld, indicate that the younger that chronic absenteeism occurs, the more significant the impact on learning and engagement.

So, at St Thomas More’s, let’s make every day count!! 

Parent Teacher Interviews

Parent Teacher Interviews have been scheduled for Week 8 of Term One: Monday 13^th – Friday 17^th March.  Parent Teacher interviews are an important component of the school reporting and assessing process, providing important information as to the progress of children. 

NAPLAN Testing Window

Please be advised, the 2023 NAPLAN testing will commence Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March with testing scheduling for the following days:

St Patrick’s Day Friday 17^th March

To acknowledge one of the most significant days on the Liturgical calendar, children will be encouraged to wear green accessories for St Patrick’s Day on Friday 17^th March.  Let’s get our green on!!

This week, a St Thomas More’s sticker will be distributed to every family (please note, this may extend over a few weeks).  We are encouraging families to display the stickers on their car windows as to advertise our wonderful school.  At the conclusion of every term, we will identify a ‘lucky number plate’ with the recipient to receive a $50 Rebel Sport voucher.  A huge thanks to Tierney Signs in assisting us with St Thomas More’s stickers!

God Bless,

Duane Wann

Principal

Student Protection Contacts

From our APRE

Thank you to Mrs Pulsford and 5 Blue for leading our Upper School so prayerfully for our very first Prayer Celebration of the year. It is always a bit scary being the first class rostered on and you did a lovely job of sharing some thoughts and prayers about International Women's Day with us. Hopefully this week we can take a leaf from your book and all find time to consider the women in our lives, whether they are near or far, who inspire us. 

This week we head into our 3rd week of Lent. Have you given up something you love for Lent or have you instead taken up the challenge to do a good deed each day? Don't forget we have our handy Lenten calendar to help us out! 

Project Compassion 2023

Last week every single class had money in their Project Compassion Money Box. How amazing is that! Well done to Mrs Wright and 1 Red who raised the most money last week. I hope you enjoy having the special Project Compassion Cross on your prayer table this week. 

Our two main fundraising initiatives for Lent for the rest of this term are 50c Friday and our Easter Raffle. Easter Raffle tickets are 50c each and can be purchased from Wednesday - Friday this week at first break only as Year 6 are off at camp. An enormous thank you to all those staff and families who were able to donate eggs for our raffle. We have 28 amazing hampers already made up and more eggs ready to make even more hampers. We are still taking donations of eggs if any families had some they wanted to send in. They can be dropped off in my office. 

Worship Choir

There will be no Worship Choir this week as I am away on Year 6 Camp. We had a wonderful group of Lower School children attend last week and we are very excited to be revisiting some old songs and learning some great new songs. 

Family Mass

This term we celebrate Family Mass with the St Thomas More's Parish on Saturday, March 25th. This is a special opportunity for our STM families to connect with our local parish and for the children to share their love of prayer. All families are most welcome to attend. We will need some children to take on some additional ministries on the evening, including reading, singing and symbols. If your children would like to be part of one of these, please let me know via email (Kristin.Byrne@twb.catholic.edu.au). We have very eager children, so please be aware that everyone who volunteers will not be able to read or carry forward a symbol ... but the choir is never too big!  

Volunteering at STM in 2023

We love our parent helpers at STM! Any parents who would like to volunteer at STM this year will need to complete the TCS Volunteer Induction. This needs to be completed each year by parents who volunteer at our school. Please email me (Kristin.Byrne@twb.catholic.edu.au) if you would like an induction pack sent home. 

Out of Bounds Areas

Just a friendly reminder that we have aligned our before-school and after-school out-of-bounds areas. Please note that in the afternoons there is no play on any school ovals or equipment after school, just like there is no play in these areas before school until 8:15 am when the teacher on duty opens these areas. Teachers on the Stop Drop and Go duty near the Church Carpark may choose to open the Bottom Oval Playground for play after 3:15 pm. There is to be no play on this equipment until the teachers on duty indicate so. 

Harmony Week

This year, St Thomas More's will celebrate Harmony Week in Week 9! The theme for Harmony Week in 2023 is everyone belongs. Our Cultural Committee has planned some really exciting things for Harmony Week. Further details will be shared about this closer to the end of the term. 

At this stage, we can share that we will be having a Harmony Week Prayer Celebration led by 4 Blue - with Prep to Year 6 to attend. We will also be creating our beautiful Hallway of Hearts again this year, with our annual whole-school art project. This year, our hearts will represent artwork and styles that reflect the diversity within out St Thomas More's community. If we have any parents or family members who would like to come and teach our students about Indigenous Artwork, African Artwork or Polynesian Artwork, please contact Miss Byrne via email. We would love your help. Families who have other cultural backgrounds will also have the opportunity to create a heart at home to add to our Hallway of Hearts. 

Below I have shared a link to a song that will feature heavily in our Harmony Week celebrations this year. Happy singing! 

God Bless.

Miss Kristin Byrne

Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Thinking STM for Prep in 2024 ...

Miss Byrne's Important Dates to Remember for Term 1

From Our Learning Support

NAPLAN 2023

Students in Years 3 and 5 will take part in the 2023 National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) from Wednesday 15 March to Monday 27 March 2023. Please mark these dates on your calendar.

This is the first year NAPLAN will be held in March, having previously taken place in May. This change was made so school systems would have access to results earlier in the school year, so they can be used to inform teaching and learning plans for the remainder of the year. 

NAPLAN assesses literacy and numeracy skills that students are already learning at school. On its own, NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for, and students are not expected to do so. NAPLAN does not replace ongoing assessments made by teachers about student performance. Students participate in a total of 4 tests over the testing window including Writing, Reading, Conventions of Language, and Numeracy. All tests are completed online using a laptop except for the year 3 writing test which is a pen-and-paper test.  

Students and parents wishing to familiarise themselves with NAPLAN can visit https://www.nap.edu.au/ where you can also access the demonstration site, example papers and parent information about NAPLAN.  

A test schedule will be sent out over the next couple of weeks.  If you wish to discuss your child’s participation in NAPLAN, please contact me as soon as possible at Patricia.wardle@twb.catholic.edu.au 

Enjoy the rest of your week!

God Bless,

Patricia Wardle

Middle Leader/Learning Support Teacher

From Our Sport Desk

2023 DARLING DOWNS SCHOOL SPORT 

COMBINED SPORTING CALENDAR 

As at 17 September 2022 (Dates are subject to change) 

2023 STM Cross Country Program 

The program for the day is below.  

All students require water bottles, sunscreen, and hats. Asthma puffers ( if required ) to be carried at all times. If any students have reactions to insect bites or any other allergies, please ensure the required medication ( epi pens ) has been given to teachers so that the required action can be taken. 

If students are going to absent on the day, or parents wish to take them home at conclusion of the cross country, then teachers must be notified either by note, email or seen in person on the day, as official rolls need to be marked. 

God bless,

Stacey Hancock

HPE Teacher 

From our Service Club

Thank you to everyone who bought a pancake on Shrove Tuesday and all those adults who helped cook pancakes for us. We raised over $100 on Shrove Tuesday. This money is a great start to our Project Compassion Campaign and has started our mission well.  

Our first Project Compassion person we are going to teach you about is Laxmi. She is 16 years old and lives in one of the poorest districts in Nepal. She stopped going to school after her father passed away and helped her mother sell vegetables to earn money instead.  

After a while, she joined the CARITAS Child’s Club. Child’s club taught her leadership skills and speaking skills. The club and her mother encouraged her to go back to school. One of her best memories of school was when she advocated for water taps at her school so children there could get clean water any time of the day that they were thirsty.  

Laxmi has now graduated high school and is studying a technical college to become an engineer. Her mother has been with her every step of the way and she wants to help her mother not struggle so much. Laxmi is now also a Child’s Club leader and teaches other children.  

We can help children like Laxmi by donating money to Project Compassion. This money helps children like Laxmi and their families live better lives and have a better education. You can donate money anytime using your Project Compassion money box or buy a ticket (or two or three) for the Easter Egg raffle.  

Don’t forget, Easter Egg raffle tickets are 50c each and you can buy them any day at first break in Miss Byrne’s room. Give what you can to help those in need.  

Have a great week. 

God bless. 

Anakha, Oliver and Evelia from Service Club.

Classroom Newsletters

Week 6 Awards

Well done to our students who were recipients of awards last week. Keep up the great work!

From our Tuckshop

Tuckshop Menu

Open every Friday.  Please place your childs order through FlexiSchools by 1pm Thursdays and please supply a Paper Bag for your childs order.

News Flash: 

Exciting things happening in the Tuckshop for Term 2

From Our Office

From the Library

From our Uniform Shop

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

Monday 8.00am – 8.30am

Wednesday afternoon – By Appointment

Friday 8.00am – 8.30am

If these times don’t work for you please email your order through to THOuniform@twb.catholic.edu.au and the orders will be at the office for collection at your convenience.

Need 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

From the Parish

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!

A huge thank you to Meat Cellar for their continued support for our school events.

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