STM NEWS | Term 1, Week 4, 2026

Thank you to all our families who braved the evening heat to attend our Meet and Greet Evening last week.

This event plays an important role in establishing a strong, collaborative approach between home and school, helping set the year up for success. Our staff were delighted to welcome you into their learning spaces and share key information about the year ahead. If you were unable to attend, please contact your child’s teacher to receive the materials or updates that were provided.

As the term progresses, please remember that ongoing communication with your child’s teacher is essential in supporting their learning and wellbeing. Teachers are the first point of contact, as they hold the most comprehensive understanding of your child’s day‑to‑day experiences and are best placed to work with you to celebrate successes and address any concerns. You do not need to wait until Parent–Teacher Interviews at the end of the term; however, we kindly ask that meetings be scheduled in advance to ensure teachers can be fully present, as mornings are a particularly busy time.

Our Pancake Breakfast on Tuesday morning was filled with energy as students gathered to enjoy pancakes in the fresh morning air.

Shrove Tuesday is traditionally associated with reflection, community, and the sharing of food, and our students embraced this spirit wholeheartedly, beginning the day with enthusiasm and joy. We extend our sincere thanks to all staff who contributed to the success of the morning. Your support and coordination ensured the event ran seamlessly and provided a meaningful start to the day for our students.

Shrove Tuesday ushers us into the season of Lent, a forty‑day period beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Holy Thursday. The symbolism of the ashes reminds us of our call to return to God, who is ever‑present with tenderness and compassion. As we commence our Lenten journey, we are invited to reflect deeply on our thoughts, choices, and actions. Prayer, fasting, and almsgiving remain central to this season and guide us in renewing our hearts. The ashes placed upon our foreheads serve as a profound sign of humility and repentance, encouraging us to turn our hearts toward Jesus. At St Thomas More, our students walk this journey of faith together, striving to grow in love, kindness, and compassion throughout the Lenten season.

2026 Seniors

We were delighted to present our Year 6 students with their Senior Polo tops at the end of Week One. We are confident that all these young leaders will strive to serve our school community with integrity, responsibility, and kindness and will wear their tops with pride. It is important to acknowledge that all Year 5/6 students contribute to the leadership of our school throughout 2026.

Student Ambassadors and House Captains

We proudly annouced our Student Ambassadors and House Captains for 2026 at assembly last week. The process of nomination, interview, and selection is undertaken with great care and guided by our Mercy Values and the leadership qualities that underpin these roles. Throughout this process, we have emphasised that leadership can be expressed in many forms, with each student bringing their own unique strengths, style, and character to their role. We look forward to seeing their ideas develop and witnessing the many ways they will put kindness into action as they contribute positively to our school community.

Each student holds responsibilities within our community, and while some have been appointed to specific leadership positions, there are many additional opportunities for leadership that will arise across the year. We are committed to supporting every student as they grow in confidence, capability, and leadership.

As you’re getting your child ready for school each morning, don’t forget to pack a healthy snack into their bag!

Children’s brains and bodies work hard throughout the school day. A nutritious mid-morning or afternoon snack helps maintain their energy levels, supports concentration, and keeps hunger from becoming a distraction in the classroom, and can also help them focus better, retain information, and stay in a positive mood.

Some great snack ideas include:

• Fresh fruit (apple slices, grapes, or a banana)
• Veggies with hummus
• Whole grain crackers with cheese
• Yogurt
• A homemade trail mix with dried fruit and seeds

Even on the busiest mornings, a simple snack takes just a moment to prepare, and it can make a big difference in how your child feels and learns throughout the day. Thank you for helping set your child up for success, one snack at a time!

As we begin the year, we are placing a strong focus on establishing positive habits that set all students up for success.

Wearing the school uniform correctly and with pride is an important part of this. Our uniform reflects our shared identity as a community, promotes a sense of belonging, and reminds students that they represent St Thomas More in both their appearance and their actions. We ask that families support this by monitoring uniforms each morning to ensure students arrive at school dressed appropriately and ready for learning. This partnership between home and school is essential in maintaining high expectations and consistency. Where uniform concerns arise, teachers will make contact with families so that we can work together to support students in meeting our standards.

This week’s reminders:

• Makeup – excessive make up including lashes is not permitted
• Nails – false or stick on nails as well as nail polish is not permitted
• Hair – hair longer than collar length must always be tied up or tied back. All hair accessories should be in the school colours
• Hats – must be worn at all playtimes and should be our school issued hat with the team colour unless negotiated for a short period of time.

In Year 5/6T, we have spent the last few weeks exploring our Mercy Values and how they connect to love in our everyday lives. Through discussion, reflection, and writing activities, students shared that love is how we treat others each day, showing kindness, patience, and respect, even when it can be challenging. We spoke about love as including others, listening when someone is upset, helping without being asked, forgiving mistakes, and standing up for people who are treated unfairly. Students recognised that love is not just something we say, but something we show through our words and actions. It has been wonderful to see them making strong links between the Mercy Values and the ways they can live out love in our classroom, school, and wider community. – Miss R Trimboli

As we move through the school year, we’d like to remind families about the importance of students arriving at school on time each morning and remaining at school until dismissal time.

Arriving on time sets the day up for success and therefore attendance for the start of the school day is incredibly important. Teachers use this time to:

• Set expectations for the day
• Introduce key learning concepts
• Provide important instructions
• Support students in settling into their routines

When students arrive late, they often feel rushed, miss essential information, and can find it harder to transition smoothly into learning. Consistent punctuality helps children build responsibility, confidence, and positive learning habits.

We also ask families to avoid picking students up early unless absolutely necessary. The final part of the school day is valuable instructional time. Early departures

• Interrupt learning
• Disrupt the class
• Can cause students to miss important wrap-up activities or instructions for the next day

Whenever possible, please schedule appointments outside of school hours so students can benefit from a full day of learning.

Our Front Office is a very busy space before and after school.

During these times, staff are assisting families with important matters, managing attendance, and supporting student needs. The Front Office is not a waiting area for dismissal. Once the gates are opened in the afternoon, families are welcome to wait under the shelter area to meet their child. This helps us keep the office clear for essential business and maintain safe and organised dismissal procedures. We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep these high-traffic times running smoothly.

We are pleased to share that our Kiss and Drop area will be opening soon!

This dedicated space will provide a safe and efficient location for collecting children at dismissal time. More information and guidelines will be shared shortly to ensure everyone understands how to use the space safely and effectively.

Thank you for partnering with us to create a safe, respectful, and organized school environment. When students arrive on time, stay for the full day, and families follow dismissal procedures, it supports learning for everyone. We truly appreciate your continued support!

An early reminder that Tuesday 10th March 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 on your calendar. If you require our OSHC service please contact the Front Office or drop into the OSHC building to make arrangements.

Gospel Reflection for Ash Wednesday (Matthew 6:1-6,16-18) summary for Parents and Families

In this Gospel, Jesus teaches us about the quiet, hidden ways we can grow closer to God. He reminds us that doing good things is not about being seen or praised. Instead, our acts of kindness, our prayers, and our sacrifices are meant to come from the heart. Jesus talks about giving to others, and He encourages us to do it humbly. What matters most is the love behind our actions—not whether anyone notices. Even a small, unseen act of kindness can make a big difference in someone’s day. He also teaches us about prayer.

Prayer doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. It is simply taking time to be with God, to talk and listen in a quiet and honest way. Jesus tells us that God sees us in the secret places of our hearts and hears even our softest prayers. Finally, Jesus speaks about fasting—making small sacrifices or choosing something good instead of something easy. When we do this with love, we make more room for God in our lives.

This Gospel gently reminds us that faith grows in those small, faithful choices we make each day. At school, at home, and in our community, the quiet goodness we share helps build a place of compassion, respect, and love. God sees every little moment of kindness, honesty, and generosity—even the ones no one else ever notices.

• I wonder… what quiet act of kindness I could do for someone this week?
• I wonder… how I might find a moment to talk to God in silence?
• I wonder… what small sacrifice could help me become more like Jesus?

Lent

In the lead‑up to Lent, our school celebrated Shrove Tuesday, a joyful tradition in the Church that reminds us to prepare our hearts for the season ahead. Shrove Tuesday has long been a day of using up rich foods like eggs, milk, and sugar before the fasting and simplicity of Lent begins, which is why many families enjoy pancakes on this day. It’s also a time to reflect, say sorry, and make room for kindness and good choices. Our school community enjoyed some morning pancakes before the school day started. A very big thank you to all staff who helped with making this happen. On Wednesday, we entered a new liturgical season in the Catholic Church: Lent. Lent is a sacred time of preparation for the celebration of Easter. To begin the season of Lent, our school community marked Ash Wednesday, a special day in the Church that reminds us of God’s love and our call to grow closer to Him. Students received ashes on their foreheads in the shape of a cross, symbolising humility, hope, and a fresh start. Ash Wednesday invites us to reflect, pray, and choose kindness in our daily actions as we journey toward Easter. It’s a gentle reminder that we can always turn our hearts back to God and make positive choices that bring light to others.

Dialogue Week

Next week, all staff and students in Catholic Schools have been invited to participate in a conversation as part of the preparation for the 2026 Archdiocesan Synod in Adelaide. A Synod is a large gathering of people from parishes, schools and communities who listen to each other about important issues and work together to make suggestions to Archbishop Patrick O’Regan about our future and the actions we need to take. Dialogue Week (22-28 February 2026) is a chance for people all over the Archdiocese of Adelaide (South Australia) in parishes, schools and communities to have a voice into the 2026 Archdiocesan Synod, especially staff and students in Catholic schools.

Project Compassion 2026 – Unite Against Poverty

Project Compassion is Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraising appeal – one of the largest in the country. For over 60 years, it has brought together schools, parishes, communities and individuals to reflect, pray and take action, helping to create a more just world for all. This Lent, you’re invited to join thousands across the country as we stand together in hope and take action for a more just world. Your support through Project Compassion helps transform lives – bringing clean water, education, healthcare and opportunities to communities facing poverty and injustice. Keep an eye out in upcoming newsletters for more information about Project Compassion and our fundraising focus.

Sacrament Program 2026

This week, students in year 2-6 brought home a letter about the Elizabeth Catholic Parish Sacrament Program highlighting an Information Session on Friday March 20 at 6pm at St. Thomas More Church. Please be aware that you can now enrol. The Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist form the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. If your child is 8 years of age (or older) and you would like them to be involved in the program for 2026, please contact Melissa Musolino or Edna Dumbrell at the Elizabeth Catholic Parish. Please click on the here to access the parish bulletin to find out about events happening within the Elizabeth Catholic Parish.

Looking forward

• School Dentist Visit | Term 2, Week 4 (Monday, 18 May – Friday, 22 May) and Term 4, Week 5 (Monday, 9 November – Friday, 13 November)
• School Photo Day | Term 3, Week 2 (Friday, 31 July)

Check out our school calendar for more updates.