Dear Parents and Guardians,

As we approach the festive season, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous donations towards our St Vincent De Paul Christmas hampers. Your support truly makes a difference in the lives of those in need, and we are grateful for your kindness.

We are thrilled to share some exciting news regarding our NAPLAN data! After a comprehensive review, we have seen how St Thomas Aquinas Primary School is performing exceptionally well compared to similar schools across the country.

Our commitment to implementing the Catalyst learning framework over the past several years has yielded outstanding results. It’s clear that our strategies, coupled with the support from the Catholic Education Canberra Goulburn (CECG) team, have made a significant impact. The Science of Learning and the associated High Impact Teaching Strategies (HITP) have proven effective in enhancing key literacy and numeracy outcomes for our students.

A special congratulations goes to Carmen Myles, Peter Collins and Leah Taylor, whose leadership in various Coaching initiatives has been instrumental in working with our dedicated staff over the last four years. Their hard work and commitment have contributed to our remarkable achievements and success.

We are proud to announce that St Thomas Aquinas has been recognised by newspapers and other media outlets as a leader in educational programs. This acknowledgment reflects the dedication of our entire school community, and we should all take pride in these accomplishments.

Ultimately, the true beneficiaries of this exceptional program are our students. Their growth and success are a testament to the collaborative efforts of everyone involved.

A reminder for those who have scheduled appointments for the 3 Way Conferences: these important meetings will take place this afternoon and continue tomorrow. We look forward to seeing you and discussing your child's progress. Please note that school reports will go live on Compass this Friday afternoon, providing valuable insights into your child's achievements this Semester.

This time of the year brings many changes to the school community with families joining us and leaving us, this is also the case with our staff. It is with sadness for our loss but excitement for their new adventures that we farewell Mrs Rachael Hind, Ms Meaghan Younger and Miss Matilda Kelly, along with my own new adventure!

To add to our staffing news, with the exciting arrival of our new Principal, Mr Matthew Garton we would also like to welcome new teachers joining us for next year, Mrs Natalia Zarb joining us from St Benedict’s, Narrabundah and Miss Jessica Coghlan coming across from Good Shepherd at Amaroo. Both teachers have a wealth of teaching experience and are highly skilled in Catalyst and HITP. I know you will be welcoming and supportive of our new staff members for 2025.

We are excited to be celebrating our end-of-year Mass in the Church at 9:30 AM on Thursday, 5^th December 2024. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a community in gratitude and reflection.

Additionally, at 2.00 PM on Thursday, we will host our third Advent Prayer Celebration led by our Kinder Green class. We invite everyone to join us in the Church for this special moment of prayer and anticipation.

This week is particularly significant for our Year 6 students, who will celebrate their Graduation Assembly at 2.00 PM on Friday, followed by a Graduation Mass at 5.00 PM. To cap off the day, we will have a Disco starting at 6:30 PM. This will be a memorable occasion for our graduating class and their families!

Thank you for your continued support and involvement in our school community. Wishing everyone a wonderful end to the school year as we draw closer to Christmas. 

Warm regards and blessings of the season as we look forward to celebrating the anniversary of the birth of Jesus.

Tim Cleary