STM NEWS | Term 4, Week 1, 2026

Our Twilight School Tour is next Tuesday 20 October from 5.30pm–7.00pm, and we’d love our current families to help us spread the word!

If you know friends, family members, neighbours or local families with young children, please invite them along to discover our school. It’s a wonderful opportunity to tour our learning spaces, meet our staff, see the great learning happening across the school and learn more about what our community has to offer.

There’ll also be a sausage sizzle, children’s activities and face painting, making it a great evening for the whole family.

Help us spread the word! Share the event, tell your friends and invite a family with young children to come along.

We can’t wait to welcome them!

We remind families that all students are required to wear hats during outdoor activities. No exceptions. Even on overcast days, UV levels can be dangerously high, and sun protection remains essential.

To support our sun safety practices:

• Hats must be worn during recess, lunch, PE lessons, and any outdoor learning.
• Sunscreen is readily available in classrooms and can be reapplied throughout the day.
• We strongly encourage families to apply sunscreen at home each morning, especially on PE days or when students will be outside for extended periods.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe and sun-smart. If your child needs a new hat or you’re unsure about our uniform guidelines, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Dear families,

As we enter term 4, now is the perfect time to review your account and make any adjustments needed to ensure your 2026 fees are completed by November 2026. Please contact Anthony our Business Manager for any queries or assistance with your account.

Please notify the front office of any changes to details and complete a change of details form. All forms can be found in the front office reception area.

Email: accounts@sttmore.catholic.edu.au or phone (08) 7285 1500.

Warm regards
STM Finance Team

We are delighted to invite all our families to join us for our Christmas Carols Evening, a wonderful tradition that brings our school community together to celebrate the festive season.

As in previous years, each class will perform a Christmas carol, and we look forward to seeing our students share their Christmas spirit with family and friends.

Date: Friday 20 November
5:00pm: Sausage Sizzle
6:00pm: Christmas carol performances begin

Please place the date in your calendars and come along for a relaxed and festive evening with our school community. We will provide further information closer to the time. We look forward to seeing everyone there and celebrating Christmas together!

At the end of this week, we farewel Charli Poole as she begins an exciting new chapter and takes on a role in another field.

Charli has been a valued member of our school community, and we are incredibly grateful for the care, commitment and support she has shown our students and colleagues. Her contribution has helped our students feel valued, supported and successful, and her presence will be greatly missed.

We thank Charli sincerely for all she has contributed and wish her every happiness and success in her new role.

As we return from the school holidays, we would like to remind families of the importance of road safety and adhering to road rules around our school.

Unfortunately, some families are parking on the yellow lines near the crossing to drop off students in the morning. This is not only unsafe, but it is also against the law and may result in a fine being issued.

We appreciate everyone’s patience as we continue to await the opening of our Kiss and Drop zone. This has been delayed due to an identified safety risk when exiting the area. We are currently waiting for traffic management works to be completed, including the removal of the external car park space adjacent to the exit gate, to ensure clear visibility and the safe exit of vehicles from the school grounds.

School Parking Safety DL Brochure

All families should now have received a request to confirm their enrolment intentions for 2027.

We kindly ask that all families respond to this request, particularly if your child will not be returning to our school next year.

As we enter the final term of the year, we recognise that this period can bring a range of emotions for students, including excitement, curiosity and, at times, some uncertainty about what lies ahead. Change can be challenging, especially for young learners, and we remain committed to supporting all students through this transition with care, understanding and purpose.

Throughout Term 4, our focus will be on helping students remain engaged in their learning, celebrate their achievements and finish the year with confidence. For students who may require additional support to prepare for the transition to 2027, we will implement thoughtful and appropriate transition processes to ensure they feel safe, supported and ready for the year ahead.

As we begin planning for 2027 class placements, we invite families to share any information about their child that they believe may assist us in creating positive and successful learning environments.

If there is information you would like us to consider, please provide this in writing to a member of the Leadership Team. To ensure a fair and equitable process for all students, requests for specific teachers or staff members will not be considered.

While all information received will be carefully reviewed and taken into consideration, please note that we are unable to guarantee that every request or preference can be accommodated. We appreciate your understanding and support as we work to make the best possible placement decisions for all students.

Do you have a child ready to start school in 2027?

Reception enrolments are still open, with some places available for both Term 1 and Term 3, 2027. Please contact our Front Office for enrolment information.

If you have friends, family or neighbours with young children who may be considering St Thomas More School for 2027, we kindly ask you to share this information with them.

Children already enrolled to commence Reception in Term 1, 2027 will begin their transition visits in Week 6 this term, providing an opportunity to become familiar with school and begin getting to know their educators and peers.

We look forward to welcoming our newest students and families to our school community!

CONNECTING WITH THE SUNDAY GOSPEL READING: (Matthew 22:1-14)

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a king who prepares a great wedding banquet and invites many guests. Surprisingly, some people refuse the invitation and choose other priorities instead. The king then welcomes everyone he can find, reminding us that God’s love and invitation are open to all people. Through this story, Jesus teaches us that God continually invites us into a relationship with Him, and He hopes we will respond with open hearts, gratitude, and willingness.

As a school community, this Gospel encourages us to think about how we respond to God’s invitation each day. We accept His invitation when we show kindness, welcome others, help those in need, pray, and live out our Mercy values. God invites each of us to be part of His family and to share His love with the people around us.

Wonderings

I wonder how God is inviting me to grow in faith this week

I wonder what distractions stop me from responding to God’s invitation

I wonder how I can help others feel welcomed, included, and loved

Family Challenge for the Week

This week, make a special effort to welcome someone. It might be a new student, a neighbour, a family member, or someone who seems lonely. As a family, talk about how you can make others feel included and valued, just as God welcomes each one of us to His table. At the end of the week, share a moment when you accepted God’s invitation to show love, kindness, or courage.

JOINING US FOR PRAYER, LITURGY AND THE CELEBRATION OF MASS

Prayer, liturgy and the celebration of Mass are at the heart of life in a Catholic school, nurturing the spiritual growth of our students and strengthening our community in faith. Through daily prayer and shared liturgical experiences, students are invited to develop a personal relationship with God, reflect on Gospel values, and grow in compassion, gratitude and service. The celebration of Mass brings us together as one body in Christ, reminding us of the presence of Jesus in our lives and guiding us to live out our faith in meaningful ways.

This term our liturgical celebrations occur:

Week 5
November 10
R-2 Prayer gathering in the Hub at 9am – ‘Getting our Hearts Ready for Jesus’

Week 6
November 17
Year 3-6 Mass – 17 November at 12 noon in the Hub

Week 8
December 1
End of Year Whole School Mass at 12noon in the Hall

LIVING MERCY AT SMM

This term, we are focusing on the Mercy value of Courage. Courage shines through the everyday actions of our students as they step outside their comfort zones, try new things, stand up for what is right, and persevere when learning becomes challenging. We see courage when students include others, share their ideas with confidence, apologise when they make mistakes, and show resilience in the face of setbacks. Inspired by the example of Jesus and Catherine McAuley, our students are learning that courage is not about being fearless, but about doing what is good, just and loving, even when it is difficult. We are proud of the many ways our students demonstrate this important Mercy value each day.

SACRAMENTAL PROGRAM 2027

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 2027 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

RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS (RCIA)

Elizabeth Catholic Parish is pleased to announce that the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) programme will commence on 11 October 2026.

The programme is for:

• Adults who are interested in becoming Catholic; and
• Baptised Catholics aged 14 and above who have not yet received the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and/or Confirmation.

If you, a family member, a staff member, or someone you know may be interested in participating, please contact the Parish Office at reception@elizabethcatholicparish.com.au.

We know that Term 4 is traditionally a busy term and often flies by. Please be aware of the below dates and events that may be of importance to you and your family. For many, this may require you to book time off work if you would like to attend. For our Year 6 families, specific information for end of year events will be communicated soon.

Week 4

Monday, 2 November |Children’s University Graduation (evening)

Week 6

Tuesday, 17 November | New Reception Transition Visits Commence

Friday, 20 November | Christmas Carols Evening

Week 7

Swimming Week R-2 | Volunteers required

Week 8

Tuesday, 1 December | End of Year Mass 12pm

Thursday, 3 December | Year 6 Graduation Dinner 6.00pm – Midway Tavern

Friday, 5 December | End of Year Assembly 9.00am

Week 9

Monday, 7 December | Year 6 Graduation Liturgy and Ceremony 6pm (Last Day for Year 6’s)

Monday, 7 December | Student Reports sent home

Tuesday, 8 December | Meet the Teacher (R-5)

Wednesday, 9 December | Last Day for all Students (R-5)

Thursday, 10 and Friday, 11 December | Pupil Free Days (Please make bookings for our OSHC Service as Required)

Further information will be corresponded to you before these events.