Our school is  a place of faith and learning

“From the first moment that a student sets foot in a Catholic school, he or she ought to have the impression of entering a new environment, one illuminated by the light of faith, and having its own unique characteristics. The inspiration of Jesus must be translated from the ideal into the real. The Gospel spirit should be evident in a Christian way of thought and life which permeates all facets of the educational climate”. 

Dear Parents and Families, 

We welcome everyone back to Term Three and hope that you all managed to enjoy a restful break.

Our first two weeks have been busy. We started the Term celebrating the Feast Day of St Thomas and now continue with Winter Sports, Athletics, the Junior Swimming program, Hoop time, incursions, Book week, the Australian Mathematics Competition and Father’s Day preparations. We revisit our routines and structures and re-engage children with their learning.  Indeed, we look forward to an exciting term and particularly welcome Fr Francis and Fr Aneesh who will join us each week to visit children in their classrooms. Parent /Teacher Interviews will be held mid term.

Baptisms for School Age Children

This Sunday, we have a number of children who will attend Commitment Masses in readiness to receive the sacrament of Baptism. We keep all these children in our prayers and look forward to supporting them in their faith journey.

School Advisory Committee

At the end of last term, we held our first School Advisory Committee meeting, welcoming our new members. Members received an update of the work that has been completed thus far to explore the possibilities of relocating to the Sion site. All families should have received an email last Friday from the Bishop and Director of Catholic Education sharing this information. The link can be found on the PAM dashboard or the DOSCEL website.

School Uniform: The Committee has endorsed girls wearing navy pants during the Winter Season. We have touched base with JSM Embroidery, our uniform supplier and they are sourcing a navy pant for St Thomas’. We are hoping these pants will be available soon for girls wishing to wear them. The pinafore still remains a Winter uniform item. Until further notice, girls choosing to wear the navy pant are asked to wear the boys white emblem shirt, navy school jumper and navy socks. We will continue to review our uniform and policy and will be calling upon the community for input. Please speak to your Advisory Committee members if you have any ideas. 

This week, we have also been informed that JSM Embroidery are no longer able to source the school’s spray jacket and hence, we will be reviewing options for an alternative optional Winter jacket that provides extra warmth and can be worn over the school jumper. Any new uniform items will have a minimum four year changeover period. 

PRINCIPAL’S MEETING

Next Monday, Principal’s from the Sale Diocese will join us for a regular monthly meeting. It is an opportunity to discuss key items impacting diocesan schools and a chance for principals to work collaboratively and engage in professional learning.  Each school takes turns hosting the meeting throughout the school year. We are looking for a few helpers to assist with morning tea and lunch. It will involve heating food and delivering food to the meeting room. We would ask two helpers to assist with lunch and morning tea. We would ask for assistance at 10.30am in readiness for an 11am morning tea and 12.15 pm in readiness for a 1pm lunch. If you can help please contact the school.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP DAY

Yesterday, our School Captains, Lilly & Jack participated in their third Student Leadership Day.The sessions were held at Longford Primary School and involved students from many of our Wellington Shire Primary Schools.

UNWELL STUDENTS

We have a number of students with cold and flu-like symptoms attending school and being sent home unwell. Just a reminder that when children are unwell the best place for them is home until all symptoms are resolved to avoid the spread of germs.

Again, we remind children to be aware of sneezing and coughing etiquette and to wash their hands regularly.

NAPLAN

Please know NAPLAN individual student reports have arrived and will go home next week. This is one of many assessments children complete throughout the year. 

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2019).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

• year of schooling
• category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

• formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools 
• consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
• develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy (https://www.education.gov.au/privacy-policy).

Further information about the NCCD can be found on the NCCD Portal (https://www.nccd.edu.au).

If you have any questions about the NCCD, please contact the school. 

                                                                                                    ST THOMAS PRAY FOR US

2024 SCHOOL TERM DATES

On Monday at Assembly we celebrated NAIDOC week. We acknowledged the First Nation's history, culture and achievements and the history of indigenous communities. NAIDOC Week is an important event that helps build positive relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. It enables a deeper understanding of our differences and similarities. 

Year 3/4D shared with the school their learning about Patty Mills, an Indigenous Basketballer.

Last week our class learnt about NAIDOK week. We looked at
different indigenous figures and what they have done for their
culture and communities
One person we researched was Australian basketballer Patty
Mills

Patty Mills is a proud indigenous Australian who grew up in
Canberra.

He is the only Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person to win
a National Basketball Association championship, and he was the
youngest man to represent Australia at the olympics in basketball.

This year, he will play in the Olympic Games for the fourth time.

Patty was the 2017 NAIDOC Person of the Year for his work
within indigenous communities.

His foundation called Team Mills provides remote indigenous
communities with better access to clean drinking water

He also does a lot of work for indigenous sport and has recently
started his own basketball league to support more young
indigenous people to achieve success in basketball

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHHT0kHLCQs

Thank you to all our tuckshop volunteers!

Time: 12.35pm - 2pm

 If you need to swap your allocated day, please contact another volunteer to make arrangements. The office should only be contacted as a last resort.

Hunter Lange 

Zaylen Ngapare

We have a number of items available in the second hand uniform shop. To purchase or check out what's available please contact Anna Baynes on 0419117649.

A SPECIAL REPORT: Eating Anxiety

The complexity of eating anxiety stems from a combination of social, psychological, and environmental factors. Young people may develop this anxiety due to social pressures related to eating in front of others, fears about body image, or due to more ingrained issues such as eating disorders. Additionally, cultural norms or dietary restrictions can also play significant roles, as can direct experiences like bullying or teasing related to food choices or eating habits.

Whilst not a formally recognised condition, eating anxiety is a genuine and often overwhelming experience that can significantly hinder a young person's ability to participate in everyday activities comfortably. This condition can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and social withdrawal, impacting overall health and academic performance.

Recognising and addressing eating anxiety is crucial for parents, carer, and educators. Through education, policy changes, and community support, we can help young people manage their anxieties and improve their relationship with food, thereby enhancing their overall well-being and social interactions.

This Special Report will help you understand how best to support a child experiencing anxiety around eating.

We hope you take time to reflect on the information offered in this Special Report, and as always, we welcome your feedback.

If you do have any concerns about the wellbeing of your child, please contact the school for further information or seek medical or professional help.

Here is the link to your special report:
https://sttsale.catholic.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-eating-anxiety-au