Dear Families,

Wow, what a week we’ve had! It was wonderful to start the week with our newest
St Thomas Aquinas Primary students. The orientations are continuing with small groups of our 2022 ELC students being welcomed for a visit to the ELC playground over the next few weeks. While this is not the way we had hoped to hold our orientations, we are grateful that we will at least be able to give our youngest students an opportunity to have a look around the ELC and meet the teachers and educators.

We were also treated to a visit by Her Royal Highness, Princess Angelika Lātūfuipeka Tukuʻaho of the Kingdom of Tonga. The Director of Catholic Education, Mr Ross Fox welcomed Her Royal Highness to our school, before taking her for a tour and then through to awaiting Year 3 students.  The students had many questions about Tonga and what it was like to be a princess. We were treated to Tongan music and a traditional dance by one of our very talented students, Lu’isa. Her Royal Highness gifted the school with two copies of a book titled ‘A Little Seahorse in Love’ which is written in both English and Tongan.

It was disappointing to have to defer the Colour Run last Friday due to the rain. We have rescheduled for this Friday and hope that the weather might hold out. If we are unable to hold the Colour Run on Friday, we will try our best to book a new date with BFirm sometime in the last few weeks of December.

School Fees 2022
Careful consideration has been taken in reviewing the fees for 2022 to continue to support our school’s requirements, while keeping increases manageable and fair for families in the current economic environment. I can now advise you that in 2022, our fee for a single student will be $844 per term (excluding Building Fund).  This is an approximate $5 increase per week.

Our fee combines Tuition and School levies and the increase will help us to keep pace with rising salaries and costs, to ensure our school continues to deliver the quality education for our students that you expect.

Starting in 2022, and continuing over the next three years, sibling discounts for tuition fees will be reduced. This will help to reduce overall fee increases.

A detailed breakdown of information regarding school fees for 2022 is provided here. This includes proposed changes to the sibling discount.

As always, if fees create financial concern for you, I would encourage you to make an appointment with me to discuss how we can help. Any discussion regarding fees is strictly confidential. If you have any questions regarding school fees for 2022, please feel free to contact me.

Semester Two Reports
Semester Two student reports will be accessible through the Compass Parent Portal only. Please note the school will not be printing and providing paper copies for families. It is therefore essential that you have downloaded and activated the app using your individual log in provided. If you are yet to activate the link or need support, please contact the Front Office.

Parent Teacher Conferences
I know many parents and carers have taken the opportunity this week to speak with their child/ren’s teacher about learning this year. As you would be aware, there will be no written comments on reports this semester. We hope that by having an opportunity to speak with the teachers before reports are released, you will gain greater insight into your child’s learning and discuss strategies for supporting or extending their learning in 2022.

Take care and God Bless

 
Leah Taylor
Principal