Dear Families,

We made it! While we know this year has been challenging for so many reasons, it has been wonderful to be able to start to get back to some kind of normality. Once again, we have a great deal to celebrate.

• Our oval is open
• We didn’t go into lockdown
• Our wonderful teaching and learning was showcased on the front page of the Canberra Times
• We had visitors from around the country to look at the wonderful teaching and programs we have here
• We excelled in our five yearly School Registration
• Our beautiful new ELC building was opened
• Students were able to participate in gala days
• We are once again able to welcome families back into assemblies
• And so much more…

I would like to thank our amazing leadership team, Carmen Myles, Skye McPadden, Peter Collins, Maribel Cabezas and Carla Drayton who was acting Director for the second half of this year for all their hard work and support. Also, to the amazing teachers and support staff who consistently work hard to ensure all students have access to learning, and who nurture and support students throughout their journey at St Thomas Aquinas.

We wish Emily Rhodes, Narisa Wong, Michael Prosper and Jessica Betterton, who are leaving us, all the very best on their new adventures. We will miss you and hope that you may have an opportunity to visit us again. We welcome Miss Brittaney Ford, Miss Monica Culas, Mr Matthew Moore and Miss Jessica Cassidy to the school. We also welcome Ms Monique Sainty and Ms Indira De Silva to the ELC.

Students will have an opportunity to meet their new teachers for 2023 today. Thank you to those parents who emailed me earlier this term regarding requests for 2023 classes.

Primary

Principal - Leah Taylor

Assistant Principal - Carmen Myles

REC - Skye McPadden and Ella Barry

Coordinator - Peter Collins

Sport/Health - Alisha Barrett/Danielle Hooper

Library - Rachael Hind

Arts - Naomi Wicks

Release Teachers - Skye McPadden and Bronwyn Newth

Classroom Support - Deborah Griffin (with support from Susan Magyar)

ECT and coordinator release - Skye McPadden

Office - Lee Black and Steph Cooper

CSAs - Leigh Barwell, Michelle Hastie, Michelle Filtness, Katrina Mclintock, Laura Mudford, Marianne Nelson, Liam Unwin, Jessica Cassidy

Student Welfare Officer - Stewart McDonald

ELC

Director - Maribel Cabezas

Office Manager - Chay Flannery

Additional Educator - Indira De Silva

If you are travelling these holidays, travel safely and I wish everyone a happy and holy Christmas.

Yours in Faith

At St Thomas Aquinas the Diverse Learning Team have loved seeing the growth and successes felt by many students who accessed our different programs this year.

This year we have had students access our intervention programs; MiniLit, MiniLit Sage, MacqLit and Reading Tutor. These literacy interventions help students to progress at their pace through very structured synthetic phonics lessons which provide them with more scaffolds and practice of reading and writing skills. Next year we will continue these programs, selecting students based on a range of assessment data and placement testing at the start of the year.

We have also had students supported in our classrooms by our wonderful Classroom Support Assistants (CSA’s), either with a modified program or with targeted Maths support. Our CSA’s and Classroom Support Teachers (CST’s) have also helped to run Spelling Mastery groups, which are a differentiated part of the Year 3 – 6 English program.

Three days a week we are also very lucky to have our Welfare Officer, Stewart, provide programs to groups of students which facilitate collaboration, resiliency and a positive self mindset.

Extending students thinking and challenging their knowledge through a range of competitions has also been a highlight for the Diverse Learning Team and other staff members who are involved. Students have been invited to access the Maths Olympiad, DaVinci Decathlon and Tournament of Minds this year.

We hope that parents have seen the continued progress of students accessing Diverse Learning Programs in all areas. Your child’s access to these programs will be reviewed at the start of the year and confirmation of their involvement will be sent to parents once Diverse Learning staffing and groupings have been confirmed.

December 2022

Layla A, Zayne K, Makayla J, Piper N, Anneliese L, Flynn O, Nathaniel E, Flynn S, Georgia W, Jade J, Alena G, Tomislav M, Madeleine S-P, Aurelius F, Samuella B, Jurell C, Naomi L H, Alexander D, Anthony S, Ryan B, Orry L, Gemma M, Bonnie P, Jonathan E, Gabriel F, Heath M, Isabelle G, Adrian S, Rhythm G 

January birthdays

Ronith T, Rohi B, Delilah W-P, Ryl A, Lucas A, Lachlan P, Willow L, Fay D, Elizabeth K, Summer H, Sofia H, Ethan M, Blake M, Heath W, Michael J, Hannah E, Isabelle M, Amelia H, Kai U, Imogen T, Kendall T, Amelia W, Melody N, Tahlayla B, Lucas J, Lazarus F, Zander R, Zoe C, Charlotte M, Maci M, Kai M, Alice S, Beau R

Please visit the Parent Portal to finalise and sumbit all outstanding 2022 Attendance Notes. Weekly Attendance notes are sent out on a regular basis however we would be very appreciative if all outstanding notes could be attended to prior to the end of the school year. 

Thank you

2023 Term Dates

2023 Public Holidays

From all the staff at St Thomas Aquinas, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a safe and happy summer holidays.