Dear Families,

This week we keep the Year 6 students completing the Sacrament of Confirmation in our prayers. Just as the Holy Spirit came down to fill the disciples of Jesus with His gifts, we pray that these students are filled with wisdom, understanding, counsel, fortitude, knowledge, piety, and fear of God. The last gift can at first glance cause us to think a vengeful God who we don’t want to upset. This type of language can often prevent people from fully submitting and handing everything over to God. The teachers have been breaking open all of the gifts with the students, so that they understand that rather than ‘fearing’ God, this gift is about fearing being separated from God, or being without God. They have also learnt that just like the Father of the Prodigal Son, God will always be there to welcome us back, but it is up to us to accept this welcome and what to be with God.

A prayer for our candidates

Each moment of your life, may you feel the Lords embrace.
May you sense His guiding presence in each challenge that you face.
May His peace and light be with you, and may you realise how deeply loved and precious you are within His eyes. 

Amen.

Welcome back party
Thank you SCC for organising a Welcome back party last Friday. While it was cold the weather held out, so we were able to share a cuppa in the courtyard and reconnect. Of course, parents and families are more than welcome to join us in the courtyard any or every morning, and especially even Friday’s when we hand out the awards. I look forward to seeing you!

Enrolment Interviews
Over the next few weeks, Lee and Linda or Maribel will be booking in interviews for students starting at the Kindergarten or the ELC. Understanding that family life can be very busy, particularly with young children, I generally only meet with families for their child’s first enrolment. For most this will be when each child first enrols at the ELC or for Kindergarten if they did not attend the ELC. If you would like to meet with me again to discuss anything or you have questions you may not have considered at the time of enrolling at the ELC, or you just would like to have a chat about your child I am more than happy to meet with you again. As Lee will not automatically make this appointment, you will need to contact Lee or Steph in the front office and they will happily arrange a time for you.

Absent Principal
From Wednesday this week, I will be attending the Learning Areas Conference in Adelaide. As we prepare to create our school Master Plan with a particular focus on Outdoor Learning Environments, the conference will give me an opportunity to look at other schools and listen to educational speakers and architects about learning environments and how these can support and enhance student learning and engagement. Carmen Myles will act as Principal in my absence.

Take care and God bless

Yours in Faith

Leah Taylor
Principal

Please note the following days are Pupil free days:

• Friday 1 July 2022 (Week 10) - Staff Planning
• Monday 18th July 2022 (Week 1, Term 3) - Staff Training 

We look forward to welcoming students back, ready for Term 3  on Tuesday 19th July 2022. 

1 Green have reached 50 black tokens and to celebrate this achievement will be having a class party on Wednesday 22^nd June,2022.  This will also be our last day with our prac teacher, Miss Ford and is a nice way to say goodbye to her.  1 Green students are invited to wear Pjs or an oodie on the day and to bring individually wrapped food to share (if able).  We would like to watch the movie, Descendants from Disney + .  Please note that this children's movie is PG rated.  (The plot of the movie is that the kids of Disney villains are given a shot at redemption at a school.)  If you do not wish your child to see this, please send me a message. 

Thanks, Kelly Scalan  

Winter is well and truly here and with that we start to witness the UV levels dropping. With UV levels considered low (under 3) during the months of June and July we adopt the advice of the Cancer Council ACT and begin our Hats Off period. 

Hats will be on again from August as UV levels start to rise again. 

Read more about UV exposure and the healthy balance for Vitamin D benefits here.

St Thomas Aquinas placed 12th in the Year 6 competition for this year's virtual daVinci Decathlon.  The team  performed well against many larger schools and should be commended for their work ethic, persistence and teamwork.  Certificates for the team will be handed out at Friday's assembly this week.

After receiving over 5,000 student poems and planting over 5,000 trees last year, we're thrilled to be launching the POEM FOREST Prize 2022 in celebration of World Poetry Day and International Day of Forests. 

Red Room Poetry and The Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan invite you to enter the POEM FOREST Prize and use your words to create positive climate action.

Visit the POEM FOREST webpage for full details. Your Nature poems can be entered via the online form (closing 23 September 2022)

Did you know....

• A tree is planted for every poem received
• $5,000 in prizes to win including $500 cash for each category, book packs from Magabala Books, Pantera Press and Wonderground as well as Garden tours, plants, seeds and more
• Digital publication for all entries and selected poems published in the POEM FOREST 

Thanks for helping us to grow the POEM FOREST and heal habitats for future generations.

We can’t wait to read your poems!

Catholic School Parents Australia (CSPA) have developed a range of resources to support families. With families about to embark on transitioning their child either into a Primary School setting or Secondary School, CSPA have provided some useful information, ideas and resources that families may find beneficial. You can view these resources for Primary School here and Secondary School here. 

For further support in positively engaging in your child's learning experience please visit the Catholic School Parent Australia website https://www.parentengagementcspa.edu.au/

Our school is participating in the Active Streets for Schools program.

Active Streets delivers infrastructure improvements around schools to make it safer and easier to ride, walk, scooter or skate to and from school.

To support students who may be beginning to travel independently, we have distributed an Active Streets resource pack to students in years 4-6. The pack will include a map highlighting routes to our school.  

Parents are encouraged to talk to their children about how they can use these resources to support walking or riding to school. Starting small is often a good approach, so try using part way points a short distance from the school and accompany students to teach them safe habits.

The Active Streets program helps children to develop independence, while providing health and safety benefits for the school community, with increased physical activity and fewer cars on the road.  

CANTEEN

The Canteen is open from Wednesdays to Fridays - for the first 10 minutes of each break.  We sell a limited selection of healthy canteen approved chips and ice blocks.

SUBWAY

Parents and staff are able to place Subway Orders Online.  Click on the link below to place an order and payment as well. 

Cut-off time is 9:15 AM for same day delivery.
Call on 02 6259 9101 to place your order after this time

Subway Lunch Orders can also be made, via Subway Envelope, at school.  Subway envelopes, including cash, need to be placed in the Lunch Order Subway box, located outside the Front Office,  by 9:30am on the day before the lunch is required.  For example, if you would like a lunch order on Wednesday, the lunch order needs to be manually submitted by Tuesday 9:30am.

Here is a sample of the Subway ordering envelope.  Envelopes are available from the Front Office or the classroom.

June 2022

Millie A, Maeve J, Leilani MH, Lucinda B, Maddison J, Emily M, Blake S, Anna D, Zachary M, Ivy LH, Luke S, Liam M, Angok C, Mason S, Annabelle M, Tobenna M, Emma O, Alexander W, Aleisha MA, Leo W, Georgia R, Sam D, Nella W-S, Mackenzie C, Lachlan M, Lucas G, Xavier V, Chuol C