Dear Members of the Community,

Welcome to Week 2.

Firstly, I would like to remind everyone of the upcoming Feast of the Ascension, which will be celebrated this Sunday. This holy day holds great significance in the Catholic faith, as we commemorate the ascent of Jesus into heaven. We encourage all students and families to take part in this special occasion by attending Mass and engaging in prayerful reflections.

We keep in our prayers the Year 6 Confirmation candidates as they prepare to make this final sacrament of initiation. Candidates for Confirmation will make their commitments with our community at Mass this weekend.

Next week we will welcome Mr Ross Fox, Director of Catholic Education Canberra-Goulburn to our school. We are delighted and excited to showcase the learning that is taking part in our school. I am very proud of the display of compassion, resilience, inclusivity, and engagement within our school community as a whole.

In addition, I am thrilled to announce that we have opened enrolment for students who wish to join St Thomas Aquinas Primary School in 2025. We take pride in providing a nurturing and enriching educational environment, where each child is given the opportunity to thrive and excel. If you know of any families who may be interested in enrolling their child, please encourage them to contact our school office for more information.

Furthermore, our highly anticipated Athletics Carnival is being held this Wednesday, 8 May at the Charnwood ovals, where students will showcase their athletic abilities and team spirit as they compete in various track and field events. Let’s come together as a school community to cheer on our young athletes as they demonstrate their skills and sportsmanship. Parents are encouraged to attend and support their children during this exciting day. For those parents wishing to collect their children from the Athletics Carnival we ask that you please ensure you speak with the Classroom Teacher and sign your child out prior to leaving the oval.

Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to the dedicated teachers, staff, and parents who have contributed to the success and well-being of our students. Parents would have received a term overview of curriculum activities from each class teacher this week. Please take the time to look over and become familiar with themes and content of what is happening in the classroom to support your child’s learning. Your continued support and involvement in our school community are truly appreciated.

Warm regards and blessings,

Tim Cleary

WEEK	DATE	EVENT
2	Tues 07/05	Fete Meeting - 6pm in the Library
2	Wed 08/05	Athletics Carnival
2	Thur 09/05	Confirmation Formation at 6pm - Year 6
2	Fri 10/05	Muffins with Mum
2	Fri 10/05	Assembly hosted by Year 5
2	Sat 11/05	Confirmation Commitment Mass - Year 6 at 6:00pm
2	Sun 12/05	Confirmation Commitment Mass - Year 6 at 9:00am
3	Mon 13/05	Constable Kenny visit - Year 4
3	Mon 13/05	Questacon excursion - Year 2
3	Tue 14/05	SCC Meeting at 6pm in the Library
3	Wed 15/05	Constable Kenny visit - Year 3
3	Wed 15/05	Questacon excursion - Year 1
3	Thurs 16/05	Sue Geh Basketball - Year 3, 4, 5 & 6
4	Tues 21/05	Constable Kenny visit - Year 2
4	Wed 22/05	National Simultaneous Storytime
4	Thurs 23/05	Primary Belconnen Regional Cross Country
4	Thurs 23/05	Confirmation Formation at 6pm - Year 6
4	Fri 24/05	Assembly hosted by Year 1
5	Mon 27/05	Reconcilation Day Public Holiday
5	Tues 28/05	Questacon Excursion - Year 3
5	Thurs 30/05	Jamie Pearlman Basketball Cup - Year 3, 4, 5 & 6
5	Fri 31/05	Confirmation Retreat - Year 6
5	Fri 31/05	2025 Enrolment period closes
6	Tues 04/06	Sullivan Shield (NRL) - Year 3 - 6
6	Fri 05/06	Assembly hosted by Year 3
7	Mon 10/06	King's Birthday Public Holiday
7	Wed 12/06	Tennis ACT Wally Masur Cup - Year 5 & 6
7	Thur 13/06	Confirmation Mass at 6pm - Year 6
7	Fri 14/06	ACT Cross Country
8	Tues 18/06	SCC Meeting at 6pm in the Library
8	Wed 19/06	ACT Touch Football Gala Day - Years 5 & 6
8	Fri 21/06	Assembly hosted by Kindergarten
9	Tues 25/06	3 Way Conferences - information to come
9	Wed 26/06	3 Way Conferences - information to come
9-10	26/06 - 04/07	Lamont Book Fair
10	Fri 05/07	Principal Awards Assembly & White token celebration

Through our weekly newsletters we will be providing information from a variety of sources recommended by Australian Government, ACT Government, CECG & nationally reconised groups and institutions to build healthy relationships and safe learning environments for our students. We hope to provide families with information that allows opportunities for conversations at home.

STA Stay Safe - Cyberbullying

STA Stay Safe - Cyberbullying 991.41 KB

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At St Thomas Aquinas we are continually teaching our students about digital and online safety to help them become knowledgeable digital citizens. Each week we will be posting online safety tips to help parents and families build your knowledge and open discussion with your children at home. Watch this space!

Parental controls

How to use parental controls and other tools to maximise online safety in your home.

Know your devices

All the devices that connect to the internet in your home offer lots of benefits. But you also need to understand the risks associated with these devices and how to protect yourself and your family.

Explore how to use parental controls:

on your home wi-fi network
built into devices, including computers, mobile devices, gaming consoles and smart TVs
through third-party software
in apps and programs, including streaming services, web browsers and search engines

Use parental controls

Parental controls are software tools that allow you to monitor and limit what your child sees and does online.

They can be set up to do things like:

Block your child from accessing specific websites, apps or functions (like using a device’s camera, or the ability to buy things).
Filter different kinds of content — such as ‘adult’ or sexual content, content that may promote self-harm, eating disorders, violence, drugs, gambling, racism and terrorism.
Allow you to monitor your child’s use of connected devices, with reports on the sites they visit and the apps they use, how often and for how long.
Set time limits, blocking access after a set time.

If a device or program is shared by multiple members of your family, you should be able change the tool settings to reflect each user’s age and skills.

This video helps parents and carers to understand more about the different parental controls available and which settings are best suited to your family. It’s designed for parents of kids aged 4 to 13 years old.

No parental control tool is 100%  effective. Helping your child build good online safety habits is just as important.

Students in Year 3 jumped right into Religious Education from day one this term, weaving our liturgical and secular calendars into their learning with a mini focus on ANZAC Day and Mothers’ Day. This term they will be learning about the dignity of the human person. They will be looking at a variety of questions, including:

What are basic human rights?
What shapes people’s responses to promote basic human rights?
How does Scripture provide a foundation for moral living?
How did Jesus challenge people to be concerned for the most disadvantaged?
How do people challenge injustices in the world to promote freedom, peace and justice for all?

Easter
We continue to enjoy the fullness of the season of Easter after Jesus’ death and resurrection. Prayer cloths around the school remain white and gold to reflect the joy of this special season in Church. We remember that the Easter season will continue until Pentecost.

Feast of the Ascension
The Ascension of Jesus is traditionally celebrated 40 days after Jesus’ death and resurrection. In recent years this has moved to being celebrated on the following Sunday. This feast calls us to remember when the resurrected Jesus was last seen by his disciples, and he ascended into heaven to join his father. He left us with the promise, “I am with you always, until the end of time.” (Mt 28:20)

Mothers’ Day Liturgy
2 Blue are excitedly preparing to lead us in prayer celebrating all mothers this Friday, 10th May. Families, and especially Mums, Grandmas, Aunts and all special women who are involved in raising children, are invited to share in this celebration following Muffins with Mum. Our prayer celebration will begin at 9:30am in the hall.

Parish Life - Sacramental Programs
Confirmation - Year 6 have received a letter from the parish about enrolment for the Confirmation program next term. Please ensure you have registered prior to the first formation session this Thursday 9th May. To be eligible for this sacrament children must be a baptised Catholic and have already received the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist.

Formation Session for Parents and children
Thursday 9 and 23 May—6:00pm—Parish Church
Please note sponsors are encouraged to attend the formation sessions but if they are not available a parent is all that is required to accompany the candidates. Formation sessions are an essential element of the preparation program and are where you will be provided with the preparation booklet, presentation mass prayer cards and other support materials as well as engaging in the formation activities each session.

Presentation Masses
Weekend of 11th and 12th May – please note the change to the previously advertised date to accommodate the Reconciliation Day Long Weekend.

Sacrament of Confirmation Mass
Thursday 13 June—6:00pm

Scholastic Book Club
Scholastic Book Club orders are due by COB 17/5/2024. Orders can only be made on the LOOP app.

Ordering from Book Club supports our school library. Many thanks!

Overdues
We have about 400 books overdue at the moment. Please make an effort to return your library books so others can borrow them. Students are able to renew their books if they want to keep them for longer than two weeks.

Sora - The Student Reading App by OverDrive

Sora provides the quickest and easiest way to get started with digital titles from our school. Year 3-6 Students can simply log in using their school username and password and instantly access hundreds of eBooks and audiobooks on virtually any device.

Our school is part of a consortium, so the first time you log in you will search for ‘Australian Catholic Education Network,’ NOT St Thomas Aquinas Primary School.

Get started today at https://soraapp.com or download the free Sora app for Android or iOS. Please email me at rachael.hind@cg.catholic.edu.au if you require your child’s username and password.

Happy reading,
Mrs Hind

Students are introduced to new Ngunnawal vocabulary weekly. Special thanks to Miss Evans for continuing our learning of our Ngunnawal Country.

Week_2.pdf

Week_2 _pdf 1.98 MB

2024_AEDC_School_newsletter_article.pdf

2024_AEDC_School_newsletter_article _pdf 211.21 KB

2_Green_School_Newsletter.pdf

2_Green_School_Newsletter _pdf 7.49 MB

Please join us at our assembly on Friday at 2pm to celebrate our Class Award & White token recipients

WEEK 2

CLASS	STUDENT	CLASS	STUDENT
ELC Acacias	Imogen E Thea J	ELC Coolabahs	Renecia I Frankie R
ELC Waratahs	Ashton D Evie B
KB	Isabelle W Ava M	KG	Angelo J Lexi K
1B	Yuvraj A Mia P	1G	Larra D Harold M
2B	Anna D Niklaus T	2G	Nathaniel E Ellie H
3B	Mary P Charles M	3G	Tori D Santiago A
4B	Grace C Lucas A	4G	Samin MT Matilda P
5B	Amelia W Cameron C	5G	Alexis J Eva K
6B	Annabelle Mc Lazarus F	6G	Sarah H Louise Q

White Token

Angok C	Jessica W

May Birthdays

Ella D, Jesse R, Cooper K, Lorelei M, Charles M, Declan W, Jack P, Gurnoor K, Alice T, Zahli A, Nikola G, Amelia M, Arianna RM, Oliver H, Connor W, Emily L-B, Brooklyn S, Ashan H, Scarlett F, Nate N, Mayen K, Toby N, Theresa V, Shaela S, Ryan P, Lyla M, Aston P, Evangeline G, Isaac P, Gabriel T, Tudor C, Chimaobi M

Parish Priest	Father Gerard McCormick
Parish Secretary	Sharon Greaves
Telephone	02 6258 1563
Email	charnwood@cg.org.au
Address	23 Lhotsky Street CHARNWOOD ACT 2615

MASS	TIMES
Monday to Friday	9:30am
Thursday - School Mass	9:30am - one grade each week
Public Holidays	9:30am
Saturday Vigil	6:00pm
Sunday	9:00am Children's liturgy is held during the school term. All families are welcome to attend.