50 Yorktown Road,
Elizabeth Park SA 5113

STM NEWS | Term 3, Week 1, 2025

Dear Families,

Welcome Back to Term 3! We hope that everyone enjoyed their holiday break and found some time to connect as a family and share some special times. We’re delighted to see our school community return with bright smiles and an eagerness to dive back into learning. The yard and classrooms have come alive again with laughter, chatter, and the unmistakable buzz of students reconnecting with friends and settling into familiar routines.

It’s heartwarming to witness the joy of shared stories, the excitement of new goals, and the energy that fills the school when everyone is back together. We’ve noticed how much some of our students have grown—not just in height but in confidence—and we’re so proud of the way they’ve returned ready to embrace everything Term 3 has to offer. We are looking forward to a busy term with lots of learning, laughter and fun.

Starting Term 3 Strong – Building Good Habits

As we begin Term 3, it’s a great time to reinforce the importance of strong daily habits that support student success and wellbeing. Regular attendance isn’t just important—it’s essential, and it’s a legal requirement for all school-aged children. Every day at school counts toward building foundational skills for life.

Arriving on time each morning helps set the tone for a positive, settled start to the day and ensures students are present for key learning moments that happen early. Similarly, while we understand that early pickups are sometimes necessary, they can disrupt the flow of teaching and reduce valuable classroom time.

As a school, we’re aiming for every student to attend at least 90% of school days across the term. Reaching this target gives students the greatest opportunity to thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Thank you for working with us to create a consistent learning environment where every child has the best chance to succeed.

A Special Welcome to Our New Families

To all our new Reception students and those joining across other year levels—a heartfelt welcome to you and your families! We’re so excited to have you as part of our community. Starting a new chapter can feel like a big step, and we hope our school quickly feels like a second home. May this be a place where you feel truly welcomed, where friendships blossom, and where a love of learning flourishes. We look forward to sharing this journey with you and celebrating every milestone along the way.

Teacher First – Your Go-To for Classroom Matters

We value the strong home-school partnership that we have at St Thomas More, a partnership that stands as one of the most significant factors in your child’s education. Teachers work hard to keep you up to date with your child’s learning and growth, offering ways for you to connect with them.

While it may seem easier to approach your child’s teacher at drop-off, pick-up, or in the schoolyard, you can and should make a time to speak with them. At the start of the school day, teachers are busy settling their students into a calm classroom environment, preparing them for the learning space. Scheduling an appointment gives you both time for a focused, effective discussion and allows for privacy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or ideas relating to your child’s classroom experience, please make your child’s teacher your first point of contact—they’re always happy to help and work together to support your child’s learning journey.

Week 2 | Learning Conversations

A friendly reminder that next week we’ll be holding our Learning Conversations to review the Semester 1 Report and set goals for the term ahead.

Thank you to the many families who have already booked a time via the Zapp app. If you haven’t yet secured a slot, we encourage you to do so as soon as possible.

These conversations are a valuable opportunity to strengthen the connection between home and school, allowing you to discuss your child’s progress and work collaboratively with their teacher to support their learning journey. If you need assistance with making a booking, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our staff—we’re here to help!

Andrew Chinn Concert | All Welcome!

On Thursday of Week 3 we welcome Andrew Chinn to our school. Andrew is well known to our students and we look forward to welcoming him back.

Andrew’s songs, such as “These Hands”, “Rainbow”, “An African Blessing” and “Rise Up!” are used not only in our classrooms and liturgies but right around Australia, New Zealand, USA and Canada. Our students will participate in musical workshops with Andrew prior to our concert that afternoon.

All families are warmly invited to the afternoon concert commencing at 2pm on Thursday 7th August (Week 3). We hope to see you there.

Dress for Success | Uniform Matters

A reminder to all families of the importance of wearing the correct school uniform each day. Our uniform presents an image in line with the school ethos and contributes to developing a sense of pride, unity, and belonging, which in turn helps create a positive and focused school environment. By arriving in full uniform, students are not only following school expectations but also setting themselves up for success—ready to learn and take part in every opportunity the day brings.

We appreciate your continued support in maintaining our school standards and helping every child feel part of our shared community.

A list of St Thomas More School’s uniform requirements is available from the Front Office if you have any queries.

Drinks at School | Keeping it Healthy!

Just a reminder to all families that students should bring appropriate, healthy drinks to school each day. Water is always the best option, keeping students hydrated and focused for learning.

We kindly ask that soft drinks, energy drinks like Powerade, and other sugary beverages are not sent with children. These drinks can be high in sugar or caffeine and aren’t suitable for the school environment. Thank you for supporting our efforts to promote healthy habits and create the best conditions for learning and wellbeing!

Building Update | Exciting Changes Ahead

We’re thrilled to share that our new building is almost ready to be handed over – and it’s looking absolutely fantastic!

This incredible new space will be a hub for learning, relaxing, and spending time together. While final landscaping and the installation of our long-awaited playground are still to come, we will have access to the building during this phase, so students and staff can start enjoying the new facilities very soon.

Stage 2 of our development is now underway, with the demolition of the Immaculata building completed over the holidays. The front of our school has been completely transformed, and as construction continues, we’re excited to see the next chapter unfold—including the new kiss and drop zone, staff parking, and a covered outdoor learning area.

During this time, we ask for your patience and understanding, as street parking remains limited. We know it’s a bit of an adjustment—but the wait will absolutely be worth it!

 

We wish you a wonderful term and look forward to working in collaboration with you all.

Shaping our future together,
The Leadership Team

Catholic Schools Open Week | Look our for our latest STM Stars

To celebrate Catholic Schools Open Week, we will be engaging in a range of advertising opportunities around the Elizabeth area. Over the coming weeks, you will see our latest STM Sibling Stars – Georgia and Tom – on bus backs, digital screens, and banners around the school.

We are very proud of our school, and all that we have to offer. If you agree, be sure to spread the word to your friends and family.

Special Free Event | Emotional Regulation

We extend a very special invitation to all parents, carers, grandparents and friend of our school to attend this powerful event:

Emotional Regulation – Mastering Emotions through Connection and Regulation
Wednesday, 27 August 2025 | 6.30pm – 8.00pm
St Thomas More School

Director of Positive Minds Australia, Madhavi Nawana Parker, will provide a practical workshop with advice to help raise children’s emotional intelligence (EQ) and social emotional wellbeing so they have the best chance of regulating their emotions thoughtfully and constructively. Madhavi will also assist adults with crucial co-regulation skills to role model helpful ways to handle uncomfortable emotions.

Research shows these foundational skills provide the foundation for academic and lifelong success. Madhavi will share information about child and adolescent development, and take a deep dive into the simple ways we can support emotional resilience at any age.

To register for this free event, please click the “Register” button below and select “Get Tickets” on the events page.

Register

A message from our APRIM

Liturgical Calendar Connections

This term we focus on various events during class and whole school prayer and liturgy that come up in the Liturgical Year including:

22 July | Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
8 August | The Feast of St. Mary of the Cross Mackillop
15 August | The Feast of the Assumption of Mary
5 August | Feast of Mother Teresa
9 September | Feast of Frederick Ozanam

We also spend time focusing on significant days that occur throughout this term, including:

25 July | Schools Tree Day
Week 3 | Catholic Schools Open Week
4 August | National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
11 August | Bullying No Way Week
1 September | National Child Protection Week
7 September | Father’s Day
21 September | International Day of Peace

Staff Reflection Day

Our staff enjoyed a gentle start to the term with the first day back as a day to focus on gratitude. As a staff group we gather each year to spend time in spiritual reflection and this year our theme was, A Pilgrimage to the Heart: A journey of Gratitude for Self, Other’s, and Creation. Staff had the opportunity to journal throughout the day while they connected with moments of gratitude for themselves and the work they do, their colleagues and people in their life they are grateful for and the gift of God’s creation. We were blessed with beautiful weather on the day which allowed staff to head outdoors and spend time connecting with nature. Prayer and reflection through the day gave us time to slow down, to listen and think deeply about how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we walk upon the earth.

Sacrament Program

The Sacrament Program is well underway for some of our students and their families and towards the end of this term they will celebrate the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Eucharist. I ask you to keep our students and their families in your prayers as they continue this journey of becoming fully initiated members of the Catholic Church.

The Sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, Confirmation and Eucharist form the Sacraments of Christian Initiation. If your child is 7 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.

Elizabeth Catholic Parish

Please click on the link below to access the parish bulletin to find out about events happening within the Elizabeth Catholic Parish – Bulletin – Elizabeth Catholic Parish

 

Book Week 2025 | "Book an Adventure”

Children’s Book Week is The CBCA’s key highlight national event of the year. This year’s celebration will run from Saturday 16 to Saturday 23 August.

The 2025 theme is Book an Adventure!

2025 is also a milestone year for us as we celebrate 80 years of Children’s Book Week! For 8 decades, CBCA has been dedicated to inspiring young minds to journey through the countless worlds that books offer. Jess’ imaginative artwork reflects this mission perfectly, encouraging children to set off on adventures through time, lands, and imagination. We look forward to continuing this mission for the next 80 years and beyond!

Join us for our BOOK WEEK PARADE on Wednesday, 20 August 2025 at 9.15am

Important Dates

To keep track of important upcoming events at St Thomas More School, please regularly check our school calendar on our website.