Term 3 Week 5 St Thomas' Newsletter
Acknowledgement of Country
We acknowledge the Girai Wurrung people of the land on which we live and learn. We recognise their continuing connection to land, water and community. We pay respects to elders, past, present and emerging.
Prayer
From the Principal
We are just over half way through this term which is hard to believe.
For me personally, I'm off to Australian Catholic Education Commission Conference which is held in Cairns this week. The conference will focus on the strategic vision and mission of Catholic education across three key areas – Faith, Excellence and Access. It will feature a broad range of speakers, presentations and workshops focused on Catholic identity, mission and formation; learning and teaching; leadership and governance; parent engagement; parish and community engagement; resourcing and infrastructure; advocacy and marketing.
Annalise Bouchier will be in charge whilst I'm away. I thank her and the staff for looking after the day to day running of the school whilst I'm away.
Enjoy the remainder of the week.
Matt Uzkuraitis
News
ASSEMBLY: There will be no Assembly this week.
WEDNESDAY WEEKLY MASS: There will be no weekly Wednesday Mass this week.
HOOP TIME BASKETBALL: The Grade 3/4 All-Stars play this Friday. A draw and permission form will be up on PAM by tomorrow for those participating.
Book Week - Book Week Parade
We will hold our Book Week Parade on Friday 12th September. On this day the students are invited to dress up in their favourite book character. We will have a parade at 9am where we invited parents and friends to come along (parents are more than welcome to dress up too!!)
Students will also participate in activities on the day where they will be split into groups and teachers will have activities prepared based on the books from this years CBCA Booklist finalists.
This is always an enjoyable day and one we look forward to.
Closure Day - Start of Term 4
We have a closure day scheduled for Monday 6th October (the first day of term 4). Staff will attend a professional development day on Catholic Social Teaching led by Justin McInerney (CEO - RE Consultant).
This means the first day of classes for Term 4 will be on Tuesday 7th October.
P&F Bunnings BBQ - Sunday 24th August
The P&F will be out at Warrnambool Bunnings this Sunday 24th August for a fundraiser for our school. If you are in town be sure to drop in and buy a sausage or two along with a drink.
We thank the P&F for volunteering their time for this fundraiser. Your efforts are very much appreciated by all.
Classroom Awards
Student Awards | Name | Term 3 Week 4 2025 |
PREP M | Sebastian Marshall Darcy Gavan | For his fabulous home reading efforts - awesome Sebby! For working hard at blending sounds to read tricky words. Super Darc! |
Gr 1K | Saoirse Klason Wren Wurlod | Doing outstanding work in all areas Doing outstanding work in all areas |
Gr 2P | Darren Libin Anouk Bedeker | For making great learning choices. For always striving to do and be your best. |
Gr 3S | Georgie Gubbins Fin Moloney | For fanatic application on improving her times tables, well done Georgie ! For having fantastic reading habits, awesome work Fin. |
Gr 4/5B | Georgie Blackford Jack Gilmour | For beautiful fluent reading in class and for your detailed written work. For your fantastic work ethic and listening skills in class. |
Gr 5/6C | Layla Thorton Alex Gubbins | For practicing using expression in her reading For developing his organisational skills |
AUSLAN | The whole PrepM Annabel Gilmour | For your fantastic progress and efforts in learning new signs every week. For always putting 100% effort into Auslan lessons. |
ART | Lani Jones Ava Richard | For being on task and working hard to create beautiful artworks! Well done Lani! For your creatively designed Murakami flower- gorgeous work Ava! |
School Readiness Sessions
We will be running some School Readiness Sessions for any 4 years olds who are attending school next year. We have 4 sessions over the next few weeks. They range from, wellbeing, music, PE and Auslan. This is a new initiative by our school to enhance our kinder to school transition program.
See the flyer below for more information
Birthdays
We say happy birthday to the following students who celebrate a birthday this week. We hope you have a terrific birthday.
Paddy Sargeant
Luka Jones
Term 3 Dates
Term 3 - Important Dates
AUGUST
Friday 22nd August - Grade 3/4 All-Star Basketball Competition
Friday 29th August - Grade 3/4 Rookie Basketball Competition
Sunday 31st August - Sacrament of Eucharist and Confirmation
SEPTEMBER
Monday 1st September - 'Taster Day' (transition day) for Gr 6 students MRC
Friday 5th September - Grandparents Day
Friday 12th September - Book Week Dress Up and Parade
Thursday 18th and Friday 19th September - Grade 3/4 Camp to Ballarat
Friday 19th September - Last day of Term 3 (2:30pm finish)
School TV
Confidence and Motivation
Building confidence and motivation in young people is essential for their development and overall wellbeing. Supporting these traits means encouraging your child to set realistic goals, celebrate their achievements, and learn from setbacks. Confidence allows young people to believe in their abilities, face challenges with resilience, and feel empowered in their decisions. Meanwhile, motivation drives them to pursue interests, strive for personal growth, and stay engaged in school and other activities. By fostering a supportive environment at home, parents can help nurture these qualities, providing their children with the tools they need to navigate life's ups and downs and maintain a positive, proactive mindset.
Find out more on the link below:
Community News
Child Safety Officer
