STM NEWS | Term 2, Week 10, 2026

St Thomas More Feast Day

As a school community, we gathered last Thursday to celebrate the Feast Day of St Thomas More.

During this day, we reflected on the remarkable legacy of a man whose life demonstrated unwavering courage, profound wisdom, and deep faith.

St Thomas More was a man of principle. He stood boldly for honesty and justice, even in the face of immense personal sacrifice. He followed his conscience with grace and dignity, staying true to his faith when the easier path might have been to compromise. His life reminds us that doing what is right isn’t always simple, but it is always meaningful.

This message resonates deeply with the Mercy Values that shape our school culture: compassion, justice, hospitality, and respect. Just as St Thomas More lived with moral conviction, we strive to cultivate these values in our children every day. We want them to grow as individuals who stand for truth, reach out with kindness, and live with mercy in their hearts.

Our day was made even more special with our whole school enjoying a beautiful walk to Freemont Park where the children, played, laughed, had fun and enjoyed the opportunity to explore the amazing play facilities. It was a wonderful day made possible through the hard work of Mrs Musolino, staff, student leaders and parents who assisted as volunteers on the day. A huge thank you to everyone.

By now you would have received your child’s Semester 1 Report. This report provides a detailed summary of your child’s learning progress throughout the first half of this year. During Term 3 you will be invited to attend Parent Teacher Learning Conversations to discuss your child’s learning journey and goals for the rest of the year. Please know however, should you wish to discuss any aspect of your child’s schooling with the class teacher please arrange a time.

This term in Science, Rec B has been exploring living things, with a focus on the external features of plants and animals. We have become curious scientists, observing the world around us and asking thoughtful questions about how living things grow and survive. As we began our learning about plants, we created a Wondering Wall filled with the questions we had about them. From wondering how seeds grow to asking why plants need sunlight and water, our classroom has been buzzing with curiosity! We also created self-portraits to accompany our questions, which you can see in the photo below.

On Thursday our Senior choir ventured to St Columba College for their workshop and Hub assessment ahead of a busy term where they will prepare for their performance at the Festival Theatre.

Our students under the amazing guidance of Mrs A sounded incredible and already know the songs and actions so well. Sadly, we farewell Mrs A at the end of this term as she takes up her new role at Mt Carmel college.

This week we say a heartfelt farewell to Mrs A (Rosemarie) and Miss Brittney, and we extend our deepest thanks for the care, creativity, and commitment they have shown during their time in our school community.

Rosemarie has been part of our staff for five wonderful years, sharing her creativity, warmth, and deep dedication to our students. Her passion for the arts has enriched countless classrooms and inspired many young learners. She will be genuinely missed, and we wish her every success as she begins an exciting new chapter in her teaching journey.

Miss Brittney has made a strong and positive impact during her time with us, supporting students with care, patience, and enthusiasm. We are grateful for all she has contributed and wish her the very best as she continues her journey in education. We thank both Rosemarie and Brittney for the gifts they have shared with our school and send them forward with our warmest wishes.

We also farewell Alana Paewai who has worked at our school this past term in a co-educator role. Alana has quickly established connections, successfully engaged students and supported them with their learning. We wish her well as she journeys back to New Zealand.

We warmly welcome Ms Elena Pappas and Mrs Bonnie Harmer, who are joining our Early Years team. Elena will be taking our Reception class, and Bonnie will be teaching the Mid‑Year Reception class. We are thrilled to have them both on board and know our community will welcome them with kindness and warmth and our students will benefit from their enthusiasm, expertise, and energy.

We are also very pleased to welcome Yana, back from maternity and parenting leave. Many students have missed her, and it is wonderful to have her smiling face and positive presence back in our classrooms.

Finally, we welcome Mrs Meagan Taylor, who will be joining our front office team on Mondays and Tuesdays. Please make her feel at home as she becomes part of our school community.

This week we celebrated NAIDOC Week, recognising the rich history, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the First Peoples of Australia.

This important week offers a valuable opportunity for all of us to continue building understanding, strengthening relationships and honouring the enduring cultures that have thrived on this land for tens of thousands of years.

This year’s theme, “50 Years of Deadly,” marks a significant milestone, celebrating the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week. It recognises five decades of strength, resilience, leadership and achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The theme pays tribute to the Elders, community leaders, artists, educators and advocates who have shaped this journey, while inspiring future generations to walk proudly in culture and truth. As a Catholic school guided by our Mercy values, we are reminded of our shared responsibility to listen, learn and walk together in the spirit of reconciliation, recognising and valuing the wisdom and contributions of First Nations peoples.

During this week, students have engaged in meaningful learning experiences that celebrate culture and deepen understanding. Students have also worked collaboratively to create a ‘deadly’ door display, showcasing their learning and creativity. Once completed, classes had the opportunity to visit door displays across the school, appreciating the ideas, effort and perspectives of others, and celebrating the richness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures together.

STM is running it’s first every WINTER Market and we would love to see you there!

For the safety of all our students, please do not send medication in your child’s school bag. Any pre-arranged medication, along with the required paperwork, must be handed directly to our Front Office staff and signed in by a parent or guardian. Medication should never be sent to school with students or kept in their bags to manage themselves. Thank you for helping us keep all our students safe.

Families are welcome to bring in their used household batteries and drop them off for safe and responsible recycling. It’s a small step that makes a big difference for our environment! 🌱

We are so proud of our LEGO club where our budding engineers team up in groups of three to design, build, and problem-solve with LEGO bricks! Each child takes on a rotating role so everyone gets a turn to lead, build, and think:

• The Director guides the team’s plan, keeps everyone on task, and makes sure the group’s ideas come together.
• The Builder brings the design to life, snapping bricks together and testing how the structure holds up.
• The Recorder documents the process, sketching plans, noting changes, and photographing the finished creation.

Through this hands-on teamwork, children develop communication, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, along with early engineering and design thinking. They learn to listen to one another, take turns leading, and see that great ideas often come from working together one brick at a time!

Please take note of the following events coming up early in Term 3. Be sure to keep checking our school calendar for any updates as they happen.