Term 3 - Week 6 - Newsletter

Prayer of the Week

From the Principal’s Desk…

Throughout the course of a year, schools utilise a number of resources to enhance, support and enable learning for all children.  St Thomas More’s is no different, incorporating a number of research-based initiatives and programs to supplement the curriculum.  For your benefit, I have included key initiatives undertaken by St Thomas More’s during 2023 in alignment with our Annual Action Plan

 Student Learning Goals:

Setting learning goals is related to growth in learning. Setting goals has been identified as a high impact teaching strategy (HITS). Goals need to be set at an appropriate level of challenge for students to benefit from this strategy.

Goal setting is the process of establishing an outcome (a goal) to serve as the aim of one's actions (Locke & Latham, 2020). Setting goals:

• makes the direction of learning clear to the student and the teacher
• increases students' motivation and achievement levels
• works best if they are specific and require a moderate amount of challenge
• works best for high-ability students if they are co-constructed.

Teachers need to help students set goals that are appropriately challenging for them. This may mean that their goals are quite different to the rest of the class.

7 Steps to Writing Success

The Seven Steps are the building blocks to great writing. They break down writing into simple chunks, so students aren’t overwhelmed by writing a whole piece straight away. Instead, they gain confidence with each Step they learn, to become creative and engaging writers. Eventually they will learn how to put it all together and write complete texts independently.

The Seven Steps

• Step 1: Plan for Success
• Step 2: Sizzling Starts
• Step 3: Tightening Tension
• Step 4: Dynamic Dialogue
• Step 5: Show, Don’t Tell
• Step 6: Ban the Boring
• Step 7: Exciting Endings/Ending with Impact

Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L)

Positive Behaviour for Learning (PBL) is a whole-school framework that promotes positive behaviour across a school and helps schools develop safe and supportive learning environments.

Schools which implement the PBL framework make sure all students are explicitly taught the expected behaviours and establish clear and consistent boundaries. Staff take a proactive, preventative approach to ensure all students receive the appropriate level of support to help them to be successful at school.

Attached below is the ‘draft’ St Thomas More’s Engagement Matrix:

Bounce Back

Bounce Back! aims to provide engaging lessons in social-emotional learning skills for wellbeing and resilience to all primary-aged children. The program aims to create a positive, safe and supportive learning community through the development of a shared language and understanding of wellbeing and resilience across the whole school.

The two main theories and research in psychology that underpin the Bounce Back! program are positive psychology and cognitive behaviour therapy. Our acronym PROSPER stands for the science-based wellbeing elements of Positivity, Relationships, Outcomes, Strengths, Purpose, Engagement and Resilience. The Bounce Back! curriculum for student wellbeing incorporates all the elements of PROSPER, a positive education framework. Two specific refinements of cognitive behaviour therapy have influenced Bounce Back!

Zones of Regulation

Zones of Regulation is an approach used to support the development of self-regulation in children. All the different ways children feel and the states of alertness they experience are categorized into four coloured zones. Children who are well regulated are able to be in the appropriate zone at the appropriate time.

To teach children how to:

• Identify their feelings
• Be aware of what zone they are in
• Start to use tools to be in the appropriate zone for the moment

God Bless,

Duane Wann

Principal

Student Protection Contacts

From our APRE

Thank you to Father Nathan for coming along last week to celebrate the Feast Day of St Mary MacKillop. It was lovely to celebrate this occasion in the STM church as a whole school community. Thank you to all students for participating so reverently.  

St Thomas More’s Primary School was founded by the Sisters of St Joseph, an order of nuns of which Mary MacKillop was a co-founder. Mary MacKillop’s teachings are very important to STM and are reflected in our school vision, mission and values. 

Students engaged in various learning experiences in their classrooms over the week relating to Mary MacKillop. I am sure that they would be able to tell you a thing or two about her life and teachings. 

This week we look forward to 5 Gold leading our year 3-6 students in a Prayer Celebration about the Assumption of Mary. Families are more than welcome to join us. 

Term 3 Family Mass

This term, we join with the St Thomas More’s Parish to celebrate Family Mass on Saturday 26th August at 6:00 pm.  If your child wishes to participate in this Mass, whether it be to read, sing or bring forward something to the altar, please send me an email at Patricia.wardle@twb.catholic.edu.au or encourage your child to come and see me.  All families are most welcome to come along without being required to take on a role during the mass. 

National Bullying Prevention Week and Bully Zero Day - Wednesday 16th August.

This week is National Bullying Prevention Week. On Wednesday 16th August, we are asking students to dress up as superheroes because heroes don’t bully.  We don’t want to cause any additional expense, we are just suggesting students wear anything associated with superheroes on the day, this may include a cape, a mask, a superhero T-shirt and/or superhero socks to promote this very important issue. Students can wear their superhero accessories over their uniform or with their sun-safe attire (casual clothing). We would appreciate if students could bring a gold coin on this day which will be donated to Bully Zero.  

Please head to https://www.bullyzero.org.au/ to find out more about Bully Zero and to access some great resources to support you in talking to the young people in your life about bullying. You can also find valuable resources on the  Bullying. No Way! Website https://bullyingnoway.gov.au/.  

On Friday 18th August, in recognition of the National Day against Bullying and Violence, students will be gathering together on the top oval for a whole school picnic at first break. Students will be required to bring their own lunch or tuckshop and must wear their hat. This will allow students time to continue to build connections across the school and connects nicely with the National Bullying Prevention Week Theme of ‘Growing Connections, promoting the importance of school, family and community connections in building safe and supportive learning environments where all students can belong, feel accepted and respected’.

Father's Day at STM

This year we will be holding a Father’s Day coffee and breakfast morning. This will be held on Thursday August 31st from 7.30 am-8.30 am on the bottom oval. The STM P&F has engaged Caffeine Bus to serve coffee and we are also extremely lucky to have Rosie’s offer to cook bacon and egg rolls. The above won’t be available for students, only adults.  

We will then gather together to celebrate Father’s Day on Thursday, August 31st with a Prayer Celebration led by 1 Blue in the SportsCenter. Students from Prep to Year 6 will attend and all STM families are most welcome. This celebration will be first up in the morning commencing at 8.40 am.  

During the Father’s Day prayer celebration, we will be sharing a photo story of our amazing STM fathers and those who are like fathers to us. All STM families are invited to send in a maximum of two photos to be included in this photo story. All photos must be sent to Mrs. Wardle via email Patricia.Wardle@twb.catholic.edu.au by Tuesday 29th August. No Photos sent in after this date will be included in the photo story.

God Bless.

Mrs Patricia Wardle

Acting Assistant Principal: Religious Education

Term 3 Date Claimers

Please see below the important dates for Term 3. 

From the Middle Leader/Learning Support

ICAS COMPETITIONS

ICAS Tests will continue this week with the English ICAS test being held on Monday 14th August at 8.45am.  

• English – Monday 14th August at 8.45  
• Science – Monday 21st August at 8.45  
• Spelling – Monday 21st August at 11.15. Please note that this time has changed from Tuesday 22nd due to swimming. 
• Maths – Tuesday 29th August at 11.15. Chess comp kids will do their test at 12.10 on Wednesday 30th August. 

Regards, 

Mrs Patricia Wardle 

Regards,

Trish Wardle

Thinking STM for Prep in 2024 ...

From Our Sports Desk

Interschool Sport – Friday 18th August   

Last week we had a huge number of children that didn’t have a water bottle for interschool sport. Can you please support your child by ensuring they have a water and hat for sport.  

If your child has chosen to play soccer, they will be required to have/wear shin guards. If your child has chosen to play rugby league, they will be required to wear a mouth guard and wear school-coloured footy shorts and socks.  

Netball  

1:35pm Senior A vs Rangeville 6 
12:50pm Senior B vs Rangeville court 6  
12:50pm Junior A vs Fairholme court 10  
1:35pm Junior B vs OLOL court 11 

Soccer – Anderson Park  

1:35pm Senior A Boys vs Newtown 
12:50pm Junior A Boys vs Newtown 
1:35pm Junior A Girls vs Rangeville  

Rugby League – St Mary’s 
1:35pm Senior A vs St Saviour’s   

Year 4 Rugby 7’s – TAS  
12:50pm – 2:15pm  

Term 3 Swimming Lessons 

Years 4-6 will participate in swimming lessons in Term 3. Due to renovation works happening at the Centenary Pool, we will be busing our students over to the Harristown High Pool. The swimming lessons will still be conducted by Darren Lange Swimming Academy. Below are the dates and times that the lessons will be held.  

Please ensure your child has their swimming costume, towel, cap and goggles for their lessons and anything else you feel they may require. They do not need sun shirts as they are inside for lessons. Swimming caps are encouraged for both swimming lessons.  

If there is a problem with your child’s lessons, please speak to their class teacher and they will deal with the concern. Please do not contact the pool directly.  

Dates for lessons 

Tuesday 18th July  
Tuesday 25th July  
Tuesday 1st August 
Tuesday 15th August  
Tuesday 22nd August  

  Lesson Times – 45min  
11:45am – 12:30pm       Year 4 Gold & Blue  
12:30pm – 1:15pm         Year 5 Blue, Gold 5/6 Red  
1:15pm – 2:00pm            Year 6 Blue & Gold  

 Year 3 Cricket Blast School Cup 

We are very excited to be sending our Year 3 students to the Woolworths Cricket Blast School Cup. This one-day event will be held on Tuesday 22nd August 2023 at Queens Park Toowoomba. The aim of the day is to teach children the fundamentals of cricket in a fun, safe and fast modified game of cricket. Plastic bats, soft rubber balls, plastic stumps etc will be used during the event. It is expected all children win Year 3 attend this opportunity. Children will be spilt into mixed girl/boy and mixed ability teams with others from their class. Children will be bused to and from the venue during school time. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact your classroom teacher.  

Darling Downs Athletics  

Congratulations to the 7 students who have been selected to attend at the Darling Downs Athletics trials tomorrow. We wish them the best of luck!  

Nathan Bation  
Piper Melrose 
Kiara Milligan  
Grace Olive 
Harper Pavey  
Christian Schultz  
Jonathan Ward  

God Bless,

Stacey Hancock

HPE Teacher

From Our Counsellor

From Our Library

Episode 8 - Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to eat lots of nutritious food.  Here is a great smoothie recipe from Oli and Milly.

Click Here for the Link to the Podcast

Week 5 Awards

Well done to our Award winners for Week 5!

Classroom Newsletters

From our P & F

Our next P&F meeting will be held next Monday evening  (14th August). This meeting will be held in the music room with an option to dial in via zoom (link to be sent out later this week ). All parents and staff are invited to join us for this P&F meeting - it is a great way for parents to be involved in your child's school and contribute to doing 'just one thing' in the school community. See you all there! 

If you would like to join us but can't make it to the meeting you can link in via Zoom.  A link will be released a week prior to the meeting date.

Bush Dance - we have interest in holding another bush dance for our school community again this year but to do so we need a committee of volunteers to help drive this. If you are interested, please come and see Kylie Haywood 

From OSHC

Good Morning St Thomas, Mores Families,

I hope this email finds you well.  We have had a week of new ideas and introductions of a new program..

Monday- we saw Miss Gemma run a very interesting program called Exploring Different Cultures.  The children watched a video called Art and Culture in the Territory. This was a great activity.  Gemma also introduced new board games after afternoon tea.

Tuesday- We watched a lovely video called ‘What about me makes you proud’ .  It was a very touching short video on fathers and their children. It was a bit of a tearjerker video, and it made Miss Gemma and me tear up. After afternoon tea we had a small group start on father’s day crafts.

Wednesday- Miss Hannah had a wonderful activity where the children created their own indigenous stories using symbols and diagrams. The video Hannah showed was called ‘ The wish Granter Short Story’. The children created the most beautiful stories using the self-drawn symbols . Miss Hannah will be using some of these wonderful stories in our RAP plan.

Thursday – Miss Jannali was to facilitate a Magic show , however she has been unwell most of this week.  We provided the children with an alternative activity , which consisted of bead making, and hand knitting headbands.

Friday – Miss Hannah will be showing a video at group time called ‘ What is Yoga’ and be running a yoga demonstration. A great way to unwind for the weekend ahead.

On Tuesday I introduced a reward system called ‘Class Gojo’. Each child has an avatar that is randomly hatched from an egg. We have put some rewards together for the children to work towards. The children have a great laugh each afternoon when we open the app and they can see what their avatars look like, and who has how many points etc. At this present time Shanya has worked towards her half an hour on the ipad, as has Asher a little Preppie that has been sitting beautifully at group time. Shanya has been cleaning up after herself and cleaning up after other children without being asked. The children are so gracious . When a child is awarded points , most of the children clap for them and say, ‘great job’. It is beautiful to see.

Staffing news.

Kallen has officially started this week, and the older boys think this is awesome. Kallen will be working from 3:30-6pm Tuesday, Thursday and Friday . Please come and say hello when you come in for pick up.

Laetitia will be starting next week. I interviewed Laetitia early this week. I think she will be a wonderful asset to OSHC. Laetitia should start next week and will be working from 2-6pm each night. Laetitia will shadow me for the first week, as per the normal routine. Laetitia is very excited to start at OSHC, and is excited to meet you all, and care for your child/ren.

Just a friendly reminder about the 1^st September , as this is a Pupil Free Day. All BSC and ASC bookings have been deleted for that day, if you could  go into Xplor and book your child/ren in for that day if you are needing care. Alternatively, for your convenience you can send me a tx or email and I will book in on your behalf.

We have been working to finalise the Spring Vacation Care Program, and it should be sent out soon. It is hard to believe we are getting ready for vacation care again, as it seems it has only just been. But we should have some wonderful activities planned, and two or three exciting excursions.

Until next week, please enjoy the pictures and stories attached.

Kind Regards

Debbie and the team.

From our Tuckshop

Tuckshop is back to our normal Thursday & Fridays this week.  Please make sure your orders are done by 1pm Wednesady via flexischools.

Tuckshop Menu

Open every Thursday & Friday.  Please place your childs order through FlexiSchools by 1pm Wednesday for Thursdays & 1pm Thursday for Friday. 

From our Uniform Shop

From the St Thomas More's Parish

Please find attached the bulletin for this week. 

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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