50 Yorktown Road,
Elizabeth Park SA 5113

STM NEWS | Term 1, Week 4, 2025

Welcome to Week 4, the term is flying by so quickly!

Firstly, a very big thank you to all our families who have made times to meet with the teachers during our Meet and Greet week. This opportunity is crucial in forming a whole team approach and setting the year up for success. Our staff were thrilled to share their learning space with you and provide you with an insight into the. As the term goes on, please remember that ongoing communication with your child’s teacher is vital to ensure you work in partnership to celebrate the great thigs and work though any concerns. The teacher is always the first ‘port of call’ as they have the greatest insights into your child’s learning and wellbeing and are the best person to support you and your child’s school journey.

At last week’s assembly, we highlighted the Mercy Value of ‘Courage”. We are always called to show courage when faced with new or challenging situations or learning. The first few weeks teachers have been working with students to establish class expectations and undertake preliminary testing to ensure the learning is not too easy and not too hard but just at the right! We call this the zone of proximal development. Sometimes when we are in this zone, the learning might feel a little bit hard because it is new and children need to draw upon their growth minds and be confident that they just don’t know this part YET! During assembly we talked about always doing your best, never giving up and asking for help. Our children need to continue to build strategies to help themselves to enable them to grow in confident, capable learners.

During assembly we were also fortunate to have our first classes show case their talents, sharing what they had been working on in Performing Arts. Performing in front of the school and peers takes a great deal of courage and the students are to be commended not only on their performance but their creativity and group skills.

This week we also celebrated Random Acts of Kindness Day. Random acts of kindness are small, thoughtful deeds that can make a big difference in someone’s day. Whether it’s sharing a smile with a friend, helping a teacher in class, or simply offering a kind word to someone who looks sad, these acts of generosity spread positivity and create a warm, caring environment. Remember, kindness is contagious—so let’s all strive to do something nice for others every day. It doesn’t take much to show you care, and your little gestures can brighten the world around you!

Volunteers
It is a privilege to have the support of parents and caregivers who are willing to volunteer their time and efforts to support our school. We are looking to increase our pool of registered volunteers at St Thomas More School. Once you are a registered volunteer you can support with excursions, canteen, School Board and various school events. There is a process for becoming a registered volunteer and the front office can give you more information. Attendance at an induction session which should take approximately one hour is a requirement of this process. These sessions will be held on the following dates and times. Please contact the front office to book an induction session after all clearances have been provided.

  • Monday 24 February 2.00pm
  • Tuesday 25 February 2.00pm
  • Thursday 27 February 9.00am OR 2.00pm
  • Friday 28 February 9.00am

If you are unable to attend any of these times, another time can be organised for you. We value your contribution to our school community and your support of the many events we have planned for this year.

Grievance procedure
A reminder is given to all parents and caregivers that if there are concerns about situations that have occurred, you are to initially speak with classroom teachers to clarify information you have about it. Issues are also brought to the attention of Leadership staff and the appropriate follow up is enacted. Please do not approach students on school grounds to question them about issues between students.

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Pupil Free Day

We would like to remind you that Friday, 7 March (next week) is a Pupil Free Day as our staff undergo professional development. It will be a 4-day weekend as Monday is also the Adelaide Cup Public Holiday. Please pop this date in your calendar. If you require our OSHC services, please ensure you make a booking asap on 0409 551 699.

Celebrating the Liturgical Year

A Liturgical Year shows the cycle of seasons in the Catholic Church. The Church year consists of six liturgical seasons: Advent, Christmas, Ordinary Time after Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Ordinary Time after Pentecost. In each newsletter we aim to highlight different events in the Liturgical Calendar that we might be celebrating in our school.

Important seasons that occur during Term 1’s Liturgical Calendar are Lent and Easter

Liturgical Calendar Events

Lent | Shrove Tuesday

In Week 6 of our school term, we enter a new liturgical season in the Catholic Church, the season of Lent. This season lasts for forty days and forty nights. Our students recognise the change in prayer cloth colour on our classroom prayer tables as it changes from green to purple. We begin with Shrove Tuesday. This day is celebrated by people around the world in different ways. Some refer to it as Pancake Day, Mardi Gras or Carnevale. In preparation for Lent, Catholics would use up foods which they were not permitted to consume during Lent. This included eggs, fat and rich foods.

More information about our Pancake Tuesday will be sent out next week.

Lent | Ash Wednesday

Ash Wednesday begins the Season of Lent. The marking of ashes on our foreheads on Ash Wednesday is a reminder for us all to walk with Jesus during the season of Lent, to say sorry for the times we have hurt others and aim to become more loving as we work to put others’ needs before our own. It is a special time when we stop and think about how we can play our part in God’s hope for a world that is fair, just and peaceful.

Project Compassion in 2025

During the season of Lent, we connect with CARITAS Australia and fundraise for Project Compassion. Each year Project Compassion brings together thousands of Australians in schools, parishes and the community to stand in solidarity with the world’s most vulnerable communities, to help end poverty, promote justice and uphold dignity. This Lent, Caritas Australia’s Project Compassion invites us to Unite Against Poverty and take action to make a lasting difference. As a school, we take time to consider how many of our mercy values we put into action through our involvement with Project Compassion.

Whole School and Class Liturgical Celebrations

Each term, we gather in a variety of ways as a school to engage in liturgical celebrations of prayer, liturgy and the celebration of Mass. Sometimes we gather as a whole school and other times our classes join in teams to lead these celebrations. We invite you to join us in our celebrations and will advertise these to you in advance.

Other special days and events that we highlight in Term 1 through daily classroom prayer and school events, include:

  • Random Acts of Kindness Day
  • Ramadan
  • Clean Up Australia Day
  • World Day of Prayer
  • St. Patrick’s Day
  • St. Joseph’s Day
  • Harmony Day
  • Holy Week

Elizabeth Parish Sacrament Program

The Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Eucharist form the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. If your child is 7 years of age (or older) and would like to be involved in the program for 2025, please contact Melissa Musolino mmusolino@sttmore.catholic.edu.au

Building Works - Exciting Updates!

Stage 1 of our building works are well and truly underway. A very exciting slab of concrete has been poured, creating the literal foundation of our new Resource Centre and Specialised Classrooms space.

We encourage you to visit our dedicated blog for regular updates.

Want to find out more?

We understand that building projects can sometimes raise questions or concerns, and we want to keep you informed every step of the way. If you have any questions or would like more details about the project, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Front Office in the first instance on 7285 1500 or info@sttmore.catholic.edu.au

Invitation to our next School Tour

Our Head of School, Vicki Rubino, is hosting a School Tour on Friday, 14 March at 10am. You may have friends or family members with school-ready children who would like to come along. We encourage you to share the link below with them so they can reserve their place and hopefully join our STM community.

Book a Tour

 

Don’t forget about our Refer a Friend and Win competition!

Meet our Student Cousellor: Ms Tess Boyd

“Supporting every student’s journey with understanding and care”

While many of you may have already met or worked with our Student Counsellor Tess since she joined us in Term 2 last year, we would like to take this opportunity to formally introduce her to our school community.

Tess is available Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, providing valuable support to our students and their families. As a qualified Trauma-Informed Practitioner, she brings specialised expertise in understanding and supporting children who have experienced trauma, helping them develop resilience and coping strategies in their educational journey.

One of Tess’s significant contributions has been the development of our Year 6 Transition Program. This comprehensive program supports our senior students and their families as they prepare for their important journey to high school. The program includes group and individual student support sessions, parent information support, and collaborative work with local high schools to ensure a smooth transition for our Year 6 students.

Her approach to student wellbeing is both professional and compassionate, focusing on creating a safe and supportive environment where students feel comfortable sharing their concerns and working through challenges. Her trauma-informed perspective helps ensure that our school’s support services are sensitive to the diverse needs of our community.

Tess welcomes parents and caregivers to chat and is available to discuss any concerns you may have about your child’s emotional wellbeing, social development, or school transition matters.

We are fortunate to have Tess as part of our school community and look forward to her continued support of our students’ wellbeing and development.

A Wellbeing Focus in our 3/4 classrooms

Our Year 3/4s have been focusing their learning this week on their wellbeing – with a particular emphasis on understanding their own character strengths and how these unique qualities help shape who they are. Whether it’s perseverance, kindness, or creativity, each student has explored how they can embrace and develop these traits in all areas of life. As well as identify how important it can be to celebrate each others strengths.

They have also been nurturing a growth mindset, a concept that focuses on the power of perseverance and effort. By setting realistic goals and embracing challenges as opportunities to learn, students are learning to cultivate resilience and a love for learning. They are being guided to develop the belief that their abilities can evolve with effort, which empowers them to face difficulties head-on with optimism and determination.

“I like in morning circle how we get time to share special things going on in our lives” – Kaylee

“I like how growth mindset is about me cheering myself on, and encouraging myself to keep trying” – Zarghona

“I like morning circle because we get to have a laugh together” – Jiovanni

“I think it is important that growth mindset is teaching me how to never give up on myself” – Sulaiman

Children's University now at STM!

Children’s University is not just another educational program – it’s an adventure! With a simple aim to develop inquisitive eager learners with a passion for lifelong learning. Children’s Universtity promotes educational experiences where students are encouraged to develop their curiosity and creativity. Children are recognised and rewarded at an end of year graduation ceremony once they have accumulated a minimum of 30 hours in their Learning Passport.

Parents and carers are invited to take their children to various locations around the state to participate in a wide range of learning experiences. Additionally, students have the opportunity to access over 700 online learning activities, allowing them to achieve their desired 30 hours of learning outside of traditional school lessons. Once your child becomes a member, a complete list of Learning Destinations and online activities can be found by logging on to the CU Portal using the provided username and password.

As this is St Thomas More School’s pilot year offering this program, we will only be opening registrations to children in the year 3 and 4.

For further enquires please contact Rosemarie Villano rvillano@sttmore.catholic.edu.au or Matthew McGinty mmcginty@sttmore.catholic.edu.au

School Calendar and Key Events

Our school calendar can be accessed here. Please continue to refer to this calendar for all important dates including:

  • Extra-Curricular Events and Carnivals
  • Assembly’s and Masses
  • Religious Feast Days
  • Community Days and Events
  • Pupil Free Days and Public Holidays
  • Learning Conversations
  • …and more!

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