STM NEWS | Term 3, Week 7, 2025

This Sunday we honour and celebrate all the incredible fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, mentors, and the many special men who play a vital role in the lives of our children. Father’s Day is more than a date on the calendar—it’s a moment to pause and reflect on the quiet strength, unwavering support, and everyday acts of love that shape our families and communities.

Your presence, your guidance, and your love help shape the next generation in ways that words can hardly capture. Whether you’re the one tying shoelaces, reading bedtime stories, cheering from the sidelines, or simply offering a quiet moment of support—your impact is immeasurable.

May this Father’s Day be filled with moments of connection, laughter, and the recognition you so richly deserve. Thank you for being role models, protectors, teachers, and friends. The world is better because of you.

Business Manager

We are delighted to share with you that Mr Anthony Filpi has been appointed as our new Business Manager. Anthony brings with him a wealth of knowledge, experience, and a strong background in school operations and financial management. His leadership and insight will be invaluable as we continue to move forward and strengthen our work together.

Volunteers Needed!

Our school canteen is a busy and vital part of our community. Jane, our dedicated Canteen Manager, is looking for extra hands to help keep things running smoothly. Whether you can spare a few hours a week or just one morning a month – every bit helps! No experience needed – just a willingness to help!

If you’re available and would love to support our school, please contact our Front Office on 7285 1500 or email info@sttmore.catholic.edu.au – Let’s keep our canteen thriving – together!

It’s National Child Protection Week.

The 2025 theme is “Every Conversation matters: Shifting conversation to action.” This is a special week where we emphasize the importance of turning discussions about child safety into tangible actions. We value the importance of school life and home life working in partnership to keep our children safe.

• Do you have conversations with your child about what they do online?
• Do you ask them if they feel safe at school and in the community?
• Do you ask your child if there is anything that is bothering them?

Protecting our children is everyone’s business.

As we mark Child Protection Week, it’s a powerful reminder that safeguarding children isn’t just about physical environments—it extends to the digital world too. In an age where online interaction is part of everyday life, ensuring our children are safe, supported, and informed online is more important than ever.

That’s why we want to highlight an important update coming this December:

New social media regulations under the Online Safety Act will require platforms to take stronger steps to prevent children under 16 from accessing age-restricted services. These changes are designed to reduce exposure to harmful content and create safer digital spaces for young people.

While platforms will be held accountable for enforcing age restrictions, parents and carers remain the most powerful line of defence when it comes to online safety. Monitoring your child’s digital activity, setting boundaries around screen time, and having open conversations about what they see and do online are all essential steps.

Here are a few ways families can stay proactive:

• Regularly check privacy settings and app permissions
• Use parental controls where appropriate
• Encourage children to speak up if something online makes them uncomfortable
• Stay informed about the platforms and trends your child engages with

Together, we can build a safer, more supportive online world for our children—one click, one conversation, one caring adult at a time.

What a wonderful turnout we had at our Parent Workshop last Wednesday. Madhavi’s wisdom and insight into how we can support our children when they are dysregulated was very well received. Our staff also experienced a professional development session where they were given skills and techniques to manage their own well-being as well as gaining further tools they can use in the classroom to benefit our students.

Tell us what you thought!

If you attended the seminar, please get in touch with us with any feedback – we’d love to hear what you thought of Madhavi and the content she shared with us all. Email feedback to info@sttmore.catholic.edu.au.

This term, we’ve honed our focus on living out the Mercy Values in everyday school life, with a renewed emphasis on promoting and celebrating positive behaviour. A key initiative has been the introduction of our Mercy Token Trade, where students can exchange a Mercy Card for a token that contributes spirit points to their House team. This simple but powerful system is already gaining strong traction, encouraging students to act with kindness, compassion, and integrity.

By shifting our lens toward what we do want to see—respect, responsibility, and empathy—we’re building a culture that uplifts and affirms. Acknowledging and rewarding positive behaviour not only reinforces our shared values but also inspires others to follow suit. It’s about creating a ripple effect of goodness, one Mercy Card at a time.

We are getting excited for Week 10 when the combined choir from St Mary Magdalene’s and St Thomas More will be joining voices with hundreds of students from across South Australia at the Catholic Schools Music Festival, held at the Adelaide Convention Centre. This annual celebration of music and community showcases the incredible talent, dedication, and spirit of our Catholic school students.

Our choir will be part of a massed ensemble, performing in harmony with others to create a truly uplifting and memorable experience. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to shine on a professional stage, build confidence, and share the joy of music with a wider audience.

A heartfelt thank you to Mrs Villano for her outstanding leadership and preparation. Her passion and commitment have guided our students beautifully, and we’re so proud of all their hard work.

On Wednesday, 6 August our students participated in the Catholic Schools Cross Country carnival at the East Parklands, starting on the Christian Brothers College Parklands Oval in Adelaide. A team of 36 year three to six students participated in the challenging two-kilometre run.

On a beautiful wet Winter’s Day, students were able to complete the challenging 2km course successfully. Runners were able to achieve some great times with each race containing more than 100 competitors. The students showed great enthusiasm, competed to the best of their abilities, and work through pain barriers to complete the gruelling 2km course.

I was extremely proud of all the runners and the effort they put in to complete the course. Many students placed between 20th and 100th which was an exceptional effort. Excitingly, we also had a top 10 finish for the Girls Division A – A special congratulations to Savannah P!

Thank you to Georgie Bush, Rowan Grist, Lesley Swann, and Lesley Renee Van Hout for their assistance and support on the day! Well done everyone on a great performance!

Cristian Morgado
PE Teacher/Coordinator

As we begin to look toward the 2026 school year, now is the perfect time to start planning ahead. Whether your child will be joining us for the first time or continuing their learning journey, early preparation helps ensure a smooth and supported transition.

If you have a child starting Reception in 2026 – and have not yet enrolled them, we encourage you to contact the school as soon as possible.
Early enrolment helps us plan staffing, resources, and classroom placements to best support every student.

If your family is planning to transition away from our school community in 2026, we kindly ask that you inform the front office as early as possible.
This helps us manage enrolments and support your child’s next steps with care and clarity.

Do you know a family who might be interested in joining our school?

Please encourage them to make an enquiry or come for a tour—word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to build a strong, connected community. We welcome all new families with open arms and are happy to provide tours or answer any questions.

• Friday, 5 September | Feast Day of St Mother Teresa
• Sunday, 7 September | Father’s Day
• Monday, 8 September | National Child Protection Week
• Tuesday, 9 September | Liturgy 12noon (Hosted by 3G, 3/4H and 3/4KJ)
• Wednesday, 17 September | T-Ball Carnival (Year 3-5)
• Friday, 19 September | Assembly 9am (Hosted by Reception MD)
• Wednesday, 24 September | Catholic Schools Music Festival
• Thursday, 25 September | Final Day of Term 3
• Friday, 26 September | Pupil Free Day (book in OSHC asap)
• Monday, 13 October | First Day of Term 4

Continue to check our School Calendar for more events.

Celebrations of Mass and Liturgy at St Thomas More

Year 2M and Rec MD held a lovely class liturgy on Friday with a focus on St. Vincent de Paul, a man who gave his life to helping the poor and those in need. St Vincent de Paul was a man who loved God by loving people. He saw people who were hungry, poor, or lonely, and he gave them food, clothes, and kindness. He listened to the words of Jesus in the Gospel that said, “Whatever you do for the least of these brothers and sisters, you do for me.” As part of the prayer service, students reflected on how they could follow his example in their own lives. They said, “When we share food, give to others and show kindness, we are really giving to Jesus”. They brought forward cans of food to remember that every can, every meal, and every act of kindness makes a difference.

Ordinary time, Feast Days, and Liturgies

St Mother Teresa | Feast Day September 5^th

This week during community prayer we focussed on St Mother Teresa. She was an instrumental leader who led by serving the poor and founding the Missionaries of Charity in 1950, her purpose was to provide care, love, and support to people in great need. The quote “Peace begins with a smile” is attributed to Mother Teresa. This simple yet powerful statement encourages small acts of kindness, suggesting that a single smile can bridge divides, create connection, and foster a ripple effect of positivity and peace within communities. As a school we took on this challenge of greeting each other with a smile to create a wave of peace, love and happiness in our school community.

Celebrating Mercy Day!

Every year we celebrate Mercy Day. A day that marks the anniversary of opening of the first House of Mercy in Dublin, Ireland, in 1827. As a school founded by the Sisters of Mercy, it is a day for us to focus on the legacy of Catherine McAuley and the Mercy values that we are guided by each day. Keep an eye out for more information about our celebrations, from our Year 5/6 student Community Leadership group.

Liturgy | 3G, 3/4 H and 3/4 KJ

You might like to join us for a liturgy in Week 8, Tuesday September 9 in the Jubilee Hall. Year 3 Grist, Year 3/4 Harros and Year 3/4 Jessop will be leading this celebration.

Sacramental Program

Our students are nearing the end of their Sacramental Program journey. Family workshops have now finished, and we prepare for our celebrations. Adrian in Year 2M is preparing to celebrate Reconciliation, with Confirmation and Frist Communion soon after. I invite you to join us in keeping him in your prayers as he completes this process of initiation into the Catholic church.

MITIOG

You would have received a letter letting you know that our classes will be engaging in the Made in the Image of God Human Sexuality and Respectful Relationships (MITIOG) Curriculum during weeks 7 – 10.

The MITIOG program is the Human Sexuality Education program for SA Catholic Schools. It is based on the fundamental belief that humans are made in God’s image and are deserved of the utmost dignity and respect, and that sexuality, integral to the human person, is a gift from God through which we can live out our vocation to love. The program is delivered, often as a part of an integrated curriculum approach, across each year level from Reception to Year 12. To find out more, please see your child’s class teacher or Melissa Musolino | mmusolino@sttmore.catholic.edu.au.

Andrew Chinn

Andrew Chinn has written some new music as a part of a wider collection of music for masses. He has especially asked for some support from our school with this. A few weeks ago, we were approached by Andrew and his team at Butterfly house for an original artwork and information about St Thomas More. The artwork will be used in the video clip, while the images and writing will form a separate online resource.

Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) Program

The Elizabeth Catholic Parish is pleased to announce that our Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) program will begin on 21st September. This program is for adults who are interested in becoming Catholic, as well as for baptized Catholics who are above 14 years and have not yet received the sacraments of First Holy Communion or Confirmation. If you or you know someone who is interested in this please contact the parish office- reception@elizabethcatholicparish.com.au

ReLAT – Religious Education Literacy Assessment

This term our Year 4 students along with all Year 4 students in South Australian Catholic Schools will be participating in an assessment in Religious Education. This annual assessment has been developed by the Catholic Education Office and will take place during Week 9. The assessment known as ReLAT will focus on knowledge content which is core to the Year 3/ 4 Crossways Religious Education curriculum. Students in Year 4 in 2025 have been engaging in the Crossways Religious Education curriculum for two years. As a basic knowledge test, ReLAT complements the continuous, fuller, and deeper assessment of learning that occurs in the RE classroom. The ReLAT assessment tool is an online multiple-choice test with 35 questions. The data from the ReLAT assessment is collated and used by the school to inform whole-of-school professional learning needs and the continuous improvement of teaching in Religious Education.

Catholic Charities

September is Catholic Charities month. Charity is at the heart of Living Catholic. Catholic Charities is an umbrella organisation that supports various agencies working with the most vulnerable in South Australia. Keep an eye out next week for a brochure that will be sent home to each family letting you know more about this important organisation.

The agencies supported by Catholic Charities are:

• Hutt St Centre
• Aboriginal Catholic Ministry
• Our Lady of La Vang & St Patrick’s Special Schools
• Centacare Catholic Community Services